Life Principle 1: Our intimacy with GodâHis highest priority for our livesâdetermines the impact of our lives.
One of our greatest needs is to know we are loved. Each of us has to feel certain, deep down, that someone loves us, cares for us, and has our best interest at heart. That is how God designed us. He wants us to know He loves us with a passionate intensity too deep for words.
God created human beings with fellowship in mindâfirst with Himself and then with others. But we cannot fully love one another until we have ourselves experienced the love of God. We experience His love when we willingly surrender to His call to be our Savior, Lord, and Friend.
When you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, He not only forgave you but also made you into a new creation. You were no longer standing at a distance from God but were then able to draw near to Him.
If you have drifted in your devotion to the Savior and feel as though you grow more distant each day in your relationship with Him, then pray that He will draw you near once more. He knows your weaknesses, and if you will tell Him you want Him to take control of your life, He will come to you in a mighty way and bring hope and light to your situation, no matter how dark and hopeless it may feel (Isa. 55:6-7).
2.đ A Life of Obedience
Ex 19:5
Life Principle 2: Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.
Obedience can be a challenge, especially when we feel tempted to believe that we stand to lose more through our obedience than we might gain. However, obeying God is essential to pleasing Himânot just in times of temptation, but at all times.
When God commands us to obey Him, Heâs giving us a principle by which to live. Heâs also setting a framework around our lives that forms a hedge of protection from evil.
Can you remember the last time you felt tempted to do the opposite of what you knew God desired for you to do? Most likely, a struggle erupted within your heart. The questions arose: Will obeying God cost me more than disobeying Him? Can I experience greater happiness by committing this sin than I would by obeying God?
When we choose to obey God, we take the way of wisdom. His promises of blessing for obedience far outweigh any possible consequences. He asks us to submit ourselves to Him and leave whatever happens to His loving care.
We must remember that God loves us and is committed to us. He commands our obedience, not because He is a strict taskmaster, but because He knows the đdevastating affect that đdisobedience and sin will have on our lives.
Obedienceđ may not be easyâyou may receive criticism from others or face fierce đ obstacles and oppositionâbut it will always put you in a favorable đposition before God. He will take care of all that concerns you; therefore, stay on the path of obedience and leave the rest to Him.
3. Our Anchor in Times of Stormđ
Life Principle 3: God's đWord is an immovable anchor in times of storm.
Number 23: 19
Each of us can remember times when we wished we had a sure đword from Godâsomething we could cling to when doubts đand fears arose. God knows when we need encouragement, đguidance, and hope. Thatâs why He provides specific promises in đHis Word so that we might understand đčHis nature and trust Him. In emotionally devastating times, Godâs promises are essential to our spiritual welfare.
His Word is therefore a đcompass, a guide, and an instruction đ·book to life. Just as we use instruction manuals at work or in the kitchen, weâre to use â Godâs Word as our resource for đwisdom and truth. No one would think of baking a cake without a recipe, nor would a mechanic rebuild a car engine without a manual.
At times God brings a specificđ Scripture to mind that ministers His hope and reassurance đ·to our hearts. At other times, He challenges us to pray đand seek His wisdom on a certain issue. When we look to God in faith, He will lead đus according to His will. Of course, this may not happen overnight. Many times God wants us to meditateđ on a certain Scripture over a period of time before He gives His guidance.
When King David sought Godâs heart regarding his desire to build the temple, the Bible says: âThen David the king went in and satđ before the Lordâ (2 Sam. 7:18). David didnât order his men to begin construction. He waited for đĄGodâs leadershipâand it was a good thing he did because the Lord wanted Davidâs son, Solomon, to do the job instead.
God honored Davidâs attitude, however, and gave him a wonderful promise: âYour house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established foreverâ (2 Sam. 7:16). The Lord always honors our desire to seek đHis guidance and wisdom. If we will come to God â expecting Him to answer, He will never disappoint us.
4đč
Energized by His Presence
Life Principle 4: The awarenessđ of Godâs presence energizes us for our work.
If you're a Christian, Jesus Christ is the supervisor at your place of workâand He not only watches you from afar, Heâs right đthere with you. You and I need to give a full dayâs labor, regardless of whether we think management is fair. Jesus is ultimately the One we đČserve, and Heâs always on site. You and I should do our very best because the Holy Spirit is present, equippingâ , and energizing us.
We make a terrible mistake by segmenting life. We may think that Monday through Friday we go to work, Saturday we play, and Sunday we worship. God has not designed life that way. If Jesus Christ is our Savior, we canât exclude Him from any part of life. It isnât right to teach a Sunday school class with everything we have, then meander into work the rest of the weekâwe must honor and glorify Him in everythingđ we do. It eliminates the temptation of doing our work merely to be seen by men when we commit ourselves wholeheartedly to Jesus (Matt. 6:24).
âNo one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Matthew 6:24 NKJV
Do I mean that your mundane job is also the đLordâs work? Yes! Ministry is not just what you do at church. You worship God every đday of the weekâon Sunday, you do so in church; on Monday through Friday, you show your devotion đto Him by doing a good âjob at work. Your exalted status as a child of God dignifies your labor, and your office or place of employment should be đĄbetter off because you are there.
You serve the Lord Jesus Christ (Col. 3:24). Do you have a goodđ testimony in the marketplace for Him? Are you one of your companyâs most faithfulđč employees because you serve God? Does your attitude reflect the đjoy you have in considering Him the real CEO? If so, then you are truly getting the most out of your work.
5. The Unreasonable Will of God
Life Principle 5: God does not require us to understand His will, just đobey it, even if it seems unreasonable.
Do you often find yourself wondering why God đdoesnât answer your prayers or why, despite your best efforts, the circumstances of your life still donât â work out? The answer could lie in your level of đobedience to God. Or waiting may be the result of God wanting you to be đstill, trust Him, and watch for His cue to move forward.
You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, âWhen you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.â â
Joshua 3:8 NKJV
When we choose the path of obedience, we must be prepared for any response weâll undoubtedly receive (both positive or negative), knowing that God has an excellent reason for His command and will đhelp us in extraordinary ways. We must never focus on the things or the people who try to đĄdistract us from doing Godâs will. The Holy Spirit enables us to đčobey every one of Godâs commandments and always directsđČ us in the best way possible. Therefore, whatever He requires of usâwhether it be painful or joyful, profitable or costly, reasonable or peculiarâour heavenly Father will give us the ability đand strength to be faithful, regardless of what others think or how our circumstances appear.
Obedienceâ must be a priorityđČ in every believerâs life. Itâs the only way you will ever become the person God wants you to be and the onlyđ way you will ever đachieve the things in life He has so wonderfully prepared for you. Itâs the Holy Spirit whođČ enables you to walk đobediently before the Lord in His strength and His power.
So choose to đobey Him, even if you donât understand why He asks you to do something. Have faith that His instructions are for your good
Jer. 29:11.
That way, you can become the person He wants you to be, do the workđ He desires of you, bear the fruit đHe enables you to bear, and receive all the đblessings Heâs prepared for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment