Forfeiting All

What are you willing to give up? Would you give up your job? Would you give up your house? Would you give up your car? Would you give up all you own? What if giving it all up was required to spend eternity for God?

Most of the world is not looking to give up anything, rather they are pursuing acquiring as much as they can. It is the rat race we all run in unless we step off the track. We have come to believe the pursuit of happiness means to pursue more possessions.

For some of us, the bad news is we must give up everything to be a true follower of Jesus. The good news is it doesn’t quite mean what we think it does. Though Jesus tells the rich young man in today’s passage to go sell all he has, I’m sure Jesus did not intend all of us to do the same. After all, it would not be beneficial to have millions of homeless in the world. On the other hand, I believe He did truly mean we cannot allow our possessions to possess us.

How does that look in our lives? It means we are content with what God blesses us. It doesn’t mean can’t pursue a better job, but we don’t do so just so we can buy more things. Our reason for improving our position in life must be to serve others as God is leading us more than pleasing ourselves.

Being content with God’s blessings is not giving up nor being a doormat. We can be content and continue to pursue a higher level of success. In fact, we should pursue success as we follow God’s plan for our lives. But we must ensure our attitude and use of that success is to fulfill God’s plan.

God expects us to be grateful and show our gratefulness by sharing and contributing to His work. He blesses us so that we can bless others. We may bless others by providing for their physical needs. We also need to bless others by telling them about Jesus. If we won’t tell them ourselves, we need to equip those who will, providing all they need to do so.

I pray we all stop allowing our possessions to possess us. I pray we pursue success to fulfill God’s plan. I pray each one of us will contribute to blessing others. Pursue God’s plan for you. Be successful to bless others. Be content with God’s blessings. Contribute to the spreading of the Gospel.

Mark 10:21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Good Gifts

Do you doubt you will ever receive good gifts? Does it seem as though it has been a long time since you received one? Have you honestly sought out good gifts from God? Have you seen the gifts He has given you?

We often look for gifts, even if we don’t admit it. For many, receiving a gift equates to a sign they are loved. Also, for many, they believe by giving a gift they are expressing love. Gift giving has become a lucrative business.

Our culture has become one of going over the top. We continually attempt to outdo one another. As the old saying goes, we are trying to keep up with the Jones’s. We give more expensive gifts and expect more expensive gifts. And, unfortunately, we equate more expensive gifts to deeper love.

God shows His love for us by blessing us with all we need. He often blesses us with far more than we need. Yet, His love isn’t about giving us things, but giving us Himself. Have you ever thought about giving in the same way God gives? It would mean giving yourself to others.

How would giving ourselves look? It means doing for one another. It means taking on chores for someone else. Now, it isn’t about doing what you are told, but doing what you see needs to be done before you are told. Those are precious gifts. Do you remember needing to get something done, yet when you went to do it, you find it has already been done? Wasn’t that a wonderful gift? It demonstrates someone saw the need and satisfied it without you asking. It showed they cared. God has done this for us by sending His Son to be our perfect sacrifice.

Jesus tells us in today’s passage that God will give us gifts far better than any gift we can give one another. God has given us the greatest gift of all, and yet He continues to give us gifts. His gifts are those that we need and given at the moment we need them.

I pray we all see the wonderful gifts God gives us. I pray we look to give meaningful gifts to one another. I pray each one of us truly appreciates the greatest gift that God has given us. Give heartfelt gifts. Give back to God. See His wonderful gift. Trust God to continue to bless you.

Matthew 7:9-11 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

God Is With You

Would you like to always have someone with you? Do you want someone to guide you? Do you want someone who will provide for you? Do you want someone who will protect you? Are you looking in the right direction?

We all want guidance from time-to-time. We all need someone who will have our back on occasion. We all need someone who will provide for us when we are children and sometimes during our adult life. All of these are worldly needs.

We also need all these things in our spiritual life. We need them each and every day. We don’t often look for them and especially won’t look to the right person to provide them. Yet, He is always there, waiting for us to look to Him.

