Fall 2009 I went through one of the toughest periods of my life mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. On the outside, for people that didn’t know about external influences that I was dealing with privately, things might have appeared to be fine. However, on the inside I felt lifeless and empty sometimes wishing for everything to end. A big part that played into this feeling of dissatisfaction and malcontent was that I was going through a period of denial and rebellion. I had half-heartedly turned to the Lord for help in my circumstances even though I knew deep down that most of the problems I found myself in were ones I had created. I compounded this problem by refusing to accept responsibility for myself. I also refused to turn scripture or come into accountability about my problems because at the time I felt justified in feeling angry at God demanding that He do what I ask while still refusing to submit to His will. I felt like I deserved to get my way, like I was entitled to getting what I wanted because I had done this or done that. Somewhere in November of 2009 I still didn’t really want to hear from God or obey Him but I figured that I should just keep reading the Word to say I did it. I ended up reading through Job and somewhere in there things began to really click for me. Not only was I able to relate to Job as I was reading it but God was setting up larger things at work in me that brought me to December 31 2009. It was then that I had finished Job and come to realize how incredibly selfish I was. I had forgotten who I was and more importantly who God is. Suddenly remembering who and what the Lord has done for me and who I am snapped everything back into focus for me.
I then proceeded to systematically reflect on the past. Spiritual markers, like the ones the Israelites set up when the crossed the Jordan, a sign of remembrance for the people to not forget what the Lord had done in their lives. I went back through each one in my life and tried to encapsulate things that were characteristic of my life when I was submitted to the Lord and He was working in and through me. This led me to create the Daily Question Template. (Joshua 4:1-9)
I recognized that this journey up out of the pit wasn’t going to be easy, nor would it be short. I knew that I would face failure and discouragement. Nevertheless, I was committed to real change. I knew that the only way that this could be done was by living each day moment by moment with Jesus Christ. I needed to just get through today. Get through right now, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour because that’s all I have right now. (Matt 6:34)
Three Basic Questions
If I were to illustrate how this whole process works the best one I can think of is a journey. When you go on a journey you first need to know three things:
1. Where you are
2. Where you are going
3. Why you’re going there
How Have I Sinned?
This is the “where you are” part of the journey. I need to know where I am before I can plot a course from where I am to where I am going. I need to identify things in my life that are hindrances to me getting to my final destination. I need to spot out potential areas of danger and plot a course around those things. So the first question I ask is, “How have I sinned today?” These are things that are derailing me on my journey. Sins are distractions that keep me from pushing forward and in some cases turn me in the opposite direction. They get me lost. So a secondary question I ask is, “what will I do to prevent myself from repeating this sin tomorrow?” Once I know what the dangers are the things that distract, derail, and turn me around I need to plot a course that keeps me away from these things. I’m talking about the things I need to do to prevent myself from falling to sin. These are practical proactive measures we take to fight against the destructive old sinful nature and continue walking in the light. (Galatians 6:7-8, Deuteronomy 30:11-20) These are immediate measures that you can employ the very next day. I do believe that you should set up longer term systems to aid you in the long term but we’ll get to that later. Some examples would be if you sinned that day looking at porn here is a list of counter measures you can employ.
1. Tell an accountability partner to call/text you throughout the next day and find out how you’re doing
2. Memorize scripture/write it down and have it visible and available that talks about the long term consequences of sexual immorality
3. Use the internet in a public place
4. Only use your computer in a public area
5. Give your computer to someone else at the end of the day so you can’t use it when your alone
6. Pray through the scripture you’ve memorized
Three keys to effective strategies:
1. Avoid-don’t bring yourself into a situation where you allow yourself to be tempted
2. Replace-replace the sinful thoughts and desires you have with the Truth of God’s Word through meditation and prayer
3. Confront-fight the deception of sin with the Truth of God’s Word by preaching it to yourself and bringing other people in to remind you of the Truth and to physically hold you accountable for your decisions
What has God been teaching me today?
