Running Away from God

My wife, Kym, and I have four children ranging from 14yrs old to 3yrs old. I dearly love them. There are times when they have attitudes and behaviors that I like and some that I don’t like. For example, I love it when my toddler daughter, Elle, runs to me when she sees me from a distance. I feel very loved in that moment. Also, I love it when she and I are doing the same thing together, like holding hands, walking together, or doing a task together. There are other moments I don’t like so much; like when she runs away from me when I tell her to come here or when she flat out resists me with a stubborn attitude going against my stated directions and commands.

It’s interesting how there are similarities between a child’s relationship with their parent and a person’s relationship with God. All four of the behavioral examples I just mentioned about my daughter toward me occur with people toward God. People run away from God. Some people run to God. Some people run with God. And people run against God. All four of these behavioral themes toward God are found in the book of Jonah in God’s Word, respectively in each of the four chapters.

Many people think that the big news in the book of Jonah is about a whale of a tale, but this book is not so much about a big fish moment. This book is primarily about God; His grace, His mercy, His provision, His sovereignty, His message of repentance; and it’s about a prophet named Jonah who found himself in and out of the will of God which is something that we can relate to today. We are either heading toward God, His will, His ways of righteousness or heading away from God in sin. Which path describes your life lately?

From Jonah chapter one, let’s walk through six stages of Jonah trying to run away from God’s will.

Stage 1) God called Jonah to proclaim repentance to sinners in Nineveh; vss1-2

Jonah 1:1-2 ESV Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, ² “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”

Jonah was a prophet who received revelation from God and communicated that to other people, usually to Israelites. Here, however, God called, commissioned, commanded His servant Jonah to go to a pagan mission field; specifically to Nineveh, a big city that was involved in much evil. The context here is that God called Jonah to go to these Gentile pagans and rebuke them for their wickedness, preach to them of their need to repent, to turn to God for salvation and live godly lives and if they didn’t, God’s holy just judgment would come upon them.

This would be a very difficult and dangerous mission for Jonah because this was the capital of the Assyrian Empire, which was quickly becoming the most powerful nation in the world. They were steeped in pagan idolatry and were destroying people groups in the region and had a reputation for being very cruel and wicked in how they treated their enemies.

They were a huge threat to the nation of Israel and this was where God was calling Jonah to preach repentance? Wow! Consider a modern day parallel. God calls a Christian preacher from a biblically saturated culture to go to a crowded city in North Korea or Iran to preach repentance in the name of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the only Savior and Lord. That would be a very dangerous mission.

Stage 2) Jonah disobeyed God and fled on a ship in the other direction; vs3

³ But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.

I could just imagine Jonah responding to God saying stuff like: “Surely you don’t mean that? The Assyrians? Our worst enemy? Those awful pagans! Wait a minute! You never called other prophets to go preach repentance to our enemy nation. I quit. I’m out of here. Find someone else to do this crazy task.”

Jonah tried to run away from God’s will by fleeing on a ship toward the far west, maybe toward Spain, but there is no escaping the omnipresence of God. Jonah was fleeing the Holy Land where the special divine presence of God was manifested like in the Holy Temple. Jonah was in essence trying to resign from his position of God’s prophet and run away from this divine calling and responsibility. How many times has God called us to be someone and do something and our response was to run in the opposite direction of God’s will?

Why did Jonah disobey? He probably had some Hebrew pride, some national pride. Christians in the United States, do we struggle with a national pride or a Christian pride gloating that we are better than others? Jonah probably lacked faith in God about this dangerous mission. How often has God called us to something and we thought, I can’t, I’m unqualified, that’s too hard, too dangerous, etc…?

Jonah was a faithful prophet as long as God wanted what Jonah wanted. But when God’s marching orders went contrary to Jonah’s comfort zone and desires, the prophet would not do what God told Jonah to do. What about you and me? What is the call to Nineveh in our lives we are saying “no” to God about? When God calls you and me to go communicate His kingdom message to some person, some group, some type of human need, what is our response to God? Is it run to and with God or run away from and against God?

Stage 3) God caused a terrible storm to endanger the ship and its passengers (read vss4-6)

Surprisingly, Jonah is out cold asleep but the captain woke him up and told him to cry out to his god for deliverance from this dangerous storm. It’s a sad thing when a prophet servant of the Lord has to be told by pagans to cry to the Lord for help. Jonah brought trouble to a boat load of sailors because he disobeyed God. Whenever we get out of the will of God there are implications for us and others, some of which we might not learn about until later.

Stage 4) Jonah confessed to the crew he is the reason for the storm & he offered his life for their safety (read vss7-13)

⁹ And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

¹² He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.”

No one’s gods were answering the prayers so the crew decided to cast lots as a way to point guilt to someone who was the cause of this storm. I believe God orchestrated the outcome of the lots for His sovereign purposes. Jonah then confessed a few things and the sailors were even more afraid probably thinking Jonah’s God is angry at all of them. Jonah figured that the only safe solution for those onboard was to get him off the ship. Jonah then advised them to throw him overboard. Some scholars notice a type of Christ in this moment when Jonah offered his life for the deliverance of others.

Stage 5) Jonah is thrown into the sea by the crew (read vs14)

The sailors cried out to the God of the universe, Jonah’s God, because they believed Jonah was the reason for this storm and God was upset at Jonah, and they didn’t want to be held accountable for what they were about to do to Jonah.

vss15-16 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. ¹⁶ Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

So, the crew did what Jonah told them they should do and they did what they thought might save the lives of all those onboard the ship, even though this meant Jonah would likely die in the sea. They threw him overboard. Notice, then right afterwards, the sea became peaceful. This was another wow moment act of God who is sovereignly in control of the skies and the earth and its seas. Upon the calming of the sea, the sailors gave reverential fear to Jonah’s God and sacrificed something to the Lord and made commitments of some sort.

Stage 6) God provided a great fish to swallow Jonah for 3 days & 3 nights; vs17

¹⁷ And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

The key point here is not what kind of fish it was or how big it was but that God arranged for this big fish to swallow Jonah and preserve him in there 3 days, 3 nights. We read later that Jonah survived this incredible ordeal, but many people have trouble believing it. Did you know that there have actually been numerous cases reported in more recent times of men who have survived being swallowed by a whale? But that’s beside the point here. We do not need a naturally proven explanation about Jonah surviving in a huge fish. What we need is increased belief and faith in the Lord God Almighty and what He has revealed in Scripture. Amen! You either believe God’s word that God created the Heavens and the earth or you don’t. You either believe God parted the Red Sea and delivered His people from Egypt or you don’t. You either believe that the eternal Son of God became flesh by a virgin birth, became the God-man, died, and then rose in a resurrected body or you don’t. You either believe God used a great fish to swallow up Jonah and preserve his life or you don’t. May the Lord help us have greater belief in God and His Word and may we live accordingly, all to His glory.

From God’s perspective, these circumstances on/in the water and in the big fish for Jonah were an orchestrated series of events drawing Jonah back to God and His will, to an important mission with God to reach a pagan people with God’s message.

Perhaps we know God has called us to a certain place and/or to do a certain work. And we’ve got all the reasons in the world why we think we don’t need or want to obey Him. But running away from God’s will and His Word for us is sin and there will be consequences. May the Lord help us to not disobey Him and instead be faithful obedient believers, knowing God better and better and proclaiming Him better and better to the world. I know from personal experience that running to and with God is not only way better than running away from and against God, it is the best God-honoring God blessed path to be on.

Jonah was on a downward journey in many ways but thankfully the story didn’t end there. God extended Him amazing mercy and grace and provision; and for us today, this is found in Jesus Christ. One of the great evidences of the authenticity of this Jonah story is that Jesus referred to Jonah more than once, using the three days in the belly of a great fish for His own resurrection timeframe. This is exciting! The resurrection of Christ was a key moment in God’s plan of redemption for us; to bring us to God, to be in a right relationship with Him now and forever, by grace through faith in Christ. There is nothing more eternally significant than knowing Jesus personally as your Savior and living for Him as the Lord of your life.

And remember, let’s be consistently running to God and with God! For example, let’s spend quality time in His Word, in prayer, and with His people seeking to understand God’s will and stay in His will consistently engaging in His good works which includes being salt and light in Christ and being the hands, feet, and voice of Christ in this world; being who He wants us to be and doing what He wants us to do; all for His glory! Amen!

