Archive for the ‘Business’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

You Can’t Give What You Don’t Have.

Monday, September 29th, 2008

Money is the root of all evil and blessed are the poor?

Whenever I have asked a group of people, “How many here believe that money is the root of all evil?” Nearly everyone in the room has raised their hand.

Many Christians  seem to believe that success and wealth are evil. Consequently many Christians can suffer guilt and considerable anxiety due to their wealth and success. Sadly, there seems to be many contradictions regarding wealth and poverty and, dare I say there are double standards. I believe that both these views are unbalanced from a Scriptural viewpoint.

Money is the root of all evil?

2 Timothy 6:10, does not say that ‘money’ is the root of all evil. It says that the ‘love’ of money is the root of all evil. There are many people who think that the rich will not enter the Kingdom of God. They seem to believe in a Gospel where only the poor are blessed and do not seem to understanding the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:2. Jesus read this text at the beginning of his earthly ministry when he declared that he was anointed to bring glad tidings to the poor. (Luke 4: 18-30). Good news for the poor presumably meant that the poor do not have to be poor any longer.

Blessed are the poor?

Many of those who believe in a gospel of poverty often have no idea what it is like to live on the streets freezing in winter and going without food for days on end. A case in point is Maurice, an older man who asked me for a lift one Saturday afternoon. He was spaced-out on drugs and was looking for a fix. He made his money by begging and was on his way to his begging area for the day.

I noticed that he was in pain with severe bruising over his legs and face. He was totally confused but managed to tell me what had happened: He had been beaten mercilessly. I spoke about what Jesus could do for him, but confusion and the desire for drugs were too strong. I gave him a contact number and dropped him off at the park. To see Maurice was to see real poverty, and I can tell you, Maurice was not in any way blessed by it. There is a world of difference between ‘real’ poverty and ‘elected’ poverty.

Are the rich damned, and the poor really so blessed?

Matthew 19: 16-26, tells about a rich young man who came to Jesus one day, “a man came up to him and said, ‘Teacher, what good must I do to possess eternal life?’ Jesus questions him about what is good and says, “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” In a nutshell, that’s it! There is no mention about his money! However, the rich young man tells Jesus that he has kept the commandments since his childhood and he asks, “What more do I need to do?” Up to this point his eternal salvation is not in question.

This rich young man could have walked away with his wealth and eternal life. It is only when he begged the question that Jesus said to him, “If you seek ‘perfection’ go sell all your possessions, and give to the poor.” That’s when the young man is downhearted because of his wealth. Jesus was now referring to perfection, not just his salvation.

There are two values here.

Only after the young man questioned Jesus did he challenge him regarding ‘elected’ poverty. It is then that Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “I assure you, only with ‘difficulty’ will a rich man enter into the Kingdom of God. I repeat what I have said: it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” This overwhelmed the disciples and they asked him who can be saved? Jesus tells them, that for man it is impossible, but for God all things are possible, which, of course included this young man in spite of his wealth.

A wrong conclusion.

Many will read this text and imagine a tiny hole in a sewing needle compared with a huge camel. Naturally, the word, “impossible” comes to mind and they mentally reinterpret the text to read, “It is impossible for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” Of course this is not what Jesus said at all! He mentions nothing about it being impossible, in fact he says that with God it is possible, Jesus simply said that it would be difficult. I see this misinterpretation as one of the root causes of a ‘poverty consciousness’.

What did Jesus mean when he compared the eye of a needle with a camel?

The “eye of the needle” was not referring to a sewing needle, but to the trade entrance in the city wall through which the merchants would bring in their camels laden with merchandise. If the camels were overloaded, they couldn’t get through the gate, so the merchant would have to unload some of the goods enabling the camels to continue.

Jesus seems to be saying that success is not the problem. Rather, if it is going to keep you outside the City of God, then it is better to dump the ‘love of money’ so that you can enter in freely. To have a ‘love’ of money is to place it above the first commandment and you cannot serve two masters. The rich man could have kept his wealth and still had eternal life. Jesus seemed to have no problem with that. He was warning about wealth because it is the ‘love’ that is the root of all evil, not the money itself: The poor can love money just as much as the wealthy.

To illustrate the point: Jesus’ attitude to money.

Jesus says in Luke 16: 9-13. “What I say to you is this: make friends for yourselves through your use of this world’s goods, so that when they fail you, a lasting reception will be yours.” He was referring to money and goes on to say that if we cannot be trusted with this world’s wealth that is elusive, then we cannot be trusted with everlasting wealth. We are asked to be good stewards of the things we have in this life, including money.

The parable in Luke 16:19-31, about the ‘Rich Man and Lazarus’ does not seem to be an indictment regarding the rich man’s wealth. It is because he did not share it with Lazarus. The rich man knew what was expected of him under the Abrahamic Covenant relating to giving Alms, Tithes and Offerings. He ignored his responsibility and caused Lazarus to starve. That seems to be why he was severely dealt with, not simply because he was wealthy.

Born in a stable yes, but was Jesus really poor?

When we look at the life of Mary and Joseph we may accept that they lived in humble circumstances but we cannot conclude that they lived in poverty. Joseph ran his Carpentry business and his major client was most likely the Roman army as well as others. When they were coming home from Jerusalem after the census, they stopped at Bethlehem for the night. The first thing that Joseph did was to book a room in whatever Inn had a vacancy.

The Inn was the equivalent of a hotel today. They ended up in a stable because there were no rooms available in the town. It was not because they couldn’t pay their way. Obviously Joseph had enough money to pay for any hotel in town, One Star, or Five Star. Jesus’ parents were not poverty stricken and neither was Jesus. He was born in ‘humble’ circumstances not ‘poor’ ones.

Jesus elected poverty.

Saint Paul tells us that Jesus laid down His Godhead, taking on the form of a slave and becoming as men are but without sin. (Phil 2: 6-8). Christ, the King of the universe, laid down his Godhead of his own free will, and, by his own free will, he took it up again. This is what I call ‘elected poverty’. It is not that poverty which comes through deprivation, misfortune injustice, greed or pure laziness.

On earth Jesus had a full time job. He worked for Joseph in the family business. I am sure he received payment for his work because Joseph would have adhered to the Biblical principle that the workman is worthy of his hire. “Sell everything that you have, give it to the poor and come follow me” is a call to those who are not necessarily poor and who are called to the consecrated life through ‘elected poverty’.

How blessed are the poor?

