In the current edition of Mission to the Military's "Messenger", there's an article by my good friends, the Hammons, missionaries at Ft. Bragg. I was particularly struck by a quote from one young Christian soldier they have been working with concerning his own ministry as a steward of God's grace. He said "His current task is an unexpected deployment to Iraq".He's absolutely right! That IS "his current task" from God...it's NOT an "interruption" of his plans or an "unforeseen circumstance" or a "tragedy" that he was deployed to Iraq! It was the "current task" God had given him to do. I was reminded of the Apostle Paul presenting the same point of view in Phil.1:12-14, and its background in Acts 28:17-31.
Paul was under "house arrest" in Rome, with rotating Roman soldiers perpetually guarding him as he awaited the hearing of his case before the Emperor. But Paul didn't look at it as "a tragedy" or as "an interruption" to his evangelistic efforts. He saw it for what it truly WAS - God's current plan for his life. He writes:
"I want you to know brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole Imperial Guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear." [Probably because they had been observing Paul's actions and attitude!]
Paul didn't sit around downcast, "waiting for the trial to pass". He viewed the situation for what it REALLY was - his next assignment from God! When he settled in at Rome, Acts 28 tells us:
"After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews...When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets...He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness..."
Paul, and that young soldier from Ft. Bragg, understood something so many believers do not - Stewardship concerns properly using what God has graciously given every believer - our faith... our resources... our spiritual gifts... our entire lives. THAT glorifies Him!
2 comments:
I have spent decades hearing things like, "Success is finding the will of God, and doing it,"--a concept which is completely contrary to Scripture.
We have burdened believers with a hypocritical approach that ultimately denies the sovereignty of God, while placing immense guilt and judgement of failure on those who set out to accomplish some task, only to have God change the plan.
I am refreshed by perspectives such as this.
Yesterday, I came across a few verses that we OFTEN hear applied to the notion that we must personally predetermine God's unrevealed will for every step of our lives. But the context just does not support such an interpretation.
Rom.8:14 says,"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
Does that mean we must predetermine which way God is leading us before we are able to act within His will? Look at the CONTEXT:
Rom 8:13 "For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."
What is this passage talking about? It's talking about being led by the HS in CONDUCT and CHARACTER issues - it's referring to the MORAL walk of a Christian in obedience to God's revelation!
Does this happen because it is easier to focus on determining something undeterminable [which is unquantifiable] - the preknowledge of God's unrevealed will, than to focus upon becoming godly in heart and deed [a quantifiable obedience to God's revealed will]?
Post a Comment