Consider Your Ways! "Yes, Lord" When I'm Busy

Let's start right off with a bit of a self-evaluation. Think in terms of "too much", "not enough" or "just right". How much time do you spend doing the following activities each day? 

Driving

Watching TV

Social Media

Working

Exercising

Sleeping

Spending Quality Time with Your Kids

Spending Quality Time with Your Husband

Attending Your Kids’ Games or Activities

Reading the Bible

Praying

Being Still Before the Lord

Doing an Activity you find Relaxing

Other Activities

This whole idea of busyness isn’t a new concept. You’re probably busier than you need to be and you probably already knew that, right? Jesus was never portrayed in Scripture as being in a hurry. Isn’t that amazing? Scripture never refers to Jesus as rushing anywhere or running late or not having time to do something he wanted to do. Now, he was human, so it's probable that he found himself busy at times, but the stories recorded in Scripture for us depict him taking his time as he went from place to place and person to person. Not only that, but Jesus had a few choice words to say about the busyness of one of his dearest friends. You’ve probably heard the story of Mary and Martha before. It’s in Luke 10:38-42. 

Jesus visits Mary and Martha

The first thing Martha did was invite Jesus into her home. This was a great thing! She opened her home to the Savior and invited him in. No criticism there, Martha. The second thing Scripture tells us here is that Martha was distracted with her serving. No doubt there was a  lot to get done. We’ve all been in the position of hostess and we like to make sure everything is taken care of and ready for our guests. There’s nothing wrong with that. The harm came when Martha became distracted by her service. She forgot to stop and sit and spend time with her guest because she was so busy serving. Uh-oh, Martha. Jesus quickly put her in her place, reminding her that Mary’s choice to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen was the better choice.

So what else does the Bible have to say about busyness? Is there anything else to add to this teaching of Jesus here in Martha’s home? Oh, you know there is!

Busy with Your own House

Look at Haggai 1:3-9. It was time for God’s people to rebuild the temple. They really didn’t want to, but the prophet, Haggai, delivered a message from the Lord instructing them to get started. If ever there was a group of busy people, this is it. They’ve been working and eating and drinking and trying to survive and it just seems like they’re spinning their wheels because despite all of their hard work, they never have enough. Haggai reveals to them the reason that their labor isn’t producing any good fruit. It’s because the house of the Lord lies in ruins while everyone is running around being busy with their own houses. Their priorities were a bit twisted, thinking that their own homes were more important than the house of God.

Let’s take the advice offered in Haggai 1:7 and consider our ways. Are we like Matha, so busy with working for the Lord that we forget to stop and linger in his presence? Or are we like the Israelites, spending more time on the business of our own homes while there is Kingdom work to do? Neither of these options are God’s best for our schedules or our lives.

It’s all about Perspective

In the next few months, FBC Gonzales is going to begin a season of studying our purpose as individuals and as a church. We’re going to use the book, “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren to explore our purposes here on earth. If you haven’t read that book, I highly recommend it, even if you don’t feel like you struggle with knowing your purpose. The first line of this book is simultaneously simple and mind-blowing. “It’s not about you.” This whole life is not about you. It’s not about me. Yet somehow, we have gotten it absolutely backwards. We operate our day-to-day lives as if this life is all about me and you and our kids and our husbands. It’s time for a shift in our perspective.

In his book, Rick Warren gives us five purposes for living here on earth: 

      •    Purpose #1: You Were Planned for God's Pleasure (Worship)

• Purpose #2: You Were Formed for God's Family (Fellowship)

• Purpose #3: You Were Created to Become Like Christ (Discipleship)

• Purpose #4: You Were Shaped for Serving God (Ministry)

• Purpose #5: You Were Made for a Mission (Mission)

You can tell a lot about a woman by looking at her schedule. Her schedule speaks volumes.

If you can look at your schedule, no matter what activities fill it, and find that your daily life focuses on worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and mission, chances are you’re in a good place. But if your schedule reflects a different set of priorities, it’s time for an evaluation and a change. 

What is your “Thing?”

Each of us has at least one particular “thing” that typically dominates our schedules. For some of you it’s all about your kids! Their athletics - practices, games, tournaments, lessons. Maybe they’re into 4-H and stock show. Maybe your family is big on academics. For others of you, your “thing” may be your job or social activities, or reading, or watching tv or social media. Your “thing” may be that you are a caregiver or you are responsible for something or someone on a full-time basis. You know what your “thing” is. It’s the “thing” you spend most of your time doing. 

