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Don’t Try To Please Everybody
“I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God.” Gal 1:10 NLT
We tend to fall into one of two traps: (1) Thinking too much of ourselves. Harry Truman was thrust into the presidency by the death of Franklin Roosevelt. That’s when Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the House, took him aside and said, “From here on out you’re going to have lots of people around you, and they are going to tell you what a great man you are. But Harry…you know and I know you ain’t.” Truman took that advice to heart, and became a truly great president. To succeed in the assignment God has given you in life you need two things—dependence on God and confidence in God (See 1Jn 3:21, 22). As long as those two things are in place you’ll succeed. (2) Thinking too little of ourselves. Many of us have made it our goal to change someone’s opinion of us; to prove to them that we’re valuable. Until you quit agreeing with the opinions of those who criticize you, you’ll remain locked in a prison of your own making. When your critic’s opinion becomes your opinion, you’ve built a prison inside your soul with only one prisoner—you. The fact is some of the people you’ve spent your life trying to impress may never be impressed. And you need to accept that from God’s perspective, it doesn’t matter! To succeed, you must be able to work alongside others without letting yourself be controlled by their moods and opinions. That’s why Paul wrote, “I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.”
Don’t Let Jealousy Destroy Your Marriage
“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.” 1Jn 4:18 NLT Solomon writes, “Jealousy is cruel as the grave” (SS 8:6). There are many practical applications for this verse, and one of them is that jealousy can cause the death of a marriage. When you’re jealous of your partner, you distrust them and try to control their every move. And that’s doubly true when someone in your past has betrayed you. Your fear of it happening again can make your spouse feel like his or her feet are always being held to the fire. And if you keep doing it long enough you’ll create the very thing you fear; you’ll end up driving them away. Even if they do stay, they may live in emotional isolation without ever fully giving themselves to you. With that in mind, here’s what the Bible has to say: “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them…as we live in God, our love grows more perfect…Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear” (1Jn 4:16-18 NLT). When you know that God loves you in spite of your imperfections, your sense of self-worth grows and you start believing you are worthy of love. And when that happens, it’s easier to accept that your spouse loves you too and will be faithful. That’s like getting out of prison—a prison of your own making called “jealousy.” Today God wants to set you free from jealousy and give you the relationship you’ve always longed for. Talk to Him about it.
Live A Balanced Life
“Come with me…to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mk 6:31 NIV The Bible says, “The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty” (Ps 90:10 NIV). If you’re blessed to live that long you’ll typically spend an average of twenty-four years sleeping, twenty years working, ten years in church and on vacation (mostly vacation), seven years eating, six years traveling, four years dealing with sickness, and two years getting dressed. Kierkegaard said: “The press of busyness is like a charm…seeking to lay hold of ever-younger victims so that [we] are scarcely allowed time for God to develop in us Christian character.” It’s a mistake to think that rushing through life buys you more time. It doesn’t. Apart from keeping your adrenaline pumping and perhaps making you feel and look important, busyness can be the enemy of your soul. It can rob you of spiritual growth by preventing you from reflecting and examining your heart. We’re not talking about the number of things you manage to get done every day, but the quality of your life’s product. You can be busy, yet not be balanced. One Bible scholar said, “Solitude is the furnace of transformation.” There are three kinds of solitude: (1) Brief intervals experienced daily. (2) Longer ones involving a few days or more away from it all. Despite His hectic schedule, Jesus made a habit of withdrawing from the demands of the crowd to spend time with His Father. (Did He know something we don’t?) And He told the disciples, “Come with me…to a quiet place and get some rest.” (3) Forced rest. “He maketh me to lie down” (Ps 23:2). Don’t wait until God makes you lie down! Endeavor to live a balanced life.
Get Rid Of The Mental Junk!
“Love…ties everything completely together.” Col 3:14 CEV If you’re the kind of person who harbors grudges and holds on to past mistakes, even your own, you know what it feels like to be weighed down by mental junk. It’s hard for a relationship to survive when neither party has processed what happened in the past. Like blame, mental junk keeps you stuck. For example, if someone in a past relationship has hurt you and you’ve never let go of it, every time your mate does something similar it’s likely you’ll react with unwarranted fervor, as if he or she was the original person who hurt you. When this happens, your mate is left feeling upset and confused by your over-the-top reaction to a minor infraction that on the surface appears insignificant. Just as you clean house to get rid of physical junk, you need to keep your mental, emotional, and spiritual house clean and in order. Praying, reading, counseling, journaling, meditation, and exercise are all good ways to help ensure that past issues don’t seep into your current relationships. And when they do come up from time to time, it’s best to talk to the people you’re in relationship with. Just be sure to do it in kindness, truth, and honesty. The old adage—“Love means never having to say ‘I’m sorry’”—is wrong! A more scriptural motto for keeping mental and emotional junk in the trash where it belongs, is: “Don’t go to bed angry” (Eph 4:26 GWT). The Bible says, “Be gentle, kind…meek, and patient. Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. Love…ties everything completely together” (Col 3:12-14 CEV).