I encourage you to prayerfully study the book of Jonah and read ahead. In chapter two you’ll notice Jonah running to God, praising Him, thanking Him. In Chapter three, Jonah’s running with God and a great revival among a large pagan group of people broke out. In chapter four, Jonah is running against God, showing his negative attitude toward God’s mercy toward Ninevah.

May the Lord God Almighty help us consistently run to God and with God and may we point others to the same, all to His glory!

What are your thoughts on Jonah chapter one, this blog, and the issue of running away from God’s will?   

Mike

What is God’s Will for My Life?

This is a question many God-fearing/God-loving people have pondered and it comes up often in my ministry to young adult college students. There is some confusion and mystery that many people have about God’s will, sure, and some of this is because we can’t and don’t know everything about God and His will, but the good news is that we can know some truth about God and His will that can and should be applied to our lives.

The first and main place I look for such truth is God’s Holy Word where we see His will refers to His plans, purposes, decisions, commandments, and guidance. Think of your own personal volitional will.

Some examples of my will:

- I will that I get out of bed on a workday morning to go to work. I will that I bathe on a regular basis for good clean hygiene.

- Sometimes it is my will that I desire to dunk a basketball over a tall guy or go for a walk in a remote area but I don’t always tell anyone else that this is my will so it is hidden to them.

- I will that my young children clean up after they make messes around our home. My children have learned that this is my will for them but they don’t always obey my will. They have some freedom in their decision making and behavior yet there is still personal responsibility and accountability.

God’s will is similar to these examples although God is also very different and unique because He is the eternal self-existent perfect Holy sovereign spiritual Creator Savior Lord almighty being.

We are exhorted in Scripture to learn about God’s will and live accordingly.

Ephesians 5:17 (ESV) Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Romans 12:1-2 (ESV) I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

There are two aspects of the will of God I want to highlight.

1) The Decreed Will of God

This is sometimes known also as the Sovereign Absolute will of God.

Here’s an example. God the Father decreed beforehand that the eternal Son of God would become flesh and die for our sins and rise in victory. This is God’s will and it was going to happen and it did happen because God decreed it to happen. God also ordained, planned for, and allowed/permitted opposition to Jesus, including violence against Jesus, to take place related to His death on the cross.

Luke 22:21-22 (ESV) But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. ²² For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!”

Acts 2:23 (ESV) this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

Acts 4:26-28 (ESV) The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’— ²⁷ for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, ²⁸ to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

Consider some Bible verses that teach God has a sovereign will (plan, purpose) over all.

Ephesians 1:11 (ESV) In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

Matthew 10:29-30 (ESV) Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

God’s providential overall plan covers even the “small potatoes” matters and details of His creation.

Prov. 16:1, 9, 33 ESV

¹ The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

⁹ The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.

³³ The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.

Proverbs 19:21 (ESV) Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.

Proverbs 21:1 (ESV) The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.

Daniel 4:35 (NLT) All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’

Job 42:2 (ESV) “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

Isaiah 46:10-11 (ESV) declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ ¹¹ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.

See also Jer. 18:6, Isa. 45:9, Ps. 135:6, Prov. 21:30, Job 12:10, Deut. 32:39.

Along with His sovereign will over all things, there are aspects to God (i.e. His thoughts, ways, will) that are unknown to us, a mystery to us.

Deuteronomy 29:29 (ESV) “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

And even though there are unknowns about God and His will and in this creation there is sin, evil, suffering, and difficult circumstances there is still this divine truth that God is sovereign over everything and He will work things out for His good purposes.

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

God’s redeemed should find comfort in these truths about God’s will and purposes that He is sovereignly in control of His creation yet we are not puppets living fatalistic lives. He controlling everything to the degree that our decision making doesn’t matter. He has given us a degree of free will under His Sovereign purposes. Because of this there is another aspect to God’s will.

2) The Prescriptive Will of God

What is meant by prescriptive here refers to something that we are to obey, follow, do, or not do (the prohibition could be called proscriptive). This prescriptive will of God refers to His commands, laws, and instructions we are to carry out in our lives.

