This is the first in a multi-part blog series on characters in the Bible. While these are stories of old, they are still strong examples of leadership for us today. What does a leader look like? What traits are most important? I might not do one every week, but over time, I plan on writing on many of the Bible heroes. We’ve heard the names, we know the stories, but do we really know the person. What made these characters a hero? After all, they’re not some superhero “Bible guy”. These are real people with real lives and real problems. The were ordinary people that God used.
Hebrews 11:7:
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
This New Testament verse is written in what has become known as the “Hall of Faith”. It’s a tribute to the great faith characters in the Bible. It’s an example to New Testament followers using an Old Testament character. This story is remembered by this one verse in Hebrews, but points toward the detailed story in Genesis chapters 6-9.
We get a little insight into the character of Noah in Genesis 6:9:
This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.
What kind of person was Noah? For our purposes, what type of leader does God use? I see three things:
Noah was righteous – righteousness is living to please God
Noah was blameless – while righteousness is about the Godly relationship, blamelessness is about integrity with others.
Noah walked with God – how was Noah righteous and blameless? He walked with God. This means he was “on the same page with God”.
Now, it needs to be understood, that Noah wasn’t perfect. Whew, that’s a relief. If you read the rest of Noah’s life and story, he made some pretty large mistakes. Oddly, that’s good news. We don’t have to be perfect to be used by God. We don’t even have to be perfect to be considered righteous. But, we do have to “walk with God”.
What was the world like in the time of Noah? Genesis 6:5 gives us a glimpse:
The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.
Yikes, “only evil all the time”. Basically, all of the world had turned it’s back on God. Man was living for self. The underlying current was self-absorbed. In essence, “if it makes me feel good, I’ll do it”. It was a truly wicked culture. By the way, the Bible warns us that Jesus will return to earth when things are “as they were in the days of Noah”. It’s not a threat, it’s a warning. It took Noah 120 years to build the ark. The whole time Noah was preaching of the coming destruction. It was likely a very short sermon: “It’s going to rain”. No one heeded the warning. The warning is the same today. Destruction is coming. It’s not a threat, it’s a warning. There’s still time to get on the boat!
Back to the character of Noah. What leadership do we see in him.
Hebrews 11:7 gives us more insight:
By faith Noah when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
“when warned”– God gave Noah the warning, and Noah heard it. How and why did he hear it? Because he was close to God. God does speak today, but there has to be a proximity and closeness to Him in order to hear His voice. Closeness to God brings thoughts you haven’t thought, perspectives you’ve haven’t had, and feelings you’ve never felt. How sad it is that many Christians, and even Christian leaders don’t hear from God. The way to hear: Get closer to Him.
“things not yet seen” – this part is awesome. Up until the flood, it hadn’t rained on the earth. God is warning about something that’s completely unknown. Noah lives 100 miles from a body of water and he’s building a massive boat (about 1 and a half football fields long and 4 stories tall). And, it’s taking 120 years. He’s asking Noah to do something over a LONG period of time, to prepare for something that was unknown and never seen before. Leaders follow instructions even when it doesn’t make sense. Genesis 6:22 tells us that Noah did EVERYTHING just as God commanded. Godly leaders are obedient, even when it doesn’t make sense. I’ll take it a step further. The weirder the assignment, the potentially bigger the thing is that’s coming. When God gets “weird”, get ready for something really BIG!
“in holy fear” – Godly leaders need an “awe” of God. There needs to be an attitude and lifestyle of worship. How did Noah get through 120 years on manual labor all while being mocked? Worship! Can you imagine the mental anguish of being doubted for that long, and also having to do the amount of hard labor for all that time? It wasn’t like there was a chainsaw to cut down all of those Cypress trees. I imagine with every chop there was a “I praise you God”, thrown in with some “I give you glory”. Then, to keep it real, “I don’t see water or rain or floods, I don’t even know what that is, but I choose to trust You God”. Noah chose to bless God’s name even in the hard days. By the way, so did Moses, so did David, so did Joseph, so did Daniel. See a trend? Leaders have an awe, a reverence, and a faith, even when it doesn’t make sense.
“to save his family” – could Noah have saved the whole world? Well, yes, if they had listened to his short sermon: “It’s going to rain”. But, he did save his family. Leaders save those closest to them. A leader takes care of the flock. Noah couldn’t convince the world to get on that ark, but his family made it. Why? Because that is what a Godly leader does. We can bemoan the faults in our world. We can be upset about the downfall of society. We can do our part to make changes. But, first and foremost, our calling is to guard the flock. For a church leader, that’s the one God has entrusted to them.
“By his faith he condemned the world” – Noah condemned the world because he followed through. It took 120 years of work and worship, but one day it finally came. God’s judgement arrived. Can you imagine that very first rain drop the very first time? “Uh, what was that?” “Why is water falling from the sky?” “Uh oh, maybe that crazy loon Noah has been telling the truth this whole time”. Noah looks at his family and says, “it’s time”. Mr. and Mrs. Kangaroo start their hopping journey. Mr. and Mrs. Bird give a little “tweedle dee, tweedle doo” and start making their flight. Noah had been given instructions without knowing how any of it would play out. He built a boat on dry land 100 miles from water with no idea how animals were going to arrive. No details other than how to build the boat were given. Yet, Noah did it. Once again for 120 years! And, his faith condemned the rest of the world. He was faithful when no one else was. This is a key principle of leadership. A Godly leader will do the right thing even when no one else understands. This can be hard. To be crystal clear here: One man was right, and all of civilization was wrong. What does that look like in our context? Just because all of society is screaming one message, it doesn’t make it right. We desperately need Godly leaders that listen and obey, even when it is completely counter-culture. Our faith should never be defined by public opinion or discourse. It’s always a matter of “what does God say?”. That’s all that matters. Godly leaders stand on God’s Word, no matter what may come!
“became heir” – Noah became the beneficiary of the inheritance because he believed and obeyed. There were so many days of ridicule and mocking. There were so many days that Noah was doubted. I believe (can’t prove this though), that in Noah’s humanity, there were days he even doubted himself. I mean 120 years of obedience with no sign of the promise is a LONG time. But, Noah endured. Noah did EVERYTHING that God commanded. And, in the end, Noah was rewarded. Complete faith is always rewarded. It may not seem like it in the hard seasons. It may seem that God is absent or forgotten you. But, faithfulness and obedience are always rewarded. It does and will come! Godly leaders dig in and focus on the coming blessing, while waiting. If God has said it, stick to it. Hold onto the promise. Then wait. Wait for God to show up, because He always does.
Noah is my first stop on this look at Godly leadership. There is so much we can learn by looking at these heroes. But, let’s never forget that even Noah was “just a man”. He had faults and failures like me and you. But, he made it into the “Hall of Faith”. Noah was a man that followed through. We need those Godly leaders today, that will stand up and do the right thing even when no one else understands. Godly leadership is most concerned about God’s opinion, because that is all that really truly matters!
“I Got Saved” by Selah is one of my new favorites. I love this song. I love the simplicity of the message. I found this video of some of the back story of the song, as well as a challenge video. Enjoy!
Have you ever been to a prayer meeting? I have been to a number of them in my days. There have been prayer requests from Aunt Martha’s bunion on her left big toe to serious requests for needed intervention. I will be honest, sometimes I have been attentive to joining others in prayer and other times my mind has been preoccupied with pulling lint off my sweater. (I am easily distracted.)
Not too long ago, I was awakened to a prayer request made by Jesus. It was a passage of Scripture that I had read many times. In fact, I had read it too many times but never really paid attention to what the words were saying to me. One day, I was reviewing a lesson that I had prepared for a group of highly energized elementary-aged children as well as their over-worked college camp counselors. That was when I was struck by these well-known, often-quoted verses that I probably have heard dozens of times while picking lint off my sweater:
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
(Matthew 9:35-38)
Did you catch that last sentence? Jesus is sharing His prayer request. In the middle of Martha’s bunion and the upcoming surgery list Jesus raises His hand in prayer meeting and shares, “Please ask God for workers.” What kind of workers? Those who see the needs around them and respond to them. That kind of worker.
Often, the only time I hear these verses is when there is a call for missionaries to a foreign field. I am not criticizing their use at those times. However, Jesus made this prayer request in His home nation, while looking at His own countrymen. I think it is easier for us to want someone to get the “call” for over there, far from here, in a land far, far away (like in another galaxy). Yet, we forget the call is for us today right where we are.
The morning I was studying the lesson in which these verses leapt of the page, was the day I was teaching a group of elementary children that they ARE missionaries. Not that one day they will be missionaries. But today, in their homes, in their schools, on the playgrounds, on the sport teams; they are missionaries. If you are a believer in Christ, then you are on mission with Christ. And Jesus is saying:
“Look around you. There are people hurting. They need people to reach out to them. Pray for more people to see themselves as the answer to My prayer request.”
My elementary missionaries were taught a cheer to remind them of the truth of their commission in Christ:
Who’s a missionary? I’m a missionary. You’re a missionary. We’re the missionaries of God.
I needed that cheer more than they did. I needed to be reminded that it is not about me going to a remote village in Africa to answer the prayer of Jesus. I can be worker right where I am at for the harvest is plentiful here. I know of those who are:
…harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
But I know the Shepherd. And He has called this sheep to go to the other sheep who need to know the Shepherd. Dear sheep, Jesus has called you as well. Answer His prayer request. Be a worker in whatever city you are in. For every place on earth is the Lord’s harvest field.
“One of the great deterrents to revival and awakening is that we do not hold ourselves accountable. We read the Word of God but do not hold ourselves accountable to see it implemented in our lives. This Scripture says that if we meet the conditions of holiness in our lives, He will bless us.”
Henry Blackaby
This quote is taken from “Holiness: God’s Plan for Fullness of Life” by Henry Blackaby. Could it be that we read God’s Word too often for “what we can get out of it’? We read it for encouragement. We read it to help us get through life. Nothing wrong with either of those. I have many times leaned on God’s Word to get me through dark and difficult days. However, how often do we read it for rebuke? For correction? For discipline? And even when we do, and we sense God speaking to the deepest parts of our spirit, how often do we let it end there? James said it this way, “
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” (James 1:22-25).
God desires Holiness no doubt. We fight against it (at least our flesh does). But, don’t miss that nugget from James …. “the perfect law gives freedom” and “they will be blessed”. Holiness brings blessing. Why? It’s not necessarily a reward system where we get the gold stars when we do good (anyone remember those?). No, it’s a natural consequence. Basically, do it our way there are consequences. Do it God’s way, there are consequences.
Paul says it this way in Galatians 6:
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:7-9)
We go through life and at times it seems unfair. It seems as those the unrighteous are rewarded, while the righteous suffer. I can assure you there have been multiple times in my life where I’ve had to choose to do “the right thing”, and it was misunderstood or misinterpreted. In the short term, I suffered. But, in the long term I’m rewarded. Now, I’m not giving my self the ultimate saint card here. On the other side, I’ve had numerous times where I’ve done the wrong thing. I definitely have had times where I’ve done what I wanted to do, but not the right thing. And, to be honest, sometimes it worked out in the short term. I got what I wanted in that moment. Maybe it was an argument that “I won”. Maybe it was just me getting my way. But, and here’s the big catch: You always reap what you sow. If we make unholy choices, we will have consequences. If we make holy choices, we will have consequences. It’s not always immediate, but the results will always manifest themselves.
We live in a culture where instant gratification is celebrated and pursued. Make no mistake though, God and His Word have not changed. The standard has not and will not change. There is only one authority that we have and that is God Himself, and He has revealed Himself to us in His Word. The Bible alone is the standard of holiness for me and you. Culture is not the authority. No pastor is the authority. No teacher is the authority. Only God’s Word is the authority. If you return to the only authority, you will be blessed. If the church will return to the only authority, she will be blessed.
It’s a little after midnight as I type this blog post. In today’s local news, the Gulf of Mexico claimed another drown victim. Down here in the Panhandle of Florida, we’ve had somewhere near 20 drownings in the past two weeks. It does make the news, and it is reported, but the casualties continue to pile up. It’s almost a daily occurrence now. The culprit? a rip current. A rip current is: “a fast, narrow moving channels of water that will pull you out away from the shore. The speeds rip currents move can be up to eight feet per second.” What’s really dangerous about rip currents is they are almost undetectable. There are things to watch for, but for the average beach-goer or vacationer, they are virtually invisible. Once caught in the current, it’s force is too strong. While the current can move someone 8 feet per second, the average Olympic swimmer moves at about 4 feet per second. Fighting against the power of the water is a losing battle.
Before you quit reading, I’m headed somewhere with this posting. The comparisons of our current culture in the church and in society have flooded my mind tonight (not sure “flooded” is the best word choice, but you get what I mean). To be clear the rip current is deadly. It has taken around 20 lives in two weeks around here. But, day after day, people continue to defy the red flag warning system that is in place. They “wink at” the danger. They think “it couldn’t happen to me or my family”, or “I’m a strong swimmer”, or “it doesn’t look that bad”. But, the silent assassin sits just below the water level, waiting for the next victim.
