For or Against?

The push and pull of life can get you down.  From the moment we open our eyes, it seems we are ready for battle.  Whether it's fighting your body to get up and at 'em, dragging your kids out of bed or it's "time to make the donuts," life seems like a constant fight.  Some days we wake up with the fight in us, and some days we feel defeated before we even move a muscle.  The how and the why seem to escape us most days.  Oftentimes, we look to Heaven and wonder where our Champion is.  The reality is He has never moved.  It is we who have stepped away from the protection He freely offers us.

We often hear or even quote Romans 8:31:  "What, then, are we to say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"  We say it when we don't know what to say.  When seemingly insurmountable circumstances face us, this Scripture is meant to bring comfort and peace.  Back up a few verses and you'll find Romans 8:28, "Furthermore, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called in accordance with his purpose."  Read all of Romans 8 and you will find evidence of God's constant protection, provision and peace.  I believe that all these Scriptures are true.  But, I have a question for you. . .

Are you for or against God?

From the beginning of time, God predestined each and every one of our lives.  Yes, He knew we would betray Him, curse Him, and doubt Him.  He even knew we would fight Him.  Desperate to hide their sin, our first parents hid themselves, lied to their Creator and suffered the consequences of fighting who they were created to be.  We are foolish to think we are any different than they.  And, just as they had a choice, we, too, have the free will to be for or against the very one who breathed us into being.

So, why do we fight?  What is it that we fight against?  Are we really fighting our Creator?  What has He done that causes us to fight Him so? 

Nothing.  We can shake our fists and cry foul play during our darkest hour, but in the end, we will end up on our knees.  King David lamented in  Psalm 42, "I say to God, my Rock, why have you forgotten me?"  Even Jesus Himself, . . ." uttered a loud cry, “Elohi! Elohi! L’mah sh’vaktani?” (which means, “My God! My God! Why have you deserted me?”)" (Mark 15:34, Complete Jewish Bible).  Even so, both David and Jesus rested in knowing God was always for them.

I could recite a litany of Scripture for you.  Instead, I ask you to look deep inside yourself and tell me what you see.  To truly understand how fiercely God loves and fights for us, we must understand who we are. 

Consider these words:  

Sealed.  Protected.  Purchased.  Cherished.  Beloved.  Redeemed.  Saved.  Set Apart.  Blessed. 

The common denominator between those words is YOU.  You may not feel that you fit the description at this very moment, but the truth of the matter is that you are all these things.  God, from the beginning, set out to show you that you are priceless, loved beyond measure and absolutely worth fighting for.  So, why do we claw and scratch and fight our way through life as if God is keeping us from the very life we deserve? 

Because we deserve better.  We deserve what God has planned for us.  In our efforts to attain all that we believe we are entitled to, we let our emotions, our circumstances and our surroundings define us instead of the truth.   Time after time after time, humankind has bent its ear to the darkness, listening to the lies that tell us that we will determine our worth.  Yet, our worth was settled long before you or I heard hurtful words, long before Jesus suffered on the cross, long before Moses struck down an Egyptian, long before Cain killed Abel and even before Eve took a bite out of the forbidden fruit.   "In the beginning, God. . ." 

As God spoke life into all creation, He knew our own hearts would fail us.  As He laid the foundation of the world, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:27).   We were created in His own image, in the very image of God.  We don't have to know what He looks like, because all we have to do is look in the mirror.  We may not always like what we see, but the truth of the matter is WE ARE created in the very image of the great I AM.

So, who are we really fighting against?  The war within ourselves is very real, and we constantly feel like we are fighting against God and everything that surrounds us.  But, when we stop and think about the fight, do we really fight against the very One that gave us life?

The answer is a resounding "no."  We are caught in the middle of a mighty war.  Satan would have you believe that you must fight against God to get what you want out of life.  He twists and manipulates our thoughts, our emotions and our actions.  The Father of Lies would have us believe that we are unlovable, unworthy and that somehow God doesn't think we're deserving.  The truth of it all is that he is the one that has fallen from grace. Determined to make his war ours, he takes pleasure in turning us against each other and ultimately against the Lord.  God did give us free will - the will to choose His way or choose our own - and Satan will stop at nothing to bring us under the influence of the very sin he perpetuated before all time began (see Isaiah 14:12-17).

