Tag: Obedience

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Transform Thanksgiving into Everyday

Now that the turkey has been stuffed and the family stories regaled, it is time to transform Thanksgiving into everyday life. How do we infuse our everyday living to become a daily Thanksgiving feast?

Romans 12:13, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

This is the time of the year when we become introspective. Thanksgiving allows us to think of all the things we are thankful for. Christmas is the backdrop for showing love and appreciation for all who have touched our lives and those we do not know but feel compassion for their plight. New Year’s follows Christmas, a time of renewal. We commit to being a better version of ourselves. We are thankful, appreciative, and fortunate — not all of us.

This story is about the importance of dwelling on the richness of our lives. It should remind us of how important it is to share that richness with others.

Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

An Incredible Day

Atlanta has a spring art festival in Piedmont Park. It is a spectacular event both for its content and its setting. The Dogwood Art Festival is in the spring when the city is in full bloom. There are Dogwoods, Azaleas, and Bradford Pears in full bloom. Although the Dogwood Festival runs the entire weekend, I go down early Friday. I like that time; I can talk with the artist as they set up their booths before the crowds arrive. These folks are incredibly skilled. They have an absolute passion for what they do. You can see and hear their joy as they take the time to discuss their art. This passion is also reflected in the quality of their work and the prices they charge. The Dogwood Art Festival is not a mom-and-pop affair.

This particular year the weather was incredible—Azure blue skies and cumulus clouds that remind you of cotton candy. The gorgeous white and pink dogwoods are in full bloom. The temperature was almost non-existent, feeling neither cold nor warm, absolutely picturesque. The vendors were excited to show their creations. It was a joy to be alive.

A Chance Encounter

After walking around, I settled comfortably on a picnic bench not far from the vendor row to watch people. I like watching people. It fills me with curiosity. I was also growing hungry and deciding what cardiac-inducing meal to eat. Apparently, healthy food was taboo in the by-laws of art festival management.

A woman sat down on the bench across that table from me. She was in late middle age, conservatively dressed, and unremarkable in many ways, the kind of person you might see in a crowd without ever really seeing her, that perfect blend of human camouflage. She said, “I could live a year on the price of one of these things.” Without looking, I agreed.

Proverbs 19:17, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”

God has this incredible way of introducing me to the exact person He wants me to engage with. One thing led to another, and we started talking. I bought her lunch. She was living in a halfway house after being released from prison. Life had been long and hard and disappointing. That once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could have taken her life in a different direction was always just outside her reach. The hurdle in her life was guys. They came into her life at the wrong time with mischievous intent.

There was determination and grit in her outlook. She had a vision but no plan to get there. It wasn’t a grand vision. It was a vision to become normal. You know, 40-hour workweek, home, friends, and maybe family. Everyone has a unicorn; this was hers. If anything, I am a guy with a plan. Our meeting wasn’t serendipity or coincidence; it was part of God’s plan for her.

Stepping out in Faith

We started talking about God’s plan for her life. God’s plan was for her to prosper. But she had to be willing to surrender her plan for His. He would be faithful in His promise if she would. The first step was to find a church that had good scripture-based teaching. Then she needed to join an accountability group within that church that she could trust. We talked for about 90 minutes. She was cheerful, engaged, and asked questions.

Hebrews 13:16, “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

The transformation I saw was that she sat more upright. Her face softened. Her eyes were brighter, more focused. She stated that she knew her plan didn’t work. She had heard the message of Christ in prison and she felt she needed to look into it further. But she always put it off. She knew of a church that had members she knew. They came by the halfway house. She liked them; they weren’t pushy.

Others plowed the field and planted the seeds in her life; I was fertilizer (be nice; it’s a metaphor). The harvest will come.

1 Corinthians 9:10 “Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.”

Did she find her unicorn? I don’t know. I do know that God wants me to be obedient for the sake of others and share the bounty of His love for me with them.

