...the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. Psalm 32:10
The most important choice you make each day is your choice of an attitude. So choose, first, an attitude of thanksgiving. 'In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God... for you' (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV). Paul was in prison when he wrote those words, so his attitude wasn't based on his surroundings; it was a choice he made. Second, choose an attitude of trust. '...the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.' Where does such trust come from? Feeding daily on God's Word! Nehemiah's wall-builders were surrounded by enemies, yet they were able to 'celebrate... because they understood the words which had been made known to them' (Nehemiah 8:12 NAS). God's Word gives you confidence! Satan doesn't fear your sin; he knows God can forgive it. He doesn't fear your depression; he knows God can drive it away. He doesn't fear your lack; he knows God can provide. He fears your discovery of God's Word, because your ignorance of it is the most effective weapon he can use against you. Finally, choose an attitude of love. 'These things I have spoken to you... that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another...' (John 15:11-12 NKJV). Love says, 'I accept you as you are, care when you hurt, desire only what's best for you, and erase all offences.' It refuses to look for ways to run, and opts for working things through. It's resilient. While the world around gives the opposite advice, love stands firm.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Always Give Your Best
...Don't just do the minimum that will get you by... Colossians 3:23
One of Michelangelo's greatest masterpieces was his sculpture of David. He worked on it with such passion that he often slept in his clothes, resenting the time it took to take them off and put them on again. He repeatedly examined and measured the marble to see what pose it could accommodate. He made hundreds of sketches of possible attitudes, and detailed drawings from models. He tested his ideas in wax on a small scale, and only when he was satisfied did he pick up his chisel and mallet. He approached the painting of the Sistine Chapel with the same intensity. Lying at uncomfortable angles on hard boards, breathing the suffocating air just under the vault, he suffered from inflamed eyes and skin irritation from the plaster dust. For the next four years he literally sweated in physical distress; but look at what he produced! Dr Martin Luther King Jr said, 'If a man is called to be a street sweeper he should sweep streets as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause and say, "Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well"'. If you're not passionate about what you do, find something you can be passionate about! Don't just strive to make money, strive to make a difference. Significance should be your goal, not survival. Paul gives us the ultimate reason for always giving our best: '...Don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best... Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ' (vv. 23-24 TM).
One of Michelangelo's greatest masterpieces was his sculpture of David. He worked on it with such passion that he often slept in his clothes, resenting the time it took to take them off and put them on again. He repeatedly examined and measured the marble to see what pose it could accommodate. He made hundreds of sketches of possible attitudes, and detailed drawings from models. He tested his ideas in wax on a small scale, and only when he was satisfied did he pick up his chisel and mallet. He approached the painting of the Sistine Chapel with the same intensity. Lying at uncomfortable angles on hard boards, breathing the suffocating air just under the vault, he suffered from inflamed eyes and skin irritation from the plaster dust. For the next four years he literally sweated in physical distress; but look at what he produced! Dr Martin Luther King Jr said, 'If a man is called to be a street sweeper he should sweep streets as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause and say, "Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well"'. If you're not passionate about what you do, find something you can be passionate about! Don't just strive to make money, strive to make a difference. Significance should be your goal, not survival. Paul gives us the ultimate reason for always giving our best: '...Don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best... Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ' (vv. 23-24 TM).
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Use your Talents to Glorify God
God has given gifts to each of you. 1 Peter 4:10
Your work is important to God. Your job might use as much as 40 hours in a week, so it should represent Him. 'God has given gifts to each of you... Manage them well... then God will be given the glory.' We've each been given talents for the purpose of honouring God in this world. Undiscovered, undeveloped gifts dishonour Him; so do misused ones. God has gifted you to do something in a way nobody else can. By tapping into your unique abilities and using them to promote His kingdom, you're fulfilling His will in the truest sense. Paul says, '...everything comes from him... and is intended for his glory...' (Romans 11:36 NLT). The breath we breathe, the blood that courses through our veins, the grey matter between our ears are all God's investment in us, and He expects a return. Max Lucado writes, 'We exist to exhibit God, to display his glory. We serve as canvases for his brush strokes, papers for his pen, soil for his seeds, and glimpses of his image... He un-commons the common by turning kitchen sinks into shrines, cafes into convents, and nine-to-five workdays into spiritual adventures... When you magnify your Maker with your strengths... your days grow suddenly sweet.' So, be like the great New England preacher Jonathan Edwards, who lived by two resolutions: 'Resolved first: that all men should live for the glory of God. Resolved second: that whether others do or not, I will.'
