Does It Work?

Sometimes, we (or at least me) can be anxious about knowing the details of what we need to do in life and overlook the structure and framework of what God does tell us. For some reason, reading the Bible, praying, and following His daily wisdom in dealing with Him, other people and even ourselves don’t seem “practical” enough. We lack in obedience because we doubt its ability to “work for us.” We want something specific and when we don’t see it happening, we say “I tried the whole church, bible, God thing and nothing happened.”

Being obedient to His instructions isn’t a burden to follow, a secret code to get the details unlocked, or a prerequisite to having a relationship with Him (Jesus already paid the sin penalty, restored that relationship – we have to believe that it is true by faith – and redeemed the direct access to our Creator).  Being obedient to God’s word is first and foremost a matter of faith and trust. Being obedient is not based upon the circumstances turning out just as we want them to be.  That doesn’t mean the circumstances are always rough and hard to deal with.  It’s not like watching paint dry or licking dirt. I like what Dave Harvey says in Rescuing Ambition:

“Pursuing Christ isn’t about withdrawing to a cave somewhere so we can contemplate his grandeur. Pursuit means passion, purpose, and action” (p. 30).

God doesn’t leave us hanging around and wondering about what we can expect when we obey. I’m always struck by the way the Scriptures describe the one who is doing what God wants them to do.  Psalm 1:3 says:

 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” (NIV)

Being obedient to God results in steadfastness, unflappability, firmness, strength, and assurance because we are right next to the constant and never-ending source of refreshment. We feel alive and vibrant when we are obedient to God. And during the right time, we can see evidence of our hard work slowly taking shape and growing into something refreshing for others.

Likewise, Jesus finishes His great sermon on the mount in Matthew 5-7 with a description of the ones who are obedient:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Mat 7:24-27 NIV)

The difference between the “wise man” and the “foolish man” is not access to the right tools and knowledge.  The difference is obedience. The wise man put into practice what he heard and learned. The foolish man blew off the instruction and put his fundamental trust in something else. That something else wasn’t as solid as God’s. The Bible makes it clear over and over that everything you’ve ever needed and wanted for a long and satisfying life (as well as an eternal life with Him) is found living a life with God, in God, and through God.

Use Your Imagination

On the heals of Martin Luther King, Jr. day this week, dreamers and visionaries were given a little encouragement to keep thinking about how the future needs to be different. Watchers of Spongebob may recall a favorite episode when Spongebob explains the use of “imaaaaaagination!” (I know, I know, I may have seemingly minimized Martin Luther with a following reference to Spongebob, but I’m trying to connect with a wider audience.) The point is that great things have happened in the past because men and woman believed that certain wrongs should no longer be in existence.  They believed things were not simply as they saw them. They used their “imaaaaagination” and “had a dream!”

Dreamers, visionaries and people who are creative and innovative have something in common: imagination.  When we think of imagination, we think of children. Children have this amazing ability to turn a box into just about anything. Put a cape on a boy and they are suddenly super-heroes.

Imagination plays into faith as well. Jesus said that we need to have faith like a child (Matthew 18:3). Faith is believing and putting your trust in those things which cannot be seen.  Faith brings hope. Hope is what dreamers and visionaries embrace.  It gives them the energy to see things past the hard times. This is not simply a hope that is based on nothing substantial. That is called a wish. Hope is based on something real, something to experience. Imagination makes it all possible. Imagination doesn’t have to mean fiction or fantasy.  Here are the two main definitions from Merriam-Webster:

Who Knows Us Better Than We Do?

“You don’t know me.” “You don’t know what I’ve gone through.” ”You don’t know what it’s like.” “You’ve got it all wrong.” “It’s not like that at all.”

Can someone really be able to understand who you are and what is going on inside? Don’t you know yourself better than anyone else?

Speaking wisdom into someone’s life is a delicate thing. It takes a wise listener to weed through the situations, attitudes, reactions and the facts to get to the “heart of the matter.” It takes a willing talker to expose their heart in a way that share their inner workings of thoughts and beliefs.  It takes a willing talker to then become a wise listener to the reality of their own heart and to the advice being applied.

In one sense, we do know ourselves more than anyone else. There are many things that we might rather keep a secret. There are things that we would rather people not know about us. Our thoughts and motives are some of these things. Fear of exposing them would hurt our image. Yet, sooner or later, these become such a part of who we are that we also have a hard time grasping them to change them. That’s why it’s important to have a counselor, coach or person that can really help identify the issues and give you the accountability, resources and love that it may take to see it through. Proverbs talks much about counsel. Here are a few:

“The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.” (Pro 20:5 NIV)

 

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Pro 15:22 NIV)

 

“Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel.” (Pro 27:9 NIV)

Having a counselor, coach or that close and honest friend goes a long way, not only for yourself, but for those around you. There’s a great example of this in the Old Testament of Moses and what his father-in-law noticed. Check it out in Exodus 18:13-27.

But the biggest thing in all of this is not to stop here.  More than having a counselor, coach or an honest friend, we need to go to the ultimate counselor, coach and honest friend: God. So many times, God is left out of the picture.  So much advice without a connection towards God leaves something lacking in the end. The process might have moved us towards a better place and being a better person, yet I wonder what kind of change it can actually be without God? God, after all, does know us better than anyone else, including ourselves. Humans can look on the outward behaviors and what you are willing share, but God knows the inner thoughts and motives. He alone can take it to a whole new level.

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind…” (Jeremiah 17:9-10 NIV)

 

“Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power.” (Proverbs 8:14 NIV)

 

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart.” (Heb 4:12 NET)

That is why my advice to you would be to have the advice of God. This is more than about living a wiser life.  This is more than about living a more productive life.  This is about living a life that is truly living. That only happens when we allow God to speak to us as the One who knows us better than we do.  He has the power and understanding to actually make a change difference.