Monday Musings

While many of us may not always be able to identify with life successes, most of us can identify with failing.  Even the heroes of faith experienced failure:

Moses ran away to hide in the wilderness for 40 years.

Simon Peter denied knowing Jesus, not once, but three times.

Abraham lied about Sarah being his wife.

David committed adultery and murder.

John Mark rejected Paul.

No one is immune from facing the failure test.  Like all the previous tests, God uses failure to reveal truth…sometimes the ugly truth.

Failure causes us to see where our trust is truly placed.  It reveals where I am depending on my own gifts, strengths and abilities, rather than in God’s power.  The failure test gets us to the place where we realise that in order to succeed, we need God’s favor and His divine help.

“Failure is an inside job. So is success. If you want to achieve, you have to win the war in your thinking first.” John Maxwell, Failing Forward

Most often, when faced with failure, we will blow up and cover up.  We cry, “It is not MY fault!”  We blame God (Joshua 7:7), others (Gen 3:12-13) or circumstances (Neh 4:10).  We find ourselves slipping into the enemy’s pitfalls when we do not respond correctly to the failure test.

What are the pitfalls of failure?

1) Failure may cause us to exaggerate (Josh 7:9).

2) Failure may cause us to quit (Acts 21:14).

3) Failure may cause us to never take risks again (I Sam 7:13).

4) Failure may cause us to discourage others from trying.

5) Failure may cause resentment towards those who succeed (Gen 30:1).

How does God use failure in our lives?

Viewing failure in a positive way is a challenge…even for the most optimistic!  Yet, learning to handle failure, rejection and disappointment is a valuable life lesson.

I know, as parents, it is hard for us to see our children learn to deal with failure.

My son is your typical Canadian boy, born into a family of hockey players and fans. In fact, a hockey stick was the gift of choice given to him by one of his uncles the day after his birth.  Before he could tie his shoes, my son learned to skate.

As soon as he met the age requirement, we enrolled him into our local house league.  All of this went well, as there was no “real” competitive nature to house league hockey.  Everyone made a team.

Then, the dreaded day came when he asked to try out for the competitive teams.  As parents of any kid desiring to be part of a competitive sports team, my husband and I knew what that may entail…a hard lesson in dealing with disappointment.  I wasn’t sure that I was ready to see my boy learn this lesson, but my husband and I agreed that we could not deter his desire to try.

To say that first year of competitive tryouts were painful would be an understatement!  For 4 weeks,I watched my 9-year-old son give his best, and then wait anxiously by the computer late at night to see if he made the cut.  He made the first round and we celebrated.

Then, he kept getting cut down and down until he eventually was cut from competitive all together. With each cut, the tears were a knife to my mother’s heart.  We told our son how proud we were of him for trying, and we encouraged him to go out and play his best on the team he was placed.

The following hockey season rolled around and he wanted to try out for the competitive teams again.  Although our parental hearts were still bleeding from the last go round, we again supported his desire. This time, he made it all the way through until the final night of eliminations, but once again, he did not make a competitive team.

Year three…he wanted to try again.  I will admit my husband and I had much discussion over this one.  Should we step in and say no, or should we allow him to try for the third time?

We decided the character lesson far outweighed the painful process.

This time, my son had no preconceived notions.  He knew his job was to do one thing…go out and give his best.  He wanted to make competitive, but he knew that if he didn’t, he would still play hockey.  The process was once again gruelling.  The outcome, however, was more favorable.  He made the competitive team!

My hubby and I realized the important life lesson he had learned and is still learning…failure is only failure if you allow it to cause you to quit.

However, we grown-ups also have to learn the lessons of the failure test.

As I look back over 2011, I know I have allowed the fear of failure to cause me to pull my car off the freeway of life.  I feel like 2011 was not my best year.  Maybe you know what I mean?

Just recently, God gently reminded me that it’s not what is happening TO me that is important, but what is happening IN me.

Here are a few truths that will help us keep the right perspective when facing failure:

Failure, like success, is not a single event.  It is a process.  You do not fail a test because you took it and received an F.  Maybe you failed the test because you did not understand the material or because you did not properly prepare in the days leading up to it.

Failure is not a person. There is a difference between saying, “I have failed” and “I am a failure.”

Failure is not avoidable. It is a part of life.  There can be no achievements without failure.

