Tag: Purpose

Purpose or career driven searches that might use vocation, job search, calling, passion, or direction as descriptors.

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Do We live for God or With God?

Do we live for God or with God? We all go through seasons of doubt. It is those times when we think God does not love us enough to carry us through. We feel we have let Him down, or maybe we are too disappointing for Him to care about us. God has said our salvation is free for the asking but is love? We desire the unbounded, incredible, fill-me-until-burst love that gives our life meaning and purpose. It is validation that we matter.

Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

I, like everyone else, go through those times. I used to live a life entirely dedicated to myself. It wasn’t a conscious decision; it was life in a broken world. I am a high type “A” personality. I like rhythm and cadence in my life. Plan your work, work your plan. When I lived for myself, I thought I had a good idea of my destination. I knew the point on the horizon I was driving toward; at least, I thought I did. When I didn’t see progress, I could analyze my plan, adjust, and move forward. I got stuck occasionally, but I understood where I was. I just needed to determine the next step. Life was not easy, but it was understandable. I was raised that I was never a victim except for my own actions. I was the captain of my destiny.

Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

Introspection

Then Christ came into my life. He lifted the burden of achievement from my life, giving me permission and acceptance when I felt I hadn’t achieved my potential. He gave me a purpose greater than myself. But He is an invisible God. God’s ways are always true and right; they are the very definition of His existence. It is my perception of that truth that haunts me. If I get what I want, when I want, I am blessed. When God’s timing or direction isn’t what I expect, I have lost His favor or disappointed Him somehow. But God is always true and right.

Hebrews 6:10, “God always does what is right. He will not forget the work you did to help the Christians and the work you are still doing to help them. This shows your love for Christ.”

For me, this year is a year of introspection. Not the easy kind that can be achieved through a few kind words and determination. It is the hard kind, full of self-doubt, deep dives into my wants and desires, requiring me to deal with my emotions, emotions I would prefer to leave dormant. It took time and effort to bury these deep inside me even more effort to bring them back to life.

Living For God

“The sin underneath all our sins is to trust the lie of the serpent that we cannot trust the love and grace of Christ and must take matters into our own hands” ~ Martin Luther.

It started with a simple question: Do I live for God or with God? Living for God is easy to understand. It is following all the laws, being kind and compassionate, and going on mission trips, doing everything I think would make God love me more. It is me trying to make a partial payment of the cost of my salvation.

Deuteronomy 6:17, “You should diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and His testimonies and His statutes which He has commanded you.”

Living for God believes that God has a credit system that allows for the ebb and tide of His emotions toward us. It believes that salvation is free to all who believe in Christ’s redemptive power, but love is different. Love is something that I must earn through behavior. It proves to God that I love Him; therefore, He can feel free to love me. Living for God makes us feel good at times and rejected at other times. Mission trips earn us credits and angry words debits. It is the quid pro quo of Christianity.

That is my life. What is my motivation? Do I do what I do because it is true and right?

Living With God

Living with God is being in synch with His desires. It is doing what we do because it is who we are. God cannot love us more. His love is unconditional. God’s love for us is pure, without constraint, and beyond our understanding. Our actions do not affect God’s love and desire for us.

1 John 3:1, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The world does not know us because it did not know him.”

This season of my life is about believing that God loves me unconditionally. It is about understanding what it means to live with God, not just for God. I find it difficult to understand what it means to put myself aside and live a life with God. I have a long history of living for God. It is a pattern that I understand. I have become accustomed to the highs and lows of earning God’s love. Now, I must learn to live like Jesus, not for Jesus. That is a significant next step for me. I need to think like I am part of Him; he is not a third party evaluating my actions.

“There will always be someone willing to hurt you, put you down, gossip about you, belittle your accomplishments, and judge your soul. It is a fact that we all must face. However, if you realize that God is a best friend that stands beside you when others cast stones, you will never be afraid, never feel worthless, and never feel alone.” ~ Shannon Alder

Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

A great resource on this subject is: “Reimagining the Way You Relate to God” by Skye Jethani

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Are we Seeking The Truth or Validation

Another part of my life that needs evaluation this coming year is my perception of seeking the truth or validation.  In the last half-century, I have seen the normalization of division.  This division is now evolving into anger and sometimes violence toward others.  It started with the benign postmodern concept that you have your truth, and I have mine.  This concept started as a peaceful way of avoiding conflict.  We did not have to agree; you believe what you want, and I will believe what I want.