Once you know where you are going we can now plot a course to where we want to go. As a believer our destination is Jesus Christ. He is ultimately our goal and standard for life. In order to get to that ultimate destination to be made into the image of Jesus Christ, God requires our obedience to His will. God knows our strengths and our weaknesses. He knows what areas of our character, skills, and fruits of the Spirit that need to be manifested in our life. In my life when I sometimes felt like I was in a rut the reason was because I had failed to obey what God had last told me. This was definitely the case when I came up with these questions. So the first thing I wanted to know was, is God speaking to me?” This might sound like a silly question, but what I’m really asking is, “Am I so callous to the Word of God that I can no longer hear Him?”(Romans 8:13) So my first question is the answer to the second, “if I can hear God speaking to me then I know I haven’t grown callous to the Word of God." A follow up question to the first is, “How is God teaching me the things I hear Him saying to me?” Something I’ve neglected over the course of my life is to really live life with the recognition that I am at war with spiritual forces. Therefore, I need to test the things that I think God is telling me. Moreover, I recognize that sometimes I may be telling myself lies and trying to justify how I act with scripture. (James 1:13-14) To guard against these two deviations from the straight and narrow I have three basic criteria that I use to screen all of the things that I think that God is saying to me and use them to determine if God is speaking to me. Three ways that God has demonstrated He has spoken in scripture are:
1. Through His Word
2. Through His People
3. Through His Creation
Another filter that I need to run is a matching test. If what I think God is saying to me in one of the above 3 ways contradicts the commands of God as expressed in scripture then I can throw that out. If something I think God is telling me runs contrary to the nature of God as expressed in the fullness of scripture then I throw that out too. (I say the “fullness of scripture for you proof texters) If any of the things that I think God might be saying to me doesn’t meet the above criteria then I can chalk it up to deception from the enemy and wishful thinking which is a deception of self. I try to be very specific when I answer this question. There are a few categories that I put things because when God speaks there is a purpose to Him speaking. Here are some examples of categories:
1. Revelation about Himself
2. Confirmation of His will
3. Revelation of new direction/preparation
4. Revelation of sin
Once I can identify what type of statement God is speaking to me I can adjust my life to come into line with what He is saying. I say this because I believe that a word from the Lord requires a response. It’s not enough to simply know God is speaking to me; I need to act in obedience to the things He reveals to me. We’ll get more into that in a later section. (Goals/Timeline)
Back to the secondary question: “How is God teaching me the things I think He is saying to me?” The reason I need to be specific in separating the types of things God is saying to me is so that I can test for internal consistency. I check for internal consistency so that I can respond to God’s Word with confidence. Here is an example of what I mean:
What is God teaching/saying to me?
I need to be faithful and patient in the tasks I have now because they prepare me for future tasks God will give me. God doesn’t need for my skill to grow so much as He needs my character to grow through submission before entrusting me with more responsibility. If I want to be used by the Lord I need to prepare myself now so that when the opportunity comes I’ll be ready to serve.
How is God teaching/saying these things to me?
a. Exodus 2:11-4:20: Moses tried to shortcut God’s plan by taking matters into his own hands wanting to be a liberator for his people before he was ready. Moses had to go through a period of character development before he would be ready to lead God’s people. Moses needed to learn humility and submission. He also was given time to develop essential skills of leading God’s people through the wilderness.
b. Luke 12:35-48: No one knows when the Lord will return; therefore it is imperative that I live my life as if each minute were my last. This way I will have nothing to be ashamed of and be found a good and faithful servant of the Lord. If I know the masters will I must do it.
c. Conversation/Testimony of Bob: talking about journey he and his family had to go through before he was ready to accept the call to pastor the church he’s at now.
d. Pastor John’s Sermon: Matthew 25:14-30 I need to be ready for the opportunities God gives me to join Him in His work and that means that I need to be a good steward of the time and resources He has given me now.
e. Song “Ready Now” by Desperation Band(look it up on youtube)
So the above is what I mean by having internal consistency and confidence. I don’t know if you’re like me but I have difficulty identifying the things God is saying to me sometimes. But when I keep a record of all the things that I’m learning about Him and things that might be said to me I can identify themes. I’m a pretty dense guy so often times God has to tell me the same thing over and over again. Keeping a record helps me catch things I wouldn’t have picked up otherwise except through maybe screwing up and learning through my mistakes. Keeping track this way helps me avoid having to go through a screw up experience. (I’ll make note that this is something you can also use to keep track of the things God teaches you daily and helps you identify what and where God is moving you in the longer term. i.e.Weekly/Monthly Questions) I can also have a lot more confidence to act on what God is saying to me when I have repetitive confirmation in multiple forms. In the example above I have 2 sources of personal bible study, 1 conversation with a believer that speaks to the situation I find myself, 1 sermon from a believer that reinforces the same idea, and 1 song that repeats the idea of preparation, submission, and responsibility. Something to note about the confirmations that came from God’s people, the conversation and sermon, is that both used scripture to define what they were saying. The things we think God is saying to us should always be biblically based. Remember the above criteria about aligning with God’s commands and God’s character? Those two things should be present in the things we think God is saying to us through His people. We shouldn’t accept the advice of people if it runs contrary to God’s Word and common sense. Advice we take into consideration should always be objective and free of emotion. If we allow our emotions to guide our decisions then we fall prey to the second deviation from truth. (James 1:13-14)
What Can I thank God for today?
