While many have the freedom to pick their “dream job”, many others take whatever comes their way, hoping it will make the house payment, or put some food on the table for another night. And even if you have your “dream job”, or just enjoy what you do, I’d bet that there are days when you think about finding another field of work. Sometimes we just feel stuck.

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.

Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.

Ephesians 6:5-9

It really isn’t about finding the perfect employer that will be a joy to work for. Whether we work a desk job, sit on a manufacturing line, or even watch over kids at home, work is hard. It is often unrewarding, and other times downright tedious. We are often taken advantage of, and often have little real mobility out of our circumstances. No amount of “you can do it” can  make up for that. We can come up with all sorts of self-motivation techniques, but when it comes right down to it, if your job is all there is – the thing that you spend the majority of your waking life doing – then life can get pretty miserable. That is, without a godly perspective.

What Paul is offering here is more than wishful thinking. Every thing you do is to be done in the name of Christ. You are crucified with him, now you live in him! While we naturally tend to divide up our hours into “the job”, “family stuff”, and “church stuff”, this is far from the way God sees it. Everything we do flows out of our relationship with him. Not a single part of your life is beyond his control and use. Not a single part. That means that our outward life is connected to our spiritual condition, and these are wrapped together whether we are caring for prisoners, being patient and loving to a child, or serving humbly and wisely in the workplace.

Your daily activity is more than just goals and objectives, more than just a means of acquiring cash, prestige, or even praise. Serve Christ in whatever you do, and you will find joy in it; glimpses of God on the move, satisfaction in experiencing his glory and love. Serve yourself in whatever you do, you will find tedium, waste and unrest.

Jesus’ disciples saw him do many other miraculous signs besides the ones recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life.

John 20:30-31

This is the essential message of the Bible. We have a God who is faithful. He sent his son to give us life. Not just to “pay the price” that would put us in right standing so we could go about our business with impunity. This life is not “code” for the moment of salvation. It is life. Something we experience on an ongoing basis. And in a “hope for the future” basis.

Reading or hearing the stories of Jesus’ life and teaching, we are reminded about the authority of his voice. We are called to think about his healing touch and his love. We are shown a Jesus who is not just lovey-dovey; he is capable of emotionally charged tears, of a spirit that is jealous for what is right. He is more than a soothing voice. He is frequently direct, pointing out sin in those who try to deny it. Sometimes he uses irony and sarcasm to let the hearer dwell on his words until they realize their error. He isn’t always the “mild” character we learned about in Sunday School. And that is a good thing!

Throughout the pages of Scripture, we are shown Jesus. From the law to the prophets, far-flung history and the gospel accounts, even letters to churches with real problems, we see Jesus lifted up as God’s answer to sin and a broken world. He has come to give us life. Not to right us then send us on our way – but to be with us. Not just an inspirational figure, but the source of our strength.

So we return to Scripture again and again. What have you read or learned about the Father, Son or Spirit lately? How has reading and meditating on the message challenged what you know and understand about God’s character and activity?

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

This tool is not given in a vacuum. Our understanding of what Scripture teaches is given in community, and through the presence of the Spirit. God’s word is not a matter for “private” interpretation. There is this urge to treat the words of the Bible as a sort of divining rod – flip to a random page and point, and God will “reveal” his will. But this treatment of revelation is hollow. Often, we find the stories and messages of Scripture difficult. It isn’t all pithy sayings and one-liners. It is the hard-fought for experiences of men and women through the ages, trying to grasp who they were and who God is.

While many Christians can quote 2 Timothy 3:16, maybe even 17, it is easy to overlook the context. We can reduce these verse to a comforting declaration of God’s provision of a clear message. But when we look in context, we find something much richer; something that in no way weakens our confidence, but rather sets it in perspective.