While it may seem like we are merely helpless pawns in a spiritual game of chess, the truth remains:  God IS for us and we are not helpless!   Whether or not we see His hand on our lives, He is always there, guiding our paths, allaying our fears, healing our hurts, and championing our cause.  We're the ones that get in the way of our own blessings.  We are a stubborn, rebellious, ungrateful, prideful, self-righteous, think-we-know-it-all people.  We have been that way from the beginning.  But, just as our ancestors of old had a choice to follow God or their own foolish hearts, we too, can follow either path.

So, who are you really for?  Are you for or against God?  His position never changed.  The real question may be, are you for or against yourself?  Let us go back to Romans 8, this time in verse 29:

"Because those whom he knew in advance, he also determined in advance would be conformed to the pattern of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers; and those whom he thus determined in advance, he also called; and those whom he called, he also caused to be considered righteous; and those whom he caused to be considered righteous he also glorified!"

I think we can add to our list of adjectives:  Predestined.  Righteous.  Glorified.  LOVED.

How can we fight against such love?  Love that gave up so much, the very lifeblood of all humanity, given for us, to ensure we would love and be loved by our Heavenly Father. 

It's not easy to stop fighting.  The fight burns within us as we seek justice for all that it at odds with what we believe to be good and right.  But, I will ask you again, are you for or against God?  And, this time, don't be so quick to answer.  If you're anything like me, you'll be reevaluating your battle plan and ensuring you're on the right side of the fight.

The Formula for Success

We all look for it, yearn for it. . . the formula for a successful life.  Books a plenty have been written on it, as well as seminars, webinars and the like.  The "how-to's" and "wherefores" of success in this life seem to favor the rich, the famous and those with the mind for business.  "And you, too, can have all this and more if you just send me $19.95 plus shipping and handling. . ."  

But, what really defines a successful life?  Is it all just oversized homes, ridiculously fast cars, shiny jewelry and servants at your beck and call 24-7?  To many, even most, that may be exactly what they think equals success in this life.  But, I believe there is so much more.

Don't get me wrong, I love nice things.  I like to be comfortable and enjoy my surroundings.  But, things don't define me.  Oh, you could label me successful by observing my middle-class lifestyle  (if such a class even exists anymore).  However, stuff is stuff.  And, I have been ridding my life of the kind of stuff that limits my ability to truly be successful.  Simplicity is often times our best and kindest companion.

In light of all this, I have been pondering this question as to what makes life work.  Without hesitation, I can tell you that God is the center of all that is good and right in my  life.  But some may ask why.  What is it about God that moves me, inspires me, and makes me who I am?

The secret lies in my relationship with God.  Now, wait. . .before you start skimming down the page or click on an ad, hear me out.  It is through my relationship with God that I have discovered the true formula for success.

When you think about what makes a relationship work, what word comes to mind?  I'm sure there are many, but I will spare you the headache and give one to you.  TRUST.  Trust is a fundamental component to all successful relationships and our relationship with God is no different.   

Trust is the "firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something."  (Thank you, Professor Google).  However, if we look to God for a definition, the Scripture that comes to mind is 2 Corinthians 5:7 "for we live by trust, not by what we see." (Complete Jewish Bible,  hereinafter "CJB").  Most of us know this verse to say "for we walk by faith, not by sight." (English Standard Version).  

Trust.  Faith in the unseen, moved to action by an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God.  Most of us are familiar with the "trust test" whereby you stand in front of someone and free fall backwards in complete confidence that the person standing behind you will catch you before you hit the ground. Our trust in God is no different.  Confidence, being so grounded in Him that following Him and His plan occurs without giving it too much thought.  "Fix[ing] our eyes on the things that we can't see now." ("Here now" (Madness) by Hillsong United))  Trust is that component to which no form can be given, it just exists.  Whether you earn it or it's given, trust is fundamental to our success in life.

