Time for a Little Gardening?

Have you ever had trouble hearing God’s voice?  If we are honest, we all have experienced that at times.  Or perhaps we believed he had spoken something to us in the past, and now we are facing doubts that it was really him speaking. It is not uncommon for Christians to struggle with doubt and discouragement in this area. We so desperately want to hear him, and believe he is truly guiding us each step of the way. We are exercising great faith each and every day as we trust in a God whom we cannot see, and there are seasons in our lives that our faith can seem so small and we find ourselves unsure of our relationship with our heavenly father. Dry seasons are expected to come.  We won’t always remain on the top of the mountain, and if we are not careful we may succumb to that feeling and quit growing and moving forward.

You should know this truth: God is the same God no matter what season you are in;  and he always desires to speak to his children.  The challenge is that you can’t hear God when your mind is crowded with thoughts, worries, fears, and plans; or if you always have the radio or TV on.  If you constantly have your phone against your ear when God calls and all he gets is a busy signal, you are most likely in the midst of a lot of distractions. Often we confuse busyness with productivity, and they aren’t the same thing. If you keep going and going but you aren’t spiritually growing, you are busy- not productive.
The Bible teaches that distractions are like weeds that grow up in your mind and heart, just as weeds grow in a garden.

Other seed fell in the weeds; the weeds grew with it and strangled it (Luke 8:7) 

The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. (Luke 8:14 )

How much effort does it take to grow weeds? Well...None. Weeds are actually a sign of a neglected area. When you neglect your time with God, the weeds start to grow in your life.  Luke says that life’s worries, riches, and pleasures can be those weeds.  Yes - pleasures!  Weeds can appear to be quite beautiful, as in the picture above.  Those distractions in your life can be fun with friends, or even another ministry work for God!  But as much fun as this distraction is, or as much as you may be doing a work "for God", if you are not hearing him or growing in him, this activity is a weed.  In order to remove your weeds, you must learn to slow down your busy mind and remove distractions. When God spoke to Elijah, it wasn’t in a wind or earthquake or fire, it was in a gentle whisper. If you want to hear God speak to you, you have to be quiet. Be still before him. Slow down and ask him to reveal anything in your life that is distracting you from being able to hear his voice. God probably doesn't want to have to compete for your attention. He is with you this very moment wanting to have intimate fellowship with you. But YOU need to be the one to pull those weeds!!

Gifts From Above

Did you know that when you were adopted into God's family, you were welcomed in with gifts of love, that were specifically chosen for you since before you were even knit together in your mother's womb?  God gave each one of us special and unique gifts that we are to cultivate, grow, and use for his purposes.  He gave us these gifts out of love, but not just for our own enjoyment.  In fact, it is safe to say that the primary purpose of these gifts is much more for others; to lead the lost to the Lord and build and lift up the church. You have been equipped to be a part of this glorious mission.

There are 3 groups of gifts that God has given to us. There are manifestation gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7-10) which supernaturally reveal the power of the Holy Spirit through a believer.  There are ministry gifts (Ephesians 4:11) that help the functioning of the church, and are often a full time calling.  And finally, there are motivational gifts.  This post will focus on motivational gifts. 

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously.  If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.  (Romans 12: 6-8 NLT) *emphasis mine

The Scriptures highlight seven motivational gifts, given to us by grace.  It is your choice and your responsibility to use these gifts to serve others.  In this Scripture, Paul tells us to use our spiritual gifts to serve others and to do it with excellence. If you are keeping your gifts to yourself,  you are not being obedient to God's command.  There is a wonderful analogy in the book Discover Your God-Given Gifts, by Don and Katie Fortune (a book I highly recommend).  They compare two bodies of water: The Sea of Galilee and The Dead Sea.  The Sea of Galilee has water coming into it and flowing out of it. Therefore, the lake is fresh and useful; it supports life. The Dead Sea, the saltiest body of water in the world, has no outlet and keeps all the water that it reserves.  Because there is no water flowing in and out, there is no life.

If you are truly flowing in one of these gifts, you are likely enjoying what you are doing and you are doing it well.  Understand that one person cannot flow in all of these gifts. Enjoy and be thankful for those who have a completely different gift than you.  Their gifting is for your benefit! We are all a small part of one body, and our strengths and weaknesses are purposefully designed so that we need each other to function smoothly as God has planned.

I believe that the Lord is asking you if you have opened up his gift to you yet. Perhaps you have and you are not sure what to do with it, or you are keeping it to yourself because your personal life is too busy.  Perhaps you fear the vulnerability or potential manipulation that can come when you serve others.  Friends, don't be like the Dead sea! Take time to seek the Lord and ask him how he would have you use this gift for his glory.  Your pastor can be a great resource for advice as well.  Have faith and open your gift from God, hand-picked especially for you.  Choose to be like the Sea of Galilee, and allow the Lord to flow through you to others.

True Friendship

Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’ 1 Samuel 20:42





One of the greatest stories of friendship in the Bible is the story of Jonathan and David.  Two men, who in reality should have been rivals, were able to see past all that surrounded them and see the true heart of one another.  Jonathan, the king's son, had a very kind heart and was the closest, most committed friend to David. They made a vow to each other that no matter what they faced they would remain loyal friends.  Perhaps the most difficult challenge they faced was when David was afraid for his life because Jonathan’s father, King Saul, wanted David dead.  Jonathan loved David and made a plan to protect him from his father.  David and Jonathan faced very difficult times.  Many situations occurred in their lives that could have easily destroyed their friendship, but they took their vow of loyalty to one another very seriously.  They looked past each others flaws and mistakes and continued to see each others' true hearts - no matter what anyone else thought of them.

Are you fortunate enough to have a friendship like this in your life?  David and Jonathan knew the true meaning of friendship.  They weren’t just committed when it was convenient for them. They weren’t just committed when the other one’s behavior was perfect.  They weren’t just committed until the other one's flaws were revealed.  They were committed - period.  We need this same type of friendship in our own lives.  We need to be able to be real and vulnerable with our closest friends and at the same time create a safe place for them to be who they are - with all their good and bad.  We can’t choose to commit to friends only until they disappoint us or let us down or until we find parts of their personalities annoying or frustrating.  We must be committed and loyal at all times -  just like David and Jonathan.  The Bible is built on the foundation of relationship.  It all starts with our relationship with him, and shows his desire for us to build relationships with people in our lives.  To build a relationship takes work!  We can’t hibernate or wait for others to pursue us.  We must make an effort to reach out and show interest in other people.  We must be careful not to live our lives in seclusion.  This is not God's plan for our lives.  Without relationships, we stunt our spiritual and personal growth.  Sometimes its easiest just to hang out with that one same friend all the time, or to only spend your free time with your spouse and kids.  Spending time with your family is obviously very important, but it is just as important to invest in other relationships.  Your time may seem limited, but it only takes a little effort to take the first step. 

Your challenge this week is to make a decision to grow to the next level spiritually and personally.  Ask God to put one person on your heart whom you could start to build a real relationship with.  Make it a point to connect with them whether by phone, email or Facebook.  Don't worry about the process so much;  just get it done.  Set a date for coffee, exercise, or even a play date with kids.  If you are blessed with a friendship like this already, examine your own heart and the kind of friend you have been.   What areas can you improve upon to become a better friend?  A true friendship brings a true peace to your life.  Work this week to cultivate friendship and peace in your own life.  It is not likely that you will need to help your friend escape death, but it is the little things, and honoring the promise of commitment, that make all the difference!
  

Exploratory Surgery

Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23, 24 NIV)

Have you ever undergone exploratory surgery?  In an exploratory surgery, the physician is invasively taking a look on the inside to see what is wrong with you.  For weeks, months, or years, you have endured some painful symptoms, and have lived in uncertainty and fear - only to receive no answers from the medical field.  You have likely seen more than one physician or specialist to diagnose your problem.  But neither testing nor imaging have revealed any answers, and there is nothing left to do but go under the knife to “explore” more closely what the problem might be.  Aside from fear of the unknown, this process is also quite painful.  Post surgery, there will be pain, medication, and healing - and hopefully answers.  Though answers are not guaranteed.  You will also need to rely on family and friends to help you through the healing process.

The scripture above reminds me of spiritual exploratory surgery.   For quite some time now, you have been enduring consequences of sin in your life, and you may not even be aware of what the cause is. The resulting symptoms may be holding you back from living your life to the fullest in the manner God has planned for you.   But if you ask him to search your heart for any offensive way within you, there is good news – he will perform exploratory surgery on you, and his search will yield the answers you seek!  The process may be painful and costly.  You may truly not like what you learn, or what needs to be done to turn things around in your life.   You may need help from family and friends to get through a time of repentance, healing, and restoration.  But God will answer you, and will provide you with everything you need to rid yourself of the offensive way and turn your situation around.  When you allow him to have his way in you, the outcome is guaranteed.  You will be better for having undergone the process.  As a child of God, you have access to the greatest surgeon known to man, with unparalleled skills and an exceptional bedside manner.  He is gentle and loving, and will help you through to an end you may not even see yet.  Trust in him, take a risk, and book yourself on his surgical calendar today!