The previous question, “What has God been teaching me,” leads to a series of check points along the path to our final destination which is to the foot of the throne of God in fellowship and communion with our Glorified Risen Savior. The last question, “What can I thank God for today, is birthed out of a natural logical progression, which is, “why do I want to go to Heaven/be in fellowship with God?” In the terms of our illustration of the journey, the question is:”Why do I want to get to my destination?” You might ask, “what does having to be thankful have to do with wanting to be in fellowship with God?” Well, in my own journey through life I’ve found that a characteristic of my life when I was submitted to the Lord was thankfulness. I have to revisit the word submitted, because herein lies the key. When I was in rebellion towards God and avoiding His Word I was not submitted to God. I was in REBELLION! Why? Because I didn’t have a clear understanding of whom God is and who I am. As a believer we acknowledge that Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, became the atonement for our sins. For the wages of asin is death, but the free gift of God is beternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. [1] I am sinner and what I deserve is death. In and of myself I don’t deserve anything good. It is only by the grace of God that anything good happens to me. In fact, every good thing that happens to me is a gift of God. (James 1:15-18) When I begin to reexamine the events of my life through this lens I have a lot to be thankful for. This brings about a whole new attitude and spirit within me that helps me submit to God. So the why of this question is simply this:
I want to be in fellowship with God because He loves me and has shown me kindness despite my sinful nature. He came and gave His life for me freeing me from the penalty I deserved as a result of my sin. I want to live my life to please the One who saved it.
This is better stated in God’s Word, Colossians 1:10-29, it also leads to the next section of the Daily Question Template.
Goals
The thankfulness that I have for the mercy and grace of God sets me about the path of pleasing Him. Before I move on I must make it very clear that salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace and that no amount of good deeds or observance of religious traditions or commands is going to earn you a spot in God’s good graces. God already loves you and has given you the ability to accept His grace only through His Son Jesus Christ. (John 14:6)
That being said, our entire perspective and view of life should be radically altered when we realize who we once were before Christ and what He has done for us. We owe our lives to Jesus Christ. We are His bond servants. That Is we have surrendered our freedom to Jesus Christ because of the debt that we owe Him and that He paid. This means that our time is not our own. Our possessions, relationships, really everything we have, the joy of experiencing in life, it all belongs to God. (Romans 12)
The purpose of the Goal section of the template is to make sure that our goals conform to the ultimate will of God. We need to constantly be evaluating the purposes of our life in view of the mission of Jesus, which is to make His glory known in all Creation. In the goal section there are 4 sections:
Physical: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Are you bringing glory to God in your body? For me this question typically revolves around my physical health, fitness goals. However, this can be expanded to whatever it is that you struggle within your body and know that you need to improve. Once again be specific. Here are a few examples of goals you might put down:
a. Run 2 miles in 14 minutes
b. Bring my blood pressure down
c. Drink 64 ounces of water
d. Gain 12 lbs
e. Do 40 push ups in 1 minute
Mental: As I said earlier one of the ways to keep us from sinful behavior is to replace the sinful thoughts with thoughts pleasing to God. (Romans 12:2, Philippians 4:8) How are you pleasing God with your mind? What are the things you are filling your mind with? For me goals that go under mental have to do with reading Christian books. But again this category encompasses a variety of things. Here are some examples:
a. Read 1 Chapter from Radical: Taking Back Your Faith
b. Spend 30 minutes reading the bible
c. Limit watching T.V. to 1 hour a day
You know the saying, “You are what you eat?” Well this is true in what we consume with our eyes and ears too. If we continually fill our heads with the filth of this world, then eventually those things are going to affect how we behave. Actions are borne out of thoughts and our thoughts are influenced by the things that we see and hear. Therefore, guard your mind! (Matthew 6:22-23)
Professional/Work: If we truly are to live our lives as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) we need to approach everything we do in life with the attitude of presenting our best. In every project or assignment we do we should be giving our all. After all Jesus Christ literally gave His all, the least we can do is give our best. The way we conduct ourselves at work/school should point to the One whom we represent which is Christ Jesus. (1 Corinthians 10:31, Philippians 2:14-16, Ephesians 2:10, Colossians 3:10) That being said the goals we set should be goals aimed at producing our best and not goals that help us skim by. However, we shouldn’t have vague or grandiose goals. The goals we set should be achievable and specific. The following are examples:
1. Write research paper(due Mar 10)
-find 3 sources(Feb 9)
-write outline by Feb 16
2. Prepare for group presentation(April 10)
-delegate sections(March 5)
-research material(March 10)
-Write slides(March 20)
-rehearse presentation(April 1)
3. Upload event plans to Google Documents
4. Create Excel contact sheet
The goal section of all the templates essentially functions as a to do sheet. So goals you list for "daily" are to be completed by the end of that day, goals under "weekly" by the end of the week, etc...
Relational: We are made to be in community. God created us to be in relationship with Him and with others.(Gen 1-2) An essential part of Christian life is living life with other Christians. We have to remember that we are in a war and none of us can be like Rambo, a one man army. We need one another to fight in this spiritual war. (Romans 12:5, 1 Corinthians 12:1-27, 14:26; 1 Peter 5:8-9, Ephesians 4:11-12, 1 Thessalonians 5:11) We need to be intentional in our relationships with fellow believers. If we are gifted to aid a believer then we should be exercising our gifts to build up other believers. As a believer we also have to remember that we are not of this world but ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. A danger that all Christians face is getting sucked into a comfortability with Christian community. In fact some Christians become so comfortable being around other Christians that they refuse to leave the community of believers and fulfill the mission given by Jesus which is to bear testimony of God’s grace to the all people bringing glory unto Jesus. Therefore, we need to be intentional in pursuing our relationships with unsaved friends.
Above all in both relationships with believers and unsaved we should bear in mind that the goal of our relationships is to show love mirroring the love God has freely bestowed upon us. (John 13:34-35, 15:8-17; 1 John 3:11-24, Deuteronomy)
Timeline
This section of the template is an accountability and reality measure. Sometimes we simply don’t have enough time to accomplish all of the goals we write down. We have to remember that each of us is only given 1440 minutes each day. So we need to prioritize our goals according to the time we have. Measuring things out in timeline also helps us get the ball rolling on each of our goals. It’s not enough to simply have a goal, you need to spell out the specifics and take the first steps to accomplishing the goal. In other words make a plan then execute the plan.
As believers we must remember that we yielded control of our time to Jesus. Time is a resource that we need to manage wisely. We need to be intentional in using our time because the truth is that our time is limited. We can’t afford to waste time on frivolous pursuits. There’s a ton of scripture that talks about planning and time management here are a few:
· Ephesians 5:15-16
· Matthew 6:33
· Proverbs 16:3
· 1 Corinthians 9
· Psalm 39:4-5
· Proverbs 13:4
· James 4:13-17
· Proverbs 19:21
· Proverbs 21:5
Everyone is prey to two dangers with time, both are budgeting issues. Some people overspend their time. They commit to doing more events than they have time to do. In the templates there are sections that divide time into "scheduled events" and "unscheduled events." It’s helpful to write down things you know that you have to do so you can arrange to make time for all of your unscheduled events. In the Daily Questions an example would be times you need to go to work, wake up, and meal times. Examples of Monthly and Weekly scheduled events are regular appointments like church, small group, doctor’s appointments. Keeping track of all these scheduled events helps to prevent us from over extending ourselves by planning too much. It also helps to prevent making commitments to things we later have to cancel. The second budgeting issue is wasting time. The problem with time is that unlike money you can’t save it up and use it later. The time is going to get spent whether you use it or not, however if you invest your time you will reap a benefit instead of wasting the time you have. Some people have the problem of never planning anything and throwing away the time they have. For “time wasters” writing down their scheduled events makes them face the reality of how little they actually do and keeps them accountable for how(in their case) they waste time.
Prayer
The final section of each template is prayer. The two major categories in this division are Answered Prayers and Continued Concerns. I put Answered Prayers first to remind me of God’s faithfulness, goodness, and Sovereignty. It also helps to refresh an attitude of thanksgiving in my life keeping me receptive to God’s Word. The second section Continuing Concerns is essentially the ministry of intercession. Intercessions first on the level of praying for the kingdom of God to be manifested on earth as people surrender their lives to Christ (salvation). And the second would be praying for the power of the Holy Spirit to be working in the lives of believers as they submit to the Lord to do His work. Again through this section be specific about who and what you pray for.
Conclusion
Over the course of this past year I have been battling back daily struggling against pride, anger and apathy. It hasn’t been an easy road and I wasn’t always faithful to completely fill out the templates. Really the point of these templates isn’t to make anyone feel bad about not filling them out every day or make someone feel good about themselves for filling it out. The point is to renew the mind and change the attitude of the heart by bringing into focus our identity in Christ and reminding us of the love, grace and Sovereignty of God. It’s about making a decision everyday to pursue Christ. To trust in the promises of God and really throw every hindrance aside to whole-heartedly, with reckless abandon seek to be conformed to the image of our glorious and loving King Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment