One of the things that Cecil Bean and I talked about as we were down in Savannah GA visiting them was how a 'true-er' understanding of the Sovereignty of God is crucial in helping us continuing to grow and advance in our pursuit of Christ.
One of the major things that cuts down many of us as Christians is bitterness. In our particular ministry and the style of how we do ministry- we are attempting to do things as Christ did in 'picking' our 12 and our core 3 and even our 1 and focusing on them and training them. So.... what happens when I am not one of the 1 picked?? Or even one of the 3.... or even one of the 12 or 70 for that matter? As I see it- we have 2 choices. We can get angry and bitter.... Either at God or at the particular person who did not 'pick' us. But, if we believe that God is in control of everything- meaning that He is SOVEREIGN and that He is orchestrating everything- then I can't get angry with people- ultimately I MUST get angry with God. It doesn't make any sense to... but the 'correct' place to direct my anger and frustration is toward God- not toward people- because God is 'using' people to do a work in my life and to refine me as well. And the 'me not getting picked' experience may be an issue of refinement that God is insisting that I need to go through so that the pride in my heart and mind can begin to melt away. David has a great picture of understanding this...
2 Sam 16:9-10 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head." But the king said, "What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD said to him, 'Curse David,' who can ask, 'Why do you do this?'"
As David and his entourage are fleeing the kingdom because of Absalom coming to possibly kill them all- Shimei comes out to curse David and pelt them with stones. David's right hand man, Abishai tells David- let me go over there and take care of this 'dead dog'.... But David says- He may be doing it because God is making him do it- so how can I get mad at the guy- when it may be God's doing?
So the question we need to be asking ourselves is.... "God, what are you trying to teach me through this incident with this person?" Rather than simply playing the highschool game of 'that person just doesn't like me that's why they are doing this or that'. It would make things alot easier on us to go with the latter- but God is expecting and demanding more of us- He is demanding maturity and we cannot mature if we continue to play highschool and excuse ourselves from allowing God to point out issues in our lives that need refining.
Showing posts with label maturity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label maturity. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
What has God used to mature you???
First of all…..
Great Question……
Can’t answer it all in just a phone text…
Andrew M. ….one of our young guys in the ministry that is growing in leaps and bounds texted me today a question "What has God used to mature me?"
He asked me another great question- but one at time….
By far- what God has used to mature me…. is using me as His tool to disciple and train others. It has been such and exciting and challenging adventure- not always on the joyous side- or should I say happy-side. But it has definitely been the most fulfilling and growing things that God has ever done with me.
I can see the reason why it has cause me to grow so much is because when I am discipling another- when I am training another- I no longer think selfishly about myself- I am progressively growing more and more concerned about what I can do to help this other person that I am discipling grow more and more and get to a point where they are developing spiritual "OWNERSHIP" of their own relationship with God. Ownership- meaning they are taking personal responsibility to make things happen- they are no longer waiting for someone to do things- they are no longer waiting for someone to challenge them to read their bible- they are no longer waiting for someone to challenge them to find someone to help and disciple- they are doing all these things because they themselves realize that this is between them and God. THEY have to be the ones to say in
Josh 24:15 … " choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
I don’t care what anyone else does… I am going to serve Jesus Christ. Helping someone get to this point- and then helping them see how God can use them and then equipping them with the skills and confidence so that they can do that- man………. No greater feeling!!!
I had to get a point first where I had to make a decision- am I going to be a spectator Christian- or am I going to be in the trenches allowing God to use me powerfully in the lives of others. Sure God could use me- if he could use a donkey to speak to Balaam- He can use anyone and anything- but what I am talking about is making a commitment to :
1. Get training- so that I can mature and grow
2. Get training- -so that I can disciple others and train them to disciple others
So… getting to a point where Luke 9:23-24 (Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. ) was a REAL action in my life and I was sacrificing all my personal hopes and dreams to do things like become a doctor… make stupid amounts of money… all those things are literally and figuratively dying inside me as I am realizing that those are all empty pursuits and that if I REALLY wanted to help people- I needed to be involved with helping them with the ETERNITY question…. Making that commitment and allowing those ‘dreams and aspirations’ to die- that was a huge growth step for me…. A tough one… but a really huge one and fulfilling one.
So many other lessons too that I have learned as God has been using me to disciple others that is growing my relationship and dependence on Him…
One of them is how I was (am) so excited to help someone grow and/ or lead them to Christ- that I would do everything in my power to help them- but I realized that 1 Cor 3:7-11 is what the reality is:
1 Cor 3:7-11 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. 10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
So.. If I were really going to make a difference in people’s lives- I needed to work where God was already working- so that translated to committing to spend time with people who God was really tugging at their heart AND they were responding positively to that as well. God tugs at everyone’s heart- but not all of us truly respond positively- sometimes its really hard to figure out if someone is truly responding- because their words say they do… but I’ve realized that it is a person’s ACTIONS that truly determine what they are ultimately SAYING from their heart. I thought that if I simply spent enough time with someone- being their friend- they would eventually be as excited for the cause of Christ as I was- it was/is NOT true. And it cost me a year of my life figuring this out- and it almost burnt me out eternally too… all this before I was even 25 years old….
But I realized about myself is that I DO WANT to invest personally with everyone- but I just don’t have the time and energy- physical energy and emotional energy to invest with everyone- especially with someone who in the end can simply turn around and say they are really not that interested in Christ- but that they did like me as a person… which is cool- and I know God can use it to draw this person more to Him. But as a STEWARD of this body- a steward of ME- I have to use ME in the most effective way possible for the mission of Christ- and that is to invest in relationships where God is working and where that person is responding positively and aggressively toward knowing Christ and fulfilling the mission of Christ.
So… realizing this about myself and positioning myself in such a way as to allow God to "deploy" this weapon as best as He sees fit- that was a huge growing thing for me…
So much more… but I’ll end there… ask me some more…
I love talking about (writing I guess…) it all and showing how Christ is the difference in my life….
Great Question……
Can’t answer it all in just a phone text…
Andrew M. ….one of our young guys in the ministry that is growing in leaps and bounds texted me today a question "What has God used to mature me?"
He asked me another great question- but one at time….
By far- what God has used to mature me…. is using me as His tool to disciple and train others. It has been such and exciting and challenging adventure- not always on the joyous side- or should I say happy-side. But it has definitely been the most fulfilling and growing things that God has ever done with me.
I can see the reason why it has cause me to grow so much is because when I am discipling another- when I am training another- I no longer think selfishly about myself- I am progressively growing more and more concerned about what I can do to help this other person that I am discipling grow more and more and get to a point where they are developing spiritual "OWNERSHIP" of their own relationship with God. Ownership- meaning they are taking personal responsibility to make things happen- they are no longer waiting for someone to do things- they are no longer waiting for someone to challenge them to read their bible- they are no longer waiting for someone to challenge them to find someone to help and disciple- they are doing all these things because they themselves realize that this is between them and God. THEY have to be the ones to say in
Josh 24:15 … " choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
I don’t care what anyone else does… I am going to serve Jesus Christ. Helping someone get to this point- and then helping them see how God can use them and then equipping them with the skills and confidence so that they can do that- man………. No greater feeling!!!
I had to get a point first where I had to make a decision- am I going to be a spectator Christian- or am I going to be in the trenches allowing God to use me powerfully in the lives of others. Sure God could use me- if he could use a donkey to speak to Balaam- He can use anyone and anything- but what I am talking about is making a commitment to :
1. Get training- so that I can mature and grow
2. Get training- -so that I can disciple others and train them to disciple others
So… getting to a point where Luke 9:23-24 (Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. ) was a REAL action in my life and I was sacrificing all my personal hopes and dreams to do things like become a doctor… make stupid amounts of money… all those things are literally and figuratively dying inside me as I am realizing that those are all empty pursuits and that if I REALLY wanted to help people- I needed to be involved with helping them with the ETERNITY question…. Making that commitment and allowing those ‘dreams and aspirations’ to die- that was a huge growth step for me…. A tough one… but a really huge one and fulfilling one.
So many other lessons too that I have learned as God has been using me to disciple others that is growing my relationship and dependence on Him…
One of them is how I was (am) so excited to help someone grow and/ or lead them to Christ- that I would do everything in my power to help them- but I realized that 1 Cor 3:7-11 is what the reality is:
1 Cor 3:7-11 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. 10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
So.. If I were really going to make a difference in people’s lives- I needed to work where God was already working- so that translated to committing to spend time with people who God was really tugging at their heart AND they were responding positively to that as well. God tugs at everyone’s heart- but not all of us truly respond positively- sometimes its really hard to figure out if someone is truly responding- because their words say they do… but I’ve realized that it is a person’s ACTIONS that truly determine what they are ultimately SAYING from their heart. I thought that if I simply spent enough time with someone- being their friend- they would eventually be as excited for the cause of Christ as I was- it was/is NOT true. And it cost me a year of my life figuring this out- and it almost burnt me out eternally too… all this before I was even 25 years old….
But I realized about myself is that I DO WANT to invest personally with everyone- but I just don’t have the time and energy- physical energy and emotional energy to invest with everyone- especially with someone who in the end can simply turn around and say they are really not that interested in Christ- but that they did like me as a person… which is cool- and I know God can use it to draw this person more to Him. But as a STEWARD of this body- a steward of ME- I have to use ME in the most effective way possible for the mission of Christ- and that is to invest in relationships where God is working and where that person is responding positively and aggressively toward knowing Christ and fulfilling the mission of Christ.
So… realizing this about myself and positioning myself in such a way as to allow God to "deploy" this weapon as best as He sees fit- that was a huge growing thing for me…
So much more… but I’ll end there… ask me some more…
I love talking about (writing I guess…) it all and showing how Christ is the difference in my life….
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Our Call to Maturity and Laboring
One of our recurring events in our ministry is our Wednesday night dinner. We usually have some soldiers over for dinner where we either share the Gospel with them if they are non-believers or we challenge them on how they can take part in the labor that God wants us to be part of for the kingdom. I love to talk with soldiers or family members about how being a Believer in Christ means that I am also ‘drafted’ in to the labor for His kingdom in bringing people to Him or discipling young believers on how they can themselves become and grow into disciple-makers.
We just had 2 couples over for dinner last night and another single soldier and a young lady who has also been faithfully involved in the biblestudy and our ministry. I shared with them one of our driving thoughts from the Word with them about how we are called to pursue Christ and make disciples in accordance with Matthew 28:19-20.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
This is Christ’s last command to us and our job is to do this task of making disciples as well. This means me personally growing and maturing in my relationship with Christ. One of the things I shared was how Christ commanded the 12 disciples to teach others to obey ‘everything He has commanded them.’ Therefore, every subsequent generation of disciples or followers of Christ are supposed to learn and do everything that Christ had first commanded the original 12 disciples. Therefore- every believer of Christ after the disciples lives on with this ongoing command to make disciples- the command left to the original 12 disciples. As I shared this verse and this thought with our group last night- I related to them the idea of ‘Implied Tasks"- which is a military term. Implied tasks refers to the additional tasks that must also be accomplished in order to reach the first task. Our main task spiritually is to make disciples for Christ. Therefore- I, myself, must grow as a disciple. Therefore, some of the main tasks involved would be for me to invest time in doing biblestudy, personal time in the Word, personal time in prayer, and a real fellowship/discipleship relationship with someone who is objectively training me and helping as Christ did with His disciples.
So…….
Our concluding questions are:
We just had 2 couples over for dinner last night and another single soldier and a young lady who has also been faithfully involved in the biblestudy and our ministry. I shared with them one of our driving thoughts from the Word with them about how we are called to pursue Christ and make disciples in accordance with Matthew 28:19-20.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
This is Christ’s last command to us and our job is to do this task of making disciples as well. This means me personally growing and maturing in my relationship with Christ. One of the things I shared was how Christ commanded the 12 disciples to teach others to obey ‘everything He has commanded them.’ Therefore, every subsequent generation of disciples or followers of Christ are supposed to learn and do everything that Christ had first commanded the original 12 disciples. Therefore- every believer of Christ after the disciples lives on with this ongoing command to make disciples- the command left to the original 12 disciples. As I shared this verse and this thought with our group last night- I related to them the idea of ‘Implied Tasks"- which is a military term. Implied tasks refers to the additional tasks that must also be accomplished in order to reach the first task. Our main task spiritually is to make disciples for Christ. Therefore- I, myself, must grow as a disciple. Therefore, some of the main tasks involved would be for me to invest time in doing biblestudy, personal time in the Word, personal time in prayer, and a real fellowship/discipleship relationship with someone who is objectively training me and helping as Christ did with His disciples.
So…….
Our concluding questions are:
- How is your personal time in doing biblestudy? Are you involved in a biblestudy group where people are encouraging and challenging you in your time in the Word- your application of the Word and hiding God’s Word in your heart?
- How is your time in prayer?
- What is your fellowship time like? Is it just ‘hang out’ time after church? How much time are you investing in REAL fellowship relationships with others? Do you have anyone who asks you tough questions about how life is going? About how you are applying the Word? About how you are being obedient to God’s Word? About how you might be ‘dodging’ obedience to God’s Word?
- Who is discipling you?
Obviously, these questions are not meant to pry or condemn - but simply a call to become what God wants us to become.... mature sons and daughters of the King.
And...... as Sons and Daughters of the King- the issue is for us to figure out how we are supposed to live as such....
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