Contentment vs. Complacency

Complacency. This action, or lack there of, is such a huge tool of satan. The problem is, it is well disguised. Webster’s defines complacency as “self satisfaction with the unawareness of actual peril“. This is why it is so dangerous, because we are unaware that we are in trouble in the first place

Complacency is a spiritual stale mate. It is when we become content with our relationship with Christ. Even though the passion and zeal may have faded; we know we still love Jesus, and that is enough for us. And what is even worse than this attitude, is when we become so numb and apathetic to this fact, that we don’t even care anymore. Strengthening our relationship and growing in our walks with Christ is no longer our desire. We become satisfied in our lethargic love for God. This is why complacency is a problem, because this is when satan wins.  You are no longer a threat to him or the spiritual battle that is being waged on this earth. Complacency can render you irrelevant.

The different forms that complacency can present itself is infinite. Sometimes it can come about even with good intentions. I find myself often waiting for different seasons in my life. “I rather be there”, or “I wish I was doing that” are the kind of attitudes that fill my heart, and as a result, I find myself completely detached from my present situation. This is when I become satisfied with just passing time until I get to where I want to be, or doing what I want to do. But the fact of the matter is while I am waiting for this next so called “season” of my life, I am missing what God has put in front of me right now. Complacency is overshadowing true contentment that I could realize; making it almost impossible for me to enjoy or experience what God has planned for me right now. Actually, right now is just as important as what is next. God has an exact purpose for my today, just as he does my tomorrow. The season we are in currently is just as important as the season that is coming next. I’ve said it here before: As Christians, we are never really out of season.  We are either going through preparation, transformation, or affirmation.

Somehow we have gotten the idea in our heads that waiting means sitting around doing nothing. Nothing could be further from the truth. Imagine in the sport’s world if that’s what actually happened. Imagine if athletes waited for the next season by sitting around drinking Mountain Dew, playing video games, and being satisfied with doing nothing until the season came around. In actuality it is much different. Athletes wait for the next season by training. They wait by preparing. They wait by working toward their future goals. This is what we are called to do as well. We have a specific purpose for today, exactly where we are. We have to be open and alert to that, and let God use us accordingly.We can’t have our eyes focused so far down the road, that we are missing what God is trying to show us right here.

Don’t become satisfied with the mundane. Enjoy true contentment by seeking what God has in store for you today.

While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not faint
I’ll be running the race
Even while I wait

But Who Do YOU Say I am?

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”   -Luke 9:20

This is the question Jesus asked Peter and the disciples, and the same question I believe He wants us to answer each new morning.  At this point in Jesus’ life, He had done many awesome things. Rumors were flying all over the place about who Jesus was, and what He was doing.  The disciples were telling Jesus all the different things everyone was calling Him, but that’s when he asked the question: But who do YOU say I am?

That’s what Jesus is interested in. He’s concerned with who you believe He is. So many times why people turn away from their faith in Christ, or why they falter in their walk with Jesus, is because of others. It is the number one reason why people turn their back on God, or never give him a shot in the first place…because of something some other Christian has done to them.

Pastor of churches are caught in marital infidelity. Father’s who claim to follow Jesus who fail miserably at the job of being a dad. Mother’s who neglect you. Friends who betray you. The list goes on and on for people who claim to love Jesus, but their life has nothing to show for this claim.

But here is a newsflash: People are not perfect, but Jesus is. And we should never never never let our view of God be affected because of what a person does or does not do. Our only interest should be in who Jesus is, and in His character. And one thing we know about his character is that it is always the same. Hebrews 13:8 tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever”. And we know that the character of Christ is one of love, grace, and forgiveness who wants nothing more than to have you accept Him.

So the question still stands. Who do YOU say He is? Have others affected your view on God? I hope that you will give him another chance. Because He is the almighty creator of the universe who loves you and died for you. And it would be a shame for the actions of a sinful person to ruin your relationship with a perfect God.

All-You-Can-Eat Seafood

In Luke 9, we see Jesus perform one of his many miracles.  It is a story familiar to us all.   It is when Jesus feeds a crowd of 5,000 (not including women and children) that gathered to see Jesus with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.

This is one of my favorite Bible stories as it is filled with so much Biblical truth.  I want to unpack some of it right here:

Focus: The disciples have just returned from a journey where they took nothing- no extra clothes, food, or money- and were given the authority and power by Jesus to go out and heal the sick, cure diseases, and drive out demons. Yet, the disciples return and they are in a frenzy about dinner.  How short their memory must have been as they had forgotten what the Lord had just done. In the same way we can’t lose focus of the things Christ has done in our lives. His character remains the same, and as he has been faithful to us before, so He will be again. Focus on Jesus. Don’t lose sight of who He is, His character, and what He has done for you before.

Provision: Simply put, the people had a need, and Jesus provided. They were hungry and Jesus fed them. Once again, Jesus’ character always remains the same. He will always provide for us, no matter what circumstances we seem to be in. In His time, He will provide.

Supernatural: Christ is not limited by circumstance. He is not bound by the natural. We see this as He fed thousands with an amount of food that would barely feed a small family. Jesus’ provision and faithfulness knows no boundaries and is not confined by our perceived realities. He is above it. He is the almighty, the all-powerful. The supernatural is His natural.

Satisfaction: Jesus is more than enough. The crowd ate and the Bible says they were “satisfied”.  In fact, after the meal, the disciples picked up 12 basketfuls of left-overs.  Jesus went above and beyond.  The disciples were worried they would not have enough, yet Jesus provided for them even more than they needed. Ephesians 3:20 tells us that Christ is able to do “immeasurably more than we can even ask or imagine”.  God knows our needs, and not only will He meet them…He will exceed them!

This isn’t some story that happened a thousand years ago. This is who Jesus is and it applies today.  His faithfulness and provision remains the same.  Don’t lose sight of who Jesus is and what He can do for you.  Of all the things the Lord cares about, your circumstances are at the bottom of His lists of concerns. He has power over them, and He WILL come through!

Jesus fed thousands with a couple of fish. How do you need Him to provide for you?

In Season Every Season

Clemson has a motto that states “In Season Every Season”.  This is true because no matter what time of the year, no matter what season, Clemson is absolutely beautiful.  From the evening sunsets on Lake Hartwell in the Summer time, to the orange that covers trees and fans during football season and Fall, to Bowman field covered by snow in the winter. Clemson is just as beautiful in one season as the next.

In the Bible, the Lord tells us that there is a time and season for everything.  Sometimes, however, we do not necessarily find ourselves in the particular season we want to be in.  You might be single, and longing for that significant other.  You might be waiting for the next step in your life. Or maybe you just don’t like where you are at right now. However, where you are right now, at this moment, is where God has placed you, and given you a specific purpose.

As Christians, we are never really out of season.  We are either going through preparation, transformation, or affirmation.  God is preparing us, transforming us, or affirming us as we carry out His specific plan.  In the world of sports, the “off season” is just as important, if not more, than the actual season itself.  This is the time where athletes prepare for what lies ahead.  This is no different in our daily lives as Christians and our walks with Christ.

Embrace where you are right now. Rejoice in, no matter the circumstance, where God has you right now. Anticipate all the things He has in store for you.  The season you are in right now is critical to the next in your life.  Don’t look ahead, see the beauty in where you are now. Allow God to prepare you now for what comes next.

“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven”
-Ecclesiastes 3:1

Servants or Sidelines?

In John 2:11 we see Jesus perform his first miracle.  The wedding banquet he was attending quickly became a dry wedding as all the wine had been consumed.  Jesus then called over some servants to go over to some water jars, draw out some water, and take them to the master of the banquet.  The master of the banquet tasted the liquid from the jar and commented on how it was the best wine he had ever tasted.  The Bible says that the master did not know where it came from, but the servants did.

See, what happened here is, everybody at the wedding got to experience the product of this miracle, however, they did not understand nor fully grasp the supernatural that had just occurred.  However, the servants, got to be involved in, and experience first hand the miracle that had just occurred.

How about in our lives? Are we the party or the servants?  Are we spectators or are we involved?  We can go to FCA, RUF, Campus Crusade or many other things, and even see Jesus moving in awesome ways.  BUT. Are you just seeing the product?  Or are you experiencing it first hand?

Get off the sidelines and into the game!  You are too valuable to not be involved.  However, the game is more dangerous and uncomfortable than observing from the sidelines, but EXPERIENCING FIRTST HAND the awesomeness of the King of the Universe is worth every second of it.  BE A SERVANT!

P.S. As servants, we have to check our motives and intentions.  Who are we serving?  Why are we serving?  Whose approval are we seeking?  Check out this post by my friend Matt.

