“For this purpose I have been sent.” Lk 4:43 NKJV
After going home to a cool reception Jesus said, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own home town” (Mk 6:4 TLB). In other places He was considered a hero, but not here. “His family…thought he was out of his mind” (Mk 3:21 NCV). So how did Jesus handle His family?
It’s worth noting that He didn’t try to control their behavior, nor did He let their behavior control His. He loved them, but He didn’t demand that they always agree with Him. He didn’t sulk or retaliate when they insulted Him. And He didn’t make it His mission in life to try and please them. If your family is making it difficult for you to serve the Lord, observe three things about Jesus: (1) He recognized that His spiritual family could provide what His physical family didn’t. That’s why we need the support and stability that comes from the fellowship in a local church. (2) He didn’t let the difficult dynamic of family overshadow His call from God. Your family may not understand or agree, but you can’t let that keep you from doing what God’s called you to do. (3) He refused to let the opinion of the crowd dictate His direction. The whole town of Capernaum “tried to keep Him from leaving them” (Lk 4:42 NKJV). But He resisted the undertow of people by anchoring to the rock of His purpose: to build God’s kingdom, not His own. Imagine the whole town wanting you to stay, and leaving. Could all those people be wrong? Yes! Jesus followed the will of God. And you must too.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Making the tough calls
“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.” Ps 118:6 NKJV
All the heroes of the Bible were flawed. And dispositionally, they were as different as chalk and cheese. But they’d one thing in common: they were willing to make the tough calls. Observe: (1) Tough calls demand risk. When the Soviet Union overran and annexed Latvia in 1940, the U.S. Vice Consul in Riga was concerned that the American Red Cross supplies in that city would be looted. To guard against it he requested permission from the State Department in Washington, D.C. to place an American flag above the Red Cross to deter anyone from taking the supplies. “No precedent exists for such action,” the Secretary of State’s Office cabled back. When the Vice Consul received the message he climbed up and personally nailed the American flag to the pole, then he cabled the State Department: “As of this date, I have established precedent.” (2) Tough calls require character. Chuck Swindoll writes: “Courage is not limited to the battlefield or the Indianapolis 500 or bravely catching a thief in your house. The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are the inner tests, like remaining faithful when nobody’s looking, like enduring pain when the room is empty, like standing alone when you’re misunderstood.” Whether you lead a family, a business or a church, the temptation to complain comes easy. Thank God for the tough times. They’re the reason you’re there – to be the leader. If everything was going well you wouldn’t be needed. When the tough calls must be made, your confidence can be found in these words: “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.”
All the heroes of the Bible were flawed. And dispositionally, they were as different as chalk and cheese. But they’d one thing in common: they were willing to make the tough calls. Observe: (1) Tough calls demand risk. When the Soviet Union overran and annexed Latvia in 1940, the U.S. Vice Consul in Riga was concerned that the American Red Cross supplies in that city would be looted. To guard against it he requested permission from the State Department in Washington, D.C. to place an American flag above the Red Cross to deter anyone from taking the supplies. “No precedent exists for such action,” the Secretary of State’s Office cabled back. When the Vice Consul received the message he climbed up and personally nailed the American flag to the pole, then he cabled the State Department: “As of this date, I have established precedent.” (2) Tough calls require character. Chuck Swindoll writes: “Courage is not limited to the battlefield or the Indianapolis 500 or bravely catching a thief in your house. The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are the inner tests, like remaining faithful when nobody’s looking, like enduring pain when the room is empty, like standing alone when you’re misunderstood.” Whether you lead a family, a business or a church, the temptation to complain comes easy. Thank God for the tough times. They’re the reason you’re there – to be the leader. If everything was going well you wouldn’t be needed. When the tough calls must be made, your confidence can be found in these words: “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.”
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Correct your child
“A father corrects a child in whom he delights.” Pr 3:12 NLT
You’re destroying your child’s motivation and self-esteem when you allow them to think they don’t have to work for anything because it’s “owed” to them. The story’s told of a telemarketer who phoned a house, saying: “I’d like to talk to the person who makes the final purchasing decisions for the family.” The woman replied, “I’m sorry, that person is still at kindergarten and won’t be home for another hour.” Cute story, but not so cute when it’s reality. Parent, love your child, provide them with opportunity and a secure home environment, but teach them to be responsible. This sounds like a no-brainer; so why don’t we do it?
(1) Misguided love. We say, “My kids shouldn’t have to struggle like I did.” Your children interpret that kind of indulgence as lack of interest; you taking the easy way out. As a result their demands increase because what they’re really saying is, “I don’t really want more stuff, I want you!” (2) Low expectations. As a parent you owe your children a chance to excel in life. Don’t rob them of the fulfillment that comes from working hard to improve their grades, clean their room and earn their way. (3) Guilt. We all feel bad about not spending enough time with our kids, or having failed them. One sixteen-year-old told her dad that he “owed” her a car. And she got it! Why? Because her parents were divorced and Dad felt bad about “letting her down.” Don’t try to buy your child’s affection, you’ll only end up paying later. God corrects His children – you need to correct yours!
You’re destroying your child’s motivation and self-esteem when you allow them to think they don’t have to work for anything because it’s “owed” to them. The story’s told of a telemarketer who phoned a house, saying: “I’d like to talk to the person who makes the final purchasing decisions for the family.” The woman replied, “I’m sorry, that person is still at kindergarten and won’t be home for another hour.” Cute story, but not so cute when it’s reality. Parent, love your child, provide them with opportunity and a secure home environment, but teach them to be responsible. This sounds like a no-brainer; so why don’t we do it?
(1) Misguided love. We say, “My kids shouldn’t have to struggle like I did.” Your children interpret that kind of indulgence as lack of interest; you taking the easy way out. As a result their demands increase because what they’re really saying is, “I don’t really want more stuff, I want you!” (2) Low expectations. As a parent you owe your children a chance to excel in life. Don’t rob them of the fulfillment that comes from working hard to improve their grades, clean their room and earn their way. (3) Guilt. We all feel bad about not spending enough time with our kids, or having failed them. One sixteen-year-old told her dad that he “owed” her a car. And she got it! Why? Because her parents were divorced and Dad felt bad about “letting her down.” Don’t try to buy your child’s affection, you’ll only end up paying later. God corrects His children – you need to correct yours!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Are you running from God? (2)
“The word…came to Jonah the second time.” Jnh 3:1 NKJV
Jonah did some serious praying in the whale’s belly; he repented of his prejudice and learned to love people he despised. It was there he became willing to preach things people don’t like to hear. And you’ll notice something else. God didn’t intervene until he repented. Most of us want God to move before we’ve moved. No, Jonah acted, then God responded; He commanded the fish and it vomited Jonah up onto dry land, whereupon the runaway prophet asked for directions to Ninevah. Sometimes because of our rebellious spirit we don’t get it right until the next marriage. Sometimes because of our rebellious spirit we don’t get it right until we’re fifty. Sometimes because of our rebellious spirit we don’t overcome our addiction until later, although we could have overcome it sooner. Like Jonah we have to go to the bottom. But whatever it takes, God will do it. You can go to Ninevah yourself, or God can take you there. But it’s easier to obey the first time.
Jonah’s story proves that the Lord is a God of second chances. “The word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time.” Good news: Even though you’ve run from God, made ‘shipwreck’ of your life and feel like you’re drowning, God will redeem and restore you if you’ll turn to Him. He will give you a second chance in your marriage, your ministry or your vocation. But there’s one condition – God is not going to change His mind to accommodate what you want, so you need to change your mind and attitude and do what He says, okay?
Jonah did some serious praying in the whale’s belly; he repented of his prejudice and learned to love people he despised. It was there he became willing to preach things people don’t like to hear. And you’ll notice something else. God didn’t intervene until he repented. Most of us want God to move before we’ve moved. No, Jonah acted, then God responded; He commanded the fish and it vomited Jonah up onto dry land, whereupon the runaway prophet asked for directions to Ninevah. Sometimes because of our rebellious spirit we don’t get it right until the next marriage. Sometimes because of our rebellious spirit we don’t get it right until we’re fifty. Sometimes because of our rebellious spirit we don’t overcome our addiction until later, although we could have overcome it sooner. Like Jonah we have to go to the bottom. But whatever it takes, God will do it. You can go to Ninevah yourself, or God can take you there. But it’s easier to obey the first time.
Jonah’s story proves that the Lord is a God of second chances. “The word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time.” Good news: Even though you’ve run from God, made ‘shipwreck’ of your life and feel like you’re drowning, God will redeem and restore you if you’ll turn to Him. He will give you a second chance in your marriage, your ministry or your vocation. But there’s one condition – God is not going to change His mind to accommodate what you want, so you need to change your mind and attitude and do what He says, okay?
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Are you running from God? (1)
“Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish.” Jnh 1:3 NKJV
Ninevah was about 550 miles east of Jonah. Tarshish was 2500 miles west of him. Rather than go 550 miles in God’s will, Jonah decided to go 2500 miles out of it. Ever do that? God says, “Go here,” but you go there. The bad news is, you not only have to come back the 2500 miles you went in the wrong direction, but the 550 miles God told you to go in the first place. Furthermore, whenever you run from God, you get to pay the fare. “He…found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare” (v.3 NKJV). The good thing about going to Ninevah is, God will provide the fare. The bad thing about going to Tarshish is, you get to pick up the tab. Many of us are paying a high price for our Tarshish trip, when, if we had done it God’s way, He’d have picked up the tab. And notice something else: when you disobey God you not only mess yourself up, but also those around you. Those poor sailors on the ship didn’t ask for Jonah’s mess, but they got it. Are you messing up the lives of others because of your rebellion? Think about it; if the wind, the sea and the whale had to obey God, what were Jonah’s chances of escaping? Jonah didn’t rebound until he got swallowed, and some of us are not going to do the right thing until we are swallowed too – until God permits circumstances so adverse that running to Him, instead of from Him, is the only thing left. Is God saying something to you today?
Ninevah was about 550 miles east of Jonah. Tarshish was 2500 miles west of him. Rather than go 550 miles in God’s will, Jonah decided to go 2500 miles out of it. Ever do that? God says, “Go here,” but you go there. The bad news is, you not only have to come back the 2500 miles you went in the wrong direction, but the 550 miles God told you to go in the first place. Furthermore, whenever you run from God, you get to pay the fare. “He…found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare” (v.3 NKJV). The good thing about going to Ninevah is, God will provide the fare. The bad thing about going to Tarshish is, you get to pick up the tab. Many of us are paying a high price for our Tarshish trip, when, if we had done it God’s way, He’d have picked up the tab. And notice something else: when you disobey God you not only mess yourself up, but also those around you. Those poor sailors on the ship didn’t ask for Jonah’s mess, but they got it. Are you messing up the lives of others because of your rebellion? Think about it; if the wind, the sea and the whale had to obey God, what were Jonah’s chances of escaping? Jonah didn’t rebound until he got swallowed, and some of us are not going to do the right thing until we are swallowed too – until God permits circumstances so adverse that running to Him, instead of from Him, is the only thing left. Is God saying something to you today?
Monday, November 16, 2009
Forgive them, and let it go
“Forgive whatever grievances you may have.” Col 3:13 NIV
We talk about grudges the way we talk about babies. You can hold a grudge, carry a grudge, bear a grudge, or nurse a grudge. The trouble is, when you nurse something you feed it, make it grow, and pretty soon it’s full grown. Are you carrying a grudge? Why? It doesn’t make sense. Why would you pick up something each day that weighs you down and carry it around with you? “But they hurt me.” Yes, but by carrying a grudge you enable them to keep hurting you. Don’t do that to yourself!
We know we’re supposed to forgive other people, but sometimes forgiving feels like we are giving up something. One of Lincoln’s stories was about a man on his sickbed who had been told by the doctor that he didn’t have much time to live. He summoned an old friend named Brown with whom he’d quarreled bitterly. They hadn’t spoken for years. The man talked of how he was going to die soon, of how their petty differences looked in the face of death, and asked if they might be reconciled. The scene moved everyone in the room to tears. Brown clasped the dying man’s hands, embraced him, and turned to walk out of the room, a shattered man. Suddenly the man on the sickbed, having one final thought, raised himself up on one elbow and spoke for the last time: “But see here, Brown; if I recover, the old grudge still stands.” This story makes us smile and think, “How foolish!” But if you are carrying a grudge, are you any different?
We talk about grudges the way we talk about babies. You can hold a grudge, carry a grudge, bear a grudge, or nurse a grudge. The trouble is, when you nurse something you feed it, make it grow, and pretty soon it’s full grown. Are you carrying a grudge? Why? It doesn’t make sense. Why would you pick up something each day that weighs you down and carry it around with you? “But they hurt me.” Yes, but by carrying a grudge you enable them to keep hurting you. Don’t do that to yourself!
We know we’re supposed to forgive other people, but sometimes forgiving feels like we are giving up something. One of Lincoln’s stories was about a man on his sickbed who had been told by the doctor that he didn’t have much time to live. He summoned an old friend named Brown with whom he’d quarreled bitterly. They hadn’t spoken for years. The man talked of how he was going to die soon, of how their petty differences looked in the face of death, and asked if they might be reconciled. The scene moved everyone in the room to tears. Brown clasped the dying man’s hands, embraced him, and turned to walk out of the room, a shattered man. Suddenly the man on the sickbed, having one final thought, raised himself up on one elbow and spoke for the last time: “But see here, Brown; if I recover, the old grudge still stands.” This story makes us smile and think, “How foolish!” But if you are carrying a grudge, are you any different?
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Work on the inner you (3)
“The inward man is being renewed day by day.” 2Co 4:16 NKJV
Be grateful for the outer you. Make peace with it. Rejoice in its strengths. Accept its limitations. Let it work hard. Be happy when it gets promoted. But remember, it’s wasting away. The inner you, on the other hand, is capable of a glory you can’t even imagine. “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1Jn 3:2-3 NKJV). Make your biggest investment in the thing that will last.
We have scales and mirrors and tape measures to track the development of our outer selves. But how can we track the well-being of the part of us that will last? This may look a little different for each of us, but here are a few mirrors and scales and tape measures that will help you get started: (1) Self-examination and confession. (2) Friends who love you enough to speak the truth to you. (3) Time to be alone and listen to God. (4) Time spent in the Scriptures, renewing your mind. (5) Examination of your calendar and your checkbook. (6) Questions such as: How easily discouraged do I get these days? How easily irritated am I compared to six months ago? (7) Attention to your thought life. What’s your mind drawn toward? Where does envy, blaming, judging or lusting rob you of life and joy? Come on, get serious; work on the inner you!
Be grateful for the outer you. Make peace with it. Rejoice in its strengths. Accept its limitations. Let it work hard. Be happy when it gets promoted. But remember, it’s wasting away. The inner you, on the other hand, is capable of a glory you can’t even imagine. “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1Jn 3:2-3 NKJV). Make your biggest investment in the thing that will last.
We have scales and mirrors and tape measures to track the development of our outer selves. But how can we track the well-being of the part of us that will last? This may look a little different for each of us, but here are a few mirrors and scales and tape measures that will help you get started: (1) Self-examination and confession. (2) Friends who love you enough to speak the truth to you. (3) Time to be alone and listen to God. (4) Time spent in the Scriptures, renewing your mind. (5) Examination of your calendar and your checkbook. (6) Questions such as: How easily discouraged do I get these days? How easily irritated am I compared to six months ago? (7) Attention to your thought life. What’s your mind drawn toward? Where does envy, blaming, judging or lusting rob you of life and joy? Come on, get serious; work on the inner you!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