Death squads stalk the streets and shoot street-kids like vermin. In some places people live on garbage dumps, and others sleep on the streets and in cardboard boxes. Even in the most affluent countries the poor are obvious even with the most cosmetic disguises to the contrary.

Can we honestly say that these people are blessed? When we see children with their bellies swollen with malnutrition, can we say these are blessed? When a derelict falls in the gutter, addicted to alcohol or drugs and sleeps in his vomit on an icy pavement, can we say he is blessed? Children sell their bodies in prostitution because their families are so poor, are these blessed? Was Maurice blessed? No, the poor are not so blessed! Poverty is the most disgusting evil on this planet! This is real poverty, and bye and large, it is caused through the ‘love’ of money which selfishly ignores the plight of the poor, just as the rich man did with Lazarus.

If the poor are not blessed, who are the poor that are?

What did Luke really mean when he says, “Blessed are the poor”? because Matthew says of the same beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” What is the difference? The key word in both Gospels is the word ‘poor.’ To understand what this means, we need to look at the original Greek word used by Matthew and Luke. The “Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible” identifies the Greek word used here as “ptochos” which means; “trembling, poor.” In the “Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words” it tells us that “ptochos” is an adjective that is used “metaphorically”.

According to “Websters International Dictionary of the English Language”, “metaphor” means; “a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable, in order to suggest a resemblance, such as: she is the flower of my life.”

The “Matthew Henry Concise Commentary On The Whole Bible” says, “The poor in spirit are happy. These bring their minds to their condition when it is a low condition. These are humble and lowly in their own eyes. They see their want, bewail their guilt, and thirst after a Redeemer. The Kingdom of grace is of such; the Kingdom of glory is for them.” This is talking about anyone, rich or poor, who understand their need of God; these are the truly poor in spirit.

The poor in spirit: in the Old Testament, the poor (anawim) are those who are without material possessions and whose confidence is in God. See Is. 61,1; Zep 2, 3:

In the NAB the word is translated lowly and humble, respectively, in those texts. “Matthew added in spirit in order either to indicate that only the devout poor were meant, or to extend the beatitude to all, of whatever social rank, who recognize their complete dependence on God. The same phrase “poor in spirit” is found in the Qumran literature (1QM 14, 7)”. (NAB Study Bible Footnotes). It seems clear therefore, that poverty is not the criteria for salvation, but rather the trembling, lowly and humble of heart who know their real need of God, regardless of their wealth or social class.

God tells us to put him to the test.

Malachi Chapter 3 is the only place in the Bible where God challenges us to put him to the test and it is relating specifically to money. Malachi 3 is a reproach to us when we, like the Rich Man to Lazarus, defraud the worker of his wages, reject strangers, deprive the widows and orphans, and, who do not fear the Lord.

We may well ask ‘how have I done this?’ and the Lord’s answer will be the same, “Dare a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me! And you say, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings! You are indeed accursed, for you the whole nation, rob me.” This is a powerful indictment that we can ignore at our peril.

What is a tithe and what is an offering?

The word “tithe” means a tenth. In other words 10%. In biblical terms it relates to the 10% of our gross income that is given into the work of God. That is, into where you are being fed with the bread of the Word of God. For the Israelites this meant giving 10% of their gross income and produce.

This was first collected for a famine in a time of abundance. It didn’t make sense at the time, but some years later famine struck. The whole lands including Egypt were literally starving. The Israelites of course had more than enough in store. So much so that they were able to feed the Egyptians, their former slave masters. The Blessings of Abraham said that by keeping the Covenant they would “lend to nations and borrow from none.” (Deuteronomy 28: 12).

In Malachi 3: 10 it says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me in this says the Lord of hosts: Shall I not open for you the floodgates of heaven, to pour down blessings upon you without measure?” The Blessings of Abraham belong to you because you have a Covenant through the Blood Sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary (Galatians 3: 7-14). This gives us a key to releasing these particular blessings in our lives too.

Many people tithe on the premise that it will bring them an increase. It is certainly preached loud, long and strong in certain churches, and yet many do not see it. There is a simple reason for this: The tithe belongs to God; it is his portion and so it is not a gift or sacrifice from us. The purpose of the 10% tithe is to bless the 90%, and so it is the sacrificial generosity in our offerings from the 90% that causes the increase. God’s rebuke in Malachi was to those of that failed in their covenant duties; if people failed to tithe, the 90% was not blessed and so all were robbed including God.

When we tithe we should not consider so much that 10% is a lot of money and so a sacrifice to gain more, but that we profit in the 90% increasing under God’s blessing. Under that blessing, we have more than enough to put into every good work through our gifts and offerings; it is in the giving that we receive, and so it would seem that it is this portion under God’s blessing through the tithe that causes the increase. While a tithe remains fixed at 10%, the offering and gift can be any amount.

In the case of a gift, we can give as often as we wish and to any amount we wish, and so it is understood as one off offering. In the case of an offering, it can be any amount and it is given regularly, and commonly held that whilst the tithe is to maintain the church, the offering is for the minister’s work as we see in the case of Saint Paul in his letter to the Phillipians.

According to God, money is an indescribable gift.

Incredibly, two whole chapters (eight and nine), in Saint Paul’s 2nd Letter to Corinth are devoted specifically to “Offerings.” There is no room here to quote two chapters. I recommend that you read them for yourself. God’s attitude to money will surprise you.

Towards the end of chapter nine Saint Paul says, “Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” This was a divine spiritual law which Jesus had taught them when he said, “Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you”. (Luke 6: 38)

Saint Paul continues, “Each must do as already determined, without compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.” “Every good work” is referring to the work of preaching the Gospel from which works of charity come and, to which Saint Paul was committed. Offerings are given over and above the tithe and are for the ministers of the Gospel.

Saint Paul values this so highly that he calls it an “indescribable gift”. This is because, “The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.” According to saint Paul it is an act of righteousness to give generously into the preaching of the Gospel for which God, who cannot be outdone in generosity, will more than supply all of our needs when we do so.

A fragrant aroma, acceptable to God.

Have you ever considered your giving into the “Love Offering” as a “fragrant aroma” which God will receive as an “acceptable sacrifice”? In Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians, this is exactly what he calls it. In this letter we find that the church in Philippi had been the only ones who had ministered to him in the manner of giving offerings as well as his material needs whilst he was with them. The fact that they had done this on more than one occasion makes this significant: the Philippians had actually taken to supporting a ministry that they believed in.