God provides us with all we need to carry out His will for our lives. It is when we get off the path He has laid out for us that we find ourselves wanting. God desires to provide for, protect, and guide us through this life. He wants us to choose Him over the world.

We know Satan is pulling at us. He is tempting us with shiny objects. But when we hold on to Jesus and turn our backs on Satan, Jesus will always be there to give us what we need. When we are fearful, Jesus will give us courage. When we are anxious, Jesus will give us calm. When we are angry, Jesus will give us peace.

As David wrote in Psalm 23, we can take comfort in knowing God is always with us. We can look forward to blessings being showered down on us. We can be confident we will spend eternity in the house of the Lord forever.

I pray we all pursue the path God has laid out for us. I pray we look forward to blessings from God. I pray each one of us will find comfort and confidence in knowing we will spend eternity with God. Follow God’s path for you. Trust He is always with you. Lean on Him for guidance. Be confident in God’s promise that you will live with Him forever.

Psalm 23:1-3

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

Equipped for God’s Work

Are you lacking what you need to carry out your mission? Have you turned to the One who will give you all you need to accomplish the mission He set before you? Have you approached Him to confirm you are carrying out His will?

We often search to discover God’s will for us. Many times, we simply decide to pursue what we like to do as good works rather than seeking the good works God wants us to do. We stumble around unsure of what God truly wants us to do.

When we are unsure what God wants us to do and we attempt something, God gives us clear signs. If we feel at peace, we are following His will. If we feel anxiety, a lack of energy, or it’s a continual struggle, it is not God’s will. The most obvious difference is peace versus anxiety. We will find peace when our decision is in concert with God’s will. There will be a calm within us. We may still feel inadequate for the task, but we have a confidence it is what God wants us to pursue and He will provide.

God will provide us with all we need to accomplish His will. When we experience a lack for a good work we are doing, we can believe God has not set that good work before us. It makes it no less a good work. It just isn’t a good work God desires us to do. He has a different good work in mind for us. We are to go about seeking the good works He has equipped us to do.

As we pursue God’s will, we must see how He has equipped us, both individually and corporately, to determine the good works He wants us to carry out. This can be hard at times. It may mean giving up pet projects. Yet we will see blessings from God beyond our expectations when we go about carrying out His will.

I pray we all seek the good works God desires for us. I pray we set aside our pet projects to carry out God’s will. I pray each one of us will pray and seek the peace of God, having confidence He will provide. Seek God’s will. Seek good works He desires for you. Seek the peace of God. Be confident God will provide. Know that God is always with you.

Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Receive Your Requests

What is it you are looking for? What is it you desire? What do you long for and perhaps have been working several years to acquire? How have you gone about it? Are you going it alone or have you asked for help?

We all desire something. There is something at the top of a list of things we want that far exceeds all others. Perhaps we know exactly what it is. Perhaps we haven’t identified it consciously yet.

Some may read the first part of today’s passage and interpret it mean we can ask for anything and God will grant it. That viewpoint makes God out to be a genie that merely granting wishes. Yet, that isn’t what the passage says. Notice the reason why God gives us what we ask—we keep His commands.

Continue reading the passage and we see His commands—believe in Jesus and love one another as He commanded. Those last three words are often forgotten. To love as He commanded means to love unconditionally, just as He loves us. It also includes loving everyone. That means the person at work who is undermining you. It means the family member who consistently offends you. It means the person in office you voted against.

But John doesn’t stop there, he goes on to say that keeping His commands brings God into our lives. We know that He lives in us by the Spirit of God who lives in us. In other words, as we commit to do our best to follow His commands, His Spirit lets us know He is there and guides us.

As we listen to the Holy Spirit guiding us, we ask for what God desires. When we ask for what He desires, He gives us what we ask for. See how this all circles around? When we follow God’s guidance our minds are renewed or changed to be in concert with Him, we follow His commands, we ask for God’s will to be done, and He grants it.

I pray we all follow Jesus’ commands. I pray we listen for the Holy Spirit who lives in us. I pray each one of us will have our minds renewed and ask according to God’s will. Be confident in God. Obey His commands. Believe in Jesus. Love one another. Know the Spirit lives in you. Ask according to God’s will.