This won't come as a shock to anyone that know me, but my "thing" is CHURCH MINISTRY. My family doesn’t participate in many sports and we sure don’t show animals. We value academics and we definitely spend too much time watching TV and playing on Facebook. But our “thing” is church. We are here just about every time the doors are open and usually when they aren’t. Our Sunday starts with us arriving to church around 7:45 am and we don’t usually get home until 12:30. We go back on Sunday evenings for meetings and practices and Bible Study and prayer time, so we’re usually at church for around 8 hours each Sunday. Wednesdays are starting to look pretty similar. Bible Study has me here by 8 every Wednesday morning and I don’t usually get home until 11:30 or so. We’re back up here for our evening activities for several more hours each Wednesday evening. Then throw in things like Ladies Retreat or our Men’s Campout or baby showers or Valentine’s banquets or conferences and we are doing church ministry all the time. When we aren’t AT church, we’re talking about church or working on Bible studies or writing sermons or talking on the phone or texting with church members. It’s pretty much a 24/7 gig at the Irving house. And we LOVE it. 

But sometimes it can be a problem if we forget that our purpose in it is not about US. It’s not about making us look good or making our church look good. It’s not about numbers or attendance or money. It’s not about the number of activities we can be involved in. It’s about worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and mission. It’s about bringing God glory in all of those things and through our obedience to Him in what we allow into our lives. Sometimes, my perspective is right on. I’m doing it all for the Lord and for His glory. Other times though, my perspective shifts and I begin to do “church ministry” for all the wrong reasons. I take something that is good and turn it into an idol when it becomes more important than Him.

So think about what your “thing” is. 

You can do that thing for God’s glory. 

You can do that thing as an act of worship or to fellowship with other believers. 

You can do that thing to make disciples. 

You can do that thing to minister to others and share the good news of the gospel. 

OR

You can do that thing to make your name great. 

You can do that thing to advance yourself or your kids. 

You can do that thing so that you feel like you’re living the American dream. 

You can do that thing because everybody else is doing it and you wouldn’t want to be left out. 

You can turn that good thing into an idol too. 

You can do your “thing” for all the right reasons or all the wrong reasons.

Bad Busy vs. Good Busy

So the conclusion I’ve come to is this: There are Two Ways to be Busy

1. Bad Busy - When your schedule reflects priorities that focus on you.
2. Good Busy - When your schedule reflects priorities that focus on Him.

Instructions for women

Let’s look at Titus 2:3-5. Here Paul is writing to Titus with instructions for the older men and women in the church. In verse 5 he tells Titus that the older women need to train the younger women how to “work at home” or “be busy at home”. It’s odd that in Haggai and in Luke, we are instructed that busyness is NOT a virtue, but here in Titus, it seems that busyness at home is a good thing.

So let’s keep looking at Scripture until we understand. Head over to Proverbs 31. If anyone in Scripture can shine some light on busyness, it’s this Proverbs 31 lady, this wife of noble character. Check out all the things she does:

She finds supplies and works with her hands. She cooks for her family, even getting up before sunrise to do it. She makes big purchases and isn’t afraid of manual labor. She stays up late and gets up early. She sews clothing and bed coverings for her family. She ministers to the poor and needy. She makes all the clothes for her family and sells what she makes for profit. She shows strength and dignity and wisdom and kindness. This lady sounds pretty busy to me! And oddly enough, here in Proverbs, this busyness sounds like a good thing!

Busyness at home is a good thing for us. The world wants us to be busy outside of the home. The world tells us to climb the corporate ladder and shatter the glass ceiling. The world tells us to get our kids involved in every possible activity outside the home that we can. God tells us to be busy at home. Does that mean that women working is wrong? Or activities outside the home are not godly? Definitely not. But if we neglect our homes because of these things, we are in the wrong. We are not living the kind of life God has for us. God makes it very clear in Scripture that our priority as women should be our homes. Our husbands. Our children. Our homes.

Practical Instructions for Busy Women

So what can you do if you know your schedule is too busy? These simple instructions are not just important for you, but for your kids. The schedule you allow your kids to keep is the message you are sending to them about their purpose. 