Your work is important to God. Your job might use as much as 40 hours in a week, so it should represent Him. 'God has given gifts to each of you... Manage them well... then God will be given the glory.' We've each been given talents for the purpose of honouring God in this world. Undiscovered, undeveloped gifts dishonour Him; so do misused ones. God has gifted you to do something in a way nobody else can. By tapping into your unique abilities and using them to promote His kingdom, you're fulfilling His will in the truest sense. Paul says, '...everything comes from him... and is intended for his glory...' (Romans 11:36 NLT). The breath we breathe, the blood that courses through our veins, the grey matter between our ears are all God's investment in us, and He expects a return. Max Lucado writes, 'We exist to exhibit God, to display his glory. We serve as canvases for his brush strokes, papers for his pen, soil for his seeds, and glimpses of his image... He un-commons the common by turning kitchen sinks into shrines, cafes into convents, and nine-to-five workdays into spiritual adventures... When you magnify your Maker with your strengths... your days grow suddenly sweet.' So, be like the great New England preacher Jonathan Edwards, who lived by two resolutions: 'Resolved first: that all men should live for the glory of God. Resolved second: that whether others do or not, I will.'
Friday, August 20, 2010
When God Gives You a Vision (2)
...I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision. Acts 26:19
When God gives you a vision, 1) it will interrupt you. Sometimes God will speak in a voice you can't tune out. Other times, like Jonah, God will let you go to the bottom to get your attention. Either way, things won't go right until you say yes to Him 2) it will illuminate you. You may not like what God says. Ananias didn't like going to pray for Saul of Tarsus, a man with the power to put Christians to death. But God said, 'Go, for he is a chosen vessel... I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake' (Acts 9:15-16 NKJV). Notice the word 'suffer'. The Devil isn't going to send you a congratulatory telegram because you have decided to do God's will, so be prepared for attack 3) it will inspire you. You will accomplish things you never dreamed possible. Look at Gideon. When God found him he was hiding in a winepress (Judges 6:11 NKJV); not exactly a promising start. When the angel called him 'a mighty man of valour' (v 12 NKJV), he replied, 'I am the least in my father's house' (v 15 NKJV). When the angel said, 'The Lord is with you,' he replied, 'If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?' (vv 12-13 NKJV). When he finally took the job, he wondered, 'How can so few of us defeat so many of them?' Yet at that very moment his enemies were having nightmares about him (Judges 7:13-15). The secret of victory lies in knowing 'It is God working in me' (Philippians 2:13).
When God gives you a vision, 1) it will interrupt you. Sometimes God will speak in a voice you can't tune out. Other times, like Jonah, God will let you go to the bottom to get your attention. Either way, things won't go right until you say yes to Him 2) it will illuminate you. You may not like what God says. Ananias didn't like going to pray for Saul of Tarsus, a man with the power to put Christians to death. But God said, 'Go, for he is a chosen vessel... I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake' (Acts 9:15-16 NKJV). Notice the word 'suffer'. The Devil isn't going to send you a congratulatory telegram because you have decided to do God's will, so be prepared for attack 3) it will inspire you. You will accomplish things you never dreamed possible. Look at Gideon. When God found him he was hiding in a winepress (Judges 6:11 NKJV); not exactly a promising start. When the angel called him 'a mighty man of valour' (v 12 NKJV), he replied, 'I am the least in my father's house' (v 15 NKJV). When the angel said, 'The Lord is with you,' he replied, 'If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?' (vv 12-13 NKJV). When he finally took the job, he wondered, 'How can so few of us defeat so many of them?' Yet at that very moment his enemies were having nightmares about him (Judges 7:13-15). The secret of victory lies in knowing 'It is God working in me' (Philippians 2:13).
Thursday, August 19, 2010
When God gives you a vision
...I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision. Acts 26:19
Paul had a 'heavenly vision'. But there are those who '...speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord' (Jeremiah 23:16 NKJV). So you must be sure you are operating according to God's plan, not your own nor somebody else's. The story of the Tower of Babel teaches us two things. First, that when people make up their mind to do something, they often succeed; and second, that succeeding doesn't mean that you're in the will of God. The word Babel (confusion) means others can think you're right, yet you're wrong. You ask, 'But isn't it all right to make plans and set goals?' Yes, but your plans and goals should come out of a vision that God has given you. When Paul said, 'I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision', he meant that there's only one acceptable response to God's plan - obedience! Partial obedience, selective obedience or delayed obedience are still all disobedience. William Carey, who is considered the father of modern missions, gave up comfort and fortune to go to India and introduce the gospel. One of his more memorable quotes is: 'Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God' But you can only say that with confidence when you know what God has called you to do. What He ordains, He sustains! When you set your own goals you lack a heartfelt confidence that God is doing the work, so you wear yourself out thinking it's all up to you. However, when you know God has given you a vision for your life, you trust Him, even when you can't see any way to bring it to pass
Paul had a 'heavenly vision'. But there are those who '...speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord' (Jeremiah 23:16 NKJV). So you must be sure you are operating according to God's plan, not your own nor somebody else's. The story of the Tower of Babel teaches us two things. First, that when people make up their mind to do something, they often succeed; and second, that succeeding doesn't mean that you're in the will of God. The word Babel (confusion) means others can think you're right, yet you're wrong. You ask, 'But isn't it all right to make plans and set goals?' Yes, but your plans and goals should come out of a vision that God has given you. When Paul said, 'I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision', he meant that there's only one acceptable response to God's plan - obedience! Partial obedience, selective obedience or delayed obedience are still all disobedience. William Carey, who is considered the father of modern missions, gave up comfort and fortune to go to India and introduce the gospel. One of his more memorable quotes is: 'Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God' But you can only say that with confidence when you know what God has called you to do. What He ordains, He sustains! When you set your own goals you lack a heartfelt confidence that God is doing the work, so you wear yourself out thinking it's all up to you. However, when you know God has given you a vision for your life, you trust Him, even when you can't see any way to bring it to pass
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Are You Feeling Inadequate?
...Our sufficiency is from God. 2 Corinthians 3:5
God will never give you an assignment that does not require His involvement. He calls us: '...Not according to our works [ability], but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus...' (2 Timothy 1:9 NKJV). When God gives you a job to do, He gives you the grace to do it. But don't expect it to be easy. God called Moses to instruct Pharaoh to let His work force leave, to go worship a God Pharaoh didn't even believe in. He told Jonah to go to Nineveh, the most corrupt city in the world, and say to its population, 'Repent or die!' When He called Jeremiah to preach to a hard-edged, self-centered people who refused to listen, he cried so hard that he became known as 'the weeping prophet.' So if you're feeling inadequate today, without God-you are! The heroes in the Bible didn't jump up and say, 'No problem, I can handle that!' But here's the good news: God doesn't call us to work for Him but with Him, and that guarantees your success. You say, 'But I don't have the ability.' No problem: 'Not that we are sufficient of ourselves...our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient.' You say, 'But I don't have the finances.' No problem: '...God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good work' (2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV). You say, 'But I don't have the strength.' No problem: 'I can do everything through him who gives me strength' (Philippians 4:13 NIV).
God will never give you an assignment that does not require His involvement. He calls us: '...Not according to our works [ability], but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus...' (2 Timothy 1:9 NKJV). When God gives you a job to do, He gives you the grace to do it. But don't expect it to be easy. God called Moses to instruct Pharaoh to let His work force leave, to go worship a God Pharaoh didn't even believe in. He told Jonah to go to Nineveh, the most corrupt city in the world, and say to its population, 'Repent or die!' When He called Jeremiah to preach to a hard-edged, self-centered people who refused to listen, he cried so hard that he became known as 'the weeping prophet.' So if you're feeling inadequate today, without God-you are! The heroes in the Bible didn't jump up and say, 'No problem, I can handle that!' But here's the good news: God doesn't call us to work for Him but with Him, and that guarantees your success. You say, 'But I don't have the ability.' No problem: 'Not that we are sufficient of ourselves...our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient.' You say, 'But I don't have the finances.' No problem: '...God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good work' (2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV). You say, 'But I don't have the strength.' No problem: 'I can do everything through him who gives me strength' (Philippians 4:13 NIV).
Trust God! Trust God! Trust God!
"You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living..." Psalm 142:5
Hard times energise some people, yet paralyse others. Look at David. Everything he touched turned to gold: Samuel anointed him to be king; he defeated Goliath; Saul chose him as a musician and warrior; the army loved him and wrote songs about him. Then his life fell apart. He lost his job and his marriage failed; Samuel his old mentor died; his best friend Jonathan couldn't help him, and Saul's soldiers hounded him until he had to hide in a cave. At some point we all do time in the cave! It's where you end up when all your earthy supports are gone. It's where you learn important things about yourself that you can't learn anywhere else. It's where God does some of His best work in moulding you into the likeness of Christ. It's where your worst inadequacies confirm that you're out of your depth, and where God sends His power to flow through your weakness. When David prayed, 'You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living,' he'd no way of knowing there was a crown in his future, or that he wasn't going to die in hiding. For all he knew, this cave he was in right now might be as good as it gets. When you're in a situation you can't fix, can't change and can't escape, trust God! Trust God! Trust God! As long as your sense of security is tied solely to your success, it'll always be fragile. But when you know that God is with you even at your lowest point, you can handle the cave and come out stronger!
Hard times energise some people, yet paralyse others. Look at David. Everything he touched turned to gold: Samuel anointed him to be king; he defeated Goliath; Saul chose him as a musician and warrior; the army loved him and wrote songs about him. Then his life fell apart. He lost his job and his marriage failed; Samuel his old mentor died; his best friend Jonathan couldn't help him, and Saul's soldiers hounded him until he had to hide in a cave. At some point we all do time in the cave! It's where you end up when all your earthy supports are gone. It's where you learn important things about yourself that you can't learn anywhere else. It's where God does some of His best work in moulding you into the likeness of Christ. It's where your worst inadequacies confirm that you're out of your depth, and where God sends His power to flow through your weakness. When David prayed, 'You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living,' he'd no way of knowing there was a crown in his future, or that he wasn't going to die in hiding. For all he knew, this cave he was in right now might be as good as it gets. When you're in a situation you can't fix, can't change and can't escape, trust God! Trust God! Trust God! As long as your sense of security is tied solely to your success, it'll always be fragile. But when you know that God is with you even at your lowest point, you can handle the cave and come out stronger!
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