Failure is never fruitless. God uses failure to prune back the deadwood on our vines, making room for new life and more fruit.

Failure does not have to produce fear.  It doesn’t mean we won’t feel fear, but that we choose to push ahead in spite of it!

Failure causes us to see our need for God and exposes our need for mercy and grace.  It exposes our sin nature and helps us maintain humility.

Failure is never fatal and it is never a reason to quit.  Our “mess-ups” are never irrevocable.  Zig Ziglar once said, “Failure is a detour, not a dead end street!”

What are the tips for dealing with failure?

Seek God for direction.

Seek out the root cause of the failure.

Seek out a new strategy.

See failure as a learning opportunity.

NEVER GIVE UP!

We may not always win the battle with our attitudes.  We may not always act the right way, say the right thing or respond to people the right way. We may lose our jobs or businesses. We may fail in ministry and in our personal lives.  Nevertheless, the truth is this:  Believers have Jesus living in their hearts and JESUS never fails!

Have you ever watched the TV show “CSI”?  Perhaps you have caught an episode or two of “Law and Order,” “Castle,” “Bones,” or watched a televised trial?  The point is, if you’ve watched any crime scene investigation show, you will know that the first question always asked by those probing the crime committed is, “What is the motive?”

In the life of the believer, God seeks to reveal the answer to that same question.

What does “motive” mean?

Simply put, our motives are the driving force behind how we act and react, the decisions and choices we make, what we value, as well as the words we speak.

 I call them heart motives. (Proverbs 4:23)

Our heart motives are hidden and not obvious to others.  People see only what we want them to see or what they choose to see.

God, however, sees our true heart motives (I Sam 16:7).  He values the “why” we do something more than the “what” we do.

“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him…for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.” 

I Chronicles 28:9 NIV

Why do I pray?  Why do I go to church?  Why do I fast?  Why do I volunteer to help in Sunday School?  Why do I take on the organization of our Easter pageant every year?  Why am I going on this mission trip?  Why do I preach?

“God’s pleasure or displeasure is not founded upon the principle of good and evil.  Rather, God traces the source of all things. An action may be quite correct, yet God inquires, what is its origin?”
Watchman Nee

The bottom line is that our motives usually expect benefits in return.   Therefore, it is possible to be doing right things for all the wrong reasons (James 4:2-3).

Knowing that we tend to find it easier to weed the gardens of others, God uses the CSI test to reveal to us the weeds growing in our own backyards.  The CSI (motivation) test occurs when God withholds the expected benefits, thus revealing to us what is truly driving our decisions and actions.

When I serve faithfully in my church but no one acknowledges it.

When I work hard for my family but never hear a word of thanks.

Withholding the benefits to us, God reveals the truth…our true, often impure, heart motives.

Wrong Heart Motives

We may work to gain the approval and respect of others (Matt 6:1-5), to gain love, a or material things (I John 2:15-17).   Fear may be what drives us (we want to avoid discomfort, embarrassment), or it may be perfectionism.  These are just a few wrong motives that may be the driving forces in our lives.  The bottom line is – wrong motives mean wrong focus.  Our focus is on “I,” rather than on “I AM.”

The Result of Wrong Motives

We try to manipulate or bargain with God in order to get what we want.

If I fast, then God will have to answer my prayers.

We manipulate and mistreat others to gain the perceived benefits.

We steal God’s glory (John 3:30).

We limit our service and sacrifice to only those areas that will prove advantageous, causing us to be less than what God intends.

               I will give only as long as God gives back.

               I will worship only if I find blessing and fulfillment.

               I will serve only as long as people notice and offer me praise.

We compromise Biblical guiding values in order to gain benefit.

The purpose of the CSI test is to get us to the place where our focus is not on “me” but on God (Psalm 139:23-24).  The driving force behind our motives must be, “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.”

Admittedly, our motives maybe mixed at best.

There are areas where we do right with the right focus.  There are areas where we do right with wrong motives, as well as times when we do wrong with wrong motives.

What is the answer?

Living the life of a believer is not a 100-meter dash but a marathon!

Do we quit running the race; quit serving and helping because our motives are mixed?

No!

