All to Him I Owe

For a number of years, Beneth and I had the privilege of working with Dr. Walt Brock, the founder and director of Ironwood Christian camp  He is a man who has lived in the Word of God for many years and shows evidence of that time in the Word in the practical ways that he lives. One summer night at Ironwood, he and I were sitting in a jeep contemplating the day we had just experienced. We had a full campsite packed with teenagers, the electricity had gone out, our camp speaker was ill, a serious injury had occurred at the lake, and a number of staff members were struggling spiritually. Mr. Walt made a comment that night that has stuck with me: “I think the lion is roaring today!”

His comment was based upon I Peter 5:8 where it states, “…your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” For me, the last few weeks of ministry have felt as though the “lion has been roaring.” Through a number of circumstances, my senses have been alerted to the fact that the ministry includes a spiritual battle against an enemy that is not made of flesh and blood. Your week may have been similar to mine. If not, I’m sure there is a day coming soon when you will hear the roar of the lion. Regardless of your current situation, I want to plead with you to respond to the lion’s roar in 3 ways.

#1. Trust God Confidently: Sometimes I find myself trusting God reluctantly. Because I’ve tried all of my own solutions to the situation, I reluctantly begin to trust God as a last resort. The Bible clearly teaches that we are on the winning side (Psalm 60:12; I Corinthians 15:57). Christ has promised to never leave us or forsake us (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). Standing strong in the power of His might is possible, or He wouldn’t have commanded us to do it (Ephesians 6:10). There is no good reason for us to reluctantly trust God today. Our trust should be confident in the fact that the One we are trusting is trustworthy.

#2. Pray Fervently: Most of us pray throughout the day-to-day events of ministry life. We pray for the Lord’s help with sermon prep, ministry decisions, and the needs of people we serve. Though we pray regularly, it is interesting to me what the “roar of the lion” does for our prayer life. The roar intensifies our prayer life. We find ourselves not just praying but pleading with God. The heightened sense of danger causes us to take our prayers far more seriously. Don’t miss the value of the lion’s roar. It can add an element to our prayer life that might have been missing.

#3. Work Tirelessly: Galatians 6:9 reminds believers in the midst of difficulty to not “grow weary in well doing.” Don’t quit because the lion roared. His roar is a roar of hunger, not a roar of victory. A hungry lion indicates that he has not found a satisfying meal yet. Even though people are struggling, the finances are declining, and you are at the end of your own wits, don’t quit! Keep working tirelessly, because we will reap if we faint not. A sure reward is promised to those who will stay faithful.

The lion will roar! He may be roaring in your life and ministry today. Stay sober and be vigilant (I Peter 5:8). Use these three simple reminders as your punch list of priority when you are reminded of the spiritual battle present in the ministry to which God has called you.

The second verse of the hymn “Rejoice in the Lord” contains a very important truth. The text says, “I bowed to the will of the Master that day; Then peace came…”

Most of us think that peace should precede submission to the will of God. However, the hymn and Scripture both teach that submission to the will of God precedes peace.

So how does a person discern the will of God? Romans 12:1-2 gives a two-step plan for knowing the will of God. It says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Step #1 is PRESENTATION: The phrase “living sacrifice” indicates that this will require a decision of our will. It is a decision to present ourselves to God with a sense of brokenness. Every time I read the phrase “holy, acceptable unto God,” I am reminded of a similar phrase found in Psalm 51:17: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” The presentation that God does not despise is the presentation of a broken and contrite heart. Knowing the will of God starts with brokenness, which is simply yieldedness. It is a heart that is bent and yielded to do whatever God wants you to do. Remember, God does not reveal His will for our consideration. He reveals His will for our obedience.

Step #2 is TRANSFORMATION: It is not transformation that comes through simple discipline or outward conformity. It is the transformation that comes from the renewing of the mind. The renewing of the mind happens through regular, consistent exposure to the Word of God. The Word of God shows us the ways of God helping us understand the will of God. God has chosen the written Word of God to be His primary source of revelation to us. A person who is seldom in it will struggle to have a good grasp of God’s will.

Now that we know better how to discern God’s will, we have to ask ourselves if we are willing to “bow to the will of the Master today?” The peace most of us desperately desire only comes when we have submitted to the will of God.

Addictions are not limited to illicit drugs, alcohol, or immorality. Some addictions are subtle, quiet, and often overlooked. For instance, have you ever considered the possibility of being addicted to noise?

This summer one of our interns shared with me that C.S. Lewis described Hell as the “Kingdom of Noise.” It is a place of wailing, screaming, and the licking sounds of flame. There will be no quiet solitude or quiet times of thought in Hell. Satan loves it when we keep our lives full of noise from music, radio, television, conversation, etc., because the more noise that is in our lives, the less we hear of God. An addict is revealed when his substance of choice is withdrawn from him. What happens to you when you are alone in silence? Does the silence make you anxious or distraught? Do you desperately try to fill it with more noise?

One type of noise that we often forget about is the noise of activity. The calendars of our lives are filling up quickly. Some of you have very little empty space on your calendar. One man told me last week, “I know I’m busy; but remember, ‘Idle hands are the Devil’s workshop!'” While that is often true, it is also true that busy hands often make for busy lives that keep us from quietly spending time in God’s workshop-His Word. You probably have many good activities on your calendar that involve family, vacation, and fun. But as you think through the things you are planning to do, please remember this question I’ve asked you often: when does a good thing become a bad thing? A good thing becomes a bad thing when it prevents me from doing the best thing! Don’t let the busyness of good things keep you from the best things!

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Let’s discipline ourselves to be comfortable with stillness and silence. Let’s also discipline ourselves to create silence in our lives. In the still silence, we often hear God’s still, small voice-a voice we desperately need to hear, in order to build a relationship with our Lord. The best things are always the things that truly draw us closer to Him. Don’t let the good things prevent you from the best things.

Early one morning, a number of years ago, I had the privilege of meeting the famed Utah Jazz basketball star Karl Malone at the Salt Lake City airport. Even though he worked hard not to be noticed, a number of people recognized Karl and asked him for his autograph. I was reminded that day of how one author humorously defined a celebrity: “a person who works hard all of his life to be known, then wears sunglasses to avoid being recognized.”

The word celebrity comes from a word that means “to frequent” or “to gain notice.” Some people, like firemen or good Samaritans, gain notice unintentionally. Other people, like actors, politicians, athletes, and even preachers, seem to actively pursue celebrity status. Whether the status was intentional or unintentional those people gained the attention of others.

In recent days, the Lord has been teaching me that within my fleshly nature is a desire to conduct myself in such a way that I gain the favorable attention of man. How destructive this behavior is! It facilitates so many sinful struggles that we face in life. For instance, it is often one of the root sins that can lead us into depression and deep discouragement, because we are living to be seen by men but sometimes don’t get the attention we crave. It serves as the sinful motive that leads us to purchase things we can’t afford to better present ourselves in the eyes of others and leaves us with excessive debt. It sometimes leads us to bizarre or outlandish behavior in our speech and dress. It causes us to lead our families into excessive schedules built around extracurricular activities and hobbies that are motivated by looking good in front of others.

One of the verses that God has been using in my life to reveal my sinful desire for attention is Philippians 1:20-21 which says, “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” The Apostle Paul desired the magnification of Christ in his life more than the magnification of himself. Rather than trying to gain attention through the way he lived, he wanted to give attention to Christ in the way he lived.

As you seek to grow in the area of giving attention to Christ, let me share three simple concluding thoughts.

1. Always remember that life is not about you! Your life has been given to you by God for a far greater purpose than your own self-magnification. Colossians 1:16-18 clearly teaches that we were created by God and for Him! We were created and we are being sustained so that Christ may have the preeminence.
2. Identify the ways in your life in which you attempt to magnify yourself in the eyes of others, and put those behaviors off. For instance, think about your dress. The whole issue of modesty/immodesty can be easily addressed by insuring that your motive in the things you wear and the way you wear them is to draw attention to God rather than yourself. Think about your speech. Do you speak quickly, loudly, or brashly simply to seize and capture the attention of others. Do you excessively use the word “I” in your sentences, making yourself the hero of all your stories so that others think well of you? What about Facebook? Do you post certain comments, pictures, or articles with the simple hope that you will receive multiple likes. What if you were to ask yourself this question before you post anything on social networks: “What could I say that brings God the most attention?” Finally, what about your purchases? Do you buy things for the purpose of causing others to think you are of a certain financial status or to gain the oohs and ahhs of others?
3. Finally, actively endeavor to promote Christ in your life! Paul said in Philippians 1:21, “For me to live is Christ.” He was both driven by and content with Christ being at the very center of his life. I pray that we would strive to live humbly beneath the shadow of Christ and His glory.

As you may guess, this really is a call for humility! Humble people strive to take any attention they receive (either intentionally or unintentionally) and divert it to God, Who is worthy of all praise!