1 John 3:21-24 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

All I Have

What are you willing to give? How much are you willing to put into it? Are you willing to give it all? Or will you hold back? Do you ask yourself these questions every day? Do you ask them about everything you do?

We have heard people say, and probably said ourselves, “You get out of it what you put into it.” We often say this when it comes to sports or jobs. But it applies to everything we do. The more we pour ourselves into something, the more we get out of it.

Have you ever wondered where this saying came from? We might look back and consider what the apostle Paul told the church in Corinth in today’s passage. It is often used to convince people to contribute more financially to the church. True, the context is contributing to aid others. However, I don’t believe that is the only application nor that Paul intended it so.

Have you ever been around someone with a passion for a particular activity? Perhaps it is someone who loves music and wants to be a professional. They practice for hours and hours each day. I know of one particular guitar player who had recorded multiple albums with his band and continued to practice at least eight hours per day. Perhaps that is why he was regarded as one of the top ten guitarists within his genre.

The principle applies to each one of us. It applies to the work we do for God. Do we wonder why our churches are shrinking? We need look no further than ourselves. If we are only putting an hour or two into it each week, we are not going to be very good at it. Please don’t misunderstand, it is not all about being in the building. Working for God includes spending time with Him on our own, telling others about Jesus, watching educational videos, taking classes, listening to music lifted up to Him, and much more. It means giving all we are and all we have to Him. Is this not fair? After all, He both created us and gave Himself up for us.

I pray we all give all we are to God. I pray we give all we have in everything we do for Him. I pray each one of us will commit to God fully, wholeheartedly, with a passion. Put your full energy into serving God. Give your whole being to Him. Give all you have to Him. Know that God gave Himself for you.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Working It Out

What are you working on? Are you working on making yourself a better person? Are you pursuing continual improvement? For what purpose? Are you working out your salvation with fear and trembling?

Nearly all of us are working on one thing or another. Many of us are working on multiple things at once. We continue educating ourselves, whether through school or professional classes, or reading professional books or articles.

How are we working out our salvation? I’m sure a response many will give is, “I don’t need to work out my salvation, Jesus took care of that on the cross.” True, He guaranteed our salvation in His death, burial, and resurrection from one perspective. By that I mean, He guaranteed we would be saved and will spend eternity with Him. Yet, there is another part of salvation we are to work on.

As we look at today’s passage, the apostle Paul is writing to the church in Philippi. A key point to remember is He is writing to those who are followers of Christ. In fact, he commends them for their obedience. He also tells them to continue to work out their salvation. What can he mean?

In today’s vernacular we might say we are to continue to mature in our belief, knowledge of God, attitude, and behavior. When he states we are to do so in fear and trembling, he is talking about being in awe of God and so much so that we shake in pure joy that we serve such an awesome God. Paul goes on to say the purpose is to fulfill God’s purpose.

In other words, Paul is telling the Christians in Philippi, and us, to continue to mature in our faith. We are to do so with the purpose of fulfilling God’s plan for us, both individually and corporately. By maturing in our faith and knowledge of God, we are both empowered and guided to carry out His plan.

I pray we all continue to work out our salvation. I pray we are in awe of God and overjoyed in His awesomeness. I pray each one of us will commit to continue to mature in our faith. Seek to know more about God. Strive to grow into full maturity in faith. Listen for God’s guidance. Work to fulfill His plan.

Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Eternal Truth

Do you believe in the resurrection? Do you believe in eternal life? Or do you believe this life is all there is? How does your belief affect how you go about life? How does it affect the daily decisions you make?

We all believe in one or the other. We either believe there is eternal life, or we believe this life is all there is. Whether we consciously recognize it or not, it affects our decisions and how we go about this life.

The unfortunate reality I have witnessed is far too many of those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ say they believe in eternal life, but their life doesn’t reflect it. The head (or mouth) says one thing, but the heart hasn’t fully accepted it. It hasn’t made a difference in our life. We haven’t internalized the truth of eternal life and allowed it to change our lives.

