GOD FINISHES WHAT HE STARTS

PHILIPPIANS 1:6
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

First I just want to point out that I love it when a Scripture starts out with “I am certain”. There are often times that I am anything but certain that I’m gonna complete what I started.
There are those “things” when I have the best of intentions, like starting a work out regiment; I haven’t always been “faithful to complete it”. That Bible Plan that I started with a friend. I had the best of intentions but I wasn’t faithful to complete it. God is always faithful to compete the good work he started within us.

Recently I was considering a work that God had been doing in my life. In my past I had a tendency to overreact when I felt disrespected or dishonored by someone. I would immediately have an increase in my blood pressure and in the volume of my voice. I was offended and wanted the person “disrespecting me” and anyone else within ear shot to know that I was offended. Over the past 3 years God has been helping me understand how to interact with those that I’m offended by. Actually the journey is actually a journey in not being offended at all. Soooooooo, this has been going great. The Lord has done a real work in my life when it comes to being loving, patient and at peace in the face of offense, well, except for in my home. For some reason, we have a tendency, well at least I do, to be the worst version of ourself around the people who are closest to us. Recently, okay, for the past couple of weeks I have been having difficulty responding correctly to my wife and children. I immediately respond like the “old me”. I first must admit that it’s possible that I had reason to be offended and upset but that’s not the point. The point is that the work that God is doing in me is to not be offended and to respond in a way he would respond. (Check the Bible on how Jesus responded to being lied about, cursed and beaten) I wasn’t doing a very good job of this at home so I had one of my morning “coffee’s with Jesus” and I asked him, “I thought you had fixed this in me. I feel like the old me”. He immediately responded by saying, “I’m faithful to complete the good work I’ve started in you”. Oooooh, it’s that the work just isn’t fully complete yet? You are doing a work but it’s just not done but because you are so faithful to complete the good work you started I need not stress but just listen for you to guide me through these moments that you are working things out in me? Got it. Thank you, Jesus.

I will work to understand that God is ever doing a work in me. Sometimes it won’t look like I think it should but He will completed as I listen to how he leads me. I won’t let shame or condemnation keep me from becoming the fullest expression of who God says I am.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is one area that God has started a work in you but it’s not completed yet?
2. What’s one area you need to ask God to start a work in your life?

Salt & Light: The Life Of A Follower Of Jesus

MATTHEW 5:13-16 (ESV)
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

As I read through Matthew 5 (which starts with the Beatitudes) I realized that I may have been reading it wrong all the years of my bible reading. I have always thought the beatitudes was a list of different people groups who are blessed for being in that particular group. As I looked deeper I began to wonder if the beatitudes were much more than a list of how to be blessed. As Jesus is giving the “Sermon On The Mount” he initially appears to making a list of things one can be blessed for. Since my childhood I have spent time trying to figure out which group I fit into and what my blessing, for being in that group, would be. Jesus lays out this idea that those who recognize their need for God (poor in spirit), those who are empathetic to others (mourn), those who are meek (humility) are not only blessed but by being these things they are salt and light. Over the years I think we, or at least I, have redefined what the beatitudes mean and now I’m realizing that it’s not a coincidence that directly after Jesus lays out the beatitudes he begins to talk about His followers. As soon as Jesus moves on from the “blessing list” he talks about how his followers will be mocked, persecuted, and lied about. He then tells us “we are the salt and the light of the world”. This realization got me thinking: How do we, as followers of Jesus, bring flavor (salt) to every situation we are in? How do we, as followers of Jesus, bring light to every situation we are in? If we take a look at our current society we actually will see the opposite in effect when it comes to the beatitudes. In most cases, we are anything but poor in spirit, empathetic, humble, or merciful. It seems that in today’s culture we take pride in our opinion and we want everyone to know it. Our current culture is “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” and make it happen instead of recognizing our need for a dependence on God. If someone disagrees with us or does something we don’t like, we post on social media and never back down or consider the thoughts or feelings of others. Our opinion is right and if someone disagrees they are wrong and we’ll make sure everyone knows. Where’s the meekness? Where’s the need for God? Where’s the mercy?

As I studied through Chapter 5 of Matthew I began to realize that the way we are salt and light is by intentionally living out the beatitudes. We aren’t just blessed when we mourn with others but we are light. We aren’t just blessed when we are humble, but we are salt. We aren’t just blessed when we are merciful, we are like Jesus. All of this has me wondering, “Am I being salt and light?” Am I bringing a different flavor by being less like a culture that seems to be prouder, angrier, more selfish, more resentful, and more divided than it’s ever been; or am I being like Jesus?

I want to be more intentional when it comes to living out the beatitudes. I do believe that this is a “clue” into how to be salt and light in my world. I want to be humble and empathetic to everyone, especially those who don’t look, think or believe like me. I want to be more aware of how I may be “putting my light under a basket” and pursue a life that always recognizes my need for God, always prefers others over myself, and always offers mercy over judgment.

Prayer

Father, thank you for your revelation. Every time I read the scripture I feel like you give me a better understanding. Thank you so much. Please help me recognize areas of my life that “taste like the current culture” and help me bring a new, salty flavor. Help me to be the light by living the way you teach me in Matthew 5. Thank you. I love you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Discussion Questions:
1. What’s one area you struggle with when it comes to living out the life taught in Matthew 5?

2. What’s one place you can intentionally start working to be different by being humble, empathetic, and merciful in your everyday life?

LETTING GO OF WORRY

1 PETER 5:6-11

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Lately I have been feeling a little anxious about different things in life.  Relationships, money (have one child starting college), work (pastoring ain’t easy) 🙂 and getting older. All of these things have been weighing on my mind and at times makes me difficult to be around or even makes me want to retreat and not be around others.  As I was reading this passage, in 1Peter, I found it interesting that the first step in God restoring, confirming, strengthening and establishing is for me to “humble myself under his mighty hand” and then “cast my anxieties” on Him.  So if I am worried and trying to solve my issues on my own is it actually prideful?  Is it me not trusting God is in control and will take care of me? God wants to be in control.  God has the plan for my life.  He knows all of my story, beginning and end.  He doesn’t want me to worry but he wants me humble myself in a way that I trust that he is in control and is a good “Daddy”. He wants to take care of me.  He doesn’t want me to worry so much that He wants me to let Him have my concerns.  He wants to show me that He has everything under control.  Humble myself so He can exalt me.  Give Him my anxieties because he cares.  He will restore, confirm, strengthen and establish me. Got it.

Heavenly Father, I need you.  I’m feeling anxious and I don’t love it. Thank you for wanting to take care of me.  Thank you for wanting me not to worry about anything but give it all to you.  You care so much for me.  I’m thankful to you.  Help me to remember, in my most anxious moments, that more than likely I’m trying to figure things out rather than humbling myself to your MIGHTY HAND.  I want to let go of my worries and allow you lead me and take care of me.  I love you.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.