If we look at what leads Paul to make this statement about the worth of Scripture, we see him telling Timothy the following:

• you know what I teach and how I live
• you have seen how those who follow God suffer persecution
• you know evil impostors will flourish, deceiving who they may
• you must remain faithful to what you have been taught, with confidence based on who it is who taught you

Scripture was something that would be learned in community! If all you have at your disposal is your own understanding and mental agility, then you will find the Bible something hard as rock. It requires humility and patience. It demands us learn together, gaining from the insights each is provided through the Spirit, but also from the insights of those who have come before us.

What book of the Bible poses the most difficulty in understanding and applying it to your life? What resources have you sought out in order to better understand God’s message in that book? Whose insight have you sought? How could the experiences of others shape your understanding of this book?

]]> http://devotionals.themountchurch.com/2010/09/02/fully-equipped/feed/ 0 http://devotionals.themountchurch.com/2010/08/31/stuck-on-you/ http://devotionals.themountchurch.com/2010/08/31/stuck-on-you/#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:00:51 +0000 George http://devotionals.themountchurch.com/?p=1514 Have you ever gotten so caught up in the minutia that you missed the “main thing”? If so, you’re not alone. I know I can easily fall into this, and I know many others the same way. And the passage we are going to look at today suffers greatly from this sort of thing.

Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Most people know verse 4, though they likely know it from Jesus’ use of it in the gospels, and not its place in Israel’s law. They can quote it – heart, soul, mind, strength, etc. But fewer continue on till the end of verse 9, and those who do often get caught stuck in the weeds at verses 8 and 9 which suggest that those who worship God should even bind his instructions to the hands and foreheads!

But we need not fall into this trap. We come to this passage and recognize how important God’s commands are to the life of a believer. God’s words, handed down through time, are so important that we should be repeating them to our children at every opportunity. Whether at home doing the normal routine, or on a trip which breaks the routine, and to open and close the day. They are to be stuck to us like glue, ever present in and on our person and our homes.

The Scriptures have been given to us as a means of experiencing who God is, and knowing who we are. We need to scour them, to meditate on them, to share them with one another. We need to take them as our own. They help us to know what is pure and acceptable in God’s eyes. They remind us of the consequences of sin, and the hope we have from a God of promises. They teach us wisdom and connect us with generations who have stood humbly before God and endured the shame of the cross.

We must drink in God’s word at every stop, whether it comes through oral or written means. We cannot produce fruit without the word planted and growing. And we cannot just pick a few verses, a few books, that we really enjoy and continually focus on them. We must lay all of God’s word before us that we might know him more fully. That means going beyond the “Love chapter” or John 3:16 -  inspiring and powerful as they are – and digging into the overlooked and sometimes even maligned bits, such as the hard sayings of the law, the imprecatory prayers of the psalms, and even the spectacular symbolism of apocalypse. But if we will dig deep, and allow the Spirit to speak through the words, we will know our deliverer like never before; know him, not just about him.

Be prepared  to experience God as he is, and not as you’d like him to be!

“Bill, it’s time to take a shower. You don’t want to oversleep again.”

“Um, Jill, I think you’ve had enough coffee…”

“Ted, I think we should talk for half an hour before you jump on that computer.”

“Sarah, don’t you think that guy over there could use a hand? Better get over there quick.”

To be honest, I wonder if it would only make our discomfort at doing God’s will more apparent. Often enough we just question whether we have really heard God, discounting his voice as a sore stomach, a daydream, etc. There would be no hiding behind our last meal if we all heard God speak to us loud and clear.

“Everything that is now hidden or secret will eventually be brought to light. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand! And be sure to pay attention to what you hear. The more you do this the more you will understand – and even more, besides. To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them.”

Mark 4:22-25

The “habits” that we call spiritual disciplines help us to be receptive to God’s voice, and that makes them powerful. For instance, the practice of prayer reminds us that God is not only willing to speak, but willing to act. It also helps us to stop – to put away the static and distraction that keeps us from hearing God’s voice. The practice of fasting can free us from the normal routine and and make us ready, heart, mind and body, to respond in a new way. Finding just the right place to worship (whether near or far away) might be a powerful agent in allowing the Holy Spirit to speak in a way that alters life as you know it.

