Eternal Perspective

If you have read any of my posts before today, you likely know that one of my recurring themes is that of having an eternal perspective. In my mind, decision making that is done from anything but an eternal perspective is not God-honoring and misses the mark.

Sure, some of the decisions we are asked to make from day to day are not ones that appear like they will have a major impact on eternity. I get that. At the same time, sometimes appearances are not what they seem.

Significant Consequences

Sometimes seemingly small decisions can carry significant consequences. It is for this reason that we need to take our decision making process seriously. We need to attempt to include God in every decision we make. How far you take this advice is up to you, but I think you can understand what I mean.

Not only do we need to include Him in our decision making process, but we also need to make sure that we have some sort of structure for our bigger decisions.

Decision Making Structure

I am not recommending anything too formal, but a good set of questions that we can go through when facing these larger decisions can be a huge help. A recent C12 segment included a great set of questions that can serve this very purpose. I am pulling the main questions, and supporting questions, directly from this segment.

My suggestion is that you take these five questions and put them somewhere you can access easily and quickly when you need them. Then, when faced with a tough decision making situation, pull them out and go through them one at a time.

Improve Your Odds!

While this decision making process will not guarantee you to make the right decisions every time, it will significantly increase the odds in your favor. Depending on how honest you can be with yourself, you should see improved results by asking these questions.

Rather than try to cram all five of these questions into one long post, I am going to break them into several posts. I will cover the first question in this post.

Here is the first question:

Decision Making Question #1

How will your most important priorities as God’s child and servant be enhanced by this decision?

In other words, will such a decision enhance your fruitfulness? Or, might these very priorities (i.e., your calling) be hindered if you make such a decision? (Remember, God doesn’t work against Himself!)

You may want to read that a couple of times to make sure you understand exactly what it is asking.

Most Important Priorities?

First, what are your most important priorities as God’s child and servant? While this may be debatable to some, I think Scripture answers this quite clearly. In Matthew 22:35-40, Jesus tells us that our top priorities are these:

Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul.
Love your neighbor as yourself.

Priorities Affected?

Second, you need to ask yourself how these priorities would be affected by this decision. Would one of the options before you enhance the fruit you are bearing in living out these priorities? Would that option limit your fruit?

In some cases, the decision may have no affect at all on these priorities. That is certainly possible, but we need to make sure by praying through our answer. Sometimes we can hide critical factors from ourselves if we are not careful. We must ask God to reveal these to us.

Stay Tuned!

I hope you can see how this question can help to guide us through the decision making process. In my next posts, I will cover the remainder of the questions.

Stay tuned!

Think about a recent decision that you have made.

Would this question have changed how you approached that decision?

Would it have changed your decision altogether?

Photo by SIphotography/iStock

A Missionary Family Story

Let me first explain what they are doing so you can see the parallels.

My friends, husband and wife, are in the medical field. Mark is a certified physical therapist and Rachel, his wife, is a nurse. They have 5 children ranging in age from 4 to 14 years old. They began by selling all they owned and moving to Costa Rica for roughly a year. There they attended a language school to learn Spanish.

Cusco, Peru

From there, they moved to Cusco, Peru where they will live for somewhere between 5 and 10 years. They, along with several other American missionary families (including Mark’s twin brother David and his wife Brooke!), are operating a medical clinic in Cusco. In this clinic, they are providing for the physical needs of people that normally would not get quality healthcare. They are also attempting to meet the spiritual needs of the patients by praying and sharing Jesus with them.

In addition to the clinic, they are involved in getting to know students at the local medical university in Cusco. By doing life with these students, their hope is to teach them about the gospel and point them toward God. For those that come to know Jesus, the idea is to disciple them. This means showing them how to minister to the spiritual needs of their future patients while also meeting their physical needs.

End Goal

The end goal is to have a self-sustaining clinic ministry, run by native Peruvian medical professionals that are also mature disciples of Jesus. If God accomplishes this goal through my friends, they will feel free to leave this ongoing ministry in the hands of the people they have evangelized and discipled over their years in Peru. They then plan to go on to do the same thing somewhere else!

