Spot On With The Word

We live in a fast-paced world. Something or someone is always vying for our attention. If we are not careful, we may become victims of the tyranny of the urgent. It may not even be our urgency. It is both necessary and healthy for us to periodically evaluate, what we may need to eliminate from our lives. All requests are not valid. All battles were not meant for us to fight. Every relationship is not meant for us. Every ministry opportunity is not congruent with our calling. We are allotted twenty-four hours in a day. It is important that we learn to eliminate whatever is not beneficial to our emotional, spiritual, mental and physical well-being. That may require courage. We may not be understood. We may have to set boundaries.

There is a difference between making a judgment and passing judgment. Every day we are placed in situations and circumstances that require us to evaluate and then make a choice. It is necessary that we are appropriately discerning about incoming data. It is a mark of maturity to use wisdom and discretion. When scripture admonishes us not to judge, it means that we should not pass sentence. Cruel and hurtful words have consequences. God is the only righteous judge. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God sees the heart. He knows the reasons why an individual behaves in a certain way. That is why He is long-suffering. Is there someone in your life that you have judged harshly? Would you want God to judge you the same way?

Every day that we live, we are given the opportunity to be a blessing to somebody. Someone once said, " Don't sing to me about, 'What a friend I have in Jesus', until you show me what a friend I have in you!" There is a strong message in that statement. Generally speaking, people are not greatly moved by rhetoric. They are more impressed by what is done. Actions do in fact speak louder than words. The smallest random act of kindness can mean the world to a person who is carrying heavy burdens. God may call upon you to sacrificially give of yourself in a great way. Oftentimes however, we will be given the chance daily, to do small acts of kindness. Acts of service that are genuine in motivation, can lead others to willingly engage in spiritual dialogue. Let's make it a point to reflect the loving and gracious nature of the God we profess to serve.

It is critical to our success in life, that we recognize our distractions. No doubt, recently you have become aware, that texting and driving can cost you your life. In one moment, if you take your eyes off the road while driving, a life can be lost, or a body irreparably damaged. Distractions can also alter your destiny, interfere with your purpose and calling, or destroy a marriage. They can pull your focus and derail your whole life. Have you ever stopped to consider what distracts you? Not all distractions are bad or evil. Sometimes, the good can be the enemy of the best. Distractions can break your focus to the point, that even if you are present, you are not totally present. Learn to RECOGNIZE THEM, ADMIT THAT THEY ARE THERE, AND THEN ELIMINATE THEM...SWIFTLY. Use your eraser, as much as you use your pencil. Avoid tomorrow’s destruction, by eliminating today’s distractions. Focus is one of the most important things in your life. It is a chosen priority. Today, start by getting quiet and laying your life before The Lord. Ask Him to reveal to you what may be subtly pulling you off course.

Do you know what it means to passionately seek God? Is there something or someone in your life, that you recognize is beyond your natural ability to change, or to heal, or to fix? God responds to people who are truly seeking Him with their WHOLE heart. The word desperate means: to have lost all hope. Have you ever found yourself in a place where there was no hope apart from the intervention of God? The good news is that He will respond to the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man or woman. That doesn’t mean a perfect person, it means someone who knows Him. Unfortunately, we often come to Him after we have tried everything else and talked to everyone else. He is waiting for us to come to the end of ourselves and our own strength. That is the time when He can go where we cannot go, do what we cannot do and say what we are unable to say.

Jesus said, “Come unto me, all who are weary, and I will give you rest.” Notice, He didn’t say that he would give more energy, strength, or increased tenacity. He didn’t say that He would give more might or muscle! When did we start believing that rest meant weakness? Rest is for recovery. It doesn’t mean that you have given up. It means that you value your well-being and the assignment that you have been given, and you recognize that you will have to be at your best. Nobody is at their best when they are burning the candle at both ends. Stop trying to be all things to all people. There is a God, and you are not Him. Learn to consider your boundaries and determine appropriate priorities. Seek to determine what God intends for you to do. Don’t yield to the tyranny of the urgent. For your health sake, for the sake of everyone who loves you and frankly for God’s sake, reflect on this word. God loves you. He wants the best for you!

It is important that we consider how we approach God. There is a difference between intimacy and familiarity. While we are encouraged to have an intimate relationship with Christ, He most definitely is NOT, to be treated as one of the boys. Scripture teaches us that we are to enter the gates of The Most Holy One, with thanksgiving and his courts, with praise. There is a reverential understanding that we are encountering the Sovereign, Creator of the universe. He is AWESOME, in the true meaning of the word! He is also Abba Father, or Daddy. He loves us unconditionally. However, it matters how we approach Him. It also matters how we behave toward each other. If we truly are the children of God, then we should endeavor to display the manners of the court. We should be a gracious, kind, and respectful people. The way we respond to others, reflects our Father’s nature.

Words matter. There are so many voices in the land. There is so much noise. There is so much chatter. Some people don't believe you can hear the voice of God. Others have heard his direction, and then set out to accomplish what He said, in their own strength. Scripture teaches us that God, through the Holy Spirit will speak to us and tell us of things that are to come. He leads us by an inward witness that will be confirmed in His Word. When you believe that you have heard a proceeding word from God, and you announce it, you can expect a "push back". This may come from people, circumstances or a lapse in time, where it appears nothing is happening, or nothing is making any sense. That is the time when you must continue to speak words of agreement with what God has confirmed to you. In order to see in the natural, what He has spoken in the spiritual, you must continue to say what He said.

The biblical world view of stewardship can be consciously defined as: "Utilizing and managing all resources God provides for the glory of God, and the betterment of His creation." ..."The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." (Psalm 24:1) It is a Kingdom principle. We are all stewards. When we have a job, we are stewards of someone's company. In relationships, we are stewards of someone's trust. We are also stewards of the gifts that each of us, as individuals, have been given. Nobody is born empty. If we were duplicates, then one of us would be unnecessary. All we have been given is God's to give, but ours to manage. God creates everything and everyone for a unique purpose. What are your gifts? If you don't know what they are, perhaps you should ask Him to reveal them to you. If you are breathing, you have purpose.

Just in case you were wondering, your life is not a collection of snapshots. It plays like a movie. It is constantly in motion. It is a mistake to see yourself, situations and those around you as though they were stagnant. If we are not careful, we can be quick to pass judgment. As we mature and grow, it will not be only our outward appearance that changes significantly. Who we are today may be vastly different than who we become, ten or twenty years from now? Transformation is ongoing. It will always be a process. The images unfold as the script is revealed. It is comforting that God knows the beginning, as well as everything in between. He is the author and the finisher of our faith. He will be faithful and is committed to seeing us through to....THE END.