Posts Tagged ‘Work’

Ever get frustrated in your spiritual growth?  Ever feel like you will never overcome certain things?  The question I constantly wrestle with is this:  How do I  ”grow” as a Christ follower?  Psalm 1 is always a great help to me.  In this Psalm we see that we have 2 options.

• Option 1:  try to grow ourselves.  To “be” good…to “do” good…to produce ourselves…to set up rules and regulations and disciplines in our lives all for the furthering of our walk with Jesus.
• Option 2:  Allow the Word of God through the Spirit of God to do God’s Work of transformation, sanctification and growth.  To not try ourselves to grow ourselves, to change ourselves, to take the wheel and take control of ourselves.

Psalms 1 is so helpful.  The Word of God is one of the places that God uses to grow and transform and sactify us.  The Psalmist tells us that we’ll be like a “tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaves does not wither.”  How do we become like this tree?  We delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on his law day and night.

You see, the Word of God does the Work of God.  That’s what the Psalmist tells us.  Get in the Word, and the Word will convict, transform, change, encourage, and do the Work of God on our hearts and in our lives.  For me, when I’m struggling the most in my Christ-following journey it’s usually because I’m not delighting in the Word and meditating on His Word.

Let the Word of God do the Work of God.  How can you meditate and delight in God’s Word today…this week?

Dig Deeper,

CD

Lately, I’ve found myself frustrated with the work at RiverStone.  I’ve been frustrated because I tend to notice all the things that we are NOT doing to glorify God and make disciples locally & globally.  There’s so much work to be done.  There’s so much that needs to be acted upon.  The gospel needs to go to our community everyday in many different ways.  And I’ve got paralysis of analysis as I look and try to formultae plans based upon our passion to impact our community in spreading the gospel.

BUT…

God has been so faithful.  He has impressed upon my heart 4 things:  1.) Pray 2.) Preach 3.) Love 4.) Lead.  He’s been speaking to me about Him doing the Work through the Word.  In Acts this is exactly what we see happening.  The gospel is preached  and people respond to God’s Work through the Word.  In fact, this is what God’s people pray for in Acts 4:29:

“And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with great boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus. ”

The people were praying for the ability to speak the Word because they knew as they spoke the Word, that God would stretch out his hand to do amazing things!

And this is what’s happening at RS right now.  We are very much a church plant.  We are very much in “need” of people to serve and do and act and lead and volunteer, etc.  And things move slowly, most of the time.  But as we are committed to speaking the Word, we are seeing God move the hearts of people to respond and serve and lead, and help and love.  It’s truly amazing to see the Word of God stir the hearts of people!

God is doing His Work!

Chris.

Are you learning and growing from Luke 14:15-33?  I have to tell you I haven’t been able to leave this text for quite some time, as I’m praying for my family and our church family, that God would make us a “God is supremely better” people.  What has entered your life this week that is rivaling God being better?  Is sickness trying to steal this from you?  Is work related  issues, family experiences, unmet expectations competing to steer you away from God being so much better than all else in life?

Just this week I have had a phone call from a friend who is dealing with a possible miscarraige…Just this week I am praying for family members who desperately need the Lord to come through in a job situation…Just this week I’m lifting up people walking through some dark times already in 2011, and they are faced with a question – Is God really worth dropping all else in life to follow Him?  Is he worth it?  Can I value him enough to put #1 priority in his life?

Also, there are some of us out there who have it all together and who are experiencing fruitfulness in life like never before, and things couldn’t be better.  I firmly believe it’s in these “good times” that it’s hardest to consider God as better than all else - because all else is treating us so nicely.

Anyway, let’s look at Invitee #2 to God’s Party in Luke 14:15-33…Who is this guy?  He is a guy who turns God down becasue he has just bought 5 yoke of oxen.  He has 5 pair of oxen that he is needing to visit and make sure they are doing their job in order to provide for him.  In other words, this invitee #2 is valuing work and the bottom line financially over God and God’s Party.  He is more concerned with working and how work is going than dropping work for an evening and celebrating who God is.

I have to admit – this punches me in the soul!  I’m a bit of a workaholic to be honest.  Are you?  Are you like me and tend to place a more significant value on work rather than on God?  Are you defined by what you DO, rather than what Christ DID on the cross?  I struggle here.

If you do struggle here, remember our friend Martha in Luke 10:38-41 – respond to these questions:

• How would you describe Martha?  Use some adjectives to define what she was like.
• How would you describe Mary?  Use some adjectives to define what she was like.
• What was Martha frustrated with?  What was Mary doing?
• What did Jesus consider to be the most important act in this story?
• How can you apply this to your life?

Man, i’m praying God makes some significant transformations in all of our hearts – namely, that he would make us a people who are “God is supremely better” than WORK people!

Dig Deeper,

PC