“You Philippians indeed know that at the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, not a single church shared with me in account of giving and receiving, except you alone. For even when I was at Thessalonica you sent me something for my needs, not only once but more than once. It is not that I am eager for the gift; rather, I am eager for the profit that accrues to your account. I am very well supplied because of what I received from you through Epaphroditus, “a fragrant aroma,” an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accordance with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”.

Did you realize, that every time you support the ministry of the Word (that is, the ministry of the pastor, preacher, teacher and evangelist) by your tithes and offerings, you literally share in every grace and blessing that is credited by God for the salvation of souls? By doing this, you become, as Saint Paul says in Philippians 1: 7, “Partners in Grace.” Every time someone accepts Christ because the Gospel is preached, you share in the blessings for their salvation just as much as the evangelist does.

Money is not the root of all evil, but the love of money that is the evil root.

If we love money so much, we will hold onto it and become stingy in our tithes and offerings and, we could well reap a harvest of poverty upon ourselves. Whereas, if we trust God’s Word and his attitude towards money, we will receive abundant blessings because of it. There will always be more than enough for giving into every good work, especially to the preaching of the Gospel. However, if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better to enter heaven lame, than to lose your whole self to the fires of Gehenna. Therefore, if your money and success causes you to sin, then you really must reconsider their true value.

I was told of a man whose business was on the verge of bankruptcy when he heard about tithing. He misunderstood the message and began to tithe 90% instead of 10%. God so blessed him that he now has a multi-billion dollar company. He still tithes 90% and the Lord still blesses him. He supports numerous Christian communities and organizations in various countries. God doesn’t seem to have a problem with money. In fact he wants to bless you through it. His problem is with poverty that is, bye-and-large, caused by ignorance, selfishness greed and, the ‘love’ of money.

If you are doing well, enjoy your wealth, but do not neglect your tithes and offerings. If you are not well off or on Social Security Payments, do not neglect your tithes and offerings either. God cannot be outdone with generosity and he desires to bless you so that you will not have to remain poor.

“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your produce: then will your barns be filled with new wine and your vats overflow”. (Proverbs 3: 9-10)

The poor may well be able to help the poor, but only a man with bread can feed the hungry. After all, you cannot give what you do not have.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Business, Leadership, Love, Marketplace, Missions, Money, Poverty, Scripture, Servanthood, Stewardship, Training | No Comments »

Business with an “End Game”

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

The Scriptures say, “Without revelation (or vision) people cast off restraint.” (Proverbs 29:18.) Vision may be defined as “a perceived worthy result.” It is something far off or future in nature that draws us on toward it, an “end game.”

For Christians, our end game is, or should be, to hear Jesus say, “Well done good and faithful servant!” Truly there can be no higher or better result of our lives than to hear those words. When our eye is clear, and our “end game” clearly in mind, it, in and of itself “restrains” us. It helps us focus on what Stephen Covey calls “First Things” as in “Keep First Things First.” First things are those that feed those things most important to us and help us accomplish our vision. They are strategies and tactics that support us and help us remain focused amid the noise and distractions that the world, the flesh, and the devil throw in our path.

Our end game is eternal, not to be realized in this life, but in eternal life with our Lord Jesus. He will be our judge and our effectiveness will be judged by His standards alone. Without “restraint” or focus distraction will cause diffusion of our efforts and diminution of our fruitfulness. Loss of focus will ultimately result in our eternal loss. So, what’s your vision? Is your business a means to an end, and is that end eternal? What “restrains” you?

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Accountability, Business, Faith, Grace, Leadership, Love, Missions, Money, Prayer, Stewardship, Training | No Comments »

Take Aim At All the Right Targets

Tuesday, May 20th, 2008

“AIM FOR PERFECTION”  (2 Cor. 13:11 )

The NIV 2 Corinthians 13:11 as “Aim for perfection”. The Greek word here is katartizo. However, that is the exact same word the NIV translates as “preparing” in Matthew 4:21 where Jesus found James and John “preparing their nets.” The ESV and NAS translate it “mending” their nets. In the Matthew 5:48 passage where Jesus calls us to be “perfect”.

Look at the Greek word “katartizo” translated “perfection” in 2 Corinthians 13:11 (”Aim for perfection”, NIV). A lexicon defines that word as “to render fit”. That means to “make functional”. James and John were making their nets “functional” so that they might be able to catch fish. That doesn’t mean they were making them “precisely exact”. I doubt that every knot was “precise” or “exact”. No one can really define a knot that is “precisely exact”. When I tie my shoe, I want to make it “functional” or make it the way it was intended, to restore. . When I do, it is “perfect” from this translation perspective. I can tie my shoe, smile and say “perfect” and go on about my business.

Now, if someone comes along and looks at my shoe laces and says, those shoes laces are not tied with “exactly precise” loops, then I can smile at them and say, “No, you’re right. They are merely perfect”.

Look at how this can make a difference in our understanding of the Scripture. In 1 Corinthians 1:10, we read the following from the NIV:

I have found five thoughts in the New Testament that will help us to take aim at the right targets. 1 Corinthians 9:26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.

  • In your Christian walk, don’t run aimlessly. We need to Take aim at the right targets!
  • Many Christians live reactively. They are content to react, to respond, to life around them. Wise Christians live proactively. They take the initiative, rather than adopting a passive attitude, in their Christian walk.
  • The victorious Christian has purpose; he has objectives. And he stays focused on those purposes and objectives. He is careful to take aim at the right targets.
  • Take aim at some things in your Christian life. And be sure to take aim at meaningful targets. Set desirable, biblical goals, and deliberately structure your lives to press towards those goals.

Matthew 7:13 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

  • This is the origin of our proverbial expression in English – “the straight and narrow.”
  • The broad way appeals to many … and ends in destruction!
  • The narrow way does not appeal to the flesh as much. But it is God’s way, and it leads to life eternal!
  • You have to choose the narrow way. It seems less appealing. The broad way seems better:
  • “Sin is fun!” people declare.
  • Indulging my cravings is enjoyable.
  • More relaxed standards are easier to live up to.
  • But remember what’s at the end of that broad way – destruction for the many!
  • (1) So aim for the narrow road that leads to life.

2 Corinthians 5:8-10 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…

  • (2) Aim to please God in all that you do.
  • Jesus said, “I always do what pleases Him” (John 8:29).
  • This is an excellent standard for Christians to use in making decisions in their lives, conduct, thoughts, etc. Ask yourself: Will this please the Lord?