Steps To The Process

Now that you have a picture of their lives and purpose at this point, let me highlight the steps they described in their process:

• Establish a life among the people
• Build relationships with them
• Do life with them
• Sprinkle conversation with the gospel
• Be prepared to share the gospel
• Disciple them to do the same
• Go somewhere else and repeat the process!

Simple Process…For Us!

I am not sure why, but I pictured being a missionary to be something much more complicated and sophisticated. I also imagined it would be more formal for some reason. Instead, it really is a simple process. In fact,…

It is also an exact outline for you and me! Again, the only difference between their picture and ours is the location.

“ The only difference between their picture and ours is the location.

Folks, the call from God that is on the lives of my missionary friends is the exact same call that is on your life and mine. There is NO difference.

The Bible they read is the same one you and I read. The Great Commission and the Greatest Commandments are the same for us as they are for them. In case these have slipped your memory, here they are again!

The Great Commission

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:19-20

The Greatest Commandment(s)

And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him: “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”
Matthew 22:35-40

A Missionary Wherever You Are!

Again, the only difference for us is that we may not be called to leave the country, state, or even our neighborhood. We may be called to stay exactly where we are. But even if this is true, we are still called to do the same thing they are doing. We are called to be a missionary wherever we are!

In my next post, we will break this process down and apply it to our lives. I hope you will pray in the meantime for God to open your heart to seeing your calling from a new perspective!

Is this idea new to you or something you have already recognized?

Where is your mission field?

If this is new to you, what do you need to do next?

Called to Ministry?

I will tell you that I never really got a “call” into ministry. I can remember hearing a message from a speaker when I was in high school that talked about being called into ministry. I remember him saying that one in four of us in the crowd would likely be called into ministry. I can still recall how I looked around at my three friends and thought, “I hope it isn’t me!”

Fast forward 15 years from that point and things changed drastically. No, I still did not receive a “call”, but I did figure out that I did not need to! I did not need to receive a call because I began to read how ministry is the responsibility of every single one of us!

When you read the gospels, you do see Jesus “call” the original 12 disciples into ministry. However, if you read on, you will notice that He later tells them to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20). That’s us…and if we are disciples, then it becomes our job to go and make more disciples! It is our responsibility. We are commanded.

We Are Called!

We are not to sit around and wait for a call. We are not to ignore ministry, leaving it to others because we never “heard” a call to do it ourselves.

Folks, some people do ministry as paid staff members in the church. This is certainly necessary and they deserve praise. I could not do what they do.

At the same time, the rest of us STILL have the responsibility to do ministry. Not only are we to do ministry, we are to do it FULL TIME!

Everything For The Lord!

That’s right, you read it correctly. Every disciple of Jesus is commanded to do EVERYTHING we do as if doing it for the Lord (Colossians 3:23). That means our every step should be a form of ministry.

Please understand me. God wants our all (Matthew 22:37-40). He is not satisfied with us carving out portions of our time to give to His work. He wants our every minute to be devoted to Him. While He is not looking for all of us to join a monastery and meditate 24/7, He DOES want us to spread His love everywhere we go.

Truly, that is all that ministry is – spreading God’s love to all around us.

My Ministry

For me, I began to understand this as I went through a small group study that was led by a mentor at work. I started seeing how God had placed me in a perfect position of leadership within our family business. This position allowed me to use the influence and resources at my disposal to make an impact on the people around me.

Over a period of years, I learned through trial and error. I learned from those older and wiser than me. I learned from whatever sources I could find. In fact, I am still in a position of learning.

Enlist Others

At the same time, I now find it my responsibility (and yours!) to turn and teach others what I have learned. I don’t have it all figured out, but I take comfort in something Andy Stanley once said.

You don’t to fill anyone else’s cup. You simply have to empty yours.

Convinced?

For today, if I can get you to see that you are indeed called to ministry, then I will consider it a successful day! If you are convinced, then let me know in the comment section below. Let me know, even if my post did not help you arrive at this conviction…I want to hear from you! I would also love it if you would share this post with someone that needs to hear it!

