Obedience, NOT Results

 

"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow."

                                                                   -Paul (1 Cor. 3v6)

     What is our goal in following Christ? Do we want people to notice how "holy" we are? Do we want to help all of our friends with their problems? Do we want to convert everyone we meet? While I'm not saying these are all bad (except for number one), these can't be the goal.

God wants RESULTS OBEDIENCE!

     In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul drops this incredibly profound tidbit to the church. Paul, a well educated follower of the law, knew his role. What was that role? Whatever God told him to do. Paul could have gone around doing what he thought was best for the situation and lots of people would have thought nothing of it. But Paul knew that in order for God's grace to be know that he must do his part and let God do His.

So often we feel the pressure to say the right thing or live in fear of screwing up the opportunity in front of us.

Do we really believe that we have the ability to thwart the work God is trying to do?

     When we get these thoughts it's because we've become concerned with the results instead of obedience. We need to know our role. Paul's role was to "plant seeds".  Apollos' role was to "water" them. God's role was to make them grow.

     Having finished off my school year for the term last week I was enjoying a relaxing afternoon at home. I looked out our living room window and saw our neighbour outside shoveling his driveway. I have met him one time (last winter I pushed him out at midnight when his car got stuck by our place) and, while I have had intentions to meet him again, I have always been hesitant to do such.
     As he was shoveling I felt God place it on my heart to go and talk to him. I ignored him. The thought wouldn't leave. I tried to justify that it was just my thoughts but I thought back to our talk at LDP where we talked about if it's our thoughts or God putting that thought there it doesn't really matter. It's the message, not the messenger. Finally I tossed out a little prayer along the lines of, "God, I don't know what I'm going to say but I'm going to go talk to this guy."
     So off I went. I'd like to say that my presence caused an instant conversion and we became the best of friends, but that didn't happen.. nothing really happened. All that happened was his 1 year old started crying and he had to go inside. So that was it? I was able to talk to my neighbour for 5 whole minutes? What a waste. Or was it? As a matter of fact it was 5 minutes that I am pumped about. We don't always know when God will call our number and take us from the bench and put us in the game. Our job is to be ready and do what He calls us to do. God didn't tell me to go and preach to my neighbour - He told me to go and talk to him. My calling wasn't to convert him, it was simply to do what I was called to do. Would it have been sweet to have had him come to know Christ right there in the street? No doubt, but I know that God is busy doing His part now. 

     With Christmas on the horizon it is very easy to shift our focus towards us. Remember: IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU! Never has been, never will be. It's all about Christ and what He has done for us. Keep your eyes, ears and hearts open and your feet ready to get in the game when Christ calls your name.

Do your role, let Christ do His and see what He will do!

Merry Christmas from the Wielers!

-CW

Christmas is near

Carols being sung. Snowflakes falling. Cars staling. Malls are crowded. Bank accounts decrease in numbers. The smell of baking when you come through your door after a long day. Christmas is just around the corner.

December is a busy month for everyone. This Christmas season, or what it is called, is often not recognized for what this season really is. CHRISTmas. Where does Christ fit into our christmas seasons? What are we focused on? Is it the commercialism of our culture? Or is it the birth of our Saviour?

I know this is something that I have to remind myself not to get caught up in. For me, it is not as much of the commercialism that is the problem, but it is the busyness. Christmas time for me is to get together with family and friends and reflect on the birth of Jesus. However, through all the busyness, it is easy to forget the reason why I am taking this break and why we have this holiday. Being in a secular culture, the real reason of Christmas often gets left in the dust... that is why we are now seeing Winter concerts or holiday concerts. An encouraging thing for me this Christmas season is that my school that I am teaching at is having a CHRISTMAS concert. Not holiday, not winter; but Christmas. 

Jesus Christ should be our focus for this season. What are you focused on this Christmas season? Is it the gifts you are going to be getting? The gifts you are going to be giving? The people you are going to see? 

I want to encourage you remind yourself daily of what this season is really about!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Michelle

His Love

I feel like I can’t talk about anything but His Love - it’s all I want to talk about. I keep finding satisfaction in it over and over as He gives my heart greater understanding of it, and honestly, it’s all that keeps me together. In fact I am constantly finding out more how dark my heart is. The truth is that I will never know the darkness of my heart as well as God knows it, which is actually good news. Sometimes I come up short and am disappointed in myself. I feel like I have to re-assure myself that God still loves me after whatever instance that I totally blew. Whether it’s falling in an area where i’m constantly fighting or me realizing a new palace where I have come up short of what God has for me, I know that God doesn’t have to renegotiate his grace with me, nor does he have to re-figure how much he loves me. God is driven to love you because that is simply who He is. He does not need you to motivate Him to love you, it’s simply who He is. He know’s exactly who we are, he isn’t surprised by us even though we might be. He knows the extent of our darkness yet we are still lovely to Him. (Song of Songs 1:5) His love is something you will never get over. In a billion years you will still be totally blown away by His love for you!

Here's how it's blowing me away right now:

- Did you know that Jesus loves you in the same way that the Father loves Jesus?

John 15:9 “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have loved you; abide in my love.” [NASB] As the Father loves Jesus, in the same way Jesus loves you! I can’t get over that! Jesus has the same measure of love and affection towards you that His Father has towards Him! AMAZING!

- John 17:22-23 “I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one: I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me.” This might be my favourite chunk of scripture! Many things baffle me about those two verses, for starters:

1) The glory which the Father has given to Jesus he has given to us?!?!?!

2) The Father is passionate about YOU like He is passionate about Jesus! God is loves you, as God is loves God!!!!

- Before you took a breath he knew you (Psalm 139)

Rest in his love! Dwell on His Love! Talk with Him, simply be in relationship with Him. Stress, loneliness, dullness of life, lack of hope all disappear, literally fade out as we dwell on His Love. Be confident that even though our love for Him might sometimes be weak, that doesn't make it insincere, it's just that, it's weak. An Immature Love is still sincere and to a sincere lover of Him he promises to be revealing himself to them(John 14:21)! Out of living in relationship and love with Him, everything else he has for you will come! 

We've Stolen Jesus' Birthday!

   

     The Christmas season is upon us! The Halloween decorations are long gone, Black Friday is over, and stores have started playing their Christmas music. If you're anything like me you've probably been in the Christmas spirit for awhile now (how could I not be, I make eggnog lattes all day long!).

      Christmas is such a fun time of year, with all the music, decorations, family time, Christmas parties, yummy baking, presents, Christmas concerts, etc. And this fun can make this a very busy, hectic and full time of year as well. Now before you throw yourself headfirst into all the merriment, just pause for a moment... and really think about what we celebrate at Christmas time.

Yep, it's an easy answer, we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, Jesus.

     I know that over the Christmases past, I have always acknowledge that 'Jesus is the reason for the season'. But, I also know that He has not always been the real focus of my heart at this time of year. With all the things to do, people to see, gifts to buy, concerts to practice for, Christmas specials to watch... it can be so easy to push Jesus out of our lives at the very time of year that is supposed to be all about Him.

     A few weeks ago I was looking through a book catalogue and I saw a book with an interesting title. It was called 'Christmas is Not Your Birthday'. And the title struck me as very appropriate for our culture today. Somewhere along the line we have traded a season that was meant to celebrate our Saviour's birthday, for a season that's all about us. 

We've stolen Jesus' birthday! 

     Now we get the presents, we get the party, we get the attention, and we bring Jesus into the whole thing through Grandpa doing the mandatory reading of the Christmas story (which we're not really listening to anyways), and singing some Christmas carols about baby Jesus. We've pushed Jesus out of His own birthday.

     And I know I've been guilty of this too in past Christmases. The season gets so full and busy that quiet time with our Lord and Saviour can be sparse. But this Christmas let's actually make Jesus the centre of it all, not just talk about how He is. Let's make Him our number one priority, and focus on the things that He would have us focus on.

     Over the next few weeks I encourage you to read through the Christmas story, and then keep reading all the way through to the Resurrection. Don't just skim through it because you know the story so well, but really think about what you're reading. The Holy God of the universe had mercy on us, sinners that deserve death. He loved us SO much that He sent His only Son to earth to save us, because we can't save ourselves. 

The Christmas story is the most incredible love story ever written, and it actually happened.

     May God give you fresh eyes to see His incredible love for you as you read the Christmas story this year. And may Jesus be your heart's desire and your focus this Christmas season.

     Join me in asking God to change my heart's desire to desire more of Jesus, and less of all of the distractions.

What sort of things are you doing to make Jesus the centre of your Christmas season? 

Leave a comment below.