Embracing Our Humble Callings

"You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other.  Doesn't that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren't you living like people of the world? When one of you says, "I am a follower of Paul," and another says, "I follow Apollos," aren't you acting just like people of the world?  After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul?...I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering." (1 Cor. 3:3-7)

This verse really struck me today because as a younger Christian, I attended a locally famous church and I remember that some people who attended used to liken the pastor to Billy Graham and his gift for evangelism.

But as I've grown older in Christ and in wisdom, I realize that my Pastor that seemed so famous, pious and good is only a man.  In reality, he's not really that famous, although he is, as far as I can discern, pious and good (for which I am glad).

But even when it comes down to someone like Billy Graham, a man I completely admire and respect, who is Billy?  He is a man who is faithful to the call of Christ to water or plant the seed of faith in many worldwide.  Yet, can even Billy Graham take credit for anything?  As Paul says, "No, it was God who made it grow."

Being a former missionary, it is easy to compare accomplishments and to get into a numbers mindset.  We are not rating even ourselves in the church based on Paul's metric in this verse, but instead we are trying to measure success using boardroom metrics for success.  How big is our facility?, how many were "saved" this weekend?, How wide is our television net?

I am no longer a formal missionary -- I was called into business, and God has blessed my career.  What this verse really speaks to me is that I really need to run my own personal race and follow my own calling.  God has me in business for a purpose -- I really don't know all the ramifications of why He has placed me where I am, and it doesn't seem like I'm making a huge difference in His kingdom.  However, I simply try to live and conduct myself in the Lord's ways as much as I can.

I'm not a gregarious Christian who is trying to convince everyone around me to join my church...however, I try my best to identify myself as a Christian and to lend Christian viewpoints to daily conversation.  If I encounter moral challenges in my job, I try to example the Lord's ways and even attempt to convince those I report to as well as those I manage to make moral choices in our workplace decisions.

I know that I may never really truly convince someone I come across to make a choice for Christ.  But, does the numbers of those who pray the sinners prayer define who I am?  No -- nothing besides the truth that I am a new creation in Christ can define me from the day I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior.  Nothing and no one.

God places each man into a certain role in life -- and few of them, even those that seem so famous to a young Christian, truly are glamorous. The job of "watering can in the business world" is actually very mundane and hidden.  But -- if I simply remain faithful to the job I've been given by the Lord, I know that I will be pleasing to Him.

Laying My Life Down Daily

Reading the June 16 entry from Oswald Chambers "My Utmost For His Highest" was pretty thought provoking for me.

It is easy to be like Peter and in a moment or phase of being "on fire" for the Lord we sacrifice our life for His cause. Most, if not all religions have examples where they have called on followers to die in the name of their religion. In today's world, the suicide bombers of radical Islam are the strongest example of that kind of thinking. If that person has a moment of courage to kill themselves while killing other innocents, they believe they will go to paradise.

How much more difficult is it to instead live in this fallen world and daily live in the way that Jesus has called us to live? The "Yes" that we give to Jesus is a challenge for our sin wracked souls to do - to lay aside our pridefulness and acknowledge the wretchedness within us. I can only speak for myself, but I ran from God for a long time because I didn't want to give up my sins and change my life. It wasn't until I took stock of my life and realized that it was headed to meaninglessness that I finally gave my life over to God.

Yet, how much more difficult is it to live our lives as a follower of God day in and day out? Everything and I mean ever-y-thing around us, even in the United States, is drenched in sin and distraction. While we may not have the animism of tribal Philippines or advanced Japan, we certainly have a pervasive materialism that has invaded our daily lives. With that materialism comes all types of sins as men sacrifice their lives in pursuit of obtaining worldly wealth.

And that is my personal challenge. Lord Jesus, help me to lay aside myself on a daily basis. Am I serving You in the things that I pursue? Have I cleared off my personal schedule enough to see the little ways that I can serve the people around me? Although it scares my flesh in the ways that You might redirect my life with this prayer, I pray for Your strength to do whatever You would have me do. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Letting Nothing Become A Stumbling Block

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler

¹⁸ Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
¹⁹ So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. ²⁰ You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’"
²¹ And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”
²² So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
²³ But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

With God All Things Are Possible

²⁴ And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
²⁶ And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?”
²⁷ But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”
²⁸ Then Peter said, “See, we have left all and followed You.”
²⁹ So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, ³⁰who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

I've been thinking about this passage lately, and what it means to my life. On the surface, I think it has been misinterpreted sometimes to mean that riches are not acceptable. That we need to be poor and penniless to go to Heaven.

Reading the passage however, especially in v 29-30, Jesus explains that we must be willing to leaving everything behind for the sake of the kingdom. We have a life that we used to live without Christ, but when we became Christians, we have given over our lives to God in everything. Our orders do not come from our own will and desires, but instead have been put under the Lordship of Christ.

Our salvation doesn't come from works - it doesn't matter what they are, so simply giving away money isn't the "trick" to get to heaven. Man cannot do it on his own (v27). But each of us have a propensity to build up our own kingdoms here on Earth and develop affinities to things that we cannot live without. For the rich young ruler, it was his money. He could not let it go because he ultimately identified himself with his riches. For others they could be ultimately influenced by their parents or their peers. If they are unable to let them go when the Lord calls, they are not really following Him.

Now that I'm working again, I'm enjoying it and the pressure of finding a job in this uncertain market has eased (but it hardly fades way with the threat of job loss at any time). Budget-wise as a family we have been thinking about some of the expenses that we've held off on. A minivan - maybe a house. Each of those things are not necessities, but preparing for a larger family and establishing a home would be nice.

However, having those things doesn't preclude the chance that the Lord may call us to do something radically different and follow His call to a new place where we might have to start all over again. My employment is NOT my identity. The place I live or the car I drive is NOT my identity. Those things are ultimately rubbish when placed against the upward call of Christ Jesus (Phil 3:7-8,14).

The danger for us Christians is not obtaining possessions, but is in our ability to let go of them when we encounter Christ walking in a different direction. It can be anything (even the smallest possession that we are asked to leave behind), but if it serves to impede us, it is a stumbling block and we are no longer following Him. And as the call of Christ gets farther and farther away, where is our faith? It atrophies until we get back on the path that Christ calls us to.

For my family, moving to Southern California was the fulfillment for a calling from God. Initially, we really didn't know anything except that we needed to leave Seattle and come here. We had no promises of success or employment. We only had a reliance on God and even for the first 5 months, we were simply spending our savings - it wasn't an easy thing - yet we had peace that we were walking with the Lord.

Our faith and family bonds grew stronger as we focused in on developing our family bonds together (the first few weeks of my wife and I being together 24/7 were tough!) - and I can honestly say that I hardly recognize the people that we were in Seattle. We were settled and contented in our small kingdom with the materialistic dreams we were aiming for.

But the threat to return to that is always there. It must be guarded against through faithful living and a desire to follow Him daily. That is still a challenge today as things have been busy at work. How little time I have spent in prayer and abiding with Him lately!

Lord Jesus, this passage today was a warning for my family and I. You led us here to develop and recharge our faith, and there is always the chance that we will atrophy back to where we came. Let us not do that in Jesus name. Let us never be shy to fall on our knees and simply submit to Your will - whatever that is and whatever it may entail. We know that we may never have a house, but it doesn't matter. As long as we are near to You and doing what we have been called to do, we are home. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Forgetting What Was Behind

"Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain." (Gen 19:17)

In Genesis, God saw the sinfulness of Sodom and Gomorrah and planned their destruction. The only thing that He desired to do is to get the righteous Lot and his family out of the path of destruction. In this famous story, we know that Lot's wife looked back as they were fleeing and was turned into a pillar of salt.

I really don't judge Lot's wife harshly because she was leaving all that she had and knew. Lot was a rich and prosperous man and they must have lived a charmed life. However, all of that was nothing compared to the urging of the Lord to go.

We rarely know why God will call us to move from this place or that, and it can all seem very confusing and deflating emotionally. However, based on this example, we need to simply trust God and move according to His direction. And as we move, keep focused ahead on the path in front of us instead of dwelling on everything that is in the past.

It is easy to reminisce and glorify the things that have come in the past. Sometimes it can seem so very charming and easy, especially during times of intense trial and stress in our walk with God. However, the path that we are on is chosen by the Lord for our good, and we must not give Satan a foothold upon which to prey upon us and lead us astray. Once we open the door to discontent, Satan will twist that into a desire to seek after an easy way, a way that ultimately leads to eternal hell.

As I am still in the midst of struggle and trial, this is a key verse for me. Obedience to the Lord hasn't been easy and I know that my career has suffered mightily because of it. But, the words of Paul ring true to me when I am tempted to look back and wish that things had been different: "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ...but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me...forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil 3)

The moment I made a decision for Christ, I laid down my previous life, the world and its aspirations. It is no wonder that as a consequence, I am asked to do something different which would forego worldly gain, status and comfort. But in return, I will move ever closer in my goal to fulfilling the call of Christ on my life - a life that He will ultimately not waste, but will use to further His kingdom.

That is all that I dream. That when I stand before His throne at the end of my days here on earth, I will know that my calling was fulfilled and my duty as a soldier for the Lord was completed in full. All else will simply fade away into obscurity.

Lord Jesus, help me to keep my eyes and thoughts focused ahead on what You have called me to do. Thank You for saving me and my family that we may worship and walk with You always. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Walking the Rocky Road of God's Call

"Now the Lord had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house to a land that I will show you." (Gen. 12:1)

God's unusual calling. It can strike in many ways and is rarely conducive to our own convenience. Abram was a man of some means, and the heir of his father's fortune as the oldest son. However, God asked him to trust the calling on His life to leave His father's house, leave his inheritance, and venture out to a new land.

Now, Abram wasn't a poor guy and apparently he had many servants and livestock from his launching point in Haran, but it was still a big risk to go to a new place with no assurances of success other than God's calling.

And that reminds me (as it always does) of my personal obligation to the Lord. Do I trust Him? Am I willing to sacrifice everything that I have built up in this place to go to another at His call?

When my wife and I were praying on whether to move here to California, we were relatively set in Seattle. We had a really good life with the prospects of buying a new home, and a good steady paycheck. Everything we had was growing in a way that promised us a nice, secure future. But we felt a pressing from the Lord to move. We tried to suppress the calling for a time because we didn't have any arrangements in CA and we were fixated on maintaining our material security, but the Lord kept at us, telling us to move and to trust.

And so we moved and doing so was a huge weight off our shoulders, and we were confident that the Lord would provide. However, now that we have settled in here, we are finding that the job market is tough and our provisions are being met by our savings. So where is God?

I am confidently writing today, in the middle of this quandary, and I can say that He is with us still. I don't know how it will all play out, and there times of frustration and heavy prayer, but my wife and I don't feel like we made a mistake at all. We may have had a good secure life in Seattle, but our spiritual life was slowly decaying. What we have found here in our new place is a renewed love of the Lord. Again, not all the pieces of what the Lord will do for us here is known by us (in truth, we know nothing except today), but still our faith and confidence in Him is renewed.

One of the key truths that I have learned during this time is that God's path is straight and narrow, but it isn't without its difficulty with steep inclines and deep valleys. It has become fashionable in today's Christianity to think of God has one who rolls out the red carpet for His servants, but I believe the reality can be the direct opposite, where He increases the level of difficulty in our lives in order to develop our characters.

I think again to the story of Abram, and we see that although he reached the land of Canaan, a famine there pushed him into Egypt where the Pharaoh temporarily took his wife as his. Although God's calling and promises were still intact, they did not flow absolutely perfectly. Things developed over time, and even the fullness of the Lord's promises took generations to fulfill. (Gen 12)

In Gen 14, we also see that in the context of the world at the time, Abram was not a major player. The major political battles were being fought by the Kings of the various cities, and they kidnapped Abram's nephew Lot. I was reminded that God isn't looking to use the world's most powerful men, as they usually have their own selfish agenda on their minds. But, He will use the most humble, faithful and obedient instead.

Sometimes the mission we are on doesn't end with us. And it shouldn't. God isn't planning for just my family, but He is planning for generations of our descendants. So I sit here writing, knowing that I may not do anything of worldly note with my life (actually, I am certain I won't), but as long as I keep my children focused on the Lord, I will be setting my generations up for a large kingdom work. And that is my heart's deepest desire.

Lord Jesus, I know that You have a greater plan that just my life and my generation. Our job isn't to gain worldly power, but instead to simply be obedient to Your word and Your calling as You reveal it to us. My heart's prayer is to remain true to You and to that truth. Help me to focus my eyes on You and be a good parent to my children. In Jesus' name, AMEN.