The Result of Negligence

"My sons, do not be negligent now,

for the LORD has chosen you to stand 

before him and serve him,

to minister before him and to burn incense."

2 Chronicles 29:11

The Levites had forsaken their temple duties.  As a result, there was nowhere for the people to offer sacrifices and find God's forgiveness.  In response, King Hezekiah exhorted them to return to their calling.

I, too, have forsaken my purpose in many ways.  How can I refresh this calling on my life?  After all, I am chosen for more than this.  

Presence.  He gave up everything to deliver it.  This sacrifice ended with the ultimate giving of Himself.  As if it weren't enough to humble himself to the point of entering into His own creation as a lowly man, He went so far as to offer Himself as the final, perfect sacrifice.  In so doing, the veil that existed between a holy God and the people He loves was permanently torn, offering an opportunity for all to enter into His presence.

Since Jesus went through so much so that I can boldly approach the throne of grace, why do I so often choose to stand alone in life (Hebrews 4:14-16)?  My heart hurts when I am tossed aside as if I don't matter, treated like dirt or trampled on.  Instead of casting all my burdens upon Him, I attempt to carry them myself (1 Peter 5:6-7).  

Sometimes I feel so unworthy, noticing all the ways I fall short and thinking that defines me.  As a result, I tend to avoid the God who treasures the bond we share, turning away from His piercing eyes.  When I do so, I am forgetting how the blood of Jesus transforms my identity into a forgiven child who is always welcomed by my heavenly Father, no matter how I feel (Isaiah 1:18,1 John 3:1, John 1:12).

Other times I buy into the idea that God helps me only if I make a sincere effort to solve my own problems, work toward my own deliverance, or attempt to provide for myself (Psalm 46:1).  Unfortunately, I end up minimizing the sacrifice Jesus made in order to deliver me into His kingdom where I have a Father who has a plan for my life, is powerful enough to save me from any danger, and is faithful to give me all that I need (Jeremiah 29:11,Psalm 46:1,Matthew 6:31-33).

When I'm negligent in my calling as a precious child of God, I miss out on all the benefits of dwelling in His presence.

Minister.  He came not to condemn, but to save the world (John 3:17).  He was drawn to the weak, the overlooked, the forgotten (John 5:1-9, Luke 8:43-48).  His love drove Him to reach out to those society shunned (Luke 19:1-10, Matthew 8:1-4).

As one who is saved from certain death and ushered into an eternal kingdom by the blood of Jesus, I am called to do the same as my namesake (John 14:12-14).  Through Jesus, I see those the world walks on by.  Instead of joining in, I stop and take notice, showing love to the homeless man digging through the garbage, or the child abandoned by his parents, or the elderly wasting away in a forgotten corner of the home.  Because of Jesus in me, I am drawn to the hurting, going toward the pain and advancing when everyone else retreats.

When I am negligent in my calling to love, I rob the world of the compassion and charity of God it so desperately needs.

Offerings.  "Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me."  I've heard this saying enough to take on the meaning behind it as the gospel truth.  In fact, if I've lived in the world for any amount of time, I realize this is its mantra.  Forgiveness is a rare commodity in such an environment.

While the world says to guard myself against others' behavior, Jesus taught the opposite.  In His economy, extending mercy is more important than protecting my rights.  Offering forgiveness surpasses the tendency to guard against being taken advantage of.  Showing grace is better than sticking up for myself.

Sometimes, I am the conduit through which the forgiveness of God flows into the cold, hard world.  If I fail to forgive as I have been forgiven, my neighbor may never taste such a rarity.  If I don't let go of the way I've been hurt, my accuser may never experience the kindness of God which is so foreign to him.  If I insist on standing up for myself, my opponent may never see what it's like to be accepted right where she is, in the middle of her sin.

When I am negligent in my calling to forgive, I fail to model the mercy and grace on which I depend.

In the same way that the Levites negligence effected the entire nation of Judah, my own disregard for my calling as a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ has a ripple effect on myself and those around me.  When I fail to dwell in God's presence, minister to a hurting world, and provide offerings of God's mercy and grace, the consequences are far-reaching.  I am called to more than just an existence.  I am called to be Jesus to a world who needs Him.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can dwell in God's presence.

When do I attempt to do things in my own strength instead of letting God provide what I need?

How do I withhold the very grace and mercy upon which I depend?

The Plague of Doubt

". . .the angel said to him: 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah; 

your prayer has been heard.

Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,

and you are to give him the name John. . .'

Zechariah asked the angel, 'How can I be sure of this?

I am an old man and my wife is well along in years?'

The angel answered, 'I am Gabriel.

I stand in the presence of God, 

and I have been sent to speak to you

and to tell you this good news.

And now you will be silent and not able to speak

until the day this happens,

because you did not believe my words, 

which will come true at their proper time.'"

Luke 1:13, 18-20

I remember when my oldest daughter was 4-years old.  She was always a chatterbox, but when she came into the age of inquisition, she became an interrogator worthy of the CIA or FBI.

"Come on, honey, it's time for me to give you and your sisters a bath."

"Why?"

"Because you're dirty and it's almost time for bed.  It's nice to go to bed clean."

"Why?"

"So you won't get the sheets dirty."

"Why?"

"Because then I'll need to wash the linens and I'd rather not make so much work for myself."

"Why?"

"Because I already have enough to do, now come on and gather up your sister's pajamas and let's head into the bathroom."

"Why, Mommy?"

"Because I said so!"

Preschoolers are naturally curious, constantly seeking to learn about the world around them.  I, too, tend to want to know why things are a certain way or what makes someone do what they do. There's nothing wrong with a healthy interest in what makes things tick.  Take Mary, for instance.  When the same angel that visited Zechariah showed up in her presence, Gabriel gave her some astounding news: you are going to have a baby named Jesus who will grow up to be some kind of ruler over a never-ending kingdom and will even be called the Son of the Most High. (Luke 1:26-38)

Mary accepted this shocking news but showed a simple curiosity in how it would all come about since she wasn't married.  How would she become pregnant; how was God going to bring this about?  There was no question as to whether this event would happen, just an interest in how it would occur.

Zechariah, on the other hand, questioned the accuracy of this message and God's ability to bring it to pass.  To make his point, he called attention to the old age of he and his wife.  

Curiosity is not discouraged by God; only doubt.  I am reminded in Hebrews 11:6, that without faith, or the ability to believe something will happen, it is impossible to please God.  

But I am prone to doubt, just like Zechariah.  His experience reminds me that there are consequences for my doubt.  Thankfully, my doubt will not stop the will of God.  Just as God's promise still came to pass in the form of a baby named John, God's purpose will always go forth. (Isaiah 14:26-27)  The only question is: Will I be a part of it, or will I be watching from the sidelines, mute and paralyzed by fear and disbelief?

God's Sovereignty

My husband and I owned a tandem bike for a period of time.  It was difficult for me to ride in back while he controlled the handlebars and brakes.  Donald decided in which direction to go and when it was time to stop.  If we rode down a hill, only he could slow it down.  In a nutshell, my husband had all the control and I had none.

This is kind of how it is with me and God.  He decides the direction my life will take, how fast I need to go, when it's time for a bumpy ride and when I need to stop for a rest.  This is His world and He's in control.

The problem is, I possess this desire to know my own future.  I want to know the details of what's coming up ahead.  When I give into this desire, I attempt to figure out what is happening and what I think will be the expected outcome.  I analyze all the possible angles, coming up with solutions for each scenario.  I spend a lot of time thinking about the issues at hand.  Much to my dismay, the reality is that this is the definition of "worry."

When I doubt God's ability to lead me well and hesitate to give Him control, I fall into an anxious heap.  Jesus said not to go after our needs or to try to orchestrate the details of my life because God knows what I need.  Instead, He said to, "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things (all my needs) will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow  will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."  (Matthew 6:32-34)

Worry and anxiety is a sign that I'm not trusting God's sovereignty and His ability to lead me well.  

If I want to avoid the plague of doubt when it comes to God's control over my life, I must learn to trust Him enough to place everything in His capable hands.  (Philippians 4:4-7)

God's Calling

God asked the impossible from a man who doubted.  He wondered how God could possibly use a reject like him to deliver such an important message to His people.  What if they didn't listen?  What if they didn't believe him?  What if he couldn't get the words out?  Who am I to do something so big?

The question is not, as Rafiki of the Lion King asked Simba, "who are you?"  Rather, the inquiry I should constantly make is, "who is God?"  You see, God's calling on my life has nothing to do with me.  It isn't dependent upon my abilities, gifts or desires.  Instead, it is about God and His ability.

When Moses asked God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"  God's reply was, "I will be with you."  (Exodus 3:11-12)

In the same way, when God places a burden on my heart for the hurting and downtrodden in my own neighborhood, but I'm afraid I won't be able to do the job, I can remember that God is with me.

Or when God convicts me to teach a Bible study despite my lack of degree in Bible teaching, I can take heart that God is with me.

Or when God inclines my heart toward the people of a third-world country even though I've always hated to travel, I will gain courage from the fact that God is with me.  It's not up to me.

The anecdote to doubt in the face of God's calling is to remember that God is with me and He will accomplish what He set out to do.

God's Plan

Clouds are looming on the horizon.  My way seems dark with no way out.  Voices laugh tauntingly as I continue down the path that seems destined for doom.  Should I continue on the way my Master pointed?  I wonder as my foot falls in a pothole.  Is this the way He meant for me?  It seems wrong; filled with pain and suffering.  How can this be right?

Which way is God leading that seems risky or perhaps not something I would choose for myself?  When I read that the Lord said, "For I know the plans I have for you. . .plans to proper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future," it's easy for me to form a picture in my mind of what those plans may look like.  I see comfort, pleasure and fulfillment.  

Then reality sets in as the test from the doctor comes back positive, the daughter goes missing or the loved one moves on to someone else.  How can anything good come out of this?  

Just as God allowed hard things to enter Job's life in order to test his faith, sometimes God allows trials and difficulties in the same way.  Other times, God's plan includes working with people I don't like, doing I job I don't particularly enjoy, or sticking with a marriage that brings unhappiness.  

Living a life of faith devoid of doubt means I'll have to do as Solomon instructed in Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT.  "Trust in the LORD with all you heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."  

In order to stop doubting, I must trust God's plan as good, even when it seems bad.

Asking questions of God is not forbidden, but doubting whether He is really in control of all things, is calling me to do something big or even small, or has a plan for my life comes at a price.  To fight the plague of doubt, I'll have to place my life in His hands, remember that He equips the called, and that His plan is good no matter how it looks to me.  Then I will avoid the consequences that come with disbelief and be able to say as Mary did, "I am the Lord's servant.  . .May it be to me as you have said."  (Luke 1:38)

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God with my whole heart and let go of the fear that holds me back.

When do I let my own insecurities hold me back from answering God's calling?

How do I judge a hard thing as not from God?

  

Joy

"And see, now I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem,

not knowing the things that will happen to me there,

except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city,

saying that chains and tribulations await me.

But none of these things move me;

nor do I count my life dear to myself,

so that I may finish my race with joy,

and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus,

to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

Acts 20:22-24 NKJV

Birds flit outside my window, fluttering here and there throughout the tree in front of my house. Their happy songs float through the closed window where the cat sits as a hunter stalking his prey, tail flitting back and forth and chattering his excitement.  Watching the scene play out before me, I think that the Lord must be pleased seeing His creation doing what He created them to do.  They are living according to His plan for their lives.

I can please the Lord in the same way, by doing what He created me to do.  Each of us has a calling in this life; a specific ministry in which He has invited us to take part in.  Whatever that service happens to be, there are certain virtues which identify us as followers of Christ as opposed to a person doing good things for others out of human compassion.  

What sets us apart from the rest of the world?

Clothing

Many jobs require a certain dress code specific to the task required of the profession.  Medical personnel don white coats or scrubs, mechanics wear coveralls while police officers sport uniforms complete with badges and holsters.  

Ministry is no different.  God calls us to a certain line of service within our regular lives, but each of us is instructed to put on the same attire.  "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Colossians 3:12) 

Just as a uniform is usually supplied by the employer, so these virtues come from God as a result of submitting myself to Him.  Unlike the cat who naturally behaves in the way God created him to behave, I have the problem of sin to contend with.  

Either I can follow my sinful nature and act according to what comes naturally, or I can submit myself to God and let Him have His way in each situation.  When I let Him win out, the fruit of the Spirit develops, setting me apart from the rest of the world.

So when the doctor's office personnel inadvertently drop my appointment, frustration rises within me.  Then humility calls me to apologize for my huffy attitude, thus displaying the gospel through my actions.

I am set apart as a follower of Christ in the uniform I wear.

Manner

I live in a harsh, unforgiving world.  Garrison Keillor, host of The Prairie Home Companion, said, "What else will do except faith in such a cynical, corrupt time?  When the country goes temporarily to the dogs, cats must learn to be circumspect, walk on fences, sleep in trees, and have faith that all this woofing is not the last word."  

Just as cats know how to get around and live their lives as felines despite the presence of vicious canines, Christians need not become like the world in order to fit in.  Instead, I can work to forgive and let go of hurts in order that God be glorified.

For instance, if my focus is on defending my own rights, I will constantly be taking up for myself when someone steps on my toes or offends my liberties.  But if I take on the attitude like that of Christ Jesus, I will let offenses go, pardoning others' actions just as God forgave me.  

Carrying an unforgiving attitude shows how little I understand how much God forgave me.  He has pardoned me of all of my sins: past, present and future. 

The merciful attitude I carry through life is one of the greatest testimonies of God's forgiveness.  The apostle Paul exhorts me to, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."  (Ephesians 4:32)

I am set apart as a follower of Christ in the manner I bear.

Glue

I remember a worship song from the 70's based on John 13:35 called, "They will Know We are Christians by our Love."  It talks about our unity as believers and how our hallmark is to be love.  

Observing the state of the church today, I'm not sure I see much love as we fight over the color of the carpet in the sanctuary and the way the money should be spent.  These quarrels happen when I put my own interests above those of my brothers and sisters.  

To understand love, I can look to 1 Corinthians 13 where it tells me:

"Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.

Love doesn't strut,

Doesn't have a swelled head,

Doesn't force itself on others,

Isn't always 'me first,'

Doesn't fly off the handle,

Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn't revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end."

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 MSG

This love that comes from God is the glue that holds the whole package of my Christian life together.  

I am set apart as a follower of Christ in the glue that binds these virtues together in perfect unity and shows that God cares.

Joy comes not from living a life free from difficulties, but by living as God created me to live.  He calls me into a ministry where I must clothes myself with His uniform, exhibit a manner like the attitude of Jesus, and bind it all together with love.  

This is what pleases my Father in heaven and brings joy to my heart!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will remember to put on my uniform.

When do I tend to slip into an attitude of self-preservation or defending myself instead of forgiveness?

How often do things fall apart because I forgot to use the glue of love to hold it all together?