Deadlines and Due Dates

God is All-Knowing

As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years,

     Or if due to strength, eighty years,

     Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow;

     For soon it is gone and we fly away.

So teach us to number our days,

     That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.  Psalms 90:10, 12 (NASB)

From proposals and work presentations to helping our children with college applications, life is full of deadlines.  Some of us are planners while others procrastinate until the very end.  Whether we like it or not, time keeps ticking – it is something we can not control.  But, as much as we may dislike deadlines, they will motivate us to get things done.

The Bible tells us that God knows the exact number of our days.  This final deadline is something we really don't spend much time thinking about, but we all know we are not immortal.  So if deadlines serve to motivate us, what will this ultimate deadline cause you to want to accomplish today?  And more importantly, will you act now or will you wait until the very last moment? 

So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left.  Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.  Deuteronomy 5:32-33

Because God is all knowing, through Christ we can live our lives with purpose to the end.

What Makes Great Leaders Great?

God is Gracious

An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest."  Luke 9:46-48

Many of us have a personal favorite when it comes to great leaders – maybe it is George Washington, Martin Luther King, or maybe Ronald Reagan.  If asked what makes them great, a likely response is that they had a grand vision and inspired others to support it. 

According to Webster, one definition of a leader is something that ranks first.  But we learn from Jesus, who modeled perfect leadership while he was on earth, that yes, Jesus was part of God’s grand plan and was surrounded by loyal and determined followers, but what sets Jesus apart from many of the world’s leaders is that he viewed himself as the “least of these”.  Despite his power and authority as “God made man”, he bowed down and became a servant, allowing himself to take the lowest place so all of the world could be rescued from sin and made heirs to the throne.  Isn’t it remarkable that the world defines a leader as someone who ranks first, but yet Jesus modeled just the opposite?  How will you choose to lead?

Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.  John 13:14-16

Because God is gracious, with Christ we can find joy in being least when leading others.

Encourage One Another

God is Goodness

“But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.” Deuteronomy  3:28

Great things can be accomplished with a little encouragement. This is clearly illustrated when God commanded Moses to train and encourage Joshua, as it was he who lead the Israelites into the promised land.

Whether you are five or fifty, we all need encouragement from time to time. Sometimes all it takes is a pat on the back for a job well done or a welcoming smile from someone when charting unfamiliar territory. Just because we have a pressed shirt on and shiny shoes does not mean we are not masking pain, suppressing fear, have anxiety or doubts. A word of encouragement offered at the right moment can be the difference between finishing well and failure.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”  1 Thessalonians 5:11

Because God is goodness, like Jesus, we can be an encouragement to those around us.

 

 

Everyday Struggles

God is Faithful

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6

Whether you focus on Iraq, Afghanistan, our city streets, or within your own life, war is raging around us.  Everyday newspapers and talk shows are full of stories of conflict, political battles, and struggles for social equality.  And personally, we battle health issues, finances, relationships, poor choices…..

Some struggles are so enormous that we can’t face them alone.  The Bible tells us that God never forsakes us.  He is always with us in our struggles, providing strength for the next week, day or hour, and providing comfort, guidance, and rest when we think we can’t go on.  God gave David the confidence to face a giant with only five smooth stones and a sling shot...and God the Father gave Jesus the strength to die on the cross for us and through His resurrection, declare victory over this world.  Yes, everyday brings strife, but in Christ, we are given the strength to endure and the confidence in the outcome no matter what we face. By having faith in Jesus, we too are victorious over things of this world.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."  John 16:33

Because God is faithful, in Christ we find hope for whatever challenges we face.

 

I Just Want to be Forgiven!

God is Merciful

 

When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." Luke 5:20

We often do things that we aren’t proud of --and sometimes, they are a bit more serious than others.  Time can erase the memories, but the guilt can come back unexpectedly.  Many times we try to compensate for our poor actions by bringing gifts to those we have hurt or by making promises that we’ll never do it again.  If criminals carry records, our employers keep files on our misdeeds, and our loved ones keep score – then how can we truly be forgiven and earn a fresh start?

The Bible tells us that we are forgiven though Christ’s death on the cross.  He died for our sins, paying our debts in full.  We don’t have to do anything to be forgiven other than believe in Christ as Lord and repent.  True repentance means to turn from our sin and turn to God.  While this is a big step, when we trust God, we experience forgiveness and we are made free from the bondage that follows our folly. 

If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.  1 John 1:9 

 

Because God is merciful, all our sins are forgiven through Christ.

 

Is Work an Idol?

God is Sovereign

 
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money.  Matthew 6:24

Unfortunately, society lures us to get wrapped up in our title, the power of our position, the size of our paycheck….  Not only do we let our work define who we are as individuals, but work often becomes the source of satisfaction in our lives. 

Giving up an identity defined by work seems counterintuitive to culture, but with Christ as the center of our affections, we are able to see a much grander vision.  We end up with balance in our lives and the ability to love our neighbors when we’d otherwise be consumed by work.  God does not define us by what we do or what we own, but rather by whose we are.  We are God’s children -- the sons and daughters of a King!  When we grasp that concept, work should no longer have a stronghold on us.  We no longer are a slave to performance, but are free to think differently about the true purpose for our lives.

for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.  Philippians 2:13 

Because God is sovereign, we can find our true identity in Him.

 

One Day at a Time

God is Eternal

 
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.  Revelation 22:13

Many of us find it hard to live in the moment.  We are often focused on our next meeting, our next trip, or our next paycheck.  We seem to talk about what’s next, failing to live in the present. What would it look like if we slowed down and embraced the present?  If we did not worry about what was next, but what is now?  Would we be less hurried, spend more time building relationships, and give up trying to control everything?  Could our quality of life be dramatically improved?

Taking things minute by minute allows us to enjoy the present and give up trying to control the future. God’s plan is that one day we will live with Him in eternity - a place without time, where there is no past and no future, just the present.  Today, He longs for us to live with Him in the present as well. Consequently, there would be no fear, no anxiety, no insecurity, and a fullness in our hearts as we live out each moment, trusting God with the timing and the outcomes.    

I have seen the burden God has laid on men.  He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.   Ecclesiastes 3:10-11

Because God is eternal, we can live in the moment in confidence with Christ.