Ephesians 4:2, "Always be humble and gentle.  Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love."

God’s truth always agrees with itself. – Richard Sibbes

Validation

The “unexpected consequence” of this type of thinking is a division of thought.  Groups of people started drifting away from each other.  We gravitate toward those who think like we do, engaging in group intelligence, crowd wisdom, groupthink, and deindividuation.  We stop looking for truth and start looking for validation,  instead pursuing anything that makes us feel better about our opinions and avoiding anything that conflicts with them.  It is called confirmation bias and is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one’s prior beliefs or values.

We exasperate this by passing on our opinions about politics, war, global warming, social justice, and religion, to name a few,  as truths because it is all we know.    In this, we become intolerant of those who think differently wanting to educate them on our truth.  But are we seeking the truth or validation?  Interestingly, God warned us about this thousands of years ago.

Matthew 12:36, "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak."

It is natural to have an opinion.  It is virtuous to have that opinion grounded in scripture.  Sometimes, finding a scriptural foundation for a worldly issue is challenging.  In those cases, it is important to tread lightly.  The issue is not so much the validity of your opinion, although that is important, as it is spreading that opinion.  We treat ordinary conversation as just that, while many conversations are just gossip.  We attempt to convince someone that our opinion is more than our opinion, but the truth.  Having them accept our “truth” validates our opinion.  And in that, we feel validated.

James 1:26, "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless."

Truth

This year, I am trying to avoid careless talk, this includes careless self-talk.  The more I entertain a careless thought, the more I am convinced it is true.  One of the activities I need to engage more is understanding the other side.  I don’t like this because I don’t like what they say, I don’t like their logic, and more importantly, I’m afraid they will make sense. Sometimes, your friends will lie to you, and sometimes, your enemies will tell the truth.  I need to find common ground and then evaluate the differences.  To accomplish this, I must be willing to open up with those who do not share my beliefs and values.  If I can understand why they don’t, I may better understand how to present my view more positively.  I must accept that sometimes we don’t have enough information to know the truth.  In those situations, I need to keep my opinion to myself.

Ephesians 4:29-32, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

We are Christians created in the image of God.  It is a demanding standard to live up to, but it is what we were created to do.  We are the peacemakers.  It is not about abandoning our principles or values but finding a positive approach to speaking the truth.

Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

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A New Creature in the New Year

I want to be a new creature in the New Year. Actually, I don’t really want to be a new creature; I want to learn to recognize the new creature that already exists. I have to find a way of breaking out of the worldly view of human value. This quid pro quo evaluation approach, which works so well in the marketplace, doesn’t work spiritually.

Self Perception

God used events in our lives to shape us; our sin sparks some of those events. Memories of our past can sometimes feel like shackles holding us to failures, regrets, ignorance, foolishness, and sin. God does not want us to live with an image of unworthiness. This year, let us all try to cast off those shackles and strive to see ourselves as God sees us: a new creature in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

I bring this up because it is one of my great weaknesses. Many times, I live in the past. Echoes of events long past ricochet through my brain like they were yesterday. With all the intellectual knowledge I have gained about Christ’s love and acceptance of me, I still can not reconcile why. The scale never balances. I always fall short. My heart finds it hard to accept the concept of a God so compassionate that He would forgive all that I have done, some of it willingly and knowingly.

Romans 3:23-24, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Path to Improvement

We traditionally go into the new year to improve who we are, looking at the last year to determine weak spots that need reinforcing. We create plans and goals to make ourselves better. Some of us see the historic trend of sin in our lives that never seems to change. We don’t always sin in the same way, but we continue to sin differently. We see this behavior as beyond our ability to correct it, so we allow it to continue to haunt us. It is easier to dwell on the controllable, even when we don’t control it. Over ninety percent of all New Year’s Resolutions fail, but we try.

God’s Resolution

God makes this proclamation in Isaiah:

Isaiah 43:19, “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

If my past life isn’t a wilderness and a wasteland, I don’t know what it is. The old me didn’t start to defy God. I was just ignorant of how much I meant to Him. Because I was ignorant, I wasted my life on earthly treasures with no eternal value. When God sent His son for my redemption, He did something new. He created a pathway from the old me to His throne. God demonstrated His love for me. That started a paradigm shift. God’s vision of my value far exceeded my own. My worldview couldn’t reconcile the difference.

