Press on to possess

Edmund Burke said, "You can never plan the future by the past." The more we count on the past to define us or our life's path, the harder it will be for us to move forward. Why? The past cannot be relived, and the present is ever-changing. Burke also reminds us, "He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper." Our antagonist is our helper. Could that mean that the 'negative stuff' in our past is actually helping us to grow closer to Christ in our present?

I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:12-14)

Press on to possess. That really sums it all up. We need to 'press on' if we are ever to 'possess'. Notice - it never says we are to continue to do things the way we have always done them. As I have said before, to do what we have always done will ensure we will always get what we have always gotten. If we are to be vital Christians, we have to be willing to let go of what 'we have always done' and embrace what God may be asking us to do now. Possession requires action. Even a gift is received. 

When a course has been established, we move on within that course. Does the movement forward change what we now have in our rearview mirror? Of course it does, because the stuff behind us is now in our past and we have a new vantage point from which to see that 'stage of the course'. What God may desire from us today is to stop gazing so fondly into that mirror. When I drive, I don't constantly focus on what is in my rearview mirror, but what is right ahead of me. Why? The path before me is what presents the obstacles I must be ever aware of, not the places I have just been. 

Possession is realized when we are able to keep our focus on what is front of us, not what is behind. Press on to possess - make forward movement, let go of the past, dwell upon the present, and learn to trust God to bring you into all he has for you in the present. The present prepares us best for the future. Just sayin!

Where'd I put that thing?

I used to enjoy watching the re-runs of the TV series, "The Waltons". The simpler times of 'pioneer life' have their intrigue - if not immediately, at least when you are in the midst of a traffic jam on the highway or a huge delay at the airport! The struggles to remain true to their convictions when times were quickly changing around them is a reminder to me of the speed of change demanding our attention today - change happens at the speed of light these days, or so it seems. What touches me the most in these shows about pioneer life is their simple trust - in their neighbors, in their family, and in their God. One of the characters on the show, Ike Godsey, is the store owner and local postmaster. His store is never really seen as what we'd call "impressive" by today's standards, but it always seemed he could get his hands on whatever anyone was looking to obtain - even if he had to special order it. Sometimes we forget we have a great big God who is able to do above and beyond whatever we imagine in our lives - not in terms of granting our every wish, but in terms of helping us find and keep what is best for our lives.

He said, "Then you see how every student well-trained in God's kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it." (Matthew 13:52)

To be a student well-trained in God's Word is being the like the owner of a general store - able to put our hands on anything we need - exactly when we need it! The idea of a vast storehouse which is at our disposal might make some think we serve God for the 'goods' he can give us, but quite the opposite must be true in our lives. We are given access to a great deal in this relationship with him, but if we are in it merely for the 'goods' we receive, we have it all wrong. We often have "access" to many things. I have access to a copy machine right in my office area. In fact, I have access to a laser printer, copier, scanner, and fax machine without having to walk more than 20 feet. Yet, none of these office machines are mine. I can "use" them in the day-to-day operation of my work, but I don't get to take them home at the end of the day. They are not owned my me. Access is the ability to "use" these items only. I have been granted "permission" to utilize them, and I can grant permission to others to utilize them as they have need, as well.

As Jesus is speaking with his disciples, he refers to being "students" - well-trained in God's kingdom which really equates to them being like store "owners". The one who owns the store is able to access anything within the store whenever the need arises. The one who merely "purchases" from the store is one who must seek permission to purchase what is needed and they must have the 'goods' with which to barter for the item they desire. Being a disciple of the Word is like being the keeper of a vast storeroom of "good stuff" you may "access" at any time - not having to barter for it in order to obtain it. New or old - exactly when you need it. Here's the joy of becoming a student of the Word - the vastness of the resources available to us! Some truths will be like the pillars of a building - holding us strong through thick and thin. Other truths will be used less frequently, but like the fine china which comes out on special occasions, they grace our lives with beauty. Then there is the cumulative effect of one portion of the Word adding to another - providing wisdom for our journey and sustenance to our soul.

I need to find some things in my workshop that I have 'put away' for safe keeping. As I got the tools, I unpacked them and put away the small parts. As I am becoming aware of what the small parts actually do within these devices, I am not struggling to fine them! What I need to do is create a space for them and make them more visible so I am able to find them now. In other words, I need to deal with some 'clutter' in my shop in order to have things be available when I need them. It is often in the "de-cluttering" of our lives we find out just how blessed we are - that we really do have the 'parts' we need to accomplish whatever it is we are in need of doing! Sometimes we "clutter up" our storeroom of faith with all kinds of things which only serve to push the good stuff to the back, making "access" a little difficult. Maybe we need to "de-clutter" our spiritual storerooms a little, too. In so doing, we may find treasures we'd long forgotten! Just sayin!

Stop looking - you already have it

I know I begin a lot of things thinking the project won't be all that hard, then smack-dab in the middle I discover just how hard it is! The things I thought I'd just sail on through are usually the ones I find a few hiccups along the way that delay my completing them! Sometimes we have a tendency to want to just give up. We start out well, but then we "peter out" somewhere down the road. There are times in life when we need a "pace setter" to keep us on track - someone to help us regroup when the hiccups come and we find things harder than we imagined. In moments of frustration, disillusionment, or anxiety, we need the steadiness and vision of one who sees more of the picture than we do. It is refreshing to know we have such a "pace setter" in our lives - God himself! It also amazes me just how many times we allow other people or other things to set the pace in our lives!

Just think—you don't need a thing, you've got it all! All God's gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that. (I Corinthians 1:7-9)

The 1991 release of the movie "City Slickers" had a a character known as Curly Washburn who constantly instructed the city slicker dudes to look for the "one thing" in life with the greatest importance. It seemed that Curly knew these city slickers had been waylaid into believing a lot of things were important - so much so that they had lost sight of things that really mattered. By the end of the movie, those city slicker dudes had a re-commitment of sorts to what mattered. Billy Crystal, for example, had decided his family was the "one thing" that mattered and he had taken his attention from them, placing it onto things that he thought were more important. We all have the desire to find the "one thing" in life which lends credibility to our life - giving us the sense of life being worth the living. Remember we already have everything we need to live life - given to us freely in the sacrificial death of Christ. We have "one thing" in life which gives us purpose - being on mission with Jesus!

We don't need A THING! We already possess all we need! Why? Simply put, we have everything in front of us (not behind us), but where is it we are always looking - you got it - behind us. We have infinitely more at our disposal than most of us ever utilize! Power, peace, fullness of joy, freedom from despair, awesome authority, just to name a few. When we find ourselves looking back, we often don't remember what we already possess. We are not traveling this journey alone! God himself is right alongside! His purpose in walking "through" this life with us - to keep us steady and on track with the mission he has called us to! He is a pace-setter! He keeps us focused on the journey, even when we would want to be overwhelmed by the circumstances of life!

We did not start this journey ourselves - God started us out on this journey. It is an adventure. In most cases, we think of an adventure as risky business. With God along on the journey, the risk is his, not ours! We live a "shared" life - Jesus lives in us, we live in him. Therefore, the journey is never our own - we are never on our own in it. The risk of taking the journey isn't ours - it is his. We don't need to worry our way through the journey because he has already prepared all that we need to face every risk ahead of us. We can stand assured we will make it - because we serve a God who will never give up on us! If he won't give up on us, why would we doubt the completion of what he has begun within? Have you found your "one thing" - the "real thing" in life? If not, HE stands at the ready to enter into your life, changing it forever by his power, love, and grace! Open up to Jesus and get on mission with him! Just sayin!