Ps 103 Are we driven by Selfish ambition?

Psalm 103 The Lord is like a father to his children,  tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.

If we really understand God as a tender and compassionate father then our self esteem will be healthy, we won’t be driven to achieve great things but be led by God’s spirit. The apostle Paul in Philippians writes of preachers with mixed motives who preached out of jealousy, rivalry and selfish ambition. This is an important lesson for us all that we should seek no glory, honour or recognition for ourselves. It’s all about pleasing our father. A true appreciation of God’s undeserved love gives us both security and significance. What we do to please our heavenly father is simply faithful service. We don’t deserve or need any praise or thanks from others. We should of course encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ and model grateful thanks both to God and others but not become resentful when others are more “successful”. Indeed unlike the way much of life is often portrayed we are not in competition with other believers but in the same family working to build each other up, rejoicing with the success of others and weeping with those who mourn.

Father help me to both appreciate your love fully and be pure hearted in serving you.

Let us Stir ourselves to Wholehearted Praise

Ps 103 Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.

David who wrote this psalm stirs himself to praise God. Not as an act or outward show but something that comes from deep within. He chooses to give his whole being in praise to God. Why? Because God is due nothing less than our wholehearted praise. He is both worthy of such praise and deserving of it both for who he is and what he does. Specifically David gives thanks for the blessings he has received and recognises the need to remind himself of them.  We can go further in our understanding however, if we truly praise God wholeheartedly then everything we are and do should give praise to our loving yet holy father. The way we treat others made in his image, the menial tasks we do, our driving, our reading, our viewing, the games we play, everything should reflect our life of praise and thanks to God. Even our suffering and the way we respond to sin, anxiety and stress should bring us back to the awesome holiness and merciful love of almighty God.  

Praise your awesome nature oh Lord, your holy and loving being, praise you!

A Worthy Life!

Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling...Always be humble and gentle.

Paul begs his readers to live a life worthy of their calling. The calling Paul is talking about here is, I believe, the calling all believers have to follow Jesus faithfully and live a life which is an example to those around us. Whatever particular opportunities or responsibilities we have at present are we being both humble and gentle? We may be busy or have lots of free time but how do we respond to interruptions or unwelcome demands?  Being a good example may feel like an impossible task and yet Paul says at the end of the previous chapter God’s mighty power is at work within us to accomplish infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Rather than the general aim to be a better example is there something specific God wants us to do today? God promises to supply what we need but are we willing?

Father, show us how to be more like Jesus in something we do or say today. 

Loved & Chosen before the creation of the World

Ephesians 1:4-5  (NLT) Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

If these words were not written in the Bible I would be tempted to think the author had gone over the top and was exaggerating. It is both incredible and genuinely awesome that God was thinking, choosing and loving us even before the earth was made. We are truly in the most secure place possible having been adopted by the one whose love is both unconditional and unbreakable. If we are to grow as we should we need to believe and understand this truth deep within our hearts. God takes pleasure in us and sees us as holy and faultless all because of Jesus sacrifice on our behalf. 
Father, thank you.

Creativity and Reflection or poisonous criticism

Galatians 6:1-5 Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived. Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

If we are not living creatively we may live without reflection, we may obey some code of conduct but easily become judgemental. It is just so easy to see the speck of dirt in your brothers eye, to be outspoken in criticism or silently judge rather than forgive and restore. Oh Lord help me save my critical comments for myself! I need forgiveness as much, if not more than those around me. How we need to be fully aware of our weaknesses, short comings and our calling and not over step the mark by sitting in the seat of mockers or become armchair critics. How could we ever know what it is like to be another, even those closest to us? Let us live instead, using our imagination, humbly aware of our tendency to sin and ready to follow the quiet voice of God’s creative Spirit.

Father may we be quick to follow your Spirit’s leading and slow to judge those made in your image.