Before You Give Up, Read This

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What tempts you to give up?  In whatever desired activity – fitness, sports, reading, relationships, getting your life in order, anything that requires a sustained effort – we all face the occasional temptation to give up.

The same holds true of our Christian life.  Most of us meet the subtle opposition and obstacles of our enemy as he tries to derail our Christian life.

In just 52 days, Nehemiah and his helpers rebuilt from rubble the broken down walls of the once great city Jerusalem. You can read the story in Nehemiah 6.  From his experience, let me offer three challenges to help us face our opposition.

First, don’t be DISTRACTED.  Nehemiah had work to do, and to meet with his enemies, as they offered, would mean he would have to stop working.  Beware of the devil’s attempt to get you busy doing so many good things that you have no time, energy, or resources to do what God specifically wants you to do.  Every good thing is not necessarily God’s thing for you.

Second, don’t be DISCOURAGED.  Nehemiah’s enemies started a nasty rumor about him, intending to get him in trouble with the Persian king.  Nehemiah recognized their attempt to intimidate him and halt his work.

Winston Churchill famously said, “You have enemies?  Good.  That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” 

The Bible reminds us in 2 Timothy 3:12 that all who desire to live Godly lives for Jesus will be persecuted.  Nehemiah did not pray that God would deliver him FROM the opposition but that God would strengthen his hands to keep working IN SPITE OF the opposition.  Good advice for us.

Finally, don’t be DECEIVED.  Nehemiah’s hired a local to convince Nehemiah to hide in the temple.  The problem with that was that Nehemiah wasn’t a priest and didn’t belong in the temple. His enemies tried to make him become something he was not.  Don’t allow your enemy to use subtle rationalization try to get you to deviate from who God is making you.

Even after the project, Nehemiah’s enemies didn’t give up.  Our enemy doesn’t give up either.  But then . . . neither should we.

For Those Who Hate to Wait

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waitI am by nature an impatient person.  I hate to wait.  Doesn’t matter if it is a traffic light, check-out line, delivery, or even a date on the calendar; I find waiting to be one of my life’s most difficult tasks.

Yesterday morning while reading in Genesis 7, I came across something I have missed in my previous readings, something that made me stop and think.  There it was in black and white in Genesis 7:10 –

And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.

For seven days after Noah, his family, and all the animals boarded the ark they had to sit there on that waiting for God to deliver on a promise.

  • Just like the blind man to whom Jesus restored sight could only see men looking like trees walking about and had to wait a little longer for his full vision to come to him.
  • Just like Mary and Martha had to wait four days for Jesus to come to Bethany while their brother laid in a tomb developing the stench of rigor mortis.
  • Just like Jesus’ disciples had to wait three days after His death to see the fulfillment of the promised resurrection.

Waiting is never easy and seldom fun, but we can rest assured that while we wait God works.

  • Perhaps we wait while God prepares us for the greater work He desires to do in us.
  • Perhaps we wait while God arranges circumstances so that He will receive greater glory.
  • Perhaps we wait while God tests our faith and in that testing strengthens us.
  • Perhaps we will NEVER know why we wait, but if He says wait, then wait we must, and that waiting is good.

So on what promise of God do you wait today?  Don’t get bored, distracted, or discouraged.  Trust God and seek Him all throughout the moments of your wait.  AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME God will deliver the goods.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you
will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. – Philippians 1:6

Who Are You Trying to Please?

Who are you trying to please? Trying to please people – including ourselves – provides one of life’s greatest frustrations.  Trying to please a group compounds the frustration.  Pleasing others is frustrating because it is impossible to accomplish.  Once you capitulate to someone’s conditions, you find they bar has moved and they desire you to do something further to please them.

We can say the same about trying to please ourselves.  What we think we want usually does not ultimately satisfy.  The truth is that we will never be satisfied with what we want until we are satisfied with what we have.  Self-satisfaction works for a period of time, but ultimately the newness wears off and what we thought was the secret to our satisfaction becomes another in our roster of mundane and unsatisfying.