Acts 24:15-16 And I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

  • There will be a resurrection, and we will face the Lord.
  • (3) So aim now for a clear conscience before God and man.
  • We were taught a good thing in my early years in Roman Catholicism – that is, to “examine our conscience.”
  • How is your conscience before God? before man?
  • Take aim for a clear conscience. As Paul said, “Strive always” for a clear conscience. Target it; make it your objective and unrelenting desire.

1 Corinthians 14:12 So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.

  • (4) Aim to be men and women who love the church.
  • Jesus said He would build His Church (Matthew 16:18). Jesus loved the church and gave Himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25). Paul prayed: “To Him [to God] be glory in the church…” (Ephesians 3:21).
  • Aim to use your talents, gifts, and ministries to build up Jesus’ beloved Church.

2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection…

  • Why do modern Christians have such a hard time with this? Why is it so easy to offer the blameshifting excuse: “Well, nobody’s perfect.”
  • (5) “Aim for perfection!” – that’s the Word of God!
  • One day in the Lord’s presence we will become “the spirits of righteous men made perfect” (Hebrews 12:23).
  • But here and now, in this life, Paul says (2 Corinthians 13:9), “our prayer is for your perfection.”

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Business, Faith, Grace, Leadership, Love, Missions, Prayer, Scripture, Servanthood, Stewardship, Training | No Comments »

God’s Evangelism Program

Thursday, April 17th, 2008

The Workplace as a Mission Field
When we think about evangelism in the workplace we must look at Jesus as our ultimate role model.  There are several things we learn about Jesus’ methods of speaking into the lives of those He came in contact with.  Jesus used the workplace as the setting to reach many people.  Consider this: where do the majority of people spend the majority of their time interacting with the majority of the lost world?  The only place that fits that description is the workplace.

Consider that of Jesus’ 132 public appearances in the New Testament, 122 were in the workplace.  Of the 52 parables Jesus told, 45 had a workplace context.  Furthermore, Jesus spent His adult life working as a carpenter before He went into a preaching ministry.  This is one of the more interesting observations about the life of Jesus.  He did not begin His “public preaching” ministry until he spent His adult life serving mankind as a simple carpenter in His earthly father’s small business.  If Jesus spent those ten to fifteen years in a workplace job, and only three years in public ministry, what does that say about the importance of work?  God uses work to accomplish many things in the lives of His followers.

One thing we notice about the method of Jesus in speaking to those in the workplace was that He dealt with each person in a unique and personal way.  There were no formulas.  Today the church often seeks to develop the latest and greatest evangelism program to present the gospel and gain a conversion.  Jesus went beyond these methods.

Gospel of Salvation versus Gospel of the Kingdom
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’” (Matthew 6:9-10).

Although there are situations where “tactics” might work well, Jesus modeled an approach that dealt with the whole person, not just salvation.  The church has often preached the “Gospel of Salvation” instead of the “Gospel of the Kingdom.”  What is the difference?  Well, in the New Testament you find Jesus speaking to people about the Gospel of the Kingdom many more times than the Gospel of Salvation.  The Gospel of the Kingdom is mentioned 66 times in the New Testament.  Jesus saw that people not only needed salvation, but they also needed to experience God in every aspect of their lives.  This is the Gospel of the Kingdom.  If God’s plan was only about salvation, we would all go to heaven immediately after receiving salvation.

In Jesus’ ministry, it was often a healing that brought someone to faith.  Or an encounter with a demon.  Or a struggle with an ungodly lifestyle.  All of these issues dealt with life and the kingdom of darkness.  Dealing with these issues often led to a commitment to Jesus.  That’s why He brought the Kingdom of God to these people.

When a person understands who he or she is in Christ and is motivated to love Christ and serve Him, evangelism is a natural byproduct of the relationship.  Jesus modeled this when He answered the disciples’ question regarding the greatest commandment.  “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:36-40).

The bottom line priority for every believer is to love God and to love others.  Evangelism is the fruit of a love relationship with God and love towards others.  So often we try to motivate people to evangelize out of guilt, shame, or duty.  This usually yields little fruit that does not last.  I am not saying that tools are not appropriate to use when sharing the gospel.  I am only saying that everything proceeds from the heart.  In order for a believer to bear fruit (of which evangelism is but one part), he or she must have a transformed life that will yield fruit from obedience motivated by love for the Father.

The question for you and me is, “How can God use men and women in the workplace-like ourselves-to impact our workplace, communities, cities, and even nations?”  Let me assure you, God wants to demonstrate His love and power in your workplace.  Then you will experience God’s evangelism program.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Business, Economic Development, Faith, Grace, Love, Marketplace, Missions, Poverty, Scripture, Servanthood, Stewardship, Training | No Comments »

Your Work is Sacred

Tuesday, April 1st, 2008

Whatever job you do, it is a holy calling, a sacred calling, a responsibility given to you by God to serve Him there. Too often we think of our work, if we are not working specifically for the church, as being secular, second-class, having nothing to do with true spirituality, and little to do with being a faithful Christian. You can think of all the incorrect expressions we use to mark this division between the sacred and the secular: we speak of people who are in “full-time ministry” as if only they are “full-time Christians.”

We have a heritage in many churches which devalues ordinary work and sees it having little importance in the Kingdom of God. Why is that? Partly because there has been a retreat by Christians from the general culture: “The world is so worldly,” we say, “so what really matters to God is what we do in the church.” We can tend to fill up our lives with lots of meetings so we will feel more spiritual, as if it is those meetings that are spiritual. This is a very serious misunderstanding of what Scripture teaches.

Perhaps another reason for our low opinion of work is that we think that only evangelism, only preaching the Gospel, only teaching the Word is of real importance in the Kingdom of God — everything else is secondary. And I am sure you have heard sermons and Bible studies in which you have basically been made to feel that if you were really dedicated to God, you would immediately apply to be missionary or go to seminary and start training for the ministry. But that simply is not Biblical. God does call people to be in the office of public ministry — He’s called me to do that. But He has equally called people to be in other work and to honor Him, whatever their occupation.

What is it that gives our work value to God? Is it simply that when we work, we earn money so that we can give a tithe to support the ministry of the Word? Is that alone what gives our work value? No. It is true that we are called to support the ministry of the Word; Scripture says so quite clearly. but that is not what ultimately gives our work value.

