What I Believe Determines What I Do

How do you make day to day decisions?

Each of us has what is called a worldview. Each of us has a filter through which we view the world. It is based on this filter that we make decisions. We base our lives on what we believe. Many of us never really think about it. We rarely consider the foundation on which we are basing our lives. But we should.

Doctrinal Truths – What do you believe and why? The most basic foundation on which everything else is built is the doctrinal truths to which you subscribe. What do you believe about God? What do you believe about man? If there is a God, how does He interact with man? If there are many gods, what is our relation to them? Maybe there is no God?

Why do we exist? Do we exist? What about moral – good and evil? Is there such thing as evil?

All of these questions deal with our doctrinal beliefs – our doctrinal truths. Whether you agree or not, every decision you make in life has its roots in your doctrinal beliefs.

Running on Empty

This last several weeks I have faced some serious and difficult circumstances with people. Not anything personal, but difficult none the less. I have been to more funerals in the last month than in my entire life combined!
Last week was especially tough. I spent my week reaching out to a young couple who lost their son. He went to be with Jesus last Tuesday.
It's been an emotionally draining week, but God has taught me some amazing things:

1) It's only in His power that we can accomplish anything - as I walked into the hospital room to meet the family, my mind was racing with "what do I say?" As I left, I remember thinking "Wow...God totally took over and spoke through me." It has nothing to do with me - what I am going to say - it's all about letting God use me to love others.

2) God will replenish our strength as needed - Saturday night after the funeral I remember feeling just drained. I didn't know how I would have the strength to get to church on Sunday. I woke up Sunday morning as fresh as ever. God will honor our faithfulness. He not only gets us through the valley, He gives us the strength to climb the mountain on the other side.

May God encourage and strengthen you today.

Hearing Problems

I’ve heard enough. My blood boils every time I hear preachers start talking about hearing from God. They make it out to sound like you have to have some special ability, or some special favor, in order to hear and do God’s will. That’s another one that really gets me going – knowing God’s will.

Why do we try and make it so hard? Hearing from God really isn’t so mysterious. There is no preparation. There are no special steps to go through. Sure, there are a few pre-requisites, a few requirements if you will. But come on! Quit making it sound like I have to jump through certain hoops and wait for some amazing miraculous revelation of God’s will in my life!

Did Moses ‘prepare’ himself to hear from God? NO! He was minding his own business, tending the sheep, when God appeared to him in the burning bush. Moses was not ‘waiting to hear’ or ‘preparing to hear’ from God.

What about Abraham? Did Abraham sit around wondering “Hmmm, when will I hear from God?” Again, no. But when God spoke, Abraham obeyed.

The problem is this: we have somehow come to think of God as some kind of vending machine, or a mystery needing to be cracked. If we insert the right amount of change, or get the combination right, God will finally break forth and give us His message. He will finally be able to tell us what we need to hear. It’s really not like that at all!

As I mentioned before, there are a few pre-requisites: the first being a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Yes, you have to be saved before you can hear/know God’s will for your life. Then, as a Christ follower, we are to live a Spirit-filled, Spirit-guided life. This means we follow God’s directions, given to us in His word – The Bible. That’s right. Too many Christians sit around with dust on their Bibles asking God to show them what to do! We ‘wait to hear from God’ but fail to read His word!

As a Christ follower, we are called to live pure and holy lives. Stay away from sin. Avoid immorality at all costs. Submit to your authorities. God has already told us what we need to know. He has given us guidelines for living. It’s really not a mystery. It’s right there in black and white. “All Scripture is God-breathed, and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16).

You want to ‘hear from God?’ Do you wonder why you haven’t heard from Him? Maybe it’s because you aren’t listening. Or maybe it’s because you aren’t reading! Stop praying for God to speak until you are willing to read His Word.