So what do we do?  Stop seeking to please others and/or ourselves and devote ourselves to pleasing God.  God is easier to please than are others, and pleasing Him yields much greater benefit.  In fact, we find that we are most pleased when we please God.

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. – Galatians 1:10

…try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. – Ephesians 5:10

So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him (God). – 2 Corinthians 5:9

Read God’s Word regularly to learn what He desires of you.  Let Scripture be your guide as you seek God and His desire for your life.  As you obey Him by obeying His Word, He will grow increasing pleased with you and you will find great pleasure in Him.  Quit trying to please others and yourself, and please the one who matters most. The road home will be much smoother.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. – Colossians 1:9-10

A Lesson from The Other Father Who Had Two Sons

We are all familiar with Jesus’ parable about the man who had two sons: the younger who wasted his inheritance playing and partying before repenting and returning home, and the older son who childishly pouted over his brother’s coming home party.

You can read about another father with two difficult sons in Matthew 21:28-32.  The gist of the story is that the man told both of his sons to go work in the vineyard.  The first son said NO, but later felt bad about that, and went to work as his father requested.  The second son told his father that he would do it, but never did get around to it.  Jesus asked the crowd around Him which son actually DID what the father requested.  Of course, the answer is the first son who initially refused but finally went.

The immediate context of that parable is the failure of the religious establishment of Jesus’ day to do God’s will and the openness to God’s will of the ones those religious people considered vile and sinful.  An overarching principle, however, emerges that challenges us in our relationship with God.  The greatest value arises not from what we say we will do, what we think we should do, or what we want to do, but from what we actually DO.

So, let me ask you.  Not what are you saying about it or planning to do about it, but what are you actually DOING about your walk with God?  Are you reading you Bible?  Are you praying? Are your serving God? Are you exercising an increasing amount of faith?

What has God told you to do that now is the time to stop thinking about it, praying about it, and considering it, but to start DOING it?  Live intentionally. Start yesterday.

3 Non-Black-Eyed P’s to Start 2014

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…  Ecclesiastes 9:10a

As 2014 begins, you may have already made some New Year’s resolutions.  You may even have already broken some New Year’s resolutions. In the scripture above, I find three challenges for the coming year.

Be proactive.  The verse suggests that our “hands” can find something to do.  Too many times we sit back and wait for things to get better, or wait for opportunities to present themselves.  Choose a course of action and will to follow it.  Do not be distracted or derailed by unfavorable circumstances.  In Matthew 7:7, Jesus said we are to ask, but then we are to seek and knock.  Quit waiting for God or for others to do what is yours to do.

Be purposeful.  The verse encourages us that when our hand finds something to do, simply to DO IT. Life is best lived intentionally.  Thomas Edison famously said, “Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.”  We can often “overcook” opportunities by not seizing them when they arise.  In 2014 – less talking…more doing.  Like the Nike slogan says, “just DO it.”

Finally, be passionate.  The verse above says that we should do these things with “all of our might.” Life too easily slips into a comfortable routine. “Routine” is “rut” with four extra letters.  We go through the motions most days of our lives lacking passion and zeal.  Andrew Carnegie said, “The average person puts only 25% of his energy and ability into his work.”  Romans 12:11 challenges us: “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.”   May God give us a strong aversion to the mundane, mediocre, and milquetoast. 

Three questions for reflection, answer them with specifics:

  1. What needs to change in my life?
  2. How do they need to change?
  3. What am I going to do foster those changes?

What Does Your “Big Picture” Look Like?

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Successful organizations and teams master the art of keeping the big picture in view.  What about you, as an individual, do you have a big picture for your life?

Without a sense of purpose, our lives are a series of loosely connected daily events and circumstances.  Without a big picture for our lives, we become a slave to the immediate or urgent.  The big picture helps us avoid decisions that drain our energy and waste our time, and make sound decisions based on purpose rather than immediacy.   God created each of us with a purpose in mind (Jeremiah 29:11 and Psalm 139:16), and we would do well to live our lives ON PURPOSE as well.

Today, I encourage you to work prayerfully on your GPA.  Take some time to think about the following areas, search Scripture, ask God for insight and wisdom.

GOALS.  Over the next few months, how do you desire to please God spiritually, in your family, on your job, with your health, and other areas God may point out to you?  What is the BIG PICTURE for your life?

PRIORITIES.  Given the goals you have set, what facets of your life need the most attention?  Where do you need to focus your attention and energy?  Does the way you invest your attention, time, and resources reflect the goals you have set?  Do you need to re-appropriate values in your life?

ACTIONS.  How are you going to align your daily activities to reflect God’s priorities for you?  What changes will you make to get control of your life so that you can offer it back to God as a gift of worship?

Once you’ve spent some time pondering, write a purpose statement for your life.  Share it with some people who will help you be accountable to what God has shown you, and begin setting priorities and making decisions that accomplish the BIG PICTURE.

Comments are open.  Thoughts?  Ideas?

Joseph Did You Know?

We can only speculate precisely what was going through Joseph’s mind when he heard the news that his fiancé Mary was pregnant.

      • How could this happen?
      • What will people say?
      • What should I do?
      • I love her so much, why did she do this?

He came to a very compassionate decision .

And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. Matthew 1:19

He wanted to do both the right and compassionate thing, so he decided to absolve the engagement, but to attempt to do so in a way that would cause her the least amount of embarrassment and shame.  He had every right to divorce her publicly, thereby exonerating himself at the expense of her reputation, but he CHOSE not to exercise that right and to handle the matter quietly and discreetly.

We know the rest of the story.  Gabriel appeared to him and explained God’s plan to him.  I am sure even that message was hard to grasp, but it gave him a glimmer of hope and rewarded his willingness to exercise meekness and compassion.

His compassionate treatment of Mary leads me to a further thought, however.  What would have become of Mary in today’s church culture?  Would anyone have believed her story?  I must admit that I would probably find it incredible and would assume she had fabricated the entire tale.

Let’s admit it though, we are quick to judge others aren’t we?  We assume that we KNOW why they are in their circumstances and why they act in what SEEMS to us an unacceptable manner.  But… we DON’T KNOW.

I think one of the most profound lessons I have learned in my life is that we never know what load another person may be carrying.  We may think we know what is going on in their lives, but we don’t.  We don’t know what they are thinking, feeling, or experiencing.  We just don’t.  And we are arrogant to believe that we can stand judgment on them without knowing the facts…KNOWING not HEARING…the FACTS not the GOSSIP.

So this Christmas, let me challenge you as I challenge myself to try and be more compassionate and merciful toward others.  If we KNOW of sin in their lives, then we should address it WITH THEM.  If we truly do not KNOW then we should cut them some slack.

Imagine what Joseph would’ve missed had he given up on Mary.  WOW!  Only heaven knows what we miss when we give up on others too soon.

How to Make Better Decisions – Part 2

So what practical help is available for making better decisions?  Consider this passage from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount:

Ask, and it will be given to you; 
seek, and you will find; 
knock, and it will be opened to you. – Matthew 7:7

Jesus provided three clear steps we can follow that open up God’s wisdom for us.

 ASK.  A believer with an active prayer discipline naturally makes better decisions because he is vitally connected to the only true source of wisdom.

 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, 
who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. – James 1:5

We cannot overestimate the value of an ongoing daily time of prayer and connection with God.

SEEK.  

We have a reliable, trustworthy, and authoritative source to lead us in our decision making quest:  God’s Word.  The Bible has every principle we need to form our thinking, attitudes, and perspectives.

All Scripture is breathed out by God 
and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, 
and for training in righteousness, 
that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Regularly read, study, and memorize God’s Word and you will be “complete and equipped for every good work.”

KNOCK.

God does not write instructions on paper and mail them to us, nor does He text us or email us with specific directions.  Once we have prayed and sought God’s direction in His Word, we eventually have to step out in faith to realize the benefit of His wisdom.  

When Joshua led God’s people into the Promised Land, the water did not part until AFTER they stepped into the water.

Wisdom has no shortcuts.  Pray, saturate your life in God’s Word, and move in faith.  You will look back at a track record of much wiser decisions.

How to Make Better Decisions – Part 1

How careful are you to pay attention to the ebb and flow of your life?  Our lives are not a series of unrelated circumstances and coincidences, but a carefully planned path executed by a sovereign God. One of the gravest mistakes we make is to fail to recognize the path of God’s intentional activity in our lives.

When it comes to making decisions, how often do we look back at where we’ve been, see where we are today, and ponder the path that got us there?  Mostly we base our decisions on emotions or ideas that seem logical in the immediate context, failing to recognize the trajectory on which God has set us.

God has given us the ability to seek and to understand what He calls “wisdom.”  Knowledge is gaining data and information (WHAT), understanding is seeing the causes and effects of what we know (HOW), but wisdom is the practical application of what we know and understand (WHY).

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise… – Ephesians 5:15

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. – James 1:5

Why do you do the things you do?  Because it seems right?  Feels right?  Because you want to?  He is a God of order not coincidence. Let me encourage you to view you life as an ongoing story.  God has a plot line along which He is leading your life.  Reflect on how God has worked through you in the past.  Consider the vision God has placed in your heart for the future.  Then ask God to show you how He wants to get you from point A to point B.  THAT is where God’s wisdom comes into play.

More on this in the next blog.

 

A Case for Christian Apologetics

Today, November 22 marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.  The day was a very dark time in our nation’s history.  Many people still remember where they were when they first heard the tragic news.

The day also marks the 50th anniversary of the death of a major contributor to evangelical Christian thought and living, C.S. Lewis.  Lewis’s writings, including such classics as The Screwtape Letters and The Chronicles of Narnia has challenged and fed Christians for nearly 75 years.  Lewis’ most profound work, however, may be his book titled Mere Christianity, dealing with what we call Christian Apologetics.

Christian apologetics is the reasoned explanation for what we believe about God, His Word, work, and world. It is indeed a discipline sorely lacking in today’s Christian community.  We need to know what we believe, why we believe it, and how to use what we believe.  I am convinced the reason so many believers fall for false teaching is that we do a poor job in grounding ourselves in God’s objective truths.  Peter encourages believers scatter throughout Asia Minor due to persecution:

…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect… – 1 Peter 3:15

Do you know what you believe and why you believe it?  Doctrine, theology, and apologetics are not for the seminary trained or super-spiritual and scholarly. Knowing what we believe and why we believe it is important for two reasons. First, we must be prepared to share truth with a world who is far from it.  Second, we ultimately behave what we believe.  If we do not believe rightly, we will not behave rightly.

Let me suggest a path that will help you gain a fuller understanding of God’s truth.

  1. Read God’s Word.  God’s Word is our infallible and authoritative source for truth.  There are no shortcuts.  Reading books about the Bible is not substitute for the regular intentional reading of God’s Word.
  2. Read the works of Christian Apologists.  Note how they systematically discuss these great truths. I highly recommend Reasonable Faith by William Lane Craig.
  3. Read theological works. Systematic Theology books arrange Biblical teaching into major doctrinal headings that give the believer a comprehensive look at what the entire Bible has to teach on various topics.  A Systematic Theology I recommend is Bible Doctrine: Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith by Wayne Grudem.

The study of Christian Apologetics will strengthen your faith, straighten your walk, and supply you with knowledge to defend our faith.