1.    Just say NO. 

Remember our verse, Isaiah 26:8? After the “Yes, Lord” part that we know so well, it says “walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you.” Too often, we barrel right ahead with our plans, not even considering God’s plan for our lives. Sometimes we need to wait for Him. Not every good thing is the best thing for you or your family. Don’t be afraid to back out of things you’ve already committed to when you realize those things are not being used for God’s glory.

2.   Honor the Sabbath and keep it holy. 

Read Exodus 20:8-11. For some reason this is one of the Ten Commandments that we don’t take as seriously as the others. God rested from His work of creation on the seventh day and we are commanded to do the same. Anything less is a sin. If you are running from one activity to the next and those activities have encroached upon your day of rest, it is time to change your schedule. 

3.   Practice stillness. Read Psalm 46:10. Carve out time in your day each day to practice being still in the presence of God. This is a discipline that He wants His children to have. Meditating on a verse like this helps us to fix our perspectives on the right things- his exaltation among the nations and over all the earth.

4.    Make your home your priority.

Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9. It is our responsibility as mothers to teach our children to love the Lord with all their hearts. What does that love look like? Obedience. We must teach our children to love the Lord by focusing their lives around the glory of His name, not the glory of their own names. As Jesus-followers, our schedules should reflect that we prioritize our homes.

Obeying God when you’re busy is a complicated task. It takes some intentional self-examination and may require some tough decisions. But those hard things are so worth it when we get our perspective fixed to line up with God’s perspective. When we remember that this life is not about us, but all about Him, the task of simplifying our schedules becomes a joy and a privilege instead of a dreaded burden. 

Father, help us to honor you with our schedules.

"Yes, Lord" When I'm Worried

Disclaimer!!!

Anxiety can be a problem that becomes so great that professional help is needed. Please don’t seek to fight this on your own. Battling the worries of this world is a much different fight than a battle against intense, consuming, controlling anxiety. If you are overwhelmed with anxiety, it’s time to see a doctor and a counselor. These are counseling centers that I am personally familiar with that are local to the Gonzales area that I would recommend. Please let me know if I can help you in any way.

STCH Family Counseling Guadalupe Valley Christian Counseling Center

Victoria, TX/Gonzales, TX Seguin, TX

stchm.org         guadalupecounseling.org

(361)575-5151 (830)303-3161

Appointments at FBCG

Jesus Teaches about Worrying

The Sermon on the Mount is the most well-known sermon recorded in Scripture. At the peak of Jesus' ministry, the crowds had been following him around, so finally he went off by himself to a mountain. The disciples followed him so he began to teach them, despite the fact that he was hoping for a bit of peace and quiet by himself. By the time the sermon was over, the crowds had caught back up with him and had been hanging on his every word. This whole sermon focuses on how to live a righteous, kingdom-focused life. 

Take a minute to read Matthew 6:25-34.

Jesus doesn’t beat around the bush. He comes right out and says, “DO NOT BE ANXIOUS” or “DO NOT WORRY” three times in this one short passage. From his teaching, we can learn a few important things about worry.

1. Worry is a SIN. (Matthew 6:25, 31, 34)

Often we treat worry as if it is something we shouldn’t do. We act as though Scripture just suggests that we avoid worrying, not as though it’s actually a sin. One of the largest problems facing Jesus-followers today is the refusal to call sin what it is: SIN. Sin is defined as an offense or transgression against divine law. The way we explain it to unbelievers is that sin is anything that you do that’s wrong. Sin separates us from God and hinders our relationship with him. Of course, Jesus paid the price for our sin through His death and resurrection and if we accept the free gift of salvation that he offers to us, when God looks on us He doesn’t see sin any longer. He sees Jesus. But as believers, when we let sin enter our lives, we find that our relationship with God is no longer what it used to be when we first repented. Further repentance is needed to restore that relationship between us and God. 

We also like to distinguish sins into different categories or different levels. We think of sins as “little sins” and “big sins”. While it’s true that different sins have different consequences, some being bigger and some being smaller, the sin itself is all the same. The size of the consequence is different, but the sin of the heart is the same in the eyes of God. Sin separates us from God and WORRY is SIN. 

2. Worry is a FAITH STEALER. (Matthew 6:30, 17:20)

The actual wording here for “you of little faith” is “Little faith ones”. Here it wasn’t a harsh term of rebuke, but more of a loving term meant to encourage the disciples to grow in their faith. Worry will steal your faith. Jesus spoke to the disciples over and over again about their need for their faith to increase. In Matthew 17:20, Jesus taught the disciples about faith. He told them that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed, it would be enough to move mountains. When we allow worry into our minds, even the slightest bit is enough to choke out the mustard seed of faith, rendering us crippled in our efforts for the kingdom.