When the CSI test reveals wrong motives, we need to stop and evaluate. We need to ask God to show us the next step.  Sometimes, we may need to remove ourselves from the task while we evaluate our motives, because, by our participation, we may be hindering the Holy Spirit.  God may show us that we are doing a task He never intended for US to do.  Our wrong motives may be causing us to rob someone else of an area of service God had for them.

However, we must not allow our struggle with motives to keep us from doing anything at all!  “Well, my heart isn’t in it, so I won’t do it.”  The problem arises when we use motives as an excuse to do nothing.

Sometimes, we must press on allowing God’s CSI test to do its job—reveal our wrong motives so that He may transform them.  We may have started out with the wrong focus, but after taking the test, we finish doing right with right motives.  Sometimes, it is not about how we started, but how we finish!

Our desire should be to do right things for the right reasons, and the more we transform our thinking to Christ’s way of thinking, the more choices, actions, and decisions we will make with the proper heart motives.  We cannot change our wrong thinking to God’s thinking apart from the Word of God.  If  you are not spending time in the truth, then you will not be able to recognize  the truth from lies (John 17:17).  We cannot know when God wants us to step down or press on if we are not seeking His direction.

Instead of fighting the CSI test, let us be intentional about evaluating the different areas of our lives by asking, “What is the motive?” “What is truly driving me?”

Strengthen those areas where you are doing right for the right reasons.  Where you find wrong motives, recognize those areas and change your focus.  Do not belittle yourself when you mess up.  That only gives the devil satisfaction.  Recognize it, repent, and move on!

“Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord!”
Luke 2:10-11 (NAS)

Two thousand years ago, this angelic announcement reverberated throughout heaven and earth, splitting time (BC & AC) and birthing the true meaning of celebration!

Oh, to have been there that first Christmas!  Yet, looking back at that incredible moment in history, we worshippers of 2011 have more reason to celebrate than those bowed at the manger that first Christmas morn.

The Cradle

Why is that cradle or manger scene so important to us?

Many believe in the Babe in the manger, more so than they believe in God.  Yet they see Him only as a good teacher, a moral man, or a mere legend that lived in history.

Yeshua (Jesus) is so much more!

Many powerful verses fill scripture, but for me this is the most potent, life-changing one of them all:

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling (tabernacled -pitched His tent) among us…”  John 1:14 (NIV)

The cradle was where God came to earth, wrapped in human form.  The brainy word to describe this event is “incarnation.”  (I looked it up in my Bible for Dummies!)

Why did Elohim dress in human form and move down into human history?

He stepped out of heaven into a soiled stable to save our soiled hearts (Phil2:5-8).

Our LORD desired for His children to know Him fully on a personal level.  He wanted them to know Him and love Him for who He was, not for what He could do for them.  So, He tried to reveal Himself to man through the Prophets and the Law, but that allowed people to know Him only partially!  Therefore, He came up with another plan.

Eugene Peterson describes it this way, “…he moved into the neighbourhood” John 1:14 (The Message).

No one needs to be in the dark about who God is.

He went beyond just writing us a letter or sending us a spokesperson in His place.  He chose to reveal who He really was through Jesus.

The Infinite became an infant.

O, Precious Ones, we can celebrate today for the cry coming from the cradle was that of no mere Babe.  It was the cry of God!

John called Him “The Word.”

John used the word “Logos” to say that the Divine Power that the Greeks believed existed, who kept order and guided their choices, had become real flesh.

Therefore, John declares down through the ages, “In the beginning was the Logos(Word), and the Logos (Word) was with God and the Logos (Word) was God!”  John 1:1

Can you just imagine what it would be like if God had never decided to come as the Baby in the manger?

It would be as C.S Lewis penned about the land of Narnia with the absence of Aslan, “It was always winter but never Christmas.”

One reason worshippers today can have hearts filled with praise as they celebrate Christmas is that they can sing “Emmanuel (El –the very name of God), Emmanuel – God is with us!”

He was there for us 2000 years ago, and He is here with us today – no matter how bleak or dark life gets!  He loved you so much that He willingly stepped down out of heaven for YOU!

The cradle, however, was only the beginning.

The Cross

The star, shining above the lonely stable that night may have been in the shape of a cross.  

The cross was the cruellest instrument of death known to man.  Suspended between heaven and hell, the victim of the cross waited for, and eventually longed for, death!

