GOD'S MOTIVES

"He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me." - 2 Samuel 22:20

Questioning someone's motives for their activities can become an overriding response to those to whom we relate. Wrong motives can result in broken relationships, poor business decisions, and falling out of God's will. Sometimes we do not know the motive of another person. It is wrong for us to assume what their motive is until we have confidence that we know their intentions. When we respond or react prematurely, we become judge and jury over them.

God has a motive for every one of His children. His desire is to bring us into a spacious place. He wants us to go beyond our borders of safety and security so that we might experience life at a level that goes beyond ourselves. What do you think of when you think of a "spacious place"? No limitations? A large, grassy field? Open air? These are positive images. Sometimes these spacious places encourage us to step out in faith into areas where we've never ventured. Sometimes we need to be rescued by the Lord. When Peter walked on the water, God was inviting him to a spacious place. He went beyond the borders of his boat and ventured into a whole new world. He didn't have complete success in his venturing out, but it was a process that would lead him to the next victory in his faith walk with Jesus. Sometimes failure is what is needed in order to move us to the next level of faith with God. However, we must be willing to fail and let God rescue us.

The Lord delights in this process. His motive for His children is always love. It is always to bring us to a new level of trust and dependence on Him.

YOU NEED POWER

 

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). D.L. Moody was a shoe salesman until God moved him into a full-time preaching ministry, often in the streets of Chicago. There came a point in his journey with God that he realized he needed more in his life than what he was experiencing. "At the close of the Sabbath evening services I remember two holy women they would say to me, 'We have been praying for you.' I said, 'Why don't you pray for the people?' They answered, 'You need power.' 'I need power?' I said to myself. Why, I thought I had power. I had a large Sabbath school and the largest congregation in Chicago. I was in a sense satisfied. But then came these two godly women who prayed for me, and their earnest talk about "the anointing for special service" set me thinking. I asked them to come and talk with me, and we got down on our knees. They poured out their hearts, that I might receive the anointing of the Holy Ghost. And there came a great hunger into my soul. I knew not what it was. I began to cry as I never did before. The hunger increased. I really felt that I did not want to live any longer if I could not have this power for service. I kept on crying all the time that God would fill me with His Spirit. Well, one day, in the city of New York - Oh, what a day! I cannot describe it; I seldom refer to it; it is almost too sacred an experience to me. Paul had an experience that he never spoke for fourteen years. I can only say, God revealed Himself to me, and I had such an experience of His love that I had to ask Him to stay His hand. I went to preaching again. The sermons were no different; I did not present any new truths, and yet hundreds were converted. I would not be placed back where I was before that blessed experience if you would gave me all Glasgow.* *Elmer Towns, Understanding the Deeper Life, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1984, pp. 224, 225

SPIRITUAL TACT

“Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us." -Titus 2:6-8

Have you ever been around someone who believed slightly different than you? Every day we encounter those with different beliefs that us.

In an age where the idea of relativity and absolutes co-exist, it is essential that we speak other people's language. If we act in an inflexible or graceless manner, we can easily turn people off to the gospel. Likewise, we cannot speak "Christianese" and expect other people to understand what we mean.

Rather, if we use discernment and ask the Holy Spirit what the person needs, there is a far greater likelihood we will speak their language and meet their need, even if the door is not fully open to share the message of Jesus.

I met with a lady one day who expressed that her gifts were a bit out of the norm. She had learned to temper her gifts (the spiritual fruit of self-control), so that people could effectively receive what she was communicating. We must remember it isn't about our gifts and talents - it is about what God wants to say to His beloved creation, in a manner in which they can receive it.

There is a time for speaking boldly; there is a time to stand up for the truth. But, in order to model the love of Jesus, we always need to ask ourselves, "Will my actions draw people toward Him, or will they repel them from Him?"

If we can answer that our actions will draw people closer to their heavenly Father, then we are truly putting His kingdom first.

NOT MY WILL, BUT YOURS BE DONE

"He walked away, about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, 'Father, if You are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not mine.' Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened Him." -Luke 22:41-43

Have you ever prayed the prayer above? Have you ever said to God, "Not my will Father, but Yours be done." What an amazing statement by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

It may seem like quite a dangerous statement. Do we really trust God enough to completely give our lives over to Him? Are we really willing to do anything? However, I would argue that it is even more dangerous to get to the end of our lives, stand before God, and fail to hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant..."

When we first accept Jesus as our Saviour, we entrust our spiritual well-being and the destination of our soul to Him. Then, we progressively begin to understand what it means to live out the words, "not my will, but Yours be done."

Even though Jesus was Lord over the universe, He still deferred His authority to His Father, God - God of all creation. And through Jesus' willingness, God was able to accomplish something miraculous through Him. His death... His resurrection. He completely changed the world.

Have you ever prayed that prayer, "Not my will, but Yours be done?" I wonder how the world could be changed by our willingness to do anything, to be whatever God needed us to be. Will you have the faith and courage to pray it today?

ALL THINGS WORK FOR GOOD

 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28

If there is any scripture that I could claim as my own, I think it would be Romans 8:28. There have been so many things in my life that should have gone better, but then went sour, many by my own doing. But God is such a faithful God. He took the bad things in my life and turned them into good. Isn't that awesome? A God who turns bad things into good - He's a God who has the ability to perform miracles, like turning water into wine.

In the New Testament, Jesus was at a wedding at Capernaum. They must have had some great parties back then, because this wedding was to last for three days! The "wedding planner", as we'll call him, realized he was going to run out of wine. Jesus was called in to help. But up to this point, Jesus had not worked any miracles. Nevertheless, his mother exhorted Him to help. She believed in Him, that He was the Messiah, and she knew that He would perform miracles.

Jesus' mother said, "Do whatever He tells you to do." Jesus instructed the servants to fill barrels with water. It must have been a scene back then, filling these big barrels with water all the way from the well. But finally, all of them were filled. And do you know what happened? The water was turned into the most delicious wine the people had ever tasted.

Today it is the same with us. We are the barrels of water that get turned into wine. In the Old Testament water was a symbol of life, and wine was a symbol of joy. When we have faith in God, God is able to transform our lives - transform our lives from ordinary to extraordinary - even joy!

Have you given your life to God? Perhaps you believe, but you've never given Him your life. He does more with our lives than we can ever fathom. And we receive joy to boot. Ask Him to take control of your life and do incredible things with it. You will not regret it if you do!

ALL WORK IS HOLY

 “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering.” -Romans 12:1, The Message

Have you ever thought of your work as holy? Have you ever considered that Jesus spent the first 30 years of his life as a carpenter, and only his last three in what we’d call “full-time ministry”? We tend to think of a pastor’s or missionary’s work as more holy than an entertainer’s, a sales person’s, and certainly a lawyer’s. But is this really true? When Jesus came to the earth, didn’t He come to reclaim all that was lost in the garden? (Luke 10:19) I believe that He did!

We have a problem in our faith when we don’t think what we’re doing right now is ministry to God, and to others. When we view our work as not as important as a pastor’s or ministry leader’s, this sets us up for failure in being a part of God’s kingdom. We are the church, we are Jesus’ body, we are all representatives of the gospel – why should a title, career path or job description limit us from this Holy calling? It’s all in our perception. We are more likely to settle for mediocre when we don’t see everything we do as a calling from God, as a holy offering to Him.

Imagine for a moment you have a friend named Jane, and Jane is frustrated about her life because she is a secretary, and not a missionary like one of her friends. “I’m not really serving God!” she might say, even though she does enjoy her job. Her workmates see her as a nice girl but wouldn’t call her joyful. Her joy in God doesn’t show because she thinks of her work as “less holy” than her friend’s. She can’t speak life into the lives of others because she is clouded by her frustration. People won’t ask her about her beliefs because she doesn’t know how to let her light shine. When our work becomes nothing more than a means to money, it becomes devoid of purpose. In reality, every encounter we have with others is an opportunity to let God’s light shine through us, and to love them like He does – even if it’s difficult at times.

There is something to be said for doing work that aligns with your gift mix and moving toward God’s ultimate call on your life, whether that is to be a pastor, businessperson, movie director, hairstylist, or whatever. But, even when it doesn’t, and even when we are dealing with difficult co-workers, bosses, and clients, aren’t we still working for God, and not for man? (Colossians 3:23-24)

Do you see your work as holy? Ask God how you should view your work. Everyone’s work – no matter who you are or what you do – has immense value in God’s kingdom!

DILIGENT WORK

"The diligent find freedom in their work; the lazy are oppressed by work." -Proverbs 12:24

Do you enjoy your job? According to Forbes magazine, 70% of all employees hate their jobs. That's a HUGE number! It seems many of us are in jobs where we either don't enjoy the work, don't enjoy the atmosphere, or both. I know I have been in jobs before that I didn't particularly enjoy. I worked as a server for several years and initially I DREADED the idea. But you know what's cool about God? Even if the job is not our natural bent (I was very shy) or doesn't use our gifts and talents, he can still use that job to shape us and teach us things that we wouldn't learn if we had not been in that situation. Maybe He is developing our prayer life, to pray and intercede for a less-than-ideal workplace. Perhaps He is testing our hearts with how we respond to tasks we don't particularly enjoy. But, even if we are working in a subpar environment, if we work as unto God, we will find eternal reward. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23&24 So even if we aren't in work we particularly enjoy yet, we can know that the work we do has spiritual value in God's kingdom. If we carry a mindset of "I am working as unto the Lord today," we will find that even the most mundane or uncomfortable of tasks can have eternal value. When we are faithful in the little things, God can promote us to bigger things. Are you a diligent worker?

GOD USES A REJECT

 “Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute.” -Judges 11:1

There is an incredible story in the Bible about a very unlikely leader.

Jephthah was a man who was the illegitimate son of his father Gilead. His brothers drove him away and said to Jephthah, “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family, because you are the son of another woman.”

Rejected and humiliated, Jephthah fled from his family to a place called Tob.

During this time, Israel has been unfaithful to God, worshipping other idols. At this the Lord became angry, and he sold them to their enemies the Philistines and the Ammonites. (Judges 10:7) However, after 18 years of oppression, the Israelites cried out to God to save them, got rid of their idols and repented. Judges 10:16 says, “And (God) could bear Israel’s misery no longer.”

Eventually, the Ammonites were engaged in a war against Israel. The elders of Gilead went to Jephthah and asked him to be their commander.

Initially he asked them why they were coming to him after they he had been exiled. But because they insisted, and offered him full rulership of Gilead, he accepted the challenge (11:8). “God gave their enemies over to Jephthah, and he won the war. “Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands.” (11:32)

Have you ever felt like you were the unlucky one, like God couldn’t use you due to things that have happened in your life? Know that He is preparing a way for you – in spite of your circumstances – to turn rejection into purpose, hardship into hope, and disgrace into His glory.

CHANGED INTO A DIFFERENT PERSON

 “The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them, and you will be changed into a different person.” -1 Samuel 10:6

One of the most commonly asked questions by non-believers of Christians is, “What makes you different?” Clearly, there is a perception problem in the Christian faith if people are asking this question. Not many people view us differently, nor do they see changes in our lives as a result of our faith.

In the “Hypocritical” chapter of the book UnChristian, a survey proved this fact. Eighty-four percent of those polled said they knew a Christian personally, while only 15% said they saw lifestyle differences. Wow! This figure sadly coincides with the just 20% of us who say we have a Biblical worldview.

How is this ever going to change? Do we even want it to change? I believe many of us are content to live pseudo-Christian lives that are safe, that don’t require anything of us except a “yes” and “amen”. That’s the easy part. We can let ourselves become preoccupied with the culture around us, keeping us in a surface Christianity and content with the status quo, a gospel that requires nothing more from us than attendance at church on Sunday. But the cry of God’s heart is that we reach for so much more. He desires we know Him personally, and that we be filled with His Spirit, so that we can be active pursuers of the assignment He has in mind for us. We need a hunger for God that is insatiable, as He is our healer, and the true fulfiller of our hopes and dreams.

Saul was busy living his life when the Israelites requested a king. God chose him for this very purpose. And when he responded, God filled him with His Spirit to accomplish the work at hand. Saul was changed into a different person.

Is there a call of God you need to respond to? Perhaps you need to seek the true face of God, versus just the formula. He gives us greater things than we could ever imagine when we have a heart to seek after Him.

THE TRY FACTOR

 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!'” -Matthew 25:23

What is the difference between someone who is progressing in their faith and life and someone who is just getting by? What do you think will be the difference between Jesus saying “well done, good and faithful servant,” and “not so much” when we get to heaven? I believe it is the “try” factor.

There is certainly a difference between “progression” and “regression” in the kingdom of God and in our lives. If we aren’t moving forward, the world keeps turning, so by default we’ll be moving backward. If we’re stuck in old mentalities or old ways of thinking, it isn’t likely we’ll be able to fulfill God’s calling on our lives. Many times fear and unforgiveness can limit us from fulfilling our purpose. Regret is living in unforgiveness toward ourselves, which can hinder us much more than any outside person or circumstance.

God doesn’t expect us to be right all the time or to be perfect – so what’s the defining mark? Our ending “grade” in the kingdom doesn’t necessarily amount to how many souls we got saved or our attendance record at church. It has to do with being open to God’s leading and “doing the good works your Father prepared in advance for you to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) The defining factor is trying, not giving up, being hopeful in the face of hopelessness, remaining in faith when the circumstances are dim, and staying pure when the temptations are great. When we at least “try” to do God’s will with an intent to serve Him, there’s no way we can fail, no matter the outcome.

Are you stuck in any ruts? Pray today and ask God what you can “try” today. Maybe it’s picking up the Bible again. Maybe it’s having a more active prayer life. Perhaps it’s trying something again a different way or trying something else entirely. Make sure you don’t stay stagnant. God is always moving – where is He in your life today?

IN PERFECT PEACE

 “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!” -Isaiah 26:3

What is it like to live in perfect peace? In the world we live in, many people live with lots of fear. Depending on what is going on in the world and in our lives, and where we have placed our trust, this can increase or decrease our fear.

But Jesus didn’t want us to live as slaves to the world. Instead, He wanted us to live as “slaves” to the kingdom, which means a different thing entirely. It means we are obedient to His will, which produces the fruits of peace, love, and joy in our lives. (Among many other things.)

There have been times in my life where I’ve feared certain events or circumstances. But it Hebrews it says, “all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.” (12:27) This means that the things we fear in this life are temporary, (will be shaken and removed) while the things of God are eternal. If we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, we don’t even need to fear death – we know where we are going when we die!

Other versions of the verse above say “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You (NKJV), and “because he remains in you.” (ISV) the truth is, if we keep our minds fixed on God, we can walk in perfect peace, because we trust in Him.

Are you able to fix your thoughts on Him today, in order to live in perfect peace? “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4:7

MADE IN HIS IMAGE

 “Then God said, ‘Let Us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'” -Genesis 1:26

“Red, yellow, black and white, we’re all precious in His sight…”

Every time I go to the mall or another public place, I am struck with how different each of us is. Some short, some tall, some big, some small – we have different personalities, characteristics, likes, dislikes, hopes and dreams. Each of our differences makes up a wonderful world where each of us was born unique – and born to do something special. Imagine if we looked the same or each did the same thing or thought the same way – how boring life would be! And nothing in the world would get accomplished because nothing ingenious would be created.