You’re Called To A “Special Work”
“Each part…helps the other parts grow.” Eph 4:16 NLT Paul writes: “As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body [church] is healthy and growing and full of love.” There are two kinds of growth—symbiotic growth and parasitic growth. Symbiotic growth is a give-and-take relationship in which both sides benefit. Parasitic growth is when one side feeds off another but gives nothing back. So when you come out of church and say, “I didn’t get anything out of that service,” you may be practicing parasitic growth. Parasitic growth is characterized by such words as “pray for me, preach to me, counsel me, help me, but expect nothing from me.” Symbiotic growth is characterized by such words as “yes, I have needs, but I’m willing to give too because everyone needs to benefit.” Your body is made up of systems. These include the nervous system, circulatory system, muscular system, lymphatic system, skeletal system, immune system, etc. These systems rely on one another. They are interdependent. So when one of them goes down, the rest of the body is negatively impacted by it. Instead of saying, “I’m going to church,” remind yourself, “I am the church.” Paul writes: “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ…and God has put each part just where he wants it” (1Co 12:12, 18 NLT). God wants you to be a fully functioning part of His church. And if you’re not sure what your “part” is, ask Him and He will show you
When Jesus Prayed (4)
“Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you.” Lk 22:31-32 NIV Jesus prayed when He was concerned about the people He loved. He told Peter: “Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you…that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” And Peter did turn back. The disciple who denied his Lord in a moment of weakness eventually stood before a crowd of thousands and preached the gospel to them, and three thousand were won to Christ. Jesus not only taught His disciples, He warned them of danger. But ultimately He realized that the greatest thing He could do was pray for them. Unfortunately, that’s a truth we tend to arrive at later rather than sooner. We promise, we rescue, we threaten, and only when all our other efforts have failed do we pray. Prayer shouldn’t be your last resort, it should be your first response. Prayer takes the situation out of your hands and puts it into God’s. Do you remember the four men who carried their sick friend and laid him at the feet of Jesus? (See Mk 2:3-5). That’s what you do when you pray for someone. It’s not easy to pick up the weight of another person and carry them to God each day in prayer. But it’s the most effective thing you can do for them. The old-timers used to say, “Prayer moves the hand that moves the world.” And they were right! When a loved one disappoints or wounds you, instead of lashing out, lift them up in prayer. Invite God into the situation, then stand back and allow Him to work.
When Jesus Prayed (2)
“He went…to a solitary place; and…prayed.” Mk 1:35 NKJV By failing to pray—you set yourself up to fail. The reason Jesus never failed is because He never failed to pray. Note the times when He prayed: When His heart was heavy. During His ministry on earth, His cousin John the Baptist was arrested and publicly beheaded for confronting a king about his sin. “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew…privately to a solitary place” (Mt 14:13 NIV). Disappointment, desertion, divorce, and death will write their chapters in the book of our lives. Thank God for therapists and doctors, but ultimately there’s no one who can heal a broken heart like God. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power” (Ps 147:3-5 NIV). Whether placing stars or healing scars, no situation is too big or too small to get the attention of our loving God. To understand God’s healing expertise, look at the life of Job. No one in history lost more than Job did, yet God brought him through it all. In Job chapter eleven we read: “You will forget your misery; it will be like water flowing away. Your life will be brighter than the noonday. Even darkness will be as bright as morning. Having hope will give you courage. You will be protected and will rest in safety. You will lie down unafraid, and many will look to you for help” (vv. 16-19 NLT). Are you sad and heavy-hearted today? Do what Jesus did. Take time to pray about it.
What Will You Be Remembered For?
“Those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.” Da 12:3 NLT Dr. James Kennedy wrote: “Consider the great pyramid of Giza, one of the world’s most massive structures. Someone built it as a memorial to himself…King Khufu, not exactly a household name! The Shah of India built the Taj Mahal as a tribute to his wife, yet he too built in vain; after all, who knows the name Arjumand? And how about the Great Wall of China? Astronauts can see it from space, yet no one remembers Qin Shihuang, who was initially responsible for the largest manmade structure in the world. While these people are all forgotten, you can make a permanent imprint on the world. How? By leading others to Christ!” The Bible says, “Those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.” Louis Pasteur, the pioneer of immunology, lived at a time when thousands of people died every year from rabies. He had worked for years on a vaccine, and just as he was about to experiment on himself, a nine-year-old boy named Joseph Meister was bitten by a rabid dog. The boy’s mother begged him to try the vaccine on her son. So Pasteur injected him for ten days—and he lived. Decades later, out of all the epitaphs Pasteur could have chosen, he asked for three words to be etched on his tombstone: JOSEPH MEISTER LIVED! Your greatest legacy can be those who live eternally because you shared Christ with them. Jesus said, “The words…I speak to you are spirit, and…life” (Jn 6:63 NKJV). What moves hearts? What changes lives? The words of Jesus!
Complaining Doesn’t Help
“In everything give thanks.” 1Th 5:18 NKJV The Bible has basically one thing to say about complaining—don’t do it! You say, “If you’d my problems you’d complain too.” If that’s how you feel, read on: “Do all things without complaining” (Php 2:14 NKJV). Here’s why: (1) Complaining usually makes things worse. The cycle goes like this. You have a problem so you complain and stay stuck. You feel bad, so you complain even more and end up with stress, but not a solution. (2) Complaining won’t get you where you need to go. Instead of committing the situation to God, you’re doubting His wisdom and provision. Thousands of Israelites died in the wilderness for doing that. Paul writes, “Do not grumble, as some…did—and were killed…These things…were written down as warnings for us” (1Co 10:10-11 NIV). When you overlook your blessings and dwell on your problems, you lose your joy. (3) Complaining can lead to stress-related illness. “A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body” (Pr 14:30 AMP). Be honest; how many “calm and undisturbed” complainers do you know? Instead of complaining, start counting your blessings. Author Barbara Johnson gives us this tongue-in-cheek example. “A hand-lettered sign nailed to a telephone pole read: ‘LOST…three-legged dog, blind in left eye, missing top of right ear, recently castrated…answers to the name of Lucky.’” As a redeemed child of God luck has nothing to do with it, you’re blessed! So the word for you today is: “In everything (not necessarily for everything, but in everything) give thanks; for this is the will of God…for you.”
Rock Your Box
“He…increases the power of the weak.” Isa 40:29 NIV A little boy was crippled and the doctors said there was nothing they could do to help him. So his mother took an orange crate, put him in it, tied a rope around it, tied the rope to her waist, and pulled him around with her. After a while the boy developed a habit his mother didn’t like: He began to rock his box. Sometimes he rocked it to the point that it tipped over and he fell out. No matter how many times she put him back in, he kept doing the same thing. Eventually he rocked his box until he was finally able to get out of it. Then to everyone’s amazement, he learned how to walk and ended up with a great life. That little boy did something the doctors and not even his mother believed could happen. He refused to settle for life inside a box someone had put him in. Has someone put you in a box today? If so, keep rocking your box until you’re free! Other people are self-appointed “experts” at telling us what we can and can’t do. They don’t always celebrate anything “out of the box,” which is something out of the ordinary. One of the great promises in the Bible is: “He…increases the power of the weak.” Start reading “rock your box” Scriptures. Here’s one: “But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord” (Mic 3:8 NIV). Here’s another: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Mt 19:26 NIV). Today declare, “Lord you promised it, I believe it, and that settles it!”
Know Your Calling (1)
“What is that in your hand?” Ex 4:2 NIV When God called Moses, one of the first questions He asked him was: “What is that in your hand?” Moses was holding his shepherd’s staff—the one he used each day to lead and protect his sheep. But God had a different plan for it—a greater one! He used it to part the Red Sea and lead Israel into the Promised Land. When God asks you, “What is that in your hand?” He wants you to think about your talents, experiences, relationships, education, resources, your mind and your temperament. Dr. Martin Seligman talks about our “signature strengths.” They fall into six categories: (1) Wisdom and knowledge. These include things like curiosity, love of learning, sound judgment, and social intelligence. (2) Courage. This includes perseverance and integrity. (3) Humanity. The capacity for kindness, and the ability to express mercy. (4) Justice. The ability to bring about fairness and leadership. (5) Temperance. Qualities like self-control, prudence, and humility. (6) Transcendence. An appreciation for beauty, the expression of gratitude, the ability to hope, and the capacity for joy. We all have the capacity for each of these strengths, but the ones that resonate most deeply within you are your “signature strengths.” Once you identify these you begin to understand your calling. But be careful; the Enemy wants to convince you that God can’t use you because of your weaknesses, when in fact the opposite is true. Who can speak to those who are grieving better than those who’ve suffered loss? Chuck Colson was the chief White House lawyer until Watergate. But only when he became a convict was he equipped to begin his ministry, Prison Fellowship. So, know your calling.
Understanding How God Works
“Because you say so, I will.” Lk 5:5 NIV The Bible says: “When he [Jesus] had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will’…When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break… When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees…For he and all his companions were astonished…Then Jesus said…‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.’ So they …left everything and followed him” (vv. 4-11 NIV). The real test of your faith comes when nothing you’ve tried has worked, and God tells you to do something that stretches your faith to its limit. At that point you have two choices: Give in to your doubts, or say with Peter, “Because You say so, I will.” This story teaches us God works in three ways: (1) He uses the common to do the uncommon. In their workplace where nothing special ever seemed to happen, Jesus showed up, called them, and changed their lives. So look for God in your daily routine, and don’t be surprised when He surprises you. (2) He moves you out from the security of the shallow to the risks of the deep. The great catches and the great storms are both in the same sea. If you want one, you have to contend with the other. No risk, no reward. (3) He involves you in one thing to teach you another. Christ’s plan for these men was to involve them in an even greater miracle: fishing for souls. Today that’s His plan for you too. And it begins when you say, “Lord, because You say so, I will.”
Do You Believe This?
“I am the resurrection and the life…Everyone who…believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this?” Jn 11:25-26 NLT We struggle with the idea of our own mortality. It’s said that Florence Nightingale feared death so much, after the Crimean War she went to bed and basically stayed there until she died in 1910. Chuck Swindoll says we skirt the subject by using: “(1) Humor. Making a joke of it keeps death at a safe distance so we never have to face reality. (2) Denial. King Louis XIV of France wouldn’t allow the word ‘death’ to be uttered in his presence. But on September 1, 1715, he discovered that death can’t be wished out of existence. People spend so much on anti-aging creams, Botox, and plastic surgery to avoid seeing evidence of death’s approach. (3) Romanticism. A man in Europe built a special room where he can live with his dead wife. His bed is next to her casket. He decorated the room with flowers and candles. He writes her poetry every day in a romantic attempt to avoid the pain of her passing. (4) Fear. Observe fellow passengers on an airplane when turbulence causes sudden drops and vibrations. Young and old alike scream and cry out.” The good news is you don’t have to fear death! The One who defeated it said, “Because I live, you also will live” (Jn 14:19 NIV). When you repent and commit your life to Christ, you have His personal guarantee of eternal life. After Lazarus died, Jesus told his sister Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life…Everyone who…believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this?” If you do, you’ll live forever with Christ.
Calvary Was Always Part Of God’s Plan
“It’s what God had in mind all along.” Isa 53:10 TM The Psalmist wrote: “My God, why have You forsaken Me…I am…a reproach of men, and despised…All those who see Me ridicule Me…saying, ’He trusted in the Lord…let Him deliver Him’…I am poured out like water…My bones are out of joint…My tongue clings to My jaws…They pierced My hands and…feet…and for My clothing they cast lots” (Ps 22:1-18 NKJV). Think about it: David could be describing Jesus’ crucifixion in detail. Yet when he wrote these words crucifixion hadn’t been introduced as a form of execution. It was initiated centuries later by the Phoenicians, and long after that before it was adopted by the Roman Empire. Dr. Charles Augustus Briggs says: “You can take this psalm…lay it side-by-side with New Testament accounts of the crucifixion…and see how they dovetail perfectly. It’s astonishing that someone could describe something so intimately and intricately a thousand years before it happened.” Calvary wasn’t the result of happenstance. Long before Jesus came on the scene, God had a plan to reconcile us to Himself through Christ (See 2Co 5:18 NIV). Historian Paul L. Maier says: “In Isaiah chapter 53 we have almost a running commentary on what happened on Good Friday…It would be mathematically impossible for anyone else to fulfill all these parameters of prophecy in the Old Testament better than Jesus.” Bottom line: “It’s what God had in mind all along…that he give himself as an offering for sin.” That means long before there was an Easter, God was thinking about you!