We make it a habit to try to divorce the “real” and “natural” from the “spiritual”. This is an unfortunate by-product of the age we live in. But it is not the way God looks at the world. He created it, and considers it important – valuable and useful. We often approach prayer in this way: “I can pray anywhere, since God is always available.” And this is true. But you may find that God provides a certain environment that helps you to focus on Him better. That reminds you of his love or power. That is nothing to sneer at, and we ought to take full advantage of the way we have been made! We may be accurate when we think, “God does not care the posture of my prayer, but the heart behind it.” But it is amazing how the body can respond differently to prayer or scripture reading when it is done sitting, laying down, kneeling, at the computer, eyes closed, eyes open… No, there is no magic formula for godly “reception”. But we must not discount the way we worship and respond and listen for God with our bodies. We are both physical and spiritual beings.

So we see these two together. Spiritual habits help us learn to be receptive. Spiritual disciplines are not just spiritual activities though, they are deeply physical, and require us to place our whole body before our Lord. That is the way we will be receptive and begin to hear his voice more clearly. They are “practice” or “exercise” and require customization for each of us to have the effect God desires. They require commitment over time if we are to see results. And they themselves do not produce the results, but provide the opportunity for the Spirit to work in us.

God is calling us to place our entire being before him, and Lord-willing, that is what we will do.

Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Don’t forget to pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities…

Colossians 3:16-17; 4:2-3

If you’re reading this, the great likelihood is that it is because you are someone who has an online social network. You can interact with friends and acquaintances online. You are daily blasted with status updates, or requests for some sort of interaction.You are fed links to blogs you can read so that you can know the latest thoughts of whoever. With such ready access to “community”, you’d think that we had finally done away with loneliness.

Sadly, no. We just painted a pretty face on it.

Most of this online interaction is trivial. It is surface. Not that you should share your most intimate questions and heart-felt joy and pain with the masses! But it is easy to spend all our time online, not ever really communicating from our heart, and get to the end of the day thinking we can check off the box for contact, for community. The truth is that with all the technology and instant updates and feeds, we are still desperate for meaningful interaction and connections.

A commitment to spiritual disciplines is no guarantee that you will build community and interaction into your life. You can fill your schedule with “spiritual” things and still manage to avoid speaking with God and living in fellowship with God’s people.  But spiritual disciplines are a medium through which we can share our heart with God and with each other, and this makes them priceless. There is no reason for loneliness with our God. Jesus himself often demonstrated them in action.

Prayer is a wonderful discipline in this regard. Or more to the point, prayer is a wonderful habit for bringing us into deeper communion with God. We are repeatedly commanded to pray. Pray for workers. Pray for those who speak to have the right words. Pray for boldness. Pray that love will overflow. Prayer is the natural avenue for sharing what’s in our hearts with God. Not just the pretty and good stuff, but the real mix of life. We have been given access to the throne of Jesus for exactly this purpose.

But there are other habits that also help us share our hearts and minds with God, and sometimes even with each other. Worship is another spiritual discipline that helps us communicate what resides within. All too often we force ourselves to put on a face when God would have us come to him in honesty. We lie to one another to not inconvenience each other. This hurts everyone. And that should make clear that worship is also something that helps us to communicate with one another. It is an avenue for sharing our lives with one another. Giving is also a powerful communicator from our heart. That is, when it is more than just a concession. A heart that willingly sees themselves as stewards will find giving a discipline that speaks volumes in thanks and joy. And by sharing with each other, we build a community that demonstrates and shouts “love”.

Spiritual disciplines are not something commanded for their own sake. Usually, we are hard pressed to even find them “commanded” in Scripture. Certainly not in the scheduled way we usually think of them. Spiritual “habits” don’t make God love or accept us more. They don’t win his approval on our lives and intentions. These habits are instead the way we respond wholeheartedly to the love God has shown. We build opportunities into the fabric of life for us to share with him. And we build into our lives bridges we may use to share with each other.

So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you are willing to suffer for Christ, you have decided to stop sinning. And you won’t spend the rest of your life chasing after evil desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.

