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Giving up our rights is not a easy thing to do for most of us, and it goes completely against our nature. However. there are times in life when giving up our rights is the best thing to do.
In our American culture, we value speaking up. We are passionate about speaking out against injustices. We also value our opportunities and would like to see the fruit of hard work and labor. I praise God for these great privileges! I hope we all can use these rights to honor God and bring about righteous change in our society. However, For God’s people, there is also another law that operates in our lives. That is the law of the Spirit of Life. It is being citizens of Kingdom of God. The rules of engagement in God’s kingdom sometimes are very different than the world.
One of the things that is highly valued by God is giving up our rights to ourselves and to the things we deserve we should have. That’s a difficult thing to do because our nature is conditioned to seek what is fair and what rightfully belongs to us. Additionally, we are taught that we should be a good solider and fight various spiritual battles, so at times we are confused as to when to fight a battle and when to let go and give up our rights.
While it’s not always clear what we should do, the scripture gives us some examples of those who gave up their rights for a purpose! This can shed light in our situation and help clarify when to let go of something even though we are justified in holding on to it.
1. Giving up our rights for the sake of impacting others’ lives.
In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel. 1 Corinthians 9:14-18 (NIV)
God had commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive an income from preaching. Paul had the right to be compensated financially for his ministry, but he did not use this right. He was willing to give up his right for the sake of the gospel. He worked with his own hands by being a tentmaker and also did the work of ministry. He did this to show the sincerity of his heart and his desire to see the people saved by the gospel. By providing for himself, he also wished not to be a burden to the church members. Many were rightfully compensated for their ministry, but in this case, Paul chose to forego that right!
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Ecclesiastes 1:13-14 (KJV)
Many of us think that if we experience everything life has to offer, then our lives will be considered full. Looking at the above scripture and reading the book of Ecclesiastes, tells us a different story. Solomon experienced everything in life, but that wasn’t enough for him. He still considered it vain and a vexation of spirit.
The reality of this life and everything in it is that it only satisfies for a season and then we are back on the treadmill of striving to achieve or acquire something else.
When we are young, we can’t wait till we get to college and get a good job. Once we achieve that goal, we long to be married because being single for too long isn’t fun anymore. After the excitement of marriage wears off, we desire to have a house and build a family. Then this causes us to worry about our finances and look forward to the day we can be free from burden of debt and financial obligations. The babies we were so looking forward to having, now we are tired of their dirty diapers and their constant interruption. We look forward to the day they can be at school all day, so we can regain our freedom and our time! This is how our lives continue to go on with hopes of being in a different season.
Is it possible that all of life on earth is a mirage of true life? Is it possible that we will never become fully satisfied on this side of heaven by trying to acquire and achieve one more thing? Could it be that the more tightly we try to squeeze everything out of life, we actually lose our peace? We allow the joy of the moment get snatched out of our hands leaving us unfulfilled and empty all over again. Is it possible that only with the heavenly focus that we expect less of this world and enjoy more contentment in life?
And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Ecclesiastes 1:13-14 (KJV)
God gave Solomon great wisdom. Everything he wished and desired, he achieved and was able to possess. As a matter of fact, Solomon gave himself the permission to violate God’s boundaries by marrying foreign women. God had warned him that they would turn away his heart from Him, but Solomon didn’t listen and chose to have a few hundred wives!
Solomon was a man who was born and raised as a royalty. While he was not King David’s firstborn son, God gave Solomon the privilege of succeeding His father as king. We don’t hear any sad stories about his upbringing or tough times as a king yet we don’t find Solomon happy and joyful at the end of it all.
In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon speaks about “vexation of spirit” a few times.
Vexation (according to Strong’s Concordance): longing, striving
What could Solomon have longed for in His life that he didn’t have!? Was there anything beyond his achievement? What could he have lacked in life that would cause him to strive?
As Americans, we have more opportunities and resources than many other people around the world including believers who live in other nations. However, it doesn’t seem that we have found contentment and joy as believers.
Our opportunities have created a wedge between husbands and wives. Divorces in the church are just as many as in the society. Lack of trust in the church and in the government is evident based on the behavior and discussions seen and heard around dinner tables and on the media. Honor and respect is in all time low in a nation that gave us the freedom to speak out not to dishonor but to stand up for truth and righteousness. Where do we go from here? What will satisfy us that we don’t have and are still longing to have?