David Series: The Cost of Sacrifice

I was reading in 2 Samuel last night, and I came across a verse that rocked me pretty hard.  David was commanded to go to buy land from this man in order to make an altar before God.  However, the man wanted to just give the land to David free of charge.  It was how David responded to this that rocked my world.  In 2 Samuel 24:24 David says “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

This response to the Lord is something I really want to continually strive for.  Sacrifice, without cost, is not really sacrifice.  It has to cost us something.  It is our way of telling God that He is more important to us than something else.  God is not interested in our gifts; God is interested in our sacrifice.  To God, it is all or nothing.  If I give him 90% of my life, but hold back that 10%, I am being disobedient. It is not ok to give God almost everything.  Our God is not a God of almosts.  Nobody ever said sacrifice is easy, but it is necessary.

Sacrifice will not go unnoticed or unblessed by God.  In Matthew 26, we see a woman pour expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet and wipe them with her hair.  The perfume was worth about $30,000, and she poured it on His FEET.  But she was fine with that.  The money, the worth, the purpose, and everything else did not matter to her because all she cared about was honoring her Lord.  This outpour of love did not go unnoticed, either, to Jesus. Jesus says in verse 13, “I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” That is a pretty big deal, because it showed a great amount of love.

What are you sacrificing to God?  What about, what are you holding back?  Are you holding back time, money, or maybe some important decisions?  Whatever it might be, GIVE IT UP!  There is no better way to show love than to sacrifice.  Sacrifice is putting another before yourself.  It is selfless.  It is love.  And it will cost you something. But it is the least we can do for Jesus considering He sacrificed His life for us.

David Series: Inquiring of the Lord

he (David) inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”
The LORD answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” 1 Samuel 23:2

and David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue 1 Samuel 30:8

so David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”
The LORD answered him, “Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you.” 2 Samuel 5:19

so David inquired of the LORD, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. 2 Samuel 5:23

God does not desire surrender in part.  God wants us to humble ourselves, and live lives of complete abandonment to Him. He wants complete, total, and utter surrender.  He wants it in every aspect of our lives.  Every step, every decision, and every moment laid before Him.  That’s what it means to surrender and humble ourselves before the Lord.   In James 4:10 it tells us to “humble ourselves before the Lord, and he will lift us up”.  This was evident in the life of David.

David lived a life of complete surrender to God.  And God was there for him.  The Bible says that the Lord was with David.  And the Lord gave David victory in every aspect of his life.  This was a direct result from David giving every detail of his life up to the Lord.  We see this all throughout his life as he inquired of the Lord.  Everything David did was in complete surrender to God.

What about you? Doing things our own way is a dangerous trap a lot of us fall into.  Is there something you are still holding onto?  Failure to give something up completely to God is telling him that you do not trust him with that particular thing.  It is telling God that you can handle it better yourself.  Are you rushing into something without first inquiring of the Lord?  You might want to check with Him first.  After all He does know best, and it is better to be humble then to be humbled.

Inquire of the Lord.  Humble yourself before Him.  There is nothing to big or small, or too mundane or important to bring before the Lord.  God promises to lift us up in victory.  But first we must surrender!

David Series: Wait for the Lord

As a young man, David was anointed to one day become King.  It was God’s promise to David that he would rule over all of Israel.  After this anointing, however, David went back to being a shepherd. Because it was not God’s timing for David to be King yet.  Then David defeated Goliath.  He also led men into battle and defeated over 10,000 men who were enemies of Israel.  David’s name was famous throughout all the land, and everybody found great favor with David. But it was still not God’s timing yet.

King Saul then became very jealous of David and tried to kill him.  David had to flee the kingdom.  He had to leave the place that was promised to him.  He fled out into the desert, and had to hide in caves.  He had to deceive people in order to survive and even act like a crazy person (1 Samuel 21:13).  He even joined sides with the enemy, the Philistines, so that Saul would not kill him.  He befriended the very enemy of the nation that he was promised to rule over, just so he could live.  Why did he have to go through all of this? Because it was still not God’s timing.

David cried out to God in hurt and desperation, thinking that God had turned a deaf ear on Him, but he still trusted in God’s faithfulness. And in God’s timing, David did indeed take the throne as King of Israel.  It just happened according to God’s plan and God’s timing.