1 Peter 4:1-2

Obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this joyfully and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

Hebrews 13:17

Our spiritual leaders have a tough job. And we need to consider what we expect of them, and how our actions affect them. Are we, through gossip, creating a situation that will be a terrible poison in the future? Are we being selfish and causing difficulty for the body accomplishing the work God has called it to? Or are we an encouragement? Are we through our words and faith supporting the body as all use their gifts for the kingdom?

I said I want us to pray. And the prayer is simple. Pray for your spiritual leaders. A pastor, deacon, elder, small group leader, a ministry leader – whoever you hear God directing you to pray for. Pray for them, that they will find joy in the service of Christ. Pray for obedience  in your own heart; it is not a highly praised virtue these days. Pray that God would find receptive hearts in his body. Pray that the body would be drawn to deeper unity as a signpost pointing to the Father of Peace. Take a knee today for those who bear accountability to the head of the Church, Jesus.

In reality, the journey is not over. Going in for the last treatment meant subjecting my wife to the pain of chemotherapy, just as she was beginning to regain some vitality, some rest, some respite from physical pain. It’s one thing to do this in the middle of treatment when you still aren’t sure what the outcome will be. You know that the pain is worth every last bit. But as you lay there with the knowledge that the cancer has been knocked out and defeated, following the plan of the doctors with all their wisdom and experience seems unnecessary; maybe even too much to bear. Why do I have to keep doing this? I won’t go into any detail of what her particular cocktail of chemotherapy drugs can do, but rest assured that it is a full body treatment. Not an inch gets by without feeling the effects.

But all that said, the joy is real. There is a bell in the chemotherapy treatment that each patient gets to ring as they leave that final treatment. It is a reminder, something to look forward to as you undergo treatment, and something to consider some day years from now. And there is joy in it! Yes, it is just a piece of metal twisted, bent together. It has no inherent significance. It is just a bell. But it takes on a life that is more. And my wife got to ring it, as I listened to her over the phone.

So let us go out to him outside the camp and bear the disgrace he bore. For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come.

Hebrews 13:13-14

The next two weeks for my wife are going to be filled with sickness, pain and weariness, much as the rest of her treatment. But what a relief to know that this experience isn’t the end. There is life after this! The pain and suffering is not forever. And our lives  in Christ are much the same way.

We can live defeated. We can wallow in misery at all that comes our way. Every setback, every failure, every grievance can fester into something worse. We can be bitter that Christ does not usher us before the throne with joy. We can demand a hearing before God in self-righteous anguish, and miss what he is doing through it all. Or we can see ourselves crucified with Christ. We can find those things that God has placed around us that give us hope and joy. That lighten the load. Those markers that point us to our ultimate home and an end to suffering. Full joy!

So with that I only want to ask, what is it in your life that feels like such a burden that you simply want to give up under its weight? Take a moment to consider how has God surrounded you with his love, or opportunities to trust him in the midst of this thing. What is it that gives you strength to endure? I pray that the Spirit will be at work among us, opening eyes, encouraging hearts, overwhelming us with love and grace.

* I said “our” in my mind as I was writing this, and it truly is a family affair, but it felt shameful to include myself in what she has gone through, as if I felt all the pain she felt. Anyway, these are the thoughts one has as one goes through such things…

And now, may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, all that is pleasing to him. Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep by an everlasting covenant, signed with his blood. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Hebrews 13:20-21

It’s mind-boggling to think about the way Hebrews shares this truth. The fact that God would be willing to equip us for his will and produce what is in fact pleasing to him rests in the same authority that raised Jesus from the grave. Every time you remember that Jesus died and then rose again, you can remind yourself that God has the power and will to complete the work he started in you!

If you wonder how to be receptive to God’s voice, then look to Jesus, who lived to do the will of his Father. And as Hebrews 13 suggests, look to those leaders who you have seen follow the example of Christ, teaching you the word of God. God has placed them in your life so that you might know what faithfulness looks like.