Problems come in when we start comparing ourselves to others, or, we don’t see the value in our traits. We may not look like the supermodel off the cover of Vogue, or we may not look like our favorite sports star. No matter, God has fashioned us. Every bit of us. He made us for a unique purpose in Him.

I love the story of Nick Vujicic. Here is a man who was born without limbs. “How cruel must God be?!” you might say. But Nick doesn’t think so. He blesses God for the opportunity to share his witness as he ministers to the thousands with the message, “There is no obstacle too big that you can’t overcome.” Although doing daily tasks such as brushing his teeth and taking a shower require immense effort, Nick has found solutions to these deficiencies and obstacles brought on by his lack of limbs. Some days it was difficult, yes, but even through that he managed to thank God for his life and remember that He would use him for His glory.

Do you know you are wonderfully made? If you lack in self-confidence, remember that God has fashioned you for a unique purpose. There is no shame in how God has made us. He loves us each the same.

WHEN GOD FIGHTS FOR US

 “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God.” -Matthew 5:3, The Message

Have you ever felt powerless?  Have you ever felt like you’ve exhausted every resource, but still do not have an answer?   King Jehoshaphat and the tribe of Judah faced an unfortunate situation.  He and his people faced an enemy that was impossible for them to defeat.

Jehoshaphat was king of Judah when he was threatened with war by the Moabites, Ammonites, and the Meunites.  These were territories that Israel did not invade when they came into the Promised Land from Egypt. The Bible says their enemies were comprised of “a vast army.”  When Jehoshaphat learned that they were coming to attack Judah, he became afraid and called for a fast for all of Judah.  The people of Judah came together and prayed and petitioned the Lord for an answer, remembering what He had done for the Israelites to bring them into the Promised Land.

“Our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” -2 Chronicles 20:12

Then God’s Spirit came upon a man from the line of the prophet Zachariah, who prophesied victory over Judah and gave them supernatural instruction from the Lord:

“Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. … Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.'” v.15-17

The next morning, they set out to meet their enemies, appointing men to go before the army and sing praises to God as they went.  Amazingly, when they arrived near the battle site, the Lord had confused their enemies, and they began fighting each other!

“As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.” v.22

Is there a battle that you need to let the Lord fight? If so, pray and ask Him to be your avenger.  Sometimes, all we need to do is step out in faith and be obedient. He is more than able to help us with any battle or struggle we face.

“And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.”  -2 Chronicles 20:30

LAYING OUR LIVES DOWN FOR OTHERS

 “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” -Luke 22:42

Have you ever had difficult defining moments in your life, when you just did not want to do something, but you knew it was essential for the fulfillment of God’s purposes in your life?

At the beginning of our walk, it might mean laying down addictions or detrimental behaviors at the foot of the cross. As we progress, it may mean standing up to false mindsets or overcoming our fear of what others think. We might experience this when we decide to share the gospel with someone, or to step out of our comfort zone doing things we are afraid to do.

Just as a husband lays down his life for his bride in a marriage, Jesus laid down His life for His bride.  As Christians we are to lay down our lives for others, so that they might experience the life of Christ more fully.

This doesn’t necessarily mean we do anything and everything others want us to.  It means submitting to godly leadership, yes.  But it means hearing the voice of God in our lives, receiving His instruction, and doing it. “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.”  -James 1:25   It means making sacrifices and being uncomfortable so that others can experience life.

John Maxwell said, “If we are growing we are always going to be outside our comfort zone.” In fact, if we aren’t experiencing some discomfort in our calling, it’s likely we aren’t very threatening to the kingdom of darkness.

As Christians, we are responsible to serve and lay down our lives for those we are called to touch.  Are you willing to lay down your life?