Keeping Your Eyes On The Prize

I write a lot about perspective because perspective matters. How we see the world shapes our understanding and our decision making process. We all have limitations to our perspective which means we all have limitations to our understanding. A two year old sees life much differently than a 6 foot tall adult. Someone in India is going to see life differently than someone in France. Someone who has traveled the world will see the world differently than someone who has never been outside of their hometown.

Christians need to understand that they see everything differently than those who are not in Christ. Part of our struggle is maintaining this different perspective because the perspective of the world is overwhelming. It is also difficult for those Christians who do not want to stand out but would rather just melt into the background of every day life, because our perspective makes us stand out. Remember this fact about what we have experienced:

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Our values, priorities, goals, direction, purpose are all contrary to those of this world because we have a Kingdom perspective, one that is oriented to eternity and to our King. We are not self-made, self-directed, self-purposed. Ours is the perspective of a gladsome servant, happy to lay down our lives in whatever manner the King requires. Our goal is not a happy life in this place but a joyful one in eternity with our King. It was this fact that enabled Paul the apostle to write:

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

I think most of us understand what Paul called "light affliction" which makes any of our days look like walks in the park. The degree of difficulty doesn't matter nor does it matter that we are free of difficulty. All that matters is that we maintain the proper perspective, "while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which as not seen".

To maintain the proper perspective we need to be in the Word daily, enjoy intimate moments with Jesus, and refresh ourselves in the fellowship of believers. Do not wall yourself in from the world because it is to the world we have been sent, but neither look for support, encouragement or refreshing there. You cannot be encouraged by a contrary perspective and maintain yourself in the Lord. You cannot serve two masters. Continue to refresh your proper perspective in the Lord and keep your eyes on the prize.

Not By Might Nor By Power But By My Spirit

There are so many things I want to do, so many things I want to accomplish. Vision has seldom been my problem but getting it done often is. Most of us have goals, dreams, plans that we want to accomplish but many people don't even come close to completing any of them. Life is filled with obstacles, challenges, detours, traps, pitfalls, failures, and delays. Most people change their dreams and goals, finding an easier path when the one they have chosen proves more difficult than they thought. Some people chalk it up to lack of determination. I think there is something wrong with the whole premise.

Most of us live like the Sadducees of Jesus' three year ministry days. They believed that Yahweh had no involvement in our daily living, that we had to do the best we could on our own. They also believed the soul died with the body so there were no consequences to face after death, allowing us to do what we want to do. Most of us make our own plans and do what we want to do, still loving Jesus but not involving him in any part of our life; unless we get in trouble. If we act this way it is how Father is going to deal with us. He will be hands off until we get ourselves in so much trouble that we call out to him for help. But there is a better way.

Our life is no longer our own. That is our reality when we accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, asking for forgiveness and claiming him as Lord. We are re-birthed as a new creation, a citizen of the Kingdom and a child of Father. We are now governed by the principles of the Kingdom and not by the patterns of this world. Jesus purchased us at great cost and we now belong exclusively to him. This means that we no longer determine our days but seek Father's will for our days and situations. We don't have goals and dreams of our own; we have the goals and desires of Father. But even understanding this we can make mistakes.

Sometimes we understand clearly the will of Father and what we are to work towards but we forget that it is his work. Quite often the goal is Father's but we think the work is ours. Even the work belongs to Father. He has planned for it, provides for it and has purpose for it. It will be achieved accordingly. Not by what we think or our schedule and certainly not by our resources. We find an example of this in Zerubbabel.

Zerubbabel was sent out of captivity to Jerusalem to head up the Temple re-building project. The task sounds easier than it was. He was hand picked by Yahweh to complete this task but he had a huge list of obstacles in his way. It was a discouraging work and one that required a great deal of determination. But determination alone wasn't enough. His strength and encouragement had to be found in his relationship with Yahweh and the constant reminder that this was Yahweh's work. At one point the prophet Zechariah provided him words of encouragement from the Lord and he reminded him:

"Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the Lord of Hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)

Yes, not just a New Testament thing. Not by might, force, strength, weapons or intelligence. Not by power, influence, friends, wealth, political clout, position. In other words, this project, which was the will of Yahweh, would not be forced into place by the will of man. This would be accomplished by his Spirit, will , desire, power, presence, strength, force. It did not matter what obstacles Zerubbabel faced, Yahweh told him he would turn the mountains into mole hills. Nothing frustrates the will of Jehovah. Therein lies the difference between our goals and Father's will.

If you are involved in a God-thing, do not be discouraged. It will be completed by his Spirit, his will, his time schedule, by the path he has determined. He will use you to do it but he determines how, when and with what. You just concentrate on the relationship part of things, stay focused on Jesus, attentive to his Word and remain open to the Spirit and he will provide everything you need. And be patient. However, if you are not involved in a God-thing and working on a You-thing you should stop what you are doing, drop to your knees and desire a greater relationship with Jesus. Forget everything else and just focus on him and soon everything will come into proper focus for you. We need to meditate on this Psalm:

Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain. (Psalm 127:1)

Too many of us are building our own houses because it is all we know. It is what we have learned from our fathers before us. It is the sample we see all around us. No one has told us any different. But the Word is in our hand and the Spirit is in us. The Word shows us the ways of the Lord, teaches us the paths, leads us in the truth. The Spirit instructs us if we will get out of our own way. The key is the relationship. Concentrate on the relationship and we will soon discover that it is not by might, nor by power but by his Spirit. Allow Father to complete his will for you according to his Spirit. Walk with him, not ahead of him.

The Right Goals Are Important In Life

Goals tend to be important for us. Without goals we tend to just exist; we eat, work, sleep, eat, work, sleep for our entire life. We may have small goals like, finish our homework, go for a walk, make supper. We may even have longer term goals like buy a house, pay off the car, set money aside for retirement. But what sense of well being does that give us? Isn't well being really what we are looking for? Don't we want to wake up every day with a desire to live life, to enjoy people, to love and feel loved and then go to bed with a sense of peace and joy?

We can earn a million dollars and never feel that peace. We could get that job we always thought we wanted  and never feel that joy. We could reach retirement with our plan intact and not have a thankful word on our lips. Goals are great and needed but they must be the right goals or it will be a wasted life.

The problem is with perception and expectation. From a young age we are shaped and trained with other people's expectations. It starts off with our parents, and they only want the very best for us. They speak their dreams and hopes into us but often these are dreams and hopes already shaped by society. Then we are faced with advertisements which bombard us with images and slogans of perceived success. We face it in school, with friends and sometimes even in church. Most people don't even give it a second thought and just go with the flow, with society's perception and expectations. So many lives wasted.

In it all there is God's quiet and gentle voice calling us to something so much different; something that deals with our true well being. Quiet words, such as:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29)

Jesus promises so much more than our small goals ever could. He offers more than the greatest job, best education, biggest retirement fund:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)

Just because you are a Christian doesn't mean you have discovered the truth of these words. Too many of us don't have a clue that we are suppose to trust God;  that we are suppose to follow his instructions; to listen for his direction. We accept Jesus and then continue pursuing life as usual but Jesus told us specifically not to do that:

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:31-33)

We hear the words but fail to understand; fail to allow them to affect our life; fail to allow them to change or perspective and expectations. Failing to understand these words prevents us from living a life of "risk" (faith), and keeps us in a very "safe" (dull) place all of our lives. There is no growth, just existence. Do these words have any effect on you:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)

Jesus has given us peace, now we must allow that peace to rule our hearts. That means considering what is important to God and walking in that thing. It means allowing his priorities to become our priorities. It means allowing the Holy Spirit to instil God's values in us. But mostly it means letting go of everything we are dependent on and trusting God. Can you do that? Let go of society's expectations? Allow Jesus' love to be our motivation for all things, to desire to reflect his glory in all we do and say, in the choices we make? We must allow God to define success for us.

I want to wake up every morning with a desire to live life to the fullest. I don't want to feel horrible because it is morning; I want to feel excited. I don't want to see my day filled with boring routine but with endless possibilities. I don't want to see people as an interruption but as my reason for being here. I don't want to exist; I want to live life in abundance because of Jesus. And when I put my head on my pillow at night, I want a heart overflowing with thanksgiving and a great sense of peace, no matter what I faced that day.

This is all possible as we take Jesus' hand and allow him to lead.