We, as believers, have the privilege of being chosen by God. The theological term for this is election. But, what about those who are not believers? It doesn’t seem right that God would choose some and not others. This is something I struggle with.
Fortunately, it is not for us to worry about who is elected or not…
From the sermon I preached at Linden Alliance Church on July 3.
Have you ever thought to yourself, if only…? If only I could have a different job, or have more vacation time. Or maybe you can’t wait for things to be over with so you can move on. Maybe you are in high school or college and things will just be better once you are done school. Maybe your kids are at an age that makes life difficult and you think it will get better once they get out of this stage…
This morning at chapel, I was privileged to hear from a man who has been serving God faithfully in missions for many years. He had a question that spoke to me clearly and I spent some time reflecting on it during my devotion time.
The question he asked is this: when the pressure is on, how do you handle it? When the plans God has for me get tough, what do I do with the tough stuff?
He said that God’s plan is ‘plan A’, and that ‘plan B’ is what the devil would like me to do. Plan A is impossible to do without God, but plan B can be done on my own strength. Plan A will bring challenges and tests that I can not pass without faith. Plan B only requires faith in myself.
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Hebrews 11:6
When faced with an obstacle, keeping my eyes on God is what will bring me through it. Keeping my eyes on my own skills and gifts might get me somewhere, but it will fall short of God’s wonderful plan. When we say yes to God’s plan, we can expect difficulty, but through that difficulty, God is telling us to trust Him and not ourselves.
One of the greatest failures of a Christian, I would suggest, is that we have poorly represented the deepest and most important truths that can be known by humanity. As Philip Yancey puts it in his forward to Chesterton’s Orthodoxy, Christian faith is not simply a “bulwark of civilization but rather an expression of the deepest truths about the world” (Waterbrook Press, 2001. p.viii).
Christianity is much more than mere religious practice. It represents the deep truth of who God is in relation to humanity and who humanity is in relation to God. It explains the reason behind our social behaviours and why we have this undeniable need to love and be loved. Most importantly it explains how this need can ultimately be satisfied.
I say we have failed at representing these truths because when I look at myself and the Christian’s around me, I see people who are so concerned about our own place in this world that we have forgotten who and what we represent. We get caught up in seeking social and physical security from the false gods of this world. I don’t believe seeking wealth is wrong, but seeking wealth should come out of a desire to see others prosper above ourselves. I don’t believe seeking social security is wrong, however security should ultimately come from who we are in God, and our relationships should exist in order to benefit those we are in relationship with.
So, here’s my challenge: each day, our goal should be to first claim our position in the Kingdom of God, for that is where our security lies. After that, there is no need to worry about this world providing us with physical and social security, and we can go on to making sure others have the security we have, that is, sharing the Gospel. I don’t mean finding non-believers and telling them about Christ. What I mean is this, and this is the point of my post. Our thoughts, actions and words should demonstrate what it means to be eternally secure in the hands of the Creator. This is the profound truth and can be shared with believers and non-believers alike.
On Tuesday at chapel I shared on the topic of prayer. This was my first “sermon” of sorts as the Spiritual Life Commissioner at Prairie. As I prepared I was reminded of Jeremiah’s words in response to God appointing him as a prophet.
Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.”
(Jeremiah 1:4-6 ESV)
Now, I wouldn’t go so far as to say I know how he must have felt, for I have never heard the voice of God calling me to be a prophet to all nations. However, as a student leader I have a certain responsibility that at times I feel somewhat ill-equipped to fill.
Following the above passage, God responds with these words:
But the LORD said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the LORD.”
(Jeremiah 1:7-8 ESV)
This is comforting. I am confident that God has brought me into this position, not because of anything I can do, or because I’m more worthy than anyone else, but because God gives gifts to those who are willing to receive them. Because it is God who gives the gifts, we are able to fulfill the responsibilities He has for us.
I’ve heard it said that the greatest ability a Christian can have is availability! When we make ourselves available to God, He will move our lives in the direction that He has always intended for us, and there’s nothing more fulfilling than knowing I am doing the work my Creator intended me to do.
I’ve always had difficulty with this statement from Matthew 7 because I’ve asked God for many things and not received them. It’s one of those statements that you can’t really use without understanding more about what asking something from God should really look like. It should not merely be a request at a time of need, but a recognition that if it’s not from God, it’s not worth wanting.
Andrew Murray, in his book With Christ in the School of Prayer, Writes the following:
The child who only wants to know the love of the father when he has something to ask, will be disappointed. But he who lets God be the Father always and in everything, who would fain live his whole life in the Father’s presence and love, who allows God in all the greatness of His love to be a Father to him, oh! he will experience most gloriously that a life in God’s infinite Fatherliness and continual answers to prayer are inseparable.
So, the next time I ask God for something, I hope that I will be reminded to not only pursue God in my time of need, but be in constant pursuit of understanding what God would have me ask for. What’s the point of asking? I’m not sure I can answer in a short blog post, but I would say it has something to do with recognizing that God is the source of everything we need, and asking Him for these things demonstrates, or better yet, flows out of our desire to be in relationship with Him.
