Published at July 26, 2007
in Devos.
The last few weeks have been full of uncomfortable situations ranging from work related items, such as training and presenting in front of others, to social issues like mingling once again with people at a church I used to attend so that my son could go to VBS (Vacation Bible School). There were also a few occasions were some uncomfortable decisions needed to be made and people informed of the decisions as well. At times like these we feel alone, trapped, and defensive. Sometimes our anger comes out at people if we feel they are the reason for our being uncomfortable.
What I have learned, and continue to learn, is that I need and can walk above this. I have found that if I focus on God and who he sees me as, I can walk with confidence and integrity. When you are in those uncomfortable situations and you feel those sneering glances, walk in love and let it go. No one controls your future. Keep your head up and let God do the hard work for you.
I was reading a book last night that had a really neat story in it. The story was of a sleeping boy home alone in his house that woke up to find his home on fire. He went outside and got his garden hose to attempt to put out the fire and noticed a firetruck outside of his house with lights flashing and the big fire hose ready to go, but all the firemen were asleep. What do you do? Do you choose to put out the fire with your little garden hose or do you point the garden hose, take aim and spray the water at the firemen to wake them up and help you fight the battle?
There are countless people out there trying to begin their own ministries in an attempt to change the world, while at the same time there are countless people that are sleeping because the people beginning their ministry, already in ministry, or running their church are too arrogant to become a dying star and lean down and wake them up and do ministry together. An old proverb for you: “Many hands make light work….”
When I was in school I was part of a fraternity that had a special group of guys that were selected as “Low Men” each semester during induction. Although it was very much an honor to be selected, it did come with sacrifice. During induction the Low Men had to keep going physically when others couldn’t. They did the most work and held others up. After induction, the Low Men became the anchors of the fraternity. Usually very quiet, but very wise, they kept other robust members grounded to the vision and truth of what the fraternity was.
The other night when I was getting ready to play Bass for worship, there were some things going on spiritually that I felt weren’t exactly grounded in what I interpret as the main focus of Christianity. My wife immediately could tell what was going on in my head and she gently prayed for me and said “Be The Anchor”. When she said this, I knew it had a dual meaning. One was of being an anchor as a Bass player in worship and holding things together, while the other was to stay grounded to the vision and truth of Jesus when surrounded by chaos. We need more anchors today, ones that are unwavering in truth, strong and steady, and cannot be swayed for they are anchored deep in their relationship with God.
Mark 6
He left there and returned to his hometown. His disciples came along. On the Sabbath, he gave a lecture in the meeting place. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. “We had no idea he was this good!” they said. “How did he get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?”
But in the next breath they were cutting him down: “He’s just a carpenter—Mary’s boy. We’ve known him since he was a kid. We know his brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and his sisters. Who does he think he is?” They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further.
Jesus told them, “A prophet has little honor in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child.” Jesus wasn’t able to do much of anything there—he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that’s all. He couldn’t get over their stubbornness. He left and made a circuit of the other villages, teaching.
I have noticed in many churches and fellowships how people who are incredibly gifted are not allowed to walk in their giftings because people are blinded by what, who they were or what, who they thought the person was. Ironic to me is that we look outside our local bodies for our “pastoral” leaders and do not allow people in our local bodies to grow into the leaders that God has called them to be. We need to learn to have faith and believe. Let the people that are within your fellowship learn to walk and grow in their gifts and stop ministry outsourcing.
Cool thing about God is that he sees who we will be and puts us in situations to get there and confounds the “wise” in your home churches. Keep your head up, he has called you to something and no man controls your destiny.
You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.
I originally was given this at the end of May and I thought I had blogged it, but as I was going over my journal today, I realized I hadn’t. Enjoy…..
I have been thinking a lot lately about the life that water brings and how we need it to exist. I found myself looking at a glass of water that I held in my hand and was captured by the fluid motion it made as I swirled the cup around. It reminded me of the spirit of God, for the spirit moves in a fluid fashion as well.
With this revelation in mind, I though of days long ago when I would paddle out past the breaking waves, sit on my board, and wait patiently as the smaller waves gently rolled past me while lifting me up and down. You see, as a wave moves the level of water is lower before the wave and also after it. When I was out there I was waiting for a perfect wave for that time. The spirit is similiar to this.
As the spirit of God has been poured out it has been like a wave or a set of waves and very fluid in nature. Sometimes the volume of the spirit would be at a lower level, sometimes higher, but alway there.
There is a wave of the spirit that is coming that is the perfect wave for you and God is about to release it. We want to catch this wave, “we want to remain in the spirit,” we want to get on this wave and surf the spirit and ride the new things.
There used to be a slogan by Instinct, an old surf merch company, that stated “Surfing is life, the rest is details.” I say surf the spirit, let that be life, and let God handle the details.
