Perfect submission

Third Day, not too long ago, did a remake of "Blessed Assurance," a beatiful hymn with an awesome testimony.  It is a song that calms and soothes in times of stress.  However, there is a line in the song that cause me some consternation.  One of my pet peeves is when I am singing a song, worshipping the Lord, and I come across a line in the song or a statement that just doesn't ring true with me (e.g., "I surrender all."  Sure I do.).  I find it really difficult to continue to sing the song with a straight face.

In the song, Blessed Assurance, there is a line that speaks of "perfect submission."  Oh, how I wish that were true.  It isn't, but it is a goal I am striving for and one that I believe all Christians need to be striving for, as well.  I love this statement by Paul Anderson, a professor at George Fox University, quoted in Ruth Haley Barton's book, "Pursuing God's Will Together," where he says, "One great need of the church today is to experience the dynamic leadership of Christ as its head...The Scriptures promise us that Christ's Spirit will be with us, will guide us, and will lead us into all truth...If Christ is alive He desires to lead His church.  If Christ desires to lead His church, His will should be sought.  If His will can be sought, it can be discerned; and if it can be discerned, it deserves to be obeyed."

Many of us may believe we are doing pretty good and wondering why God's will isn't more clear, or why God isn't blessing us in ways that we feel we deserve.  Maybe we are wondering why we are experiencing some difficulty in our walk, some trial that seems greater than we can bear, in spite of the promises of I Cor. 10:13.

I encounter people every day who have good reason to wonder what God is doing or why it doesn't seem as though He is doing anything.  I find it a challenge to explain well enough that God has a purpose and a plan, even when nothing seems to be going the way we think it should.  Many of these have reached what they believe to be their limit.  I realize that my role is to encourage them to go a little further.  Remember, He who began this work in you will be faithful to complete it.  However, we need to hold on.  We need to hear what the Hebrews heard, that "without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Heb. 11:6)."

Let me challenge you, at your more difficult times, when things aren't too clear, when God's will isn't real obvious, when God doesn't seem to be listening, don't give up.  Continue to believe, to trust, to seek His will.  But, don't just think of this as a holding pattern.  At times like this, I think we need to continue to be on the offensive.  Don't just keep doing what you had been doing, do more.  Dont' just practice your usual disciplines, add to them.  Sacrifice more.  Give more time.  Show the enemy and God that you mean business, that you do want God's will in your life, that you want to be perfectly submitted to Him...and expect God's greater rewards.

Godspeed, Phil

Insignificant

So often, we focus on the greats of the Old Testament, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Jeremiah, etc.  Though the story of Gideon is a brief one and appears somewhat insignificant in the overall history of Israel, it is a story most of us are familiar with, and a story with important insight for us as leaders.  The story of Gideon, as he puts it himself, is about one who is insignificant.  His clan was the weakest of all of Israel, and he was the least in his own family.  That may not describe you, but it does speak to the majority of us.  Abraham Lincoln once said, "God must have loved the common man, he made so many of them."  Well said.

Gideon, though cunning and confident in his own right, doubted God and was fearful of stepping out to lead as God was calling him to do (sound familiar).  The task was a significant one.  So, Gideon put God to the test and God restored his faith...at least for a time.  Each time Gideon was presented with a new challenge, he became fearful and God had to do it again.  I am thankful for Gideon's story, because it is much like my own.

God never told Gideon to do anything more than what he was able.  Quite often, when we consider what God is calling us to do, we tend to look to ourselves and become fearful; because, we know we are not equipped to do what He is calling us to do on our own.  God tells us as he told Gideon, "Go in the strength you have (Judges 6:14)."  That isn't very comforting.  I don't have the strength I had when I was younger (okay, again, I am talking about my age).  I have back problems, sleep apnea, chronic heartburn, etc., etc.  You get the picture.  Like Gideon, I have lots of reasons that God should be calling someone else.  He simply says, "I will be with you (v. 16)."

That works for awhile until the next challenge presents itself.  God tells Gideon that He intends to fight this battle with only 300 men.  The Midianites, Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples were "thick as locusts."  "Their camels could no more be counted than the sands on the seashore."  God continues to show His patience with Gideon and encourages him by showing Gideon that the enemy is even more afraid, and believe themselves that they will lose the battle.  Gideon gains confidence and begins to praise the Lord.  He leads the army to battle and routs the enemy.

So, what is the lesson in this for us?

First of all, we should never let our "insignificance" keep us from believing that God can accomplish something great through us.  Second, when we are afraid and listening too much to our fears and insecurities, we need to go to God for reassurance; rather than allow those things to keep us from doing what we have been called to do.  We need to remember that He is with us.  Further, we need to recognize that all we need is all that we have, nothing more and nothing less.  I counsel individuals often on their feelings of inadequacy and remind them that God wants to work with what we have, and if He needs anything further, He will make provision for that.  Most importantly, we need to appreciate that it isn't about us and our ability, so much as it is about us and our availability.  God will fight for us, He will cause us to be successful.  That way the glory goes to Him and not to us.

Godspeed, Doulos