Philippians 1:6 …being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ.
Isn’t it an awesome revelation to know that we can do all things through Christ who strengthen us? Powerful news that greater is He in me then he who is in the world, wonderful to be able to live in an encouraging truth, that by faith in Jesus we can move mountains. This is Good News! Amen!
Yet, even with the biblical teachings in the Word of the Lord, some Christians still struggle with trying to find answers to what is believed are hard questions. Why am I here? What is it God expects of me? What are my gifts? How am I to navigate as a Christian and achieve success in such fallen world?
We can spend a lifetime trying to figure it all out. But the Word of God clearly speaks that He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. It teaches that He is the way the truth and the life. Faith in this Good News should give us comfort and allow us to rest in His
Promises, trusting that He is the one who holds the answers. However, we still as reasonable, practical, in the flesh human beings may not grasp the totality of this truth. We set goals for ourselves, in hopes to make life a little bit more meaningful, having something to strive for, to be productive, well balanced, citizens/ human beings bringing something to the Earth. We have ideas, plans, ambitions, dreams and desires; we put forth great effort in order to be fulfilled. These efforts are to be commendable and to be encouraged.
God wants us to be successful, He wants us to be ambitious, go getters, and not lazy and to be fruitful in our endeavors.
Jeremiah; 29:11 I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
But we must work from the stand point of putting God first. We must learn to labour in his rest. To rest in Jesus will help us to receive his promises, through faith, realize our full potentials and guide us to fulfill our goals.
Hebrew 4:10-11 He who has entered his rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest.
The Bible clearly teaches that many of the Israelites did not enter their rest, The Promise Land, because of their fears, anxieties and disobedience. They wondered around for 40 years not trusting in God, doing things their way. God laid the plans and instructions out for them but they chose not to follow them. God has given us another opportunity.
John 16-7 Nevertheless I tell you; It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.
Our vital resource is the Holy Spirit. I’m inclined to believe that it will serve us well to rest in Jesus finished works and follow the promptings of the Spirit. Stop struggling to figure everything out. Know that God is who He said He is and obey.
Mathew 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.
There is much wisdom in the Word of God. For the bible to teach us to rest in Jesus is prudent, it is wise. Rest helps us to reflect, rejuvenate, refocus and rebuild. Resting and trusting in the grace that He has given us, lessens our fears, anxieties and stress. It keeps us whole and resilient, it empowers us. We can only enter this rest by faith.
It is imperative that we as Christians let nothing shake us from believing, living and being transformed by this Authentic Word of God. In doing so we will begin to appreciate instead of questioning the so called complex questions as to why we are here, what is our purpose and so on.
To build on our faith and to know that it is not all about us but that it is All about Jesus will help us to navigate in a challenging world and explore our gifts and talents with greater zeal and expectation, reaching toward an even higher mark.
Understand that our reason for being is to serve God, our creator and that He is a God of love and caring. He does not equate success with material wealth, positions, nor popularity. He wants us to focus on eternal things and not so much on things that are temporal and are of the world.
Colossians 3:2-3 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the Earth
I believe that the Lord does want us to pursue those things that make us happy. He wants to bless our gifts and talents. As we see in the bible there were many people gifted to serve the Lord. There were writers, teachers, prophets, warriors and musicians, skilled people to serve God. Read your Bible; 1st Corinthians 12 so eloquently teaches on the Spiritual Gifts and how they were to be used to elevate the church.
Exodus 28:3 Instruct all the skilled craftsmen whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom. Have them make garments…..
But we are not to idolize or put forth anything before Him…and remember that all good things come from God…that He is the one that gets all glory. The scriptures teach that Jesus wants us to depend on him.
Psalm 37:4-5 Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in him, and He will do it.
Striving for the treasures of the world can be daunting and tiresome and often ending results may leave you unfulfilled and searching for more.
John 4:13-14 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again, but those who drink the water I give them will never be thirsty again.
Whatever our aspirations are let it be, to be a blessing to someone else, to glorify God, have right motives, share our gifts and our talents, and lift someone else up. Not only will it be pleasing to the Lord but it will bring much gratification to our own souls.
Know your value and worth and begin to mine that which is in you. Grasp your true identity; know that you are a child of the Most High God. Remind ourselves of how much God loves us. I have found that children, who know that they are loved, find the strength to move forth in wholeness. They find the strength to go beyond what they see on the outside and pull up what’s on the inside of them. Eagerly, search out and pursue with hope and expectancy the things of God for your life and then even through trials, error and disappointments have faith to know that God has your back and wants the best for you.
Remember that everything that we need to operate in the gifts and talents that the Lord has given us is already in us. The fight is to defend that which we have. So go for it….. But keep God first.
Ephesians 3:20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.