If you are still not convinced, I pray you will take some time to dig into this idea for yourself. Read the verses I have listed below and pray that God will show you the truth and how it applies to you. I can promise you this – He is faithful to answer your sincere prayer!

1 John 2:6
Matthew 22:37-40
Colossians 3:23
1 Peter 4:10
Matthew 28:19-20
Matthew 6:33
1 Timothy 6:17-19
Matthew 10:39
John 13:12-17
John 14:12
Romans 12:1-2
1 Corinthians 15:58
2 Corinthians 5:20
2 Timothy 2:2
James 1:22-25

photo by Jes

Missing The Adventure?

Well, I believe there are two main reasons that you might not be experiencing the adventure that God has in mind for you. There may be others, but I think these two reasons will cover the majority of cases. See if you agree.

Clear Purpose Required

The first reason I believe for not living God’s adventure is that you do not yet know or understand your purpose. I am not referring to your specific calling or the career(s) God has prepared for you. I am referring to your overall purpose as a believer in (and disciple of) Jesus. I am referring to your purpose as described throughout the New Testament.

Folks, you cannot read the Bible (see verses at the bottom of this post) and come away with a conviction that He has called you to live a quiet, safe life as a private Christian who goes to church on Sundays and lives a different life during the week. You cannot logically determine that God desires a part-time relationship with you on your terms or at your convenience.

His Purpose For You

No, He wants it all! In fact, He has paid for it all. As a result, your purpose is now to live according to His purpose for you. You are no longer your own; you were bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:20). These may not be the velvet-glove words you want to hear, but I promise you they are the truth.

What if you understand this truth and you are committed to living out your life according to His purposes for you, but you are pretty sure you are not living the adventure He has in mind for you? If this is the case, there is likely only one other reason.

Distracted From Purpose?

If you “get it” as I have described it above, but you are not currently living the adventure, then it is most likely because you are distracted from your purpose. Stop and take a look around at your circumstances. Think about your priorities. Consider your most recent concerns or fears.

If you fall into this category, then you will likely begin to see the distractions that have taken you off the adventure path. You will probably begin to identify distractions in multiples. You might even be shocked at the number or size of these distractions.

Priority Shift

Maybe your business goals have become your main priority, stealing your heart instead of remaining a means to an end. It could be that your fitness goals have turned into vanity goals rather than driving you to care for your temple. Even your church leadership pursuits can get twisted or you can lose your original focus on their true purpose.

I promise you, I understand. I have found myself in the same situation many times. I had the greatest intentions, but before I knew it I was on the side of the road dealing with issues or pursuits that I should have avoided or ignored. It happens to the best of us.

Take Action!

The key here is to recognize the problem and then take action. Once you are aware of the distractions, you have to do whatever it takes to get back on track. Doing so is not easy, but it is rather simple. In fact, I believe the steps you need to take here are the same ones you took to start the adventure in the first place!

1.) Get intimate with God through consistent Bible study and intense prayer.
2.) Let go (mentally, emotionally) of everything else you value.
3.) Ask Him to use you.
4.) Hold on, buckle up, and obey!

Regardless of which of these reasons apply to your situation, I recommend you start with Step #1 and proceed through all four. Remember that God is your greatest source of focus, wisdom, and power. Do not try to do this on your own. It is more about surrender than it is about striving. Let Him lead you.

Matthew 22:37-40
Matthew 28:19-20
Luke 9:62
Luke 9:23
Romans 12:1
Galatians 2:19-20
1 John 2:6
Ephesians 2:10
Colossians 3:23-24
1 Corinthians 3:10-15

The quote in the spotlight today is from Billy Graham. Graham is not one of the original disciples or even the author of any of the lesser known books of the Bible. At the same time, he is someone that most of us look up to and respect immensely. He has lived a life true to his talk. He has certainly remained committed to spreading the gospel and is arguably one of the all-time greatest evangelists. Here is his quote:

When you first read that quote, what are your thoughts?

Do you think about your preference between the two choices?

Do you wonder which is more likely?

Two Choices

There are two areas I want to focus on regarding the success lesson we can learn from this quote. If you will stop and think through these two areas with me, I believe you will see that this quote can be life changing for all of us.

The first thought I want to discuss is the actual decision between these two choices. On one hand, hearing “What a great guy” from the crowd is something most people would desire. There are very few people out there that would not be excited to hear the crowd consider and announce them as great. This is especially true of those of us in business. Don’t you agree?

However, if we are disciples of Jesus, then it stands to reason that we should want to hear, “Well done!” from Him. This commendation is straight from the parable of the talents and is an indication that the servant pleased the master. For us to please Jesus should be something we desire, right?

Decision Between The Two

So the first decision we need to make is which of these we will seek. Will we, as Christian business owners and leaders, seek to hear commendations from the crowd? Or will we seek to hear Jesus express His pleasure with the way we have lived our lives.

While this seems like a clear-cut decision to some, to others it is a real challenge. The simple decision between the two can be a tough one, even when there are no specific circumstances to show the contrast between them.

Well Done!

Regardless of the difficulty, I think it is clear from the teachings of the Bible that we are to seek to hear, “Well done” from Jesus instead of pleasing the crowd (Matthew 22:37-40; James 4:4). This should be our very definition of success in this life! I encourage you to pray through this very decision if it is not clear to you yet. God is faithful and will guide you.

Assuming we have all made the decision to seek to hear, “Well done” from Jesus, a riddle comes to mind. Here it is:

Success Defined

So, the decision to define our success as hearing Jesus say, “Well done” is certainly the first step. However, that decision is not enough. We must now live it out! What does that look like?

Simply put, our every action should be measured and determined according to whether or not it will lead us closer to hearing, “Well done.” It really does not get any more complicated than that.

The problem is that it does get more complicated than that when you throw in specific circumstances. At least it appears to! In my next post, we will take a look at this second part of our success lesson from this quote. We will see what this definition of success looks like in the face of tough circumstances.

Questions

How do you define success as a Christian in business?

Are you eager to hear, “Well done” from Jesus?

Does your definition of success ever drift under tough circumstances?

Delegating Prayer?

As Christian leaders of our organization, department, or team, we have several responsibilities. Among these responsibilities are casting the vision, setting priorities and goals, and holding the team accountable. In many cases, we can delegate parts of each of these areas to qualified team members. As I said above, there are many benefits to doing this.

But there is one responsibility that you simply cannot delegate to your team – not even to your inner circle. This responsibility is prayer. Before I get started, let me clarify something…others can be committed to prayer. Your leadership team or inner circle can engage in prayer regularly. I am not excluding them at all!

Leader Accountable For Prayer

When I say the leader cannot delegate prayer, I mean that she cannot hand this task over to others and no longer be held responsible for it. She can enlist others to pray, but the leader is still accountable for prayer as well. Does that make sense?

The reasons for this are numerous. Let’s go through a few of them and see if you understand the weight of this responsibility. However, before we do, I need to begin with full disclosure!

Full Disclosure!

Until recently, I was not consistently committed to prayer like I should have been. The change came as the result of seeing the movie War Room and learning what commitment to prayer really looks like. I am not yet closely following the advice I will be giving you below, but I am getting much better at it as a result of my changes after seeing this movie. I look forward to a time when I can share more results from this renewed effort!

I say this because I want you to know that this commitment is not easy. It will most likely not come naturally. You will likely forget or neglect it at times for various reasons. The fact remains that we have no choice but to persevere if we truly desire to be the Christian leaders God has called us to be.

Reasons For Prayer Responsibility

Before I begin confessing things I should not confess, let’s dive into the reasons for our responsibility to prayer!

1. Jesus modeled it.

If I wanted to, I could stop the post right here and you should be all in. If God-as-man (Jesus) saw such a tremendous need for prayer that He made it a top priority, then we should do the same. Take a look at the following Scripture and see what you think about the commitment Jesus had to prayer.

Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed. – Luke 5:16

During those days He went out to the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer to God. – Luke 6:12

He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not become discouraged. – Luke 18:1

2. God is the Creator and Designer of All

Seriously, if you had a question about why your computer won’t work a certain way, would you rather sit on hold with phone support or have a direct line to the one individual that wrote the software?!? You may laugh, but this is the same idea!

We have a direct line to the One who created everything we can see. He created business before Jack Welch was a glimmer. He created education, technology, and healthcare. He knows everything there is to know about everything! Where else can you go to get better advice or stronger wisdom?

Knowing He is the ultimate source for anything we could desire to know, shouldn’t we be more eager to sit at His feet and ask for help? Take a look at this Scripture to verify what I am saying.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. – Genesis 1:1

Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind. He said: Who is this who obscures My counsel with ignorant words? Get ready to answer Me like a man; when I question you, you will inform Me. Where were you when I established the earth?…. – Job 38:1 – 41:34

3. We are commanded to pray.

I know some of you scholars are trying to decide whether I have come up with an eleventh commandment or some obscure verse because you cannot think of an instance where we are commanded to pray. Well, I hear you, but I see it differently!

Read Matthew 6:5-8 and count the times Jesus says, “When you pray,…” He did not say “if” you pray, but “when” you pray. This is clear enough to me, but I can take it a step further.

Read Matthew 22:37-40. You are most likely familiar with these verses as I refer to them often. In these verses, we are told to love God with everything we have, but there is no mention of prayer, right?

Please describe to me a relationship built on total love that is without communication. You can’t.

You can’t because it is impossible. If we truly love God with our whole heart, then we will simply be unable to resist talking with Him. It will be impossible for us to go through a day without sharing with Him or seeking His wisdom. Our desire would be too strong. Prayer would then be our lifeline rather than a responsibility!

Folks, if you will notice, none of the above Scriptures mention handing off the responsibility of prayer. That is because it is not possible. We are each in a position of needing this privilege. Let’s start recognizing this and creating the necessary changes in our lives to make it happen!

I will talk more later about HOW we can pray as Christian business owners and leaders. For now, I suggest you spend some time injecting life back into your prayer life. That is exactly what I am going to do!

“The” Christian Ministry

So, what is all the fuss over “the” ministry? What exactly do you have to do to qualify for Christian ministry? What exactly is full-time ministry? Is it something you must be called to do?

Well, if you listen to most people, full-time Christian ministry is being employed and getting paid by a church or other ministry organization. Most people have the idea that you must leave whatever secular job you may have if you want to do Christian ministry. The two cannot exist together in the same job.

How Do You See It?

Do you think this way?

Assume you and I are sitting next to each other on a plane and we start up a conversation. During the course of this conversation, you ask me what I do. If I respond that I am in full-time Christian ministry, what would you assume I do? Would your next question be related to what church or church organization I work for?

If this would be your assumption, then you are among many who would think the same. However, I think Christian ministry applies to more than just the paid church staff.

Christian Ministry Is For Everyone

Christian ministry is something we are all commanded to do. When Jesus said we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, He pointed us to ministry. He failed to qualify that statement by adding, “on Sundays” or “as staff members of the church.” Instead, He meant everyone, everyday.

Folks, YOU are to be in full-time Christian ministry. It is not something reserved for church staff members. It is not something you are only to do when at church on Sundays or Wednesdays. Christian ministry is an attitude and action of serving others…all the time!

Uncommon Philosophy

I know this is not a common philosophy. I know that your pastor, along with most of your Christian friends, may have a different view. They will not necessarily disagree, but will simply assume a separation between Christian ministry and the business world. That is okay! It really is fine!

You see, we cannot change everyone’s perspective all at once. We cannot expect to explain this idea to a few key people and all of a sudden, everyone realizes they are to be in Christian ministry.

No, we simply need to change our own mindset to embrace full-time Christian ministry right where we are in our current jobs. We need to eliminate the separation in our minds between spiritual activity and secular jobs. We need to begin doing ministry and let others catch on as they will.