“Worry implies that we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough or loving enough to take care of what’s happening in our lives.”    ~Francis Chan

3. Worry is a STUMBLING BLOCK. (Matthew 6:32)

Jesus reminds the disciples that the Gentiles (those who do not believe) are consumed with worries about clothing and food. He wants the disciples and us to be different. He knows that when we worry about the cares of this world, failing to trust Him for the provision of our needs, the unbelieving world takes note of it. In fact, just a few verses before in Matthew 5:16, in the same Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory your Father who is in heaven.” Refusing to worry brings glory to God.

The Heart of the Matter: Contentment

The real issue here is contentment. 

We only need to look back a few verses to Matthew 6:19-24 to see what exactly it is that feeds the monster of worry. Jesus teaches that where your treasure is, your heart will be also.  If your treasure is found in the things of this world, your heart will be caught up in the pursuit of those things and worry is sure to follow. However, if your heart is pursuing the kingdom of God, you will find true contentment and will have no need to worry.

A few years ago when Karalyn was about 5 years old, she walked into our kitchen and said, “Mom, these countertops are awful- we really need to get granite countertops.” Any five year old that is concerned in the least about what type of countertops are in her kitchen is a five year old that has been influenced by the wrong things. It only took me a split second to realize that every time she saw HGTV on our tv, she was being taught discontentment. I had always enjoyed the house hunting shows and the remodeling shows, but the more I watched, the more I realized that no one is ever satisfied and there’s lot of whining and complaining that goes on there. I try to be much more careful about letting those shows into my home and since then Karalyn has become much less concerned about what kind of countertops we have! More importantly than that, we are trying to instill in our kids an awareness of God's perfect provision for our family!

It did cause me to do a bit of introspection as well. I don’t want the things of this world to be things that I care about. Is it wrong to have granite countertops? Absolutely not! Is it wrong to have nice things? No! Matthew 6:29 reminds us that Solomon had all the riches in the world but that God still provided for his needs, even more than he did the flowers of the field. The sin is the love of money, not the money itself. The sin is the discontent when God has provided for all of your needs. The sin is the worry where there needs to be trust.

PREPARING FOR BATTLE

Remember a few weeks ago when we talked about doubt? We identified two important components in the battle of faith vs. doubt.

The Battleground: YOUR MIND

The Battle Plan: EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE

The battle against anxiety is the same. The battleground is our minds. The battle plan is to take every thought captive, which is a command according to 2 Corinthians 10:5. That's a good one to commit to memory if you haven't already!

Let’s look at Philippians 4:6-8. Here Paul is writing a letter to the believers in Phillipi, giving them instructions in how to live a righteous life for the kingdom of God. He tells them the same thing that Jesus told his disciples - “Do not be anxious about anything!” Then he goes on to explain to them how to fight this battle of the mind. “But in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” When that worried thought enters your mind, take it captive by asking God to remove the worry from you. Unfortunately, sometimes we get caught up in asking God to fix things. We forget that we can ask Him to remove our worry. Don’t just ask Him to fix the situation, ask Him to remove the worry. Ask Him to take away the anxiety about the situation. Ask Him to take it captive and make it obedient to Christ. Thank Him for it in advance - He will do it! 

The best part comes next- “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This promise of peace is sweet relief to the person struggling with anxious thoughts. Remember what we learned about the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer - the peace is already in you as a believer because the Holy Spirit himself abides in you. All you have to do is ask Him to take away the worry and replace it with peace and he will do it. His peace will guard your heart and your mind against the worry that threatens to eat you alive. And how does it guard you? In Christ Jesus. We have access to the peace of God because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Because of the Gospel. Praise God for Jesus Christ and the peace that he offers us!

Verse 8 is one more strategy to use when taking the anxious thoughts captive. Do NOT think about the things that are making you anxious. Instead, think about the things that are true and honorable, etc. You will have to make a conscious decision to refuse to think your anxious thoughts. It is not out of your control. Remember, the fruit of the Spirit is self-control. Do not believe the lie that your anxious thoughts are outside of your control.

