The Trouble with Family

Posted on August 15, 2018 by russellmckinney

The Ishmaelites were descendants of Abraham through Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant (Genesis 16:1-16). The Midianites were descendants of Abraham through Keturah, the wife he took after the death of Sarah (Genesis 25:1-2). Over the course of time, the Ishmaelites and the Midianites intertwined to the point where the terms “Ishmaelite” and “Midianite” became interchangeable (Judges 8:22-28).

This brings us to the story of Joseph, where we’re told that Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery to a group of Ishmaelite/Midianite traders headed south to Egypt to do business there (Genesis 37:25-28). Once in Egypt, the traders sold Joseph to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s captain of the guard (Genesis 37:36). Obviously, the Ishmaelite/Midianite traders had no qualms about trafficking in human beings. To them, Joseph was just another item to be bought for a good price and sold for a better one.

What makes this story all the more tragic is the fact that Joseph and his brothers, like the Ishmaelites and Midianites, were descendants of Abraham. Abraham had fathered Isaac through Sarah (Genesis 21:1-3), Isaac had fathered Jacob through Rebekah (Genesis 25:19-26), and Jacob had fathered Joseph and Joseph’s brothers through four different women (Genesis 29:13-30:24). So, by doing all the math, we learn that every man involved in Joseph’s brothers selling him into slavery could trace his ancestry back to Abraham.

This shows us that family can sometimes be a detrimental thing in a person’s life. Family members can take advantage of their fellow family members, use them, cheat them, lie to them, manipulate them, steal from them, and work to hold them down in life. This isn’t heartwarming news, but it is the reality of living in a fallen world.

Therefore, the takeaway application from this post is two-fold. First, be the kind of family member that helps your fellow family members rather than hurts them. Second, don’t let any of your family members keep you from being the person God wants you to be and living the kind of life He wants you to live.

It’s not that I’m suggesting that all of your family members are trouble. Much to the contrary, your family will oftentimes be one of the greatest sources of blessings in your life. But sometimes, as in the case of Joseph, your immediate family (Joseph’s brothers) or your extended family (the Ishmaelite/Midianites) can create real problems for you.

The encouraging news, though, is that no matter what wrongs your family members perpetrate on you, God is big enough to use that evil for His good and your betterment (Genesis 50:19-20). This is the great overarching promise of Joseph’s life, and it’s one that anyone whose family has caused them trouble can claim. Hopefully, you’ll never need to claim that promise, but it’s always there for you if you need it.

Posted in Adversity, Children, Family, Fatherhood, God's Sovereignty, Husbands, Motherhood, Parenting, Perseverance, Polygamy, Problems, Slavery, Wives | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is It Time for You to Make a Change?

Posted on August 13, 2018 by russellmckinney

People often fall into one of two erroneous camps in regards to making changes. One camp holds that change is never good, while the other camp holds that it is always good. But the truth is that sometimes change is of God and sometimes it isn’t. The problem is that we have trouble discerning the difference.

Churches, of course, are not immune to this problem. Sadly, it is all too common for churches to fight or even split over changes to music (traditional vs. contemporary), Bible translations (the King James version vs. any other version), and missions giving (local vs. foreign). And then there are those fights over more practical changes: pews vs. chairs, hymnals vs. video screens, choir robes vs. regular attire, a piano/organ vs. a praise band, and blue carpet vs. red carpet.

I once met with the pulpit committee of a certain church. After our initial discussion the members of the committee took me on a tour of the church building. When we came to the sanctuary, they pointed out that it featured two different types of light fixtures, with the differing types being set in a pattern of alternating rows in the sanctuary’s ceiling.

On the plus side, the fixtures did the job of lighting the sanctuary. On the down side, they made for an odd-looking ceiling. But I understood the ceiling’s layout perfectly once the committee members explained that there had been a disagreement among the church members over replacing the sanctuary’s original fixtures. As a compromise half the rows of the original fixtures had been kept and the other half had been updated with a more modern style of fixture. The pastor that had moderated that compromise must have had a knack for politics.

Perhaps right now you are facing a decision regarding a potential change. It could be a change in where you live, where you work, where you go to church, or where your child goes to school. Or the change could involve some other area of your life. Whatever your potential change is, my advice to you would be to pray what David once prayed when he found himself in a tight spot. He prayed:

…Cause me to know the way wherein which I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee (Psalm 143:8, K.J.V.)

Notice that David’s request was built around three implicit truths. Truth #1: There was a singular, specific course of action that David should take. It wasn’t a multiple-choice type of deal wherein God didn’t have a preference which path David chose. Truth #2: God knew precisely what that course of action was. Even though David was a bit overwhelmed by his circumstance, God knew exactly what David needed to do. And truth #3: God would cause David to know exactly what that course of action was. David wouldn’t have been asking God for guidance if God wasn’t the type to give it.

David was smart in that he knew that he didn’t have to figure everything out for himself. All he had to do was ask God to show him the way and be obedient to whatever answer God gave him. That’s a marvelously simplistic way to live! It’s a way that worked for David, and it’s a way that will work for you as well, no matter what potential change you are facing.

So, is God for that change that you are dealing with these days? I don’t know. What I do know is that He has a will in each situation and He’ll make it known to you if you sincerely seek it from Him. This, then, is your assignment. Seek God’s will regarding your potential change and do whatever He says to do about it. Anything less than that and you might just wind up with two different types of light fixtures in your ceiling.

Posted in Change, Choices, Church, Desires, Discernment, God's Guidance, God's Will, Obedience, Personal, Prayer, Submission, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing

Posted on August 10, 2018 by russellmckinney

Colder weather and the holiday season bring an uptick in requests from various causes and ministries. That makes this time of year a good time for a word about “the social gospel.” So, I’d like to use this post to offer that word.

The intellectual and political movement associated with the term “the social gospel” began in the 1870s and peaked in the early 1900s. Its promoters were liberal ministers in the mainline Protestant churches of America. These men preached that Christian principles such as love, compassion, and charity should be actively applied to very real-world problems such as: war, poverty, crime, child labor, alcoholism, financial inequality, health, and education.

Most of these ministers held to a postmillennialist view of prophecy, which meant they believed that Christ’s Second Coming to walk this earth again would not happen until the entire world was more or less a realm of Christendom. In order to create such a world, social evils had to be eradicated. Therefore, these ministers preached about fixing what we might call “the dirty here and now” rather than longing for “the sweet by and by.”

The problem, however, with “the social gospel” was that it was built upon the premise that people are basically good and their inner goodness simply needs to be given the right environment in which to flourish. While this premise does tickle our ears, it most certainly does not align with either recorded history or the Bible. According to the Bible each individual is a sinner by conception, birth, nature, and choice. In other words, each of us is a far cry from being basically good.

This explains why Jesus, during His earthly ministry, did not spend His time doing social reform. As evidence of that even though many of His followers wanted Him to lead an overthrow of the wicked Roman government, He constantly refused to do so. He didn’t even work to eliminate the slavery of His day despite the fact that there were multiplied millions of slaves scattered throughout the Roman empire.

Jesus focused, instead, upon spiritual matters. He did this because He understood that the heart of the problem with each person is the problem of the heart. Did Jesus cure the sick? He did in many instances, but He didn’t heal every sick person in Israel. Did He feed the hungry? He did on a few occasions, but He didn’t eliminate all hunger worldwide. For that matter, even those people for whom He provided healing and food would eventually get sick and hungry again. Such is the state of this world.

Rather than trying to preserve the popularity His miracles brought His way, Jesus used His ministry efforts as a platform to tell His audiences about their need of the salvation offered in Him. He preached on hell more than any other preacher in scripture, and He openly called people to repentance. The point is, He didn’t just open His hands to help needy people; He also opened His mouth to tell them about their greatest need. Even as He ascended back to heaven following His death, burial, and resurrection, He said to His followers, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15). That’s different than telling them to, “Go into all the world and do good things.”

While the Bible does teach that we, as Christians, are to be concerned about justice, inequality, and the needs of others, it never once hints that we can solve all the world’s problems by making prisons more humane, building hospitals, staffing soup kitchens, funding homeless shelters, promoting rehabilitation centers, etc., etc., etc. Why is that? It’s because these things merely make this world a better place from which to die and go to hell if those who benefit from them don’t believe in Jesus as Savior after hearing a clear presentation of the gospel. You see, somewhere there is a right balance to be struck between our social work and our evangelizing. Admittedly, finding that balance requires a lot of prayer and spiritual discernment, but we must find it if we are going to practice Christ’s brand of evangelism. And that, my fellow Christians, is the only way we can keep the main thing the main thing.

