Living in the Real World

And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times,
to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred;
and all their brethren were at their commandment.”  
                                                                                   —1 Chronicles 12:32 (KJV)

Driving to work one day, I got behind a car with a double dose of stickers. Among them were a cross, a star and the ever-popular icon for the saying, “not of this world.” I thought about that for a few minutes as I waited for a light to turn green. With all the extreme events in the world, from hurricanes to earthquakes, floods and shootings, to all the other tragedies, it was good to remember this is not my eternal home. Yet even as the thought came into my head, the Holy Spirit quickly reminded me that being “not of this world” is not an insulation from reality. I can’t wrap myself in a cocoon and I can’t hide my head in the sand, especially as a leader.

The children of Issachar had the same issue. They were one of the twelve tribes of Israel, from the fifth son of Leah and Jacob. Each of the tribes were struggling to know what God wanted of them. Should they follow King Saul, who was proving to be unfit, or fall in with the new guy, David, who was emerging as God’s chosen one? From this scripture we see they knew what to do. They were a people who uniquely understood the times and seasons, as well as their position under God and what He wanted them to do. So they followed David.

It would be great if we didn’t need to worry about the myriad issues plaguing our society today. Sadly, the enemy of our souls has not stopped his quest for success. Satan wants nothing more than to limit our leadership and create chaos in our ministry. Thus, we must continue to be cognizant of anything he puts in our path.

Strive to be like the children of Issachar. Seek God in developing discernment and wisdom to understand the times in which we live. Ask for insight to see clearly the way to best utilize giftedness in meeting the needs of those living in a fallen world. While it might be easier to ignore what is happening in real life, it is our responsibility to know what we ought to do for His Kingdom and glory. 

“All Christians are but God’s stewards.
Everything we have is on loan from the Lord,
entrusted to use for a while in serving him.”

                                                                        —John MacArthur

Make It Count

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

                                                            —Psalm 90:12 (KJV)

It is the end of one year and the beginning of another. Every year at this time I fill in my new calendar. Capturing significant dates like birthdays and anniversaries is my main goal, as well as penciling in trips or events already planned. It’s fun to reminisce as I’m reminded of events, parties and people that filled my previous year. Keeping my calendar current helps me stay organized.

With that in mind, I did some reminder reading about time management. One piece I read ended with the above verse. It was a good parallel but for some reason instead of considering ways to manage my life I thought about the shortness of it. During 2017 I lost two good friends whom I had known since high school and it made me think of them. The plans we made for 2018 now will never happen. I pondered what it meant to “number ‘my’ days.” It is most definitely prudent to plan, yet I have no guarantee for anything past today or even past this moment.      

As I considered this, I realized the point is not just to be organized. That certainly helps, but the real wisdom lies in being mindful of my limited time. I have an expiration date and since I don’t know when it is, my planning must contain a sense of urgency. What goals has God placed on my heart? What is the best way to accomplish them? Have I maximized purpose in my plans? Too often we become so focused on structuring our time we lose sight of the actual objective: using it effectively.

2018 is a new year and not just a clean slate, but another opportunity to wisely use the time God has given us. We have no control over the count of our days but we can control how we make them count. Always prepare for tomorrow while living today as if it won’t come.

 “This is our time on the history line of God. This is it. What will we do with the one deep exhale of God on this earth? For we are but a vapor and we have to make it count. We’re on. Direct us, Lord, and get us on our feet.”

—Beth Moore

Great Gifts

“. . .but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

                                                                                          —Romans 6:23b (NIV)

December is here and that means CHRISTMAS is right around the corner. Without a doubt we know the true meaning of this time of year. And while we try to keep our focus on Jesus’ birthday, we still worry about the gifts on our list. That list can be short or it can be long but it’s the same question year after year. What will I buy?

The problem is not the gift, but who the gift is for. We spend our entire holiday season buying things to give to our family, our friends, our co-workers and even the gardener. Yet we rarely consider what we could give to Jesus. It is, after all, His birthday. What is a great gift for Him? The best answer comes from the example of those who were actually a part of the Christmas story.

• Mary gave Him her faith. Engaged to Joseph, she was only a teenager when God’s angel visited her and shared the plan for God’s Son. Even though she was rightfully afraid, she believed the angel and humbly rejoiced in God her Savior.

• Joseph gave Him his obedience. Hearing his fiancee was pregnant with someone else’s baby, Joseph must have been extremely disappointed and hurt. He apparently truly loved Mary as he planned to keep her secret and break the engagement quietly. Yet, when God shared the plan with him through an angel, he willingly took Mary as his wife and became Jesus’ step-father.

• Shepherds gave Him their worship. At the birth of Jesus, an angel appeared to those tending their flocks by night announcing that the Savior of the world had been born. They immediately went in search of the baby, finding Joseph, Mary and Jesus in Bethlehem. They left praising and glorifying God.

• Magi gave Him their belief. The Magi from the east saw a great star which they had heard would signify the birth of the King of the Jews. They immediately traveled in search of the baby. The trip was long and no doubt exhausting, but they finally found Him, offering treasures of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  

The gifts given by each of these people were not based on cost, selfish desires or personal gain. Instead, each was a sincere response to an extraordinary offering from a loving God.

Of all our Christmas customs, it is not the external practices of gift-giving, attending a service, lighting candles or even singing happy birthday to Jesus that matter. What counts is the sincere example of a heartfelt response to the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no better gift in all the world than giving Him our faith, obedience, belief and worship.

“What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.”

                                                                                                                  —Eleanor Powell