Now, I must admit, it has taken me studying God’s Word to gain a better understanding and for it to take root in me. Still, I have my moments of selfishness and chastise myself when I catch myself acting that way. I tell myself to stop and I pray to God to continue changing me to eliminate those moments of selfishness in the future.

The apostles certainly believed. It turned them into passionate missionaries. They had a firm grasp on what it meant to gain eternal life with God. They had seen the risen Christ in physical form. They took on the mission Jesus gave them to go make disciples. They understood His desire to save every person in the world.

When we understand there is only one great choice for us to make in this life, our perspective will change. It doesn’t mean we cannot have fun; it does mean we take advantage of every opportunity to tell others about Jesus. We look for them, recognize them, and step into them. The good news is this, we don’t have to go it alone. We’ll speak more on that later this week.

I pray we all internalize the truth of eternal life. I pray we believe Jesus was raised from the dead and we will be too. I pray each one of us will look for opportunities to share the gospel. Believe in the resurrection. Internalize the truth of eternal life. Allow the truth to change your life. Look for opportunities to share with others. Know God is always with you.

Acts 2:24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

The Good Shepherd

Are you looking for a protector? Are you in need of someone who will look out for your best interest? Do you long to have someone in your life whom you can trust? Have you been searching for this someone for a long time?

Having someone in our lives who has our best interest at heart is wonderful. Knowing we can trust someone to guide us and protect us gives us confidence, we feel secure. There is someone who will provide what we need.

As we see in today’s passage, Jesus is our good shepherd. What does that mean? We don’t often talk about shepherds and likely don’t fully understand what a shepherd did a couple thousand years ago. A shepherd was a provider and protector. He would guide the flock to food and water. He ensured the food was of good quality and steer the flock away from poisonous plants. The same is true of water. He knew where there were streams or wells that provided good water.

The shepherd also protected the flock from danger. He would fight off attackers. Remember, David, when he went to face Goliath, stated he had fought off lions and bears. The shepherd also knew the lay of the land and protected the sheep by steering them away from cliffs and pits.

As we see in our passage today, there were both good and bad shepherds. Jesus says He is the good shepherd. He will both provide for us and protect us. He will guide us to safe pasture and sweet brooks. He will protect us from those who would attack us. He will give us strength, courage, knowledge, wisdom, and most of all contentment. Jesus is our good shepherd.

I pray we all turn to Jesus as our good shepherd. I pray we listen for His guidance and follow Him. I pray each one of us trusts Jesus to provide for and protect us. Put your trust in Jesus. Know that He is your good shepherd. Jesus has laid down His life for you. 

John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Be Merciful

Is there someone in your life you want reach in a very special way? Would you like to bring a family member or close friend to Jesus? Are you unsure how you can go about it? Do you need some advice?

Those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior know the importance of doing so. We long for family and friends to do the same. It is especially important for us if we have experienced God bringing us from a very bad place into a wonderful place.

Some of us have been in some really bad places. Perhaps you were addicted to drugs or alcohol. Perhaps you have battled with emotional distress or depression. Perhaps you felt like a complete failure due to being continually put down by others. You know the negative experiences you have been lifted from.

Once we are pulled out of those bad places and experience the goodness of God, we want everyone to experience it. We no longer understand why anyone would want to stay in that bad place. We know the dramatic difference between living one way versus the other. We have a passion for bringing others into a better place. Unfortunately, we sometimes struggle with how to convince them to do so.

Our first step is to show mercy, just as God has shown mercy to us. We must be gracious toward them and show patience. As they make statements against what we are telling them, we cannot refute their statements in anger or hate. Patience, mercy, and perseverance are required. We will need to be creative, thinking of different ways to explain our belief. We must never give up.

I pray we all commit to bringing our family and friends to Jesus. I pray we show mercy to those who doubt. I pray each one of us will never give up attempting to expand the kingdom of God. Be merciful. Be gracious. Persevere. Never give up. Be creative. Tell your story.

Jude 22-23 Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.