Being a Success

Success… How do you define it?  Is it being financially comfortable?  Is it have a certain type of career?  Is it socializing with certain type of people?  Perhaps it is having a house on the right side of town in the right type of neighborhood?  Maybe it is holding a visible position in the church?  Maybe it is defined by looking a certain way, having certain material goods, or driving a certain car?  Maybe it is having certain habits or NOT having certain habits?  What is the definition of success in your life?  How do you measure success in others?  How do you treat others based on your measure of their success?  What do you think of yourself based on how you define your success?

I believe that true success is only measured at the end of our life.  When we stand before God, will he say “well done, thy good and faithful servant” or “go away, you worker of iniquity.”  It matters not what we drive, what style we wear, what our job choices are but rather whether we listened and obeyed the call of the Lord.  Our success isn’t determined by whether we are called to be a conference preacher or a janitor but rather whether we do it with an attitude of a servant of the Lord.  Success isn’t defined by whether society (or your church for that matter) defines you as a nobody but rather whether God finds you fruitful and productive in his kingdom.  Success is based on our listening, our obedience and our surrender to the will of God regardless of our desires and feelings. 

There are so many times that we feel so unsuccessful based on how society perceives us but when God looks at us and sees that we are willing to do whatever he asks, regardless of inconveniences, regardless of what others say about us, even regardless of how we feel or think… He finds us a success.  My desire is to be considered a success in the eyes of my Lord Jesus, regardless….

Passion Required

I was speaking with someone a while back and I told them how I felt that God called me to pray and intercede on someone’s behalf, encourage and speak words of truth.  I was quite distressed that God had continued to ask this of me and they didn’t quite understand why it would distress me.  They referenced a scripture in John where it says, “I mention you in my prayers” and told me that I didn’t need to bury my face in the carpet.  I would say that very few people that I have spoken to regarding what I feel God has told me to do understands why it distresses me so much.  But the thing is, God didn’t call me to be half-hearted and just mention this person in prayer when I get around to it.  God told me to intercede, to be fervent, to be zealous in speaking truth, spare nothing and hold nothing back.  The very definitions of these things do not mean half-hearted, easy, convenient.  I can’t be zealously obedient to God without an investment of my heart, soul, mind and time.  I do not think it is just me that God has called to be zealous and fervent.  If God has called you to do something, He didn’t mean for you to do it when it was easy, convenient or after you get done doing what you wanted to do.  He doesn’t give you a ministry and then say, “when you get around to it, will you go preach the word?”  God doesn’t say, “once you have grown bored with your current lifestyle and find a little bit of time, will you pray for your neighbor?”  God doesn’t always ask, in fact seldom asks convenient things.  God doesn’t ask for easy things.  Sometimes… MANY times… MOST of the time, God asks hard things.  God asks for an investment of your heart, your soul, your tears, your love, your desires, your time… everything.  Being fervent in your desire to fulfill the ministry that God gives you requires ALL of you… not just what is left over after you have your way.  So what has God told you to do?  Are you pursuing it fervently or only as your lifestyle allows?  Are you being zealous in your pursuit of God’s will or are you more zealous to fulfill your desires and God’s will comes second?  Though being fervently in God’s will sometimes means fighting battles that you don’t want to fight, doing what you don’t want to do or weeping when you wish you could rejoice; it also is a place like no other.  God’s perfect will… is a place that, though seemingly contrary to everything around you, there is a sense of purpose and rightness.  It is my desire to get and stay in God’s perfect will. 

Developing Spiritual Muscles

How Human Muscles Grow:   Your muscles grow when they recover after heavy stress that you put on them in the gym. Your body 'thinks' that you were running for your life from a lion and barely escaped, and it builds some extra muscle to make sure that you can outrun that lion the next time he finds you! The same story in other words: when you stress your muscle to the limit, it develops micro-injury. When it repairs the damage, having enough time and material, it 'overdoes' a little, to prevent you from having that 'micro-injury' in the future.

To put it short, if you want your muscle grow, you should give it as much stress as possible in the gym, then you should provide it with everything it needs to recover and grow, which is time and food.

As you have heard me whine and complain about for a while now, I feel under tremendous amounts of stress right now.  I feel that there are spiritual battles on every side and am spiritually, emotionally and physically stressed.  When I read the above comments regarding the growth of muscles I could not help but to make a parallel with our spiritual life. 

This concept was quite exciting to me and I have wanted to write about it for a while now but the words wouldn’t come.  But the more I thought about this, the more I tried to put the words together, the more strongly something more came to me.  Our desire and God’s desire is for us to grow and become ever stronger in our relationship with Him so He allows stresses to come into our life.  During the stress of the battle, during the trial, our faith muscles are NOT growing.  It is AFTER the stress that our faith will grow IF (and I can’t stress IF strongly enough) IF we feed our faith with God’s word and allow ourselves to really get refreshed in the Holy Ghost.  During the stress period, we are going through a time of getting “micro-injuries.”  Injuries that with the proper rest (the Holy Spirit which is our rest and our refreshing) and nutrition (God’s word), will cause use us to grow and be strong in our faith.   If we come out of the stress of a trial or battle and do not lose ourselves in God and his word then our faith will not be strengthened but rather weakened and prone to fear and anxiety.  Just like it is important to feed and rest our physical muscles after working out, it is absolutely vital that we do the same thing spiritually with our faith muscles.

So when you are in a fight on every side and it seems that you are just barely getting out of the battle with your spiritual life intact, know that these battles will only increase your faith muscles.  And then once you have gotten out of that battle, lose yourself in the Word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to surround you and to fill you.  Take the time to really bask in the presence of the Lord, during the battle but especially AFTER the battle.

God's Investment

We have heard time and time again the scriptures regarding, “to whom much is given, much is required.”  We each have our own ideas of what this means.  My brother-in-law said something to me the other day that explained this in such a literal way that it gave me great pause.  We were talking about God-given talents and skills and he brought up the words of Jesus in the New Testament regarding the master that gave his servants talents.  The one with five doubled it and gave him the original five plus five more.  Similarly for the one with two.  He went on to say, “If God gave me five talents, I am required to use those five talents to win five because to whom much is given, much is required.”  That very literal interpretation of those scriptures caused me to think about my talents and how I can use them to double God’s investment.  God believed in me enough to give me certain talents – whether one or several, it doesn’t matter – and it is up to me to invest those talents in such a way that God’s kingdom grows.  So what talent has God invested into your life and how are you using it?  Perhaps he has given you more than one talent, are you prepared to double it?  I don’t really think our age, our gender, our past, our present or our fears will be a good enough excuse as to why we aren’t giving God a return on his investment in us.

Matthew 25:14-30

14.   For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

15.   And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

16.   Then he that had received the five talents went and traded the same, and made them other five talents.

17.   And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

18.   But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

19.   After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

20.   And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents; behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

21.   His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

22.   He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, though deliveredst unto me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

23.   His Lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

24.   Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

25.   And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there though hast what is thine.

26.   His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gathered where I have not strawed.

27.   Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

28.   Take therefore the talent from him, and give it to him which hath ten talents.

29.   For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

30.   And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

So I again ask you, how are you using God’s investment in you?

Voices

As my mind was sifting through conversations, sifting through my faith journal, sifting through what I believe, a particular incident that happened recently came to mind.  I was once again frustrated with the status quo and went to lay down to think things through.  As I lay there I had the thought of “just quit praying about it and move on” but my heart immediately and vehemently responded with “but what if this is the last prayer I have to pray before the answer comes?  What then?”   So it is this incident that took all of 20 seconds that inspired the prayer that I prayed which in turn inspired the below writing. 

My heart and mind is in conflict.  My mind says that nothing is changed nor will anything change in the future.  It tells me that I am frustrating myself for nothing because what was – will be.  My mind tells me to ask God to release me from these hopes and dreams of a future ministry and cause me to be satisfied with the status quo.  My mind longs to be released from believing for salvation/healing/revival, released from interceding, released from trying, released from speaking.  My mind just wants peace.  My mind wants to settle for “good enough.”  But my heart… oh, my heart says “good enough IS NOT good enough.”  My heart wants to take this next hill with fervor because my promise may be just on the other side.  My heart longs for me to hold on because today could be the day the answer comes.  My heart says to keep believing as all things could come to fruition next week, if I just don’t let go.  My heart tells me not to give up because through God all things are possible.  My heart has a clear vision of the future, if I just stay on course. 

As I am in this very human conflict, it comes down to which voice I let rule my life, my day or my moment?  Which voice do I allow to speak loudest?  Is it the voice of my mind that longs for logic and sanity over the walking by faith in darkness?  Or is it the voice of my heart that tells me to relax in God’s plan?

In this world there are an abundance of voices.  Voices on the radio.  Voices at work.  Voices at home. Voices at church. Voices at the store.  Voices on the phone.  There are voices everywhere including the voices of your mind, your heart, your soul, your conscience, your desires, your flesh and spirit.  Then we toss in the voices of the spirit world.  Voices from satan and his angels.  With all these voices coming at us, battling for our attention, we sometimes miss the voice of God.  We sometimes allow that still small voice to be overpowered by the other voices in our world.  Each day we make a decision about which voices we are going to allow to rule our day.  Each moment we make the choice of which voice will reign supreme – the loud voices of our world or the singular stillness of the voice of God.  I cannot be persuaded that God doesn’t speak to each of us, that God doesn’t direct each of our steps.  It isn’t a matter of being a certain level of holiness, or a certain level of Christian in order to have God speak to us.  Saul was a man who was fervently persecuting the followers of Christ.  Yet God spoke to him and guided his steps.  That lets me know that anyone that WANTS to hear from God, can.  Anyone that longs for God to guide his steps, can.  It is just a matter of which voice you will choose to hear.  Will you choose the voice of the one who died for you or will you choose the voices of your friends, therapists, or your own desires.   Which voice is speaking the loudest today?

