by David Brenneman
"The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests hearts." Proverbs 17:3.
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:8-9.
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13.
"Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14.
It was an interesting devotional, actually several, this morning.
One had to do with having too much on their plate to be doing, even though those were considered 'good' things to be doing they weren't a part of the goal for them in Christ Jesus. I can relate to what the writer of the devotional was saying in that they can be a part of many good things yet feel worn out for lack of accomplishing much.
Part of the first passage talks about the refining pot. The testing of our hearts by the Lord.
Not everything we are presented with in regards to ideas, food, activities, thoughts, are ours to pursue.
Rightly put is that statement that we don't have to attend every argument we're invited to. Such is the same about all those other areas I just mentioned, from food, to thoughts to activities.
We have a goal in this life and it's that upward call for each of us in Christ Jesus.
We sure will have other thoughts and actions, dreams even, ever before us that all will look great on paper but the reality is far from the truth. We get overwhelmed and as someone once said "we have too many irons in the fire".
We, like toddlers, think nothing of the true mental, physical and emotional energies required to do all that crosses our minds. Some of those things probably have considerable merit. Probably are great for ourselves and others. Problem is: they weren't meant to be for us and maybe for others if we're not trying to achieve that upward call in Christ.
We can't keep up n will eventually collapse from the weight of trying.
Listening to the Spirit is part and parcel with walking with the Spirit.
I know that I have done the following and I am convinced most all of you have had a similar experience or conversation with God.
As I am pretty much collapsed in a heap, I try to speak up after failure after failure "But God! I'm doing what you wanted me to do!" And at last the response is "Really? Who told you?" What I thought was right, good and true to be doing wasn't for me to be doing or even pursuing.
Leaning into previous posts, we were placed in the body of Christ as the Spirit saw fit. He has assigned us our goal in Christ.
It was on us to create something for us to be doing based on our talents and abilities.
Regardless of what most of the business world tries to teach us to believe, not everyone is meant to be a leader. Not everyone is meant to keep on accepting promotions. Not everyone is meant to be more than God made them to be because what He made them to be was always already enough in Christ.
I have aspirations but in my walk with Jesus He's shown me enough that those things, those thoughts and actions, will not work with His Father’s plans for myself and this world.
I have an inventor's mind. I have a creative mind for writing although I struggle with word placement for a flowing story. I can be creative in building things, with merging other thoughts and things together to create or recreate things or ideas.
But that's not my upward call in Christ Jesus. It's writing in such a way in these posts to point people to Jesus for the first time or to show them how to return to Jesus or how to look at life through their own true upward call in Christ.
We have a spiritually assigned goal for each of us. What it is for me is different for you. While we get fed from the same source, the Spirit of God, what He is after us to be doing will be different.
But in everything He's about teaching us obedience and trusting in Jesus and not of ourselves lest any of us should or could boast.
Our lives are still being lived in order to point people to Jesus, get them pointed in the right direction back to Jesus, and for ourselves to grow in Christ to be more like Jesus.
That refining pot is to get rid of impurities. To bring about God's best in each of us who are in Christ. Life might not look like what we expect it to when we are pursuing that upward call in Christ but it IS for us to pursue.
Stop and ask the Spirit what is it you're to be doing...is it really what you have been doing or is it something else?
What's been funny to me is how much of and how many of my thoughts have been refined, slowed down, or simply I have been shown they weren't that important in the last 9 months.
As the writer of that devotional said, while yes I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me...my priority is that upward call for me in Christ Jesus. When we try to focus on every 'good' thing we wear ourselves out and really don't accomplish much.
What I think is a great idea just might be for me to pass along to someone else in Christ that it IS for THEM to be doing.
As I close this post out...consider this: bloom where you're planted. Be who YOU were meant to be in Christ. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
"Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary." Isaiah 40:31.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.
A corporation not for profit.
La Habra, CA All rights reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment