2018-03-29
1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV
We all need good role models. But when you devote your life to being like somebody else, you risk becoming something God doesn’t want you to be. Always remember, your “heroes” wrestle with blind spots and character flaws too. Paul said, “I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (v. 9 NIV). The same thing with Peter: When Cornelius sent for him, we’re told that as he “entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. ‘Stand up,’ he said, ‘I am only a man myself'” (Acts 10:25-26 NIV). If you’re successful in life, you’ll adopt that same attitude. The danger in hero worship comes from forfeiting your individuality and missing the path God has mapped out for you personally. Some of the lessons God teaches us may be similar, but another person’s purpose, gifting, journey, and time-frame will be different from yours. For example, a friend starts a business and makes money, but when you quit your job and follow in his footsteps you go broke. Or a co-worker wears something that looks great on her, but on you the same outfit looks like a sack tied in the middle. God is “jealous” concerning you (See Deuteronomy 4:24). Why? Because He wants to protect you from anything that would rob you of your uniqueness, or threaten your relationship with Him. Bottom line: If you want to be on safe ground, make Jesus your role model and you’ll win every time.
Soul food: Jer 10-13; Matt 27:27-32; Ps 38:13-22; Prov 8:24-26
2017-12-06
Isaiah 42:16 NIV
Another way God will lead you is: Through confronting your fear and taking a step of faith. Are you feeling uncertain or afraid as to God’s will in the situation? His promise to you is: “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them” (v. 16 NIV). Pay particular attention to the words: “unfamiliar paths”…”darkness”…”rough places.” When you’ve sought God’s guidance through the Scriptures, when you’ve tried to listen to the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit, and when you’ve reached for the wisdom of trustworthy people, then you must step out in faith and do what you believe God is calling you to do. It’s one thing to ask, “Lord, what should I do?” It’s entirely another thing to ask, “Am I willing to do it once You make it clear?” Try to answer these two questions: (a) What makes risk so difficult for you? Be honest. For most of us risk and change are uncomfortable, challenging, and even threatening. That’s why the Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5 KJV). If you’ve been in the habit of leaning on your own understanding, it’s a hard habit to break. Now, God doesn’t say, “Don’t use your understanding”; He says, “Don’t lean on it – lean on Me.” (b) Are you willing to make a major change in your life – assuming that it’s the Lord’s will? You must answer these two questions. And not until they are answered correctly are you ready to move ahead.
Soul food: Gen 35-36; John 15:1-27; Ps 147:12-20; Ecc 4:9-12
2017-10-11
2 Timothy 1:7 NIV
The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). So don’t get involved in anything that doesn’t require you to use your faith. The key to momentum is always having something to look forward to and believe God for. You either venture, or you vegetate. Jesus deliberately sent His disciples into a storm. Why? To develop their faith, and show them that with Him on board you can get through anything! God will keep exposing you to difficult situations because He knows it’s the only way your faith will grow. Nineteenth-century American preacher and abolitionist Phillips Brooks wrote, “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your power, pray for power equal to your tasks.” You don’t tap into God’s resources until you attempt something that seems humanly impossible. That’s when you discover: “I can do everything God asks me to do with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power” (Philippians 4:13 TLB). All progress involves risk. In baseball you can’t steal second base while your foot’s still on first base. And progress involves overcoming fear. One day when David was tending his sheep, “there came a lion” (1 Samuel 17:34). But in God’s strength he defeated it – plus a bear, and later a giant called Goliath. That lion was just an opportunity in disguise. If David had wavered or run away, he’d have missed his chance to become king of Israel. So when a lion of fear comes into your life, recognize it for what it is: an opportunity from God to rise up in faith and conquer it.
Soul food: Exo 19-21; John 2:1-11; Ps 89:1-14; Prov 26:17-19