Obedience when I’m Worried

This message of Jesus and later of Paul is simple. There’s nothing new or creative or extraordinary here. How do we obey when we are worried? We STOP thinking anxious thoughts. We STOP worrying. Instead of worrying, we say “Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your law, we wait for you. Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.” (Isaiah 26:8) Take the first step in the battle against anxiety by saying no to worry and yes to obedience!

Obeying God is Scary Business: "Yes, Lord" When I'm Afraid

Obeying God is scary business.

FEAR

Let’s look at some different types of fear before we get into God’s Word. There’s terrified fear – the kind you’d feel if someone held a gun to your head. There’s a fear that’s more of a dread - like when you know a tornado is headed straight to your house or a loved one is about to die. There’s also the anxious fear, which we’ll call worry and talk about next week. And then there’s also the healthy fear of the Lord, which we won’t touch on today either. The kind of fear we are going to discuss today is the fear that comes when we come face to face with the truth of Scripture, with something God is telling us to do, and we are scared to death to obey.

I spent a while wondering what the difference was between fear and worry. Those words are often used interchangeably, but they’re definitely different concepts. The conclusion I came to is that worry is an active response to fear, while fear itself often leaves us paralyzed. So next week we’ll dive into the concept of obedience when we’re worried. But today we’re going to talk about being afraid to obey what God is telling you to do.

Have you heard it said that the phrase “Do Not Fear” is found exactly 365 times in Scripture, one for every day of the year? Well, I did a little research and found that that’s not true. You can’t believe everything you read on the internet, can you? The good news is that we don’t need to read it 365 times in order for it to be a trustworthy saying. God definitely does not want us to be afraid.

When I started searching for the phrase “Do Not Fear” in Scripture, I was amazed to find that most of the time, when those words are spoken, it isn’t because the hearer is scared. The words “Do Not Fear” are spoken because the message is going to require obedience in potentially scary circumstances.

Old Testament Examples:

Deuteronomy 1:21 –Moses speaking to the Israelites when sending out spies to the Promised Land: See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

1 Chronicles 22:13 – King David charging his son, Solomon, to rebuild the temple: Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the Lord gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.

Isaiah 43:1-2 – God’s words for Israel: But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Haggai 2:4-5 – The Lord speaking to the people through the prophet Haggai: Be strong…This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’

Obeying God is scary business. When we get serious about following God in obedience, fear often creeps in. The enemy is too big. The task is too great. The path is too threatening. It will take too long. I am too weak. I am too afraid. And God says, “Do not be afraid!”

New Testament Examples:

1 Peter 3:14 – Peter gives instructions to believers faced with suffering for the gospel: But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats[a]; do not be frightened.”

Revelation 2:10 – God’s words to the church in Smyrna:  Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

But these words come straight from Jesus:

Matthew 10:28 – Jesus sending out the disciples as sheep among wolves: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.

Luke 5:10 – Jesus speaks to Simon Peter while in the fishing boat: Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”

Following Jesus in Two Worlds:

As we studied 1 & 2 Peter last semester, we saw that Christ-followers in the early church were faced with the reality of suffering for Christ. Choosing to follow Jesus most likely meant that they would face persecution in their lifetime. As 2016 American Christians, choosing to follow Christ rarely means putting our lives on the line. But if we are serious about really following Jesus, the road isn’t going to be easy. In fact, there are some scary prospects we must face.

Unfortunately, the modern American church has perpetuated the idea that you can “become a Christian” and all the while look exactly the same as you’ve always looked, act the same as you’ve always acted, while only changing your “beliefs” about God and at most changing your schedule.

Take this as an example: Audrey is a good person. She’s head of the PTA at her kids’ elementary school. She smiles at everyone she comes across and is genuinely just a very nice lady. She bakes cookies for the Fire Department and volunteers tutoring underprivileged kids. One day, Audrey’s friend tells her about Jesus and Audrey realizes that she needs Him. She understands her sin (mostly gossip and white lies) and she sees her need for a Savior. She becomes a Christian and is baptized. Her husband supports her just like he would with anything else she decided to do. She adds church on Sunday morning and a weekly Bible study to her list of things to do, but other than that, her life is pretty much the same. She now believes in God and is taking baby steps to grow in him, but other than that, she keeps living just as she always has.