Because of this, I continue to devaluate myself when I consider the price paid to redeem me. In many cases, it causes me to try to earn the difference. I want to work off my salvation. When I realize this, I become distressed because this is impossible.

Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works so that no one can boast.”

Moving forward is about finding a way to put the past behind us in this new year, just as God has. We, maybe only me, need to see ourselves as God sees us, created in His image. We must go forward this year confident, with firm knowledge, that God loves us unconditionally.

“Let go of the past so that God can open the door to your future.” – Joyce Meyer

Ephesians 1:3-4, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ, for he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love.”

Then, we can lose weight, exercise more, spend more time with loved ones, and become the superstar we know we can be.

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Work as an Identity in the New Year

As we move into yet another year, the first question we should contemplate is where work as an identity fits into my New Year’s resolutions.  Keep in mind that the first act in human history is God working.  God was working before creation.  Genesis One describes a God that is continually working.  God is always moving; He is always doing something.  Work is a declaration of God’s identity.  Our identity is grounded in God’s identity, which is that of a working God.  So, what should we resolve to do in the new year regarding work?

Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

“To the degree that we embrace the truth that our identity is not rooted in our success, power, or popularity, but in God’s infinite love, to that degree can we let go of our need to judge.” ― Henri J.M. Nouwen, Here and Now: Living in the Spirit

REST

If the devil can’t make you bad, he will make you busy.

Before we can resolve how much to do, we must understand how much we can rest from doing.  Rest is not the act of doing nothing; it is the rejuvenation of our soul so that we can continue to work; resting in work, not from work; rest is the natural extension of work.  To live in synchronicity with God is to rest.  There is dignity in all work; all work is dignified in the eyes of God.  Rest is not the equivalent of doing nothing.

Genesis 2:2, "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.  Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done."

God rested from the work of creating.  Rest can be listening, seeing, thinking, or praying; all can be acts of worship if centered on God.  Resting can be mowing the lawn if that is your way of relaxing.  Resting can be any activity that brings you closer to God.

You can mistake adrenaline for the power of the spirit.  If there is no rest, there is no sustainable productivity.  Set aside a day every week where you let God guide your activities.  Spend time living with God, not just for God.

AMBITION

I am excellent not because of who I compete against but because of who I work for.

Another characteristic we must understand about ourselves is ambition.  How much and what kind of ambition should I have?  Ambition is an attribute of God’s identity.  In Genesis, God said it was very good.  He was impressed with His own creation.  He recognized a job well done.

Genesis 1:10, 1:12, 1:18, 1:25, "And God saw that it was good."
Genesis 1: 31, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good"

Do we believe that our work matters because we matter, or is it the other way around; we matter only if our work matters.  Our satisfaction does not come from the work we are assigned, but the fact that we matter is why God gave us work to do.  In everything we do, physical work, thinking, reading, or listening, we are to glorify God in the way we do it.  Work is a resource for us to demonstrate who God is.  We are flawed stewards, not proprietors.  Everything we have is God’s, given to us to manage, not to possess.  Our work is a resource God gives us to manage, not own.  Our ambition should be centered on doing a job well because it is an attribute of who we are in Christ, not because it gets us ahead in the world.

Colossians 3:17, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Nothing defames God more than a lazy Christian at work.  Your work is a gift from God to expand His kingdom here on Earth.  Not doing your best demonstrates to others a lazy God who does not value work.

BOREDOM

Discipline is the pathway to freedom.

Boredom, under-challenged or misplaced priorities, leads to arrogance and despair.  Burnout is not a function of overwork but a function of how we work; where do we find our identity?  Our identity in Christ is about putting our emotions between the banks of the river.  Because what we are doing amplifies God’s blessings in our life, not our worldly identity, we need to get up from self-introspection, put God’s plan for our life in gear, and think about our concept of identity later.  We can not let the world’s view of success interfere with God’s plan.  Burnout may be a manifestation of being misaligned with God’s plan for your life.  It is not the work itself but the nature of the work.

Ephesians 5:15-16, "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil."

Trying to satisfy the world’s hunger for success is not sustainable; if what God gave you is not enough, or if God Himself is not enough, then nothing is enough.

Who is your boss?  To whom are you responsible?  Who are you afraid of disappointing?

WE ARE NEVER NOT REPRESENTING JESUS

Accountability, Attitude, and Responsibility belong to us.  We never are not representing Jesus.  We own excellence.  Our attitude is not determined by our work context but by who we serve.  We are the salt of the world, and we are the light of the world;  we are not becoming salt and light; we are.  The way we work is an expression of who we are in Christ.

If we allow our success to go to our head because we identify with the work we do, not who we serve, we will constantly be dealing with exhaustion, depression, and a lack of self-worth.  Everything comes from God for use to glorify Him.

In 2024, resolve to reflect who you are in Christ.

Ecclesiastes 2:24-26, "There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor.  This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.  "
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Ahaziah’s Christmas Story

Ahaziah’s Christmas Story: I wondered what it might be like for a commoner (Ahaziah) to come across Jesus in Bethlehem. We know Jesus and the historical and spiritual impact of His birth. But what about a guy going about his business in ancient Bethlehem? Here is what I imagine that make-believe story to be.

Ahaziah’s Christmas Story

Ahaziah’s Christmas Story starts with Ahaziah walking down Market Street. He is a vendor of clay pots. The sun had set, and the stars began to shine, except for that bright star that seemed to shine all day. There was a lot of talk about it, but no one seemed to know its meaning. It was the time of Tishri, early spring; everything was trying to renew after the winter. It was a good night for a walk.

This year is the year of the census in Bethlehem Ephrathah. He grumbled over the lack of food, the overcrowding, and the noise. Ahaziah wanted his town back to normal. Usually, he walked in the evenings to meditate on all that God had done for him that day.

Luke 2:1, “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.”

But when they were taking the census, the town was in chaos. There was not enough housing or food. The shortages stretched People’s emotions as children whined, animals bayed, and the smells were overwhelming. The good people of Bethlehem tried to anticipate the shortages by stocking up on everything they thought they would need but couldn’t prepare for the wave of humanity; they were like ants everywhere, all the time.

THE MEETING

The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable. – Ralph W. Sockman

Luke 2: 6-7, “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no guest room available for them.”

Ahaziah walked by Elisav’s house; she was an old friend with many relatives staying with her because of the census. All her rooms (kataluma) were filled before Joseph and Mary arrived. He knows this because Mary was well along in her pregnancy, and Elisav was concerned. Even in this hectic environment, the commotion around her house was noticeable, but the large crowd was quiet, almost reverent. What was going on? Had Mary had her child? Was there an incident?

Luke 2:8-9. “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.”

Ahaziah approached. There was a strange aura surrounding the property. His heart was lightened, and he felt a sense of awe with trepidation. Something had happened. Some of Jehdeiah’s shepherds were here; why were they not in the fields? He elbowed his way through the crowd to see what caused the commotion. They were all staring at a teenage girl with her newborn infant. This child must be Mary, whom Elisav talked about. But why was everyone here?

One look into her eyes took Ahaziah’s breath away. She wasn’t beautiful in the ordinary sense, but she seemed stunning; she had a radiance and a peace that drew people in. It made you want what she had. The child was extraordinary; at just a few days old, laying in a feeding trough, he held the majesty of a king. This image created a mental confusion; it was hard to understand what a King was doing in a manger.

Micah 5: 2-5, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
 Therefore, Israel will be abandoned until the time when she, who is in labor, bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.
 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach the ends of the earth.
 And he will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses. We will raise against them seven shepherds, even eight commanders.”

THE MOMENT

The Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, needing to be fed, changed, and taught to talk like any other child. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as this truth of the Incarnation. – J.I. Packer

Time stopped for Ahaziah, and all his thoughts melted away, for what seemed like forever, he stood transfixed on this little infant King. He tried to reconcile how something so small and helpless could be the savior of humanity. It didn’t make sense. Yet, he knew that God said it was so. His mind went to the teachings of the Torah. The prophets talked about this very moment. But it wasn’t what he expected. There was no army or entourage, just a tiny infant wrapped in a blanket. There was no crown, scepter, or Royal Robe. How could this be?

Eventually, Ahaziah went home to explain everything he had experienced to his wife.

Was Ahaziah’s eyes open when this child preached in the synagogue or when he changed water to wine or fed the five thousand? Did he believe after the crucifixion, resurrection, or ascension? Did He ever believe?

FAST FORWARD

We know Jesus as our King. The Bible is a testimony to all that He accomplished during His ministry. The significance of the moment that confused Ahaziah is clear to us. Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and sits at the right hand of God, His Father. If Ahaziah had any idea of how that moment would change the trajectory of all humanity, he would have laid prostrate in front of that tiny infant.

What is God doing in your life today that you can’t reconcile? Is there something God has performed in your life that you want to explain away because it’s not rational, logical, or reasonable? It was not what you thought it would be. David was anointed King by Samual in this city, then had to run for his life. Moses was exiled to be a shepherd until the burning bush. Ester faced all her difficulties, including serving a pagan King, until her moment arose: what is your Ahaziah moment? When did God show His face, but you were not ready to believe?

This Christmas, reconcile that Christ is King over all things. He doesn’t show up to impress; He shows up to save. It is not always what we expect but precisely what we need.

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Waiting on the Lord

Waiting on the Lord is one of our human flaws. Waiting, in general, is a major flaw for most of us. We live a results-oriented existence. I know one of my most significant weaknesses is impatience. My impatience falls into two categories:  delayed scheduling and delayed gratification. When I go to the trouble to schedule an event, like a meeting or appointment with someone, I expect them to be on time. Although I try not to display my impatience, it is there. The second is more challenging for me to disguise: delayed gratification. I did what I said I would do when I said I would do it, so where are the results? Quid pro quo, give and take, action and reaction: this isn’t rocket science.

ISRAEL’S WAIT

Around Christmas time, we are reminded of the value of patience. The Book of Isaiah, written around 739-680 BC, speaks of a virgin giving birth to a child and foretells the birth of a child who will be called the “Prince of Peace” and whose government will have no end. Micah, written around the same time, 735 – 700 BC, talks about one born in Bethlehem who will be a ruler over Israel. The Israelites waited 700 years before these prophecies came to be.

Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."
Isaiah 9:6, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,  and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,  Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Micah 5:2, "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me, one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

SIMEON’S WAIT

Simeon waited on the Lord his whole life before seeing the coming of the Savior. Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit came to Simeon to announce that he would not die before seeing the Messiah. The Bible tells us that Simeon was old when he encountered Jesus. Simeon faithfully waited his entire life for the consolation of Israel.

Luke 2: 25-26, "Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah."

MARY’S WAIT

Think of Mary; as a teenager, she knew her son would be the Messiah. Her son, born in a manger, would be King of Israel but could not care for himself and depended on her for his development. She watched him for thirty years before he revealed himself to the world. How many sleepless nights did she lie awake, wondering if what she remembered was real? Did she hear the promise correctly?

Luke 1:26-28, "In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel approached her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

OUR WAIT

When I sit in a doctor’s waiting room, impatient for my appointment, do I grasp the historical relevance of waiting on the Lord? Does every moment of my life fall within the providence of the Lord? When I pray in my time of need, do I put that prayer into the perspective of God’s timing? Does instant gratification of my needs overshadow the dominion of the God I serve? Christmas is not just about celebrating the birth of our Savior; it is about the experience of waiting for God’s revelation.

“To prepare our hearts for Christmas, we must cultivate the spirit of expectancy.” – Handel H. Brown.

It was thirty years before Christ said the time has come. Even then, people did not believe because they had lost hope during the wait. Their chance at salvation came and went without their knowledge.

Mark 1:14-15, "After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"

When things don’t happen on our schedule, do we rely on Christ? Do we have the confidence to believe that Christ will meet our needs in His time? Children get a sense of that anticipation every Christmas Eve as they wait on daybreak. Do you experience the same emotional high when waiting on Christ?

Luke 2:14, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men."

“The great challenge left to us is to cut through all the glitz and glam of the season that has grown increasingly secular and commercial, and be reminded of the beauty of the One who is Christmas.” — Bill Crowder.

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Is the Prosperity Gospel What You Think?

Is the true prosperity gospel what we think? I cringe every time I hear someone imply that God will reward us for doing what is right. God created us, and He sent His son to die for us so that we might have eternal life. That is a gift we can never do enough to earn. Its value is beyond calculation. God is not a vending machine that rewards us for doing good. God expects us to do good. Nowhere in the Bible does God say, “Give your money to me, and I will double it back to you.” The scripture does not pertain to worldly treasure; it addresses the spirit. The Bible clearly states that God will ensure you have the resources you need to do His will, but He never promises that you will be rich by worldly standards.

Jeremiah 17:7, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord."

My understanding of God’s prosperity Gospel is that if you live according to His word, you will find peace, joy, and meaning no matter your circumstances. If you live according to worldly standards, you may obtain worldly prosperity but still battle anxiety, fear, discomfort, and emotional pain. God needs people at every level of humanity to share the Gospel with everyone at every level of humanity. He needs the poor to nurture the poor, the middle class to the middle class, sick to the sick, and the rich to the rich. He needs the craftsman to nurture the craftsman, the teacher to the teachers, and Kings to Kings. God will resource your needs according to His will.

HIS DESIGN

Revelation 1:3, "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near."

The Prosperity Gospel is part of God’s grand design. He created everything, and in doing so, He created the right way to live. If we live according to His teachings, the natural outcome is spiritual prosperity. It is not a quid pro quo; it is His natural outcome. We may achieve success by worldly standards, or we may not. What we will achieve is meaning and purpose, and with that comes contentment and peace. We will be resourced according to His plan for our life, not according to the world. You will be without needs as you will not need anything you do not have. As flawed humans, we may want more than we need, but we will not go without.

Psalm 33:12, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance."

THE WORLDS DESIGN

When you live by worldly standards, not according to His will, you receive the natural results of your effort. Your display case is filled with trophies from a broken world. You will have trophies of broken relationships, fear of acceptance, failure or success, anxiety for the future, and a deep void of meaninglessness. You have all the trappings of prosperity without the joy. I know firsthand of this experience. Titles, positions of authority, power, houses, cars, and exotic vacations do not provide meaning. They are a way of distracting ourselves from our feelings. We convince ourselves we will be satisfied if we have a little more. It never comes. Every hilltop provides a view of the next hill; it is endless. Over time, it wears you down emotionally and sometimes physically. Stress kills.

Psalm 34:8, "O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!"

I mentioned in an earlier post that Skye Jethani, in his book “With: Reimagining the Way We Relate to God.” talks about Christians who “Live from God.” They live to please God so that God will bless them. God has and will continue to bless you because He loves you, not because you found the right formula to please Him. He doesn’t have an exchange calculator that tells Him how many blessings you’ve earned based on your output. If someone tries to convince you that your obedience will earn you something from God, turn away from them. It is a false doctrine—God’s blessings are free and overflowing to all who will receive them.

Matthew 13:16, "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear."

FAMILY

We are sons and daughters of the God most high, heirs to His kingdom, a priestly nation. We are blessed.

Matthew 5:2-12, "And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
•	"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
•	"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
•	"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
•	"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
•	"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
•	"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
•	"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
•	"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
•	"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
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At the End of Our Days

At the end of our days, what do we want ricocheting through our brain? What are we left with when our hearing fades, and the light dims? What achievements will mean the most? Who or what will come to mind?

Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.”

Passion for God’s Creation

I watched a documentary on the Len Foote Hike Inn on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia. It is unique in that it can only be approached by hiking. I’ve had the privilege of hiking into the Hike Inn several times. It brought to mind how fortunate I was to experience God’s glory in nature. I’ve hiked thousands of miles of trails, seeing nature during all four seasons.

I’ve hiked the Ala-Too mountain Range with good friends from Kyrgyzstan, the northern Serengeti Plain, while in southern Kenya with a Maasi Chieftain and the Sierra de Lepaterique in southern Honduras. I watched sunrises and sunset, snow, wind, and rain. I once was lost in the Georgia mountains during a rainstorm when the trail became a stream—all those beautiful memories etched forever in my brain. The worst was more like a Dilbert comic strip than real life. My early experience as a Boys Scout has always given me the confidence to venture out.

