10.6.7 "How About a Little Stability?"

"How About a Little Stability?"

Jeremiah 6:15-8:7
Colossians 2:8-23
Psalm 78:1-25
Proverbs 24:26

"Don't let others spoil your faith and joy with their philosophies, their wrong and shallow answers built on men's thoughts and ideas, instead of on what Christ has said. For in Christ there is all of God in a human body; so you have everything when you have Christ, and you are filled with God through your union with Christ."

Our number one goal needs to be to mature in Christ. Stability should be a direct result of Christian maturity. Paul speaks of this in Ephesians 4:14 when he says, "Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different, or has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. Instead, we will lovingly follow the truth at all times..."

I think too often people think Christianity is a "reactionary" life: The circumstances of life dictate actions, beliefs, mood, and decisions. Why don't we recognize that this is not part of the Balanced Christian Life? I've seen individuals who go into each day not knowing what they'll be like at the end of it because of not knowing what may "happen" to them.

Wouldn't it be great if WE would "happen" to circumstances, rather than circumstances happening to us? The reason we are on this earth is to make a difference. I have a thermometer outside my dining room window. It's not making a difference in the world. It's reflecting the temperature. I have a thermostat on my wall. It's making a difference. It sets the temperature for my home. When it's too cold, it decides it's time to make a difference.

As a believer in Christ, we need to look at trials and struggles as a signal that it's time to make a difference. A friend on this list emailed me a quote from Henry Blackaby: "If society as a whole seems to be getting darker and darker, it is not the problem of the darkness: the darkness is just acting like its nature. But it is that the light no longer dispels the darkness, and the salt no longer preserves. It time for the light to say, if things are darker, the problem is with us."

Can you see how a reactionary Christianity renders us ineffective? In the Reactionary Christian Life, we can only witness to someone if the circumstances are perfect. Basically, an unbeliever has to come to us. We have to be in the right mood. We have to have the perfect flyer inviting them to a Christian event that we're sure has a message that we approve of. If any of these things are out of whack, "It just wasn't God's timing."

In the Balanced Christian Life, we view struggles, trials and opposition as an opportunity for God to make his name great. Our joy is not affected by false doctrine. We don't react selfishly when those living in darkness speak offensively. We react as Christ would. We love them into the kingdom.

As we grow in maturity, we need to realize the fact that we have Christ IN us. He is the hope for all generations. The very power of God is available to us. He has authority over EVERY OTHER power!

I John 4:4 says, "... the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." Do we believe this? Do we live like it? What does it take to live like it?

It takes discipline. We need to guard our thought life against discouraging thoughts that cause us to lose the joy we've been given. We need to be disciplined in getting into the word so we know when someone is speaking words that do not line up with Godly principles. We need to be disciplined to keep our hearts in tune with the Spirit's direction.

Yeah, it takes work, but THIS life is a whole lot better that being knocked around all the time. The world around you is looking for someone who "has it together". No, I'm not talking about perfection, but I'm talking about someone who knows how to weather a storm. Whining about the rain is not weathering the storm. When people in your world are going through a trial, do they come to you for prayer? If they do, why? It's because they see what a difference it's made for you. If they don't come to you, why is that?? is it because they see you being knocked around by your circumstances? They wouldn't want what you have.

Let's recognize struggles, trials, even words of discouragement and false doctrine as an opportunity to let the power of God and the Light of His Word shine through our lives. This is what living the DREAM is all about.


Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

P Greg


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