Giving the small things to God.

So I haven't posted in a month now I have been really busy lately. A lot of my blogging activity has gone to trying to get the new Take It To The Streets blog up and running. However after the last few weeks of having something weigh on me I find the necessity to get it out in the open.

Most Christians have no problem praying for larger things in their lives. We pray for health concerns, death in the family, financial struggles, world events, and local tragedies. But why do we have such a hard time asking God for his help in dealing with people we find difficult in our lives. Personally I have a hard time with a few people trying to convey my thoughts and ideas in tangible terms. I may feel moved by God but getting his divine inspiration in my life across to select people seems a daunting task.

I think that we as humans are very worried constantly about how people will receive our words. If we try to address something that is causing us grief in our life with a friend or fellow brother or sister in Christ the level of difficulty in the task seems to multiply. Will I be doing harm to this person? Will I bring this person grief? Am I justified in my opinion or is there something wrong with me? These are just a few of the questions we ask ourselves as we try and figure out how to approach people.

My answer is, take it to God. If he can heal the body of cancer he can certainly open the heart of someone you are trying to address a concern with as well as open you heart to their perspective. If we take the time to pray about the issue then any spirit of offense or wrongdoing will have fled from us and given us a sound body and soul to speak from. You do not want to go at the situation while evil spirits are still in the situation. Looking back I can see why so many of my conversations with people have gone awry when I try and broach sensitive subjects while those spirits are still alive and kicking.

After you take it to God you have to be prepared to do as he ask. Often times he will prompt us to speak with the person who we are having a difficulty with, when the time is right. We have to be ready to obey that command and know that God is with us and he will work things out according to his plans. It may not work out the way we would like it to but "all things according to his will". If we do nothing or try it without the assistance of God then we are giving those spirits free reign over that aspect of our lives and will never truly have peace. As surely as we can plant a seed of hope in those around us, a seed of discord can be planted with unattended offense. On the flip side how prideful are we who hear our brothers and sisters attempts at reconciliation and choose not to examine our own perspective and seek God for a sincere response.

Who gossips with you will gossip against you

The Hebrew word translated “gossip” in the Old Testament is defined as “one who reveals secrets, one who goes about as a talebearer or scandal-monger.” A gossiper is a person who has privileged information about people and proceeds to reveal that information to those who have no business knowing it. Gossip is distinguished from sharing information by its intent. Gossipers have the goal of building themselves up by making others look bad and exalting themselves as some kind of repositories of knowledge. In the process of doing a little research for this posting I came across an interesting fact; almost every known religion has derogatory things to say about gossip and those who spread it. Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Taosim and on and on have numerous religious text that speak plainly about the wrong of bearing false witness against another. Gossip is a way of us judging others which really is not our job.

"Judge not, that ye be not judged". Matt 7:1

There is a fine line on what knowledge you choose to impart on another for good or for gossip. This line is really a matter of intent and only God can know the intent of a mans heart. If you hear that someone has a eating disorder or know it first hand you have a few choices. You could do nothing.

‘The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing.’ - Edmund Burke. (yeah hes not in the bible but i've always loved this quote)

You can tell others for the sake of making this person look bad and by comparison you yourself look better.

“Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.” Lev 19:16

Or you can impart this knowledge to someone who may be able to help and give council. Personally I believe that through prayer God will give you the discernment to know who to impart knowledge of this type that can bring someone into the situation to help begin the healing process. If you saw someone with a gun to their head most of us would not just sit and watch them shoot themselves or someone else without trying to intervene. In the same way if you knew someone was suicidal would you not try and find someone qualified to help them out. Again the act of gossip is in the intent and that is between you and God, however I know even in my own life I need to look at times I speak and really evaluate why it is I'm saying what I'm saying.

These are extreme examples but they make a point. When the situation is not life and death and you hear rumor of the "he said, she said" style....Go To The Source. Gossip is meant to alter the perception of a person or their character to the one you are sharing the gossip with. If you go to someone and say I heard this about you and would like to hear the truth from you, you stop the fire from spreading. I welcome feedback from others on this topic it is something coming up frequently for me and always consider the input of others. My personal accountability in this area will certainly be spoken of this week on here, as I ask to be called to the mat.

Work to the betterment of "Not Yourself"

So I'm noticing something in the workplace that I see in lives of Christians more often then I should. For some reason people in the workplace are so worried about making their way the right way that they lose sight of the good of the company. Our purpose at work should be to use our skills and ability's for the betterment of the company. As the company does better then we will prosper with them. I know that I am not always right or that someone else may have a better idea then I do. I guess I am not so ingrained in my ways yet that I only see one possible outcome for any given event. Everyday I encounter resistance at work to anything that might actually make things run smoother or that is to the benefit of all because "That is just not how things are done". People are so worried about holding on to the little bit of real estate that they have, that they fail to see the bigger picture. Granted I understand that this happens less in the public sector then it does in the government but it still happens.

