Servant Resources

Push On Through

It is a hard thing to believe for something better when everything around you screams that where you are is the best you can hope for. It’s the same regardless of whether it’s a financial situation, an employment situation, a marriage situation or a spiritual situation.

 

The easiest thing to do is accept things as they are rather than see them as they can be.

 

Paul wrote to the Galatian Church about relying on the law, rather than on the power of God. It fits this discussion of pushing through because he outlines a principle. And scriptural principles can be extracted from the specific context and applied more broadly. Here’s what Paul says to them:

 

After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Galatians 3:3

 

This perspective can apply to anything we are facing in our lives. We began this journey of faith by relying on the Spirit of God to guide us through. We began with faith…faith to believe He is who He claims to be…faith to realize that He has promised to lead us, even in the deepest valleys of life.

 

So why would we change that perspective along the way? Why would we begin to slip into trying to get through with our own human strength or understanding?

 

Take Him at His word. He has so much more for you than you can even imagine, but He must take you by the path you’re on to get you there.

Restoration

Do you have troubles? Just about everyone I encounter has them—in varying degrees of course.

 

As believers, we want to reach out and provide some measure of comfort to others in their troubles. Yet what we have to say feels hollow and vague. “I’ll pray for you,” or “trust God,” we say, in an attempt to bring them hope. But sometimes, I must admit, it seems like we’re offering up “glittering icicles to a freezing man.”[1]

 

In the book of Psalms, David often cries out to God in his troubles. In fact, he even attributes some of these troubles to God Himself. Interesting, in light of the fact that he brought many of the troubles of his life upon himself (Bathsheba, murder, pretending to be insane, etc.)

 

David writes:

           

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. Psalm 71:20

 

If there is one thing David knew, and held to all his life, it’s that God would always be there on the other side of the troubles. In fact, He was there in the midst, even though he couldn’t always recognize Him. David embraced the truths that God would restore him and that God would again bring him up.

 

What do you need God to restore in you? Where do you need Him to bring you up out of?

 

Look up, for your redemption is closer than you think.

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[1] Samuel Logan Brengle – describing the mistake of giving more time to the preparation of one’s sermon than to the preparation of their own hearts.

Indispensible

To be indispensible is an interesting thing. It has less to do with what you believe about yourself, and more to do with how you are perceived by others. There have been times in my own experience where I felt indispensible, but was just one wrong word away from losing out. It’s a tough balancing act, knowing the difference between your perspective and reality, isn’t it?

 

The problem with trying to become an indispensible person is that you place all the focus on yourself. But in God’s kingdom, His way is often the exact opposite of our perceived direction. Take for example, Paul’s letter to the Philippians. He writes in his letter about a young man named Timothy. He indicates that Timothy had proven himself. And Paul writes “I have no one else like him…”[1] In other words, he was indispensible to Paul.

 

What exactly set Timothy apart as being necessary—as being part of the solution—rather than the problem? It is the fact that he had a “genuine interest” in the welfare of the Philippians. In other words, Timothy was all about everyone else, rather than himself alone.

 

Perhaps this is part of becoming indispensible to the Lord, and fit for His service. To look out for the needs of those He brings into our lives, as well as our own.

 

Stop for a moment and take a look around. Where can you be indispensible to someone today?

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[1] Philippians 2:20

Be Deliberate

Some years ago, I was part of a team that spent 10 days in the Appalachian wilderness area in upstate NY. It was fall, and the temperature could swing wildly in just a matter of minutes. The weather during the trip ranged from warm days in the upper 60’s to freezing, snowy mornings. I learned a lot of things on that trip, but perhaps the one thing that has stuck with me all these years is the need to be deliberate.

 

To be deliberate is to be purposeful—to plan or calculate before taking action. For example, in the wilderness you have to pay close attention to where you are going. At times, every single step is a calculated action. One wrong move and you could place yourself in serious danger. A step that causes you to fall into the water could end up creating hypothermia; and even a simple slip of the foot could cause a significant sprain.

 

I have carried the message of being deliberate with me throughout my life. That doesn’t mean that I’ve always heeded it, but I have been aware of its necessity, especially in the big decisions.

 

How might being deliberate about your own personal actions change the way you do things? Sometimes what seems small and insignificant, or what you think no one knows about you, can be the very thing that brings about serious repercussions. Bad decisions can bring destructive things into your life, and hurt those you care about in significant ways.

 

Take some time to consider your ways. The Lord orders our steps, but we have to take them.

Slow Down

I was watching Survivorman the other day. If you haven’t seen it, it’s an intriguing reality show that pits Les Stroud against the elements. One episode he’s in the Amazon, and the next he’s in Antarctica. They drop him off far from civilization and he has to get himself back.

I’m often fascinated by how he takes what nature gives him and uses it to overcome his circumstances. In this particular episode, he was deep in the tropical rain forest and battling physical sickness as well as the rain and the dangers of the jungle.

In the middle of his journey, while adding additional protection to his shelter, he talked about the speed at which he was moving. He said something to the effect of “when you’re in a survival situation, you need to slow down.”

That’s often the opposite of what most people naturally do. They tend to speed up. Whether it’s in the jungle, where they are running out of daylight and must complete a shelter; or in their workplace, where they are running out of time on a critical deadline. Most people try to move faster. But in moving faster, they make mistakes that ultimately work against them.

Slowing down can clear the mind to see and accomplish what is critical rather than what is desired. Slowing down can provide perspective. Slowing down can keep you from making a fatal mistake. Slowing down can keep you from having to do it over. Slowing down can keep you from turning in mediocre work.

I’m not talking about slowing down to a crawl; it’s more like going from 65 MPH down to 50 MPH. And I’m not advocating that you slow down incessantly; just enough to get your bearings and assure you are on the right track. Then you can pick the speed up again; this time with the certainty that you are clear about your objective. Going twice as fast in the wrong direction is not the solution.

Just knowing when to dial it down a bit can be a life saver—literally and figuratively.