"A man’s gift makes room for him And brings him before great men." Proverbs 18:16 (NASB)
Don't force your gift upon anyone. Just make it available and wait for it to open up doors for you. God gave it to you for His glory, and there is no greater purpose on this earth. God knew before you were a twinkle in your mother's eye what He had for you. And what God has for you is for you. No one can take your place in your season.
Be patient and prepare for your moment. Don't begrudge someone else their turn, and don't try to cut in line. Let your gift make room for you...when it's time. Until then, be the best background the world has ever seen. Your transition into leadership will be much smoother if you are a great follower.
Show everyone else what leadership is about by being dedicated, supportive, and obedient. God will exalt you in due time. Rest assured that God will keep His promises to you. Don't rush into a season that isn't yours. God's timing is perfect, so wait. Let God direct your paths, and watch the opportunities present themselves in ways you couldn't have planned if you tried.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
What Do You Want the Lord to Say?
"We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work." John 9:4(NASB)
The charge is clear: we must do the works of God while we have the chance. We have no idea how much time we have on the Earth, so we must use it wisely. We have to decide to impact this world for Christ and the kingdom. Working is not a passive verb, but one that requires action. The work we are to do is the work of the church (the body of Christ, not the building).
If you will just take a moment to review the current condition of the town you are in, I'm sure you will find there are needs in the community that you can help to meet. There are poor, homeless, devastated, abused, and hopeless people that need your help! I don't know about you, but I do way too much in the church building and not enough in the community. That will change this year. Jesus didn't stay inside the temple; His work was among the people He encountered on the streets.
I want to be like Jesus. I have written enough checks; it's time for me to donate some time along with that money. I must work the works of Him that sent Christ. We, the church, are the means of feeding the hungry, clothing the homeless, and offering the hope of Christ to a dying world. We cannot rely on the government to do our job! The night is coming when we will not be able to work any longer. What do you want the Lord to say when you leave this life? What is He going to say you did for the "least of these"? Read and meditate on Matthew 25:31-46 to see what your work is as a member of the body of Christ.
It's time for a change. Let's get out of the four walls and get to work!
The charge is clear: we must do the works of God while we have the chance. We have no idea how much time we have on the Earth, so we must use it wisely. We have to decide to impact this world for Christ and the kingdom. Working is not a passive verb, but one that requires action. The work we are to do is the work of the church (the body of Christ, not the building).
If you will just take a moment to review the current condition of the town you are in, I'm sure you will find there are needs in the community that you can help to meet. There are poor, homeless, devastated, abused, and hopeless people that need your help! I don't know about you, but I do way too much in the church building and not enough in the community. That will change this year. Jesus didn't stay inside the temple; His work was among the people He encountered on the streets.
I want to be like Jesus. I have written enough checks; it's time for me to donate some time along with that money. I must work the works of Him that sent Christ. We, the church, are the means of feeding the hungry, clothing the homeless, and offering the hope of Christ to a dying world. We cannot rely on the government to do our job! The night is coming when we will not be able to work any longer. What do you want the Lord to say when you leave this life? What is He going to say you did for the "least of these"? Read and meditate on Matthew 25:31-46 to see what your work is as a member of the body of Christ.
It's time for a change. Let's get out of the four walls and get to work!
Friday, May 13, 2011
No Turning Back
I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back. The unknown author of those hymn lyrics made a simple, yet profound statement of faith. No matter what comes or what goes, no matter who supports me, no matter what world events take place, I'm not turning back!
We have to make a decision whether we are going to follow Christ or the world. There are a lot of people (even in the church) who believe it's possible to do both, but I believe they're wrong. If the cross is truly before you, then the world has to be behind you. Christians cannot worship the things of this world and our heavenly Father at the same time. We have to seek first the kingdom of God, and then everything else will be added to us. We can't seek wealth, fame, and fortune, and then say "Oh, yeah, and thank God for my many blessings." That's backwards.