Hebrews 6:10, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”

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Pay it Forward

Play it forward

Pay it forward was a trendy movement a couple of years ago. In 2014 a major coffee chain had 750 strangers pay it forward. Each stranger paid for the coffee of the customer behind them over two days. It was heralded as “It’s truly a testament to the goodwill of our customers.” What amazing arrogance would make these people believe they had performed an act of goodwill when the only thing that happened was the first person paid for the last person. The 748 people in between paid for their coffee at a random price.  This chain sold coffee for upwards of $7.00, while McDonald’s sold it for under $1.00. It was all about people with money making believe they were helping people with money.

Is that really what it means to pay it forward?

Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

PAY IT FORWARD, GREG SMITH STYLE

Over ten years ago, I was at the lowest point of my life. Because the situation involved another, I will spare the details. For my part, I was left without enough money to buy food or gas to get to work. The work was a new company I was starting that had no revenue.  I was desperate, desperate enough to give up my dream of forming this new company and going to work for someone else.

This led me to a friend of mine, Greg Smith. I went to him, hat in hand, asking for a job. Greg did something unexpected. He wrote me a check and told me to return to work at my new company. The extraordinary part of this gesture was not the money but the compassion and love. It was something I had never experienced in my life. It was utterly unconditional.

Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

I had been a Christian for some time. I had seen God move in amazing ways but never experienced it. It was life-changing. It immediately changed my view of my mission. I was now more committed than ever to being fruitful. Part of that commitment would lead me to join International Micro Enterprise Development.

ENMA STYLE

Proverbs 16:3, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”

I met Enma in Honduras. She and her husband have a business where they make custom furniture by hand in their home. Her husband, working as a janitor, learned furniture making by watching the artisans in a furniture-making business where he worked. COVID caused them to go out on their own. They needed help—enter International Micro Enterprise Development, a Christian-based ministry that helps the underserved by teaching and funding entrepreneurship. IMED gave them a small loan to improve their business. They bought a power saw, an upholstery stapler, and a sewing machine. Here is what they produced.

Eliaquim Honduras

The name of their company is Eliaquim. Eliaquim is derived from the Hebrew “‘Elyâqı̂ym,” meaning “God provides.” When a visitor to a house with their furniture asks where the host bought their furniture, the answer is “God Provides’.  

Changed Lives.

PAY IT FORWARD, HOMESTYLE

Philippians 2:13,”For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Pay it forward is about changing lives. It is not about feeding your ego because you did something for someone. It’s not about doing good. It is about changing lives, taking small acts of kindness that don’t paint over the pain but change a person’s perspective of their life. It demonstrates to others that God does materially love them. That God is generous in ways that they never expected.

Most of us want to be the hero of our story. That is not what God intended. God is not only the hero of our story; He is the playwright, financial backer, and producer. Next time you want to pay it forward, ask yourself if you are changing a life or making yourself feel good about who you are.

Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

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Why Do Godly People Doubt God?

Why Do Godly People Doubt God?

Why do Godly people doubt God and want to ask for explanations and signs? Because God calls smart people; intelligent, wise people with their point of view of the situation that God is trying to change. Doubts and questions are not wrong; the failure is in giving in to the doubts and getting defeated by our lack of divine intervention.

 John 7:17, “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.”

Who are some Godly people in the Bible that doubted God and required explanations and signs before proceeding? Moses is the first to come to mind. Moses looked at the totality of his existence and asked why me? He had a terrible past; he sinned, killed, lied, ran away, betrayed his family’s confidence, and suffered stage fright. On top of that, he was 80 years old when God commissioned him. Any reasonable man would ask why me? Job, Joseph, and Gideon all had moments when they asked God, Are you sure about this? It is not unusual for Godly people to doubt God.

Corinthians 2:16, “For, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”

Asking for confirmation is not only not sinful, but it is also prudent. How easily can we mistake the self-centered voice in our head for God? Because we want something to play out a certain way, we manufacture the dialog. God gives us resources that he expects us to use. The challenge is when we let those resources supersede guidance from God. We start to believe we know the answer when we don’t understand the question.

I look at four steps to overcome my doubt when God calls. They are prayer, scripture, counsel, and action.

OVERCOMING DOUBT WITH PRAYER

1 John 5:14-15, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

Everything starts with prayer. Prayer is the catalyst that ignites the power of the Holy Spirit within us. All great relationships have open communications; neither party holds back. Tell God exactly what you think, and He will respond. We can’t touch His knowledge, perspective, and power, so don’t expect to be right. Be honest concerning your doubts. You can not hide your inner thoughts, so why try?

