The Blessing in Troubles

After they had evangelized that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, strengthening the hearts of the disciples by encouraging them to continue in faith, and by telling them, "It is necessary to pass through many troubles on our way into the kingdom of God." Acts 14:21-22

 

Paul had just been stoned and left for dead. He survived, yes. He and the apostles had been through a lot for their obedience to God. I imagine that, without faith in God and trust in His sovereign ways, their response would have been, "Lord, what did we do so wrong and that you are you putting us through this?" Unless they believed Jesus, not just  in Him, they could very well have become whiney, self-entitled Christians. And they would have settled for miserable or mediocre lives had that been the case. 

 

The wise words in Acts 14, spoken by Paul and Barnabas to the disciples, are not among the most popular scriptures verses in today's American Christian culture. In fact, it's quite the opposite – “God loves us, He will make us rich and heal all of our problems." And then there is another extreme- "This is your punishment from God. When you learn to be good and follow all the rules, God will love you and bless you." 

God does love us and sometimes it is His will to heal all our ailments or give us Earthly riches. His generous heart loves to bless us, but blessings are more than meets the human eye. And not every bad thing is a punishment for something someone has done, much less is the world's mess His fault. Yes, scripture mentions God's wrath; it is real - but don't underestimate His patient and enduring love either. 

Sometimes His plan is for something far greater than any fleshly idea of "good." Sometimes that “something” has nothing to do with what we want, but what we need. More often than not, His plans have more to do with teaching us to trust Him than making us happy every living, breathing moment. Trust is a hard thing to learn among human relationships. Perhaps it is the very difference between us and God that make trusting Him a lifelong process. 

That process is hard for us because we think we know what we need better than He does. It's hard because we crave independence even though we were never created to be independent from our Creator. The selfish desires of the human heart have to die so that we have a servant's heart. Why? Because our King was and is still a humble servant. Our King suffered so that the veil could be torn and we could know the Father like He does. 

 

What is Truly Good

There is a way that seems right to man, but its end is the way to death. 

Proverbs 14:12

There's an old saying that goes, "The road to destruction is paved with good intentions." And it reminds me of this verse. The "good" in us can come no where near the holiness of God, although it's quite easy to settle. And the things we want for others and ourselves is mere pennies in comparison to what God wants for us. But we have no problem using ourselves as the barometer of good and evil. 

I have seen this in my own personal life. My tendency is to settle for my idea of "good". I can't wrap my mind around anything better, and so, I ask for the very best I can think of. But He gives more. I also tend to judge things against what's in my heart, somehow thinking my heart can be the gauge of good and evil. How arrogant, right? But then God opens my heart and I can see things His way. I find that His ways are nothing like mine- He is kinder, and far more understanding. His ways challenge my idea of what is good and, as they do, freedom is produced in my heart.  

There is more to life than what is in our hearts and minds. But too often we're prepared to settle. We need God to show us bigger things and provide understanding beyond our own thick skulls. And we need to remain open to them as we travel this journey. He isn't going to force us to follow; He wants all of each of us-  not just our intentions. In order to give Him all, we've got to be willing to see ourselves as we really are. It is then that we seek His way to the fullest.

The Gift Of Repentance

Therefore repent and turn back, that your sins may be wiped out so that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and He may send Jesus, who has been appointed  Messiah for you. Acts 3:19

What an encouraging verse! The offer of repentance is the offer of a fresh start, conviction instead of condemnation. Peter gave this invitation to the Jews, whom he also charged with crucifying Jesus. And if this offer of a lifetime could be extended to those who faced such sin, why wouldn't God invite you to the same...over and over, as long as you have air in your lungs?

Repentance is not only a call for the unsaved, but also the saved.  It's an invitation to keep coming back to the Lord no matter how much we're veered off path or how many messes we've made. It's the opportunity for a do- over, a second chance. In reality, that second chance may be a third or a one-millionth but the mere in invitation of such says a lot about the heart of God.

His heart is kind, so kind that He would rather see us try and fail than not try at all. He isn't surprised when we mess up. He stands patient with a soft smile on His face saying, "Come on child, get back up and try again. This time let me help you more. " He loves us too much to let our human tendencies keep us apart. He wars for our freedom, and second chances are just one of the ways He does it. He also gave His son to atone for us and to teach us. He sent His Holy Spirit out to guide us and fill us with the ability to do what He calls us to do. 

Friend, do you beat yourself up over every little mistake you make? Do you find yourself glued to the times you didn't get it right? Shake off the condemnation and know that Satan is behind it. Jesus didn't come to condemn you or send you off on your own to "get it right". He came to offer you hope, redemption and the chance for change as you walk this journey. And in the process, He will use your determination and perseverance to inspire others. You are already making a difference. 

Prayers of Thanksgiving

Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.

Colossians 4:2

I imagine that Paul understood how easily we humans get distracted from prayer by the way he connected it to intention and a thankful attitude. The practical advice he offers here is bigger than we may think. It's much harder to get distracted from connecting with God when we are aware of the many reasons He deserves our thanks.This same concept is the one the Spirit has led me to during times when I don't know what to say. God loves to connect with us and He loves a thankful heart; imagine how much it thrills Him to see the two together. 

Thanksgiving keeps us humble and wards off an attitude of entitlement. It also fights bitterness and unforgiveness and replaces anxiety with peace. These things are huge for our physical health. They are also sign of a spiritually and emotionally healthy person. It also helps us relationally; no one likes to be around a negative person who is never satisfied.  But most importantly, it pleases our God, and as a parent, I can see why. Whenever my kids have an attitude of entitlement or ungratefulness, I press pause on addressing their wants because their emotional and spiritual maturity are far more important long term. 

Prayer causes us to pause and connect with God. It touches both the words of affirmation and quality time aspects of His love language as we reach out to pursue Him. It also prepares our hearts for hearing what He has to say. There is no such thing as a healthy relationship, enjoyed by both parties, without communication and appreciation. 

Be thankful and pray. Start somewhere, but keep it open and ongoing. As you begin to talk to God, You'll find thankfulness overflowing from your heart. 

What's Truly Important

And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you can determine what really matters and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ. Philippians 1:9-10

What strikes me about this verse is all the petty things we Christians get caught up in, those things that prove to be distractions from the goal He has called us toward. Think about it, we get caught up in everything from political debates to boycotts that prove us more nit picky than gracious. We overlook issues like feeding and clothing the needy to fight over who gets whose way. We become dividers instead of uniters. And in doing so, those who need to see Jesus don't; they see hate, pride and mean spiritedness. 

I'm just as guilty. I have publicly expressed my own opinion in such ways that sounded rude, unloving and judgmental. I didn't understand others and it was obvious that I didn't want to. I thought my opinion was a necessary sign of my faith, but it was just a hindrance.

Beloved, It's not wrong for us to get involved in things going on around us. In fact, we need to connect with others, we need to be the hands and feet of Jesus and we need to express good passions in godly ways. Important issues deserve our attention, but not everything should be an issue. Our opinions just aren't as necessary as we like to think. 

There are plenty of opportunities for us to get sucked in to petty things. While we're busy being distracted from what really matters, we wind up doing the opposite of what we're called to do. 

Therefore, need Jesus' perspective on every matter, and to get it we need to lean in close to Him. We simply cannot be fruitful apart from the vine. This is where we find that loving others becomes more important than finding their flaws, and that is where we have the most impact. 

The Promise of Change

For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of heifer sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrews 9:13-14

Animal sacrifices of the old testament were quite limited in terms of restoration and redemption. The blood of animals could only atone for so much sin. Not to mention, they didn't provide for change inside the one who sinned. Therefore, sacrifices had to take place regularly, even as much as daily in some cases. Think about how often you sin and imagine having to lay your best possessions on the altar that often. At the rate of which I sin, I would be homeless and broke. I would have nothing left to give before my life really began. The worst part is that I would still be who I once was.

The pure and unblemished blood of Jesus was and is enough to cover every sin forever. The blood of Jesus is so perfect that it has also proven capable of bringing about change in any and every person who truly surrenders their heart to Him. And yet part of the body of Christ has yet to experience mindset changes and only looks forward to heaven after this life. I say this in love: Our control issues are revealing our unbelief and they're keeping us on milk instead of the good stuff. They are keeping us from enjoying the here and now as was intended.

With this gracious new covenant, we don't just get to go to heaven when we die. We get to see the kingdom of God come on Earth, now, as it is in heaven. But we have to be all in, holding nothing back. We have to exercise faith in this covenant, even more now than in the last one. God doesn't ask us to be perfect people; He asks us to give ourselves to Him in full trust that He will do what is right.

Thankfully for us all, we serve a God who favors our commitment and trust over our own abilities. Do you fully trust Him? Do your actions and reactions in life align with your answer? These are all questions we should keep asking ourselves continually, because the human heart easily strays.

Barriers to Gratitude

The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” Psalm 50:23

Speaking of gratitude, have you ever noticed how much more thankful a humble person is than a prideful one? Humility helps a heart see clearly all that they have...even the tiniest of things.  The heart swells with gratitude. But pride makes a heart feel entitled, and there is no gratitude from a heart that feels it deserves, thus is owed. It's a miserable place to be. 

Gratitude not only shows up in our attitude, but it also sparks close communion with God. I have noticed this in my own life. The more humble I am, the more thankful I become and the better I hear the Holy Spirit. And it becomes a sweet, joy-filled cycle. The more I commune with God, the more humbled and thankful I become. Honestly, I have never known a greater joy than this. It beats any idea of happiness I ever entertained. 

This is a key place for every heart to bookmark, stop and examine itself closely. No heart of flesh is perfect. Many ugly things hide in the crevices. The good news is that we can choose to be humble and thankful. We can choose our position on all matters; It's a God-given right. But it would be prideful to suggest that we can choose and adopt His ways totally on our own. We have to ask for help, but we also have to be willing to take gigantic steps of faith when called upon. 

Therefore, this is the point at which I ask you to partner with me in examining your heart for pride as I examine mine. It has to be a lifelong process though. This isn't about competing and comparing, but working as a community to encourage one another to grow closer to God by honoring Him, by recognizing that He is perfect in all of His ways. His ways are higher than ours, more than our human minds can comprehend. And He promises to do right by us. He is faithful. He is good. And He is worthy of our gratitude.