No Plan B

Remember the old posters of Uncle Sam, pointing his finger with the words, “I Want You in the U.S. Army?” Uncle Sam aside, God wants to use  us . . . you and me. We have always been part of His plan. Plan A, that is. And by the way, God has no Plan B. So report for duty, soldier! Sometimes we are tempted to respond like Moses. We think of all sorts of excuses why we can’t do things for God. Moses said, “Who am I to go – I am slow of speech and tongue?” Sound a little like you? God said, “Go, I’ll be with you and help you speak and teach you what to say.”

You see, it’s not as important as to who you and I are in this equation, but who is with us –  - -God! Even when we fear we won’t “get the words right” or “I wish I had said this or that,” God is and will be there to give us appropriate words. Remember, He is the hand, we are the glove! Scripture says in 2 Cor. 3:5, “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” That is just cause for us to relax from our hesitation and fears and act. Go.

What holds you and me back? Fear. Fear of what they’d think of me. Fear of them rejecting me. Fear of them ridiculing me. Fear of me messing up. All of these fears have one thing in common. They’re all about me!  Seldom is our fear that we are neglecting God’s direction or disobeying Him. Are you able to see yourself, with Christ in you, as a “rescuer?” Rescue takes my eyes off myself and focuses on others. After an earthquake or a 911 tragedy, rescuers appear to have greater concerns than the fear of what would happen to them if they search and rescue. It’s what will happen to the dying person if they don’t go in. Courage is not the absence of fear; it’s the disregard of it. Spiritual service and spiritual rescue are completely God things. It’s not about you and me.

Mark Carlson

How’s It Growing?

Do you ever think about it? What’s different now about me in my life as a believer that was not the same months ago? I don’t know where one goes to get a “spiritual” measuring stick or mirror, but it does make sense to do some self evaluation every now and then. Christian growth, sometimes called “maturity,” is pretty much expected of us. David did this and left us Psalm 139:23-24.He said “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting.”

Let me suggest five habits or “disciplines” which are useful to kind of check ourselves out. These are not “practices” God requires in order for Him to stay pleased with us. They are more like exercises we do to keep fit and maintain our spiritual edge. Take some time before the Lord and quietly ask Him to evaluate the following with you in light of where you were some months ago.

Don’t be afraid to give yourself a modest pat on the back where you see encouraging signs. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a nudge where you seem to be stuck or sliding. I put them in alphabetical order because I am not certain if there is a descending order. Here goes: Fellowship (your relationships with other believers); Giving (of your time, talent and treasure); Prayer (talking with God and listening to Him) Serving (within the body and to the world); Study of God’s word (just like it’s the air we breathe, the bread we need). You might ask, what about “worship?” I reply, worship is present within all of these five disciplines, not merely something separate we “do.”

Mark Carlson

I Doubt It

Once in a while I do. Not as much as I did when I was younger in my faith. But there are still things in my journey of faith that cause me to raise questions, even doubts to God. Don’t you?

No disrespect intended to God. Nothing to shake me to the core of my beliefs. But concerns sometimes. Just that. And I’m just naïve enough to think that if I have a particular concern, then God is concerned too.

I believe I am in good company. Even the closest disciples, the twelve, often expressed their doubts. Jesus sometimes rebuked them for their lack of faith. Well, just like them, sometimes I don’t quite “get it.” God can handle my doubts . . . and yours. He does so graciously. Look at His response to Thomas, a real holdout after Jesus’ death and resurrection.

John 20 describes the scene. The disciples (except Thomas) are huddling and shaking behind locked doors, afraid of the Jewish leaders. Jesus appears to them ( no easy trick) and held out His hands for them to see and showed them His side. Thomas gets the word of confirmation from the other guys and eight days later Jesus shows up again, this time with Thomas present. Thomas has already told the boys he wasn’t buying in to belief unless he got his hands on Jesus’ wounds. So Jesus, knowing all this, invites Thomas to begin his personal physical inspection and then get on with believing. Thomas follows though, and proclaims his belief.

Jesus seemed glad that Thomas finally arrived in this faith. He put up with Thomas’s doubt/lack of faith.  He just said, in paraphrase, “Tommy, it’s really kind of “extra” nice when people simply take my word in faith, without requiring the tangibles. But your doubt is ok too, because it led you to an affirming faith.” I believe Jesus loves it when we demonstrate faith in Him and in all that He says. And I believe He is patient towards me and you as we sometimes have to “arrive” at faith after passing through a stretch of doubt. Jesus is secure. He invites us to come to Him with our questions and “still forming” faith.

Mark Carlson