Mark 11:24, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

OVERCOMING DOUBT WITH SCRIPTURE

2 Timothy 3:16-17, “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 competent, equipped for every good work.”

One of the things that always amazes me is that no matter what I am going through, the scriptures talk to me. I had a study Bible I used for many years where I read through the Bible in precisely the same order every year. Now my life didn’t roll out the same way every year, yet the passages I was reading that day met the needs of that day. The same verses can speak to us in many different ways depending on what God has to say at the time.

Cognitive or confirmation bias is when we consciously or subconsciously seek information that supports a previous position. Don’t use scripture to build your case. Don’t cherry-pick the passages or use them out of context to make yourself feel good about what you want. Let Him speak to you through His word if you doubt what God wants.

Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

OVERCOMING DOUBT WITH COUNSEL

John 16:13, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

Hearing God speak through others is essential. It can happen in many ways, through a sermon Sunday morning or through a Christian podcast or online video. It can be through a discussion at Bible study or over coffee with a friend. Seeking Godly counsel when in doubt has many flavors. Remember that, as a friend reminds me, God will not ambush you. If you receive counsel that seems out of left field, it might be that it is. The spiritual counsel you receive should support or refute a previously held position. If it sends you in a new direction, go back to step one and start over.

OVERCOMING DOUBT WITH ACTION

James 1:22, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

You can’t steer a stationary ship; movement is required. God is patient and understanding. If we truly want His will to be done, even if we misunderstand, He will course correct us. Doing nothing accomplishes nothing. God requires movement. Once you have done your due diligence, even if you still have some doubts, do something. Give God a chance to intervene.

Why do Godly people doubt God? Because He made us highly intelligent creatures with a desire to excel. He loves that about us and understands that we lack many of the resources He has. It is natural to want Him to validate what we believe to be true.

1 Peter 2:15, “For this is the will of God that by doing good, you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.”

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Truth

2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. “

“What a heartbreak it would be to live an “almost” Christian life, then “almost” get into heaven.”

Remember in Middle School when we were given word problems in math? Kind of like this: With two sheep flying, one yellow and the other headed right, how much does a pound of asphalt cost, given that a cow is ten years old? There was always extraneous information in the word problem that had nothing to do with the solution; it just confused the issue. Part of solving the problem was figuring out what was relevant and what wasn’t. Life is a lot like that.  Our world problems have information that doesn’t apply to the solution. How do we sort out what is essential?

1 John 4:1, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) states that approximately 2.2 million books are published annually worldwide. That number is split relatively evenly between fiction and non-fiction. That is a tremendous amount of new information. It does not come close to the Social Media information published every year. We are drowning in information and starving for truth.

What are the barriers to understanding the truth of God’s word? Even with the best intentions, where do we falter? What is this implication when we consider our impact on God’s Kingdom?

Matthew 7:21-23. “’ Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Wow, that is a heavy price. Bending the Gospel so that we feel better about our choices could have an enormous downside.

Isaiah 29:13, “And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but artificial rules learned by rote.”

Bible study is not an intellectual exercise.

Knowing the truth of God’s word takes work. It is not about memorizing Bible verses without knowing their context and meaning. It is not about reading the Bible without knowing its historical and literary context. Knowing who wrote the verse, to whom it is written, when it was written, and what came before and after it helps frame its meaning.

“Anything worth having is worth working for.” ― Brian Rathbone, Call of the Herald.

The second most common mistake in understanding God’s word is not doing your research. It is important to study with others to hear more than one point of view, but don’t leave it at that. Consult commentaries from biblical scholars. You notice I used the plural. There were over 20,000 religious books printed last year in the United States alone; think of how many were written in the rest of the world. That is a lot of educated opinions; not everyone can be right. Ferret out the commonalities and differences. Use Critical thinking to understand why.

Matthew 24:24, “For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

It is also important to think through the application of knowledge. How does ancient text apply to your worldview? How do you connect the dots? Finding application requires taking your current study and wrapping around it the entirety of the Bible. Once you know what the author was trying to tell the people he was writing to, why did God include this text? How does it fit into the overall narrative God is weaving throughout the Bible?