I find that the same thing happens in reference to the heavenly kingdom as well. We develop a ministry from the ground up, start a new church, create our own small group, or put together a missions trip and then things don't quite work out the way we had them planned. The defining purpose of our acts should be for the betterment of God's kingdom. When God sees fit that we move on to something else or what we have started is not benefiting his kingdom as much as something else might, we should not fight to hold on to it. As people and Christians we need to learn that our actions should be for the furthering of Gods kingdom in whatever way we can. It may not be the way that we would like, but it is not about us, that is the sin of Pride creeping into our lives. I see people everyday that have are so proud of their work that they refuse to adapt or see that in some cases there may be a better way to further the collective goals of the company. They have to be willing to compromise. Some days we must realize that God has a better way to further his goals then the path we are currently on and we must be willing to change course with him.

It is not an easy thing letting go of works we have started or founded, that we believe are righteous and worthy. However, if we are truly seeking God, what are our works but tools to further his kingdom. When he calls us to lay down that tool and move to till another field we should not question our Creator just simply obey. You may find that as you constantly strive to work towards the betterment of Gods kingdom you, yourself become a better person. Funny how God works that way.

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls". 1 Peter 1:6-9 NIV

Church: It's Everywhere

I was talking to my younger brother who is a pastor up in Ohio around Midnight last night. One of the things we started to talking about was how often we both have "Church". Like a good many words they carry different meanings to different people depending on their own perceptions. It is really hard for me to describe all the things Church is to me but I can tell you what it is not to me. Church is no longer me going to a building once a week and warming a pew for a hour and half then getting on with the rest of my week. At one point in my life that is all church was, nothing more then a social gathering to catch up with people I had not seen since last week and feel like I had done my Godly duty for the week. Then back to the daily grind.

Someone at work asked me this week how often I got to church and when I replied "Every Day" they seemed shocked. Church for me has become anything I am doing with the the body of Christ. Thorn practice, small group, prayer group, outreach, fellowship, worship the list goes on. Fellowship has become a huge part of my life. The fact that I have a open minded group of people that I see almost five days a week is a huge blessing. We go out to eat, movies, game night, prayer group, etc. Our group of friends hang out as much as will fit into our schedules and since most of us attend Seacoast and the Well and go to the same prayer group that ends up being a lot. We all have accountabilty to each other and continually sharpen one another.

It is an incredible experience to get together with friends and have a worship sessions randomly break out. Happens all the time in our group. We pray over everything all the time, at any given moment if someone has a need we will stop and pray. To those of you who may not be as saturated with church as I am this may sound weird or dull. Weird, well normality is overrated anyway and as for dull I can tell you it is anything but. We have fun all the time, everywhere we go and we are full of joy in the spirit as we do it. We must be doing something right because our circle is ever growing. Seldom does a new person come in and decide that it is to boring for them. And the ministry's that are coming out of this solid group of amazing men and women of God is an awesome sight to behold. The passion of doing Gods will among these young adults is highly contagious, I found out a year ago first hand myself and the number of infected grows daily.

Reaching out you may find yourself

I have a million things that I have put down on paper over the last year and only a few see the light of day. However I have finally decided to try and maintain a blog. So many things to say but I can spread them out over time. I think it’s best to start from the beginning or rather the beginning of my awakening. About a year ago I was out walking my dog with my best friend and there happen to be a non-profit hosting a Unity in the Community concert. We met this guy Jesse who has a passion for outreach work that is only rivaled by his dedication to God. It is a passion that is tiresome at times (for those of us who find it hard to keep up with the fact he is a full sprint 24/7), yet highly contagious. A year later me and my best friend Martha were knee deep in preparing for the same event that most certainly turned my life into a much more fulfilled one.

Every week I go out with Take It to the Streets to do field day for children in a neighborhood that most people just refer to as the bad end of town. These kids know us by name and look forward to Saturdays knowing we will be there playing games and cooking hot dogs for them. Who but God can know the long term implications of the lives we touch out there, but I know the looks on their faces when we show up. The deep sense of making an impact in someone’s life is greatly fulfilling. It has filled a space inside me that I did not even know was empty. Sure sometimes I'm dragging on days and feeling like I want to just stay home and lounge by the pool, but never have I gone to be the hands and feet of God and felt like there was somewhere else I would rather be. I encourage any readers who are not currently involved in some form of outreach to get connected and get out in the streets. Jesus said "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matt 24:40)

You may find that as you reach out to help others you yourself are being helped. The chain reaction of a good deed done from a pure heart and the sheer motivation to serve God has effects that reverberate throughout eternity. There is no shortage of opportunity to be the vessel in which God works through to touch a life of one who is less fortunate then you, the question is are you prepared to give God that kind of control?