At Calvary, we find the Creator put to death at the hands of creation!  However, the grave couldn’t contain Him, for three days later the WORD rose again!

Therefore, we worshippers bowed before Christ this Christmas will never experience the sting of death!  Yes, this physical body will someday be placed in the ground, but our souls will live on as in the words of Paul, “…to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” 2 Cor 5:8 (NKJV)

If you are searching for Jesus this Christmas, do not look for Him in the manger—it is empty!

If you are searching for Jesus this Advent season,do not look at the cross – It is empty!

If you are seeking a Saviour, do not stoop to look in the tomb –It is empty!

Look up for any day the trumpet will sound and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then, those who are alive will be caught up in the clouds to join with them and Jesus!

What a party in the sky that will be!  We will be celebrating and singing at the top of our lungs, “Joy to the World the Lord has Come!

Have you ever contemplated why the person who serves you in a restaurant is called either a wait-er or wait-ress?

Maybe it is because a restaurant is a place of wait-ing.

You wait to be seated.

You wait to order your food.

You wait for your food.

You wait for your bill.

You wait for your change or to sign your credit card slip.

Life is filled with waiting.

One of the most challenging words in Scripture is “wait.”

At the age of 75, Abraham received a promise from God (Gen 12:1-10). Ten years passed before Ishmael was born.  Another 15 years passed before Isaac (the promised son) was born.  Abraham was 160 before he became a grandparent to Jacob and Esau, and when he died, he was still living in a tent.

Had God forgotten His promise?

No.

Abraham was taking the time test.

What is the purpose of the time test?

The time test forces believers to trust God in all things and at all times.  It strengthens their resolve to believe that God will fulfill His Word, but in His time and in His way.  This test also pushes believers to trust in God despite the circumstances. It also reveals impatience, pride and a lack of submission to our Father.

Although we are eager to claim God’s promises, we often forget that their fulfillment is not always instantaneous!  There is always a time of testing or waiting in between.

The problem is that God’s timing does not always sync with our timing.  When this happens, we tend to take things into our own hands, just as Abraham did.

Growing impatient with God’s timetable, Abraham decided to “help” God fulfill His promise (Genesis 16).  He and Sarah came up with a plan to use Sarah’s handmaiden, Hagar, to bring about the conception of a son.  However, God had promised Abraham only one son, through Sarah.  This son would inherit the land.  Because of Abraham’s failure of the time test, Ishmael was born, resulting in a conflict that still affects the Middle East today.

When we react, rather than respond by waiting (seeking, trusting, focusing, praying), we suffer various kinds of serious consequences.  Nothing good comes from us trying to help God.  The good comes when we learn to wait on Him and allow Him to work.

How many times do I try to “fix” things?

How often have I tried to help God out and
found myself in a bigger mess?

Thankfully, God’s grace is STILL bigger than our failures.

We must grasp that “waiting” is part of the Christian journey.

David was anointed king as a boy, but many trying years passed before he wore the crown.  Joseph’s dreams took years to come to fulfillment and only after he spent time in a pit and in prison.  Anna waited patiently for years to see her Saviour.

Jesus also took the time test (Luke 4:1-12).

Satan asked Jesus to throw himself down from theTemple.

Why?

He wanted Jesus to doubt God’s ability to protect Him.  He was also trying to entice Jesus to take  matters into His own hands.  Notice that Satan did not argue that Jesus was God. Instead, he wanted to push Jesus to reveal Himself before God’s time.

If Jesus had jumped from the Temple, all the religious people would have seen it.  Seeing Him miraculously survive the fall, they would have had the proof they needed to know for sure that He
was the Messiah.  They would believe him!  In other words, Satan was saying, “Why wait?  Take things into your own hands and reveal yourself as Messiah now.”  Satan was offering Jesus the kingdom without the cross.

Jesus, however, realized that God’s timing was His timing.  He knew that taking any shortcuts to fulfill His purpose would not be God’s will.

Waiting on God always involves a passage of time.  But, it is waiting with expectation, anticipation, and a confident hope in something that WILL take place (Psalm 130:5-6).  Yet, to wait means we trust God to handle things His way and in our best interest, even if it doesn’t always FEEL that way to us (Psalm 52:8-9).  One cannot pass the time test without trust.

Tips for taking the Time Test:

1) Seek the Lord (Lam 3:25).