Here are some Bible examples:

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 (ESV) For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; ⁴ that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, ⁵ not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV) give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Peter 2:15 (ESV) For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

1 Samuel 15:22 (NLT) But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

God’s will is that we obey Him, but people don’t always obey God’s commands and requirements for us and God doesn’t force us to obey Him. This has been happening since the first humans, Adam and Eve, chose to disobey God. God commanded them to not eat of a certain tree and a serpent (influenced by or a manifestation of Satan) tempted them to disobey God and they disobeyed God. It was God’s prescriptive will that Adam and Eve obey Him. They had freedom to make a moral choice with this aspect of God’s will.

This prescriptive moral will of God for our lives is important to follow. Jesus taught His followers to pray this to God, the Father, “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Mt. 6:10b

The eternal Son of God, Jesus, set an example for us in prioritizing His incarnated life according to the will of God the Father:

John 6:38 (ESV) For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

John 4:34 (ESV) Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

His redeemed should prayerfully study Scripture for God’s prescriptive will of our lives and live accordingly. This pleases Him and honors Him and will impact lives with eternal significance.

God’s Will For Your Life

Usually, when someone asks, “What is God’s will for my life?” they are looking for some sort of detailed individual will of God plan for their lives, wanting to know details about their future in this life, like should they go to college or marry and if so where and whom; What about this “fork in the road” decision? Should I get this or be this or do this? etc….

These sort of personal circumstantial details are not spelled out in Holy Scripture but God has given us principles to live by that can and should be applied to our lives. Be careful; however, because we are exhorted to not worry and when we try to control the details of our future when God has not revealed His will about such things we are not trusting God and waiting on His timely guidance in our lives.

The nutshell answer to the question, “What is God’s will for my life?” is to accept Christ as your Savior and Lord and seek to live according to God’s Word for His people today. This is the essential foundational guideline that will keep your pointed in the right direction of God’s will for your life.

Trust God (namely, Jesus Christ) as your Savior and Lord by His grace through faith in Christ.

Ask God to help you understand and live by the revealed “proscriptive” will of God for God’s people today. We don’t have to know everything about God and His will in order to live according to His revealed will (from Scripture).

Pray that you delight in the Lord and that your desires align with His will (Ps. 37:4).

Follow a God-honoring decision making model. Sometimes you face a “fork in the road” decision when neither one is a sinful path so what decision should you make? From my “God-honoring Decision Making” blog entry (http://mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2014/04/god-honoring-decision-making.html), here are eight key steps to follow:

1) Pray to God (& fast), trusting Him throughout the process.

2) Seek relevant knowledge and understanding.

3) Seek biblical-based discernment.

4) Seek wisdom from God, His Word, & God-honoring people.

5) Analyze and compare information/options.

6) Wait on the Lord, be patient, to give you a sense of peace about it.

7) Ask God for increased living faith in Him.

8) Go ahead, when the timing is right, make the decision for the glory of God.

Keep in mind that relevant knowledge includes a growing self-awareness of how God has wired you for life and ministry; i.e. spiritual gift(s), strengths, God-honoring passions and skillsets.

Give lots of personal attention to being the person of God He biblically calls you to be. When you are Christ-centered, Spirit-filled, and God-glorifying this is transcendently more important than your circumstances in life like college majors and degrees, career, marital or parenting status, financial level, and physical health. God is most interested in how Christ-like you and I are. When we get this right we are headed in the right direction of understanding God’s will better and better for our lives.

Ask God to help you discern His leading and guidance in your life. The more surrendered to God you live the easier it will be for you to discern this. When you are “walking by” the Holy Spirit (also “led by”, “live by”; Gal. 5:16-25) and making God-honoring decisions you don’t have to worry about possibly missing out on what God’s will is for your life because living by the Spirit is God’s will for your life. Trust God’s guidance in your life. He wants to give you a spiritual peace with His guidance.

It is in doing the revealed will of God that you and I will experience God-glorifying purpose, direction, joy, spiritual intimacy with Him (and His people), and eternal significance.

How do you think God helps us answer the question, “What is God’s will for My Life?” and what are your thoughts about what I’ve presented here?

Mike

God is the Owner, We are the Stewards.

When I think of the many things the Mullins family possesses it’s easy to think we are owners of it all; stuff like our minivan, clothing, furniture, food, appliances, and money. These things have been paid for by us, given to us to keep, earned by our work, or are in our possession free and clear of anyone else. My wife and I own these things, right? We say, ‘that’s mine’ or ‘that’s our stuff.’ Well, according to the law of the land, yes, but what about God’s Word?

Consider these Bible verses:

1 Chron. 29:11-18 ESV Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. ¹² Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. ¹³ And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. ¹⁴ “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. ¹⁶ O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. ¹⁷ I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. ¹⁸ O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you.

David wrote this; Ps. 24:1 ESV The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,

All that is in the heavens and the earth is the Lord’s. He rules over all. And He is an amazing provider (see also Mt. 6:33) to us. Even the ability to earn and receive wealth is from God (see also Deut. 8:18).

Here is what God said about His ownership of everything; Job 41:11b ESV Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.

         

The Bible also points out some specific examples of things that God owns:

Lev. 25:23 ESV The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me.

Ps. 50:10-12 ESV  For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. ¹¹ I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. ¹² “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.

Hag. 2:8 ESV The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts.

All people belong to the Lord also, in the sense that we are all created by Him and in His image and He is sovereign over us. Note however, that those who are redeemed by God for salvation, from sin and God’s eternal wrath, belong to God in a special way, in relationship with Him now and for eternity.

Rom. 8:9b ESV ..Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

1 Cor. 6:19-20 ESV Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰ for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Even though God has given human beings some dominion over the earth (i.e. Ps. 8:6) He has not given up His ownership of all things.

“God has never revoked His ownership of everything, nor has He ever surrendered His claim to all treasures. He didn’t die and leave the earth to me or anyone else.” (Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle, Pg 24).

God has not given us ownership of His stuff nor has God left us alone and abandoned us with all His stuff.

We exist because of Christ and for Christ.

Col. 1:16-17 ESV ¹⁶ For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

This “for Christ” part is about knowing, loving, serving, and worshiping the Lord God Almighty, glorifying Him. We are to glorify God with our lives and the stuff He has provided. This is where stewardship comes in.

What does it mean to be a steward? This is a person who is entrusted to care for a superior’s goods, someone else’s stuff, to be a blessing to the owner. The steward has no sense of entitlement that such stuff actually fully belongs to the steward. The steward is to figure out what the owner wants and then seek to please the owner according to the owner’s will.

Early in our marriage, Kym and I made plans to stay at a bed-in-breakfast near the Poconos. We had a couple young children at that time and wanted someone else to take care of our kids for two days. We asked a young adult female friend (thanks Natalie!) from our church to stay in our home and care for our children while we were away. She was totally responsible for our kids as if she was their own mother watching over them; however, the Mullins kids did not belong to her. This woman was a steward of our children for our benefit, our children’s benefit, and we compensated her for this stewardship role. She honored us by taking good care of our children for two days. During that period, they may have seemed to her to be her kids. She had possession of them and was caring for their needs, but she was only a steward of the kids. The children belong to Kym and me (and ultimately to God). This is a picture of stewardship and this woman was found faithful to us by being a good steward of our precious Mullins children.

Here are some Bible verses about stewardship:

Luke 12:42-44 (NKJV) And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? ⁴³ Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ⁴⁴ Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.

1 Cor. 4:1 ESV This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 ESV but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

In 1 Cor. 9:17, Paul calls being ‘entrusted with the preaching of the Gospel’ a stewardship.

1 Pet. 4:10 ESV As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

Years ago, I heard and read about Christians being stewards of our three T’s; treasure, talents, and time. I can think of a couple more as well.

Your Treasure: This refers to the material blessings and money you have in your temporary possession. Be sure to be rich toward God, invest in godliness. Luke 12:16-21; Mt. 6:24b ESV you cannot serve both God and money; Hebrews 13:5 ESV Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Your Talent: This refers to your God-given spiritual gifts and capabilities. An example of talent would be having a natural ability to hear and write music and to sing well. An example of a spiritual gift is to effectively teach the Word of God to a mixed group of people. You could also add your developed skills to this talent category of personal stewardship. Gods wants to bless you and others through how He has wired you. See 1 Pet. 4:10, Mt. 25:14-21.

Your Time: This refers to your effective use of the 24/7 time that God has given you; regarding your prioritization and decision making. Time is fleeting. You can’t get past time back. Make your use of time count and matter for what’s God-honoring. See Eph. 5:15-17 (..making the best use of the time).

