Did You Earn Your Place?

"who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
2 Timothy 1:9 (NKJV)

Having experience with something is often a requirement for employment.  When applying for a job, a person will usually be asked about their education, past experience, and any kind of training that they had which would qualify them for the work.  Getting a job that requires previous experience can be difficult if you are never able to do the work and get the actual experience.  But, even if you do not have the experience, education, or training necessary for the job, you might still be hired if someone knows you and can explain to the potential employer why you would be a good person to fill the position.

One thing that every believer needs to understand is that God has a plan and purpose for their life.  We are the Body of Christ, and we are each a part in the Body.  Just like our natural body does not have any unnecessary parts, the Body of Christ does not have any members in it that are not essential for the Body of Christ to do what God wants to do.  But, while many believers recognize that God has a plan for their life, some of these same people are still thinking that for some reason they are not qualified to do what God has called them to do. 

As Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:9, God has saved us and called us, He has a plan for our life.  God's calling and purpose for our life is not based on something that we have done, our educational background, past experiences, or any kind of training we have had.  While it is certainly true that God can and will use those things, we need to understand that it is by the grace of God that we have each been called by God to do something for Him.  We may have done many great things in the past, but God's plan for our life is based on His grace, not our works.

High Priority, Or Not So Important?

"Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father".
Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."
And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."
But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
Luke 9:59-62 (NKJV)

People talk about having "me time," time to do things that they want to do.  There is a principle in that statement that is valid, but there can also be a problem with this idea.  Often people want some time to themselves because they have been busy, and they are looking for a break from their hectic schedule.  In reality, the problem is often not that we do not have enough time for ourselves, or other things we might need to do, the problem is how we are using the time that we have.

The world is a very busy place.  It seems like people have almost every moment of every day filled with some kind of activity, like taking care of daily needs, work, or just trying to "relax."  Our real issue is how we spend our time.  We all have the same amount of time, 24 hours a day, every day.  But it is how we are using our time that is causing us trouble.  If we take account of how we are using our time now, it is very likely that there are some things we are spending time on that are not so important, and there are things that should be priorities that we are not taking care of.

Our highest priority has to be our relationship with God, spending time with Him through His Word and prayer, and following the path and plan God has for our life.  We see an example of this in Luke 9.  Jesus called some people to follow Him, but rather than make the plan and calling of God in their life the highest priority, they wanted to do something else first, and this can happen to us too.  If we put our relationship with God and His plans first, rather than spending our time on things that are not so vital, we will find that we have the time to do what is best, and also have the time for the things we need and want to do.

Do You Already Have What You Are Looking For?

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)

Have you ever seen someone looking for their glasses, and all the while their glasses are on their head?  That person may have been distracted for a moment, and so they began looking for something that they actually have.  In the same way, if we are looking for something we already have, because we do not know what we do have, we can waste a lot of time and energy trying to find what is already ours.  For example, if we thought we had lost our glasses we might go and buy a new pair of glasses, even though we already have what we need.

Not knowing what we have, naturally or spiritually, is not a good thing.  If we do not know what we have, we might think we need to get something that is already ours, or we might think that we have to do something, when nothing is actually required from us.  In the same way, not understanding something we have, or the value of it, is just as bad.  For example, if you have something that is very valuable, but you do not realize its true value, naturally or spiritually, it would be as bad as if you did not have that thing in the first place. 

As Christians, we need to know what belongs to us as a part of God's family, and we learn about this through God's Word.  Although we do need to grow and develop spiritually, we do not have to go and find something that we are still somehow lacking to do so.  As Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, God's Word has been given to us to help us and show us what we have in Christ, what we need to believe, and what we need to do.  If we do not know about and take advantage of what God has provided for us and what belongs to us, then we might spend our time trying to find something that we already have.

Too Much Trivia?

"Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.
2 Timothy 2:14-16 (NKJV)

Trivia can be defined as facts about something, or someone, that are not well known and usually not very important.  For example, in my own life, it is a fact that so far, I have traveled with 19 different airlines.  That is something that most people do not know about me, but it is not really very important.  In your own life, when was the last time you mentioned something to someone that was a little known and possibly unimportant fact about yourself?  We usually only focus on what is relevant and really important, and that is the way it should be.

Technology is wonderful, but what we get through technology is not always so wonderful.  Today, there are many ways for us to hear all kinds of teaching and preaching, which is generally good, but unfortunately much of what is available to us is not very good.  Anyone can create a video of some kind and post it for all the world to see, and anyone can write something that is available all over the Internet, but that does not mean that it is good and worth listening to.  In fact, much of what is available is not really spiritually beneficial, and it is often more trivial than helpful.

In the letters to Timothy and Titus, Paul warned them both about getting involved in questionable teachings, obviously wrong doctrine, and trivial things that simply do not matter.  Paul's encouragement for Timothy and Titus also applies to us.  We do not need to become experts at doctrinal trivia, but we should focus on clear, biblical truth that really matters.  Sound teaching from God's Word is something that will build us up spiritually rather than just entertain us mentally.  We need to focus on major Bible truths, and not minor or questionable issues. 

A New, And Better, Year

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."
Joshua 1:8 (NKJV)

With every New Year, people have a great deal of positive expectations, or at least hope, that things will somehow improve in the New Year.  But rather than just passively hoping for something good to happen, or for things to somehow just work out, we need to be proactive and do the things we know we should be doing, and improve in those areas.  We need to see what we have done successfully in the past, understand why, and then continue doing those things, while making any necessary adjustments to be successful in the coming year.

Everyone can be more successful this next year than they were last year.  We can take "new" steps in the New Year by building on what we have been doing with God, and growing in that.  We can spend time in God's Word every day, pray more, walk in love at a higher level, as well as being more generous with our time, ability, and finances.  We do not have to find some "new" and different thing to do, but we can continue to increase in what we have already succeeded in, and add to that any other things that we might have left undone in the past.

When Joshua took over the leadership of Israel from Moses, it was a new thing for him, and in Joshua 1:8, God told Joshua how to succeed.  God told Joshua to stay focused on what the Word says, to do what the Word says, and say what the Word says.  God did not give Joshua some completely different plan, but God told Joshua to continue doing what he already knew, and to keep doing those things.  We too need to stay in God's Word, doing and saying what it says, and allow the Holy Spirit to help us fulfill God's plan for our lives.  With God, our future is bright, and that is how our New Year should be!