BEING AN OVERCOMER

"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 "Why does it seem that those involved in Christian enterprise find the way so hard? It seems as though it is harder for those who are committed Christians in business. Have you found this to be true?" This was the comment from a business associate recently. My answer was a definite yes. In fact, if you were not a Christian and sought to do a similar business without regard to maintaining a biblical philosophy, the way would be much smoother sailing. It makes us think of the prophet who asked, "Why do the wicked prosper?" (see Jer. 12:1) It is a spiritual principle of which we speak. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan before they entered the Promised Land, they fought only two battles. Then after they entered the Promised Land, they fought 39 battles. The way of the cross is not paved with lilies; it is paved with grace. When we seek to honor God in our business life, we will be met with opposition from the spiritual forces of this world. This is why each of us must commit ourselves to walking in the power of the Holy Spirit and to be as gentle as doves but as wise as serpents. Do not be surprised when you find the way harder as a believer than when you were a non-believer. You now have more at stake among the spiritual forces that desire you to be defeated and ineffective. Stand firm against the evil forces that desire to keep you from walking in freedom in the Promised Land. Jesus is your victory for every battle you will encounter. Call on His name.

 

PRESUMING UPON THE FUTURE

 

"The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender" (Prov 22:7).

Os Hillman shared his experience. "Do you think I should pay off my mortgage?" I said to the investment counselor. "Oh, absolutely not; you can use that money to invest and make more than what you are paying in mortgage interest. Plus, you will get an interest deduction from your mortgage." This was the counsel I got from a Christian investment counselor years ago when I had the chance to pay off all my debts - including my home mortgage. I chose to follow his advice and lived to regret it. It was not long after that I was thrust into a seven-year adversity that took all the financial assets I had available that could have paid that mortgage. Through a series of unusual circumstances that money was gone. The world's wisdom presumes upon the future. Debt is one of those instruments that has the ability to make one a servant to it. I don't believe the Bible speaks totally against debt, but gives a strong warning that debt can be an evil taskmaster and if you choose to use it we need to know the consequences. After that experience, I decided to commit myself to becoming debt-free. And, if I ever had the opportunity to pay off my mortgage again, I would do it. The time came again for this opportunity several years later. The same financial counsel was given to me, but I chose to disregard it and pay off my mortgage. Now, many years later I can tell you I am a free man. I am no longer a servant to the lender. God is free to move in greater ways our lives because of my lack of bondage to debt. And I am free to sow more into God's Kingdom. Ask God to bring you into the Promised Land of debt-free living. You will find a peace that surpasses all understanding.

FINISH THE JOB

 

"When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely" (Judg 1:28-29). Have you ever hired a contractor to do some work and ended up having to spend time and energy to get him back to finish the job? The small unfinished projects simply irritate you and create ill-will between you and your contractor. If you have been involved in a building project, you have surely had this experience. God wanted his people to finish the job. He often told the Israelites to remove your enemies from the Promised Land. However, many times they would not finish the job and the remnant that was left would come back and create difficulties. In most cases, the people of Israel would intermarry which enticed them into their enemy's way of living. Other times they had to enslave them, which took time away from their mission. Whenever we fail to complete a job it creates ill-will from those we are serving. It also violates a basic biblical mandate for every believer to do their work with excellence. The Bible says that Daniel and his friends did their work ten times better than anyone else. They were known for their excellence. It is often said of American football that the hardest place to score from is the one-yard line. That is because the defenses are greatest where there is the most resistance. Sometimes completing a job is like this. Whenever you have a project to do make sure you complete the job fully. Go the extra distance to make sure your boss or your client is totally satisfied with your work. You may complete 95% of your work, but if it is not completed you will be known for what you did not finish, rather than for what you did finish.

BEWARE OF THE THIEF

 

"But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into." Luke 12:39 What are the times when you and I are most vulnerable to being caught off guard by the enemy of our souls? One of those times is just after you've had a great victory. Consider Jesus when He was baptized and was about to begin His public ministry. He was taken away into the desert to be tempted by satan. Leisure time is another place in which satan seeks to take us off our normal routine of personal quiet times. In the normal routine of life, our senses are tuned to the need to draw upon God's Spirit to see us through the activities of each day. However, when we get away from our routine and go on vacation, we can often drop these routines. We wrongfully think that we do not need to spend time with the Lord during leisure times. This is a grave mistake. The vacation becomes a test of character. During vacations, we turn freely to what we love most. It reveals to us what is at the core of our existence. A teacher in a large school reportedly said, "The greatest difficulty we encounter is the summer vacation. Just when we have brought a student to a certain discipline and place in their study habits, we lose him; when he comes back we have to begin all over again." It is the same in our spiritual lives. It only takes a small crack in the door of our hearts to lose our spiritual focus. This summer, be on guard when times of retreat are made available to you. Use these times for spiritual refreshment, not just physical refreshment, and you will keep the thief from entering your house.

OBEDIENCE TEST

 

"They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord's commands, which He had given their forefathers through Moses" (Judg. 3:4). There is a spiritual truth God revealed in the conquest of the Promised Land recorded in Judges chapter 3: "These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan" (Judg 3:1-3). They didn't pass the test. "The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs" ( Judg 3:7-8). Martin Luther said there are three things necessary to create a successful minister of God: prayer, meditation, and temptation. You'll really never know the strength and reality of your faith until you experience difficulty in life. You'll never know for sure whether God can be trusted or if you'll fall to temptation. The apostle Peter thought his faith in Christ was solid until the temptation came to deny Him. Jesus knew Peter was not mature yet and that he would deny Jesus three times in one day. Peter didn't believe it. Sure enough, Peter denied Jesus three times. Peter could not believe he could do such a terrible thing. In order to discover this about himself, he needed to be placed in a situation to reveal his true condition. God allows circumstances to develop around your life to give your faith opportunity to be proven. It is only when we are tested in battle that we become skilled warriors. You can be confident God will allow trials to come your way through situations like an unreasonable boss, a client who refuses to pay, a false assault on your character, or a difficult relationship that requires unconditional love. These battles are sent your way to test what you know in the mind in order that they might become part of your heart. If you fail the test, do not be overly concerned. Learn from it and grow through the experience just as Peter did.

MAKING THE LORD OUR BANNER

 

"Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner." Exodus 17:15 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. God instructed Moses to stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in his hand. Moses' staff represented something that God said He would use to bring glory to Himself. The staff represented what Moses had done for most of his life - shepherding. It was his vocation. When God first called Moses at the burning bush, He told him to pick up the staff; He would perform miracles through it. God wants to perform miracles through each of our vocations. At Rephidim, God defeated the Amalekites only when Moses held his staff to Heaven. It was a symbol of dependence and acknowledgment that Heaven was the source of the Israelites' power. When he dropped his hand, the power was removed and they began to lose the battle. Each day we are challenged to reach toward Heaven and allow God to be the source of victory in the workplace or be defeated. God calls us to let His banner reign over the workplace so that others may know the source of our victory. "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven' " (Ex. 17:14). The Lord wants those behind us and around us to know that He is the source of our power and success. With each victory is a testimony that is to be shared with our children and our associates. Is the Lord your banner today? Reach toward Heaven today and let His banner wave over your work so that He might receive glory from your life.

FROM ADVERSITY TO DESTINY

 

"The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position" (James 1:9). Most of us avoid pain. We keep our medicine cabinets loaded with pain relievers. We couldn't imagine major surgery without an anesthetic. We are so averse to pain that we think God must desire that we will experience pain-free lives. After all, a loving God surely wouldn't want us to suffer pain, would He? Although God takes no pleasure in our pain, we have to acknowledge that He sometimes allows painful circumstances to occur in our lives in order to shape us and make us more like Christ. Sometimes our times of despair turn out to be a much needed light into our soul. I once came across the following poem written by an anonymous Confederate soldier, a devout young man who fought in the American Civil War. The lines of this poem express the soul of a man who has learned to view his times of adversity from a different perspective: I asked God for strength, that I might achieve; I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked God for health, that I might do greater things; I was given infirmity, that I might do better things. I asked for riches, that I might be happy; I was given poverty, that I might be wise. I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men; I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God. I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life; I was given life, that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing that I asked for but everything I had hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. I am among men, most richly blessed.* Do we trust God to lead us even though we can't see the pathway in front of us? Do we trust Him to be all-knowing, all-loving, and all-powerful? Do we believe He does all things well? As Paul wrote, "Everything that does not come from faith is sin" (Rom. 14:23). That's why God leads us through the dark places. Only in the darkness do we learn to walk by faith. *"Prayer of an Unknown Soldier," quoted in Austin Pryor, "Trusting God to Answer Our Prayers," Crosswalk.com. http://www.crosswalk.com/family/finances/1386973.html (accessed April 24, 2006).