Shall I put it another way?

So I had a thought as I was driving home from work tonight. Still pondering this whole success thing; and it occurred to me:

Perhaps thinking about “success” is not really the best way to think about it after all. What I mean is, thinking about things in terms of personal success makes it all about me…and really, it’s not about me. I am crucified with Christ and my life is hidden in His. So, in reality, I’m thinking in wrong terms if I’m constantly focusing on whether or not “I” am a success.

So…how should I think of it. And is it wrong to strive for excellence, for success? I would say no – but again, it’s all about motive, all about the heart disposition. What is the driving force behind the desire to succeed?

My thoughts rested here for a moment: Perhaps I should think more in terms of faithfulness. Faithfulness borne out of a heart of gratitude. That moves the focus from me and places it where it should be – on the Lord. 

There are times when I am there – celebrating the Lord, living in gratitude to Him that reflects in every aspect of my life. But then there are times when I lose that focus and move away this focus. It becomes all about me and what I want and then…well, drama and mayhem ensue! But when I come back…oh the joy…

This is where the real joy begins: When my thoughts rest on the finished work of Christ. There is nothing I can do to add to that work. He has done it all! And I cannot ever be loved more or less by Him than I am right at this moment. My performance doesn’t determine that love. This is the true motivation, where the true desire to be faithful to my Lord is born. When I survey the wondrous cross…when I peer into the empty tomb…when I gaze up into the sky, knowing that someday He will return in the same way He left.

What greater motivation can there be?

More later…grace and peace…

 

Success…?

Here’s a question I was pondering with a friend this morning: How do you measure success? What are the earmarks of success?

Is it a high paying job with all the trimmings – the fancy car, big house and phat bank account?

Is it reaching a level of influence with important leaders in the business world or in government?

Is it celebrity status where everyone knows who you are and you are followed by papparizzi everywhere you turn?

My friend and I were speaking specifically in terms of success as it relates to ministry, so let me ask the question in these terms:

Does it mean you have a megachurch?

Does it mean you are on TV or radio everyday or every week?

Does it mean you fly around the country or the world, always first class, or better still in your own private jet?

Does it mean you have inside access to national leaders that enable you to give them advice?

Do these things equal success? I would answer yes, and no…or even maybe. How’s that for a straight answer? (Smile) But seriously, it all depends on what kind of success you are after, how you define success? Does success always mean huge numbers, or huge amounts of cash, or even huge influence on people deemed “important” by our culture and society? It could, but not necessarily.

And here I shall mount my soapbox…It seems to me that these things are secondary as it relates to success in ministry – or, if you’re not called to ministry as a vocation, the Christian life in general. Many times, these things can give the impression of success, but is not true success at all. The worldly trappings associated with success in our culture cannot be used to measure if a person is successful by the Lord’s standards. The Lord’s standards are much different. A huge congregation or following does not necessarily mean a person is “blessed of God” or is successful. It may just mean they are giving the people what their tickling ears want to hear…

Faithfulness…obedience…commitment to truth…these are measures of success that we should aspire to as Christians. Numbers and influence may or may not be the result of these things, but that should not be our ultimate goal. And if we don’t have the next megachurch or super successful mega ministry, that should not cause us to think we have somehow not reached the mark. Or, in the case of the Christian is not called to full time ministry – the number of people we “bring to a decision” does not determine whether we have been faithful or not. The question to ask: Was I faithful to my Lord in my interaction with that person?

Please hear me: I am not saying there is anything inherently wrong with big churches, big houses, big…well, anything. But the danger comes when we use these things to measure our level of success spiritually. Material prosperity should not be how spiritual success is measured. This was not the case in Paul’s life – he experienced plenty and want, and spent much of his ministry a wanted man, fleeing for his life, suffering persecution and misunderstanding. He considered all his worldly gains as rubbish for the sake of knowing Christ. He was arguably the most successful missionary in the history of the church, writing 75% of the New Testament and preaching the Word to countless people. And yet, he made his living as a tentmaker, not expecting anything from the people to whom he ministered. He did not consider his background as a Pharisee and expert in the law something to be lauded – his position in Christ and his obedience to the Lord were his aim.

As I think about this whole “success in ministry” thing, one passage comes to mind and just hangs there for a minute:

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each.  I planted,  Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—  each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:5-15 ESV)

I’ll have to chew on that for a while…I’ll get off my soapbox now (smile)…

More later…grace and peace…

 

More silence…

I’m still being confronted with the subject of words and speech. This morning I read the following proverb:

Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding… (Prov. 14:33b) 

Here’s the trend I’m seeing as I read through the book of Proverbs this time around: Wisdom doesn’t say much. It doesn’t have to be heard. And when wisdom does speak, its words reflect the truth and character of the Lord.

