“who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began…”
Has it ever occurred to you to ask God “why me?” It has me. I wonder all the time. I don’t deserve anything God has given me, and I deserve even less to be used by Him to bring fame to His holy name throughout the earth.
So why did He save me and call me? Why did He save and call you? Paul gives us the answer right here: because of His own purpose and grace. Further, and to really cap it off, God did it before there was even time. Before we were even born, our salvation and purpose were just as sure as they are right now.
That’s incredible, and worthy of worship, love, and adoration.
God doesn’t need us, and He didn’t have to save us; but for His glory and purpose He did, and then gave us a purpose and a job even after that.
Your task, your purpose, was set for you before you were even born. That’s gotta give you some confidence. That means that God’s plan for you and everyone you come into contact with was in place too. We have a big God.
We didn’t do anything that deserved this, or drew God to us. We have nothing that we can offer him. Our good is filthy before God.
That’s a real miracle. That God can take me and make me into something that honors Him. And He’s done the same thing with you.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: God doesn’t need us but gives us the honor of serving Him and bringing Him Glory in this life.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Isaiah 64:6
Prayer: God, thank you for choosing me and for giving me purpose. In Christ’s name, amen.
Showing posts with label 2 Timothy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2 Timothy. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Day 29: 2 Timothy 1:6-7
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
Fear often controls our life. Even as Christians, we are often afraid to do what God has given us to do. This is for many reasons: we’re afraid of what people will say about us; we’re afraid of what people will do to us; we’re afraid of failure; sometimes we’re even afraid of where God will take us if we obey Him. Fear can be a paralyzing feeling; so paralyzing, in fact, that we don’t obey God.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s okay to be afraid. But it’s not okay to let that fear control you. The definition of courage is doing what needs to be done even when you’re scared to death.
It is obvious that Timothy was dealing with fear as Paul wrote him in 2 Timothy. To Timothy, it must have seemed that the world was crashing: Paul was in prison, about to be executed; Timothy, wanting to be with his mentor, no doubt, was in Ephesus, trying to guide the churches in one of the largest and most pagan cities in the empire. Fear was natural, but it was obviously starting to take too strong a hold on young Timothy.
Paul gently reminds Timothy of something very important. Christ drives out fear. With Christ there is no fear, because you can’t lose. Like Paul said in Philippians, if you live, you get the continued blessing of service. If you die, you go to heaven to be with Christ. Win-Win.
Timothy had lost sight of this, just like many of us have today. Paul tells Timothy that the time he was spending in fear and worry would be better served honing the gifting that Paul had himself initiated in Timothy. Timothy had obviously lost his fire. When we become afraid, we pay more attention to the fear than to God, and He can’t use us. Our flame begins to die, until we are paralyzed from our fear and barely shining. Paul reminds Timothy, as I am reminding you, to trust in Christ and whip that gift into a roaring bonfire that the whole world can see.
Paul finally reminds Timothy that fear isn’t from God, it’s from Satan. God gives us power, love, and self-control. Fear brings the opposite of these: uselessness, selfishness, or self-preservation, and reaction rather than self-control. In other words, when we’re afraid, we have no power (because of our lack of faith), no love (because you’re trying to preserve yourself, and not others), and finally, no self-control (you do stupid things when fear is controlling your life). Those aren’t the marks of a Christ-Centered life. It’s okay to be afraid. It’s not okay to let that fear take control you. Trust in God. Don’t let the flame go out.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: it’s okay to be afraid, but we can’t let fear control us. When we let fear control us we lose our power, love, and control.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Matthew 10:28
Prayer: Father, keep fear far from me. Help me to have such faith in you that I don’t let fear control my life. Help me to deal with my fear in a godly way, and to seek out others to help me deal with it. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.
Fear often controls our life. Even as Christians, we are often afraid to do what God has given us to do. This is for many reasons: we’re afraid of what people will say about us; we’re afraid of what people will do to us; we’re afraid of failure; sometimes we’re even afraid of where God will take us if we obey Him. Fear can be a paralyzing feeling; so paralyzing, in fact, that we don’t obey God.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s okay to be afraid. But it’s not okay to let that fear control you. The definition of courage is doing what needs to be done even when you’re scared to death.
It is obvious that Timothy was dealing with fear as Paul wrote him in 2 Timothy. To Timothy, it must have seemed that the world was crashing: Paul was in prison, about to be executed; Timothy, wanting to be with his mentor, no doubt, was in Ephesus, trying to guide the churches in one of the largest and most pagan cities in the empire. Fear was natural, but it was obviously starting to take too strong a hold on young Timothy.
Paul gently reminds Timothy of something very important. Christ drives out fear. With Christ there is no fear, because you can’t lose. Like Paul said in Philippians, if you live, you get the continued blessing of service. If you die, you go to heaven to be with Christ. Win-Win.
Timothy had lost sight of this, just like many of us have today. Paul tells Timothy that the time he was spending in fear and worry would be better served honing the gifting that Paul had himself initiated in Timothy. Timothy had obviously lost his fire. When we become afraid, we pay more attention to the fear than to God, and He can’t use us. Our flame begins to die, until we are paralyzed from our fear and barely shining. Paul reminds Timothy, as I am reminding you, to trust in Christ and whip that gift into a roaring bonfire that the whole world can see.
Paul finally reminds Timothy that fear isn’t from God, it’s from Satan. God gives us power, love, and self-control. Fear brings the opposite of these: uselessness, selfishness, or self-preservation, and reaction rather than self-control. In other words, when we’re afraid, we have no power (because of our lack of faith), no love (because you’re trying to preserve yourself, and not others), and finally, no self-control (you do stupid things when fear is controlling your life). Those aren’t the marks of a Christ-Centered life. It’s okay to be afraid. It’s not okay to let that fear take control you. Trust in God. Don’t let the flame go out.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: it’s okay to be afraid, but we can’t let fear control us. When we let fear control us we lose our power, love, and control.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Matthew 10:28
Prayer: Father, keep fear far from me. Help me to have such faith in you that I don’t let fear control my life. Help me to deal with my fear in a godly way, and to seek out others to help me deal with it. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.
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