Your Testimony: This refers to your Christ-following/Gospel witness and influence upon the lives of others, especially nonbelievers, to the ends of the earth. Christ-followers are salt and light in Christ in this world. Our personal walk and talk in and for Christ matters and makes a difference in this world. See 1 Cor. 4:1, Acts 1:8.

Your Temple: This refers to your body, your life. What goes in and what comes out and how you use your body matters in the eyes of God. A Christ-follower’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and he or she is called to present their body as a living sacrifice, as holy unto the Lord. See 1 Cor. 6:19, Rom. 12:1-2.

Any treasure, talents, time, testimony, and temple we have is from God’s gracious blessing in the first place and we are to honor God with these things, all to His glory.

Prov. 3:9-10 NKJV Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

1 Cor. 10:31b ESV whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

This is a key principle for us to live by: God is the Owner, We are the  Stewards. Even more so, for the redeemed, God is the Faithful Owner, We are to be the Faithful Stewards.

So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33 ESV

Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 

1 Corinthians 4:2 ESV

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Matt. 25:21 ESV

First, acknowledge God’s ownership. Recognizing God’s ownership of all things will help you on the road to peace, joy, and contentment regarding what you temporarily have. It will line you up better with God’s order of things.

Secondly, we are to be God-honoring faithful stewards of God’s stuff. Our faithfulness is required regardless of how much stuff we temporarily have. Faithfulness to God, even with the little things, matters.

Are you stressed related to personal finances, material possessions, debts, lack of contentment, etc..? If we are to get our financial, material, and spiritual lives in order with God, we must acknowledge and live out this key principle; God is the Faithful Owner, We are to be the Faithful Stewards.

Getting this right will help us make good financial related and life related decisions, be more content with the basics of ‘our’ material goods, be more generous, serve the Lord more fruitfully, and give praise to whom it is due (to God).

What do you think about God’s ownership of everything and our responsibility to be faithful stewards for His glory? What do you think about what I’ve posted here?

Mike 

Dealing with Worry and Anxiety

In the early nineties I was a computer professional working for EDS. They had an industry leading Phase II Systems Engineer Development Program that was very intense.  It was filled with technically difficult time-pressured assignments.  For example, we heard technical instruction all day long and then in the early evening, we would be given an assignment to create a large complex program flow chart or computer program that was due the next morning.  Hello! This was obviously going to take several, if not all, nighttime hours.  One time, I was in the office until 3AM trying to do an overnight assignment correctly and others were there even later or all night.  Of course, sometimes in the real computer world you are ‘on call’ and you do have to work through the night.  Any way, we averaged 80 hour training/work weeks for several weeks in a row. We were all drained and tested to the limits.  My co-employee roommate during that training, whom I had just met, was having difficulty keeping up with his assignments.  By the second week, he was vomiting in our apartment from the stress and worry of failing in Phase II.  A week later, he was out of Phase II training and EDS altogether.  My roommate experienced high stress, worried about outcomes, and experienced anxiety which led to unhealthy symptoms. That was a very challenging two months for all the employees in that training.  Praise God, I endured this and overcame the pressures I experienced.

Everyone has experienced some level of worry and anxiety. I’ll unpack these terms a little bit and then point to some practical and biblical help for coping with worry and anxiety. This blog entry is a highlight to the subject matter and not intended to be comprehensive in treating and coping with all forms of worry and anxiety.

Worry is mentally meditating on negative things, over and over again in your head, while dismissing positive things. You fret over tormenting thoughts. You dwell on bad things that did happen or could happen. If something already occurred, then no amount of worrying will every change that fact. If it’s something that could happen, it may never happen. Worrying, like fear, can be of something real or imagined.

It’s okay to have a realistic concern about someone or something. It’s okay to be concerned about danger. It’s foolish not to be. When you walk near a high mountain ledge then be concerned about falling. You should have a healthy fear in such a case because of the law of gravity and the sanctity of human life. If I notice an unusual non-round black spot growing on my skin I should be very concerned that it may be cancer and I should prayerfully see a skin doctor about it. It is not needless to be concerned about such a thing. It is a concern that needs to be addressed. But I don’t need to freak out and panic about it. I don’t need to run through many negative what-ifs in my head about it. When you swim in the ocean it’s okay to acknowledge the possibility of a shark bite/attack but thinking about it over and over again while you are in the ocean will have a negative effect on your experience. When I’m out there I do my best to never swim alone and I pray to God to help protect me. I admit though, the older I get, when it’s deeper than I can touch I have an increased nervousness about sharks so I shy away from those circumstances.

Needless worrying dwells on the negative which will hinder and hamper you and can even paralyze you in fear. Examples of needless worry: thinking regularly that there won’t be any Social Security money when you retire (Note: be a saver.); that you will get cancer one day and die (Note: invest in your health but getting cancer is often out of our control and not everyone who gets cancer dies from cancer); that the world will end soon; there is no world peace; something horrible will happen to me or my loved ones today; there are too many ants in the back yard, etc… Some issues are out of your control and some issues are not important. If there is a legitimate concern, then do something about it but don’t keep re-hashing and churning in your mind negative thoughts.

Needless worry is unhealthy and God’s Word teaches us to not do this (See below). Worry can become a sin issue when we don’t trust God and don’t have faith in God but instead wallow mentally and emotionally in negative thoughts and bow to unhealthy fears. Needless worry, like needless fear, is counter to having faith in God and living joyfully in Christ.

“It is distrust of God to be troubled about what is to come; impatience against God to be troubled with what is present; and anger at God to be troubled for what is past.”

Simon Patrick (1625–1707)

“If only we would stop lamenting and look up. God is here. Christ is risen. The Spirit has been poured out from on high. All this we know as theological truth. It remains for us to turn it into joyous spiritual experience.”

A. W. Tozer

Things to do when you struggle with worry:

- Identify what is worrying you.

- Distinguish between legitimate concerns and unhealthy/needless worries.

- Be mindful of unhealthy thoughts that won’t help you. Focus more on uplifting, joyful, truthful, hopeful, optimistic, and God-honoring thoughts.

- Don’t live by fear, instead, live by faith in God and enjoy His grace, mercy, and truth.

There are some additional helpful activities to try in this next section related to anxiety.

Anxiety is a heightened sense of nervousness and distress. Anxiety often occurs because one is living too stressed, too fast and/or too hard on their body. In some cases, anxiety is caused by some sort of fear. In other cases, it’s about eagerness and a strong desire or there is an apprehensive tension related to a mental/emotional health concern.

I experience some brief mild forms of anxiety from time to time like the night and morning before my son wrestles in a tournament or sometimes just before I preach. These are examples of normal anxiety that people experience: concern for my son’s safety and emotions as well as my upcoming public speaking moments. I want us to both do well and not mess up. Everyone experiences some general anxiety from time to time, but anxiety can also become something very unhealthy and wrong morally.

Anxiety and worry (as with stress) can have a negative impact on our emotional and physical well-being. Blood pressure can go high. Headaches can linger. Quality sleeping can decrease. Symptoms of depression can occur. There can be a panic attack of some sort which may have physical symptoms like an increased heart rate, dizziness, hyperventilation, trembling, or sweating.

When panic attacks continue and regularly occur then perhaps it is more of a disorder than a ‘small potatoes’ concern. The medical community recognizes multiples types of anxiety disorders. Some people who are overly anxious, especially on an ongoing and regularly occurring basis, could benefit from professional help like from a pastor, counselor, therapist, physician, and/or a psychiatrist. Sometimes medicines are used and can help, but mostly the help comes by way of modifications to the thought life, attitudes, and behavioral patterns. I also believe that faith in God and consistent holy living, based on God’s Word for His people today, are essential.

When addressing possible anxiety in one’s life, I like the twelve actions that Dr. Archibald Hart identified under the title ‘Personal Empowerment for Anxiety Sufferers (from his book, The Anxiety Cure; W. Publishing Grp. 1999, p50-51); written specifically for Christ-followers.

1.   Claim your strength in Christ.

2.   Feel the power that Christ gives you.

3.   Take control of your fear.

4.   Drop the ‘what ifs’ in life.

5.   Overcome your personal passivity.

6.   Increase your power by finding out all you can about your disorder.

7.   Don’t be demoralized by helplessness.

8.   Be compassionate toward yourself.

9.   Don’t let your problem dominate your life.

10. Beware the pitfalls of self-pity.

11. Find a good support group.

12. Never, never give up.

Also, consider these activities when dealing with worry and/or anxiety:

- Search God’s Word and apply relevant passages to your life and needs.

- Get an accurate diagnosis. Journal when the episode/experience occurs. Is there a common denominator among the occurrences? What precedes the anxiety? Was there a key event issue in your life that possibly led to the anxiety or are there ongoing stress issues or is there some kind of physiological issue in the body (in the mind, emotions, or physical body)?

- Identity and cope with any stress factors in your life. The subjects of worry and anxiety often overlap with the issue of stress. I have written about coping with stress in a separate blog entry (you can read that here: http://mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2014/07/coping-with-stress.html). Some of the ways to cope with stress can help you cope with worry and anxiety.

- Seek out God-honoring wise counsel from others. You can receive help diagnosing your symptoms and causes and you can receive encouragement and accountability in coping with, enduring, and experiencing relief from various worries and anxieties.

- Admit anxiety and take personal ownership of your path to recovery.

- Learn about natural tranquilizers. For example, learn techniques for resting and apply them to your life. Learn to take it easy, slow down, relax, breathe, meditate (dwelling on God-honoring truth and thoughts). Enjoy some clean humor.

- Commit your fear(s) over to God.

- Give attention to helping/serving other people. Avoid a pre-occupation with yourself.

- If a Christ-follower, know that your identity is in Christ. What are the truth statements in Scripture about you (read this: http://mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2013/09/identity-in-christ.html)? If you are not trusting Christ as your Savior and Lord then consider the great news of Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture (read this: http://mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2013/09/great-news-gods-plan-for-true-life.html).

- Listen to some uplifting music with God-honoring lyrics.

- Live one moment and one day at a time.

- Engage in some regular basic exercise and physical activity.

- Get some regular quality sleep. Learn techniques and tips to help you do this like sleeping at a similar time each day in a dark room and relaxing your thoughts and being careful what you eat and drink later in the day.

- Evaluate your diet related to unhealthy eating and beverages and any allergies and digestive issues. Make good adjustments and stick to consistent healthy habits.

- Get a regular dose of sunshine and fresh outside air.

- Take some time off from work and your regular routine to have some down time, recreation time, some enjoyment time.

- Understand your general purpose as a human being created by God to glorify Him (see http://mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2013/08/why-am-i-here.html). Also, seek to learn how God has wired you for life, for vocation, for helping others, etc…

- Consider how your own beliefs, thought patterns, and habits can cause anxiety.

- Evaluate the boundaries in your life so you are not engaged in too much activity too often or in wrongful things.

- Seek peace in relationships.

- Avoid alcohol, drugs, nicotine, and even caffeine (basically, avoid stimulants).

- Keep adrenaline to a minimum.

- Simplify your lifestyle.

- Count your blessings not your troubles! Have a God-centered attitude of gratitude. Listing in a journal on a regular basis all the many things you are thankful for and give God the glory.

- Don’t fuss about ‘small potatoes.’

Here are some relevant Bible passages on the subjects of worry and anxiety:

Proverbs 12:25 (ESV) Anxiety (worry) in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

A ‘good word’ here can be affirmation and praise from another person or truth from God’s Word.

1 Peter 5:6-9a ESV Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ⁷ casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. ⁸ Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, firm in your faith,

Psalm 55:22 ESV Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Jesus warns people not to be anxious about the things of life but instead seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and your needs will be met.

Matthew 6:25-34 ESV “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁸ And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ³⁴ “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

See also Luke 12:22-31

Matthew 13:22 ESV  As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

Luke 21:34 ESV But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.

Mark 13:11 ESV  And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

John 14:27 ESV Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Colossians 3:15 ESV And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Psalm 56:3 ESV When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

Realize that God is sovereign and that we are responsible for aligning our lives with God’s will for us.

Job 12:10 ESV In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.

Acts 17:24-28 ESV The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, ²⁵nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. ²⁶And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, ²⁷that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, ²⁸for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’;as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.

1 Chron . 29:11-13 ESV ¹¹Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. ¹²Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. ¹³And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

John 14:1 ESV “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 ESV “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. ⁸ He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

1 Peter 1:16 ESV  since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Gal. 5:22-25 ESV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

And my favorite passage for encouragement with life’s issues:

Phili. 4:6-8 ESV Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

What are your thoughts about what I wrote and included here about dealing with worry and anxiety? How do you deal with worry and/or anxiety?

Mike