If David, the Lord’s anointed and the man after God’s own heart was not exempt from sorrow and trials, then neither will we be.  But we can have hope, and trust in God’s faithfulness.  He will deliver his promise to us, but in HIS TIMING.  Psalm 18:30 says “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.”  God is our shield, our comfort, and in that we can have peace.

God’s way, God’s plan, and God’s timing are perfect.  His promise to you will be delivered right on time, not one second early or one second late.  God has never made a promise He hasn’t delivered on. Maybe right now you feel like you are alone in the desert like David was, with the weight of the world crashing down on you. God is with you. He will guide you. He will protect you. He is your shield. Rest in that. God will come through.

Meanwhile, what is God teaching you right now? How is he preparing you? God doesn’t call the prepared, He prepares the called.  David had to go through the  lions and bears, giants and kings, and deserts and caves, but he finally did reach the throne. In God’s timing. Fully equipped. Fully prepared to do what the Lord had called him to do. However, he had to wait for the Lord, but it was well worth it in the end.

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

David Series: Life Change Breeds Life Change

“When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines”    1 Samuel 17:51-52

“Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.”

Life change breeds life change.  All it takes is for one person to be the spark that ignites a generation on fire for the name of Jesus.  All it takes is for ONE person to be passionately in love with Jesus, faithfully walking in obedience after Him, and boldly proclaiming His name, for a generation of people to be inspired to do the same.

We see in 1 Samuel 17 that the whole nation of Israel was scared to fight Goliath.  But David was not going to sit around and listen to this man mocking and defying his God.  David, a boy, told King Saul that he would go and fight Goliath.  So David went, killed Goliath, and cut off his head.  All of the Israelites and Philistines saw this, and were shocked.  But two things happened here as a result of David’s faith, obedience, and boldness: The enemy retreated and the “good guys” surged forward.

This is true in our lives as well.  When we lift Jesus up, He draws people not to us, but to Him that is in us.  When we are passionately living for Jesus, He overflows out of us into our daily lives.  When we are truly running after Him, it will be evident by the fruit that we produce.  This fruit, and this overflow, is what will inspire others to start running after Jesus as well.  It is the spark that ignites the flame.  The flame of God’s all consuming fire that is ready to do work on the hearts of so many.  This is when Satan will head for the hills.  The Bible says resist the devil and he will flee from you.  When our lives are lives of and pursuing God and resisting Satan, he will run from us.  This is because we already have victory over Satan.  Jesus already conquered death.  That same power lives inside me and you.

Are you willing to be the one to step forward. Are you willing to move when God says move? Are you willing to go where God says go? Are you willing to obey regardless of the consequences?

Do you want to be the one that causes a whole nation to surge forward?  Life change breeds life change. All it takes is one.  It starts with you.  Now GO!

David Series: Lions and Giants and Bears, Oh My!

David was a shepherd.  The lowest of occupations back in the day.  Yet he took great pride in his work, his very humbling work.  Shepherds took very good care of their sheep.  The duties of a shepherd required guarding the sheep from predators as they moved from pasture to pasture.

In 1 Samuel 17, David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear.”

I am sure when these events took place, David was slightly perturbed.  I can imagine him complaining to God how he was humbly and obediently doing God’s will as he did this crappy job, yet still had to put up with stuff like that.  However, despite what it seemed at the time, these trials prepared him for a “giant” (pun very intended) task later on down the road.  At the time it might not have made sense to him, but God’s reason was very clear to David when the time came.  After David spoke to Saul about killing the lions and bears that were after his sheep he said to Saul, “this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

David realized that his previous trials were God’s way of preparing him for this situation he was now in.  If he had not had the opportunity to ward off those lions and bears in the past, then the outcome against Goliath might not have been the same.

In James 1:2-4, it says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” I want to encourage you to consider it pure joy next time you seem to be facing some type of trial.  God is with you.  He has a reason.  He is preparing you for something greater down the road.  David’s victory over Goliath slingshotted him down his path to the throne of Israel, but he had to deal with some lions and bears first.  In the same way, the reason behind your momentary troubles will eventually be evident to you.

Trust in God.  Trust in his purpose for you.  He is with you every step of the way. Rejoice in suffering. Rejoice when you are battling the lions and bears of trial in your life because it is preparation for something God has in store for you in the future.  Preparation for something great, but it will be revealed in God’s timing.

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”  2 Corinthians 4:17