Posted in Balance, Christ's Second Coming, Christ's Miracles, Christ's Return, Communication, Discernment, Doing Good, Evangelism, God's Work, Good Works, Hell, Human Life, Ministry, Missions, Needs, Priorities, Salvation, Service, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Traveling with Jesus

Posted on August 8, 2018 by russellmckinney

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. (John 10:27, N.K.J.V.)

During my teenage years I ran around a lot with my friend, Jerry Willis. Jerry had a 1970 Chevy Nova Super Sport muscle car with a 350/300 horsepower engine. Man, that was a sweet ride.

Jerry is one of the funniest people that I’ve ever met and we had some good times, but when you got into the car with him, you never knew just exactly where he’d be taking you. Oh, sure, you’d get to where you were supposed to be going (the ball field, the restaurant, the concert, etc.) What you didn’t know is what other stops Jerry would work in along the way.

It always started with him saying, “We’ve got one stop to make.” Or he might say, “I need to pull in here for just a minute.” Sometimes he’d say, “We’ve got a few minutes to kill so we might as well run by….” And there I was, in the passenger’s seat, helpless. Sometimes I objected by saying something like, “No, I don’t have time to do that.” Such objections were always nullified by the comeback, “Oh, what else have you got to do?” And I always went along with him. I understood that it was the price of riding with Jerry.

In the years since I’ve learned that walking with Jesus can be like riding with Jerry. Yes, Jesus is taking me someplace, but He very rarely uses a point A to point B approach to get me there. When He says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me,” it implies two things. First, He has His sheep on the move. Second, He provides scant few instructions for how He will get them there.

Today’s GPS systems are designed to get us to our destinations via the shortest route possible. As I said, though, Jesus isn’t very interested in the shortest route possible. You see, whereas we’re all about the destination, He is more concerned about the development we acquire as He takes us to the destination.

And why is this? It’s because Jesus knows that delays and detours build patience and perseverance. They also give us experience, which in turn helps us acquire wisdom. So, the next time you feel like Jesus is taking way too long to get you to where He is taking you, just remember that He values the journey itself every bit as much as the arrival at the destination. Now, if I can just get Him to let me do my traveling in a 1970 Super Sport Nova!

Posted in Adversity, Commitment, Disappointment, Discipleship, Faith, Faithfulness, God's Timing, God's Guidance, God's Will, Impatience, Patience, Personal, Problems, Trials, Trusting In God, Waiting | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Are You Willing to Pay the Cost?

Posted on August 6, 2018 by russellmckinney

Author Lafcadio Hearn was known for his books about Japan. In particular, his collections of Japanese traditional stories and legends were very well received. One such story involved a Japanese farmer who owned a valuable rice field that covered a hilltop overlooking the sea.

As the story goes, one day an earthquake struck the area of the rice field. The farmer was working in the field at the time, and from atop the hill he noticed that in the wake of the tremor the ocean water started withdrawing from the surrounding shoreline. He realized what this signified: a tidal wave.

The farmer knew that somehow he had to quickly get his neighbors evacuated from their low-lying homes and fields beneath him. But how could he get their attention? Thinking quickly, he set fire to his rice field, ran to the local temple, and rang the bell.

His neighbors, upon hearing the bell and seeing the fire and smoke, all raced up the hillside to help put out the fire. Once the fire was out, with much of the valuable field ruined, it was discovered that the farmer had deliberately started the blaze. His neighbors were furious with him for wasting his field and putting their lives in danger.

The farmer then told them to look down to the shoreline. There they saw that while they had been consumed with putting out the fire, the ocean had come crashing in upon their homes and fields. Everything beneath the hilltop was flooded, and if the farmer had not gotten the people to come to higher ground they would have been drowned by the massive wave. In an instant the farmer went from madman to hero.

Jesus said, “The greatest among will be your servant.” Oh, how this world needs servants! It needs the volunteer who will look at a situation that cries out for help, roll up his sleeves, and get to work, no matter how hard or unpleasant the work is. Think Jesus stooping down to wash the dirty, smelly feet of His chosen 12 apostles and you’ll get the idea.

You see, the thing about being a servant is that it comes at a cost. It costs you your pride and ego. It costs you your time and energy. It costs you your ease and comfort. It might even cost you your money or reputation. It’s no wonder that the line marked “servants” is always short.

Like that Japanese farmer from lore, however, we Christians are called to be people who will make great personal sacrifices so that others may benefit. Christ’s death on the cross is our ultimate example of this. Of course, Jesus probably won’t ask you to literally follow His example by dying for others. What He will do, though, is ask you to live for them. And according to His definition, living for them means serving them, no matter what it costs you personally.