Foolishness seems to always have something to say – and speaks much of the time before thinking.

Trusting in the Lord encourages silence. When you trust the Lord, you know He is in control. You don’t need to manipulate circumstances to achieve your own ends because you know that the Lord will provide what You need. You know His ways are infintely better than your own, and therefore you accept His will above your own. You can recognize your need for His help and guidance. You don’t feel the need to vindicate yourself because You know the Lord will reveal all that needs to be seen – including you own sin if necessary.

It is a sign of maturity to be able to hold your tongue – to be wise with your speech. James says that “if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man able to bridle his own body” (3:2). Our mouths can get us in a world of trouble – and I am speaking from experience here, unfortunately. What we say reveals what is in our hearts (Matt. 15:18). And, I’m sad to report, that much of what is in my heart is not very flattering. But, praise be to God – He is working to change my heart. And if He began the work, He will complete it!

No human being can tame the tongue – but with God all things are possible. May wisdom reign and rule in our hearts – and over our mouths! – today.

Grace and peace…

 

Shhh….

“Silence becomes you.” Sometimes the Lord will use someone to get in your face about something He is dealing with you about. This happened to me recently with these three simple words: Silence becomes you. God has been working on me about my constant and incessant desire to make my thoughts known, to express my opinion, when sometimes silence is the way of wisdom. I know that my use of words  in many instances can be for the sake of gaining control or seeking to move something in my desired direction. But the Lord is seeking to prune me of this controlling spirit - and when I am tempted to move ahead and speak my mind, especially when no one has even asked me what was on my mind, these words pop in my head.

Now, this does not mean that I will never speak again. What it does mean is that I must allow the Lord to examine my heart and purge me of those sinful thought patterns that give rise to my constant babbling. My increasingly judicious use of words will reflect a quiet, gentle sprit, a surrendered heart, and a peaceful soul – an inner life controlled by the Lord, and not my own agenda.

When considering whether we should speak or be silent, we should ask ourselves: What is my motive for speaking into this situation? Am I seeking to control the other person? The outcome? Am I seeking to vindicate myself? Am I seeking to pass judgment on someone or something? Will my use of words in a given situation bring honor and glory to the Lord? Or, will they serve to make myself look good, cast me in a positive light, or the other person in a negative one?

If we stop long enough to answer these questions, we may perhaps choose not to speak at all. A passage that the Lord led me to while thinking about this was Proverbs 10:19, “When words are many, transgression is not lacking; but he who restrains his lips is prudent.”

And here’s a classic: “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips he is deemed intelligent” (Proverbs 17:28). Ouch. Here’s another “ouch”: “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion” (Proverbs 18:2). How do you gain understanding? You have to be “slow to speak, quick to listen” (James 1:19). Oh, how much trouble I could avoid if I heeded this truth in every circumstance!

Lord, grant me the grace to grow!!

More later…

Grace and peace…

 

An extended quote

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

In my meditation and study of 1 John 3:1-3, I have read some pretty spectacular and thought provoking things. But what I read last night was so good, I just had to share. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones is my new favorite author – I have learned so much from my reading of his works. I am currently reading through his book, Life in Christ: Studies in 1John, which is a collection of sermons he gave on the book of 1 John. I highly commend this book to you! You will be richly blessed by your reading.

I wanted to share one extended passage from his sermon on 1 John 3:3. In this sermon, Lloyd-Jones makes clear how the truth of verses 1 and 2 naturally flow to verse 3. If we believe all that has been presented by John about our blessed hope, the natural, reasonable response will be to purify ourselves, because He Himself is pure.

But I will let him speak, because I cannot say it any better than he has:

[W]e can put the teaching like this: If I really believe what the second verse has told me, if I really know that I am a child of God, with all that this means, if I believe and know that I am destined for eternal glory in the presence of God the Father, if I really believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is going to return again, to be ‘manifested’ as John puts it, in this world as King of kings and Lord of lords, if I believe He is coming to judge the world and to destroy everything that is evil and vile out of the universe as a whole, if I believe that I am going to be with Him in glory, if furthermore I believe that I am going to see Him as He is, if I really believe that I am going to be like Him, that my very body shall be glorified and that I shall be faultless and blameless and spend eternity in His holy presence, if I really believe all that, says John, then of necessity, this must follow.

Amen.

Grace and peace…