What's more important, what God is doing in me or what I'm doing for God?

Often this question comes up only because we're too wrapped up in the tyranny of "doing for God" (pursuing our mission) at the cost of spending quiet time with Him (remembering our identity.)  A religiously busy life works to pull us away from quiet times of introspection and meditation ultimately leading us to neglect our spiritual and emotional well-being.  In addition to disconnecting us from God, this pattern if unchecked will also eventually bring other important relationships to ruin.   

Yet, the answer isn't what some rush to embrace by choosing to swing the pendulum in the opposite direction until all of life is about an inward spiritual focus.  Discipleship isn't exclusively about internal behaviors, decisions, attitudes, and values.  Discipleship requires obedience to the voice of Jesus.  So, neglecting God's calling to serve is just as sinful as ignoring his invitations to communion.  

It's important to remember that our identity is as children of God only because of His grace and that our mission/calling is separate but equally important.  Who we are isn't defined by what we do, but what we do does flow out of who we are.  Just like Israel in the Old Covenant, the church is a nation called to be God's chosen and holy people, separating themselves from the peoples around them (identity).  However, we also were given an assignment (mission.)  Our assignment isn't to find and conquer a promised land, but instead we're to use our gifts to help others know and follow Jesus.

In 2015 let's commit to spend quiet time with God each day reconnecting with the truth of our identity as forgiven and loved children of God.  Then, as God seems to be guiding you can choose to lead a ministry or program or some other type of God-given initiative that is seeking to make disciples, or you can employ your gifts on the team of a spiritual leader who is serious about the Christian mission.

1 Peter 2:9, 10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Romans 13:1 says, "let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God. "


The attainment of an orderly family, church, or community is realized only when the people submit to authority and when authority loves those whom they lead.  When one or both of these principles break down, so does order and peacefulness.


What will you do to affirm the authority of the policemen in your community?


In the areas of life where your role is "leader," what will you do to better love those whom you lead?

Wow...a believer who actually believes

In our family devotion time the past couple days we’ve focused on the conversation between David and Saul when David is pleading to go out and fight against Goliath.  Specifically we focused on 1 Samuel 17:34-37.

Since Saul wasn’t willing to carry the banner of the One True God, he made it his mission to find someone else he could talk into fighting Goliath.  

When David showed up, Saul suddenly found himself face to face with a man he couldn’t talk out of fighting Goliath.  It is clear in this story that the difference between the confidence of David and of every other man in Israel was huge.  

What made the difference?

When Saul tried to talk David out of the fight, David’s response was to relate how God helped him overcome bears and lions, and so, certainly God would be with him against an enemy who wasn’t simply attacking some sheep, but God's name and the very people of God.

Confidence like David's comes from our faith memory that causes us to dwell in our past divine deliverances while realizing that God wants us to continue living forward, running straight into new and unexpected enemies that will challenge our faith in Him.  

What adversity are you facing today?  How has God shown Himself to be faithful in your previous trials?  Remembering his grace and deliverance from the past will allow you to move forward into an uncertain and sometimes scary future, especially if you are carrying the banner of the one true God.