Obviously, engaging in Christian ministry can take on many forms. If surveyed people at church, work, or school, you will likely get many answers as well. For the purpose of the discussion now and in future posts, I will tell you what I believe is the root of Christian ministry.

Christian Ministry At The Core

I believe it boils down to two passages of Scripture.

The first is known as the Greatest Commandment. Jesus was asked by an expert in the law which was the greatest commandment. Jesus answered…

He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.
Matthew 22:37-40

The second passage is known as the Great Commission. Some of the very last words Jesus used to instruct his disciples are these…

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20

Living It Out

When you attempt to live out these two passages, whether in business, as a paid church staff member, or anywhere else you may find yourself, I believe you are doing Christian ministry.

If you would like to see various examples of the methods we have used to live out Christian ministry in our business, check out these posts (Christian Ministry Actions). Maybe you will get some ideas you can use in your business.

I will likely say this many times…we do not have it all figured out. We simply began attempting to act out our faith in the business. You may not agree with all we do. You may think we take it too far or not far enough. Either way, I want to encourage you to think about how you can do something similar where you are.

As we go, I hope you will leave comments and let me know what you are thinking. Who knows, your comment may affect someone else that is reading and seeking answers. Don’t hold back!

Do you agree with this definition of Christian ministry?

What do you do to live it out in your life?

Do you meet resistance? How?

Do You Believe These Lies?

Be warned: you may believe some of these! In fact, you may be tempted to stop reading once you see one that you believe is absolutely true, one that you are very comfortable with believing. I encourage you not to stop reading, but instead to take a look at the Scripture I reference and pray about it.

I will tell you that I have done this over the years and it is life-changing. Once you stop accepting what you have been taught all of your life and begin comparing it to God’s Word, you will likely see that you have been operating on a shaky foundation in some areas. You will begin to seek more of God’s truth and how to apply it to every area of your life.

Let’s jump in!

Lie #1. God doesn’t care about my work.

This is a very common lie that trips up many people in their Christian walk. If we begin to believe this lie, then we can basically do anything we want on the job and it should not impact our relationship with God. This idea is an escape from accountability on the job. Before you decide whether it is true or not, take a look at the following from Colossians 3:23-24…

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Lie #2. Getting fed at church on Sunday morning is enough.

This is another common belief, but it is very far from the truth. Folks, we need more of God than we can possibly get from a couple of hours a week. We need to be reading His Word and praying for His guidance. We need accountability from other believers. We need community and relationships within the family of faith.

While some of this happens on Sunday, it is simply not possible to get all of it accomplished in such a short time. We need a daily quiet time when we are alone with God. We need to participate in some sort of community group. For a great model of this behavior, take a look at Acts 2:42-47.

Lie #3. My customers will be offended if I…

I have addressed this one in an earlier post, but it bears repeating. Too many Christian business owners think that the media today is the best indicator of how their customers would react if they were open about their faith. Read this post, with data from a research study by the Barna Group to back it up.

Lie #4. Faith and work are to be kept separate.

I do not have to look far to find Scripture to refute this lie. In addition to Colossians 3:23-24, you can certainly see from Matthew 22:37-40 that God is not just interested in part of our lives. He will not settle for a portion – He wants it ALL.

This does not mean we all have to be paid staff members in the church (addressed next). Instead, it means we are to surrender our entire life to God, job and/or business included. There is no half-way here.

Lie #5. Christian ministry is someone else’s responsibility.

For many years, Christians, and some pastors included, think that you are only a Christian minister if you are on staff at a church. As a result, most Christians leave the job of ministering to those staff members of their church. This simply is not how God designed it.

When defining ministry as “the service or functions of a minister of religion,” we are all included! While we may not draw our compensation from a church, we are still responsible for carrying out the service and functions of our faith.

Paul called us Christ’s ambassadors in 2 Corinthians 5:20. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul talks about how every member of the body of faith is to play a role and every role is important. Let’s start acting like we believe this!