“Precious Blood—Precious You!”
“It was the precious blood of Christ.” 1Pe 1:19 NLT The Bible says, “The ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ” (vv. 18-19 NLT). You must come to a place in your life where you are secure in who you are “in Christ”; where you don’t allow your sense of worth to be based on the opinions or actions of others. Stop trying to find your worth in how you look, or in what you do for a living, or in how people treat you. Your worth in God’s eyes is incalculable because Jesus shed His blood for you. “Precious blood, precious you!” Yes, you have faults. Yes, there are things about you that need to be changed, but God is working on you just as He is on everybody else. Don’t let somebody else dump their issues on you. You’re a blood-bought child of God! Don’t allow them to make you feel worthless or useless because they don’t know how to treat you right, or love you as you deserve to be loved. Don’t spend your life trying to win their acceptance or approval. You’ve already been accepted and approved by God, so make sure your validation and sense of worth come from Him. You’re redeemed by Christ’s blood, covered by Christ’s blood, and accepted through Christ’s blood. And since His blood is “precious,” that makes you precious too! Satan, who’s called “the accuser,” would like you to forget that and see yourself only in the light of your flaws and failures. Instead, get up every morning, look in the mirror, and announce, “I am precious, because I have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus!”
Keep quiet
A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
Proverbs 29:11
One of the things that you and I as believers must learn if we want to be faithful servants in the kingdom of God is how to keep our mouths shut. Very few of us have mastered that skill.
When we get our backs up about something, we think we have to let everyone know about it. “I’m just going to give them a piece of my mind,” we say.
Don’t make that mistake. No one wants or needs a piece of your mind—and if you give it to them, you’ll only end up alienating people and bringing harm to yourself. Learn, instead, to keep quiet.
This especially applies in the area of spiritual insight. When the Holy Spirit gives you discernment about a situation, don’t go spreading it all over town. If you do, you’ll come to the place where the Lord can’t trust you with revelation and insight into things and situations.
I’ve seen that happen. I’ve known intercessors who have received revelations about someone’s weaknesses or needs. They have been given insight into the problem in someone’s life, so they could pray for that person. But, instead of keeping that information between themselves and God in prayer, they told others about it. As a result, they lost their effectiveness as intercessors.
Don’t let that happen to you. Develop the quiet art of the wise man, and the devil will find it increasingly difficult to harm your prayer life and ministry to others.
Recognize When Satan Is At Work
“He had astonished them with his sorceries.” Ac 8:11 NKJV Just as the apostles worked astonishing miracles through the power of God, Simon the sorcerer was able to do astonishing things through the power of the Devil. So how did the apostles handle the situation? Did they sidestep it? Coexist peacefully with it? Say, “It’s no big deal”? No, Peter confronted Simon, saying, “Repent…[that] your heart may be forgiven” (v. 22 NKJV). Today the forces of evil are real and you must know how to deal with them. Jesus said, “Behold, I give you the authority…over all the power of the enemy” (Lk 10:19 NKJV). The Bible tells us two important things about the demon-possessed man in Gerasa whom Christ healed: (1) The forces of evil within him introduced themselves as “Legion…for we are many” (Mk 5:9 NIV). A legion was a well-trained, fully-equipped division of the Roman army that took orders from Caesar. (2) They “begged Jesus…not to send them out of the area” (v. 10 NIV). That’s because they’d established a stronghold within him. Understand this: You can’t win spiritual battles with natural weapons. True, blaming Satan for all your problems can be a cop-out. But failing to see him at work gives him the advantage every time. You must be wise and know when you’re dealing with natural, human, psychological problems. But you must also be discerning when you’re dealing with “principalities…powers…the rulers of the darkness…spiritual hosts of wickedness” (Eph 6:12 NKJV). How can you overcome them? By taking up “the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day” (Eph 6:13 NKJV).
You Can Start Again
“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” Mt 12:20 NIV Aren’t you glad that God is a mender and not a discarder? With Him, broken lives don’t have to be the end of the story. He’s often been called the God of the “second chance.” How short-sighted is that? If we got only two chances we’d all be miserably, hopelessly lost. But instead He’s the God of the “seventy times seven”! (See Mt 18:22). In Greek, seven represents infinity. So He’s the God of unlimited grace. As long as you humbly acknowledge your failure and desire to start again, He will enable you. The “reed” referred to in today’s verse is a shepherd’s makeshift flute that had withered, cracked, and become worthless. The smoldering “wick” no longer gave light and was considered useless. Both represent people set aside as damaged goods and rejected by others. But Jesus is committed to mend and heal, not break or quench those who have failed. He desires to give us a fresh start regardless of our failures. The truth is—we all fail! As Adam’s descendants, messing things up comes naturally and effortlessly to us. Abraham lied and put Sarah at risk. Jacob was a cheat and self-promoting con artist. Moses determined to do things his own way and ended up a fugitive. David was an adulterer and a conspiratorial assassin who betrayed a faithful friend. Peter turned his back on Christ. Yet God used each of them to accomplish His will. And He will use you too, because “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Ro 5:20 NKJV). So you can start again.
Don’t Let Fear Stop You
“Kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you.” 2Ti 1:6 NAS Don’t let fear make you hide your talents and abilities. One Christian author says: “God expects us to make the most of what He gives us…to keep our hearts aflame, grow our character and personality, and broaden our experiences so we’ll be increasingly more effective. Paul told the Philippians, ‘Keep on growing in knowledge and understanding’ (Php 1:9 NLT). And he told Timothy, ‘Be sure to use the abilities God has given you…Put [them] to work’ (1Ti 4:14-15 TLB); ‘Kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you.’ When you don’t exercise your muscles, they weaken and atrophy, and when you don’t utilize the skills God gave you, the same thing happens. Referring to the servant who because of fear hid his talent in the ground, Jesus said, ‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents’ (Mt 25:28 NIV). Don’t be afraid. Put your gifts and abilities to work and they’ll become enlarged and developed through practice. No one reaches full development all at once. But with study, feedback, and practice, a good teacher can become a better teacher, and in time grow to be a great teacher. Stretch yourself. Learn all you can. ‘Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won’t be ashamed of’ (2Ti 2:15 TM). Take advantage of every opportunity to develop and sharpen your skills. Remember, in heaven we’re going to serve God forever, and we prepare by practicing here on earth. Like athletes getting ready for the Olympics, we’re training for the big day.”
When Jesus Prayed (5)
“He…prayed…‘Not my will, but yours be done.’” Lk 22:41-42 NIV Jesus prayed before He faced the greatest crisis in His life. The Bible says: “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place… He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared…and strengthened him” (vv. 39-43 NIV). Jesus didn’t wait until the hour of His greatest crisis before He prayed. For three and a half years during His earthly ministry, He had built a life of prayer. Before He raised Lazarus from the dead, we read, “Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me…that you always hear me’” (Jn 11:41-42 NIV). Jesus had such an intimate relationship with His Father that in times of pressure and pain He could go to God, confident He would receive His sustaining grace. Can you do that? Until you do, you’ll be vulnerable to people and situations beyond your control. Consider this question: Do you think Jesus prayed so much because He wanted to, or because He thought He should? The answer is—He wanted to! And if you want to follow in His footsteps and enjoy God’s richest blessings, you need to move from “should” to “want to.” Here’s a truth that people who pray know: The less you pray, the less you want to pray. And the more you pray, the more you want to pray. The power behind Christ’s amazing success in life was the power of prayer. Starting now, commit to praying each day.
When Jesus Prayed (3)
“He departed to the mountain to pray.” Mk 6:46 NKJV Let’s look at another point at which Jesus prayed: When the pressures and expectations of others threatened to derail God’s plan for His life. The Bible says: “While it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: ‘Everyone is looking for you!’ Jesus replied, ‘Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.’ So He traveled throughout Galilee, preaching” (Mk 1:35-39 NIV). The lesson here is this: Unless you get God’s plan and stick with it, others will try to plan your life for you. Given the success Jesus enjoyed in every town He visited, many preachers would have stayed and built a church and enjoyed the accolades and rewards of their ministry. Not Jesus; He marched to the beat of a different drum. As you look back on some of your mistakes, you find decisions made in response to pressure instead of prayer. When you’re prayerless you get careless. God has a plan for your life, and a schedule. To stay in sync with both you must pray regularly. Jesus realized He had only enough time to do what His Father wanted done, and that gave Him the ability to say no to other things. You’ve been called to love people—but please God. And your confidence in prayer comes from knowing you’re operating within His will (See 1Jn 3:21-22 NIV).
When Jesus Prayed (1)
“Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Lk 5:16 NIV If you want to know about prayer, examine the life of Jesus: (1) He prayed when the pressures of life increased. “News about him spread…so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed…But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (vv.15-16 NIV). It’s when you think you don’t have time to pray, that you need to pray most. Spending time with God is the secret to having power with Him. (2) He prayed when important decisions had to be made. When it came to picking His closest friends, Jesus sought His Father’s guidance. He “went out to a mountainside…and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve…[as] apostles” (Lk 6:12-13 NIV). When you really think about it—the truth hits you up the side of the head! We can spend a year, not to mention a small fortune, planning a wedding. Yet amazingly we won’t seek God’s guidance when it comes to choosing a mate to spend the rest of our life with. God is not just the creator of the universe; He’s the CEO who runs it. Can you imagine what He knows about operating a successful business? His résumé reads: “I am the Lord…Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go” (Isa 48:17 NKJV). Before you hire an employee, form a partnership, formulate a plan, or invest a penny, God invites you to discuss it with Him and get His input. “Listen for God’s voice in everything you do…he’s the one who will keep you on track” (Pr 3:6 TM).
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Break Out Of The Box!
“He will bring us safely into that land and give it to us.” Nu 14:8 NLT When others saw giants in the Promised Land and wanted to return to Egypt, Caleb said, “The Lord…will bring us safely into that land and give it to us.” At that point two things happened. “The whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle” (v.10 NLT). When the people around Caleb said no, God said yes—and all you need is His approval! When you have that, you can disregard the nay-sayers and move forward. If you wait for everyone to approve, agree with you, and applaud you, you’ll get nowhere. There was a time when people thought the earth was flat, and that man would never walk on the moon. In 1899 the U.S. Patent Office almost closed because the commissioner, Charles H. Duell, said, “Everything that can be invented has been invented.” In retrospect this statement is ridiculous, but some of us have this same mindset. We stop learning because we think we’re too old. We’re afraid to change careers in case we jeopardize our pension. We don’t pursue our dreams in case we fail or get ridiculed. We’re so used to self-imposed limitations and telling ourselves, “I can’t do that,” we think we can’t do anything. In essence, we’ve built a box, crawled inside, and now we’re looking for something or someone to blame for our lack of faith. God didn’t box you in, you did it to yourself, and you need to take the initiative to break out. Today decide to do it—and God will bless your endeavors.
Know Your Calling (2)
“He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also.” Jn 14:12 NKJV Your calling will always be connected to an unmet need or an opportunity to do good. It was in listening to the cries of an enslaved people that Moses discovered his calling. So did William Wilberforce. He devoted his life to seeing slavery eradicated in England. Nelson Mandela was a lawyer with the potential to make money. But he chose a different path—one that involved years of imprisonment. And when he was finally set free he didn’t seek vengeance, he sought justice and equality for his people, and changed his country. Ezekiel writes: “I came to the exiles…And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days—overwhelmed. At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me” (Eze 3:15-16 NIV). If you want to discover your calling, start praying about situations that trouble you deeply. Usually we try to avoid discomfort, but if you sense that your calling involves helping the poor, spend time around those in poverty. Allow your heart to be moved; carry within you the conviction that things must change, and keep praying, “Lord, make me a change agent.” When Jesus called His disciples, He chose people from different backgrounds: a doctor, a government worker, a group of fishermen. In essence He told them, “I believe in you. What I know I’ll teach you,” and promised them that “he who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also.” Bottom line: Jesus empowered His followers to go out and live like He did. And today that’s what He’s calling you to do.
Having The Right Attitude
“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” Php 2:5 NLT How many jobs do people lose every day because of poor attitudes? How many are passed over for promotion because of the way they approach their work and the people around them? How many marriages fall apart? It would be impossible to calculate. No one should ever lose a job, miss a promotion, or destroy a marriage because of a poor attitude. Why? Because a person’s attitude isn’t set; it’s a choice. Chuck Swindoll writes: “Attitude, to me, is more important than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It’s more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I’m convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you…We are in charge of our attitudes.” Paul writes, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” He always approached people with love, grace, acceptance, and a heart to serve rather than be served. So if your attitude hasn’t been as good as it could be, make this your starting point. Pray: “Father, give me a Christlike attitude toward everyone I meet.”
What’s Slowing You Down?
