My New Mantra

So yesterday, someone pasted this Mantra on Facebook, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head.  If there is anything that I want to be in life, it is a friend of God and a threat to my enemy, Satan.

You are my friends if you do what I command. John 15:14
So what have I been doing to make that happen, and what do I need to do to accomplish it.  I thought about that this morning in my time with the Lord.  And here is what I was told:

Be still and know that I am God.  Psalm 46:10

I need to pray more, and in a way that keeps me focused and still.  I spend too much time not being still in the Lord, trying to read His word instead, and worrying about how to serve Him (like Martha) instead of just listening to Him like Mary.

John, the beloved disciple, was always leaning on the bosom of Jesus listening to Him.  He describes himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved.  And the word he uses more in his gospel than all of the other gospels combined is "BELIEVE."  Not do, not work, not serve, just believe.

So when I look at this mantra, it makes me want to pick up my sword and start slashing.  But God has told me to choose the better part and be still, get to know Him, and become someone worth fearing.

Unconditional Love

  Matthew 7: ⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

When I was a child, I always got good grades.  A natural self-starter, my parents never did anything to motivate me, because getting straight “A’s” was my personal goal.  But my brother, on the other hand, needed a lot of motivation.  One of the things that they did to motivate him was to offer a reward for good grades.  A “C” would get him $5, a “B” would earn him $10, but an “A” would garner him $20.

But it seemed that no matter what they offered him, he just couldn’t do it on his own.  So although he rarely earned the rewards that were willing to give, he remained their son.  Even though they couldn’t give him the blessings of the money they wanted to give him, if he asked for help in anything that he needed, he would receive it just as readily as I did.

 Matthew7: ⁹ “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

My parents took care of my brother’s needs.  They even took care of his wants.  They loved him because he was their son, and his behavior and ability to do what they wanted had nothing to do with their love.

God is greater and loves us in an unconditional way in which may parents were not even capable.  If you’ve been having trouble, like I have, asking for what you need because you haven’t “behaved” perfectly – ask anyway!  God’s love is not conditional upon your behavior!

Come to the Harvest

He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. (Luke 10:2 NIV)

God’s fields are ripe for harvest! Are we standing at the fence looking at the field or are we in it, getting our hands dirty?  I believe that this particular verse is overlooked by the average Christian.  They think to themselves “God has not called me to missions, so it doesn’t apply to me!” 

I believe that this scripture applies to all of us.  We are all called to teach!  We are all called to use our talents to further His kingdom and help bring in the harvest.

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. (Colossians 3:16 NIV)

Some of us are called to write fiction that will plant seeds.  Some of us are called to sing songs that water those seeds.  Some of us are called to expound upon scriptures to fertilize the seeds.  And others are called to preach or evangelize and bring in the harvest. 

Regardless, there is work to be done!  God has given us the means and strength to do it in the blessing of His Holy Spirit.

Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”(John 7:38 NIV)

Did you know that the Dead Sea is dead because it has no outlet?  The water comes into the sea, but has no means to leave it, so it is stagnant.  If you are sitting there, receiving from God but not letting the “water” flow from you to help others, then you are stagnant. 

Are you like a river of living water, flowing?  Or are you stagnant like the Dead Sea?

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV)

Jesus is with us and will help us do what He has commanded.  God wants us to proclaim His word: whether it’s through our mouth, song, pen, or actions – He has called you to His harvest!

Right Motives

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 6:9 NIV)

Too many people do biblical things because they want a result.  They do things just to get what they want.  Although there is a reward for obeying God and we reap what we sow, we need to do things because we love God and He asked us too.  So that when we are not getting the result that we want when we want it – we will keep doing what is right and good, because our motive is pure. 

God is interested in “Why” we are doing things, it is important to Him.  So getting something for me is not a right motive.  God will take care of me as long as I keep doing what I’m supposed to do.

God is telling me to renew my focus in this blog.  I need to be focused more upon Him and less upon my own needs.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33 NIV)

By seeking God first – doing what I know is right and strengthening my relationship with Him, then everything I “want” will fall into place.  Usually this happens when the “importance” of what I want dissipates.  When this no longer becomes important to me, that is usually when I receive it. 

God doesn’t want me to have faith in Him, because He can heal me.  He doesn’t want me to love Him because He can save me.  He wants me to love and have faith because He loves me.  What I need to do is no longer care about anything else.

Oh Lord that you would help me to keep my eyes focused on You!  Teach me to love You and keep Your commands, for no other reason.

This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. (1 John 5:2 NIV)