What does trust look like, when it comes to God?  For that, let's look at another word:  Obedience.  (Some of you just cringed, but again, stick with me here.  . .)

Obedience, according to Professor Google, means "compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority."  Again, let's look at it through Scripture.  Jesus is the perfect example of obedience, in all His ways, but most importantly because Jesus, being fully human, yet fully God, "humbled himself still more by becoming obedient even to death —death on a stake as a criminal!!" (Philippians 2:8, CJB).  Obedient to the Father's will, obedient unto death, even when He felt the grief of what He faced in His frail humanity, Jesus still prayed “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, let not my will but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42, CJB, emphasis mine). 

Trust.  Obedience.  Both powerful words on their own, but together, even more so. We've heard them strung together in that beautiful hymn by John Henry Sammis:

"Trust and obey,

For there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus,

  But to trust and obey."

Did you catch it?  Read it again.  Trust and Obedience, when partnered together, bear the most glorious fruit!  "To be happy in Jesus [is] to trust and obey."  Happiness, joy, contentment.  These are the true measurements of success.  Jesus, Himself, said in John 14:

 “Don’t let yourselves be disturbed. Trust in God and trust in me. In my Father’s house are many places to live. If there weren’t, I would have told you; because I am going there to prepare a place for you.  Since I am going and preparing a place for you, I will return to take you with me; so that where I am, you may be also.  . . . Trust me, that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me. But if you can’t, then trust because of the works themselves. Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever trusts in me will also do the works I do! Indeed, he will do greater ones, because I am going to the Father. In fact, whatever you ask for in my name, I will do; so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me for something in my name, I will do it.  “If you love me, you will keep my commands; and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another comforting Counselor like me, the Spirit of Truth, to be with you forever. . . . Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me, and the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”  . . . “If someone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Someone who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words — and the word you are hearing is not my own but that of the Father who sent me. . . this is happening so that the world may know that I love the Father, and that I do as the Father has commanded me.  (CJB, emphasis mine)

Do you see it now?  Trust and obedience produce the favor of God.  

 "Trust + Obedience = Blessing."

Paul echoed Jesus' teaching in Philippians 2:12-16:

So, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed when I was with you, it is even more important that you obey now when I am away from you: keep working out your deliverance with fear and trembling, for God is the one working among you both the willing and the working for what pleases him. Do everything without kvetching or arguing,  so that you may be blameless and pure children of God, without defect in the midst of a twisted and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the sky,  as you hold on to the Word of Life. If you do this, I will be able to boast, when the Day of the Messiah comes, that I did not run or toil for nothing. (CJB, emphasis mine)

Trust + Obedience = Blessing.  "If you love me, you will obey my commandments."  Trust is a core element of love.  If you cannot trust someone you love, how pure can that love be?  And, true obedience is born out of love.  Some may argue that fear creates obedience.  Interestingly enough,  God agrees: "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?" (Deuteronomy 10:12-13, ESV, emphasis mine)

Even in the Garden of Eden, God asked His children to trust and obey.  "The woman answered the serpent, “We may eat from the fruit of the trees of the garden, but about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, ‘You are neither to eat from it nor touch it, or you will die.’” (Genesis 3:2-3, ESV)  In other words, "Trust Me.  Obey Me.  For if you do not, the blessings will cease."

The proof is undeniable.  Blessings are not handed out to the prettiest, smartest, richest, or most clever.  Blessings are bestowed upon those who have placed their trust in and give their obedience to an all-knowing, all-seeing, ever-present, ever-loving God.  We measure success based on the outcomes of what we do, how we act, and what we say.  There is truth to that line of thinking, however, we must be mindful of Whom is truly measuring those outcomes.  

True success is attainable in this life.  It is gained through hard work, pure motives and good stewardship.  All these things still boil down to these simple words:  

"Trust and obey,

For there’s no other way

To be happy in [all things],

  But to trust and obey."

The Story of God

The Story seems so familiar.  Humble beginnings.  Born in the secret place.  Born fully human, yet fully God.  Born in such a way that He would know and be known by His creation in such an intimate way.  Son of God, Son of Man.  Born to suffer, born to die.  Born to bring Life, Light and Truth to a dark world.  Born to conquer death and the grave.  Born to ascend to the right hand of the Father.  Born to send the Comforter, the Spirit of the Living God, to indwell the hearts of men.  Born to bring His story to earth and make it ours.

Each of us comes from broken beginnings.  Even as our first parents felt the pain of their sin in the Garden of Eden, so we, too, come to a world shrouded in darkness and pain.  Yet, His Story has always included us.  Before the beginning of the ages, God saw the need for His love sacrifice and made it so.  And, today, God with us and God within us writes the story that sings the song of His beloved.

You, yes, you.  You are His Beloved.  You are the pages upon which He writes.  The Blood of His Son, Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, the ink.  You are the story of His love.  Your life tells of His redemptive work in such a time as this.  No one can tell your story like Jesus.  No one can wear the beautiful life that He has clothed you with but you.  Every moment of your life has, does and will continue to serve a purpose - to glorify your Father in Heaven and bring His wayward children home. 

 “You are light for the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Likewise, when people light a lamp, they don’t cover it with a bowl but put it on a lampstand, so that it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they may see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven."  (Matthew 5:14-16 Complete Jewish Bible)

Embrace your story, His Story in you.  You never know when your light will shine so brightly that it will impact someone you've never met.  You never know when someone will need your God story to find healing, purpose, and life within themselves.  The God Story in you could be the spark that lights the God story in someone else. 

Answering the right call. . . .

A phone call, a text, an email, a face-to-face encounter.  It can happen at any time.  We're always being asked to do something.  More often than not, we answer quickly, not taking into consideration the pros and cons, the blessings versus the possible fall out of accepting the task (i.e., responsibility) we've been asked to assume.  And, we've all heard what the word "assume" can stand for. . . . but, I won't go there. :)

We all want to feel like we're contributing.  However, have we ever really thought about what our contribution is supposed to be?  We jump at the chance to serve, assist, "fix" and placate situations.  But, have we really been called to that situation and purpose?

Recognizing the difference between your calling and your what you think you're called to do can be a challenging task.  The process of evaluating your time, your resources, your talents and gifts, and whether or not you are making good use of all those things can (a) be convicting and liberating, causing growth and the development of boundaries or (b) be difficult and aggravating, causing one to doubt oneself and try to do it all in an effort to compensate for something lacking,  or, as often is the case, just cut and run away from it all.

As you can probably tell, I've been in all those scenarios.  At different stages of my life, I've accepted the conviction and made the changes, and at others, I've just dove deeper until all my emotions were buried with the activity.  I've also just quit . . . and at the most inappropriate times.

I am in a season where change is on the horizon.  God is moving in my life and I'm seeing a new environment take place around me.  New church (well,  sort of. . a little over a year. . ), new friendships, new responsibilities and new challenges!  I don't always take the high road when it comes to dealing with all my "stuff," but that is changing as well.   All this to say that somehow, I've decided to stay in circumstances or situations where it would be so much easier to quit!

So, why do I stay, anyway?  I'm overbooked, overtired, overstressed, overcommitted and yet, I still keep on keeping on.  The truth?  I feel like I have to do it.  I've got that terrible condition commonly known as pride - overconfidence in myself and not enough confidence in everyone else.  And, I hate to say "no."

We've all been there - elated to be in the moment, seeing the light we bring to those we interact with and serve.  It's the driving source for a lot of us - that end product, end result, that euphoric feeling that seems to tell us it's all worthwhile.

Then, the next time that circumstance or activity comes around, one of two scenarios unfolds.   The first is as it should be: focus in the preparation, joy in the research and satisfaction that the job is or will be done well.  Yet, there is that other side of the coin . . .

I know you've been there.  Anxiety, anger, frustration, distraction. .. it seems like nothing is getting done, let alone the one task you embarked upon.  But, there is something driving you on to complete it any way, regardless of how late you stay up or how many times you have to reinstall the printer software. . . .

So, what is the difference?  Can both scenarios be born out of a true calling on our lives?  Could both be one of our choosing or could it be that only one of those is truly where we're supposed to be?

The line is often blurred because stress can be an incredible motivator, if, however, it's the right kind of stress.  Right kind of stress?  What do I mean?  Well, good stress moves you towards challenges that will refine you, grow you, teach you.  Bad stress. . . well, results in bad outcomes.  Physical, mental and emotional exhaustion, not to mention wasted time and money along with a myriad of other resources that may have been employed to get that one last thing finished. . .

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not saying that all negative situations are necessarily bad and not within the scope of your calling.  However, that being said, I would ask you to consider that so many of the things we believe we are "called" to do  are merely the things we choose to do in rebellion against that which we should be doing.  Clear as mud?  I thought so, too.

I believe each of us has a calling - a God calling on our lives.  We probably have more than one, and when they are revealed, we must prioritize them (more on that in a future post).  What I am learning is that not all things I love to do are my calling and not all things I am called to do are things that I love.  That's a real dilemma, in my eyes.  It's a war between the two kingdoms, the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness.  I want to love my calling.  I want what God wants in and for my life.  The problem I run into is that my self-righteous pride gets in the way and causes me much more heartache and stress that is necessary.  Sometimes I "just don't wanna" do what I'm supposed to do.  I've always got something else I'd rather be doing.  But, if I truly want to honor God and the calling(s) He's placed on my life, I've got some growing up to do!  I need to stop relying on my own laurels (or lack thereof) and trust that God has the best in store for me regardless of how I perceive it.  You've heard that old adage, "if He brings you to it, He'll bring you through it?"  Well, there may be something to that.

Our calling should be one that bears the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self control (Galatians 5:22-23).  If it brings us anxiety, stress, anger, bitterness, frustration or the like, we might just be doing it our way and not God's (there's a high probability of that!)!

"Therefore, brothers, try even harder to make your being called and chosen a certainty. For if you keep doing this, you will never stumble. Thus you will be generously supplied with everything you need to enter the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah." (2 Peter 1:10, Complete Jewish Bible)

Even when we are uncertain, we can seek out the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and ask for peace and clarity.  God's calling isn't supposed to be stressful!  Challenging?  Yes!  Stretching?  Yes!  But, stressful to the point of causing you to be so distracted and caught up in it all that you can't see the forest for the trees?  Not at all!

We won't always understand our calling right away.  As a matter of fact, I've had to ask God to help me understand a few things.  By His grace, I have begun to understand more as of late than in times past.  God doesn't owe me an explanation, though, and if I have to follow in blind obedience, then so be it.  After all, we do walk by faith and not by sight, don't we? (2 Corinthians 5:7)

So, the time has come to ask ourselves, is what I am doing what I am truly called by God to do or do I just think I've been called?  Even if they are all good things, there is a time and a place for us to be involved.  We don't have to do it all.  God will bring the right person to that position when we are obedient, lay down our pride and walk away.  It may not become evident right away, but seek God and trust Him to reveal His perfect plan, in His perfect timing.  He knows what He's doing.  And the cool thing about that is we don't have to know.  We just have to trust and obey.

Paul  said it more than once, and if anyone knew about being called, Paul did:

"Therefore I, the prisoner united with the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called. (Ephesians 4:1, Complete Jewish Bible, emphasis mine)

"Therefore, from the day we heard of it, we have not stopped praying for you, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all the wisdom and understanding which the Spirit gives; so that you may live lives worthy of the Lord and entirely pleasing to him, being fruitful in every good work and multiplying in the full knowledge of God. We pray that you will be continually strengthened with all the power that comes from his glorious might; so that you will be able to persevere and be patient in any situation, joyfully giving thanks to the Father for having made you fit to share in the inheritance of his people in the light. He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son." (Colossians 1:9-13, Complete Jewish Bible, emphasis mine)

And don't forget, God doesn't just call the equipped.  He equips the called.  There are so many examples of this truth in the Word - Moses, Rahab, Esther, David, and all the Disciples, just to mention a few.  We are all unworthy.  Instead of being so hard on ourselves, perhaps it's time to take a look in the mirror and ask God to show us what He sees.  Chance are we'll like His view better than our own.