“Let us strip off every weight that slows us down.” Heb 12:1 NLT The Bible says, “Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” What’s slowing you down, or tripping you up? In life you only get to run once, so run to win. To avoid stumbling and losing your place in the race, don’t look back. You can’t change the past but you can learn from it. Don’t be anxious about the next lap, just focus on the next step. If you miss that, you may fall and not get up again. Keep going, and before you know it you’ll have more laps behind you than ahead of you. Make every one count. Many of us carry the weight and worry of burdens. But older and wiser people have come to understand their burdens are of no real importance. We waste our strength extinguishing fires that if left alone would burn out on their own. Time is your most valuable resource. Save it, and you’ve increased your assets and decreased your liabilities. Travel light. Ditch the baggage of self-sabotaging habits and pointless fears. There are enough painful trials in life; why endure the ones you can “strip off”? When blind Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was within reach, he threw off his coat so it wouldn’t trip him up, and ran toward Him. And his faith paid off: “Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus” (Mk 10:52 NKJV). You’ll never know how successful you can be until you get rid of the things that slow you down and trip you up.
Keep The Fire Burning
“Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us?” Lk 24:32 NKJV After the resurrection Jesus met two of His disciples who’d seen Him crucified and didn’t know He’d been raised from the dead. Then later as He ate supper with them at their house, an interesting thing happened: “Their eyes were opened…they knew Him… and they said to one another, ‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?’” (vv. 31-32 NKJV). This story has much to teach us about keeping the fire of love and devotion to Christ burning in our hearts. As you walk with Jesus and spend time in His presence, He talks to you and reveals Himself through the Scriptures. We all know that to keep a fire burning you must tend it, stoke it, and keep fueling it. Why do some of us go on to higher heights and deeper depths in our walk with God, while others seem to go around in circles without getting anywhere? Because one group commits itself to pursuing God until His presence becomes a daily reality in their lives, while the other group doesn’t. It’s that simple. The question is, which group are you in? If you’re lukewarm and half-hearted in your walk with God, today He is saying to you, “Return to Me…and I will return to you” (Zec 1:3 NKJV). Or in layman’s terms: “Turn around and come back. You’ll find Me where you left Me.” So the word for you today is: Keep the fire burning.
Today God Is With You
“But they were not able to recognize who he was.” Lk 24:16 TM When you face a crisis it’s easy to lose perspective. It happened to two of Christ’s disciples on the Emmaus Road. Discouraged about His death, they were “going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their…questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was” (vv. 14-16 TM). When you take your eyes off Jesus, you start to feel helpless about your situation. Dr. Michael Youssef says: “Facing a major crisis, I tend to be the kind of person whose vision becomes blurred. My perceptions are shot. My contemplations are one-sided. I often shut out the very people who can deliver me, just like those two disciples…Their vision was blurred about the person who was walking with them and talking to them. The one whose death they were mourning was alive…but they didn’t realize it because their focus was on the wrong thing.” But everything changed the minute they recognized Jesus. “Within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There…the two…told…how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along…and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread” (vv. 33-35 NLT). Note the words “within the hour.” In an instant they went from fear to courage, pain to joy, and despair to hope. Paul wrote, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” (Eph 1:18 NIV). When you stop focusing on the problem and fix your eyes on Jesus, you get 20/20 vision and you’re filled with hope.
The Beauty Of The Breastplate (3)
“Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious.” 1Pe 2:7 NKJV We learn from looking at the breastplate worn by Israel’s high priest that: (a) we are precious to God; (b) we are close to His heart; (c) He will never turn His back on us. You say, “If God will never turn His back on us, does that mean we can live any way we please?” No, and here’s why. As a redeemed child of God, not only are you precious in His eyes, He is also precious in your eyes. So you will value your relationship with Him above all else and protect it from anything that threatens it. Question: When you realize how valuable and precious you are in God’s eyes, does that make you want to go out and sin, or continue living in sin? Of course not! On the contrary, your thoughts will run more along the lines of: “This is not how a believer who is precious to the Lord behaves.” A precious diamond doesn’t belong in the mud, grime, and filth of sin. Its rightful place is close to the heart of God where it sparkles and shines. Knowing your true, righteous, and precious-to-God identity in Christ elevates you above the desire to give in to sin. It makes you want to walk and live as a child of the King. Indeed, holy living is the result of seeing yourself as God sees you—“in Christ.” Instead of giving in to temptation, you’ll ask yourself, “What would Jesus do in this situation?” Then you’ll draw on His strength and do the right thing. A true understanding of God’s grace doesn’t prevent holiness, it produces it.