Knowing Who You Are

 

Would you like to be happier in life, be better at what you do, and enjoy richer relationships?  Sounds like an ad for a self-help book, doesn’t it? There is a choice we can make that will help us to achieve those things, as well as to serve and please God better. Here it is -  Know who you are and be content.  Trying to be someone else, creating a fake public image, and/or lying to yourself about your reality will only make you miserable.

Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher, said that a life of self-awareness was the key to success.  He said it simply - ‘Know thyself.’  People who learn to understand themselves gain the ability to respond rather than react, to choose to maximize their strengths more than to try to minimize their weaknesses, to anticipate challenges and prepare than to become overwhelmed.

There is a story from young David’s life. He went to see his brothers who were serving in Israel’s army.  At the battlelines, he saw the Philistine’s hero, Goliath, sneeringly challenge Israel to send a man to fight him. David saw the man’s words as an affront to the living God and volunteered to go to battle. His brothers mocked him but he knew his true strength was his faith in God, not his muscular might.

When King Saul tried to give David his own armor for the coming fight, the teenager told him -  “I can’t go in these,” he protested. “I’m not used to them.” So he took them off again. He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them in his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across to fight Goliath." (1 Samuel 17:38-40, NLT)  God gave that humble kid a victory that day!

 In the Gospels, we meet a man whose choice to know he was, to live within his calling, should inspire us.  His name? John, the Baptist.  He was Jesus’ cousin, a preacher who gathered crowds, with a message of spiritual renewal. He was well into his public ministry when Jesus came along. When Jesus had called some of His disciples and began to preach, His crowds were larger!  "John’s disciples came to him and said, “Teacher, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you said was the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going over there instead of coming here to us.” John replied, “God in heaven appoints each person’s work. You yourselves know how plainly I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am here to prepare the way for him—that is all. The bride will go where the bridegroom is. A bridegroom’s friend rejoices with him. I am the bridegroom’s friend, and I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." (John 3:26-30, NLT)

John could easily have allowed pride to overtake him. He could have felt jealousy over the success of this newcomer. He did not because he was aware of his calling, his identity, and his spiritual gifts.  When he says, “He must become greater,  I must come less,” he meant it because he was content to be who God had called him to be, fulfilling the ministry to which God appointed.

Are you trying to wear another’s armor for your battles in life?

Are you secretly wishing you were someone else, perhaps even being an imitation of that person?

Do you measure your life by the ‘success’ of somebody else instead of faithfulness in your own place and with your own opportunities?

There’s nothing wrong with desiring excellence, reaching higher, but be careful about trying to do it by walking the road prepared for someone else. God has made you, given you unique gifts and abilities. He will forgive your failures, lead you to develop your life in a richer way, IF you will humbly walk with Him, beginning right where you are.

Self-awareness is not gained in a moment or a day. Old habits do die hard.  Values and ideas are planted in our consciousness long before we are mature and they shape us from the shadows. Disappointments and failures, successes and victories, continue to wield influence long after the event. But, growth is possible, at every age, for every person.

God, the Spirit, will make us ‘new creations,’ a possibility that Christ Jesus offers to us through faith. In Him we are no longer slaves to sin, no longer without choice.  The Spirit wants to lead us to full lives, to the exercise of our unique gifts, and to be fruitful and effective in our service.  Know thyself, God helping you.

The word from the Word encourages me.  Meditate prayerfully on it and ask God to make you content in your own skin, even as He leads you to faithful service.

"As God’s messenger, I give each of you this warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others. God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Don’t just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically.  Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful." (Romans 12:3-12, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Have Thine Own Way

Have Thine own way Lord have Thine own way
Thou art the Potter I am the clay
Mold me and make me after Thy will
While I am waiting yielded and still

 

Have Thine own way Lord have Thine own way
Search me and try me Master today
Whiter than snow Lord wash me just now
As in Thy presence humbly I bow

 

Have Thine own way Lord have Thine own way
Wounded and weary help me I pray
Power all power surely is Thine
Touch me and heal me Savior divine

 

Have Thine own way Lord have Thine own way
Hold o'er my being absolute sway
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only always living in me

 

© Words: Public Domain

A Thoughtful Faith

 

It’s election season and those awful commercials are back, you know the ones that address complex issues in just 30 seconds. Illegal immigration, which is a real issue with many causes, both economic and political, becomes about ‘them,’ those who are ‘different.’  Our current economic state resulting from multiple causes both foreign and domestic, is turned into a ‘tax the rich,’ or ‘cut our taxes’ argument.  We are fed a bland soup of easy answers and simplistic solutions, that mostly blame the ‘other side.’  I watched a ‘debate’ last night, hoping for at least some thoughtful exchange of ideas. Yes, I was disappointed.  It was the same repeat of attack lines and catch phrases, words designed to get a spot on the news. 

This same kind of ‘thinking’ can creep into our Christian practice.  If we choose to avoid thinking about the hard things preferring our favorite Bible verses that comfort us, we will lack a solid grasp of the wisdom of God and a mind capable of dealing with the complexities of life. That can make us easy prey for empty religion, cultish leaders, and a shallow faith that cannot survive the inevitable crises that come to us all.  Here is the truth, dear friend. 

An authentic Christian Life and the kind of faith that leads us to joy in the Lord will require thought, dialogue, meditation, and a circle of friends who think with us. Those unwilling to exist in the mystery, who will not admit “I don’t know,” will either escape into a superficial faith shaped around slogans or they will become functional agnostics, believing God is out there somewhere, but unreachable.

The Lord of the Universe is not a vending machine that spits out goods when we insert our prayers!  He is not bound to do what we ask, though He delights in us and desires to lead us to lives that are, in Jesus’ words, ‘abundant.’  From where we sit, He appears to be infuriatingly unpredictable.  Looking at suffering we cry -  “God, why is one dream realized and another shattered?” There are not enough answers this side of Heaven to satisfy every question.  

 Job, that Old Testament guy who lost everything – family, wealth, and health, might have turned bitter insisting that God must bless those He loves with perpetual prosperity.  Instead, he wept, experienced the full range of emotions, and trusted the Lord completely.  We see the whole story and see that God had a purpose in it all and was with Job.  But, does it seem right that He allowed such horrific things in the life of a faithful man?  Perhaps not, but it IS the truth.

In another story, we meet Joseph, who received God’s promise with faith as a teenager. Immediately thereafter, his life turned into a nightmare – sold by his brothers to slave-traders, carried to Egypt, falsely accused of attempted rape, imprisoned, forgotten by friends.  His trials went on for years. But through them all, Joseph lived with faith and excellence. Did he weep? I am sure he did. Did he wonder why? Certainly.  But, he kept faith and eventually became Prime Minister of Egypt. When those same brothers showed up in his court decades later, he told them this: "Don’t be angry with yourselves that you did this to me, for God did it. He sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. These two years of famine will grow to seven, during which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God has sent me here to keep you and your families alive so that you will become a great nation. Yes, it was God who sent me here, not you! And he has made me a counselor to Pharaoh—manager of his entire household and ruler over all Egypt." (Genesis 45:5-8, NLT)

Life is filled with nuance, subtle themes, and sometimes situations that defy our understanding in the moment.  If we want to please Him and find His grace in such moments, the temptation to accuse God of unfairness must be leashed and faith loosed!  When God allows us to go through awful circumstances, to walk in the dark, we have a critical choice. Will we wait for a new dream to replace the shattered one OR will we descend into bitterness and unbelief?

How I love this prayer of a desperate father who brought his son for healing to Jesus. "I do believe, but help me not to doubt!" (Mark 9.24)  This is no slogan; it is Truth.  IF we will trust Him, He can give us a new dream, a new life that recovers JOY.

Honestly, to please Him, we must surrender our notions about ‘fairness.’  We must let go of the idea that we have a right to live a perfectly balanced life where the pain is always offset by the blessings, where the hard times are offset by the good times. Full faith is God-focused, not self-centered;  trusting that He is able to keep us secure in His love through the shattered dreams!

God’s answer to your prayer won’t fit on a bumper sticker! Don’t adopt slogans to cope. They cannot support you. Instead, reach out to people who will love you and hold you up until your faith is strong enough to touch the heart of God again. Reject the ‘out of context’ Scripture quotes, the simplistic answers, the psycho-babble, the half- truths… but do not reject God. Ask Him for courage to weep yet keep hope and faith intact as you pray --- "I do believe, but help me not to doubt!"

Here is a word from the Word -"In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.

Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD. I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.

You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.

 …But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love." (Psalm 31:1-16, NIV)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Living Hope

How great the chasm that lay between us

How high the mountain I could not climb

In desperation I turned to heaven

And spoke Your name into the night

Then through the darkness Your loving-kindness

Tore through the shadows of my soul

The work is finished the end is written

Jesus Christ my living hope

 

Who could imagine so great a mercy

What heart could fathom such boundless grace

The God of ages stepped down from glory

To wear my sin and bear my shame

The cross has spoken I am forgiven

The King of kings calls me His own

Beautiful Savior I’m Yours forever

Jesus Christ my living hope

 

Hallelujah praise the One who set me free

Hallelujah death has lost its grip on me

You have broken every chain

There’s salvation in Your name

Jesus Christ my living hope

 

Then came the morning that sealed the promise

Your buried body began to breathe

Out of the silence the Roaring Lion

Declared the grave has no claim on me

Jesus Yours is the victory whoa

 

Jesus Christ my living hope

Oh God You are my living hope

 

Brian Johnson | Phil Wickham © 2017 Phil Wickham Music (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC])

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CCLI License # 810055

 

 

The Rest of the Story

It’s not just sensationalism that brings us these headlines.
Putin threatens use of nukes.
Europe facing cold winter.
Energy prices (and everything else) rise.
Climate changes with far-reaching consequences.
China builds military for future Pacific war.

This is the wider world in which we live in 2022.  Add news like that to the normal stresses of our daily lives and we have a recipe for real anxiety which is huge issue for millions of us.  People deal with it in so many ways, some healthy like talking with friends, mediation, prayer, and working for change.  Other choices are not so great – becoming disengaged from the world, losing one’s self in endless distractions in work or fun, abusing alcohol or drugs, or even excessive religiosity, believe it or not.

Jesus reminds us that “The courage of many people will falter because of the fearful fate they see coming upon the earth, because the stability of the very heavens will be broken up. Then everyone will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds with power and great glory.  So when all these things begin to happen, stand straight and look up, for your salvation is near!” Luke 21:26-28 (NLT) 

The Blessed Hope of the believer is the Second Coming of the Lord Who will bring the rule of God and good to us.  Have the problems, pressures, and pleasures of life pushed that promise to the back of your mind?

Christian friend, we live hopefully because we know the rest of the story!   Our lives are not defined by birth and death. We are eternal beings, our true Home waiting, our full destiny yet to be revealed. By faith we understand that this world, though full of uncertainties for us, is guided by the purposes of our God, Who will bring us safely into His kingdom, whether at the coming of the Lord or when we step from here into eternity.  What hope, what an anchor.

The promise of the Second Coming is not an empty one designed to explain away the troubles of life or allow us to escape reality. Karl Marx wrote that religion is “the opiate of the masses,” dulling the senses of people to their reality, removing the impulse to make positive changes in the world.  Some may choose that route, but I will not. 

Because I live with greater hope, I am powerfully motivated to live in love, with joy, working for justice and peace in this world so that my coming Lord will welcome me to His side with His commendation.  Those who blithely dismiss this world to Hell because they have a greater hope have missed the point.  Theirs may be an eternal home, but not the joy of hearing the Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  It is beyond my comprehension that one could claim to love Him and refuse His calling to loving service.

This Monday morning, ‘stand straight and look up!’  Our redemption is nearer than we think.

The word from the Word encourages. Take a moment to soak your mind in it, to worship the King. “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:11-14 (NIV)  Now, that is a great remedy for worry and fear, isn’t it?

(Video of this blog at this link)

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 Even So Come

 All of creation all of the earth
Make straight a highway a path for the Lord
Jesus is coming soon

 Call back the sinner wake up the saint
Let ev'ry nation shout of Your fame
Jesus is coming soon

 Like a bride waiting for her groom
We'll be a Church ready for You
Ev'ry heart longing for our King we sing
Even so come Lord Jesus come
Even so come Lord Jesus come

 There will be justice all will be new
Your name forever faithful and true
Jesus is coming soon

 So we wait we wait for You
God we wait You're coming soon
So we wait we wait for You
God we wait You're coming soon

 Like a bride waiting for her groom
We'll be a Church ready for You
Ev'ry heart longing for our King we sing
Like a bride waiting for her groom
We'll be a Church ready for You
Ev'ry heart longing for our King we sing
Even so come Lord Jesus come
Even so come Lord Jesus come

God we wait we wait for You

God we wait You're coming soon

God we wait we wait for You
Yes we wait You're coming soon
God we wait You're coming soon oh

 

Chris Tomlin | Jason Ingram | Jess Cates

© 2015 S. D. G. Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

sixsteps Songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

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CCLI License # 810055