What you do not do is look for confirmation of a position (Confirmation Bias). You should not use the Bible as a Christian encyclopedia for whatever shiny object has gotten your attention. It is tempting to read the Bible selectively, trying to prove an idea we already believe to be true. If we come to the Scriptures with a predetermined point of view, we can force God’s word to appear to say whatever we want.

Proverbs 11:9, “With his mouth, the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge, the righteous are delivered.”

Without this knowledge, it is easy to be misled concerning God’s word. Some will try to convince you that God echoes their point of view when the quoted text may not have anything to do with the topic.  It often happens that church leaders and churchgoers mislead Christians to advance their personal agenda. Truth is your shield.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So, it is no surprise that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”

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Whispered Moments

John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

I don’t know about you, but I tend to travel fast through life. I have this insatiable desire to get to tomorrow. Today is great, and I love living it, but tomorrow is where it’s at. Everything I do builds to a crescendo. Today is not complete; I am not all I can be, but tomorrow, yes, tomorrow. That is the promise of my life.

Proverbs 27:1, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”

I believe that God has this great adventure waiting just around the corner. What corner, I’m not sure. Maybe it is the next corner or the next. I keep moving forward, convinced that my drive is obedience. Obedience becomes a destination, not a journey.

Let me tell you about a rock in my life; I may have told it before. Rocks are the little stories that sometimes go unremembered. I remember this one because it was late fall. I remember it was cold because it was dark early, and I bundled up as I walked from the train station to my destination; not the crisp northern cold, but a Georgia winter wet cold. The type that crawls under your jacket and digs into your bones. I was late meeting a friend that I hadn’t seen in a while. Walking head down against the wind, I walked across the courtyard exiting the station and just vaguely remember seeing a shadow of a man. The voice in my head said, “stop.” It seemed loud and natural enough that I came to a halt.

Romans 13:11, “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”

I now looked at the man standing in the cold. He had on a trench coat, but it didn’t look warm. He stood looking into the air, moving left, then right. He seemed uncertain as to what he needed to do next. I’m late, I said to myself and started to move on. All I heard was “To the least of these…” nothing more.

God doesn’t yell or intimidate; He reminds us of the great privilege of knowing Him and the great joy we can receive by obeying Him. It wasn’t a command or even a request. It was just a quiet voice of truth.

John 9:4, “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. The night is coming, when no one can work.”

I looked at the man’s face. This was the first time I saw him. His eyes were sad and painful. There were a lot of years in those young eyes. He knew disappointment; they were traveling buddies. He had lost something important and was at a loss as to what to do. I knew to speak to him was to take on his burden. Once I knew, I couldn’t turn back. Reluctantly I asked, “Can I help you?”

God is an incredibly loving God. He is amazing. This man’s need was everything to him. It was insurmountable in his circumstances. But to him, it was just another hard day on earth. To me, it was simple. I gave him what I had, and it was more than enough. He stood erect and shook my hand with thanks and a nod. But his eye gave it away. Relief and surrender. I started to walk away, but I stopped. I turned and said, “You know, God loves you; that is why I am here now.” He smiled and said, “Yes, sir, I truly know that.”

Answer God’s call, folks. Be that person. I don’t have words that can accurately paint the picture of how it will change your life forever.

1 John 2:17, “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

There are big things that God will nag us over. He will plant the seed. He’ll water and fertilize it. He will come back over and over to prune it. He just won’t let it go. Those things we eventually come around to acknowledging. They’re BHAGs (Big Hairy Aggressive Goals). They take time, energy, and planning, but they are worth it.

Isaiah 59:1, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear.”

What I love and crave are the whispered moments when God has a single opportunity to share. God says, “Tomme, see what I have for you?” “Look, it’s over there.” And when I turn, it takes my breath away. I stand in awe. These are the rocks in my memorial. I pick each one up and remember a time when He loved me so much he asked me to be in His plan for someone else. The stones are the BHAGs that I could have never accomplished without Him. The rocks are his way of telling me how much He loves me for the little thing that makes life worth living.

When Elijah was on Mt. Horeb, God was not in the wind, He was not in the fire, God was not in the earthquake; God was in the whisper.

1 Kings 19: 11–12, “The Lord said, “Go out. Stand on the mountain in front of me. I am going to pass by.” As the Lord approached, a very powerful wind tore the mountains apart. It broke up the rocks. But the Lord wasn’t in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake. But the Lord wasn’t in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire came. But the Lord wasn’t in the fire. And after the fire there was only a gentle whisper.”

Be that person; listen for the whisper. Be still and make room in your life to stand in God’s presence and listen for His whispers across your heart.

Ephesians 5:15-17, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

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The Conundrum of Intentional Obedience

“I am only one. But still, I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do” – Edward Everett Hale, American author, historian, civil war spy, and Unitarian minister, 1822-1909

Intentionality and Obedience

I sometimes feel like I am one of the Israelites in the desert. God provides, and I grumble. Every time, absolutely every time, I am intentional in my obedience; good things happen. But still, I falter. You see, I want something I should never have. I should never have them because they are not good for me. No matter how much I covet them, I will be disappointed. I know this, and still, I want. God does His best to protect me, except for this “free will” thing. If He took that away, decisions would be easier.

1 Peter 1:14, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance.”

At night, clarity came over me about what I needed to do. Intentionality and obedience go hand-in-hand. We can’t plan to be obedient; we have to execute. Much of the value in obedience comes from our dogged desire to see it through with urgency.

1 Timothy 1:5, “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

I am at that point in life where my bucket list has only one last item, obedience to God’s call. It’s somewhat revealing that this is the last thing on my bucket list; shouldn’t it have been the first? In a long life, shouldn’t I have experienced this yet? There are two challenges; first, there is the constant nature of obedience, and second, there is the intentionality of obedience. Mostly I’m obedient when I can see the why. I can follow when what I want is synchronized with what I think God wants. In hindsight, I see that this synchronicity is mostly a false rationalization. I see what I want and assume God sees the same thing.  But His view is greater than mine.

1 Corinthians 2:9, “However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived, the things God has prepared for those who love him.”

The core issue concerns my genuine desire to be obedient. Am I only obedient when it looks to be to my benefit; when I see God’s desire for my life to be in concert with mine? Am I on God’s side, or do I expect Him to be on mine? Do I expect God to agree with me?

“Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” – Abraham Lincoln.

Over the last few weeks, I have started to perceive a new view of God that is somewhat different than my previous view. I have always read and heard about God’s emotional attributes; you know his mercy, love, and compassion. I’ve balanced God’s good side with His judgment, wrath, and condemnation. I have built up this image of a God not much different than myself. He is perfect, and I am not, but we share the same challenges. God is much better at taking the right path; His path is correct by definition. This leaves me in the position of trying to empathize with His decisions. I try to put His decision in perspective of what I am experiencing.

Numbers 28:19, “God is not man that He should lie, or son of man that He should change His mind. Has He said and will He not do it? Or has He spoken and will not fulfil it?”

Unchanging and Perfect

Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”

What if God was constant and our perception of Him changes? What if He is always perfect and absolute, but we perceive Him differently based on the decision’s impact on us? What if there is an innate purity to all of God’s decisions that supersede emotional attributes?  He is everything we perceive Him to be, but it is not what drives Him. It is not that God doesn’t love us unconditionally. It is not that He is not merciful, kind, compassionate, and long-suffering. It is not that God hates sin. Because of these innate attributes of His character, He does not become emotionally highjacked when making decisions. He always does what’s best.

Isaiah 14:24, “Lord of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned so shall it be, and as I have proposed, so shall it stand.”

What would that mean to our obedience? God does not decide based on human emotions like compassion or wrath but absolute truth. We judge the impact of His decision based on how we see it affecting us; did He bless or curse us? Job’s friends had a big issue with this. They tried to tie Job’s predicament to God’s emotional state. They felt Job must have angered God somehow.

Job 34:36, “Job ought to be tried to the limit because he answers like wicked men.”

Once our need to be obedient rises above the emotional attributes assigned to God, it becomes more intentional. We know God’s truth is innately super-eminent and pure so we can follow. Not because we can rationalize some benefit to our world or His kingdom, but because it is by design perfect. And because it is always perfect, we know He is working with our best interest in mind, even when we don’t see it.