End of Days

At the end of my days, when I sit in my wheelchair at the assisted living facility, I will recall the great outdoors. Nature is my eremos, my solitary place to commune with God. I’ll paint pictures in my mind of rugged mountain trails, breathtaking sunsets, and calm, quiet mornings with birds singing. I’ll remember God for what He made, not what we have done with His creation. My past will not be overcast by bustling offices, long meetings, or hurried schedules. It won’t be the titles I achieved, the deadlines I met, or the awards I received. It will be the peace, beauty, and tranquility of seeing God’s face through nature.

Job 12:7-10, “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”

I will also remember all the great people God allowed me to meet. The most amazing of them is the young people passionate about expanding God’s kingdom. I will remember their enthusiasm, energy, and thirst for life. My daughter has done a fantastic job of raising one of these.

At the end of your days, will you find contentment or worry? Did you do the right things for your family and loved ones? Are you confident that you will meet them again? Is your future laced with fear or longing?

1 Corinthians 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Every Moment

All too many times, we think there is more time than there is. We put off important things to concentrate on the mundane. Eternity is such a big concept, and today is urgent. I know, as a parent, I become hijacked into believing that God needs me to raise my children. He doesn’t need me; He wants me to raise them to be Godly. After my passing, He will still guide them, just as He guides me today.

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

Every moment is a gift to be shared. God wastes no moment. Live not with just a sense of urgency; we can hurry into an early grave, but with a sense of intentionality that every moment has a purpose.

2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

Live with an intentional urgency until you run out of time. That is God’s plan for your life.

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Being for God or With God

Am I for God or with God? This troubling question was brought up via a book by Skye Jethani, “With: Reimagining the Way We Relate to God.” Skye breaks down our interaction with God into five possible interactions.

  • Life under God – I am a sinner.
  • Life over God – I am a manager.
  • Life from God – I am a consumer.
  • Life for God – I am a servant.
  • Life with God –?

LIFE (BLANK) GOD

Life under God is a life full of accomplishing great things to please God. Is the quality of your salvation predicated on the quality of your gifts to God? It believes Devine Will is at the center of all things. Life over God is living by divine laws, rules, and rituals, each designed to qualify us for inclusion into God’s Kingdom. This interaction says that natural laws and principles are at the core. Life from God is believing that God exists to supply what we desire or need. It is about praying and receiving. Everything is of God; therefore, my life asks Him for things, and He decides what to give me. This interaction puts me at the center of everything. Life for God is about proclaiming His glory as the primary attribute to receiving grace. It has mission work and service at its core.

It is easy for me to visualize being in any one of these interactions. I am a sinner, there is no doubt. Rituals permeate my prayer life, bible reading, and churchgoing. I ask and want things from God and sometimes question my value based on the results. Obedience to His call is always at the forefront of my mind. I have been convinced over time that it is a form of worship to use God’s gift to me for His kingdom.

We express faith in Christ so God can forgive our sins, but it is done to get either a ticket to Heaven or a pass out of hell. It is safety by appeasing God with our behavior. God is a means to an end, not a treasure.

LIFE WITH GOD

Luke 12:34, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

So, what does a life with God look like? Being with someone connotates an understanding of what they are all about. Skye says Life with God entails treasuring, uniting, and experiencing God all in the moment. I see God as the enormous, all-knowing, all-seeing, time-independent author of the universe. Who am I that I could be with God? What possible contribution could I make?  

John Piper said, “Christ did not die to forgive sinners who go on treasuring anything above savoring God.”  Dallas Willard says, “The treasure we have in Heaven is also very much available to us now. We can and should draw on it as needed, for it is nothing less than God himself and the wonderful society of His Kingdom even now intertwined in my life.”

Life with God is the contiguous interaction with God every moment of our lives. It is a constant dialog with or without words. God becomes the object of your existence. In Matthew 13, Jesus talks about a man who, when he found a treasure in the field, sold all he had to acquire that field. To have a Life with God is to sell out of your worldly life to acquire a greater treasure in Christ. God is not the means of getting our treasure; He is the treasure.

GOD IS THE TREASURE

It is not about following the rules, being kind, earning blessings, or getting to Heaven. It is about selling out to God as the only value in your life.

Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

He knows what we need; he is not insensitive to our situation. But he is not here to build treasures here on earth. He is the treasure. It is great to dream of a life with no pain, loved ones around us, and eternal bliss, but without the treasure, it is meaningless. Can you live for Christ without anticipating Him rewarding you for your effort? Is salvation about eternity in Heaven, or is it eternity sitting at the feet of Christ?

Colossians 2:3, “In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
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The Next Chapter of Stories to Tell

Each one of us has stories to tell. We are a collection of great stories waiting to be told. It is our choice to write these stories or leave them untold. Throughout our lives, we experience challenges, and each represents an opportunity to become a victim of our circumstances or the author of a new chapter.

God never said the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile. – Max Lucado

CHARACTERS

Let’s take a minute to understand the characters of our stories. There is the Protagonist and the Antagonist; neither are you. You are the object of the story. The Protagonist is Christ, and the Antagonist is Satan. The fairyland is a broken world called Earth. Throughout our lives, we experience the invasion of this broken world. Satan commands that invasion. He has several ways of attacking, none of which are head-on. He is the master of deception. Satan does not speak in lies but half-truths. He is good at manipulating us into situations that appear to be self-inflicted wounds or intentional violence perpetuated by another. Seldom does he show his face. He is a creature of darkness.

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

The Protagonist, Christ, is just the opposite. Christ is a creature of the light. He is the white knight who swoops in at just the right moment to save the day. Christ speaks the truth even when the truth seems counterintuitive. He acknowledges that we are not perfect and sometimes screw up, but he doesn’t hold that against us. He doesn’t dwell on the past but helps us visualize the future. The future is triumph and overcoming, filled with hope, compassion, and love.

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.”

Where do you and I come into this story? We are the object of the Protagonist’s love. You and I represent the storyline. God created us to glorify Him, explicitly created for a unique purpose in His kingdom. The Antagonist’s job is to derail that purpose.

THE PLOT LINE

Plot lines are as varied as individuals are unique. We all have a line distinguished by time that flows from our birth into eternity. We are given specific skills, traits, passions, relationships, and opportunities along this line. The Antagonist’s job is to disrupt that flow. The Protagonist’s job is for us to experience the fullness of the path He has set before us. We have choices in this story. We make decisions that affect the outcome.

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

Now, at points upon this line, we have conflict. I have learned that you must look closely at the character development to understand the conflict better. As I have said, Satan never comes at you head-on; he sneaks in little by little until the moment is right. The conflict we experience at the moment can almost always be traced back to the small decisions we made in the past. That is one way the Antagonist rationalizes the conflict; it seems like the natural progression of events. There is no reason to involve the Protagonist, at least not until you are desperate.

Acts 16:31, “And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

CONFLICT

Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitudes toward life. The longer I live, the more convinced I become that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it. – Chuck Swindoll

Conflict is any point in which life does not go as planned. We experience minor conflicts, deal with them, and move on. There are great conflicts that leave scares that last. We’re going to talk about the big ones. These are conflicts that make us question our existence and our future. They are the conflicts that keep us up at night and on edge during the day; they crescendo to a deafening roar with a force we can not repel. They make us wonder if the Protagonist lied. At this point, we choose to be a victim of our circumstance and allow the conflict to fester and infect us, or we see it as the genesis of another great story.

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.”

That is a tough decision at the moment. It is a decision to give up or fight on. Does the white knight still exist? Does Christ care about me? Is the Antagonist too strong? Have I fallen too far?

THE OVERCOMING

Every great story has this dynamic, over-the-top, come-from-behind big finish. When there seems to be little or no hope, the Protagonist takes control. Sometimes, it is good for us to experience conflict. It is a teaching tool. But God will never give us more than we can handle. The situation is never outside of His control. The greater the crescendo, the higher the wave, the bigger the finish. It is one of the many ways God shows His love for us. He shows us His glory. The thrill and excitement of the finish make us forget the pain of the conflict. It changes the story from defeat to victory. We must choose to let Him take control. We are not the Protagonist; we are the object of His love.

THE LEGACY

Luke 12:8, “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God,”

All the stories of your life leave a legacy. It can be a legacy of overcoming or victimhood. The great stories are retold over and over. They are not only retold by the living but by the Angels themselves. Everyone loves a good story. When conflict strikes, and it will, what will your response be? Will you consider it an opportunity to write one of the greatest stories ever told, or are you a victim of your circumstances? What will your book look like on God’s shelf of life? It is thick and worn from much use, or more like a travel brochure that fell between the cushions on the couch. We have a choice; don’t let Satan ruin your book of life.

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