What are you after today? Are you currently experiencing vexation of spirit? Is there something you are longing or striving for right now? Spend some time with the Lord and let Him examine your heart and how you really feel about your life right now.
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved. Psalm 93:1
I just returned from traveling oversees, and I found myself at awe of the greatness of God all over again. Flying 14 hours halfway around the world is a reminder of the vastness of God’s creation. We have a technology that allows 300-400 people along with their luggage to fly at speeds of 523 miles/hr and at heights of 36,000 feet above the ground. That’s amazing!
Above the clouds, the temperatures plunge to -70 Fahrenheit. Surprisingly, the airplane doesn’t freeze, and the inside temperature remains nicely controlled for the enjoyment of the 300-400 aboard the plane.
God has given man the ability to subdue the earth. We are able to go against the laws of nature by flying a heavy machinery against the gravity and all along enjoying comfortable seats, heating, air-conditioning, TV, food, etc.
While I was amazed at God’s power and the ingenuity that He has given man, I also saw his tender loving care through a mother sitting next to us on one of our flights. Her 4-month-old baby was safely and happily lying on her mother’s chest and enjoyed a bottle of milk and then fell asleep. The baby’s mother caressed her the entire time and loved her while the little one was enjoying a nice little nap. This was also a reminder of the goodness of God. The tender loving care that He has given us as parents for our children is a reflection of who He is and how He cares for his children.
God desires for us to rest and trust him even when we don’t understand what is happening. The little baby on the plane had no idea what was going on. She had no awareness of the fact that she was on an airplane thousands of feet above the ground level. She was just happy and content to be in her mother’s arms and was able to rest while we the strangers sat next to them and kept staring at the cute baby! She was not concerned, fearful, or anxious.
From time to time, we need to pause and take in God’s greatness all over again. We see planes flying and mothers loving their children everyday. In the process we lose the sense of awe, the wonder of God, and His greatness in midst of the predictability and mundane of life.
This devotional series has been about the significance of transformation in our lives as a believer. Another area that we are to see powerful change is our ungodly desires!
Lusts & Desires
As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 1 Peter 1:14
The world’s influence and our cultural norms create an environment for ungodly desires and lusts to develop. Those lusts and desires become stronger over time by being exposed to certain values and/or lack. They come from our old nature trying to handle life and achieve success!
If one has come from a very poor family, getting rich may be very important and valuable to him/her. Another person may have come from a family of doctors, and it is their expectation that someday he/she needs to become a physician. Some have had missionaries and pastors in their family; they may have developed an expectation to pastor a church or be in full time ministry someday. Some come from church cultures that are very title conscious. These individuals didn’t know anything about church titles until they walked in their recent church culture. Now they find themselves developing new lusts that weren’t there before. While some of these desires are not wrong on their own merit, being absorbed or consumed by them is wrong.
How do we know we have lusts and desires that are ungodly?
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We lost our peace.
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We compete or compare ourselves to others.
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We find ourselves feeling inferior for not having those desires fulfilled.
The above scripture is encouraging all of us not to be ignorant as we once were but resist conforming to the cultural norms and values. Sometimes we make our lives complicated and confusing when we try to hold on to cultural values of our environment/past while at the same time trying to love God and serve Him wholeheartedly. Holding on to both will cause us to be double-minded, and we are bound to lose ground in what we have overcome in the past.
The question that would clarify our lusts and desires is: “Is this as important to the Lord as it is to me?”. If the answer is, “No.”, then we need to let go of it. Crucifying the flesh and its desires isn’t easy, but as obedient children, we don’t have any other choice. As a believer, we cannot play the cultural game and think that our soul and spirit won’t get polluted by those desires.
Lord, we ask for your continual grace to give us the power to be transformed in all areas of our lives!
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2
Transformation is a necessity for us believers. Through transformation we change into the image of Christ, and the world can be drawn to God because of our changed lives!
In the last devotional, I shared about the spirit man. Our spirit is the first place of transformation, and it becomes the gateway for all the other aspects of our lives to change as well.
Our Soul (mind, emotion, & will)
In order for transformation to be visible, our soul needs renewal. Our spirit man got converted at the point of salvation, but our soul needs transformation which is a long continual process. It requires intentional and patient effort in the right direction.
Our soul will begin to change when our mind changes. The above scripture is speaking about our minds being renewed. Joyce Meyer in her book “The Battlefield of the Mind” says, “You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.”
