Monthly Archive

1 Chronicles 28:20 Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished. (ESV)

Solomon was inheriting a kingdom; he was following in the footsteps of the great warrior-king, his father, a “man after God’s own heart.”  He was young; his heritage was marred by scandal; there was sibling rivalry; envy that could likely result in assassination or revolt.  Add to all this, Solomon is charged to build a temple, a permanent fixture for God to meet with His people.  And I get the jitters with a simple room remodel or upgrade!

I just love the promise in this verse.  I often bristle at the command.  There are no emotional platitudes; no “oh, you poor baby, I know how hard this must be, I just can’t imagine how you are going to do this. . .”  No. Not this time. Not here (and, yes, I understand this is a father commissioning his adult son, and the verse is penned under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit).

Be strong.

Be courageous.

Do it.

Don’t be afraid

Don’t get discouraged.

How is that possible?  How can I accomplish a seemingly impossible, or at least very difficult task, without fear, without discouragement, without weakness, without tenacity, without fail?

God is with you.

God will not leave you.

God will not forsake you.

God will be with you until all the work . . . is finished. . .

Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (NLT)

I so needed this reminder.  Lately I haven’t felt like much of a light.  However, Jesus says that I am a light — not could be or even should be — being a light is a reality.  The question is, what kind of light will I choose to be?

Erwin McManus has a challenging quote (and I’m paraphrasing it here) — “Make it your goal to leave a person better than when you met. . .”

I know in Girl Scouts, youth group and such, our leaders said to leave the campsite better than when you found it; leave the picnic area better than when you found it; leave the school gym, the Sunday School room, cleaner than when you found it because that would encourage the owners to invite you back.  It would save the church, the scout troop, the youth club from embarrassment.  It’s a good goal; it’s one that I taught my children; it’s a goal that I have personally.

But to leave a person better than when we met . . .a whole new level of responsibility.  Am I an encouragement, or am I more concerned with getting my troubles sympathized?  Am I positive?  Do I exhibit and express the faith that I say that I have, or am I a verbal worrier, wanting another’s assurance before I am “ok”?  Have I listened, or have I been internally planning my speeches while waiting for a “jumping in” place in the conversation?  Am I really “there,” or am I easily distracted by my cell phone or my watch?

So, what does all this have to do with “works?”  How does being a light relate to good works?  This verse came to mind. . .

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”  (Ephesians 2:10 ESV)

What if we started to think and believe that some of those good works that God has prepared for us beforehand, are our interactions with different people?  I’m not saying that people are just projects or things by any means.  Actually, I’m contending that people are so important that God has prepared us beforehand for “divine interactions.”  We can be a light by giving encouragement to someone who is visibly sad, and choose to spend the time rather than do other things.  Being a light is caring for children (even our own) with a joyful heart, not a frazzled one who would rather be anyplace else but there.  “There,” for the mom of young children, is the exact place for the good works that God has prepared beforehand for her to do; there is no more important place to be.

Being a light is being like Jesus.  Noticing people.  Encouraging.  Challenging without demeaning.  Sharing in sorrow.  Rejoicing in victories.  Taking time.  Giving a smile.  Being polite and kind.  Being with people.

Even though my light shines more through the computer keyboard on email than in person, God has good works for me to do.  He knows where I am. He made me; He knows how much I can do.  Godly interactions with the people in this world who God loves so much that He gave His only Son are good works.

Can you see my little light shining? 

So, I am going about my day as usual.  Let the dog out, make coffee, let the dog in, feed the dog, feed the cats, go in the computer room, read my daily verse, listen to some programs online, finish my coffee, make the bed (because by now Tod’s gone and the house is quiet), settle down to do some study and prayer.  I’m praying through the verses I’m reading (cross references to 1 Thessalonians, the book I’m ‘camped in’ right now), and just enjoying my time with God, when my eyes turn to this verse:

1 Corinthians 15:58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable [steady]. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. (NLT)

Wham! be strong (I’m feeling so weak now I just can’t stand it); be steady (my emotions have been all over the place). Always (yep, I just want to quit and be done with it) work enthusiastically (not just go through the motions so everybody’s happy but I’m feeling dead inside) for the Lord (not for my own satisfaction because it’s not about me), for . . .nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless (not being in bed, not being in pain, not having no voice, not anything).

Talk about bow-my-head-tears-in-my-eyes-stop-dead-in-my-tracks repentance.  There’s no excuse for whining.  There’s no excuse for “this isn’t fun.”  There’s no excuses.  God is Sovereign.  He has good plans for me (see Jeremiah 29); He has things He has prepared for me to do (see Ephesians 2).  Whining is just a useless waste of God’s time, and it certainly doesn’t display Jesus and His saving grace and mercy to the world.  It’s just time to stop it.

If I were hit head-on by a Mack truck, I’m sure that I would stop going the way I was going, and strongly consider if I should continue on that way (you know I’m totally exaggerating here, like anyone could survive such a head-on collision).  But, wait a minute . . .isn’t the point of following Jesus that we die to the way we were going, and head enthusiastically onto His path, with no looking back and not even considering backing out to our old ways? 

Kind of like getting hit with a Mack truck . . .and resurrecting to new life with Jesus.

Something to think about. . .