The New Testament church grew so fast that the apostles couldn’t keep up with it. So they said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word” (vv. 2-4 NIV). As a result the Word of God spread, the church kept growing, and key leaders in the city of Jerusalem were won to Christ. It’s vital that you discover the area where you add the most value – and stay there. Why don’t we? (1) Turf guarding. We think, “This is my job; nobody does it but me.” Just because you’ve always done a particular job doesn’t mean you should keep doing it. What if God wants to write a new chapter in your life? (2) Being overloaded. People with too much on their plate tend to reject the very thing that will help them, thinking it’s just one more burden to carry. (3) The martyr complex. When complaining about your lot in life gets you the attention of others, you make it a lifestyle. But it doesn’t work. People begin to avoid you because they don’t see you doing anything to change the situation. (4) Not knowing what’s “right” for you. Only when the apostles delegated the administrative side of things to others and got back to what they were called to do, did things start to go right. Think about it.

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To start the New Year right you must let go of any old grudges that are weighing you down. Philip Yancey describes forgiveness as an unnatural act and says, “You don’t find dolphins forgiving sharks for eating their playmates. It’s a dog-eat-dog world…not a dog-forgive-dog world.” Grudges come naturally when you’ve been hurt, whereas forgiving requires God’s enabling grace. Jesus said, “If you do not forgive…your Father will not forgive your sin” (Mt 6:15 NIV). Humanly speaking, there’s not one single reason God should forgive your sins, yet the offenses He pardons you for every day far outweigh anything you’ll ever be asked to forgive others for. By forgiving, you change the whole dynamic. You open the door of a prison where you are both prisoner and jailer, setting yourself and the other person free. Grudges not only isolate you from people who were once friends, they actually shorten your life by producing deadly enzymes that contribute to a host of physical ailments. One man told his counselor, “I wish my brother could come to my wedding, but we haven’t spoken in years.” The counselor asked, “How come?” Pausing, the man replied, “It sounds ridiculous now, but I don’t even remember.” Drifting apart is the natural result of an unforgiving spirit; forgiveness reverses the trend by restoring and healing broken relationships. It’s a medical fact that forgiveness adds years to your life. As a rule, when you talk to people who’ve passed the eighty-year mark you find they are at peace with themselves – because they’ve learned to forgive and let go.

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Don’t be surprised when God calls you to step out in faith and do something you don’t feel qualified to do. That tends to be His standard operating procedure. He does it so that you will lean more on Him, and less on yourself. Does that mean you won’t make mistakes? No, it means you probably will. But instead of being discouraged, you’ll see them as part of the learning curve and go on to greater things. Often we look at a task and think, “There’s no way I can do that.” Hold on there; you’re looking through the wrong end of the telescope! You’re looking at yourself instead of God. When God called Joshua to take the place of Moses, He promised Him, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee” (Jos 1:5). Now if God promises to be with you, and He does, then that is all you need. His strength is actually showcased through your weakness (See 2Co 12:9). Whatever ingredients you lack in the natural realm, you can withdraw from your account in the spiritual realm: “Be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].” What kind of might is available to you? Boundless might! And where do you draw it from? The ultimate source – God! You are empowered and equipped as you work with Him, so stop selling yourself short. Armed with His might you have more capabilities than you think, and you are able to do a lot more than you’ve done in the past. So put your confidence in God and stop doubting yourself.

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Your Golden Years (3)

Growing old graciously should be one of your life’s goals. You don’t need to fear aging, or try to gloss over your uneasiness about approaching it, or attempt to cover up your anxiety. The story’s told of a lady buying a new hat. When she tried one on, her friend said, “My, that hat makes you look ten years younger.” Quickly she put it back on the shelf and said, “I don’t want that one. I’d hate to look ten years older every time I took it off!” Mother Nature and Father Time may have brought you backaches, baldness and bifocals, but you don’t have to act old. And you don’t have to think old. Instead of trying to add years to your life, try adding life to your years. Instead of resenting the fact that you are getting old, think how much you would resent being denied the privilege. When asked how he felt about turning eighty, President Dwight D. Eisenhower replied, “It sure does beat the alternative!” If you are still alive, God kept you around for a reason. Find out what it is, then pour every day and every ounce of energy you’ve left into it. You can be “old” at twenty-five and “young” at eighty-five. You are only old when you feel old; or feel like you know all there is to know; or find yourself saying, “I’m too old to do that;” or think that tomorrow holds no promise; or take no interest in the activities of youth; or would rather talk than listen; or long for the “good old days,” feeling they were the best.

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Your Golden Years (2)

When do the golden years begin? With your first gray hairs? When somebody says you remind them of their father instead of their brother? If you can still sleep – dream. If you can still work – plan. Take on new projects, make new friends, learn new skills, venture into a new ministry, take a short-term mission trip, volunteer for a worthy cause. Your golden years are not to be wasted, they are to be invested.