Back-Up Plan - Do you have one?

There are things in our life for which we pray for direction.  We seek God’s guidance and will regarding the steps we should take, the decisions we need to make or the path that we should follow.  He does, whether we stop and listen or not, tell us what we should do.  There are times when he tells us his perfect will but then it seems that instead of it working out, it just gets to be more and more impossible.  Perhaps when he first told us his will or what he was going to do, you could see how it could be, you could work out in your mind how he could cause it to come to fruition.  But then… a delay here, a bad choice there, someone’s interference and now you cannot see how it can ever be as you believe God told you.  The situation went from “Possible but unlikely” to “Impossible and unlikely.”  So what do you do when it makes that change to the impossible?  You come up with a back-up plan.  In your mind, or perhaps on a piece of paper, you work out what you will do if God doesn’t come through.  “Ok, if God doesn’t supply the money for my electric bill as I believe he told me he would, I will just ask so-n-so for a loan.”  “Just in case God doesn’t bring me the companion that I believe that he told me he will, I will keep this one as my ‘friend’ on the side – just in case.”  “It doesn’t look like God is going to save my loved one, so I will just give up on it so I won’t get disappointed twice (once when she isn’t saved and the second when God fails me).”  There are so many examples of how we come up with back-up plans for that “just in case” moments.   

I have harped/nagged/preached about the dangers of having a back-up plan for God and his will.  I have written how we just need to have faith and believe.  I have told of how having a back-up plan sabotages the very thing for which we are believing God.  Well I must admit, I almost fell for this one too – on several fronts.  There are things that I have prayed about, sought God’s direction for, and, I believe, heard God’s voice regarding.  But life has happened… delays, bad choices, interference, etc. so I have concocted a back-up plan.  A plan that will help me “save face,” a plan that will keep me from looking foolish for believing in something so impossible, a plan that, though not my true heart’s desire, is a reasonable substitute.  After much time of battling between the real plan (the one I believe God showed me) and my back-up plan, it has come down to where the rubber meets the road, time to put up or shut up, time to believe or quit.  Perhaps it was only a battle for me because I have trouble dealing with things I cannot control and for me to keep believing, rather than settling for my back-up plan, causes me to have to completely surrender control.   After much soul searching, after much talking, I have decided that I absolutely will not settle for my back-up plan.  God’s plan, regardless of how impossible it may seem, is really the best one for me.  Why settle for second rate when you can have the ultimate?  So I will sit and wait on the salvation of the Lord – he hasn’t failed me yet and I don’t think he will start now.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

I believe one day very soon I will be able to testify regarding this fantastic work that God is doing.  Until then keep me in your prayers. 

Days of Frustration

There are some days, no matter how hard you try not to be, you are just frustrated.  Frustrated at yourself, frustrated at others, frustrated regarding situations.  That is where I find myself on this hazy Monday morning… frustrated.  My main frustration is that I feel tied/bound and unable to move forward.  It is like a bungee cord that keeps pulling me back into a place I don’t want to be.  Regardless of how hard I try to move forward, how fervent my desire, how passionate my response… I am stuck right here unable to progress, unable to move, unable to get a firm grasp of the next thing.  And the fact that I seem to have no control over this is a source of deep frustration.  I don’t think that I am unusual in my desire to be in control of my destiny, to be in control of my present and my future.  It is a very uncomfortable (and frustrating) place for me to not have a plan, to not have some sort of idea of what the future holds, to not be in control.  But every time that I go to God with my frustrations of not knowing, not being able to plan, not being in control… all I get is stand and trust.  “But God, it appears to be getting worse instead of getting better.  It seems that it is becoming more impossible than it already was (though I don’t see how that could be).  When are you going to step in?  When are you going to clue me in on MY future?”  He just says trust.  Though trusting God should be so easy because he has never failed us, never let us down, never abused or mistreated us, has never been disloyal… I still find it difficult to just stand and trustingly wait.  As I sit here annoyed, aggravated and just thoroughly frustrated, I know that my heart’s desire is to be in God’s perfect will.  I have told him that over and over and though I don’t understand how this frustrating place I find myself in could possibly be God’s perfect will… I just have to believe it is.  Though I see impossibilities and unfairness on every side of me, I just have to trust that the God that knows all my tomorrows also knows what is best today.  So I will attempt to once again rein in my frustration and trustingly and patiently wait on my Lord and Savior.

Psalms 37:1-9

1.       Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

2.       For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

3.       Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

4.       Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

5.       Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

6.       And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

7.       Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him that prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

8.       Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

9.       For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.