Tag Archives: God’s best

All about you?

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“It’s all about you!”

 

That’s the message which constantly bombards us. Advertising, politics, and too many false preachers tell us ‘you’re worth it, go for the gusto, get what you want, you deserve to live in comfort.’  If we’re honest with ourselves many of our prayer habits might resemble this. We want it all, right now, just the way we like it, and with little cost.  But this falls in dark contrast to what God’s Word says. Yes, He wants the very best for you. But his best is often so very different from our desires.

 

Consider Hebrews 11, the story of faith giants like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, David, and other faithful martyrs who were persecuted, flogged, sawed in half, and killed by the sword. So great were the martyrs of the faith that “the world was not worthy of them”. “They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. THESE were commended for their faith, yet NONE OF THEM received what they had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (v 38-40)

 

Wow. Stack that truth up against the name it and claim it prosperity gospels. The truth is, it’s not all about us. It’s not about our worldly desires and ambitions and goals. It’s certainly not about lifelong efforts, however godly they may seem. For the followers of Jesus, it is simply about maintaining the faith that does God’s will. And that we can only do by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

What does this look like? In Hebrews 12 it’s the vigilant and persistent race; a relay race started by the great men and women of faith before us and continued by those who follow us. It’s a race run untangled by worldly passions. Faith runners have their eyes completely fixed on Jesus, their prize, not the spectators. It’s about “enduring hardship as a discipline”, not comfort as a luxury. It’s about living in peace with others, not constantly squabbling over trivial matters. It’s about being holy, the goal of our Christian life. Not some ‘holier than thou’ pious life, but simply and profoundly being set apart for God and nothing else. It is believing we are citizens of a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Isn’t that what you desire?

 

In Hebrews 13 it’s persistently loving one another, honoring our marriages, being content with what you have. It is about imitating the faith of faithful leaders, not idolatrous celebrity personalities and sports stars. It’s about fidelity to God’s truth and not being carried away by all sort of false teaching. It’s about experiencing strength in God’s sufficient grace. Instead of fighting to achieve our personal goals, it’s about finding the peace that equips us for doing God’s will.

 

It’s not easy in my daily fight and I’m sure it’s not easy in yours either. But it’s possible. What if we lived today in the truth that it’s not all about us?  What would happen if peace guarded your heart and mind instead of it being filled with fear and despair? How would it impact your family, your church and your community to live in the confidence that God answers His promises when it is best for us – even if that best is after we leave this earth? Would that be enough for you?

 

Let’s aim higher today, beyond ourselves.

 

 

Understanding “Ask and it will be given”

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Ask and it will be given to you . . . Luke 11:9

 

Too many advocate this as the key to great earthly riches and selfish desires. Just ask for money and it will come to you. Ask for the promotion and you will get it. Ask to be healed and your pain will flee from you. Of course, God invites us to pray and seek His will. He does answer prayer, and sometimes in miraculous ways. But is this the proper intent of this passage? Let’s take a look at the context of His message.

 

The theme of this passage is the importance of prayer. Jesus is teaching his followers how to pray. It is here that he gives us the example of what we now call “The Lord’s Prayer.” Here and elsewhere, he shows us what to ask for in prayer:

The awareness of God’s holiness (hallowed be your name)
Our daily needs (our daily bread)
The coming of His kingdom (Your kingdom come)
Forgiveness (forgive us our sins)
Guidance (lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil)

 

It is in this context that Jesus then says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Ask for these essentials and they will be given to you.

Seek after these riches and you will find your joy.

Knock at my door, my glory will be revealed to you.

 

This is consistent with what Jesus teaches us throughout scripture: Worship is more important than service (See the story of Mary and Martha). Being a teacher means being able to follow. Being a leader requires having a servant heart. We must be humble to draw close to God. We should not fear losing what we can’t keep in order to gain what we cannot lose.

 

He isn’t saying “Ask for whatever fancies you” though He might grant you that too. More than that, He’s inviting us to ask for His kingdom to come on earth, for us to be filled with the awareness of His joy, His power, His peace, and His love.

 

Aim higher today. Ask for God’s best for you. It’s much more than the lesser things we typically ask for!

 

 

Let it go

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 Someone said, “you will find that it is necessary to let things go, simply for the reason that they are heavy.”

 
“Let It Go,” from the hit cartoon movie Frozen: you either love it or hate it (because you’ve heard it so many times)! Regardless of how you feel about the song, the title carries a powerful message for life.
 

Have you ever carried a burden a very long time? So long that it has weighed on your ability to cope and get on with life? Some burdens we have to bear – and ask others to help carry our load. But some burdens can be set down at our choosing. It might be a hurt caused by someone else. Or it could be a hurt you caused yourself. It might be a grudge you’ve kept against someone…or against God. It might be a concern that has weighed you down but you’re afraid that confronting someone will make matters worse. There is a time for biblical confrontation and with a biblical motive of love. God wants us to be reconcilers and peacemakers. But there are other times when it is best to simply, “let it go.” Write it on a piece of paper, burn it and resolve to move on. Get over it. Why?

 

Carrying grudges or the burden of bad memories about someone is like a cancer that eats away at your soul; it creates bitterness, wrath and anger and impedes the path to healthier relationships.  (See Ephesians 4:31-32 “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger be put away from you.”)

Constantly focusing on past hurts robs us of seeing new life right now. Dwelling on past hurts creates a wilderness barrier that keeps us from seeing  a clear path out. (See Isaiah 43:18-19, “Remember not the former things. I am doing a new thing. I will make a way in the wilderness.”)

Letting past hurts control us keeps us from enjoying the good future God has planned for us. You can’t set off on a new journey with one foot in the boat and the other on the dock. Holding back keeps us from God’s intended best for us. (See Philippians 3: 12-14, ” I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”)

 

Ask God about the burdens you’re carrying today. Is it a relationship He wants you to try to reconcile? Or is it something you need to let go so you can move on?  Maybe it is time to put that heavy burden down and rest.

 

“Come to me all of you who are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.” Jesus, in Matthew 11:28