Engage in Life

Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

This last week, I was going through some mandatory coverage at work, and came across an interesting speaker discussing elements to succeed in a fallen and chaotic world using biblical principles, perspectives and attitudes to achieve, despite the obstacles of life. She stated that there are always obstacles in life for each of us, yet the secret is to acknowledge the obstacles, but don’t give them any power. Her grandmother always used the Bible verse above to “flip” the revelation by the sure knowledge that God was always in control - knowing something good was going to come out of it. To get and keep a clear vision of the Lord's good work in this world and aligning our goals with His. Do we believe with conviction and dedication, motivated with devotion that drives our determined desire to effectively glorify and serve God and our fellow man (who God loves) as one goal, bigger than ourselves, not hindered and paralyzed by obstacles of life?

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Jesus Christ gave us permission to engage our culture for the advancement of the Kingdom of Heaven. This means life/love/work integrated, because each of us are gifted by the Holy Spirit, wired or woven uniquely by God for His purposes and our blessings here. The question is: “How bad do we want it?” We decide where our passion is and what motivates us. Is it the work of our loving Creator and Savior Lord? President Thomas Jefferson said: "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." Edmond Burke expounded on this further by stating, "The only thing needed for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." The speaker encouraged us to not let the “fear of failure” stop us from moving forward “engaged in life” with skill and competency in our daily dealings to be productive with our godly living, our relationships in community, nation and world for Christ. How we do it and if we do it is entirely up to us. Are we prepared for our passion, taking the necessary actions required to gain exposure, to go where we really want to go and get it done? Are we putting this as a priority in our life? How bad do we want it? Our enemy, the adversary, Satan is passionately at work in this world with a different plan. John 8:44 explains that the Devil and his God-rejecting world system desires to put the children of God in a box on the shelf of a closed vault, silent and isolated in the dark. Think and act outside the box.

John 10:10-11 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

We do what we want to do naturally, because it is our nature. What do you want to do for the Lord? The speaker encouraged us further to “disciple up” to responsibility by having a plan with contingencies to create a solution to life’s obstacles with these steps: (1) Whole-heartedly know where you are in life and where you want to be, envisioning what you really want in life. What kind of seeds are you planting in this world? (2) Mitigate the risk by preparing and mapping a path to get there. Listen to and write down the “doubt data” to sift through the dirt in order to get to the gold nuggets, meaning seek the truth to alleviate and mollify risk and turn it into productive feedback, knowing that we sometimes need to go though steps “A-F” in order to get to “G” for our goal. (3) Load up and take off, moving forward with clarity, courage and power, knowing that we are commissioned by the Lord and that He is with us every step of the way (Matthew 28:18-20). (4) Execution, navigating the obstacles and trials with flexibility and innovative creativity, focused on the goal that moves us through the challenges of life. And (5) Review, recharge and get back in the battle. We learn from our (good and bad) experiences so capture the lessons learned for repeat and to teach others.

James 1:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Remember that failure are sometimes necessary to succeed and grow because “trial and error” eliminates erroneous issues and clears the path as we move conscientiously, not haphazardly, through "the process of elimination" to get to our goal in the name of God. We should always be studying the Word of God and learning because we never know everything and life’s situations change with time and circumstances. Life happens and we don’t always understand why, but God does and we can trust the Lord. What happens in life today, even the curves, creates opportunities for the future and affects life’s next step by placing us where we would not have been without the obstacles. Remember, acknowledge the obstacles, but don’t give them any power. If we have the mindset and desire to not change a single thing that comes our way, but learn from the experiences, then we can grow and mature while we keep moving God forward in the hearts and lives of the lost through “ministering by example” and advancing the kingdom. But don’t be afraid to “bang the table” with God’s name, who we love and serve. It takes “telling them” who we live for and why for others to make the connection and understand that Jesus is Lord of our life, and see the “faith” in us that creates the desire in their heart to have what we have and they don't. Not what we do, but who we are in Christ. Not the “what”, but “Him” in our life. We need to let people know exactly where our sure hope lies, where we are going and why. We have to take the initiative to step out of our “comfort zone” and reach out for God, in Christ’s name, for ourselves and for those around us, with the access and exposure given by the Holy Spirit to make a difference in this culture. Let’s change our “what if's” to “why not's” because Jesus gave us permission to "engage in life".  

2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

In Christ, Brian