Is it that in our workplaces we have the opportunity to be evangelists, to share the Gospel with the people we work alongside? Is that what gives our work value? No. While we do pray that God will give opportunities to share His truth because people need to hear it, that is not what primarily gives our work value.

Is it simply that we have to work to earn money to support ourselves so that we can get on with the “real work” of being active in our churches — that what we do in our workplaces is not very important, but what we really do that’s important is when we are at our church, when we teach Sunday School, or when we lead a Bible study? Is that what gives our work value? That is not true either.

What is it, then, that gives our work value? It is simply that God Himself declares it to be important, that God desires our service in the whole of our lives, and that we are to present everything to Him in order to serve Him. Paul says this so strongly in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all you heart, as working for the Lord, not for men….” “Whatever you do,” Paul tells us that it is the Lord Christ you are serving. God has declared our work to have value. It doesn’t need some other means outside itself. God’s Word gives it value.

Secondly, our work has value because we are to offer it to the Lord. Your work and my work is to be holy. That means we are to set it apart so that we may honor God in what we do. It is not the job itself that is holy, it is offering it to God as service. I may preach the Gospel in a way that is totally unholy, and you may be a person engaged in business in a way that is completely holy. It is a question of whether you dedicate your work to God and whether you serve God righteously in what you do that makes your work holy.

The implications of work being a service to the Lord are many. Two prominent implications relate to both integrity and interpersonal relationships.

Regarding integrity, Scripture calls us to such a high standard in the workplace because we are working for the Lord. When I go to my place of work, my first thought should not be, “What does my boss think of me?” — though I should certainly desire to please my boss. My first thought should be that I am called to work, serving God with integrity. It is important that we please those for whom we work, but we are going to have a much more important accounting to give one day. Christ Himself will ask us how we worked. Were you faithful? Did you work hard? Are you someone who just worked to please other people or did you work with genuine righteousness? That is the challenge to all of us in our work, and in every area of our lives.

Serving in the workplace as unto the Lord also has implications upon our interpersonal relationships. As we serve the Lord, how we treat people should be reflective of the God we serve. Paul tells us that if we have people over us, we are to treat them with respect and honor even if they don’t deserve it. That is very difficult. Many people work for those who are very demanding, who create all kinds of unreasonable burdens, who never say “thank you,” who do not show appreciation, who take people for granted. Scripture tells us that even if we are in such situations, we are to continue to work hard, to work respectfully, and to give honor. Of course there are times when the Christian has to draw lines. If I am asked to do something which is against the Word of God, I have to obey God first. But I must still show respect. Sometimes it may be necessary to say, “Stop treating me like a doormat,” but we must continue to work hard and respectfully. We have to pray for wisdom to know when it is right to do that. But generally speaking, we are called to be faithful, submissive, and respectful even in difficult situations.

We are also to treat those under us in a way that pleases God. He will judge us for the way we treat people. Jesus says in Matthew 20:25-28, “… whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served , but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Christ is to be our example. If you are in a place of authority and have people who work for you, you are to be their servant. Christ is the Lord of the Universe, but He became a servant. He served those who were under His authority. He served you and me, even by dying for us. He serves us every day by caring for us and all of our struggles and our needs, and being our Friend, Counselor, and Comforter. And we are called to be like Him. We are called to be servants of Christ, as well as being servants of others. What you should be asking every day in your place of work is “How may I serve those above me, under me, around me? How may I look to their needs? How may I become their friend, support, helper?”

We need to get God’s mind about matters in the workplace. Often times on Sunday people feel like everything they have done during the rest of the week really does not matter. The Bible says we are to worship God in everything, and what we do on Sunday morning when we come to praise Him with our lips is simply bringing the whole of our week to declare His praises together as His people. There should be no distinction between our work week and our Sunday service — all of it is the worship of God, and all of it is to be holy. We need to honor that conviction in the way we commend people. We should praise God for people in business who are righteous in what they do and who serve God in their places of work, or praise God for teachers who teach well, or praise God for lawyers who care for widows and orphans.

That is the challenge of God’s Word to us. As we consider that our work is to be done as unto the Lord, let us be shining lights of integrity, dedication, humility, service, and love.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Accountability, Business, Faith, Grace, Leadership, Love, Marketplace, Missions, Servanthood, Training | No Comments »

Leveraging Your Vocation for the Sake of the Gospel

Tuesday, March 25th, 2008

1. We can make much of God in our secular job through the fellowship that we enjoy with him throughout the day in all our work.

In this way we fellowship with God, listening to him through his Word and thanking him and praising him and calling on him for all we need. It is an honor to God if you stay in your secular job ‘with God’ in this way. This is not a wasted life. God delights in being trusted and enjoyed. It shows his value.

2. We make much of Christ in our secular work by the joyful, trusting, God-exalting design of our creativity and industry.

The essence of our work as humans must be that it is done in conscious reliance on God’s power, and in conscious quest of God’s pattern of excellence, and in deliberate aim to reflect God’s glory.

3. We make much of Christ in our secular work when it confirms and enhances the portrait of Christ’s glory that people hear in the spoken Gospel.

This is by having such high standards of excellence and such integrity and such manifest goodwill that we put no obstacles in the way of the Gospel but rather call attention to the all-satisfying beauty of Christ. When we adorn the Gospel with our work, we are not wasting our lives.

4. We make much of Christ in our secular work by earning money to keep us from depending on others, while focusing on the helpfulness of our work rather than financial rewards.

Christ has lifted the curse of work. He has replaced anxious toil with trust in God’s promise to supply our needs (Philippians 4:19) and has thus awakened in us a different passion in our work. We turn with joy to the call of Jesus: Seek the kingdom of God first and his righteousness, and the food that perishes will be added to you. So don’t labor for the food that perishes. Labor to love people and honor God. Think of new ways that your work can bless people. Stop thinking mainly of profitability, and think mainly of how helpful your product or service can become.

Jesus calls us to be aliens and exiles in the world. Not by taking us out of the world, but by changing, at the root, how we view the world and how we do our work in it. If we simply work to earn a living-if we labor for the bread that perishes-we will waste our lives. But if we labor with the sweet assurance that God will supply all our needs-that Christ died to purchase every undeserved blessing-then all our labor will be a labor of love and a boasting only in the cross.

We make much of Christ in our secular work by earning money with the desire to use our money to make others glad in God.

Our secular work can become a great God-exalting blessing to the world if we aim to take the earnings we don’t need for ourselves (and we need far less than we think) and meet the needs of others in the name of Jesus.

6. We make much of Christ in our secular work by treating the web of relationships it creates as a gift of God to be loved by sharing the Gospel and by practical deeds of help.

God   has woven you into the fabric of others’ lives so that you will tell them the Gospel. Without this, all our adorning behavior may lack the one thing that could make it live-giving. The Christian’s calling includes making his or her mouth a fountain of life. ‘The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life’ (Proverbs 10:11). The link with eternal life is faith in Jesus Christ. No nice feelings about you as a good employee will save anyone. People must know the Gospel, which is the power of God unto eternal life (Romans 1:16).

If you work like the world, you will waste your life, no matter how rich you get. But if your work creates a web of redemptive relationships and becomes an adornment for the Gospel of the glory of Christ, your satisfaction will last forever and God will be exalted in your joy.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Business, Faith, Grace, Leadership, Love, Marketplace, Missions, Poverty, Servanthood, Stewardship, Training | No Comments »

An Apology for Economic Development

Monday, March 10th, 2008

Of the very few references in Jesus’ teachings to a Day of Judgment, surely the most notable is described in Matthew 25: 31ff.  In that scene, the sheep (the righteous) are separated from the goats (the sinful) and God explains his judgment with the well-known commendation of the righteous: “For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat . . . thirsty and you gave me something to drink . . . a stranger and you welcomed me . . . naked and you clothed me . . . sick and you cared for me . . . in prison and you visited me.”  The sinful were condemned for neglecting these acts.  Certainly the most striking point is that eternal judgment hinges how we behave toward those who exist at the margins of society, those generally described as “the poor.”

Someone might protest that this necessitates “works righteousness,” but John ascribes our involvement or neglect to its foundation: one’s love for God: “Whoever has earthly goods and sees his brother in need but doesn’t have compassion on him, how can the love of God be in him?”  My children, let us love, not just in word, but in deed and in truth.”  I John 3:17-18

Unlike the practice of sharing within the Jerusalem church described in Acts 2 or the collection for the church in Jerusalem (e.g., I Corinthians 16), there are simply no models of economic development programs in scripture.  Likewise, there are no specific models of medical mission efforts, but we understand how, teamed with an evangelistic focus, they fulfill the second-greatest commission to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

An aspect of most biblical models of Christian economic assistance is the focus on distribution (or allocation) rather than production.  It is the role of an economic system to allocate resources among producers and consumers in order to accomplish the goals of the society.  A system of distribution that ignores its effect on production may end up producing more people in need, or at least people who appear to be in need.  Even Christian relief ministries face the dilemma posed by the requirement to be good stewards of God’s resources on one hand while observing Jesus’ command to “give to whoever asks you” (Matt. 5:42) on the other.

There are numerous explicit and implied encouragements to industriousness and diligent work (e.g., the virtuous woman, the example of the ant, the parable of the talents), but none of these carries the weight of a “commission” to go and teach the gospel to unbelievers.  In addition, business and money lending suffer from a poor reputation.  Some people will sincerely question whether the church ought to be engaged in the business of consulting and money lending.

Christian mission efforts have characteristically emphasized evangelistic efforts to the exclusion of social or economic programs.  The reasons for this are several:

With limited resources including money, personnel, and time, efforts have focused on what is considered by evangelicals to be the foremost task of the Christian church-to seek and save the lost.  Given limited resources, funds diverted to economic programs reduce funds available for more direct evangelistic efforts.

Related to this is the deeper question of whether Christians ought to be very concerned about physical welfare. Jesus’ ministry did not seem to emphasize physical wellbeing, including economic hardship or political oppression.  Instead, he encouraged followers to depend on God’s loving care for their physical needs, and charged that the real problems in life are not physical but spiritual ones.

Third, given this background, the physical world will pass away while the soul is immortal.  Why, then, should resources be expended on saving the body, which will eventually die, when they could be used to save the eternal soul?  As evidence of this perspective, many are likely aware of economic relief efforts (including church benevolence programs) that have been pitched on the basis of ultimate evangelistic potential.  Others of us are aware of programs that have been justified or questioned on whether they produced evangelistic opportunities or conversions.

There are a number of potential problems that could result from offering business counseling or financing services, particularly in making grants or loans.  First, how are the funds to be allocated?  If loans are made available first to Christians, it could provide perverse  incentive to convert.  Assuming the lending process would involve an analysis of the borrower and the proposed investment, there would likely be some proposals that are rejected, resulting in hard feelings that might become obstacles to evangelistic efforts.

The intertwining of commercial and personal (and in this case, spiritual) relationships creates problems in our own society, where the nature of commercial relationships (e.g., borrower and lender, buyer and seller) is better understood.  In regard to loans, we recognize that the typical borrower/lender relationship is characterized by some degree of conflict.  That conflict could compromise the congeniality of the relationship between missionaries and locals that could undermine the spiritual aims of the mission.  Recognizing this danger, and wishing to focus on spiritual relationships rather than commercial ones, some organizations choose to provide grants rather than loans.  Even so, assuming individuals must qualify for the grants, some will certainly fail to qualify and there will be disappointment.

Many Christians are uncomfortable with capitalism.  They appreciate the benefits, but wonder at what cost these benefits are obtained.  They are concerned about a system which, as they see it, is fueled by greed and which thrives by creating desires for products that people really don’t need.  A critique of capitalism is beyond the scope of this paper, but it is sufficient here to say that the thinking Christian cannot simply regard capitalism as “God’s system,” nor ignore its success in producing benefits.  It is a system that responds to the desires of the market, and its results will reflect the sanctity or sinfulness of the market participants.  Capitalism is, like each of us, in need of redemption.  The challenges to advocating this controversial system are one aspect of the dilemma of accepting the task of economic as well as spiritual mission.

Aside from the specific concerns about capitalism, some Christians are concerned about exporting American consumerist culture and “defiling” native economic arrangements that are attractive in social terms yet not conducive to economic progress. How will the missionaries handle native customs or taboos that are socially beneficial in some respects but which may retard or prevent economic development?  Two examples may be helpful.  One African tribe follows the custom of drawing lots each year to determine which plot of tribal land each family will farm for their own purposes.  The system is very fair since each family has an equal chance of obtaining the most productive land.  However, this system fails to recognize that the system discourages anyone from looking to the long-term good of the land.  Why would a farmer  let a plot lie fallow for a year or spend money to enrich that plot if the benefits were to go to whomever by chance farmed that land the following year?  Another example comes from Latin culture, which places a high priority on the closeness and support of the family.  An accompanying feature, however, is suspicion of those outside the family.  The closeness of Latino family ties tends to work against the development of strong relationships in the larger community, including business relationships.

Although not appreciated by many, free enterprise does not thrive in an environment of heavy-handed government intervention, trade protectionism, and low regard for work or private property rights, among other things.  For extensive economic development to occur via free markets, stable political systems are necessary.  However, even within difficult circumstances, economic mission initiatives are creating what one organization calls “islands of integrity.”  In these areas, sound Christian-based business principles are being taught and implemented and families are being extracted from poverty one by one.

While there is no explicit scriptural example of economic missions, there are a number of principles that apply.  Mountain Movers is committed to being biblical as we help people out of love, and to respect the native culture.

In justifying economic initiatives, the arguments most compelling to me come from the Golden Rule and the Protestant Reformation.  The Golden Rule compels me to desire for others those things that I rightly desire for myself.  That is, I personally desire the benefits of a thriving economy with its higher standard of living.  I therefore wish them for others.  Second, a holistic view of God’s reign as reflected in Reformation theology is that there is no realm of life outside God’s oversight.  All of life is sacred, including commercial activities.  As such, all activities should be conducted as if done in the service of God.  A view of God’s work consistent with this realization does not allow stark lines between evangelistic efforts, economic relief efforts, and economic development efforts.  They are all done to the glory of God in order to bring people to come to know Him and to serve him.

In a practical light, combining personal and commercial relationships, particularly through micro-loan programs, does propose hazards.  Great care must be taken that evangelistic efforts are not undermined by hard feelings related to economic initiatives.  One solution would be to have the economic programs administered by an organization separate from the mission, or to separate duties so that those making the grant or loan decisions are not the same as those doing the primary evangelistic work.

Despite the “dog-eat-dog” reputation of commercial relationships under capitalism, close consideration  reveals that success in free markets requires a great deal of concern for the needs of customers, suppliers, employees, and so on, since all associations are voluntary.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Accountability, Business, Economic Development, Faith, Grace, Leadership, Love, Marketplace, Missions, Money, Poverty, Scripture, Servanthood, Stewardship | No Comments »

The Calling

Thursday, March 6th, 2008

The confusion over whether a person is called into the ministry or the mission field has been a major source of discouragement for some to pursue a mountain moving ministry.  Often people tell me that they don’t feel called into missions so have never considered that they may have a role to play in God’s plan.  There are three views on this issue: a mystical call, being a volunteer, and an invitation to a fulltime position in ministry.

First of all, the mystical call is the most common belief.  It presupposes that Christ began to call His disciples to follow Him in the Gospels, and has continued to call His servants throughout the ages.  As He called His disciples in Matt 4:18-22 to follow Him and they immediately left their fishing and became His disciples, so many expect such a “call” today.  Perhaps some are fearful of getting close to the Lord, for fear of sensing such a call, which they might not want to face.

Reportedly it may take a number of different forms such as listening to someone preach on world missions and the Holy Spirit brings a deep conviction to a person’s heart that he must go to the foreign field, to a variety of ways that providentially God indicates he should go overseas. This can include a feeling of “heart peace” about going to a foreign country, a voice calling a person or an inner urging to go to an unreached area.

Secondly, a call is interpreted in one’s willingness to volunteer to take on the task of reaching a part of the unevangelized world.  Paul referred to the first requirement for going into the ministry as one who “desires, aspires, strives for” or wants to be an overseer or pastor (1 Tim 3:1), without any indication of a subjective call.   Peter made it clear that the chief motivation of an elder or pastor was to serve willingly (Gk. “of one’s own accord, deliberately, intentionally,” 1 Pet 5:2).  That is, someone perceives a need that the Lord said He wanted to be met (a church needing leadership, or a people group that needs to hear the gospel) and volunteers to commit himself to meet that need for Christ’s glory.

When Paul referred to being responsible for the gospel becoming known throughout the Roman Empire, he stated that “if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward…” (Gk. “unforced, of one’s own free will,” 1 Cor 9:17).  This perspective is similar to Isaiah’s response to hearing God say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf? Then I said “Here am I! Send me” (Isa 6:8).  Most of the decisions that Paul made for strategic steps in evangelizing his world have no indication of any subjective voice or feeling, just a recognition of his responsibility that was followed by a commitment to do something voluntarily.

This decision should be wisely made following an analysis of your GRASP (Groundings, Roles, Abilities, Spiritual Gifts, and Passions ).  Likewise it should follow an analysis of the world situation to determine where the evangelistic needs are that you could meet, if you were willing.  Then an analysis of the circumstances to determine which of the existing opportunities would be the most strategic to attempt through the grace and power of God on your life.  If there is nothing impeding you from reaching an unevangelized people for Christ, why not volunteer?  Make every effort to go to that people and if you have yielded God full responsible for your life, then He will open doors, close doors and guide you just where He wants you.

Thirdly, the chief way a person should move into a ministry position is by invitation.  This view sees the calling of the disciples by Jesus as a model for leaders to follow.  This means that Jesus is not continuing an on-going process of calling individuals through mystical means, but rather present leaders should follow Jesus’ model by looking for “faithful people who will be competent to teach others” (2 Tim 2:2) then disciple, teach and mentor them into key ministries, especially global ministries.

In the NT outside of the twelve (Matt 10:1), the seventy (Lk 10:1) and Paul (Acts 9), who else was called directly by Jesus into the ministry?  Is there any indication that anyone else had a subjective feeling that motivated them into the ministry?  Quite the contrary, everyone else was either invited by their local church or another ministry leader to join them in a broader ministry.

In Acts 6 the church invited seven men to a ministry of serving in the church.  In Acts 11 Barnabas was sent by his church to Antioch (11:22) with no hint of any prerequisite of a subjective call by Barnabas.  In Acts 11:25 Barnabas goes to Tarsus to seek out Saul [Paul] to invite him to join him in the ministry. In Acts 13 the church sent Paul and Barnabas out to evangelize the Gentiles.  In Acts 16 the brethren “spoke well” (Gk. “confirm, or approve”) to Paul about Timothy’s local ministry so Paul invited him to join him in the spreading of the gospel throughout the known world, etc., etc.

Everyone is commanded to be a part of the ministry of evangelism, discipleship and their church edification.  Those who are faithful locally should be encouraged by everyone to pursue further training and/or be given broader opportunities to expand their ministries.