Let’s contrast that with a New Testament believer in 34 AD. Reema is a good person. She does all of her chores and is friendly with all of the village women. She loves her husband and her children and she is well respected in her community. One day Reema’s friend tells her about Jesus. Everything comes together in her mind: all the prophecies, stories, rumors, Scriptures. She decides to follow Jesus. Her husband is upset with her because he doesn’t understand this new loyalty in Reema’s life. She tries to honor him, all the while knowing that her true loyalty is now with Jesus. Most of the other people in Reema’s village don’t understand the rumors about Jesus. They look at her like she’s a little crazy. Reema also knows that if word gets out that she is a Christ follower, she could face verbal abuse, beatings, and she could even be put to death. She wants to live for him anyway, so she boldly tells her friends and family about the change in her life, even though it could mean persecution and death.

If the only evidence of your decision to follow Jesus is your beliefs or your schedule, you probably won’t be afraid of anything. But if you’ve decided that your answer to anything He asks of you is “Yes, Lord”, you need to hear the words “Do not fear” because following Jesus in obedience is scary business!

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

The good news of course is that we are never asked to face this scary world alone. As Christ-followers, we have special power through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When God tells us to obey, He doesn’t require us to do it on our own. He knows that we are weak, imperfect people – He created us to need Him!

Check out John 14:15-27 from the Message Bible.

If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you. I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him, doesn’t know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!

^18–20            “I will not leave you orphaned. I’m coming back. In just a little while the world will no longer see me, but you’re going to see me because I am alive and you’re about to come alive. At that moment you will know absolutely that I’m in my Father, and you’re in me, and I’m in you.

²¹                “The person who knows my commandments and keeps them, that’s who loves me. And the person who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and make myself plain to him.”

²²                Judas (not Iscariot) said, “Master, why is it that you are about to make yourself plain to us but not to the world?”

^23–24            “Because a loveless world,” said Jesus, “is a sightless world. If anyone loves me, he will carefully keep my word and my Father will love him—we’ll move right into the neighborhood! Not loving me means not keeping my words. The message you are hearing isn’t mine. It’s the message of the Father who sent me.

^25–27            “I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset.

                  Don’t be distraught.^[1]

Jesus tells us that we don’t have to be upset, distraught or afraid. We’re not alone! He has given us the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter and Friend. I learned something that was new to me this weekend at Alto Frio. It came from Galatians 5:22-23, which is definitely not a new passage to me, but the speaker at our Ladies Retreat said something that put the fruit of the spirit in an entirely new light. First, let’s read it.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.^[2] Galatians 5:22-23

I’ve always looked at this verse as a list of qualities I would exhibit if I were being obedient to the Spirit. While that’s not an untrue statement, there’s more to it than that. As a believer, I have the Holy Spirit inside of me. Because He is inside me, I have all of those fruits inside me already. I don’t have to wait for joy; I just have to reach down and pick it up. I don’t have to pray for patience; I just have to use the patience inside me already. And the key to all of this is that it’s not my patience and it’s not my joy. There’s a reason God called it the fruit of the Spirit – It is the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of Me!

Sometimes fear leaves us paralyzed, unable to move because of uncertainty. The only way for the believer to escape the paralysis that fear sometimes brings is to live by the Spirit and access the fruit of the Spirit inside of her.

In the ESV, John 14:23 says,

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him…

What a beautiful thing – We love Him, so we do what He says. He loves us and the Holy Spirit comes to reside with us. When we do what He says because we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we bear the fruit of the Spirit, which brings Him glory. When trials and suffering come our way, we can stand and bring glory to God. When persecution comes, we can be faithful. When He asks us to do something we never thought possible, we can confidently answer “Yes, Lord” and obey Him!

What if?

So what if God asks you to do something scary? Is your answer already "Yes, Lord"?

What if God calls you to leave your church to plant a church in another area?

What if he calls you to sell the house you love?

What if he asks you to give up the dreams you have for your children so that He can use them in a different way?

What if God asks you to leave your job?

What if God asks you to head up a new ministry or teach a new class or open your home to a friend?

What if God asks you to do prison ministry or homeless ministry?

What if God asks you to share the Gospel with your neighbor?

What if he allows you to face a situation where you have to speak up for what is right and true?

God calls us in 1 Peter 2:11 to live as aliens and strangers in this world. If you find yourself looking a lot like the world, having no reason to be afraid because of what He is asking you to do, consider that you may not be obeying the commands of Scripture. 

Obeying God is scary business.

---

^[1] Eugene H. Peterson, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2005), Jn 14:15–27.

^[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ga 5:22–23.