Friday, March 30, 2012

SHINE ON


”Therefore there arose a discussion on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew about purification. And they came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him.’ John answered and said, ‘A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.’” – John 3:25-27

Who do you work for, really? The scripture above tells us that everything we have has been given to us from heaven. John here says that even the job he has been given to do and the people that come to him have been given to him by God. (He is also saying those that are following Jesus have been given to Him by God, but that's for another post!)

If we are followers of Christ, we don’t work to please ourselves or impress our peers or superiors. The bible says we work for God.

“Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.” – Eph 6:5-8

Our jobs are the mission field that He assigned us to. Everything that happens in our daily grind is what our mighty, omniscient, sovereign God has allowed. (Everything that happens ANYTIME is what our sovereign God allowed!!!) And we are to praise Him for EVERYTHING—bad and good:

“give thanks in ALL circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

When we are praised, we have an opportunity to thank Him and give Him the glory. But when we are treated unfairly, we have the opportunity to lean on Him and wait for Him to defend us—all the while giving out grace to those that don’t deserve it—just like the grace that we were shown.

A difficult concept is that we shouldn’t defend ourselves, but rather wait for God to defend us. Exodus 23:22 says, “I will be an enemy to your enemies, an adversary to your adversaries.” That same chapter says to help those who are our enemies! And all the while, pouring out the radical grace that has been poured out to us. We pour out grace and we wait on the Lord.

When there are difficult situations and people, we know that all things that are allowed into a Christian’s life is for a purpose, and Romans 8:28-29 says that purpose is to conform us into the image of Christ! SO BE GLAD AND FILLED WITH JOY -- for in this trial you are being made to look like JESUS!!!

One of the most difficult scriptures to observe is 1 Cor 10:31 that says: “So whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it for the glory of God.” --- we all fail miserably at this if we are honest. How do you drink a cup of tea for the glory of God much less “whatever you do”? But this is what we are told to do. In everything that happens to us, we give thanks. In everything we do, we do it for the glory of God. We are BONDSERVANTS of Christ. We have given our lives to Him. We no longer live, but He lives in us. He has work set out from before the foundations of time for you to do.

“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Eph 2:10

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life…” Phil 2:12-16a

Remember that as you go about your day, as you walk through this messy, difficult life: YOU SHINE!!!