Posted in Character, Christ's Death, Commitment, Discipleship, Doing Good, Dying To Self, Giving, God's Work, Good Works, Humility, Ministry, Missions, Money, Problems, Service, Submission | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rainbows

Posted on August 3, 2018 by russellmckinney

“Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. (Genesis 9:11-13, N.K.J.V.)

No portion of the Bible has had its literalness attacked more than the first eleven chapters of the book of Genesis. Those chapters include the Bible’s record of the seven 24-hour days of the creation week, the story of Adam and Eve, and the story of Noah, the ark, and the worldwide flood. As evidence of these attacks a theory has been set forth in recent years that suggests the great flood was actually a localized event that only involved the flooding of the Black Sea.

But does any theory that relegates the flood of Noah to a localized flood actually hold water (pun intended)? No, it doesn’t. As Christian apologist Dave Hunt has pointed out, the fact that rainbows are seen all over the world proves that the great flood really was a worldwide deluge. He argues that if the flood was localized to the Black Sea (or anywhere else, for that matter), rainbows would only appear in that part of the world as a phenomenon unique to that area. Therefore, since rainbows can be found all over the globe, the floodwaters must have been found all over the globe.

Hunt also notes that 2 Peter 3:5-13 teaches that God will one day destroy this earth again, this time not with water but with fire. Following this fiery destruction, God will usher in a “new earth” (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1). According to Hunt, if the fiery destruction of the end times will be an event that involves the entire planet, the preceding bookend event (the great flood) must also have involved the entire planet.

For the record, some commentators interpret the “new earth” to be a brand spanking new planet, one that replaces the obliterated former earth in the universe. Others understand the “new earth” to refer to this same earth completely purged of all vestiges of sin, the phrase being akin to the born-again Christian being described as a “new creation” who has seen old things pass away and all things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). I myself hold to the latter interpretation, my primary reason being that God promised to give the land of Canaan to Abraham’s descendants as an everlasting possession forever (Genesis 13:14-15; 17:7). God wouldn’t be able to keep that promise if Canaan was completed obliterated. Also, the idea of the “new earth” being this same earth purged by fire aligns better with the fact that God didn’t obliterate the planet by way of the flood, either.

To get back to the point, though, the rainbow is the covenant sign of God’s promise to never again destroy the earth by way of water. So, the next time you see a rainbow, don’t casually dismiss it or relegate it to life’s category of the humdrum. You see, a rainbow is special. It’s important. It’s BIBLICAL! It shows that its creator is a God who makes promises and keeps them. Thousands of years may pass, but God never forgets His promises.

As further evidence of this, guess what God’s throne in heaven has around it. If you answered, “A rainbow,” you’re correct (Revelation 4:1-3). It’s an emerald rainbow, to be precise, and it extends in a circle all the way around God’s throne. This rainbow being green symbolizes life, in this case the eternal life that every saved believer will experience throughout eternity. As for the rainbow being circular, the circle symbolizes the completion of the believer’s salvation, that salvation being at last being fully claimed and realized.

Needless to say, the emerald rainbow around God’s heavenly throne is the ultimate rainbow that anyone can ever see. If you lay your eyes on it, you’ll know beyond the shadow of all doubt that you are a member of God’s eternal family and a citizen of His eternal kingdom. Whatever pain and sorrow you experienced on the earth will be over at that moment, and you’ll be able to say like David, “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6). But until we Christians get to see that heavenly rainbow, we’ll just have to settle for the earthly version. Really, though, considering the history and the promise behind the earthly version, that’s no small consolation prize.

Posted in Assurance of Salvation, Creation, Doubt, Eternal Security, Eternity, God's Omnipotence, God's Wrath, God's Judgment, God's Mercy, God's Sovereignty, Heaven, Prophecy, Restoration, Salvation, Scripture, The Bible, Trusting In God, Waiting, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Fresh Spark

Posted on August 1, 2018 by russellmckinney

“Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die…” (Revelation 3:3, N.K.J.V.)

Dr. G. Curtis Jones tells the story of a board meeting he once attended at a city church where he was serving as pastor. The focus of the meeting was the church’s lackluster performance at winning people to Christ. Everyone in the meeting was in agreement that the church’s evangelism program needed a fresh spark, but no one was willing to volunteer to be that spark.

Finally, quite unexpectedly, a prominent physician stood up from the group and said, “I don’t know much about evangelism, but I love Christ and His church. Pastor, if you will teach me how to become an evangelist and if you, the members of this board, will cooperate, I will head up our evangelism program for next year.”

As Jones describes it, “It was an exciting statement! Like a blood transfusion, he injected new life and enthusiasm into the group. We experienced a great ingathering of souls that year. Moreover, the physician grew in Christian grace and loyalty, as did the congregation.”

Christian, are you willing to be such a spark in your church, your workplace, or your home? Like that physician, you don’t necessarily have to have a ton of ability; what you have to have is availability. You have to be willing (willing to learn, willing to put in the required time, and willing to devote the necessary energy).

The fact is, there are situations all around you that need a fresh spark. Even as you’ve been reading this, it’s possible that God has already brought a situation to your mind. So tell me, are you willing to be the vessel that He works through to bring restoration and revival to that situation? While it’s true that God loves doing new things, it’s equally true that He loves reinvigorating tired, old things and taking them to a level they have never known. But, as always, He needs workers.

Posted in Attitude, Change, Church, Commitment, Decisions, Doing Good, Evangelism, Family, God's Will, God's Work, Influence, Leadership, Ministry, Missions, Problems, Restoration, Service, Witnessing, Work | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

We Can’t Have the Best of Both Worlds

Posted on July 30, 2018 by russellmckinney

A Sunday School teacher told her children’s class the story of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar (Luke 16:19-31). She said, “The rich man had a lot of money and lived in luxury every day. He had a beautiful house that had a big gate in front of it. He wore expensive, bright-colored clothes that were made from the finest linen. And he ate delicious food every meal.” The children’s eyes danced with excitement at the thought of getting to live such a life.

Then she continued. “But Lazarus was very, very poor. He didn’t even have any money to buy food for himself. That’s why he laid at the gate of the rich man’s beautiful house and asked to be fed with the crumbs that happened to fall to the floor under the rich man’s table. And Lazarus was sick, too. He had sores all over his body and no money to buy medicine for them. So, he let dogs lick them to try to get them better.” The children’s faces turned to horror at the thought of having to live such a life.

“Everything changed, though,” said the teacher, “when both men died.” “The rich man went to a place where he was tormented by hot flames all the time. He was thirsty constantly but could not get even one drop of water to drink. Lazarus, on the other hand, went to a place of perfect happiness. He was healed, comforted, and all his troubles were over.”

Then the teacher asked, “Now, class, which person would you rather be? Would you rather be the rich man or Lazarus the beggar?” After a second or two of thought, one little fellow piped up and said, “I’d like to be the rich man right now and Lazarus when I die.”

That’s what we all want, isn’t it? We want an earthly life of wealth, splendor, ease, and good times to segue seamlessly into an afterlife of joy, bliss, comfort, and even better times. Unfortunately, in case you haven’t heard, being a follower of Jesus doesn’t work that way. If you think it does, you are setting yourself up for a ton of disillusionment and disappointment.

The Bible says that Christians must enter the kingdom of God through many tribulations (Acts 14:22). It says we must endure with Jesus before we can reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12). It says that we must suffer with Him before we can be glorified with Him (Romans 8:17-18).

We are told to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), which implies that we will have them. We are told that God comforts us in all our tribulation (2 Corinthians 1:3-4), which implies that we will experience a great deal of it. We are told that God is a very present help in time of trouble (Psalm 46:1), which implies that trouble will be no stranger to us. We are promised that God will wipe away every tear from our eyes in the eternal city of New Jerusalem, which implies that we will have cried many of them on earth (Revelation 21:4).

Needless to say, none of this makes for popular preaching. It’s not the kind of information that people, even Christians, rush to share. Show me a preacher who preaches numerous sermons about Christians suffering, and I’ll show you a preacher who is preaching to a small congregation.

Nevertheless, it’s Bible truth, and it helps us make sense of this confusing and painful earthly life. You see, those Bible passages about Christians suffering are not in there because God is a sadist who enjoys watching His people hurt. Instead, those passages are simply God’s way of helping us Christians to not only acknowledge that suffering will be a part of our earthly lives but also to apply an eternal perspective to our suffering.

So, can we ideally have the best of both worlds? No, not really. But can we ideally have the best of the one that will last for all eternity? Absolutely! That’s the world that Lazarus the beggar is enjoying right now, and it’s the one that Jesus promises to anyone who truly knows Him as Savior.

