There are times when it seems as though your life is vacant. Where it seems as though there's nothing happening that is of God. Where it seems as if God is just letting you wander on your own. Then there are the other times.
Those other times are where you struggle to figure out what is from God and what is just life. Times where you are trying to make sure that you are serving God and not yourself or satan. Time is a very valuable thing. It is important to make sure that you are being a good steward of the time that God has given you here on earth. What does this time involve? For some but not all, that time includes a spouse, a family, and sometimes even friends. For all of us as Christians, time should include Church, serving the community, and other ways that you could reach out and show the love of God to the world around you. Although it is easy for me to say all of this, it is not that easy to do in the culture that Americans live in.
This is where we seek clarity from God. We need God to enable us to see what we are supposed to spend our time doing. Sometimes spending a lot of time consumed in "ministry" is not necessarily fulfilling God's will. God wants us to serve him. That is our purpose of being here on earth. We are to glorify God and to go and make disciples. If we are so consumed in our ministry, that we don't get out into the world, then we are not serving God appropriately. I am not saying that we should not be involved in ministry. I'm not saying that we should just be spending all of our time going out and living our lives either.
We are to be in ministry in all of our lives. Not just when we are in church, or at some vocational ministry position. As we go grocery shopping, to a game, or to any other sort of activity in our life we are to be in ministry at all times. Is how you live your life keeping you from living a life of constant ministry? Ask God to provide clarity for what activities in your life you should be doing or should not be doing. Maybe God wants you to live a different life. Maybe he wants you to live in a different location. Maybe he wants you to have a different job.
The key is to live a life where the things you're doing are not keeping you from God and/or those with whom he would like you to minister to. That could mean he does not want you working a job that keeps you from ministering to your spouse or your kids. That could mean that he does not want you going to movies where you will fail to talk to anybody but rather go to a coffee house where you will have many opportunities to talk to people. God has a purpose for every second of your life. Ask him to show you clarity of how to spend the seconds.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Waiting
Our culture does not raise us in a way where waiting is something that we are okay with. We often want things now, we want them when we want them. A healthy relationship with God is often much different than the kind of relationship that we are raised to have with other people. God, to our benefit, has a great amount of patience. We are made to be in His image. This means that we should be patient like Him.
As we read through the Bible there are very, very many examples of people like us. I wrote an earlier post about our need to do what we are commissioned to do. We are here to go and make disciples. Even when doing this task of making disciples, we want to do things our way. Our understanding of time is much different than that of God's.
To glorify God we must be doing what God wants us to do. Just because a task is similar to what God has asked others to do, does not mean that by doing a task we are glorifying God. This means that sometimes we have to stay places where we are not comfortable. Sometimes we have to go places where we are not comfortable. This puts us in a very difficult situation based upon what our culture has taught us.
Jesus did not go into His ministry until He was 30 years old. Imagine if you, as God, came to this earth in human form, sacrifice your life as God, and live in this sinful world of man. For 30 years Jesus essentially was willing to have his hands tied behind his back. Jesus could have done so many things in so many situations yet He held off until the timing of the Father had come.
Often times we want God to move on things, to change our lives, to essentially do what our will is and not His. We often want this because we are in situations that we do not want to be in either for comfort or because we feel we can do better in another situation. This is where our faith comes in. We are to know and trust that God is in control. God is in control of the past the present and the future. He has always been and will always be. We have to trust that God does indeed know more than we do.
Are you doing this? I know I have struggled often with this. I think I have grand ideas which of course my wife dissolves correctly. I thank God for that correction because her patience and/or lack of desire for change has kept me from fulfilling my will while going against God's will. When the right time has come, which I believe we are close to having that, God will have us both ready and focused at the same time. Do you have anybody to help keep you focused? Do you have anybody that can help discern whether ideas are your will or God's? I believe you should find some way to do this. If you don't have someone, then seek the guidance of a spiritual leader or your pastor or somebody else you know that can discern and apply things that you are understanding in different ways.
As we read through the Bible there are very, very many examples of people like us. I wrote an earlier post about our need to do what we are commissioned to do. We are here to go and make disciples. Even when doing this task of making disciples, we want to do things our way. Our understanding of time is much different than that of God's.
To glorify God we must be doing what God wants us to do. Just because a task is similar to what God has asked others to do, does not mean that by doing a task we are glorifying God. This means that sometimes we have to stay places where we are not comfortable. Sometimes we have to go places where we are not comfortable. This puts us in a very difficult situation based upon what our culture has taught us.
Jesus did not go into His ministry until He was 30 years old. Imagine if you, as God, came to this earth in human form, sacrifice your life as God, and live in this sinful world of man. For 30 years Jesus essentially was willing to have his hands tied behind his back. Jesus could have done so many things in so many situations yet He held off until the timing of the Father had come.
Often times we want God to move on things, to change our lives, to essentially do what our will is and not His. We often want this because we are in situations that we do not want to be in either for comfort or because we feel we can do better in another situation. This is where our faith comes in. We are to know and trust that God is in control. God is in control of the past the present and the future. He has always been and will always be. We have to trust that God does indeed know more than we do.
Are you doing this? I know I have struggled often with this. I think I have grand ideas which of course my wife dissolves correctly. I thank God for that correction because her patience and/or lack of desire for change has kept me from fulfilling my will while going against God's will. When the right time has come, which I believe we are close to having that, God will have us both ready and focused at the same time. Do you have anybody to help keep you focused? Do you have anybody that can help discern whether ideas are your will or God's? I believe you should find some way to do this. If you don't have someone, then seek the guidance of a spiritual leader or your pastor or somebody else you know that can discern and apply things that you are understanding in different ways.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Feed My Sheep
What is my value? I am not talking about financially. I am not asking your thoughts on it either (although I am sure there are a few of you who would like to let me know :) ). I am asking that of myself just as you should ask it of yourself. Be careful! Where are you going to get your answer from? Will you state your opinion or will you state God's?
John 3:16 is well known and it says that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son". That love tells us that God sees great value in us. This is not a love with no reasoning behind it. God loves us because He created us. He did not create us just so that He could love us though. He made us so that He would be glorified by us.
How is it that God intended for us to glorify Him? Did He figure that just by us being who we are that we would glorify Him? Not exactly. The Bible tells us that no man is good. So just being us is not going to glorify Him. God has a specific plan for us. We are to glorify Him by serving Him. Hmmm...How are we supposed to serve Him you ask? I am glad you asked.
In the American culture the though of serving under authority is not an appetizing thought. This is indeed what we are supposed to do though. We are supposed to serve under the authority of God. So we spend much time trying to figure out how it is that we are supposed to serve God. Jesus left us with one assignment, one task for us to do. Jesus said that we are to go and make disciples. Now many of us have heard that and some even have memorized the verse that states that. But do we know what that means?
I will give a brief description of what it means. We are to literally GO and make disciples. We are to willingly take ourselves out of both our Christian bubbles and our American bubbles. The task of reaching out to those that either don't know of Jesus and/or those that do not accept our Savior is what we are supposed to be devoting our lives to. I ask you to put some serious thought into this concept. I would greatly suggest that you read Radical by David Platt. You can also visit these websites: www.radical.net , www.radicalexperiment.org , www.multiplymovement.com
Let me know what you have done, are doing, and/or may do in the future to fulfill that task of making disciples. I would love to be able to encourage you and also get excited myself about what you are doing for God. GO FIND AND FEED HIS LOST SHEEP!
John 3:16 is well known and it says that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son". That love tells us that God sees great value in us. This is not a love with no reasoning behind it. God loves us because He created us. He did not create us just so that He could love us though. He made us so that He would be glorified by us.
How is it that God intended for us to glorify Him? Did He figure that just by us being who we are that we would glorify Him? Not exactly. The Bible tells us that no man is good. So just being us is not going to glorify Him. God has a specific plan for us. We are to glorify Him by serving Him. Hmmm...How are we supposed to serve Him you ask? I am glad you asked.
In the American culture the though of serving under authority is not an appetizing thought. This is indeed what we are supposed to do though. We are supposed to serve under the authority of God. So we spend much time trying to figure out how it is that we are supposed to serve God. Jesus left us with one assignment, one task for us to do. Jesus said that we are to go and make disciples. Now many of us have heard that and some even have memorized the verse that states that. But do we know what that means?
I will give a brief description of what it means. We are to literally GO and make disciples. We are to willingly take ourselves out of both our Christian bubbles and our American bubbles. The task of reaching out to those that either don't know of Jesus and/or those that do not accept our Savior is what we are supposed to be devoting our lives to. I ask you to put some serious thought into this concept. I would greatly suggest that you read Radical by David Platt. You can also visit these websites: www.radical.net , www.radicalexperiment.org , www.multiplymovement.com
Let me know what you have done, are doing, and/or may do in the future to fulfill that task of making disciples. I would love to be able to encourage you and also get excited myself about what you are doing for God. GO FIND AND FEED HIS LOST SHEEP!
Monday, May 20, 2013
Who Is Handling It?
"This is more than I can handle!" Sound familiar? Few and far between are those who can honestly say that they have never said or thought that statement. For me, I don't have enough fingers to count the times. The adversity that I face stretches across a broad range. From relationships to money to changing the decisions that people are making. Lately these moment seem to be coming at a rapid fire pace.
Fortunately God has provided me times in my life when there has been no doubt that what has happened, happened because of Him. Let me just give you my main "case in point". On the night of October 30th, 1996, I wound up in the ER because I was in the middle of a severe stroke. The neurosurgeon did not believe that I would be walking or talking again. A month later as I sat in his office for my follow up visit, the doctor sat there with a look of shock on his face telling me how he doesn't understand how I could be sitting there talking to him. Now, I did have some significant permanent losses but by the grace of God I was able to have a fairly significant and quick recovery.
I use this a reminder on a regular basis. If God can do things which cause a neurosurgeon to sit back in awe then I believe He can handle all of the struggles that each day brings to me. So what prompts me to write about this today? Here is the story. About a year ago I sat with a young lady and found out she was pregnant. She also told me she wanted to have an abortion. A couple of hours later her mind was changed. A week or so later she came to me again to let me know she had changed her mind. A couple of hours later she was back on track. Last December I got to hold the beautiful little girl and even got to teach her mom and dad the basics of changing her, feeding her, etc.
Last week this young lady came to me again. Now the last two months have been very tough for her. Her boyfriend (that baby's father, and a good father too) had been arrested in a "guilty by association" situation two months ago. A few weeks ago her half brother had been murdered. Shortly after that her elementary age son began acting up in school. So she came to me to let me know she was pregnant again (from her boyfriend who is still in jail) and that she did not believe she could handle another pregnancy. An hour or two later she had consented to stay with the pregnancy. This morning I got a text saying she couldn't.
So I sit and stare off into space. I had made this statement/question to my wife last week: "Why is it that we, who have a heart and desire to help many people, have no money and yet there are so many with money who could care less about others?" As I stare off into space I remind myself that this is not my problem. Not that I shouldn't do all I can but rather that God will enable me and provide for me to do what His will is for this situation. God is responsible to make it work. I am responsible to just do the work with faith.
If I were to be fully able then I may (actually I know I would) take credit. Yes, I am at a point in my life where my life is more than I can handle. I am fine with that though because I know that God can handle it. Philippians 4:6-7 says:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Fortunately God has provided me times in my life when there has been no doubt that what has happened, happened because of Him. Let me just give you my main "case in point". On the night of October 30th, 1996, I wound up in the ER because I was in the middle of a severe stroke. The neurosurgeon did not believe that I would be walking or talking again. A month later as I sat in his office for my follow up visit, the doctor sat there with a look of shock on his face telling me how he doesn't understand how I could be sitting there talking to him. Now, I did have some significant permanent losses but by the grace of God I was able to have a fairly significant and quick recovery.
I use this a reminder on a regular basis. If God can do things which cause a neurosurgeon to sit back in awe then I believe He can handle all of the struggles that each day brings to me. So what prompts me to write about this today? Here is the story. About a year ago I sat with a young lady and found out she was pregnant. She also told me she wanted to have an abortion. A couple of hours later her mind was changed. A week or so later she came to me again to let me know she had changed her mind. A couple of hours later she was back on track. Last December I got to hold the beautiful little girl and even got to teach her mom and dad the basics of changing her, feeding her, etc.
Last week this young lady came to me again. Now the last two months have been very tough for her. Her boyfriend (that baby's father, and a good father too) had been arrested in a "guilty by association" situation two months ago. A few weeks ago her half brother had been murdered. Shortly after that her elementary age son began acting up in school. So she came to me to let me know she was pregnant again (from her boyfriend who is still in jail) and that she did not believe she could handle another pregnancy. An hour or two later she had consented to stay with the pregnancy. This morning I got a text saying she couldn't.
So I sit and stare off into space. I had made this statement/question to my wife last week: "Why is it that we, who have a heart and desire to help many people, have no money and yet there are so many with money who could care less about others?" As I stare off into space I remind myself that this is not my problem. Not that I shouldn't do all I can but rather that God will enable me and provide for me to do what His will is for this situation. God is responsible to make it work. I am responsible to just do the work with faith.
If I were to be fully able then I may (actually I know I would) take credit. Yes, I am at a point in my life where my life is more than I can handle. I am fine with that though because I know that God can handle it. Philippians 4:6-7 says:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Can you help me by also
praying for me to have God’s strength, wisdom, and provisions as I try to help
and guide this young lady?
Thanks and God Bless!
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Who Am I Asking?
It has been a while since a posted anything. I am sorry if that has bothered anyone. When I started this blog I was focused on the things that I ask God. As I have thought about these things over time I have come to realize that the questions, for the most part, need to be asked of myself first.
In the New Testament Jesus is asked many, many questions. Most of the time Jesus responded with questions. This is what I have found to be happening to me. I ask: How much longer? What is going to be next? Why haven't you done anything yet?
Time has shown that God has been acting as a mirror and bouncing these questions back to me. How much longer until you let me have full control? What are you going to do next rather than sitting and waiting for me? Why are you still sitting around waiting for me? OUCH!!!
My wife is often the mouth in which God asks those questions. That makes it even harder to hear the questions. So now, I am trying to answer those questions about myself. I will try to ask my questions to myself first rather than sitting with my hands under my legs waiting for God to do everything. I will keep you all updated so that you can see how it goes. You are welcome to remind me to answer the questions myself prior to asking them of God if you find me straying back to the old ways.
Waiting on God has inhibited my ability to be used as a tool by God. Analogy:
Say I am a riding lawn mower and God is the rider who is in control. If God puts me in drive but I don't start moving because I am waiting for Him to adjust my direction, then God will not be able to get the grass cut by using me. He will simply hop onto another mower to get the job done. I will miss out on an opportunity to be used because I did not start moving even though God had put me in drive. The second you truly accept Christ as your savior, God has put you in drive. You need to keep moving with faith that God will change your direction as needed. If you keep yourself in park then you will be a useless tool to God.
Be a useful tool...Keep moving
In the New Testament Jesus is asked many, many questions. Most of the time Jesus responded with questions. This is what I have found to be happening to me. I ask: How much longer? What is going to be next? Why haven't you done anything yet?
Time has shown that God has been acting as a mirror and bouncing these questions back to me. How much longer until you let me have full control? What are you going to do next rather than sitting and waiting for me? Why are you still sitting around waiting for me? OUCH!!!
My wife is often the mouth in which God asks those questions. That makes it even harder to hear the questions. So now, I am trying to answer those questions about myself. I will try to ask my questions to myself first rather than sitting with my hands under my legs waiting for God to do everything. I will keep you all updated so that you can see how it goes. You are welcome to remind me to answer the questions myself prior to asking them of God if you find me straying back to the old ways.
Waiting on God has inhibited my ability to be used as a tool by God. Analogy:
Say I am a riding lawn mower and God is the rider who is in control. If God puts me in drive but I don't start moving because I am waiting for Him to adjust my direction, then God will not be able to get the grass cut by using me. He will simply hop onto another mower to get the job done. I will miss out on an opportunity to be used because I did not start moving even though God had put me in drive. The second you truly accept Christ as your savior, God has put you in drive. You need to keep moving with faith that God will change your direction as needed. If you keep yourself in park then you will be a useless tool to God.
Be a useful tool...Keep moving
Sunday, August 19, 2012
When will I have peace?
God, why does my life have to be so crazy? Why is it full speed all of the time? I cannot even think straight God. I need a break. Do these sound familiar? Family, work, church, etc., they can all drive you crazy by themselves never mind all together. So in my life I have all of those things pulling at me, eating at me, consuming me. I get to where I feel as though I am treading water with bricks attached to me feet. I cry out to God for change, for relief and then I ask why I haven't received it. I wonder what good would come from this stress and this chaos and why God would not allow me a reprieve. Then one of my co-workers uses their wisdom and says "You are losing your vacation time because you aren't using it. Use it! We can survive without you." Hmm...my guilt settles in. But then other people would be burdened with my work. God why can't I get relief? My co-worker reminds me again and again but I still feel this self created guilt. So again, God why can't I get relief. I have cut out everything I can cut out God. I need relief!
So I think about how I can create relief myself. I try to find things to help me. More tasks that would distract me. It is not working but for the temporary. I am not even making sense. Adding things so that I can have relief? The voice of my co-worker starts echoing in my head "You are losing vacation time because you aren't using it. Use it!" Maybe he is onto something. Everyone else takes time off. So that is what I am doing. I am taking a whole week off of work. I am still just on the weekend (days I already have off) and am already feeling the relief of knowing I don't have to go to work on Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday, etc. So God why haven't you given me a reprieve? Oh wait, You have been, but I haven't been taking it. I have been so focused on what I feel that I need to be doing for the world around me that I haven't realized what God has provided for me. Wow, what else might I be missing? Andrew Murray wrote much about how Jesus tells us to abide in Him. So many are consumed by self abiding in their lives (even with good intents) that we forget that God is with us. We forget that God is the creator of the heavens and the earth and carrying our burdens and the burdens of the world is nothing to Him. We are often knowingly carrying burdens that we know we can't handle because we feel we must because somebody has to do it. Don't forget, God doesn't need us at all but rather He wants us all. Jesus says this in Luke 19:40 (NIV) "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.""
If you step back from life for a minute you will realize that what you view as a priority is not really such a priority. If you are looking for God's work in your life then perhaps you need to stop focusing on your own work in your life. Trust me, God's workmanship is of far better quality than your own. God will provide but you have to be willing to receive.
So I think about how I can create relief myself. I try to find things to help me. More tasks that would distract me. It is not working but for the temporary. I am not even making sense. Adding things so that I can have relief? The voice of my co-worker starts echoing in my head "You are losing vacation time because you aren't using it. Use it!" Maybe he is onto something. Everyone else takes time off. So that is what I am doing. I am taking a whole week off of work. I am still just on the weekend (days I already have off) and am already feeling the relief of knowing I don't have to go to work on Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday, etc. So God why haven't you given me a reprieve? Oh wait, You have been, but I haven't been taking it. I have been so focused on what I feel that I need to be doing for the world around me that I haven't realized what God has provided for me. Wow, what else might I be missing? Andrew Murray wrote much about how Jesus tells us to abide in Him. So many are consumed by self abiding in their lives (even with good intents) that we forget that God is with us. We forget that God is the creator of the heavens and the earth and carrying our burdens and the burdens of the world is nothing to Him. We are often knowingly carrying burdens that we know we can't handle because we feel we must because somebody has to do it. Don't forget, God doesn't need us at all but rather He wants us all. Jesus says this in Luke 19:40 (NIV) "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.""
If you step back from life for a minute you will realize that what you view as a priority is not really such a priority. If you are looking for God's work in your life then perhaps you need to stop focusing on your own work in your life. Trust me, God's workmanship is of far better quality than your own. God will provide but you have to be willing to receive.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
How long oh Lord?
For the last 15+ years now I have greatly struggled with the challenges in my life. Although the outer portions of my struggles have changed over the years, the core has stayed the same. Ever since my stroke I have had a huge craving to feel as though things were going my way. Yes, I have had things go well for periods. I struggle as an individual, as a husband, as a father, and as a Christian. I struggle to meet my own standards and at times I feel as though I am struggling to meet other's standards. I look at those around me and wonder why they are not having to struggle with their finances, jobs, or relationships. I wonder to myself how different things could have been had I not had a stroke. I wonder what kind of job I could have gotten had I been able to finish school. I wonder if I would have been a better husband. I wonder if I would have been a better father. I wonder if I would have been a better servant of God.
For the past 3 years or so I have felt what is to me a large amount of financial stress. I believe this hinders me as a husband, father, and as a believer. So I ask God "How long?". How long will it be until things change? How long until I get a new job or things get better at my current job? How long until we can get out of debt and be self sufficient financially? As I stated above I often feel that had I not had a stroke I would not be in this situation. The truth is of course that I am right, I would not be in this situation. My reasoning is wrong though. Had I not had my stroke I would not have met my wife, had the kids I have, and most significantly I would not have grown closer to God. God would not have become front and center in my life. Would I have been free from financial struggles? Would I have felt that I was a better father? Would I have felt I was a better husband? I have no idea. Those are unanswerable questions. The most important fact is that I would not be where I am in my relationship with God.
John Waller sings a song called "While I'm Waiting". Do I know how long I will need to wait? No I don't, but wait I will do!
For the past 3 years or so I have felt what is to me a large amount of financial stress. I believe this hinders me as a husband, father, and as a believer. So I ask God "How long?". How long will it be until things change? How long until I get a new job or things get better at my current job? How long until we can get out of debt and be self sufficient financially? As I stated above I often feel that had I not had a stroke I would not be in this situation. The truth is of course that I am right, I would not be in this situation. My reasoning is wrong though. Had I not had my stroke I would not have met my wife, had the kids I have, and most significantly I would not have grown closer to God. God would not have become front and center in my life. Would I have been free from financial struggles? Would I have felt that I was a better father? Would I have felt I was a better husband? I have no idea. Those are unanswerable questions. The most important fact is that I would not be where I am in my relationship with God.
John Waller sings a song called "While I'm Waiting". Do I know how long I will need to wait? No I don't, but wait I will do!
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