We need to spend time meditating on the Word, and time in prayer so we can evaluate our ability to wait.  This means we may need to look at our true motives and heart attitudes or re-evaluate our goals and priorities in life.

2) With strength and courage (Psalm 27:14, 31:24).

3) Rejoice and trust in His holy name (Psalm 33:21).

4) Move at the right moment.

There is a time to plow, a time to sow and a time to reap.  They never happen at the same time, but the bountifulness of the harvest depends on doing them at the RIGHT times.  You can’t sow before you have plowed, and you can’t reap without first sowing.  God is at work in our lives, making us productive fruit producers.  This takes time and our cooperation in doing things His way and in His time.   Sometimes, what we are tempted to do is not wrong, but the reason behind it is.  We are taking a shortcut to resolve an immediate problem at the expense of long-range goals, just so that we can find comfort or temporary relief.  Getting us to take right actions for the wrong reasons or at the wrong time is one of the devil’s biggest tricks.

5) Waiting is not necessarily resignation from all activity; it is submission to God’s superior plan.

For example, if I am in need of a job, yes I should pray and seek God, but I also must be preparing my resume, checking the classifieds and applying for jobs or speaking to an employment agency.  It is much easier to direct an already moving object than one parked in front of the TV, waiting for a sign.

Are you facing an impossible situation?

Do things seem out of control?

Is that strained relationship causing you more pain than you can bear?

Does that errant child or wayward spouse still show no sign of turning to God even though you have been praying for years?

Have you worked faithfully in ministry but have yet to see results?

Are you questioning your purpose and calling?

Then, my friend, you may be taking the time test.

For those of us taking this test, may our prayer be:

Dear God,

As I woke up this morning, I thought about time and the idea of stepping out in faith.  How long do I wait for a breakthrough, during the down times and the quiet times when I feel so alone?

Your Word says, “My grace is sufficient for you.”  Again, I find strength in your Word to wait on You.

Oh, God, I trust that You, Who have begun the good work in me, are faithful to complete it.  Today does not look any different than yesterday.  My circumstances have not changed.  But slowly and surely, your Word is taking root in my heart and in it I have confident rest.  I know my change will come.  I am willing to wait on Your perfect timing and Your decision, which is right.

Thank you for giving me only as much as I can bear.  Thank you for the courage to wait and patiently trust that my Father knows what is best for me.

 Amen.

“The difference between school and life? In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson.”  Tom Bodett, the voice for Motel 6 ads

James, having the same idea in mind, penned, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:1-4 NKJV).

The “testing” James was talking about is comparable to the testing of a metal to determine its purity (Zech 13:9). James went on to tell us the reason for our tests. Successfully facing the faith tests in our lives produces patience. Yet, James did not mean patience as we think of the word. The Greek word he used, “hypomone,” means to resolutely remain under a heavy load without trying to escape. It is an active endurance; not the quality that enables you to wait in a long line, but the quality that helps you finish a marathon.

Speaking to believers, James did not say if, but when, we fall into trials or face tests.

“I’ve just left 150,000 people who have no problems at all,” said a man.
“That’s great. Take me to them,” replied his friend.
“They’re in the cemetery.”

God, however, is not a cruel schoolmaster whose only goal is to make us miserable! God is a loving Father whose heart’s desire is to see His children strong, fruit bearing, and flowing with spiritual power. He wants us to grow from babes to being “perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

What are the purposes of God’s tests?

• To reveal the relevant lesson.
•  To reveal what we may already understand. For the most part, we are fully aware of where our own struggle lies. For some, it may be with our tongue or with wrong thoughts, while our ability to trust God in difficulties may be strong. Taking these tests helps us to focus on the weak areas and reinforces our strengths.
•  To reveal what I do not understand (Matt 12:35 – The tests are not necessary for God to know what is in our hearts, but rather for US to know. Circumstances reveal hidden weaknesses.

Something hindering our movement exposes impatience.
Being forced to do something menial or serving others exposes pride.
Doing something that we do not want to do exposes stubbornness.
Being required to sacrifice something that is important to us exposes idolatry.
Being faced with not getting our own way exposes immaturity.
Being required to step aside from our own plans reveals wilfulness.