Other Lies?

Well, there they are! I am sure you could come up with others if you started thinking about it. I actually encourage you to do just that. Take a quiet time one morning and ask God to reveal to you some similar “lies” that you believe. Ask Him to show you assumptions you make on a daily basis.

Then take the next step and begin removing these assumptions from your life. Ask Him to show you what you should be doing differently now that you are seeing more clearly. If you will do this exercise, I think you will be shocked at what He shows you.

Do you believe any of these lies?

Which lie will be the toughest for you to overcome?

What other lies came to mind?

Original date of post – September 30, 2012

Waiting To Be Told

If you have been working for any length of time, you have probably witnessed this. For the most part, any new employee needs to be told what to do in the beginning, right? Unless they have worked that exact job before, there are things they need to be told first.

They probably need to know WHAT to do, WHY, WHEN, and HOW they are to do it, and maybe a few other tips. Once they get this, they should be able to go forward on their own with only occasional guidance along the way.

Still Waiting…

The problem is that some employees are still waiting to be told what to do. You probably know some of these people where you work. Maybe they work for you. No matter how many times they have read the job description or listened to the training, they refuse to take action on their own. They can sometimes be found actually standing around because no one stopped to tell them what to do next! It really amazes (and frustrates) me!

To be clear, I am not talking about waiting to be told about NEW tasks, responsibilities, or ideas. As employees are being developed for promotion or more responsibility, they need to be taught more. They cannot know the new stuff until it is taught to them. I am only now talking about what they already know (or should know) they are to be doing.

What About Us?

So now that I have you worked up and as frustrated as I am, let’s (again) turn this around to be about us. You probably knew this was coming, didn’t you? For the sake of this discussion, we are the “employees” in this picture and God is the “employer”.

As you go through the rest of this post, ask yourself if you are acting just like one of these employees. Ask yourself if you are “standing around” waiting to be told by God (again) what He wants you to do. Be honest with yourself and allow Him to guide you. He will show you what He wants you to see.

Examples

Let’s take an easy example to start with.

Our “handbook” (the Bible) says that we are to love God (Matthew 22:37-40), right? This is called the Greatest Commandment and we should all be aware of it by now. We have probably read it many times and have likely heard sermons (training) on it as well.

So, are you DOING it? Are you really LOVING God? Are you doing it with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength? OR are you waiting to be told again that you are to do this?

If I am honest in answering these questions for myself, then I would say I am doing it sometimes and I am trying to do it other times. I can’t really say that at any point in time I am sitting around waiting to be told again to love God. I think I have a passing grade here, but not by much.

Another Example!

Let’s get a little tougher. We have all likely heard of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) as well, right? We are told here to go and make disciples of all nations. Again, we have read it and heard many sermons on it. I doubt there are any of us that can honestly claim ignorance here.

So, again I ask the question. Are you DOING it? Are you truly making disciples? Are you mentoring someone in the Christian walk? Are you engaging your employees, co-workers, and others in Christian ministry? Are you teaching what you have been taught?

In the past, I could answer this question with an easy “Yes!” without blinking an eye. Lately, I have allowed distractions to creep in and now I am unable to answer with confidence. What about you? Have you made an effort? Have you allowed distractions to interfere?

More Examples!

I won’t go into detail with each of the following areas from our “handbook,” but I will at least list them and let you ask yourself the questions. Think about each category and ask yourself the tough questions. Where are you waiting to be told what to do? If that is difficult for you or if you think you will go too easy on yourself, ask someone else to help you. Maybe that can be the start of a discipling relationship!

Evangelism (Acts 1:8)

Tithing (Matthew 23:23)

Love your enemies (Matthew 5:43-44)

Forgive your enemies (Luke 17:4)

Praying for others (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

Bible study (2 Timothy 2:15)

Take Action!

When you have had enough abuse for one day and you are ready to close out this post, stop and do one more thing. Decide on one, only one, of these areas and commit to do something!

Commit to make at least one change. Start doing something that you already know you should be doing. It will be the first step down a great and rewarding path!

Where are you doing what you know you should be doing?

Where are you waiting to be told what to do?

What are you going to do about it?

Part-Time Father

Just for kicks, lets say I decided that for one day a week I decided I would actively parent my children. That is to say, for 5-10 hours on that one day, I would intentionally participate in their activities. We would play together, have a meal or two together, and I might even teach them something.

For the rest of the week, I would virtually ignore them. I would not do this in an ugly way or even to appear cold. I would just put my Dad “hat” on a shelf. Can you imagine how much stress and worry this would remove from my life?

Worth It?

Sure, there may be some very cool experiences I would miss, but there would not be that many of those, right? I mean, the trade-off would be worth it, wouldn’t it?

Clearly, I would have time to do so many other things I have wanted to do. Plus, I would no longer have to worry about so many of those issues that seem to suck the fun out of my life. Can’t you see my reasoning? Am I on the right track?

Your Response?

Right now, I imagine there are several thoughts running through your mind. First, you likely want to tell me that no matter how I spend my time, with or without focusing on my children, I am still a father. Once God gave us that first child, I became forever a father. This is not a title that I can remove at will or for convenience. It is from then on part of who I am – part of my identity.

Next, you would probably want to convince me that even though there are obvious struggles and challenges associated with parenting teenagers, the rewards far outweigh them. You probably want to share your own stories or experiences of how the struggles actually turned into success just when it looked the darkest.

Finally, you would likely use the argument that I took on the responsibility of my children when I became their father. This responsibility includes providing for their needs and teaching them the skills and knowledge they will need to become healthy adults.

Here’s The Problem

Okay, I get all of that. Actually, I agree with all of it. But I have a problem.

In fact, I have a pretty big problem with these arguments.

If all of this is true, why is it that so many Christians think we can do the same thing with our identity as followers of Christ?

Why do so many of us believe that we can be “Christian” for 5-10 hours on Sunday, but the rest of the week is free for us to do as we please?

Is One Day Enough?

I am not really even talking about those who are in church on Sunday and living in obvious and destructive sin the rest of the week. I AM talking about those of us who are in church on Sunday, remain (mostly) morally clean, and do a decent job of staying out of trouble the rest of the week.

Even so, it is this same group that believes this is enough. Though remaining (mostly) morally clean and out of trouble the rest of the week, that is where it ends.

We see nothing wrong with putting our Bible on the shelf Sunday afternoon and picking it back up the next Sunday morning. From Monday to Saturday, we act as if we are free to do as we please (even within moral constraints). And whatever we do, we think it is okay to keep it distinct and separate from our identity as Christians!

There Is No Difference!

Folks, this is no less crazy than me thinking I can stop being a father whenever I want. We are followers of Jesus. We have given our lives over to Him as Lord, not just Savior. When we did this, we forever became children and disciples of His.

This is now and forever part of our identity. Whether we are actively doing something related to our faith or not, we are still His children. Just like being a father, this is not a title we can set aside at will.

There Will Be Challenges!

Of course, when you do this you will face challenges you have never known before. You will wrestle with decisions that used to come easily to you. You will begin to consider the eternal impact of your actions (and inactions) when before you never gave it a second thought.

This is not for the faint of heart. This is tough and you will struggle through it, but there is hope! When we live out our faith 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, regardless of the circumstances or location, the rewards are incredible. Just like being a father, these rewards far outweigh the challenges.

Our Responsibility!

Finally, we have taken on the responsibility of living out our faith. Our most important commandment, as told by Jesus himself, is to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength (Matthew 22:37-40). This is not possible one day per week. It is not possible if we leave Him on the shelf as we head out to work.

No, we are 24/7 to be identified with Jesus. We are to live out our faith in ALL areas of our lives. Whether at work, school, at church, or in the community – we are to identify ourselves with Him. Whether we want to or not, we cannot be a Christian for only 5-20 hours per week.

What are your thoughts?

Can you imagine actually defending the part-time father theory?

What do you need to change?