I’m not sure about this idea. It resonates with me. It helps me rationalize why I stray when the path is clear, just undesirable. The concept explains why our human-size brain doesn’t always understand answered prayer. Like most people seeing answered prayer motivates us to be more intentional. Our goal should be intentionally obedient, not just reluctantly obedient. We should want to pursue His desire for our life, not just accept the inevitable outcome of His power. Being obedient is moving in the direction of perfection.

Proverbs 16:3, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”

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Standing in the Gap

Ezekiel 22:30, “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.”

When I read this statement, I couldn’t help but feel sad. Imagine a point in time when you, and only you, stood between total destruction and life for a fellow human being. Think of what is going on in Ukraine, the destruction of property, families, and the destruction of cultures. Think of the lives of unbelievers who desperately need hope and salvation. Think of the most disreputable people in your life who don’t know Christ and imagine them existing for an eternity separated from Christ. Are you the person for which God is looking? Can you stand in the gap?

1 Peter 3:9, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”

We live our lives thinking that there will always be another day. We see risk around us, but it doesn’t deter us. We believe we will go on until someday in the distant future when we don’t. If we are honest with ourselves, we live a relative laissez-faire existence. We are so wrapped up in our issues and opportunities that we live a life of non-interference in the affairs of others. We pop in and pop out as time allows.

Romans 5:19, “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”

We do good and provide aid when it’s part of our plan. But, even when the moment is spontaneous, the decision to help is deterministic. We weigh the cost-benefit and decide how to spend our time. Time is precious, not to be spent on the undeserving or those who can help themselves but don’t.

2 John 1:6, “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.”

We all have people in our lives that need salvation. Those we love we take on as “projects for their good.” We don’t always recognize that God may be telling us not now or not us. We stand in the gap for someone we love, even when the gap doesn’t exist at the moment. I want to address the person we don’t like because of their demeanor or lifestyle. The person we know is separated from God, but it is their decision, and frankly, we don’t care. We don’t have a personal relationship and don’t want one.

Colossians 4:5-6, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

What I am asking is, if this was your moment to change eternity for someone, even an enemy, would you step into the gap? It kind of sounds like a Jonah question, doesn’t it. Jonah understood who God was and what He could do, but it was the wrong people for him. So he would not stand in the gap for the Ninevites.

One of the lessons I remember from the story of Esther was not just all that she went through as God prepared her for her moment to step into the gap, but when the time arose for her to act, God reminded her that His plan would prevail even if she didn’t do her part. Therefore, even if she does not choose to stand in the gap for those God puts in front of her, God will act. But God will act to her detriment.

Esther 4:14, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

“The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.” – Thomas S. Monson

We need to live our spiritual lives with a sense of urgency. It is God who saves, not us. But we should want to be part of His plan for others, even those we don’t want in our worldly sphere. They are God’s children, not yours. If you do your part, He will always do His, and even if you don’t, He will.

Stand firm in the gap.

Romans 2:6-8, “God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good, seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life.”

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Doing Nothing Accomplishes Nothing

Ephesians 2:10, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

It is interesting that as I open my eyes to the people around me, I see the greatness that God has put in each of us. I can see the light in their eyes come on whenever we touch on their passion; they sit taller; their back is straighter, and they’re more alert and engaged. It is true even when they do not know their passion. The person inside of them comes alive.

James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

The person God wants you to be is alive and well. But it is kept in chains because we are afraid of being everything we were meant to be. Somehow, we confuse serving with servitude. We confuse the free desire to be a benefit to others with the worldly view of being subordinate. We have this innate desire to be something more significant, but we somehow are afraid of actually being that person.

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” – Francis Chan

It is not you but the Holy Spirit in you who will guide you. The first fear you have to let go of is the fear of failure. The freedom you seek is not the freedom to chase worldly ambition but the freedom of allowing Christ to pick your path. With obedience, we eliminate the worry of failure; it’s God’s plan, and He never fails.

Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”

ASK

Everything starts with prayer. Ask that your real passion be made visible and complete. Set aside your worldly needs, God knows you have them, and He will meet those needs.

Matthew 6:25-34, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

Concentrate on asking for guidance for living your life with the highest level of joy and obedience.

I sincerely believe that one of two things will happen in your life; either the passion revealed to you will become your vocation, or God will give you a tentmaking vocation that also supports your passion. God will always connect the two. God does not expect you to survive on air while chasing your God-given passion. God is enormous on sustainability.

John 6:27 “Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him, God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”

DO

Philippians 1:6, “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.”

“You can’t steer a stationary ship” – I don’t know who initially said it; I assume a pirate; seems fitting. You cannot get anywhere without movement. The most remarkable ideas and plans in life fail for lack of execution. Sometimes making the wrong decision helps you find the right decision. Doing nothing accomplishes nothing.

In some miracles, Jesus asked the receiver to do something. First, turning water into wine required them to “fill the jars with water” (John 2:1-11). Next, there was a blind man who was asked to “go to the pool of Siloam” (John 9:6-10). Next, a grown man healed of leprosy after dipping seven times in a river (2 Kings 5:11-14). Finally, Jesus made a coin appear in a fish’s mouth (Matthew 17:24-27). Please don’t wait for an answer; start searching for it. God will direct your steps if you ask. The best place to start is to inventory what God has already done through you up to this point.

James 2:17-18, “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

I am always surprised by the number of people that discount their experiences. Things that we try and don’t like or are not good at doing open the door for what we enjoy and can do well. Things we enjoyed doing but didn’t seem to have an objective are discounted as leisure-time activities with no material value other than to entertain us. Everything that happens is part of God’s master plan for your life; every moment has a message; each experience is a guidepost.

Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

ENJOY

Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Once you have a rough idea of what God has already done in your life, you can start moving toward the future. He will build off of your past to create your future. You don’t have to create the person God made you be; it is already there. Instead, you need to find that person and coax them out of the darkness.

God has never wanted His people to live stressful, uneventful lives. He understands how He has made each of us and understands that joy brings us both physical and mental health. That is how He created us. We will receive our highest fulfillment and satisfaction from living the life God has prepared for us.

Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

It is your life; it is your shot at happiness. You can focus on worldly success, knowing that in the end, it will not matter, or you can focus on chasing the pure passion of God’s desire for you. That desire will last for eternity.

Isaiah 55:12, “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”

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Little Decisions

“What is always true is that the decisions we make today determine the stories we tell about our lives tomorrow” – Craig Groeschel, Divine Direction.

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

It is easy to point to the grand decisions in our life as having the most impact on our future. What we many times miss is that it was the many small decisions that proceeded the grand decision that set the stage. Decisions about marriage, jobs, or education start with the small decisions made innocuously in the past. Invisible decisions are so ingrained in our existence that we have long forgotten they were decisions.

James 4:17, “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is a sin.”

What story do you want others to tell about your life? We are not talking about the story you want to tell, but the story others will tell after you are gone. What things in your life will overshadow your service to Christ? What will be mentioned before they talk about your good works or dedication to Christ? What are all the small decisions you have made that will counterbalance the big decision?

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou

2 Corinthians 1:17, “Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”? “

I’m sorry, folks, I can’t get over the waste in humanity. All of those people walking the face of the earth living substandard lives thinking they have made it. People whose greatness is shrouded by the perceptions of the world. We compromise, not knowing we are planting the seeds of an unfulfilled life.

Genesis 4:7, “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

There are countless examples of small decisions leading to mundane, soul-crushing vanilla lives that we count as blessings. We go along to get a long hoping that being part of someone else’s plan will prosper us. We long for more extraordinary things deep inside, but we picked the wrong road. We took what we thought was a shortcut to success and found ourselves in a cul-de-sac of unfulfilled dreams. These small decisions raised the price of success until it almost seemed unattainable.

Proverbs 16: 1-2, “To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.”

The great news is almost too good to be true. We have heard it a hundred times, but it always applied to others. Who God made you have never changed. Your past decision has not altered God’s plan for your life. It may have made its destination further away, but no less rewarding or attainable.

Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

If you start paying attention to the small decisions facing you daily, the big decision will take care of themselves. But if you focus only on big decisions, you will find few options. Your God is not just the God of the grandiose, but the God of the mundane. Call on Him in every situation.