“Tests of faith are various trials and hardships that invite you to surrender something of greater value to God, even when you have the right not to.” Bruce Wilkerson, Secrets of the Vine

Testing reveals the truth regarding our faith. It reveals whether our faith is real or fake. It sure is easy to say we believe in God while the sun is shining and all our prayers have answers, but what happens when the rain comes and the darkness falls?

 If we refuse to take a test, deeming it “too difficult,” we will never reach the next level in our spiritual growth. Each new test will push us past what we proved on a previous test, and it will be designed to strengthen our commitment to obey. (II Cor 2:9).

Things to remember when facing a test:

• Though a test may stretch us, it never separates us from God (Romans 8:38-39).
•  Though a test may cause us to feel weary and tired, we should never feel judged or condemned (Romans 8:1).
•  Not every trial you face is necessarily a test from God. Sometimes, our wrong choices and bad judgement get us into difficult places. Sometimes, the wrong choices of others may affect us and put us into “stretching” states. A trial may not have originated with God, but He has allowed it to affect you for a reason – to test you and to help you become more like Christ.
•  Testing is not the same as facing temptation. Temptation NEVER comes from God. (James 1:13). Testing and trails come from outside.  Temptations come from within.
•  Every test is different. Some are short and to the point. Some are long and drawn out. No matter their duration or degree of difficulty, ALL tests will end (ICor 10:13).
•  Tests come from God and are designed for the individual. Your test will not be the same as your neighbour’s. It may have similar circumstances, but your test is designed for you…to help you develop and grow where you need to. Every test is major to the person who is in the midst of it. We must be careful to keep our eyes up and on the One who is giving us the test, instead of allowing our eyes to be focused on the tests of others.
•  Every test teaches a lesson. If I do not understand what God is trying to teach me, then James tells me to ask!
•  The test itself is not as important as your response to the test (James1:2-3)! This does not mean that we have to rejoice over the illness we are battling, but that we can find joy in the battle. It means we choose to base our happiness on Jesus; not on the circumstances we find ourselves facing.

Join with me over the next few weeks as we look at several tests each believer will face.

How do we prepare for these tests?

By sitting at the feet of our Master Teacher, Who has taken and passed each one – Jesus! He modelled for us the way to successfully take each test, achieving a passing grade…the first time!

“You are not the boss of me!”  I heard my four year old son yell at his older sister.

From the moment he was born, the twenty-one months difference in their ages was more than enough to convince my daughter that SHE was the boss.  That was, until my son discovered that he had the same iron will as her, and he began to exert it!  Now, both in their teens, and both equally able to express their opinions, I still hear many times, “You are not the boss of me!”

Every time I hear that phrase, I am reminded to search my own heart and see if I have said those very same words to my Adonai.

Adonai is one of the names God used to reveal Himself.  It means Master, Owner, and Lord.

Adonai is the name spoken by pious Jews in place of Yahweh.  Adonai is Jehovah.  He is Creator and we are the created.  Therefore, “Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that HE is LORD!”

Adonai is sovereign and has complete authority.  The name commands complete possession by the Master and full surrender by the servant.

In other words, when I call God “Adonai,” I am saying that He is my Master; He is my Lord.  I am saying I have placed myself on the alter, and all that I have, all that I am, and all that I do and say, is under full surrender to Sovereign God. (Roms 12:1-2)

Abram had submitted to Adonai as Master.  At the age of 75, he followed God, leaving all that he knew with only the directions, “Go!”  He submitted to Adonai’s care and protection even when he had no clear understanding of God’s plan.  Yet, when it came to Abram’s deepest desire -a son, he did not allow God to be Adonai. (Gen 15:1-2)

How many of us do the very same thing Abram did?

We call Him Lord with our lips, but deny Him with our lives.

Oh, we will raise our hands in church and sing, “Lord Reign in Me,” then, on Monday, when He wakes us up early and nudges us to spend time with Him, we refuse.

Maybe He tells you that the clothes you are wearing today draw more attention to your body parts than His Spirit within you, but you shake it off thinking, “Well, everyone else dresses like this,” and off you go.

Maybe He has asked you to restore a broken relationship, but you have refused to submit to His will.

Maybe He has asked you to spend more time with your family and less time at work, but since you offer only lip service when you call him Lord, you refuse.

The truth?

We all want Him as our Saviour.  Few of us want Him as our Lord.