This presupposes that existing leaders have a clear vision of world evangelism and personally sense the responsibility of choosing people, seeing to their training and then recruiting the most talented, mature and gifted people to the task which best fits them with the priority of fulfilling the Great Commission.  This is the model Jesus left to evangelize the world.

The subjective call leaves God responsible for evangelizing the world, the volunteer call makes individuals responsible for fulfilling the Great Commission and the invitation call makes the existing church/ministry leadership responsible for recruiting people to build His Church among every tongue, tribe and nation.  Jesus told his disciples to “Go into all the world and make disciples …” (Matt 28:19).

Don’t hide behind an excuse waiting for a feeling.  Get involved now in learning God’s heart for the lost, experience the joy of leading someone to Christ, and seek to make a difference in a local church.  Then ask God to guide you to someone in order to repeat this experience somewhere else in the world. Start the chain and it will encircle the globe.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Accountability, Business, Economic Development, Faith, Grace, Leadership, Love, Marketplace, Missions, Money, Prayer, Scripture, Servanthood, Stewardship, Training | No Comments »

Putting Our Money Where Our Faith Is…

Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

Churches seem to be turning inward. They seem to be emphasizing the comfort and happiness of members over the transformation of those members. The amount of money flowing through many church offering plates has increased 112 percent in the last 15 years, but the amount of money churches give to missions causes has increased at only half that rate.

An analysis of financial data shows congregations nationwide are sending smaller percentages of their undesignated offerings to missions. Designated giving to special missions offerings also has increased at only half the pace of increases in undesignated giving to church causes.

These trends are common to the church in the United States, churches seem to be turning inward. They seem to be emphasizing the comfort and happiness of members over the transformation of those members.

The church, and particularly missions, is shrinking as a market share of people’s spending. The average member of a Christian church in the United States gives only 2.6 percent of his or her income to the church.

Perhaps there has been a vacuum of leadership on the national level to raise people’s eyes off their own individual needs. There has been a lack of comprehensive vision to challenge people to be willing to invest in the kingdom of God.

We don’t really believe what we say we do, because if we did, we’d be spending our money differently.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Accountability, Business, Faith, Grace, Leadership, Love, Marketplace, Missions, Money, Prayer, Stewardship, Training | No Comments »

The Temptation to Settle for Second Best

Monday, February 11th, 2008

We often think of temptation as negative, things that we’ve succumbed to, rules we’ve broken And if we do succumb to temptation we think God is going to punish us, make something nasty happen to us, perhaps send us somewhere we don’t want to go to serve Him But that’s probably not the right way to understand the concept of temptation.

As Christians we’re called to the privilege of loving and worshiping God and reflecting His glory in the world through the glory that is in us, through our transformed lives in Him. He has called each one of us, and has a path and a destiny planned out for each one of us, the best way for each one of us. When we fall into temptation and sin therefore it’s not that God is going to send down a thunderbolt to punish us that we’re settling for second best – something less than God has ordained for us Falling short of the mark, missing the target – which also happens to be one way to translate the word sin It’s more like a self inflicted punishment than any punishment from God (And we’re often quite good at punishing ourselves when we sin!)

So if we’re to avoid as much temptation as possible and get as close to the mark as possible it’s important to try to understand what God has in store for each one of us.  Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, one for each year that the Israelites spent in the wilderness, fasting and praying . We have to presume that for at least some of the time He was communicating with the Father to better understand what His own destiny was, what it was that the Father had sent Him to do.

So that when He came out of the wilderness He was clearer than ever about what His destiny was, what His purpose was, and why He had come to the earth. And because He was clear about what He had come for, it was relatively easy for Him to overcome the temptations of the devil, because He did not want to fall short of the purpose the Father had set for Him.

The implication for us is clear. We too need to spend time with the Father so we can understand better His will for our lives so that we can get closer to the mark and the destiny He has for us. Jesus spent 40 days fasting and praying in the wilderness.  Perhaps we haven’t got 40 days to spare. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t spend time fasting, praying and reading to try to understand what the purpose God has for our lives.

Indeed, sometimes when we are going through our own wilderness experience, that’s the best time to try to discern God’s will.

Moses received the 10 commandments in the wilderness, Jesus confirmed what is destiny was in the wilderness. The wilderness, the desert, the dry places can therefore be a place where, perhaps because of its very dry barrenness, God’s will can become clear, unencumbered by any other distractions and paraphernalia.

And whatever our circumstances, Lent has traditionally offered us the opportunity to reflect on our lives, to put right the things with God where we have fallen into temptation and to understand His will for each one of us.

But is knowing God’s will just about fasting, praying, reading and other self disciplines?

I always find it fascinating that there are about 6 times more references in the New Testament to doing God’s will than there are to knowing God’s will.

So it would appear that a large part of knowing God’s will is getting on and doing what we believe it to be, and then being open to encouragement or corrective guidance along the way. It used to be said that we need to die to Jesus every day, but not spend all day doing it.

From the Gospels too, we know that Jesus did spend quite times with the Father, understanding better His will. We also know that if the relative volume of words is anything to go by, He spent far more time doing the Father’s will rather than trying to get a better understanding of what that will was.

Often in business you don’t have all the information you would like to make a decision, but you often have enough to make a ‘good enough’ decision to get you going in the right direction and them make any necessary corrections along the way.

It’s a bit like that with God’s will, we need to get on and do what we believe to be the right thing and be open to corrections and slight changes in direction as we move along. In all probability we’ll never fully understand the Father’s will for our lives (He’s God, we’re human).

It might be that we feel things were once clearer but now it just feels like we’re in the wilderness and can’t find our way out. Perhaps we don’t understand why we, or someone we love, were once in full health and now are ill and suffering.

But that does not alter the fact that God has a calling for each one of us and, as Christians we are called to try to live out that calling the best of our human abilities, empowered by that same spirit as Jesus.

But as we look into ourselves we should also see the glory that is within each one of us, perhaps buried deeply within us, but there nonetheless.  And as we see that glory, and perhaps catch a glimpse of what Christ has called us to, we should be encouraged to look forward with excitement to what might lie ahead on our journey with Christ.

Temptation will always be out there, and it will be different for each one of us but so is the opportunity to take the next step along our Christian lives.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Business, Faith, Grace, Leadership, Love, Prayer, Servanthood, Stewardship, Training | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »