Defeating confusion!

Uncertain of the future?  Who isn’t?  Financial markets are unpredictable. People who die too young.  Companies that look rock-solid go bankrupt. Tornadoes appear at the end of a day and blow a city apart. These surprises may cause us to become paralyzed with fear or confused about the course to take. That’s is why we need core values built on principles that are unchanging.  What is the organizing principle of your life?  We all have them, even if we are not aware of what they are or are unable to put them into words.

Is our goal to be happy?
Is it to enjoy life?
Is it to be admired by others?
Is it to gain wealth?
Is it to control others, to have power?
Is it to hang onto attractiveness or sex appeal?
Is it to discover the will of God?

Jesus knew and cared for a very busy woman who had allowed herself to lose sight of primary things. In her confusion, she was frustrated, angry, and wondering why others did not feel the urgency she felt. Jesus wisely challenged her to re-evaluate the organizing principle of her life.  This is Martha’s story. During one of Jesus’ visits to her home in Bethany, she set the household in motion to prepare dinner. In the middle of her efforts, she noticed her sister, Mary, sitting near Jesus, listening intently to Him. She exploded: “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits there listening to You while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” (Luke 10) Jesus’ answer was not at all what she expected. Instead of sending Mary to help, He challenged Martha’s idea of what was most important! He even commended Mary! "There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42, NLT)  Martha’s efforts over dinner were good, but they were not the most important things in life.  People who ate the meal she prepared would be hungry again tomorrow.  Mary was gaining wisdom, doing something of eternal value!

Confusion, fear, and anger will disappear when we get first things put back in first place.  Vision keeps us from allowing the tyranny of the urgent to push the truly important to the side. The unpredictable things of normal life will still show up on our front porch, but  we will remain on course if we know Who we serve and are secure in His promise.

Think about why you do what you do!  We can do all the right things for all the wrong reasons. Martha’s dinner was one of those ‘right’ things.  There’s nothing wrong with preparing a great dinner. What did Martha do wrong? She invested too much importance in her roast lamb!  Security and self-esteem can never be found in such things.

Even religion will fail us if we lose sight of God in the process. Jesus pointed to the prayers, service, and giving of the Pharisees, commending their diligence while telling His disciples that it was all worthless.  How can that be? Their acts of worship were good things, but because they were done to gain people’s admiration their value was lost.  The Pharisee’s organizing principle was to do ‘holy stuff’ to prove how righteous they were. Holiness, which allows us to be intimate with a holy God, was being used for prideful purposes. The core was flawed and therefore their entire structure was wrong!

Ponder these words from the Word today. Ask yourself if pursuing Christ and His rule is ‘the one thing’ that organizes all the rest of your life.
"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ, … I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. … I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." (Philippians 3:8, 10, 12-14, NLT)
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I belong to a mighty God,
I belong to Jesus;
I'm guided by His staff and rod,
I belong to a mighty God.

I belong to the Holy One,
I belong to Jesus;
His work in me has just begun,
I belong to the Holy One.

I belong to the Lord of All,
I belong to Jesus;
I'll stand in Him and will not fall,
I belong to the Lord of All.

I am justified
By the good gift of the Lord;
And I will testify
That I belong to a mighty God,
I belong to a mighty God.

I Belong To A Mighty God
DeShazo, Lynn
© 1993 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055

(Vacation time!  CWTW will be back on July 3)

You think you're too good to fail?

Failure happens every day. Though we might desire to be perfect, it’s not happening in this world where machines malfunction, computers crash, and people act like, well; people!  The Lord blesses me with many advantages, enriches me with gifts of grace, and still I fail.  Some failures creep up on us, the result of multiple choices that produce unforeseen results.  Other failures happen in a moment as we react before we think.  Sometimes we just  do what we want to do, knowing full well that we are offending God and/or man, yet we are willful enough to do it, say it, choose it anyway – consequences not withstanding!

Peter was forewarned of pending failure. At the Passover table  "Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.” “Peter,” Jesus replied, “the truth is, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” “No!” Peter insisted. “Not even if I have to die with you! I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same." (Matthew 26:33-35, NLT)  And hours later, they all ran off into the night when soldiers showed up.  Peter stood at a fire and swore to those who questioned his Galilean accent, “I never knew Him!”  Failed!

David comfortably settled into the role of king. The borders were secure. His generals capably in charge of his army. He was full of confidence. Life was good, very good, after many years of hardships. So, what does he do with his success? "The following spring, the time of year when kings go to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to destroy the Ammonites. … But David stayed behind in Jerusalem. Late one afternoon David got out of bed after taking a nap and went for a stroll on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath." (2 Samuel 11:1-2, NLT)  He was no kid, unaware of the power of his sexuality. Will he look again?  He did and more.  A afternoon tryst led to an unplanned pregnancy.  He created a conspiracy to bring about the death of Bathsheba’s husband. Ultimately, he disgraced himself in the eyes of God and man.  Failed!

A couple lived in a garden perfectly balanced, their every need provided.  God walked with them every evening. They never disagreed, had no weeds to pull, enjoyed perfection. There was just one proviso – “Don’t eat of the tree at the center of the Garden!”  Along comes the tempter, with a suggestion that God is not good, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary.  “He’s holding out on you, doesn’t want you to be like Him, that’s why He won’t let you have that forbidden fruit.”  Ah, Eve turn away from him!  Adam lead her to renewed worship of your Creator. But, alas, they did eat of it. "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves." (Genesis 3:6-7, NIV)  Failed!

These are our stories, too. They are part of the Scripture to help us to learn, to show us that we have a shadow that lurks just out sight that will draw us from the love of Abba, that will lure us into sin where seeds of our destruction are sown.  So, what can we do with our failures?

Learn from them!  Failure creates pain and that is a powerful motivation for change.

Accept and give forgiveness!  Failure can open us to the grace of God and, when we experience His divine mercy, should make us tender and merciful, too.

Grow through them!  Yes, failure is part of life.  The more boldly we live, the more we risk, the greater our potential for failure; and success.  In his quest to create the incandescent light bult, Thomas Edison spent a fortune as he built model after model that failed.  His comment? “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”― Thomas A. Edison

Lean hard on the One who cannot fail! "Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD." (Lamentations 3:22-26, NIV)

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I want what it mine, now!

Southwest Airlines has a reputation for customer service. My experience confirms that is true. They really do take care of the traveler.  I dug a little deeper and found out that Herb Kelleher, the founder of the airline, adopted a principle called ‘servant leadership.’  Every team member employed by Southwest is expected to do whatever it takes to make the business a success.  So, for example, a pilot may take charge of a young boy who is traveling alone, helping him from one flight to another. It’s not his ‘job’ but it’s part of serving, however, wherever, for the sake of the mission. 

Kelleher says, “I think it’s very important to choose people who have a predisposition to serve others, and it’s hard to be successful if you hire people that are totally self-centered and bent only on serving themselves, so I think the hiring process is very important in that respect. On the other hand, I have seen people come to Southwest Airlines from other organizations that kind of sniff the air a little suspiciously, wondering whether this is real, and then when they find out that it’s real, they love it.”  Apparently the corporate culture he’s created works.  The airline has remained profitable and the employee turnover rate is, far and away, the lowest in the industry.

Servant leadership is a Christian principle!  Jesus taught it and it works – in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our churches, and yes; in our companies. He said, “Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you’ll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you’re content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty." (Matthew 23:11-12, The Message)  

Those who follow Christ take up the towel readily. What do I mean? On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus brought his disciples together for Passover dinner. As they arrived in the Upper Room, there was no servant on hand to wash their feet, the custom of the time.   They were arguing about who was the greatest, the Bible tells us, so none of them was willing to do the lowly task. "So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, … After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because it is true. And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you." (John 13:4, 12-15, NLT)  That is servant leadership.

Pride is the ever-present opponent of this way of life.  “Take what’s yours,” it whispers. “If you don’t take care of you, who will?” Truth is- God promises to care for those who choose to serve, who give away their lives for His sake. "God blesses those people who are humble. The earth will belong to them! " (Matthew 5:5, CEV) God says that the way up is down, that the route to greatest influence is not through position but rather through service.  Proverbs wastes no words speaking of the results of pride: "Pride lands you flat on your face; humility prepares you for honors. " (Proverbs 29:23, The Message)

Lord, help me to remember the blessings of servant leadership, is my prayer.  Is it yours?

Here is the word from the Word.  May we have the faith to own it and live it. " Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:5-7, NKJV)

Nailed down or help in His hands?

When life is rushing along at full speed, like it does most days, decisions come along demanding my response. “What’s right? What wrong? Do I choose that or this, go here or there?”  As I write this my mind is weighing an important question and I want to make the wise decision in my answer. Do I just ‘follow my gut feelings’ or make the most expedient choice?  As a Christian I am doubly blessed, given the wisdom of the Word and the Presence of the Spirit.

Isaiah reminds us that there is security found in just One.  Read on.  "The craftsmen rush to make new idols. The carver hurries the goldsmith, and the molder helps at the anvil. “Good,” they say. “It’s coming along fine.” Carefully they join the parts together, then fasten the thing in place so it won’t fall over.  “But as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from my friend Abraham, I have called you back from the ends of the earth so you can serve me. For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand." (Isaiah 41:7-10, NLT)

There are two ways to live set in contrast here. If we make our own god, we are on our own in the quest for security.  Idols don’t hold us up, we must  nail them down!  But, if we receive the offer that God makes to own us, He ‘will strengthen… help… and uphold with my right hand!”  

Are you shaping your own god and expecting that tin idol to show you the way to live?  In fact that idol will not settle you; you will find yourself trying to prop it up: "pounding in nails at the base so that the thing won’t tip over. " (Isaiah 41:7, The Message)  Go to the True God, the Lord of Eternity, and seek Him. "As for God, his way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? God arms me with strength; he has made my way safe. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, leading me safely along the mountain heights." (Psalm 18:30-33, NLT)

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All Creatures Of Our God And King

All creatures of our God and King,

Lift up your voice and with us sing.

Alleluia, alleluia!

Thou burning sun with golden beam,

Thou silver moon with softer gleam,

O praise Him O praise Him,

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

And all ye men of tender heart,

Forgiving others take your part.

O sing ye, alleluia!

Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,

Praise God and on Him cast your care.

O praise Him, O praise Him.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

St. Francis of Assisi | William Henry Draper

Public Domain