2 Thessalonians 3:13, “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.”

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Being in the Who’s Who of the Bible

The Bible is full of stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The stories weren’t stories like many of the best sellers we read today, they are real people, leading real lives, during desperate times.  To get a mention in the Bible is itself extraordinary, but their acts were not supernatural or over-the-top; they were somewhat mundane. Let me give you a few examples.

Jochebed (Exodus 6:20), the mother of Moses, if she did not decide to put Moses in a reed basket to save his life, he would not have delivered Israel from the Egyptians. I’m sure that Jochebed did not contemplate God’s deliverance of the Jews from the Pharaohs at the time. Ruth (Ruth) pledged to follow Naomi and worship her God. From this act, she eventually married Boaz, giving birth to an ancestor of King David, whose descendant was Jesus Christ. Esther (Ester), having lost her parents, entrusted to an uncle, and banished to a pagan land, saved the Jewish people from destruction. Ananias (Acts 9:10-14) was directed by God to minister to the deadliest enemy of the Christian faith at that time; Saul.

There are more such people mentioned in the Bible. People who God gave a simple task that ultimately changed Christianity. Most of these people had no idea of the impact they would have. Most were doing what they thought was proper but not extraordinary.

I also think of others like Agur, who wrote a beautiful prayer in Psalms (Proverbs 30:7-9), or the famous prayer of Jabez, which is only 33 words long (1 Chronicles 4:10). None of these people were looking for notoriety or fame. None of them set out to make a mark in history. Instead, they all sought the pleasure of God.

How do we become a people of Biblical proportions? How do we live our life so that we will be known when the end of days comes? These people did not live extraordinary lives blessed by God. They were not the movers and shakers of their time. They did not measure the ramifications of their acts; they just obeyed.

FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE

Ephesians 5:1-2, “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

How do you live your life? Most of us become caught up in the day-to-day grind. We don’t think about its significance; life is a series of stimuli and responses. We are like Pavlov’s dog, reacting rather than living. Being proactive in life requires taking a risk.

Ephesians 3:17, “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

We are filled with all the fullness of life and power of God. To be in the Who’s Who of the Bible, we need to follow Christ’s example. We need to take courageous and improvisational risks. We should consciously seek out those in need and courageously take the risk to love them. Our day planners and commitments need to take the second chair to look for and react to God working through us for others. You don’t have to author a worldwide revival; we need to show compassion where compassion is missing.

REDEEMING YOUR TIME

Ephesians 5:15-16, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil.”

I pray that your time is long and your joys are many, but we do not know until the end. We should live our lives as if this day was the last day we have to share the Gospel. This day may be the last chance to tell our family, friends, or neighbors how much God loves them and wants them as part of His family. Today we need to correct a wrong, forgive the past and show compassion to someone in need.

Job 9:25-26, “My days are swifter than a runner; they flee away; they see no good. They go by like skiffs of reed, like an eagle swooping on the prey.”

Many people I know wish they had one more moment with a loved one that has passed. They want to share one more conversation; they want to say I love you one more time. KiKi King, an instrumentalist, once said at a TEDTalk, (paraphrased) time goes on to eternity behind us, time goes on to eternity before us making this moment seem insignificant. But this moment is all I have. So, I will live this moment as if it was the most significant moment of my life at this time.

Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

If you want to be in the Who’s Who of the Bible, you have to use each moment as if it was the last and most significant moment of your life.

ALWAYS GIVING THANKS

Ephesians 5:20-21, “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Giving thanks is the frosting on the cake. Recognizing God is the difference between a good person and a righteous person. If we show loving, caring compassion toward everyone and do not credit the author of our story, then we have done nothing of value. God is the Alpha and the Omega; everything starts and ends with Him. Everyone we come in contact with must know this. Our life must center on and radiate out from Christ. The light in the darkness we shine is not our light but a reflection of His light. Our humility is genuine because we understand the power of the one who sent us. We accomplish all things through Christ.

Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Our story is never going to be amended to the Bible. But there will come a time when we will have to face Jesus to account for our faith. So, while there is still time, please make the most of it. Take courageous impetuous risks, knowing God has your back.

1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.”

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