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Your Golden Years (1)

Sometimes we joke about getting older and say things like, “I’m thirty-nine, and holding,” meaning we don’t want to turn forty and be considered “old.” As long as you have a dream in your heart you will never be old. The Psalmist said: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” (Ps 37:25). The main fear about aging is ending up lonely, needy and unwanted. As living costs go up and pensions go down it’s wonderful to be able to say, “My God shall supply all [my] needs” (Php 4:19 NKJV). Your golden years can be the greatest years of your life. All the things you wanted to do when you didn’t have time are now available to you. “I wish I had more time to read.” Now you can. “I wish I had more time to spend in prayer.” Now you can. So many things: travel, ministry, grandchildren, hobbies, visiting friends; now you have time to enjoy them. Job 5:26 speaks of going to the grave in a full age. Judges 8:32 speaks of a good old age. Genesis 25 speaks of old men and women, full of years. You can die – full of years! That word “full” means filled to the brim and running over. How good is that? Senior citizen, God has a word for you today: “Even to your old age…even to gray hairs I will carry you!” (Isa 46:4 NKJV). Do you remember the commercial for Maxwell House coffee, “Good to the last drop”? Make that your life’s motto!

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Stop Judging Others

It is always a lot easier to stand on the sidelines and take potshots than to get involved and try to help. The Bible repeatedly warns us not to criticize, compare, or condemn one another. When you judge what someone else is doing in sincere faith, you are on dangerous ground with God. “What right do you have to [judge] someone else’s servants? Only their Lord can decide if they are doing right” (CEV). Since you are not their “lord,” you need to exercise wisdom and restraint. Refuse to stand in judgment on those whose opinions differ from yours. Here Paul weighs in: “Why, then…criticize your brother’s actions, why…try to make him look small? We shall all be judged one day, not by each other’s standards or even by our own, but by the judgment of God” (Ro 14:10-11 PHPS).

Whenever you take it upon yourself to analyze, scrutinize and categorize one of God’s children, four things happen: (1) You upset their Father. (2) You display your ego and insecurity. (3) You set the standard by which you yourself will be judged. (4) You alienate people. When you get a reputation for being critical, people will avoid you like a plague. They know that if you criticize others you will criticize them too. The Bible says: “Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault” (Ro 14:19 TM). Someone said, “The largest room in the world is room for improvement.” If you doubt that, look at the disciples Christ picked and promoted – then look in the mirror.

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Let’s look at two sinners Jesus welcomed: (1) Matthew. As a tax collector working for the Romans, he was hated by his own people, the Jews. But Jesus had special plans for him. Because he was skilled in keeping records Jesus not only saved his soul but salvaged his talents. As a result he ended up writing the first of the four Gospels. Do you still think God can’t use you? Not a chance. The fact that Matthew invited Jesus over to his house for dinner is surprising. The fact that Jesus accepted is truly amazing. That’s because “This man welcomes sinners.” (2) Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus so badly that he climbed up a tree. He was willing to go out on a limb to find God. “When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people…began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a “sinner.”’ But Zacchaeus…said to the Lord…‘Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody…I will pay back four times the amount.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house’” (Lk 19:5-9 NIV). The Bible says that God “is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb 11:6). So be diligent in your search. Be persistent in your quest and relentless in your pilgrimage. Turn away from the puny pursuit of possessions and positions and seek the Lord. You will not be disappointed!

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The Bible says: “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming…’The time has come…The kingdom of God is near’” (vv.14-15 NIV). The average preacher takes three years to prepare for a ministry that will last thirty years or so. Jesus did the reverse. He took thirty years to prepare for a ministry that would last just over three. What’s the point? The quality of your preparation determines the quality of your performance. The world’s greatest pianists invest hundreds of hours into practice before a concert. That’s because they know those grueling hours of preparation will allow them to give their best performance. World champion boxers don’t become champions in the ring; they are merely recognized in the ring. Their “becoming” is a result of their daily routine. Something important is happening at each stage of your development. For example, God can introduce you to someone today who will play a major role in your life twenty or thirty years from now. If you’re in a hurry you may not stop long enough to connect with them. Think what a loss that would be. Waiting also reveals the weakness in your plans. Haven’t you looked back and said, “Thank You, Lord, for saving me from that!” Each chapter and season of life has a benefit and a product if only you will look for it. Before Christ launched His ministry, we read: “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Lk 2:52). Jesus understood the value of timing and training. He was willing to wait and prepare Himself. You must too.

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The Blessings of the Compassionate Heart (3)

Have you ever encountered a homeless person, given them some money, watched them shuffle away and wondered, “Have I just paid for their next drink or drug, or rewarded laziness?” In some cases you may be right, in other cases wrong. So what should you do? In Second Corinthians chapter eight God gives us a plan we can understand and follow. The Macedonian church did it this way: (1) Both the well-off and the needy participated. They all gave, even those in “extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity…[and] gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability” (vv. 2-3 NIV). (2) They gave gladly, not under pressure. “Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing” (vv.3-4). (3) Their giving flowed from their devotion to Christ. “They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us” (v.5). They didn’t give to impress others, or for a tax deduction, or to get the preacher off their backs, or because they “felt bad” for the needy. No, it was a natural response to being in love with Jesus. (4) The church leaders received, oversaw and distributed their collective giving. They didn’t give naively, trusting the integrity of the unknown and unproven. Their leaders handled and distributed their gifts openly, consistently, and with accountability. They knew the finances were handled honestly “in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men” (v. 21). Bottom line: you can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving to those God loves.

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