Could it be that we have rip currents pervading our society and even the church? Could it be that the rip current is taking people out one at a time? All the while, we “wink at” the danger. We think it can’t happen to me. I’m here to raise the double red flag (that’s the system for those non-beach people … double red, means DON’T GET IN THE WATER). We have a rip current that is taking out the church. I know many are already thinking this is yet another blog post about the evils in the world. And yes, there are evils in the world. Drugs, sex, perversion, pornography, and on and on. We live in evil times. But, this blog post isn’t about the “big bad evils in the world”. This is more about the hidden current in the church. What do I mean?
I believe Satan has many schemes, but two in my opinion are prominent. First, it’s the oldest of them all, deception and a fear of missing out. Way back in the beginning, in the Garden of Eden, the first lie was “Did God really say?”. For Adam and Eve there was a fear of missing out. They had everything, yet, they were deceived to believe that God was holding out on them. It’s nothing new, but I believe the current is stronger today then it’s ever been. For many Christians, there is a feeling of “am I missing out”. There’s a fear of giving control to God. To do that, means potentially missing out on all the things this world offers. As a reminder, Adam and Eve HAD EVERYTHING …. EVERYTHING. They were in paradise walking with God. We have the same, we have EVERYTHING. Yet, the current tries to pull us out. The second strong current used by Satan is “divide and conquer”. In my lifetime, I’m not sure I have ever seen the church as divided as it is now. Of course we live in a society that is offended by everything, and that has now crept into the church. How did we get to the place we are in? Why is everyone so upset and hurt and offended … EVEN IN THE CHURCH? To be clear there are stands we must take. There are things we cannot allow, and we cannot compromise on. But, there is so much we can agree on. I have friends that are more reformed then John Calvin himself. I have friends that are the “hair on fire jump the pews Pentecostals”. I know quite a few mainline Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterians. I’ve even got Catholic friends that love Jesus with all their heart. But then there is this rip current of division that just keeps coming back. It’s taking Christians out one by one. Fighting, grumbling, murmuring, and gossiping. It’s killing us! I mean even as I’m typing this my blood pressure is rising. IT IS KILLING US!! I for one have had enough of both of the currents. Jesus is all we need. There isn’t a fear of missing something else. This sounds like old school preaching, but if you have Jesus, you really do have everything. And second, this bickering within the body has to stop. I promise I’m going to do my part.
Alright, back to the rip current. It is deadly. It’s claimed many people that didn’t see it coming. But, it’s survivable. The way to survived a rip current is to not fight it. The key is to swim not back against the current, because you’ll lose. The secret is to swim parallel to the shore just enough to get out of the current, then you can safely get back to shore. Here’s my take: we can’t fight against the deception and gossip. We don’t push back, we avoid. We get out of there as quickly as possible. Oh boy, this is just a free flow type session here, but I’m hearing it now …. Let me be clear: If we are fighting back the deception we are losing. If we are participating in the gossip, we are losing. Get away, don’t be a part of it. You want the life that God has for you? Don’t stay in the rip current and fight. NO! Get out. Flee!
This blog post was truly free flow of thoughts (as many are). I don’t check for spelling and grammar (which might be obvious 🙂 … The rip current is in the church. It’s unseen, but it’s deadly. If you find yourself in the currents of deception or gossip, it’s time to quit “winking at” the problem.
My grandmother and I were sitting in a doctor’s office when I saw Jesus. I did not actually witness Jesus dressed in a white robe and wearing some cool sandals, although I did see a lady wearing rope sandals which I could not imagine how they could be comfortable. No, the “Jesus” I saw was a woman wearing non-flattering scrubs with tennis shoes. But she did remind me of Jesus.
It all began when an elderly lady was wheeled from a nursing home van into the lobby. She looked to be well over a hundred, wearing her Mumu and sporting comfortable slippers (I wish I knew the woman’s age. I would like to find out when I can wear slippers out of the house and no one thinks it is out of place.) She was brought in and set in a space that would accommodate her wheelchair. She just sat with her eyes closed, not making a sound. The worker from the nursing home went to sign her in and complete paper work. Upon finishing the tasks, the nursing home attendant went and sat by the elderly lady in the wheelchair. The worker gently put her hand on the woman’s arm. The woman in the wheelchair blinded by age, smiled and said, “I did not know anyone was with me.” She seemed so appreciative to have someone nearby and asked, “Who are you?” The worker in the scrubs and tennis shoes simply answered, “It’s me, Sam.” The elderly adult smiled and responded, “Oh, Sam.” And then she began to chat happily with the attendant she obviously knew well.