There is a road that leads to destruction, and there are a whole lot of people on it. We must be wary of the latest teachings and catch phrases. Everything you hear that sounds good isn't necessarily biblical. Narrow is the way of righteousness. We can enjoy the blessings of God, but we cannot worship them. We must only worship the CREATOR, not the creation. The difference between worship and idolatry is the object. Once we are giving God our all, focusing only on Him, then we will experience true success. There will be no good thing withheld from us in that case.
We must die to our worldly selves daily. There is no magic potion, secret handshake, or phrase filled with alliteration that will keep us in right standing with God. We are at His mercy DAILY. We need His grace DAILY. But we pursue righteousness! I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back!
We have to make a decision whether we are going to follow Christ or the world. There are a lot of people (even in the church) who believe it's possible to do both, but I believe they're wrong. If the cross is truly before you, then the world has to be behind you. Christians cannot worship the things of this world and our heavenly Father at the same time. We have to seek first the kingdom of God, and then everything else will be added to us. We can't seek wealth, fame, and fortune, and then say "Oh, yeah, and thank God for my many blessings." That's backwards.
There is a road that leads to destruction, and there are a whole lot of people on it. We must be wary of the latest teachings and catch phrases. Everything you hear that sounds good isn't necessarily biblical. Narrow is the way of righteousness. We can enjoy the blessings of God, but we cannot worship them. We must only worship the CREATOR, not the creation. The difference between worship and idolatry is the object. Once we are giving God our all, focusing only on Him, then we will experience true success. There will be no good thing withheld from us in that case.
We must die to our worldly selves daily. There is no magic potion, secret handshake, or phrase filled with alliteration that will keep us in right standing with God. We are at His mercy DAILY. We need His grace DAILY. But we pursue righteousness! I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Seeking Divine Order to Your Life
"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own." Matthew 6:33-34(NASB)
Talk about the utmost lesson in prioritizing. Seek God's kingdom first, and everything else will fall into place. Lately, I've been having trouble keeping first things first. Everybody and everything keeps demanding my attention. The problem is that satisfying all these things and people has left me unfulfilled, disappointed, and frustrated. And rightfully so because I have allowed other things to take God's place in my life, which should be first!
I was created for God's glory alone, and He is the only one I should be seeking to please. I must follow God's plan for my life, and seek Him daily. If we study His Word, spend time with Him in prayer, and really listen to what He would have us to do, we would be a lot better off in this life. Jeremiah 29:11 assures us that God knows the plans He has for our lives, and we should be walking according to God's will to reap all the benefits of His plan for us.
Your actions will betray your priorities. What are your actions saying you value most in this life? If your actions aren't pointing to God's kingdom, you may need to evaluate where your focus lies. That's what I'm doing right now in my life: evaluating. It's time to identify those things that are enhancing the kingdom of God and concentrate my efforts on those. All this other filler and fluff (not necessarily bad things, mind you) need to take a backseat. I am going to seek God's kingdom first and His righteousness, so that everything else takes care of itself in divine order.
Talk about the utmost lesson in prioritizing. Seek God's kingdom first, and everything else will fall into place. Lately, I've been having trouble keeping first things first. Everybody and everything keeps demanding my attention. The problem is that satisfying all these things and people has left me unfulfilled, disappointed, and frustrated. And rightfully so because I have allowed other things to take God's place in my life, which should be first!
I was created for God's glory alone, and He is the only one I should be seeking to please. I must follow God's plan for my life, and seek Him daily. If we study His Word, spend time with Him in prayer, and really listen to what He would have us to do, we would be a lot better off in this life. Jeremiah 29:11 assures us that God knows the plans He has for our lives, and we should be walking according to God's will to reap all the benefits of His plan for us.
Your actions will betray your priorities. What are your actions saying you value most in this life? If your actions aren't pointing to God's kingdom, you may need to evaluate where your focus lies. That's what I'm doing right now in my life: evaluating. It's time to identify those things that are enhancing the kingdom of God and concentrate my efforts on those. All this other filler and fluff (not necessarily bad things, mind you) need to take a backseat. I am going to seek God's kingdom first and His righteousness, so that everything else takes care of itself in divine order.
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