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June 4, 2010
Why You Should Hang Up Your Robe
Glynnis
Whitwer
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me,
if only I may finish the race and complete the task
the Lord Jesus has given me..." Acts 20:24 (NIV)
Devotion:
My first instinct
was to leave the clean, folded clothes on top
of the dresser. Granted, my arms were filled with
freshly laundered items, so it would have been
difficult to open the drawer while balancing the
stack. I had an excuse for leaving them on top.
Didn't I? Instead, I pushed past my instinct, took
30 more seconds, and placed the clothes neatly in
the drawer.
This tendency to
not complete a task happens with surprising
regularity. I toss my bathrobe on the bed, drape
jeans on the tub, and set the television remote on
the nearest counter top. However, sometimes, when
I'm a bit more self-aware, I take the few extra
steps needed to actually finish the task.
Years ago, I
realized my practice of stopping short of finishing
what I started, led to a cluttered home and office.
Back then, I had a multitude of unfinished tasks
that I just lived with. It wasn't all simple things
like putting away clothes, but included larger tasks
like leaving a wall half painted.
Starting a project
is fun, and usually involves a burst of energy.
Then, that energy wanes as I approach the finish
line. Instead of pushing to complete the task,
assignment or project with excellence, I lean
towards settling for good enough. Unfortunately,
when I settle for "good enough" consistently, I
learn to live with mediocrity. And accepting
mediocrity is far from where God wants me to be.
You see, finishing what we start is more than a good
organizational or home management skill. It's also
a spiritual discipline.
As I identified
the tendency to settle, I realized it affected me in
a variety of ways throughout my life. In the past I
accepted a distant relationship with God rather than
one of intimacy. I've limited my understanding of
Scripture to a surface level. My relationships with
others have gone no deeper than, "Hi, how are you
doing?" Instead of pushing to explore the fullness
of what God offers in all areas, it is easier to
stop short. Perhaps it's safer. Simpler. And with
less personal discomfort or inconvenience.
Interestingly,
it's actually been somewhat simple to address this
issue. I admit the tendency within myself to settle,
and I get firm with myself about it. Now, when I
would prefer to leave the dryer full of clothes, or
emails half typed, I say to myself, "Finish what you
start." I make a conscientious decision to finish
the task at hand before I move on to something new.
Obviously, there are some projects that require more
effort, but this works on a lot of my issues.
I'm not sure of
all the reasons for stopping short of finishing with
excellence, but I do know the results. I end up
with a bunch of unfulfilled commitments, open loops
and shallow relationships. That's a far cry from
the life Jesus came to bring, which is full and
abundant. Not a partial life, but one lived with
pushing to the limits and exploring the outer
reaches.
Maybe that seems a
deep principle to pull from putting clothes in a
drawer or a dirty bowl in the dishwasher. However,
the discipline of finishing well is one that is
woven through my life ... or it's not.
So I guess I'll
take the extra step and actually hang up my robe.
It's one more stitch in this tapestry of finishing
well that God is trying to create in my life.
Dear Lord, thank You for demonstrating finishing well through the life
of Jesus I know Jesus could have stopped short of
paying the price for my salvation. But He didn't.
For that I will be eternally grateful. Please help
me push through mediocrity in my life and explore
the fullness You long to bring. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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Without the camp, in the midst whereof I
dwell. - Numbers 5:3
What a sublime conception! - God dwelt with His people. The
Tabernacle was His tent amongst theirs; the cloudy pillar was
His ensign. To attack them was to come into collision with Him.
All the expense and anxiety of the march rested on His shoulders,
as the care of a family of young children on a father. How
needful it was that nothing should be permitted which could
grieve or offend Him!
What the camp of Israel was in those long-ago days, the Church
is now. It is the host of the redeemed, the representative of
God, the pilgrimage of the saints. Amongst His people God still
walks, and dwells, and tabernacles. Their griefs, conflicts, and
experiences, are shared by their ever-present Almighty Friend.
The presence of God in the Church is by the Holy Spirit. "Know
ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God
dwelleth in you?" (1Co 3:16). He is with her and in her as the
Body of which the risen Lord is Head. When the one Advocate went
up, the other came down; when the Second Person in the Holy
Trinity ascended to His throne, the Third Person came down to
perpetuate His work in the world, through the Church. "He
dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."
How careful should we be in the ordering of our church-life, as
well as of our individual lives, so that there may be nothing to
offend Him! "What will the Holy Spirit think of this?" should be
always our first inquiry. We must walk in the paracletism of the
Holy Ghost, if we would be edified and multiplied, as were the
churches throughout Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria (Act 9:31
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June 4
Romans 5:5
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of
God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is
given unto us.
There will be those days when we feel
we're never going to lose any weight. No matter what we
do, the pounds stick with us, and we begin to feel
foolish for ever supposing we could lose weight. We find
ourselves ashamed for believing that we can lose weight
and ashamed at having such defeatist thoughts. It's a
very hard position to be in. Luckily, we never really
have to feel ashamed of the things we try to do that are
good and right. Even though we sometimes lose heart, we
still have the love and support of the Lord, who will
strengthen us and guide us through His Spirit.
Today's thought: I'm
proud of what I'm trying to do!
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The Character of the Committed
Daniel 6:4
Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to
find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to
government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation
or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no
negligence or corruption was to be found in him.
If people tried to find grounds for charging
you with corruption, would they succeed? Can you be trusted
to do what you know is right, whether in big or little
things? Are you reliable?
These traits are saturated with one recurring theme:
character. Character says quietly, yet convincingly, "I do
what is right. You can count on me-at any cost!"
I sense in our society a growing feeling of "I deserve a
perk"; "I deserve a promotion (without the process)"; "I
deserve the position, prestige and honor (without having to
pay the price and take on the responsibilities)." Many are
climbing the career ladder, but few seem to be on the
character path.
Considering these questions will help you determine
whether others consider you a person of character:
Do people constantly have to remind you to get things
done?
Do you habitually forget to follow through?
What does your word mean to you? Is it a premium seal
that secures the deal, or a flimsy wrapper that can be taken
off and thrown away with ease?
Do you return phone calls?
Do your children believe you when you promise to do
something with them?
If you promise you'll be home, do you call if you're
going to be late?
Do you speak admiringly around your children of those
who are successful and faithful?
Imagine the impact Christians would have on society if we
replaced compromise and unfaithfulness with dependability,
consistency and obedience toward God. Perhaps our salt would
become truly "salty" again.
Prayer:
Ask God to fill your home with relationships that are built
on trust and faithfulness. Ask Him to show you ways you can
be faithful and model them to your family.
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Day 156
TEACHER
"You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,'
and rightly so,
for that is what I am. . . . I have set you an
example."
John 13:13, 15
FROM THE FATHER'S HEART
My child, don't worry about what you don't
know. Knowledge is what you learn from a textbook;
wisdom is what comes from My Father. My Spirit will
be your teacher when you enroll in My lifelong
school of learning. As a diligent student, do your
homework well simply because you love Me. With Me,
class is never out. I will be faithful to teach you
daily.
A GRATEFUL RESPONSE
Lord, all the degrees of higher learning
could not teach me what You can. You are knowledge
itself. You are my teacher, and from You come the
wisdom and application for right and joyful living.
With the heart of a servant, You set an example.
Lord, I want to sit at Your feet daily.
SIMPLE TRUTH
Character was never built — or taught —
in a day.
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June 4
Evening ...
1 Timothy 3:16
Received up into glory.
We have seen our well-beloved Lord in the days of
His flesh, humiliated and sore vexed; for He was "despised and
rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief."
He whose brightness is as the morning, wore the sackcloth of
sorrow as His daily dress: shame was His mantle, and reproach
was His vesture. Yet now, inasmuch as He has triumphed over all
the powers of darkness upon the bloody tree, our faith beholds
our King returning with dyed garments from Edom, robed in the
splendour of victory. How glorious must He have been in the eyes
of seraphs, when a cloud received Him out of mortal sight, and
He ascended up to heaven! Now He wears the glory which He had
with God or ever the earth was, and yet another glory above all-that
which He has well earned in the fight against sin, death, and
hell. As victor He wears the illustrious crown. Hark how the
song swells high! It is a new and sweeter song: "Worthy is the
Lamb that was slain, for He hath redeemed us unto God by His
blood!" He wears the glory of an Intercessor who can never fail,
of a Prince who can never be defeated, of a Conqueror who has
vanquished every foe, of a Lord who has the heart's allegiance
of every subject. Jesus wears all the glory which the pomp of
heaven can bestow upon Him, which ten thousand times ten
thousand angels can minister to Him. You cannot with your utmost
stretch of imagination conceive His exceeding greatness; yet
there will be a further revelation of it when He shall descend
from heaven in great power, with all the holy angels-"Then shall
He sit upon the throne of His glory." Oh, the splendour of that
glory! It will ravish His people's hearts. Nor is this the
close, for eternity shall sound His praise, "Thy throne, O God,
is for ever and ever!" Reader, if you would joy in Christ's
glory hereafter, He must be glorious in your sight now. Is He so?
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June 4
Psalm 71:20
Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt
quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the
earth.
The Indian boy shivered in the night, his third
since he had been let go. He had one week to kill a wild animal
with his bare hands and find his way back to his home camp. If
he succeeded, he would be considered a man. This was the most
important rite of passage of his entire life. He was afraid to
be alone, and he had failed to catch an animal yet, but he had
learned much, he was sure things would work out by the end of
the week.
Many times we must go through adversity and hard times in
order to learn and grow. The lessons we learn are invaluable,
even though we would often rather learn them some other way. The
Lord allows us to meet adversity because He knows we must endure
it in order to be better people. He does not allow adversity
because He is cruel, but because He is kind and wants the best
for His children.
Prayer: I
know that I will face many challenges and ordeals, Father, and I
will try to accept them. Help me to be strong for those times,
and to bring honor and glory to You. Amen.
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June 4
Exceedingly Precious
"They shall be Mine, saith the LORD of hosts in that day when l make
up My jewels" (Malachi 3:17).
A day is coming in which the crown jewels of our great King shall be
counted, that it may be seen whether they answer to the inventory which
His Father gave Him. My soul, wilt thou be among the precious things of
Jesus? Thou art precious to Him if He is precious to thee, and thou
shalt be His "in that day," if He is thine in this day.
In the days of Malachi, the chosen of the LORD were accustomed so to
converse with each other that their God Himself listened to their talk.
He liked it so well that He took notes of it; yes, and made a book of it,
which He lodged in His record office. Pleased with their conversation,
He was also pleased with them. Pause, my soul, and ask thyself: If Jesus
lucre to listen to thy talk would He be pleased with it? Is it to His
glory and to the edification of the brotherhood? Say, my soul, and be
sure thou sayest the truth.
But what will the honor be for us poor creatures to be reckoned by the
LORD to be His crown jewels! This honor have all the saints. Jesus not
only says, "They are mine," but, "They shall be mine." He bought us,
sought us, brought us in, and has so far wrought us to His image that we
shall be fought for by Him with all His might.
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Confronting Evil
By Os Hillman
June 4
"The LORD sent Nathan to David" (2 Sam 12:1).
There are times when evil must be confronted. When God
judges a situation He often uses His servants as vessels for
communicating to the guilty party. Such was the case with David who
tried to conceal his sin of sleeping with Bathsheba and then
orchestrating a cover-up plot that led to her husband being
intentionally setup to be killed on the battlefield. It was a wicked
deed that became the most significant black mark upon David's life.
There are times in the workplace where God may want to
use you to be the instrument of God to bring righteousness to a
situation. Sherron Watkins was a finance president at Enron, the now
famous Houston-based energy company that went bankrupt because of
financial fraud by top level executives. By the summer of 2001, Sherron
had become suspicious of her company's accounting practices.
Watkins struggled with what she was to do when she
discovered what was going on. She thought she might lose her job if she
confronted other top level managers. Yet, if she did not do something,
it could impact the entire company and its employees. Sherron was a
Christian and knew God was calling her to do something.
At first, she decided to use constructive ways to bring
the problem to her superiors. Eventually, she met with CEO, Kenneth Lay
and outlined the elaborate accounting hoax that she believed was going
on in the company. She was ignored. Months later the company collapsed
when the problems came to light and Lay was convicted on 10 counts of
conspiracy.
Sherron Watkins served as a modern-day Esther in the
corporate world to expose a scandal that would destroy a company. She
was recognized as Time Magazine's "Person of the Year" in 2002 for her
role in exposing the scandal.
Are you willing to be the instrument of God, if
necessary, to expose unrighteousness?
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