Whose Side Are You On?

When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai,

he sent back this answer:

'Do not think that because you are in the kings' house you alone of all the Jews will escape.

For if you remain silent at this time,

relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise 

from another place,

but you and your father's family will perish.

And who knows but that you have come to your 

royal position for such a time as this?'"

Esther 4:12-14

Relief would come.  Protection would arise.  Deliverance would occur.  God faithfully hears the cries of His people.  The only question that remained was this:  Would Esther be a part of what God was doing?

It is the same with me today.  God has a plan and He is always at work to progress His purpose.  In the end, when His perfect design unfolds, will I be found faithful to Him, or will I be on the sidelines, cowering in fear?

The choice is mine.

Silence.  It's easy for me to want to stay out of the fray, to avoid the conflict at all cost, to keep from getting caught up in the controversy.  In an effort to keep the peace, I stay silent.  Refusing to get involved in the struggle for righteousness in a world that is drawn to the unrighteous, to keep the Light within to myself as the darkness creeps closer and closer, to remain quiet even when the voices of deceit grow louder and stronger, I am not staying neutral as is my intent.

Inaction when action is called for is a vote against God (Matthew 12:30).  In an attempt to preserve my reputation or to avoid escalating the conflict, I am actually choosing to oppose God.  As a follower of Christ who is the salt of the world, I am called to stand firm in what I've learned in the faith, to be strong and courageous, tempering it all with love (1 Corinthians 16:13-14). 

This doesn't mean that I'm a vigilante who seeks justice wherever I go, but that when God presents an opportunity to join in with His unpopular work in a world that desperately needs His love and salvation, I can participate.  My attempt to stay neutral ends up placing me on the wrong side of history.

Keeping silent when speaking up is called for is a choice to stay out of God's unfolding plan.

Fear.  There is much to worry about in this dark world.  Fear, however, is not from God (2 Timothy 1:7).  He did not place me where I now find myself so I could cower in the corner, afraid to speak up.  His plan does not include my attempts to preserve my safety, my reputation or my way of life.  I am not here, in this place and time, so that I can hunker down until Jesus comes again.

No!  I am called to enter the battle, to interject into the fray, to live as salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16).  What good is salt, however, that has lost it potency, its salty quality?  How would a lamp hidden under a bowl do anyone any good?  

Thanks to God's Spirit living within me, I'm bold and powerful, able to tear down strongholds and render the most influential argument as foolish (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).  His Spirit gives me a calm spirit in the face of danger as I let Him fight the battle through me.  The perfect love that urges me forward drives out any fear that lurks in my heart (1 John 4:8).

Letting fear rule my life won't succeed in preserving myself as is my intention but only succeeds in placing me in a position that is against God and His plan.

Denial.  I'm pretty good at ignoring God's still, quiet voice (1 Kings 19:11-13).  It's easy to pretend I don't know what He wants me to do.  Living in such a way, however, does not release me from liability.  I will one day stand before Him and give account for my choices (1 Corinthians 5:9-10).

Since I, as a follower of Christ, has been given gifts to use in service, opportunities to share the Gospel, and purposes for every situation in which I find myself, I must not see myself as a victim who has been dealt a crummy hand (Matthew 25:14-30).  God has a beautiful tapestry He is weaving out of my life, and every thread that seems difficult, hurtful or agonizing at the time, is actually an integral part of the masterpiece that is my life.  Therefore, I don't have to think of my calling as something to avoid, but I can embrace it with passion as I realize how God is using it for my good and His glory.  I will never be sorry that I responded to His gentle appeal for me to join in with what He is doing around me.

Pretending I don't know what God wants me to do does not absolve me of responsibility and places me in a position opposing God.

Many are suffering all around me but it's easy to turn a blind eye.  When God brings something to my attention, however, my silence, fear, and denial do not keep me neutral, safe and free of obligation.  Instead, refusing to speak out, letting fear drive my actions, and pretending I don't know what God wants me to do not only robs me of the blessing that comes from obedience but also places me on the side that is fighting against Him.  I can't get my way and follow God at the same time.  I must decide whose side I am on and act accordingly.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can remember my inaction is a choice against God.

When do I feign ignorance when I know full well what God wants of me?

How do I make it a habit to choose not to get involved? 

          

Stealing Praise

“I am the LORD; that is my name!
   I will not yield my glory to another
   or my praise to idols."

Isaiah 42:8

No one can argue that Oprah is an influential woman.  Many turn to her for guidance and advice, even if its only to learn about her latest "favorite thing", or to know what they should read while on vacation. Her position as advisor to the people only makes the following that much more alarming.  America's favorite girlfriend and talk show host has long been promoting a worldview that is counter to a Christ-centered belief, and she advocates more of a self-centered spirituality.  Back in her late 20s, Oprah started to question her Christian beliefs and the idea that God is a jealous God, a God who expects to be first in our lives, above all things.  She was sitting in church, listening to a sermon, and she thought,  "How can this God who is all loving and all powerful, why would God be jealous of me?"*   Completely misunderstanding the character of God, she then left the faith of her childhood and began a quest of New Age spirituality.

Influence  What makes this so alarming is that Oprah is trusted by so many.  I wouldn't be surprised if she is responsible for leading more people away from the truth of the gospel than any other person in history.  But why are we so willing to accept her ungodly philosophy?  Maybe we don't really understand the character of God for ourselves.  What does it mean for God to be a jealous God?

God is not jealous of me.  Rather, He is jealous for me.  We find this teaching smack in the center of the second commandment, where God is commanding us to hold nothing in importance above Him.  "You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods."  (Exodus 20:5 NLT)   He is a God who expects to be given his proper place above all things.  He deserves to have the first place in my affections, my thoughts, my agenda and in the way I spend my time.  

God needs nothing from me.  He has a plan and doesn't need me to carry it out.  Mordecai knew this characteristic of God, as he illustrated when advising his niece, Queen Esther.  The Jewish people were in danger of being annihilated at the hand of the evil Hamman.  And Esther, as the wife of the King, was in a position to do something about it.  So he said to her, ". . . if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)  In other words, if Esther didn't step up to the plate, God's plan would still go forth but Esther would not be a part of that plan.  God did not need Esther to carry out His plan.  And He does not need you and me, either. 

God's plan is all about Him.  When the people of Israel were held in bondage under Pharaoh in Egypt, God's plan was to use Moses to release them from their misery.  God used plagues and miracles in the process of releasing them from slavery and leading them toward the promised land.  Many times He stated the reason for these shows of power were so that, "you may know that the earth is the Lord's" (Exodus 9:29) or that, " you may know that I am the Lord." (Exodus 10:2) Years later, under the reign of Ahab, the evil king of Israel, God was all about bring glory to His name.  Ahab was given a chance to see this truth when God sent a prophet to deliver a message of military success so that, "you will know that I am the Lord." (I Kings 20:13).  Everything God does is to draw attention to His might, power and glory. Who am I, the created being, to steal glory from the Creator, even in thinking that it was my hard work or cleverness that brought about my success?   

All Good is From God, Not from Me!  If this world is all about God, created for God and by God, why do I have such a hard time giving God the glory and honor which is rightfully His?   I am quick to take the credit or accept compliments and praise for all kinds of good things in my life, thus stealing praise from God.  It is easy to believe others' compliments instead of giving credit where credit is due.  I must remember that, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights." (James 1:17a)

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I would let nothing steal praise away from the Lord my God.

Where am I taking credit for something that God did in my life?

How am I putting other things, thoughts or activities in a position of higher importance, above God?

*Oprah's quote from:  http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Finding-Your-Spiritual-Path-Webcast-Transcript/6#ixzz1ezwxWdMH