Posted in Adversity, Comfort, Death, Disappointment, Eternity, Heaven, Hell, Human Life, Money, Persecution, Perseverance, Problems, Prosperity, Reward, Salvation, Scripture, Suffering, Sunday School, Trials, Trusting In God, Truth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fear Not

Posted on July 27, 2018 by russellmckinney

According to what I read somewhere there are over 500 Bible passages that mention the issue of fear. I’ve also read that the specific phrases “Fear not” or “Be not afraid” are used 103 times in the King James translation. Obviously, God is trying to tell us something.

What are you afraid of right now? What’s got you stressed out? What’s causing you to lose sleep? Perhaps it is a health problem. Perhaps it is a relationship problem. Perhaps it is a financial problem. Whatever it is, have you talked with God about it? Have you sought His guidance? Have you sought His will? Have you sought His courage to face it?

In 2 Timothy 1:7, we read:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (N.K.J.V.)

Specifically, this promise is for Christians. A couple of translations even capitalize the “S” in the word “Spirit” to indicate that the reference is to God the Holy Spirit, who indwells each Christian. Therefore, Christian, you of all people should never allow fear, fear of anything or anyone, to dominate your life. To do so is to cut against the grain of the Holy Spirit who dwells inside you. He’s not afraid, and so why are you?

You say, “But Russell, you just don’t know what I’m dealing with.” No, I don’t. I do know, though, that God is bigger than your problem, and I also know that once you get Him on the case, He will do one of two things. He’ll either rescue you out of the problem or He will give you the wisdom, strength, and, yes, courage to tackle it. What’s for certain is that He doesn’t want you walking around scared to death. The key is to replace your fear of the problem with your faith in Him. If you will do that you will be amazed at how He responds.

Posted in Adversity, Comfort, Courage, Doubt, Encouragement, Faith, Fear, God's Omnipotence, God's Omnipresence, God's Guidance, God's Omniscience, God's Provision, God's Sovereignty, Grace, Needs, Peace, Problems, Scripture, The Bible, The Holy Spirit, Trials, Trusting In God, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When God Tells You to Do Something

Posted on July 25, 2018 by russellmckinney

I’ve been friends with Beau Thomas for most of my life. We grew up together, attended school together, ran around together, and played a lot of ball together. When each of us became a father, we also coached our share of youth league baseball and football together.

Beau had a coaching principle that I really liked. He’d say, “I’m not going to ask a kid to do something that he can’t do.” That applied to pitching, stealing a base, playing quarterback, punting, and anything else a team might need done.

I often think of Beau’s line when God burdens me to do something. Maybe I don’t have a lot of experience in the field. Maybe the money required to pull off the feat is a bit iffy. Or maybe I just don’t want the job. It’s times like these that I can start sounding like Moses giving his list of excuses why he shouldn’t have been the man God chose to lead the Israelites out of their Egyptian bondage (Exodus 3:11-4:17).

It’s also during these times that I’m reminded of the story of Jesus calming the storm (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25). That story begins with Him getting into a boat with His chosen 12 apostles and saying, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake (the lake of Gennesaret, the “Sea” of Galilee).” That command was followed by the 12 grabbing their oars and Jesus grabbing a nap in the back of the boat.

But somewhere out there on the water a great storm arose, one that battered the boat with waves and threatened to sink it. The 12 woke up Jesus and said, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” And how did Jesus respond? He stood up, calmed the winds and the sea, and restored order to the situation. Then He asked the 12 the penetrating question, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?”

He could well have added in, “I didn’t say, ‘Let us get out into the middle of the lake and drown.’ I said, ‘Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.'” The point was that they should have had enough faith to know that He wouldn’t have told them to cross over to the other side of the lake if it was going to be physically impossible for them to do so.

By way of applying this story to your current situation, if the Lord is burdening you to do (or keep doing) something, all your excuses for not doing that something are lame. The old saying “God’s commandments are God’s enablements” still holds true. God knows your talents, strengths, and abilities as well as your weaknesses, faults, and shortcomings. And He’ll never ask you to do something that He knows you honestly aren’t capable of doing.

Posted in Adversity, Change, Choices, Christ's Miracles, Commitment, Complaining, Courage, Decisions, Disobedience, Doing Good, Doubt, Encouragement, Faith, Faithfulness, Fear, God's Omniscience, God's Provision, God's Will, God's Work, Individuality, Ministry, Money, Obedience, Perseverance, Personal, Problems, Service, Spiritual Gifts, Submission, Talents, Trials, Trusting In God, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment