Do This With Joy

Hebrews 13:17

ESV

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

Everyone is on my side here. They’re in the bleachers, cheering me on. They are the coaches, giving me pep talks during halftime and timeouts. They can coach me because they first were coached. There's nothing to be mistrusted about them, so therefore there is no reason to not follow what they ask. They never have truly have a day off. While they physically may, I am always lifted up in prayer each day by them, and they fight the battle alongside me. They freely give me the battle plans for success because they had been freely given to. They aren’t perfect by any means, and neither am I. What matters is they are putting in their best to represent the leadership skills of Christ. In one way or another, I’ve seen the character qualities of Christ displayed in the leadership and alumni staff. Secondly, joy is an advantage. As a Christ follower, my joy comes from the Him, and the joy of the Lord is my strength. I couldn't imagine how life would be without the joy I’ve found in Christ, but I can be sure I would have a lot more groaning, a lot more complaining, no joy and no strength. My joy is what allows me to look at a situation and see the good it can bring, to face it head on confidently, and confront it as a lion. And as a result, I have advantage. I take the win in Christ. I can recall plenty of times where receiving with groaning led me into a darkened mindset. Most often I would be asked to do one thing, and then when I finished they'd come back and tell me it was actually to be done another way. It would just make me bitter and impatient that I had to take more of “my” time to do it. But that wasn’t right in any sense. I've learned an immense amount of flexibility through those experiences to the point I can now welcome a change with joy and not find my heart darkened and hardened. There are times I slip but now God catches and convicts me of it, and I can quickly recover into joy and strength again. I can truly believe that there is a team of people on my side, fighting with and for me.

Obey Your Parents

Ephesians 6:1 and Colossians 3:20

"Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord."
Colossians 3:20

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."
Ephesians 6:1

It would be easy for me to say I always obeyed my parents, until I get to ‘all things’. I was the good, responsible kid growing up and always was obedient in my own eyes. But that's where I was wrong. “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit,” says Proverbs 16:2. I was self-righteous to a certain degree because of the responsibility and trust I was given, thinking more highly of myself than I ought to. The first thing that comes to my mind where I especially fell short in obeying my parents was homework. There were plenty of times where I was told to do homework but ended with 15 missing assignments at the end of the semester. I easily could have been an A student but because of my lackings, especially in integrity and true responsibility, I was a C/B student, barely scraping by at the end of the semesters. When senior year rolled around I was an A/B student but I now believe I could have pulled A’s if I had put my priorities in line. But, I was too consumed doing me. Playing video games, watching Netflix, and working. Doing everything but what needed to be done. So, therefore, I lived for years in rebellion against what my parents asked me to do, and ultimately what the Lord asked me to do. Now as I’m here in IGNITE, I’ve come to the full understanding that all things I’m asked to do is from God, that they’re never too much for me to handle, and that I am to do it with all my heart and soul. Anything less than my best is the worst. It doesnt matter what it is, it should be done with my full heart, as unto the Lord. Everything I get to do is a privilege, a gift from God. I wouldn't be able to participate in anything if He hadn’t awoken me and given me breath to begin with, so who am I to complain and procrastinate what the Lord has given me to do? I’ve come to a point now where I desire for God to stretch me beyond my limits, to discover how limitless He is and that I have full access to it. I desire to discover who I truly am not, and then find who He truly is for me in the midst of my shortcomings and weaknesses.

Present Yourselves

Romans 6:16

ESV

“Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”

Present yourselves. Presentation is incredibly important in the Christians life, for the way you live your life is a presentation of what you believe. Each day as you go into the world, your life needs to reflect the heart of God. You are the presenter standing on stage of life and the audience is the world. As they watch you, your life, not your words, is what will convince them that what you are a slave to, who you serve, is worth giving their life to. They will know you, and in turn know God by the fruits you produce. A bad tree is a tree thats fed by sin, which will wither away and decompose. If I’m living in a way that makes my tree die, if I’m fed by sin and they see the end result of death within the way I live, they have every right to walk away. Especially if I’m preaching Christ with my words but doing the exact opposite in my life. But, if I’m obedient follow the word of God which has been given to me, the fruits I bear will have much more weight than any words I could speak. The audience will ask questions and seek out how my tree is bearing fruits they’ve never seen before. As I am a faithful witness and follower of Christ, the people will follow. They will come, and because I’ve spent my time soaking in the Word I will be prepared to lead them into the abundant life God has for them. I have walked where they have not and I will be able to lead them through it. So may I long and yearn to be an obedient slave to Gods word, to what He calls me to, and is calling me to. May my life present the gospel in a way that my words never could. May I daily present my life as a living sacrifice to God, giving up my rights to accomplish His will. For God, I am a mouthpiece, I am a tool, I am a vessel for His glorification. As I diligently seek Him, I will be rewarded for the sacrifices I make, both in this life and the next. In God’s economy, I’m not just a bond servant or slave, I’m a son too and He will not neglect to give me the portion of rewards I am due for the sacrifice I have given.

Obey God Rather Than Men

Acts 5:29

NKJV

But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.”

As I read this, I am reminded of what I had read in Deuteronomy 13. Moses had given them a grave warning about those who sought to draw others away from the living God to them. The warning was first about prophets and dreamers, but later included brother, son, daughter, wife, and friends. The punishment for those who advertised false gods was simple; death. If an entire city turned away from the living God, the punishment was even more severe; destroy all the inhabitants with the edge of the sword. Pile all the spoil into the center of the city, and then burn the city and all its spoil as a burnt offering for the Lord. The city would become a heap of ashes and never be built again. Now I would like to imagine that as Peter and the other apostles were facing the council and chief priests, they had this warning in mind. They knew what it meant to fear the Lord, and they knew the end of those who were trying to prevent them from glorifying the living God. They were aware that if they allowed themselves, if they chose, if they were swayed towards obeying and valuing the words and commands of these men, rather than God, they too could face the edge of the sword rather than being ones to wield it.

Something else to note about this scene. It wasn’t just one man answering. It wasn’t just “I” obeying God. It was Peter and the other apostles. It was “we”. These men stood together in their confidence of the Gospel. I imagine them all talking over each other, agreeing with one another and standing firm in the face of this opposition. No earthly authority would sway them when they had received the ultimate authority from God for the life they were called to. They were not afraid to go at these men boldly, believing that the Lion of Judah was going before them and was behind them, ensuring they would have success. The same God who protected others from the lions, the bears, the armies, the enemies, can and will protect these men from whatever will come their way. No created thing can come against the one who is and was and will forever be. So what reason could I ever, ever have to not believe that the same God who was with Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Nehemiah, Jesus, the disciples, the apostles and all who have come after, will not also be with me and deliver me? “Who am I..?” said Moses. “But I will be with you…” said the Lord.

Through Suffering

Hebrews 5:8

ESV

Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered.

Obedience through suffering. This reminds me first and foremost of parenting. Not only any parenting but that which my parents used on me, especially my mother. She was not afraid to use discipline in the form of a razor strap or a wooden spoon to teach me obedience. My parents wouldn't coddle me up and gently tell me to stop. If they had to ask too many times for me to obey, then the discipline came out. After suffering the consequences of my actions, I can confidently say I learned my lesson and was quick to obey. God has the ability to do the same, seeing as He was the one who created parents in the first place. That's not to say God Himself will come down and smack me upside the head when I continually disobey and get out of line, but He sure will use others to do so. Even my mother was a vessel for Him to teach me obedience. Now as I’ve become older and physical discipline has faded out for me, it now comes in ways much harsher to my pride. The after effects of pain that lasted a couple hours now can last a couple of days as the exhortation or rebuke is worked through and settles in my heart in response to prayer and the word of God. But, on the other end of the pain is true fruits. Lessons are learned, obedience in that area becomes natural, and I’m much more aware of how new sufferings, physical or spiritual, can make me stronger and better. Suffering sucks in the moment. However, I can look to the other side through the lens of Gods promises and see the victory and see the new depth it will create in me. Another aspect is that our adoption to God does not mean we will then never suffer, never be rebuked or exhorted, and never face challenges that want to pull us into darkness. Although we are sons and daughters, Gods love wont allow us to go on being who we were or are. He loves us enough to allow us to be tested by fire. To get burned, to get bruised, to get tossed around a bit, all so that we can then reflect His heart more to those around us, and in turn He is glorified.