What we don’t realize is that our thoughts shape our reality. For example, we experience disappointment, and we internalize and interpret it in a certain way. We may decide that we must not be good enough, or we may think someone doesn’t have our best interests at heart. Unfortunately, we falsely believe our inaccurate interpretation, so we conclude that those are the facts.
After a few hurtful events, we start expecting disappointments, and we make up our mind about the outcome before it happens. The world calls this “Self fulfilling Prophesy”. Spiritually speaking, it is a stronghold that we have developed in order to protect ourselves from getting hurt again. Those thoughts affect our emotions and “will”. Certain situations, take us back to the negative thoughts we had of that circumstance and remind us of the memories and emotions we experienced during that time. Then we exercise our “will” to avoid that type of situation or person because it made us feel bad.
To develop the mind of Christ is a lifelong battle. So many times we want to justify holding on to anger, resentment, and un-forgiveness, but that is not God. The Lord knows that as long as we hold on to those thoughts and emotions, we cannot have joy and fullness of life. Those thoughts can cause seething anger in our hearts. Past hurts can affect our trust level in people who have not done anything to harm us. Un-forgiveness affects our relationship with the Lord as well. When issues arise we find ourselves cynical and doubtful rather than trusting and hopeful.
The pattern of the world is to harbor anger, un-forgiveness, and cut off relationships. In order to live a Christ-like life, we need to develop the mind of Christ. When our mind changes, our emotions, and our “will” will follow suit.
Praise God for His transforming power at work in our lives!
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
We are all in need of transformation. The world and the people continue to become more evil and selfish, and the only hope for this world is for believers to be transformed by the power of God! Our transformation is a sign to a lost and dark world that true change is possible, and there is hope for humanity!
Just as a butterfly when it is in the cocoon, is not a pretty sight, we are not attractive in our old nature! Our true beauty comes when we are free from the bondages of our old man. We can’t choose to remain in the cocoon of old nature and resist the transformation that God has purposed in our lives. If we claim to we know Christ, then we must be willing to change!
When we finally see a butterfly losing its cocoon and starts flying, we are delighted and amazed at its beauty. So it is with the people of God who are willing to go through His process to be transformed into His image.
Transformation is one of the conditions of experiencing abundant life. If we follow the patterns of this world, we cannot expect to have an overcoming life. The more we fashion our lives after God’s pattern, the more genuinely we are transformed, and others get to see and taste the image of Christ in our lives!
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2
We need transformation in different areas of our lives:
Our spirit man
Our spirit man comes to life at the moment of becoming born again and receiving the gift of salvation. This is foundational to change. Once our spirit man comes alive, it has the opportunity to grow and become strong. In the past our soul and body ruled our lives.
God’s grace has the opportunity to work in a born again believer because of our relationship with Him. We are now empowered to be yielded. The stronger the spirit, the greater capacity to be yielded to His direction. When the spirit is in charge, the soul and the body must take orders and follow the leading of the spirit rather than rule over it. This transformation occurs through accepting Truth, obedience, and yielding to the Holy Spirit.
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:35-38
The harvest has a right timing
One of the key words in the above scripture is the word “harvest”. My grandfather was a farmer and had various fields including vineyards. However, he didn’t bring up the term “harvest” until we approached the time when the grapes were ready to be harvested. That was the ultimate goal, but there was much that he had to do before, the grapes were ready to be harvested.
The vines went through various stages during the year. In winter, they looked like a death bush. In spring, the leaves came out, and you saw the early signs of green grapes. In my native language we actually had a term for the newly sprouted grapes which signified that they were not ready yet. Harvest has a right timing associated with it.
In the case of grapes, the harvest is generally end of summer or early fall. My grandfather had different types of grapes, so some of his crop was ready before the others were. He was very in tune with his land, and he knew where to find the ones that were getting close to being harvested. My family would visit my grandparents from mid to late summer, so if we wanted to pick some ripe grapes, we would just ask Grandpa. Grandpa would tell us to just follow him to where the ripe ones were, and then he would lead us to the right spot. My grandfather was well acquainted with his vineyard, and he knew the timing as to when his grapes could be harvested.
“of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command;” 1 Chronicles 12:32
As laborers in God’s harvest field, we can also develop a greater measure of sensitivity to where people are at spiritually. If we are going to be successful people in evangelism, we have to learn to know the sign of times and understand when the harvest is ready and plentiful. Just because I decided to show up during summer at my grandfather’s vineyard, it didn’t mean that I knew where the ripe grapes were. Grandpa had been spending the entire year in his field, and he knew how the harvest was coming along.
In Conclusion
Jesus healed the sick, had compassion, and noticed those who were scattered. He is our example. God is looking for those are willing to tend to the needs of the unsaved and broken until such a time that individuals are ready to accept the Lord as their savior.
Jesus said, “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few…”. That statement always bothered me. I wonder if he meant, there are very few people who are willing to do the hard labor in the winter and spring season before they can enjoy reaping a fruitful harvest. Where are the laborers who don’t make their evangelism a hobby or a task but are willing to have Jesus’ attitude in the harvest field!?
The laborers that God is looking for will be laboring like Jesus. First and foremost, they are present in the harvest field. Secondly, they tend to the physical needs of the people around them. Third, they are compassionate. Fourth, they know the condition of man and his situation, and finally they are in tune with the timing of the harvest. The Lord of the harvest is looking for skilled, full-time laborers who are willing to do the hard work until such a time that the harvest is here.
The Lord of the Harvest is looking for His laborers, and Jesus is our great example for the kind of laborers God is looking for.
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:35-38
Jesus had compassion
The scripture tells us the Jesus had compassion on the multitudes because they were weary and scattered. Jesus’ heart was moved towards the people. His desire to serve them and heal them was coming from the burden He had for the people. This wasn’t a duty or obligation. He wasn’t doing it because it was one of the tasks of the ministry. He was doing it because compassion and love moved Him.
Where were the shepherds who really cared about the people? Were they just concerned about punching their time card and making an appearance at the temple? Were they expecting people to show up at the temple and ask for help or a handout?
Did the shepherds judge the sick making them worse than before they showed up to seek help? Were people so burdened from hardness of life and the religious regulations that they had become weary in their soul? Jesus was aware and in tune to all of the above and His heart was going out to the people.
Jesus saw the scattered
Why were people scattered? Was there no safe place for them to go? Did people begin to lose love for each other? Did they begin to judge each other as their religious leaders had judged them? Did they run away, so they won’t be abused by the very ones who were supposed to care for them?
Jesus’ compassion was one of the keys factors in reaching these people well. He didn’t show up with an attitude of superiority, but with a heart of humility desiring to help those who were seeking help. While they didn’t speak much, their faces told a thousand words. He knew their burden and was well acquainted with their condition.
When we develop a heart like Jesus, it changes us! It allows us to see people like we have never seen them before. We don’t look at our ministry or service as doing them a favor. The compassion that the Lord has placed in our hearts moves us to do it purely out of love for God and for them. The people also realize the genuine heart of love towards them and are more willing to be open and vulnerable with us.
Let’s pray today for a shepherd’s heart towards people.
The Lord of the Harvest is looking for His laborers. On this Labor Day, we can ponder on the special laborers God is looking for!
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:35-38
This past Saturday, we prayed and declared the above scripture at my church during our intercessory prayer time. I felt like the Lord had more to say about this scripture, so I listened! As He spoke to me, I decided to write the Monday’s devotional about it. Then yesterday, we happened to sing the song, “You are the Lord of the harvest”. I knew it was a confirmation of my devotional as I already had picked that title for my devotional.
Jesus sets the example for the type of laborers God is looking for:
Jesus cared about people’s physical needs
Jesus ministered to the people on the highways and the byways of life. There was no discrimination/partiality as to which people group he reached or ministered to. Jesus understood man’s condition and his/her need for spiritual healing as well as physical healing. He didn’t get super spiritual with them; He didn’t make them feel bad about looking for physical healing. He didn’t expect them to just focus on their relationship with God. When the sick came to him, He healed them. The above scripture tells us that He actually healed every sickness and every disease among the people.
Jesus must have had enormous amount of work to do in healing every sick person. The scripture doesn’t state that the disciples helped Him out. Most likely He did most of the work by himself. Healing the sick would have been a huge need given the fact that the physicians in that time would not have had the knowledge or the resources to cure most ailments.
Jesus must have spent hours ministering to the physical needs. Healing the sick didn’t make him weary. Jesus never turned anyone away. This wasn’t a job for him, it was a burden because of his great love for the people.
Being a laborer is hard work which means when the excitement of the job is gone, the laborer still have more work to do. We as laborers still do the work with the same intensity and desire as we first started. No one gets short-changed because they are at the end of the line or because we as laborers are tired. God’s field is not about our excitement level, but it is about the level of need and desperation in people’s lives. When we love and love people, we continue to labor in His field.
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
