For the longest time I had no idea what this word meant...then I got into Youth Ministry.
Faithfulness mean tha people know that they can count on you. Faithfulness means that you are someone whom people can rely on. that they can put their full faith in you that what you say you will do will for sure be done.
I am told by parents time and time again how grateful they are for the presence of our Ministry in the lives of their children...why? I think it's because in this fast pace world, we are one of the only consistent things in their lives and that is what it means to be faithful or to have faithfulness.
I will be honest with you, there are so many Wednesday nights when I don't feel like having Youth Group. I am tired and I am beaten down and I don't think I can handle these students and the problems they are going through and yet I know that I need to be there and be 100% for them. I need to have faithfulness.
Last night was one of those nights. I was really tired and didn't think I could handle it but the more I thought about it, God slapped me around and made me realize I need to be Faithful to these kiddos because faithfulness is not common in their lives. But that is pretty typical in the world we live in, faithfulness is a rare commodity. As we read the scriptures we find that it is one of the RESULTS of having God's Spirit living in you. So if you claim to follow Christ this is one of the tell tale signs.
But as I pointed out earlier it is not always easy to be faithfull. We get in the way of ourselves. However if we are faithful to God in the little things of our ministries, like showing up, He will fill in the rest. Scripture says that the He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Let me give you some examples. It is those times when a parent shows their gratitude or a student gives their lives to Jesus and says they want to go into the business of helping young people find their way back to God that make a little bit of suffering worth it all. Those are the results of our faithfulness. Sticking with it even when it is hard. Being there and being consistent, even when we don't feel like it. That is faithfulness.
I pray that you will show faithfulness.
May our LORD be with you
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Self-Control
For the past few months I have been undergoing the process of getting my annual license with the Churches of God ERC. Part of that process involves taking a few Psych examines. I was in every sense of the word NOT looking forward to taking these examines or finding out the results. In fact in my meeting with the Vocations Board they asked me my thoughts on the exams and I said, "I really did not enjoy them, I find it unnerving poking around in my own psyche."
However this experience was not a total bust. As much as I didn't want to explore my own person and brain I did find out some very enlightening information that i believe will help make me a better disciple, husband, father and pastor. One area that I scored very low in was Self-Discipline. Now for those of you who know me, this probably did not come as a surprise but to be honest, it shocked me. Not that I scored low but that I scored as low as I did. I never realized it was that bad. I always thought, I let myself slide on one or two things but I scored in the "loose cannon" category. (By the way that is not an actual category, I just made that up)
So this has forced me to think about myself and things that God said in Scripture. Self-Control is one of the RESULTS of the Spirit. One of the defining marks of a disciple and follower of Christ is that they are able to control themselves.
Okay??
Control ourselves in what area?
Every Area!!!
Do you find yourself making statements like, "I know I shouldn't eat this but...." or "I know this isn't good for me but..." or "I should really get out of bed but..." or "I should really go to bed but..." or "I know it's not right but I just want to..."
We allow our impulses, our stomachs, our sinfulness to control and dictate our lives rather than living by God's standards and His Word.
Let me give you my situation. I struggle with doing devotion on a daily basis. Which is REALLY, REALLY bad. I am a pastor and I need to be in the word everyday. If I am not feeding myself how can I have anything to feed others. This is an area where I struggle with self-control, getting my butt out of bed in the morning, no matter how tired I am and getting into the word and prayer, spending quality time with God. There are many other examples I could give but I think you get the point.
So the question is now, what do we do? How do we become more self-controlled.
First identify the areas in your life that have an affect on your walk with the LORD and that you have been either giving yourself too much slack or have no discipline. For example, God has given me a gift for playing the guitar and I use it to lead others in worship every Sunday, but I don't practice on my own very much to become better. I need to buckle down and work at making myself better in this gift that God has given me. It will help me in leading the band at Church, the people in the congregation and be a testament to God's goodness and gifts in my life.
1-Identify your slack
Second notice a few things about the Fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control). In this list where does self control fall? The last slot! Was this done on purpose? Maybe! But the fact is the text has it last, but you would think it would be first, right?
If we are to have all of these results would it not make sense to FIRST be self controlled? You would think but that is not the case. Self control is something that we work on but it is not an effort we have to practice alone. God, is right here with us helping us along the way. Remember when we have the spirit we are not just SELF. We have the Spirit living and dwelling within us. So we need to lean heavily on God to help us become more self-controlled, we cannot do it on our own, otherwise (I think) it would have been first on the list, or a prerequisite for the Fruit of the Spirit.
Second- Lean on God
Third, it is always a good idea to have some kind of accountability. Godly people in your life who are struggling too but who can come along side you and help you in the areas you want to improve. This can be scary because you are opening yourself up, showing people you struggles and shame and dark secrets. The things is you are not alone in this, we all have them. Don't view your struggles as things to hide, view them as things to improve on so God can be glorified through you. I don't know about you but that is one of the coolest things I've heard all day. God could receive Glory and Praise because of the things that I struggle with. That sounds like GOOD NEWS, does it not?
Third-find some accountability
So I have pointed out to you the one of the area I need help with selfandspirit controlling, what is yours? What are some things you can or need to do to be more self disciplined? Identifying these areas and working on them will help to draw you closer to God and make you a better follower and person, making you more effective for the kingdom!
However this experience was not a total bust. As much as I didn't want to explore my own person and brain I did find out some very enlightening information that i believe will help make me a better disciple, husband, father and pastor. One area that I scored very low in was Self-Discipline. Now for those of you who know me, this probably did not come as a surprise but to be honest, it shocked me. Not that I scored low but that I scored as low as I did. I never realized it was that bad. I always thought, I let myself slide on one or two things but I scored in the "loose cannon" category. (By the way that is not an actual category, I just made that up)
So this has forced me to think about myself and things that God said in Scripture. Self-Control is one of the RESULTS of the Spirit. One of the defining marks of a disciple and follower of Christ is that they are able to control themselves.
Okay??
Control ourselves in what area?
Every Area!!!
Do you find yourself making statements like, "I know I shouldn't eat this but...." or "I know this isn't good for me but..." or "I should really get out of bed but..." or "I should really go to bed but..." or "I know it's not right but I just want to..."
We allow our impulses, our stomachs, our sinfulness to control and dictate our lives rather than living by God's standards and His Word.
Let me give you my situation. I struggle with doing devotion on a daily basis. Which is REALLY, REALLY bad. I am a pastor and I need to be in the word everyday. If I am not feeding myself how can I have anything to feed others. This is an area where I struggle with self-control, getting my butt out of bed in the morning, no matter how tired I am and getting into the word and prayer, spending quality time with God. There are many other examples I could give but I think you get the point.
So the question is now, what do we do? How do we become more self-controlled.
First identify the areas in your life that have an affect on your walk with the LORD and that you have been either giving yourself too much slack or have no discipline. For example, God has given me a gift for playing the guitar and I use it to lead others in worship every Sunday, but I don't practice on my own very much to become better. I need to buckle down and work at making myself better in this gift that God has given me. It will help me in leading the band at Church, the people in the congregation and be a testament to God's goodness and gifts in my life.
1-Identify your slack
Second notice a few things about the Fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control). In this list where does self control fall? The last slot! Was this done on purpose? Maybe! But the fact is the text has it last, but you would think it would be first, right?
If we are to have all of these results would it not make sense to FIRST be self controlled? You would think but that is not the case. Self control is something that we work on but it is not an effort we have to practice alone. God, is right here with us helping us along the way. Remember when we have the spirit we are not just SELF. We have the Spirit living and dwelling within us. So we need to lean heavily on God to help us become more self-controlled, we cannot do it on our own, otherwise (I think) it would have been first on the list, or a prerequisite for the Fruit of the Spirit.
Second- Lean on God
Third, it is always a good idea to have some kind of accountability. Godly people in your life who are struggling too but who can come along side you and help you in the areas you want to improve. This can be scary because you are opening yourself up, showing people you struggles and shame and dark secrets. The things is you are not alone in this, we all have them. Don't view your struggles as things to hide, view them as things to improve on so God can be glorified through you. I don't know about you but that is one of the coolest things I've heard all day. God could receive Glory and Praise because of the things that I struggle with. That sounds like GOOD NEWS, does it not?
Third-find some accountability
So I have pointed out to you the one of the area I need help with selfandspirit controlling, what is yours? What are some things you can or need to do to be more self disciplined? Identifying these areas and working on them will help to draw you closer to God and make you a better follower and person, making you more effective for the kingdom!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Joy
My last post has really impacted me. I have been rattling ideas around in my head for my blog and I keep coming back to the idea of the RESULTS of the Spirit. Mostly because I feel that most believers SHOULD be displaying these results but DON'T. So I would like to hit each one and just give my thoughts on them. Because let's be honest with each other, if you claim to be a follower of Christ, God should be producing each of these characteristics in, through and out of you. And if you are not producing these things or struggle to produce these things, perhaps you need to do some serious business with God, if you claim to be a follower of Christ. I am not trying to put any one's salvation on trial here, but Scripture is clear, if you follow Christ these should be the results of God's presence in you life.
If you are not a follower of Christ, these are the things God has called his people too. To live these out is the most satisfying and awesome life one can have.
So today let's start with Joy!!
First let me say there is a serious difference between Happiness and Joy. Being Happy is conditioned on things outside of yourself. You get this toy or tool or game and it makes you happy but then at some point you get used to it or it becomes old hat and it doesn't make you happy anymore. You meet someone and hanging out with them makes you happy, then you part ways and the happy is over. You go to a game or watch a game on TV and your team wins and you are happy, then it's over along with the happiness.
Being happy is all about things outside of yourself.
But the RESULT of the Spirit in your life is not Happiness but JOY!!!
Joy has nothing to do with outside sources. Joy is purely from the inside. When we have the Joy of the LORD, nothing can effect it, because it does not hinge on circumstances or earthly things. Joy is that inner satisfaction of being a loved child of the King. Joy is knowing that you belong to Christ and that gives you a smile that won't go away no matter what happens.
Now I'm not saying that you will never have problems. Even though you have the Joy of the LORD the bank account still may go into the negative, the car may break down, things might be difficult at work, people will still cut you off in traffic and be rude, but with the Joy God gives us those things don't throw us off the deep end. We can still be grateful and (for lack of a better word) happy because the Joy of the LORD gives us a hope and a satisfaction that God is in control. We don't have to worry ourselves to death because of our surrounding circumstances, the Joy of the LORD that comes from God gives us that inner peace and ease of mind.
It bugs me to no end when I hear about Christ followers who struggle with things like depression and anxiety. People who depend on medication and such to find some balance and normalcy in their lives. Brothers and Sisters THAT should not be!! I'm not trying to be judgemental here but if you follow Christ depression should have no room in your life, whatsoever. Christ gives us the balance to stay out of the territory of depression and anxiety. To put it plainly, when you claim to follow Christ but let depression rule your life, it's Sin!! Let's be honest, you are letting something other that God control you and it can only control you if you grant it permission to do so. If depression dictates how your day goes, that is letting something other that God rule your life and that is Sin!!
If God has any presence in your life, Joy should be the norm and if that's not the truth for you, ASK GOD to give it to you. If you follow Christ, it's available to you. Joy comes from God!! David said to God, "Restore unto me the JOY OF THY SALVATION." It's okay to ask God, He will give it to you because that is what He wants for you!!!! That is the fruit HE wants to produce in and through you, not depression and anxiety.
We were called to be on a mission to reach a depressed and anxious world with the GREAT JOYFUL news of Jesus' love and salvation for the world. How can we do that if we, who claim to follow Christ and have this saving salvation, are anxious and depressed right along with this lost world!! We should show that following Christ gives a JOY and contentment that is beyond anything this world has to offer.
I sincerely pray that, if you are reading this and struggle with depression, you think about what is written above, pray about it and really meditate on this. Joy is a result of having God's Spirit in your life, it can and will boot out all the things in your life that keep you from having and showing the Joy of the LORD. Think about how the JOY of the LORD should be apart of your life and if it's not, what does that mean and why. What is holding you back from experiencing it and showing it. Perhaps you don't have God's Spirit within you OR you are not letting God into certain areas of your life. The areas that need exposed and healed.
our LORD and HIS JOY be with you
Josh
If you are not a follower of Christ, these are the things God has called his people too. To live these out is the most satisfying and awesome life one can have.
So today let's start with Joy!!
First let me say there is a serious difference between Happiness and Joy. Being Happy is conditioned on things outside of yourself. You get this toy or tool or game and it makes you happy but then at some point you get used to it or it becomes old hat and it doesn't make you happy anymore. You meet someone and hanging out with them makes you happy, then you part ways and the happy is over. You go to a game or watch a game on TV and your team wins and you are happy, then it's over along with the happiness.
Being happy is all about things outside of yourself.
But the RESULT of the Spirit in your life is not Happiness but JOY!!!
Joy has nothing to do with outside sources. Joy is purely from the inside. When we have the Joy of the LORD, nothing can effect it, because it does not hinge on circumstances or earthly things. Joy is that inner satisfaction of being a loved child of the King. Joy is knowing that you belong to Christ and that gives you a smile that won't go away no matter what happens.
Now I'm not saying that you will never have problems. Even though you have the Joy of the LORD the bank account still may go into the negative, the car may break down, things might be difficult at work, people will still cut you off in traffic and be rude, but with the Joy God gives us those things don't throw us off the deep end. We can still be grateful and (for lack of a better word) happy because the Joy of the LORD gives us a hope and a satisfaction that God is in control. We don't have to worry ourselves to death because of our surrounding circumstances, the Joy of the LORD that comes from God gives us that inner peace and ease of mind.
It bugs me to no end when I hear about Christ followers who struggle with things like depression and anxiety. People who depend on medication and such to find some balance and normalcy in their lives. Brothers and Sisters THAT should not be!! I'm not trying to be judgemental here but if you follow Christ depression should have no room in your life, whatsoever. Christ gives us the balance to stay out of the territory of depression and anxiety. To put it plainly, when you claim to follow Christ but let depression rule your life, it's Sin!! Let's be honest, you are letting something other that God control you and it can only control you if you grant it permission to do so. If depression dictates how your day goes, that is letting something other that God rule your life and that is Sin!!
If God has any presence in your life, Joy should be the norm and if that's not the truth for you, ASK GOD to give it to you. If you follow Christ, it's available to you. Joy comes from God!! David said to God, "Restore unto me the JOY OF THY SALVATION." It's okay to ask God, He will give it to you because that is what He wants for you!!!! That is the fruit HE wants to produce in and through you, not depression and anxiety.
We were called to be on a mission to reach a depressed and anxious world with the GREAT JOYFUL news of Jesus' love and salvation for the world. How can we do that if we, who claim to follow Christ and have this saving salvation, are anxious and depressed right along with this lost world!! We should show that following Christ gives a JOY and contentment that is beyond anything this world has to offer.
I sincerely pray that, if you are reading this and struggle with depression, you think about what is written above, pray about it and really meditate on this. Joy is a result of having God's Spirit in your life, it can and will boot out all the things in your life that keep you from having and showing the Joy of the LORD. Think about how the JOY of the LORD should be apart of your life and if it's not, what does that mean and why. What is holding you back from experiencing it and showing it. Perhaps you don't have God's Spirit within you OR you are not letting God into certain areas of your life. The areas that need exposed and healed.
our LORD and HIS JOY be with you
Josh
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