Could You Give Me Some Direction Please?

   Two elderly women were out driving in a large car - both could barely see over the dashboard. As they were cruising along, they came to an intersection. The stoplight was red, but they just went right on through. The woman in the passenger seat thought to herself, "I must be losing it, but I could have sworn we just went through a red light." After a few more minutes they came to another intersection, and the light was red again, and again they just went right through. This time the woman in the passenger seat was almost sure that the light had been red but was really very concerned that she was losing her mind. She was getting nervous and decided to pay very close attention to the road and the next intersection to see what was going on.
   At the next intersection, sure enough, the light was definitely red, and they did go right through it! She turned to the other woman and said, "Mildred! Did you know we just ran through three red lights in a row? You could have killed us!" Mildred turned to her and said, "Oh, am I driving?"
   Boy have I been there a time or two. It is so easy to lose our focus. To get so consumed with day to day struggles and day to day activities that we lose our way. I heard of a Detroit bus driver who finished his shift on the route 21 bus and headed for the terminal. Somehow, he took a wrong turn. He didn't arrive at the terminal at the scheduled time of 7:19 PM, and a short time later his supervisors started looking for him. Meanwhile, the driver's wife called the terminal and reported her husband might be disoriented from medication he was taking.
   For six hours, the 40-foot city bus and it's driver could not be found. Finally the state police found the bus and driver - 200 miles NW of Detroit. The bus was motoring slowly down a rural 2-lane road, weaving slightly from side to side. The police pulled the driver over, and the driver said he was lost.
   The police later said, "The driver had no idea where he was and agreed he had made a wrong turn somewhere. I think we have all been there, or are currently there now. We have been so consumed with things that we have lost our way. We are disoriented and confused about our purpose.
   Oh, how our adversary loves to divert our attention and overwhelm us to the point we lose our focus. I, like so many of you have struggled at times with trying to determine what God's will is for my life, and at other times I've seem to have taken a wrong turn "somewhere" and was unsure how to get back on course. I don't want you to feel alone. Sometimes, while doing and searching for the "right" things, Satan finds a way to blur our vision and take our focus off of whats important.
   I have found three simple principles of Scripture to keep me focused. I find that if I can keep my simple little mind focused on these three things the rest falls into place and my life finds purpose and meaning. Its when I get off doing and flirting, and trying to find new ways and things, "In the name of Jesus" mind you, that I get lost.
   Step 1 - Spread the Gospel: We are instructed in (Mark 16:15), "And He said to them, Go into the entire world and preach the gospel to all creation." Don't read so much into this that you miss the point. He is instructing all of us that are followers of Christ to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. We all have areas of influence that becomes our platform and it is our responsibility to share the impact He has made on our lives. He wants us to be proud enough of Him and what He's done for us that we share our experience with those we come in contact with. Satan wants to busy us to the point that this goes undone and left for those with more knowledge then we have.
   Step 2 - Love Others: (Matt. 22:39) says, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." You love yourself enough to not want to go to Hell...don't you? You love yourself enough to want whats best...don't you? You love your family, your friends enough that you want what's best for them...don't you? Sure you do! Jesus said in (John 13:34-35), "A new commandment I give you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you... That adds another dimension to love doesn't it. He loved you and me enough to lay down His life for us, enough to share with us the way, the truth and the life. He came so that we may have life and have it more abundantly, (Jn.10:10). In turn He wants us to love people we have influence with enough that we share that good news with them. He goes on to say... "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." We are instructed to love people in such a way it draws them to the Christ we follow.
   Satan, on the other hand wants us to be so overwhelmed that we act in such a way as to repel others from Christ. He's perfectly OK with doing this through all sorts of means, even "religiously good stuff." If we can be so consumed with doing church stuff that we neglect the commanded stuff we can be in danger of turning people away.
   Step 3 - Make Disciples: We are instructed in the Great Commission found in (Matt. 28:19) to, "Make disciples of all nations...teaching them to observe all that Christ commanded." Well, He commanded us all to share Him... to love others...are we doing that? It may be we are having a hard time getting God to show us "our way" because He wants us to find "His way" first?? If we will share Him, love others and the word "make disciples" literally means "to attach one's self to someone, to come along side of," then God can open  our eyes to who we are in Him.
   Tim Tebow is taking a pounding in the media right now for his faith, and for trying to find who he is in the Denver Bronco's organization. But he said something in his book that's worth mentioning here, "My parents always told me, from an early age that we all have the ability to influence others, whether through our words or actions, or both. They always added that, besides possessing the ability, we also have the responsibility to use it in a positive, encouraging, and uplifting way - a platform. I am responsible for how I use my platform. We all have stories to share. We all have life experiences that can bless the lives of others. Whoever we are, wherever we find ourselves, whatever we are involved in, no matter our age or situation in life. We all have stories that when shared with others, can make a positive difference in the world."
   Do you get it... Mildred? Yes, you are driving! The question is are you so focused on the journey that you fail to realize what your missing? How many opportunities have been passed because you were so consumed with God "showing you the way," or with things that don't really matter, and you failed to realize the difference you could have made? Your spouse needs you to follow these steps, your children need this kind of attention, your co-workers, your friends, those people who in some way have been brought into your realm of influence need you. People are watching and wondering.
   I have a rule that governs my life. I strongly encourage you to set down and develop one for yourself, or adopt this one. This was given to me years ago when I first entered the ministry and it sets in a frame on my book self and is read often to keep me on course. It goes like this...The Rule That Governs My Life: "Anything that dims my vision of Christ, or takes away my taste for Bible study, or cramps my prayer life, or makes Christian work difficult is wrong for me, and I MUST, as a Christian turn away from it."
   God has a plan for you and He is going to use you, or He wouldn't leave you here. He wants you, loves you and is proud of you. He wants you stay on course and if you'll follow these simple, easy steps I feel confident along the way you'll find meaning and purpose. God bless!!

He Cares...He Really Cares

   Isn't it funny how we can study Scripture for years and not notice how certain verses link together with verses we grew up learning? It just goes to show that God's Word is as someone once said, " Deep enough scholars can drown and yet shallow enough a baby can wade."
   The verse that many of us all know by heart is 1 Peter 5:8, "Be of sober spirit, be on alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." But it wasn't until recently that my simple mind acknowledged the fact that another favorite verse of mine, one that for the last couple of years I have used as a signature verse on my emails, 1 Peter 5:7... and how these two verses go hand in hand. Let me put them together for you... "Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." I find it interesting how our anxieties are directly linked to Satan's quest to devour someone. I have to wonder if Peter is warning of the fact that anxiety is a diversionary tactic that Satan uses to divert our attention off of him while he licks his chops and prepares to pounce? Or is it that Peter is telling us that anxiety to Satan is like blood to a Great White shark invoking him to come and attack? Either way, it is evident that the two are linked.
    I don't know about you, but from time to time I find myself going through tough times. I am the type of person who takes on the weight of my situation solely upon my shoulders until I can hardly function...that is a man's way of saying..."I worry about things." This passage reminds me that God not only knows my situation, but He cares about it. Sometimes I am diverted to think that no one cares. When my attention is on self, Satan can easily devour me. When my attention is diverted on the fact that I am in a tough spot and I don't know how to get out, Satan can easily devour me. Satan uses anxiety to divert our attention causing us to venture off course. And isn't it interesting that Peter say's to cast all of our anxiety on God, and follows it up with, "be sober in our spirit," which means to be mentally self-controlled? Anxiety is psychological, brought on by day to day stress and many experts say it is brought on by "negative self-talk." Many of us are our own critics, and put too much pressure on ourselves. He also tells us to "be alert" or "be vigilant" which means literally be awake and be watchful.
   What this tells me is when times get strenuous and the situation at hand gets out of hand and starts to consume me the the point I start experiencing anxiety...I better realize that Satan must be near by. Satan uses anxiety as a diversion, and suffering as intimidation. When we face these situations in our life many times we end up the victim, but instead we need to realize we can be the victor. Verses 6-7 tells us how... "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." It takes us humbling ourselves in order for us to give it to God and realize that our anxiety is just playing into the hands of Satan.

   I like to read the devotion "The Word for Today" as a supplemental quiet time from time to time. After having gone through a rough spell I turned to it and what I read is a great conclusion to this thought." When God wants to make you a bigger person, He does it through “distress.” The way to build stronger muscle is to lift more weight. Now when a muscle is put under stress, you groan. But if you persist, that muscle grows stronger and what you were groaning about last week you are smiling about this week. Who said the Christian life was supposed to be easy? Not God! His Word compares it to a battlefield, not a bed of roses. “Endure hardness, as a good soldier” (2Ti 2:3). Satan’s number one target is your faith! In the same way you separate wheat from chaff, Satan wants to separate you from your faith. Satan may attack your health, but he’s after your faith. He may attack your finances, but he’s after your faith. If he can destroy your confidence in God and His Word, he wins and you lose. So the word for you today is Strengthen your faith.” Not only is it a battlefield, but it can be a scary jungle. If Satan can divert us from learning this, it makes us easier prey.

   I know that there are as many different difficult situations as there are readers of this blog...but the remedy is the same...Cast all, ( "All" in the Greek means "All," every little bit), of your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. One of Satan's many tactics is to convince us that we are to insignificant for God to care about, and our burdens are to insignificant for God to be concerned with... Do you smell smoke?? I do, and its because that is a lie straight from the pits of Hell. God loved us so much that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. I know He cares, and because I know, I can... But resist Satan, firm in my faith, know that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by my brethren who are in the world. After I have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called me to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish me...1 Pet. 5:9-10. Hang in there and know He loves you and will see you through it. Keep your head up and keep your eyes open...its a jungle out there.