Believe Week 9: God, what do you want me to do with my life?
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 9: Stewardship”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
I’ve met interesting people over the past years of pastoring. I learn about many things in life by the experiences and stories of others. Maybe you’ve met similar people. Here’s a sampling:
- A World War II vet who was at the invasion of Normandy
- A VP for McDonalds who never went to college.
- A person whose ancestors had interesting connections to Texas history.
- Multiple people who spent their lives in nursing.
- Pastors, teachers, and other ministry-minded people.
- Faithful moms and dads raising their kids.
- Owners of companies…workers for minimum wage.
- And more.
Everyone has a story. Everyone has one life to live. At some point we all have wrestled with the question, “Why am I here?” or “What am I going to do with my life?”
For some the calling becomes clear early in life, for others they struggle for a lifetime.
While I may not fully answer the question specifically for you, let me suggest your question changes slightly, but importantly.
Instead of asking, “What am I going to do with my life?” ask, “God, what do you want me to do with my life?” This second question leads me to consider there may be direction that I have been missing because I’ve been trying to figure it out on my own.
God doesn’t usually come to you specifically and tell you the job and/or career you are suppose to have, but he does set a few underlying principles that give meaning and purpose to whatever job or career you find yourself in.
First, in whatever you do or are doing, glorify God!
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
A primary question before any task or any job acceptance or career direction is to ask, “Can I do this job/career to the glory of God?” “Will this job allow me opportunities to express and share my faith or will it be a situation that shuts down or stands in the way of my faith?” Let life be about glorifying your Savior and giving thanks to God the Father for all the talents and abilities he has given to you.
Second, in whatever you do or are doing, serve others!
1 Peter 4:10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
I remember one of my leadership mentors via his books, John Maxwell, saying often, “Add value to others and they will add value to you.” His point was to always approach life and leadership with a servant heart and mindset. Do not let life revolve around you and be lived with an expectation that everyone else was born to serve you! Remember Jesus himself did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. Whatever abilities, whatever job you have, use it to serve others, be a blessing to others, add value to others.
So what does that all mean today? You may not be in your dream job, or calling career, or most days “hate” going to work. But what if you a) repent of engaging in life trying to get all YOU can out of it and rather b) engage in life and live to give to others what God has given to you!
Go about your tasks today with the mindset, “I’m giving glory to God by changing my baby’s diaper. I am giving glory to God by spending time helping my student with homework. I am going to show up at work and let my light shine in the staff meeting or my interactions with customers. I am going to add value to people today and ask God to show me how and where to do that. I’m not just going to “survive” at work, I am going to thrive because every day is a day to give thanks for all God has given to me and use what he has given to serve others.”
Today is going to be a great day. Life is going to be a great life!
Apply: Notice today your heart as you go about your activities. Ask God to give you a perspective to glorify him and serve others in all you do!
Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving your all for me so that my life might be spent giving glory to you and serving others with the same love you have given to me. AMEN.
Believe Week 9: Who’s stuff is it anyway?
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 9: Stewardship”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
What do stewardship and evolution have to do with each other?
I have to be upfront, I didn’t really consider a connection until this week and looking at our key verse and key truth for the week.
The key truth: I believe everything I am and everything I own belong to God.
The key verse: Psalm 24:1-1 “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.”
This passage puts forward that everything in and on the earth is the Lord’s for the very reason HE founded it. HE established it.
SO…if someone founds a company or establishes and organization, I’m pretty sure he gets to direct how it is used. It’s the nature of ownership. Your company…your call.
SO…if the earth is the Lord’s…it’s his call how it is used. If the earth just evolved with no creator or owner, it is every living being’s role to claim what they can to survive.
The connection between stewardship and evolution is this:
If God created everything, it is his and HE gets to direct how his stuff is used.
If everything evolved, I need to gather as much as I need in order to survive. I determine how it is used.
I will say there is another factor in this discussion: our sinful, human heart. It wants to make the call too.
So what will it be?
The key truth this week sparks a key question: “Whose stuff is this?”
How I answer this question determines what I believe about “stewardship.” Being a steward implies management of stuff FOR someone else. So I really have two choices:
Will I see my stuff and my life as God’s and manage it HIS way or will I see my stuff and my life as mine and manage it MY way? This week we’ll explore the two perspectives and discover the blessing of managing all I have God’s way.
To begin your week, consider this parable Jesus told. What lessons is he teaching you today?
14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Jesus wants us to enjoy the fun and blessing of being a steward for HIM! Let’s learn more this week!
Apply: Simply evaluate for yourself: Do I see the stuff I have as MINE or as GOD’S?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for being the Creator of all and establishing this earth for your glory and my benefit. Forgive me for my selfishness and I pray, grant me your Spirit to renew my mind and heart to see and manage all things for YOUR glory, for they are yours to begin with. AMEN.
Believe Week 8: Clothe Yourself with Compassion!
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 8: Compassion”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
What clothes did you put on this morning?
Perhaps its casual Friday. Perhaps you have an important meeting so you dressed up a bit more. Perhaps it’s a day off so the grubbies came on…or it’s a PJ day!
What we put on is how we present ourselves to the outside world. While the external appearance isn’t always indicative of the person inside the clothes, hopefully that matches more than it doesn’t!
As Christians, God calls us to be consistent. What we “wear” on the outside is who we are on the inside.
The Apostle Paul writes in Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
The fact is that we each are recipients of God’s tremendous compassion and love. With that inside of us, God’s Spirit encourages us, “Wear it on the outside!”
Clothe yourselves with compassion. Literally it says a “gut of mercy.” This the inner feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.
Clothe yourselves with kindness. This is the response of good that comes from a heart that has been touched by the mercy and grace of God. It desires to do good to all.
Clothe yourselves with humility. Be willing to put the interests of others above your own. This is the heart that is willing to serve others; there is no task that is too menial.
Clothe yourselves with gentleness. Show up as a friend. Let go of arrogance and show up with a demeanor that shows respect and interest in all.
Clothe yourselves with patience. Be willing to go the distance with someone who needs you by their side. Be slow to get angry and quick to aid and instruct.
This is quite a “closet full” of clothes our Savior invites us to put on. These are not just humanistic virtues, but are all given and driven by the Spirit of God. It is important that we remember “as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved…” Without the work of God’s love, mercy and compassion in our hearts, there is no way we can wear the clothes of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
So what will you put on today?
It’s easy for our sinful nature to discourage us and say, “Mike if you put these things on, you will be taken advantage of, be seen as a pushover, and never get done what you need to get done. Someone else can show up today in those clothes.
For this I repent. For this we repent. Satan loves to move us to the part of the closet that puts on pride, selfishness, heartlessness, impatience and the like. Why don’t we just throw those clothes out in the trash! They stink and look awful anyway.
Rather clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. You’ll look amazing, reflect God’s love tremendously, and make a difference in the lives of others.
Apply: Try mentally “clothing” yourself today with these attributes…or just start with one. At the end of the day, see how it impacted your day and someone else’s day.
PRAYER: Lord thank you for the compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience you have shown to me. Let this gift of compassion shown to me move me to clothe myself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience each and every day! AMEN
Thank You Veterans! Thank you Lord!
“The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month”
After over four years of brutal warfare in Europe, Germany surrendered to the Allied powers ending World War I, at 11:00 AM November 11, 1918.
Perhaps this summary of the impact of World War I is a sobering reminder on this day we thank all our men and women who are willing to serve us by putting themselves in harm’s way.
World War I took the lives of more than 9 million soldiers; 21 million more were wounded. Civilian casualties numbered close to 10 million. The two nations most affected were Germany and France, each of which sent some 80 percent of their male populations between the ages of 15 and 49 into battle.
The political disruption surrounding World War I also contributed to the fall of four venerable imperial dynasties: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia and Turkey.
World War I brought about massive social upheaval, as millions of women entered the workforce to replace men who went to war and those who never came back. The first global war also helped to spread one of the world’s deadliest global pandemics, the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918, which killed an estimated 20 to 50 million people.
World War I has also been referred to as “the first modern war.” Many of the technologies now associated with military conflict—machine guns, tanks, aerial combat and radio communications—were introduced on a massive scale during World War I.
The severe effects that chemical weapons such as mustard gas and phosgene had on soldiers and civilians during World War I galvanized public and military attitudes against their continued use. The Geneva Convention agreements, signed in 1925, restricted the use of chemical and biological agents in warfare and remains in effect today. (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/world-war-i-history)
Every war is ugly, brutal, deadly, disruptive and evil. Yet we have men and women who are willing to be ready to engage today to defend our Constitution, protect our freedoms, and combat evil where it exists. The last of World War I veterans died 10 years ago at the age of 110. There are still over 240,000 World War 2 vets alive (of the 16 million that participated). To all these and those that fought in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and any other battles around the world, you have my deepest appreciation, “Thank you for serving me…serving us.”
Service in place of self is a noble characteristic. Certainly there can be many motivations to be part of our military, but I have to think that two passages from Scripture are in many of our veterans:
Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Freedom can be used for many things. Thank you for using your freedom to serve others. Love can manifest in many ways. Thank you for loving your country enough to be willing to lay down your life for it, for us.
On this Veterans’ Day, remember the gift of our country is one we ought not take for granted. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Let us not just thank our veterans today, but our gracious Lord who has allowed our country to be a beacon of freedom and hope to many. Then with the freedom we have in our United States, let us be an army of God’s people who combat sin and evil not with the swords of steel but with the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.
Thank you Lord! Thank you veterans! Thank you for the freedom and love you all share with us!
Apply: Certainly take time today to thank a Veteran who has had a part in protecting the freedoms we enjoy. Resolve to use the freedom God gives to share Jesus with others around you.
Prayer: Lord thank you for men and women who are willing to put their lives on the line to protect mine. In your mercy, preserve our nation and the freedoms it allows. Disrupt and put an end to all who wish evil and harm on people and through it all let the power of your Gospel prevail. AMEN.
Believe Week 8: Give them what they NEED!
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 8: Compassion”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
Did I mention this week I struggle with showing compassion? (If not, I’ll probably say it a few more times. Thanks for reading devotions I’m writing for myself!)
I’ve gotten burned…a lot.
I’ve had people buy alcohol with money they said they needed for rent. I’ve been swindled out of $1000s of dollars when it was said it would be repaid. I’ve had bags of food given back to me after telling me that I wasn’t doing enough to help. I’ve had people “expect” the church to give them what they want. I’ve had a deadbeat dad send his wife and child into the church to beg for money while he reclined in the passenger seat of the car.
The stories could go on.
I struggle to drive through an intersection where there is a “homeless” person asking for help without feeling guilty for not helping or hoping the light is green so I don’t have to make eye contact.
Yep, I struggle with compassion for those “in need.”
While, I don’t know the backstory of every individual, I have seen enough evidence of mishandling of money, self-made issues, and multiple reports of “homeless” making $200-250/day tax free to question quite deeply if someone really has a true need. (Sorry for all those that truly have fallen on hard times, it is often ruined by those that have taken advantage of other people’s generosity.)
Have you been burned?
I’m sure at some point you have.
So how do I/we reclaim a heart of compassion?
First – as was mentioned in yesterday’s devotion remember that Generosity is not dependent on a person’s reaction to it, but on the compassionate heart of God. Our generosity does one thing and one thing only: Reflects the heart of God.
If someone misuses your generosity, it is on their conscience not yours.
That being said, I always marvel at Jesus’ ability (probably because he was the Son of God) to know the true need isn’t always the presenting ask. Here’s an example in
Mark 6:34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
If you read Mark 6 it was a busy day/week for Jesus. He had sent out the 12…they had just returned and wanted to tell Jesus all about their experiences. John the Baptist, the cousin and friend of Jesus, had just been beheaded. The crowds were pursuing Jesus that they were hungry and needed time alone. They went away by themselves, but the people saw them leaving and pursued them.
I would have kept going. I wouldn’t have wanted to be bothered. Not Jesus.
He had compassion on them, because he understood their biggest need. They were spiritually lost sheep wandering to find direction. The most important need they had that drove Jesus’ heart of compassion was the need for love, grace and forgiveness. Even though he ends up feeding the 5000 that followed him, he fed their greatest need with his presence and teaching FIRST!
I love this account because, based on last week’s key truth, I remember that everyone needs Jesus. That is their greatest need. The presenting issue may be a need for food, money for prescriptions, or a bus ticket, but underneath is potentially a lost sheep spiritually.
Jesus found a way to give them what they needed: His Word, His love, His forgiveness.
Perhaps I can do the same.
Apply: What ideas do you have to meet someone’s spiritual need before or along with meeting their physical need?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for a heart of compassion for the spiritually lost and hurting. I was one of those at one point that captured your heart. Help me to bring the solution to every human being’s greatest need to their heart. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.