SPIRITUAL COMMITMENT
Can we agree that God is the one and only all powerful,
all knowing entity in the universe and that He is our creator, sustainer,
provider, and the savior of mankind?
Can we agree that the Bible is the inspired word of
God?
Can we agree that God, through his Holy Spirit is always
with us?
I recently had a revelation I would like to share with you. I have been a believer in God for all my life. I had a good upbringing in a Christian family, but for most of my life my relationship with God was very casual. Yes, I knew there was a God but, like much of the world I only paid cursory attention to Him until in time of need. I have had a couple of what I call mountain top experiences when I felt very close to God for short moments in time then I allowed the close relationship to dwindle to a mere acknowledgment of His existence.
My theory is this:
God put us, you and me, in the current positions we occupy. Also, God is in charge. Combine these two thoughts and we come up
with the revelation that God has given us a calling just the same as He calls
pastors to the ministry and He is watching over us to guide us so that through
this ministry we are moved to accomplish His will. Does this make sense? By His divine intervention, the will of God
prevails. I believe that He uses people,
some knowingly, others without their knowledge to bring about His will for the
good of His people. Let us be assured
this is true. That being the case, God
has put us in our current positions professionally as surely as He is
responsible for us being on this earth at this time in this place.. Also, God is with us all the time, His Holy
Spirit is our constant companion whether we are aware of his presence or not.
Can we agree that the profession we now have is a calling
from God? If this is true, God put us
where we are. If God put us there and if
God is always with us, isn’t it reasonable to assume that He will see us
through the challenges of the day?
Throughout the work day we are tossed around from one task
to another. I have heard it said that we
are lot like a rudderless boat on the surface of a stormy ocean. It is tossed around from wave to wave, lost
in the tide with no direction. The boat
is pounded from above by the swells that try to swamp it. But, in the depths of the ocean there is
peace, quiet, and solitude. This is a
lot like the love of God. His love is
deep, quiet, and offers solitude. When
we experience the love of God, we can then enjoy the peace and quiet known by
only the committed believer.
If what we are doing professionally is in the service of
God and not to man this gives us a whole different perspective on our
professions. This concept, this
revelation, changes Monday morning from “Oh my God” to “bring it on.” The concept is that by serving our fellow man
we are doing the work that God has given us, we are serving God. We can go about our daily business in the
comfort and knowledge that God is with us helping us do His work. He leads us, He guides us and helps us
accomplish those tasks He has put before us.
Caleb, as you will recall, was the only Israeli spy
returning from Canaan who advised Moses to attack and take the land. He knew the enemy’s superior strength but he
also knew that God was on his side. God
had given him a calling, a job to do and with the knowledge that God was with
them Caleb was confident that God would help them accomplish that job.
Experience would teach us that this day is going to come
to an end. Will it be a day of gut
wrenching anguish or a day of service to God?
I have had enough anguish, thank you, I will take service to God any
day.
It makes us feel good when we serve God by serving others,
don’t let your service to God stop at the church door. Whenever we serve in church by ushering,
greeting, or assisting the pastor we should feel good, besides all these
positions are fun. But, let’s remember
that when we leave the church and return to our families or professions we are
serving God because we are fulfilling the calling God has given us.
This was such a revelation to me for several reasons. I have been a supervisor for several
years. Most of my experience in this
position has been agony, every day for years I have come home completely
exhausted. I have lost sleep over
issues, frequently awaking in the night in a cold sweat over issues. Issues dominated my life from the time I
awoke to the time I finally hit the bed.
Many evenings were ruined because of a tough day or a single disturbing
issue.
There are only two things in my work day that are
routine. First is the chaos. I can leave home each morning in the
knowledge that I have no idea what issues or challenges God will expose me to
during the day. But, I can be assured
they will be varied and many. Second,
every morning soon after arriving at
work and taking care of a few preliminary details I sequester myself to
one of the break rooms. The odds of
being interrupted are slim as most everyone else is at work. I open my planner, my brain, and prioritize
those issues that have arisen in the past and attempt to prioritize them. I say attempt because I never know which of
these past issues will arise as a priority at any moment of the day in the form
of a phone call or a visit from someone to my office. Once I am done updating my planner it is
closed and my attention turns to prayer.
I pray for the kids, for Mary, for several friends and special people in
my life. Then I pray for myself, I ask
God to take me by the hand and lead me and let me walk in His holy footsteps. I ask that He surround me with his presence
and guide me throughout the day. I pray
that everything I do and say throughout the day will glorify Him. I have been in this chaotic position long
enough that I can no longer survive on my own strength, it is the strength of
God that gets me through the day.
Amen. Then throughout the day I
frequently thank God for guiding me.
If I enter into a situation, perhaps a phone call or a meeting that I
know could be tense, I pray that He will be with me and give thanks that He is
leading me. This really helps me get
through the day. Amen.
Recently for Father’s Day, Jill gave me a journal in which
to write my prayers and thoughts. On
each page she wrote the location of a specific passage of scripture which is
important to her. On the front of the
book she wrote from Psalm 5:3 “In the
morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.”
In Philippians 4:6 we read, “Do not be anxious about
anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present
your requests to God.” Then in verse 7 we read, “And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding , will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus.”
Experiencing the love of God is a wonderful feeling. It is so good that you have to wonder how one
can experience it and then return to the grind of the everyday world. Why doesn’t everyone savor the feeling,
relish it, and look forward to every day?