Tears came to my eyes at the tender exchange. My mind flooded to times in my life when I felt alone, physically unwell, confused, disoriented. But suddenly my heart would feel a gentle touch followed by inaudible words, “It’s me, Jesus.” As I am reminded by His presence I can smile and share my heart, my burdens with Him for I am not alone. No, I cannot actually see Him, but just like the woman in the wheelchair, to know someone who cares for you is with you, it makes the difficult circumstances easier to bear.
He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I forsake you…
Hebrews 13:5b
I have heard this verse so often that I forget the wonder of it all. The Lord God Himself is with me. He encourages, strengthens, comforts, rejoices, mourns with me. I am not alone. This verse is quoted without context so often that we may forget the purpose of why it was shared with us. Jesus wants us to know that He is always with us so
…that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?
Hebrews 13:6
A woman in a wheelchair had confidence in facing the doctor because Sam was with her. We have confidence to face any situation, whatever it may be, for the Lord who will not forsake us, will also help us. His presence and His power are constant variables in our lives.
As I sat there in the doctors’ office, facing some new circumstances in regards to my grandparent’s health, Jesus gave me a vivid picture of His encouraging presence as I navigate through this difficult time. “It’s Jesus. I am with you. I will not leave you. I will help you.” He is my confidence and He let a sweet nurse attendant remind me of this in a vivid way.
“Many Christians have what we might call a “cultural holiness.” They adapt to the character and behavior pattern of Christians around them. As the Christian culture around them is more or less holy, so these Christians are more or less holy. But God has not called us to be like those around us. He has called us to be like Himself. Holiness is nothing less than conformity to the character of God.”
Jerry Bridges
Comparison is so dangerous. I sometimes wish I could live out the Billy Madison movie. If I could go back to elementary school now I would be a rock star. Playground time would be dominated by this guy! Oh, and just try and take my milk money away. I’d be “the man”, because, well, I am a man. On the other end of the spectrum, I’m not sure I would fair so well with a group of Marines fresh out of boot camp. Actually, that’s a prideful understatement. I KNOW I wouldn’t fair too well. I would be completely owned in that scenario. I’m the same person, I’m just in two different contexts. I think this might be the struggle that we are seeing today. Our standard has dropped. We are in the game of comparison. Thoughts such as, “well, I know it’s not right, but compared to many of my other Christian friends I’m not so bad.” Or, how about, “well at least I didn’t ….”. The standard of holiness has never changed, it remains the same. Sure, we will never completely live up to that standard, but isn’t that the goal still? Yes, we live under grace and we are forgiven, but does that negate holiness? Yes, our holiness is only completed in the saving work of the cross, but don’t we have a responsibility to live holy lives? I say yes. It’s a fight everyday, I get that, but it’s a fight we need to stay in. At the very least we should make sure we are comparing ourselves to the right standard.
I finally could not take it anymore. My fatigue issues just lasted too long. It has been since childhood, something hereditary, cursed genes from my maternal side. Poor thing, she alone can relate to the struggle. Usually after my mom and I discuss our frustrations with this unresolved medical issue, we both just want to take a nap! After years of dealing with being tired, I took matters into my own hands.
The decision was perfectly understandable (at least in my not so humble opinion). The doctor said there was no more she could do; she had tried everything she could. Not only that, I have friends in my sphere who live like jack rabbits on heroine which adds to my frustrations because they make me tired just talking to them, much less trying to keep their pace. My life may be taking a new direction which will involve energy, a lot of energy, too much energy. I wish I could take a nap right now since I am worn out from thinking about it. So, I did the only logical course considering my situation: I drank caffeine.
Side note here: I am allergic to caffeine. That’s right, you coffee-addicts, I can’t even stand to be within blocks of a Starbucks for the smell itself makes me nauseated. I could never do that cool thing of hanging at a coffee house listening to music for it would make me sick, literally, and my quaint flavored water just did not help me stay awake.
Out of desperation, I put the water down and tried something new. I was tired of being tired. I prayed for healing. I sought medical help. I read articles. I tried some strange herbs and other alternative methods. (Some of them were weird, weird, weird. Did I mention weird?) Nothing worked. So, I decided to try what 99.9% of other Americans do to give themselves a “pick-me up”. I turned to caffeine.
I wanted to make the caffeine leap with baby steps so I did not drink coffee. It was an all–natural tea, seemingly nothing to worry about. That is until about twenty minutes after consumption. My head began throbbing. My arms began shaking. My stomach did flip-flops. I went into all-out food poisoning and spent hours regretting that one small glass of caffeinated tea. (If the tea is so natural, then why is my body acting so unnaturally?)
As the food poisoning took its course, the bathroom became my habitat. I was miserable. I was not only in bad condition physically but emotionally as well. I just wanted to feel normal. I desired to have one day to not be overwhelmed to finish tasks, to get work done without a needed nap, to start and finish a whole project, to… You get the picture. Instead, I was hanging in my bathroom.
While bonding with the porcelain throne, God spoke to me. I am amazed He speaks but much less when I am in the bathroom. I guess He knew He had my undivided attention at that moment. I felt Him say, “Why don’t you just accept your limitations?” Tears came to my eyes, while a verse flooded my heart:
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
(2 Corinthians 12:9b)
Then, I began to speak to myself in third person. Why? I have no idea, but sometimes it helps me process. Plus, who else can you process with when you are in the bathroom? Shannon, why don’t you just accept your fatigue? Why are you trying to fix it? God has allowed that into your life. He ordained it for you. Maybe, like Paul, the weakness is for your good:
To keep me from becoming conceited…there was given me a thorn in my flesh a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
(2 Corinthians 12:7a, c)
Could it be that the weakness, the one thing I hate, the one part of me physically that has plagued me from childhood, which has seemed to limit me so much in terms of “accomplishments”, may be the one thing that has saved me? Is it possible that fatigue protected me from the worse part of myself? What if it were not given to me? What if I had been a jackrabbit on heroine myself? Would my energized to-do lists actually only have served to drive me away from God instead of to Him? Paul understood that the weakness left, the weakness not removed, actually enabled him to gain, not lose, life.
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest in me. That is why, for Christi’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
(2 Corinthians 12:9b-10)
In the bathroom, I realized my fatigue was not an issue in need of a remedy but a place to find grace. That grace mixes with my weakness and produces the power of God at work in and through me. I had tried to settle with so much less with my caffeinated tea mix (which tasted horribly, by the way). In my desire for a solution, I had missed the grace.
Weaknesses can come in multiple ways: physically, emotionally, intellectually, relationally, or circumstantially. What is that part of your life you wish you could change? How have you been attempting to “fix” it? Could it be that God is saying, “Why don’t you just accept your limitations?” He wants to extend grace, right there, to that weakness. We may never know how that weakness possibly saved us. However, we can know His power in that place. For with Him, our weakness becomes the place of grace. Caffeine cannot make that kind of promise! And neither can any of your “so-called” solutions. Accept the weakness. Accept the grace, even if it is found in the bathroom!
Ever played that old kids game hot or cold? You know where you have an object in the room that you need to find. Someone else gives you the hints: “you’re warmer”, “oh you’re colder now”, “you are freezing”, “oh you are on fire, you are burning up”. So many Christians are living in the “getting warmer” stage. They are on the right path, but just not “there” yet.
Maybe you feel like that. You’ve tried so many times before. You’ve read the latest book. You’ve attended Bible Study and church faithfully. You’ve even experienced some change. But, then old ways creep back in. You start to feel like you can never change. Over time, you become frustrated and almost feel like giving up.
The apostle Paul can relate. In Romans 7:15-18 he says,
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.”
Paul admitted that complete victory was eluding him. He said “I have the desire, but I can’t carry it out.” I know you can relate to this. The problem isn’t, and never has been knowing WHAT to do. The problem lies in knowing HOW to do it. For those that have been around the church for any period of time, you’ve likely heard numerous messages on taking the next step. We love this, because it gives us practical steps to take. So, the mindset becomes, if I DO this, I will be on the right track.
Please don’t misunderstand me here. I believe these steps can be very helpful, especially for those new to the faith. It gives a very tangible thing to do. Here’s the problem though, these steps are most often will power focused. We are told to repent from our sins. That’s a good thing to do! We are taught to read our Bible daily. Once again, that’s good as well. Now pray daily. Cool, got it! Now also abstain from evil…. OK, that’s sounds obvious, but getting harder. Now, pray for those that persecute you. Love your neighbor. Love your enemy. Give your time. Give your money. Go to church. Disciple your kids. Spend more time with your wife. Volunteer at the soup kitchen. Stack chairs after church 🙂 … this list just keeps getting bigger and longer. Why? because we love the lists. When we start our journey with our list, we feel like the list is what will keep us going. Problem is, no one does it, at least not all of it. And even those that do, it’s only temporary. We don’t have the will power or stamina to live all of this out.
So, what’s the answer, because that sounds kind of depressing? Well, there is no “I” in TEAM, but there are two “I’s” in SPIRIT…. That actually has nothing to do with it, I just wanted to type that. Actually, it kind of does. It’s about the Spirit in us. The Spirit of God is the HOW we do it.
Listen to Paul in Romans 8:
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”
Spirit, Spirit, Spirit, Spirit … that’s what I see in that passage. I think I counted nine references to the Spirit of God. I love the last line: “Live by the flesh, you die. Live by the Spirit, you live”. Sure that’s my paraphrase, but that’s what it says. Christians often think that “living by the flesh” means “living for the flesh”, but it’s not just that. Living by the flesh doesn’t necessarily mean we are doing the big bad sins. It could mean living under your own power, or depending on yourself. If there is one thing I have definitely learned in my lifetime, it is that I am undependable. Oh sure, others wouldn’t say that. I mean, I show up when I’m supposed to. I do my job. I keep my commitments. That’s not what I’m talking about. I mean I’m undependable when I try and fix myself. My flesh, my will power just never finishes the job. I’m not alone here. No one is capable of this. God wired us this way. He made us NEED the Spirit.
So, maybe you’ve been crawling around your whole life as a Christian worm. You’ve been working hard at becoming a Christian butterfly. You know you are supposed to fly, but you just can’t ever seem to get off the ground. I leave you with this advice: Give up! Quit trying! Go back on the ground (maybe even on your knees) and ask for God’s Spirit to overtake you. Ask Him to help you fly. The problem has never been knowing WHAT to do, it’s always been knowing HOW to do it.
You’ll fail again at some point, because that’s what messy Christians do, but don’t fear, God’s Spirit will keep you flying. He’ll give you butterfly kisses and little white flowers all up in your hair (sorry couldn’t resist a little Bob Carlisle reference).
What exactly is Shavuot? Simply put, it is the fourth of seven Feasts of Israel. Shavuot is Hebrew for “weeks”. This festival is also known as the “Feast of Weeks”, because it occurs 7 Sabbaths and one day from Passover, or 50 days (thus the Greek translation of “Pentecost”). Shavuot is Pentecost, Pentecost is Shavuot. Same day, two translations.
But, what is Shavuot? It was a summer harvest celebration. Grain offerings were presented as an act of thankfulness. What is not mentioned in the Bible, but is in Ancient Jewish rabbinical teachings is the significance of the day. Fifty days after the Passover (escape from Egyptian slavery), was the monumental event of the giving of the Law. (Charlton Heston anyone?). Important to notice is that this day was a remembrance for the foundational giving of the law. This feast was instituted well before the time of Jesus, and is still celebrated today by Jews.
Imagine this: It’s first century AD. The disciples are gathered with 120 others in the Upper Room. The day is Shavuot. It’s the day of remembrance and thankfulness for the law. But this year is different. Fifty days ago their Messiah had died (on Passover), was buried (on Feast of Unleavened Bread), then rose again (on Feast of First Fruits). Now, it’s the day of the fourth feast: Shavuot. There are many similarities in the events that happened on the day of Pentecost and the day the law was given on Mt. Sinai. At Sinai “a loud trumpet blast”, and “the whole mountain trembled violently”. In the Upper Room, “a sound like the blowing of a violent wind”. Both occurrences saw a visible fire. Both occurred on exactly the same calendar day (Shavuot). In rabbinic tradition, when the law was given the soul of every Jew in all of history was present, and each person heard the law in their native language. At Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given, “each one heard their own language”. Of course they did!
At Sinai, 3000 people lost their lives for worshipping the golden calf false idol. At Pentecost, 3000 lives were saved. So, Pentecost occurred on Shavuot. It’s amazing how God gives us such a perfect timetable. It’s all rooted in the festivals and in plain sight! God is so good!