Salvation gives Jesus our hearts.  Surrender gives Him our lives.  (Romans 12:1-2; (Romans 14:8)

Forgetting that we were bought with a price, and are therefore no longer our own (I Cor 6:19-20), we often yell at God, “You are not the boss of me!”

Believe me, we are all “bossed” by something, and whatever “bosses” you other than God, is an idol.

For some, it is money, their home, the hottest fashions, or  family.  For others, it may be food, sex, or drugs.  Cell phones, the latest high-tech gadgets, big screen TVs, and cars are what some value.  For others, it can be ministry or approval.

No matter the idol, normally, the more of it we get, the bigger our own sense of value gets!

The above “things” are not wicked, but when we allow them to control us instead of allowing God to control us, we are practicing idolatry. (Col 3:5)

Facts about Idols

1) You do not control your idol.  It controls you!

2)  Idols can hide so that you are not even aware they are there…until you go looking for them.

 “If you want to find out if you have rats in your basement, you do not go thumping down the stairs announcing your arrival.  If you do, they will hide before you get there and then you will think there are no rats in your basement.  However, if you creep down the stairs and suddenly flick on the light, you will see the rats scurrying away! The suddenness of your approach doesn’t create the rats.  They were already there, but now you know where  they are hiding.” paraphrase C.S Lewis, Mere Christianity, Book IV: Chapter 7.

Identifying Idols

What consumes your thoughts?

What consumes your cheque book?

What consumes your time?

What consumes your emotions?*

Recognizing and tearing down idols is not an easy thing, but it is necessary if we are going to live the powerful, abundant life God intends.  Idolatry is a serious thing to God.  (Exodus 20:3-5; Jonah 2:8, I John 5:21, Gal 5:19-21)  He does not take it lightly, so neither should we. Therefore, checking for idols in our lives should be something we do on a regular basis.

Let’s start today by searching our hearts and honestly asking, “Who is the boss of my life, my finances, my words, and my actions?”  “In what areas of my life have I refused to allow Him to be Adonai?” “What idols have I allowed to topple God’s place in my heart and life?”  Do my control issues get in the way of His Lordship?

Today, let’s stop yelling at Adonai, “YOU are not the boss of me!” and start crying, “Lord, show me where YOU are not the boss of me.”

*Strong attachments to things or people, so much so, that if you lost them, you would be absolutely devastated and feel that your life no longer has purpose.  Also, strong emotional outbursts (anger, resentment etc.) towards people or circumstances if they threaten your idol.

Have you ever had one of those weeks?  You know, a week where you wish you could change your name and hair color, and move to a whole new place where no one knows you?  Maybe sign up for a tour on the Minnow, and get stranded on a deserted island with the Skipper, Gilligan and crew?  There, where the weightiest thing on your mind would be trying to figure out why the Howes brought all they owned for a three hour outing, or why the Professor, who can make a phone out of two coconuts and some rope, can’t fix a hole in a boat!

Gilligan’s Island is fiction.  Life and its circumstances are not.

Sometimes, we can be stretched so thin by life’s trials that we feel invisible…even to God.

Have you been there?

Just recently, finding myself in that very place, God led me to read a passage from Ann Spangler’s book, ‘Praying the Names of God.’

Here is what I read. May it be a soothing balm to your soul, as it was to mine.

The God Who Sees Me

“The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.

Then the angel of the LORD told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.”

The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to
count.”

The angel of the LORD also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”

She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.

So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.”

Gen 16: 7-15

An Egyptian slave, Hagar encountered God in the desert and addressed him as El Roi “the God who sees me.” Notably, this is the only occurrence of El Roi in the Bible.

Hagar’s God is the One who numbers the hairs on our heads and who knows our circumstances, past, present, and future.  When you pray to El Roi, you are praying to the one who knows everything about you.

“From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all humankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.”

Psalm 33:13-15

Even the most watchful parent must sleep. But scripture makes it clear God never slumbers, never looks one way while we head off in another, never misses a millisecond of what is happening on earth.

 El Roi, a God so watchful that He is said to note even when the smallest sparrow falls to the ground. This is the God who watches over you today, whether or not you recognize his presence.
Aware that you may sometimes find yourself in desolate places, he is always near, helping you find a path through troubles, working out his plans for your future.”  Ann Spangler, Praying the Names of God