Mr. Know-it-all

 Have you met him? Are you him? Have you met Mr. Yes Lord?  Big difference in the success of their respective lives.

Mr. Know-it-all kneels in prayer to seek answers about his future, which decisions will be blessed with success, and he waits patiently for his roadmap to appear.  Mr. Yes Lord kneels also, thanking God for His watchful eye keeping him secure and blessed, then asks what is His will for today, and then arises to meet the day, alert and confident that he will receive any up to date changes required by the day's trials.

Mr. K accomplishes little for God's kingdom because he expects to receive a roadmap and calendar revealing a 5-year plan at least, so he will understand what is ahead before he sets out. After all, he wouldn't want to waste his time on anything other than a sure thing. So he sits, waiting for God to reveal His plan. And God waits for him to get up and begin the task He will reveal all--gradually, eventually, or in eternity, when Mr. K will trade in his human mind, suited for earthly living, for a glimpse at God's eternal, complicated weaving together all the many strands of unexplained life of ALL God's children.  

One little perk of 20th century living is the motion-activated electric light. If you wait outside the door for the light to turn on, you will remain in the dark, clueless to see what's inside. But if you step inside, without slowing down, your way will be well-lit so long as you walk in the light. Stop moving forward, stop for a nap, and the light goes out!

Same thing. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." That's His promise to tell us what we need to know, when we need to know, and if we're looking back later, we may receive insight on what He was doing while we weren't looking!

He even gave us His book, filled with examples, good and bad influences, demonstrating how lost and confused we get if we try to use our human logic instead of following his step-by-step guidance. He used the whole nation of Israel to show that following our own choices can lead to slavery to sin, loss and loneliness. He assured them daily of His providence by providing manna, food for the day, and 2 days supply on Friday for the Sabbath,  

He could have told them to bring food for the journey but chose to demonstrate His provision daily, even while disciplining them by extending their short journey from Egypt to the promised land to 40 years and denying all the adults who had left Egypt and sinned, falling into unbelief by refusing them to enter the land. They had forfeited their right to partake of His Land--only those who  had left Egypt as children would inherit. 

Do you want to know your future or are you content to know the One Who Holds Your Future? Beloved, walk in the light you have today!

 In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.  John 1:4

“The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.” - Psalm 19:8

The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
Psalm 119:130 
 

Help Wanted: Diversity United in Love

So now you're saved. What's next? Relax in His care? Did Jesus relax?

A truth often overlooked is the axiom that something--an organization, an orchestra, a church, for example, is more valuable than the sum of its parts. No, really. Ponder this. A church is like an orchestra.

Both need a leader to teach, direct and harness together many different people with various talents and goals for a common goal. Many members, many individual goals and hopes of being part of something none can accomplish on his own. (After all, who would enjoy listening to a drummer alone? A piccolo would seem to screech.  It takes many people with unique talents and jobs to produce results:  Music through an orchestra--growth and service through a church. Yes, even a pew-sitter is a participant in the overall makeup of the congregation, praying for the pastor and others, whose problems he sees around him, bringing visitors to the church's potluck dinner, smiling, greeting those around him daily (Yes, even the biggest pain in his neck at the office). 

We're accustomed to seeking recognition for anything we do that is praise-worthy for ourselves. We want admiration for our efforts and feel like we're being rained on if no one notices, and few of us receive all the recognition we crave. But on the other hand, as Jesus followers. we're not judged for every small thing where we fall short of the glory of God, because of His grace.  Once we see and confess our need for redemptive rescue from our sin nature, we acknowledge where we stand in God's court of eternal law and hope that somehow, He will enable us to call Him Father and wish for our lives to fulfill His plans for our lives. Now, trusting His guidance, the sky is our limit as we learn more about His goals for our growth Next, He sends us to school as any loving parent would do, so we will thrive in the environment where He places us.

We begin at kindergarten level: spend time in His church and do our homework: read from His Holy Book to prepare us for upcoming tests and exercises to build our relationship with Him and each other. (Do you now see purpose behind some of those tough days or weeks you have passed through?)  His textbook teaches us about life: with Him or without Him. His church reinforces our training and offers many ways we can survive our on-the-job training--earn as we learn!

During those kindergarten days, we wonder -- and dread a little bit -- that He will immediately require us to be His ambassador to darkest Africa, far from our comfortable seat in the pew of our neighborhood assembly. Soon we begin to feel that He has many others more sanctified and better prepared for that life and grow content in our back row pew, content to doze, basking in the warm, undemanding corner we claimed as our own. And for new members of His family, that's a good start, but growth is expected for us living people and responsibilities added gradually and demonstrate actual life. 

Eventually, this can get boring, listening to the preacher, who isn't perfect after all, and begin to seek somewhere else to nourish our spirit and spoon-feed us all the blessings we came to expect would drop into our laps. Lately it has seemed that the preacher had begun to expect us to do something more--but there are plenty of others in their pews he could draft for his little projects--we came to be taught, not to teach someone else. Maybe another church---? 

Well, we flunked that test. They call Jesus the Great Physician, right? How do doctors learn their job? They are told "Watch a procedure, perform the procedure, teach the procedure"--on the job training!  We were not called to sit comfortably and observe His obedient team, but to suit up and join them on the field of combat and no one else can take our place--they are all busy covering their own part He assigned only to each of them! 

Do you have a job in your church?  Preacher? No, got one already. Music director? Got one of those too. Teacher? Let's face it. They always need more of those but until you actually open your Bible regularly, you would embarrass yourself if you volunteered for that. Choir or orchestra member? No voice, no training, but whose fault is that? You consider preparing yourself for your next job, but today you can begin where you are, with the personality and enthusiasm God gave you: Speak to someone else nearby your pew, invite someone to attend with you next Sunday and introduce them to folks after the service. Do something, while still learning to do something more, so you will be ready to say yes when God leads you to your purpose. Get up from your easy seat in the stands, suit up, get down to the battlefield and join your family's cause. Getting rid of bad habits takes restraint; forming good ones take discipline and effort.

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!     1 John 3:1

“Give me understanding, that I may observe Thy law, and keep it with all my heart. Make me walk in the path of Thy commandments, for I delight in it.” - Psalm 119:34-35

 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.   1 Peter 2:9

“Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ; so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” - Philippians 1:27

4For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us 

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:16

4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5And there are varieties of ministries, and the same But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 6There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.  But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.  1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 11