There once was an atheist that lived next to a church. One night the church caught on fire and the parishioners rushed to the church to try to save their beloved place of worship. Part way through the fight one of the church members noticed that the atheistic neighbor was helping to haul water. The church member smugly told the atheist, "Wow, I've never seen you this close to the church before." The atheist quickly replied, "Well I've never seen the church on fire before."



Sunday, April 17, 2011

I'm called therefore I do.

A normal Christian prays 5 minutes a day.
A good Christian prays 5 minutes a day and tithes 10% of his income.
A better Christian prays 15 minutes a day and gives 15% of his income.
An on fire Christian prays 20 minutes a day and give 20% of his income.
A totally Spirit filled Christian prays for hours each day and gives away all his income.


I've lived a lot of my life thinking that the measure of how mature a Christian I am is based on how extreme I am about following God.  This quest for following God has led me to some interesting places.  I've been convinced that I have to give more, do more, and be more in order to really follow what God has planned.  Some days I did really good at this and I would come away congratulating myself for the good Christian I had become.  Other days things didn't go so well and I would end up pitying myself because I would never do anything that great for God.  I see things differently know.  This difference has allowed me to become excited about life in a whole new way.


What's the difference?
There are a number of truth's from scripture that have finally set me free in this area of my life.

1) "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." (Ps. 32:8 - KJV)
2) “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” (2Corinthians 10:12)
3) "When you have done everything you were ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless servants. We have done only what we ought to have done." (Luke 17:10 - NIV)
4) Jesus to Peter: "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go." (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me." Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?" When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!" (John 21:18-22 -ESV).

I take from these passages a number of observations. 
1)  God's call on our lives is a call of obedience that we learn to follow as we learn to be in an attitude of prayer 24/7.  As we focus on Christ he guides us with his slightest promptings.
2) We cannot look at those around us to determine how we are to follow God.  Whenever we begin comparing ourselves to those around us we either begin to get puffed up in pride or discouraged in self pity.
3) Whatever God calls us to, after we have done this, our appropriate response is, "We are worthless servants.  We have only done what we ought to have done."
4) The places God leads us may vary greatly.  We are not called to figure out how the people around us should be following God.  Our call is follow Christ. (Let me briefly say: there is a big difference between teaching people the truths of God and mandating for other people exactly where, when, and how God wants a person to apply these truths.)

I believe that if God is calling me to give $1000 to a person and I give $900 I have been disobedient.  I also believe that if God asks me to give $20 to a person and I give $40 in order to be an even better Christian I have not been any more faithful to God than if I had given only $20.  

I believe if God is calling me to pray all night or fast all week and I choose to follow what I want to do instead I am being disobedient.  But if God is calling me to be the answer to my prayer by spending time encouraging someone rather than spending extra time in my prayer closet, I could be disobedient for praying in this way.  

Some people think that in order to be really spiritual they must remain single all of their life.  I believe if God calls someone to marriage and they choose to stay single they are being disobedient.  If someone chooses to marry when God has called them to singleness they are being disobedient.  

Wow it sure seems like there are a lot of ways to be disobedient.  This is not the point of what I am saying.  God is a gentle shepherd and the millions of mistakes that we make throughout our lifetime are miraculously used by Him to display his character anyway as we follow him with open hearts.  What I am trying to say is that the more of some virtue that we do does not gain us any more standing with God if this is not where God has called us.  

I was discussing the concept of Christian discipline with a couple of my friends the other day.  One of my friends felt called to throw away this fancy goal list that she had made for herself because it was not what God had calle her to.  Another one of my friends is all about goals and goal lists.  Who is right?

Jim Elliot is one of my greatest heroes.  I'd love to be able to give my life like he did someday.  However, if I run all the way to the jungle and put myself in harm's way for Christ when God has called me to a much simpler daily sacrifice in Honey Brook, I am being disobedient to the call of God in my life.  

Where has my latest quest led me?  Over and over again I've prayed in the last months - God help me be faithful, help me be faithful.  Out of this day to day faithfulness I am finding a singleness of mind for the things of God that is liberating and invigorating. I'm finally free to from feeling condemned when my Christianity doesn't look as extensive as those around me.  I've also been experiencing victory over pride as I respond to praise from men for things that I've done with, "I have only done my duty."

I think if we could really get a hold of Christ's simple commandment to not compare ourselves among ourselves, we would find so much energy for Christian service in our churches.  Satan loves to cool our passion with pride and self-condemnation.  He loves when we all try to follow the call that God has placed on some other person rather than serving in our own call in the unique way that God has called us.  

Music is beautiful as long as the right notes are played at the right times in the right places.  If a whole song were the same note it would be pretty boring.  Although the notes must be different in order for there to be a song, unless the notes are arranged by a master musician everything is a mess.  God wants to blend our individual calls into one creative master piece.  In order for this to happen we must each follow God in the day to day things that He has called us to.  As soon as we listen to Satan and copy each other, and compare each other the song gets really messy.  Thank God for a music director who can take the jumbled mess of our mistakes and shift things around into a song that still tells of his glory.  Praise Him!

And now I have to go follow my call of Bible reading.  I really wanted to do a little brain dump on my blog so I broke my usual rule of Bible reading before playing, but I'm gonna read my Bible now so don't point fingers.  By the way, you are not supposed to be comparing yourself to me anyway so stop it.  

Made you look.  Heh heh, hah hah  You looked!!!!  You thought there would be something here and there isn't.  Ah hahh hah.  That's a good one.  hah hahh!!!