Called to Be Different...Part 2

In part one of this series, we explored what it may feel like to be different from those around us. We also discussed the idea that normal is relative - everyone's normal is a bit different - thank goodness! As believers in Christ, our normal should not look like, sound like, act like, or think like the secular world in which we live.

2 Cor. 5:17 -  This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! NLT That's where the idea of "born again" comes from.

So what is this new life supposed to look like? We find the answer to that question - probably hundreds of times - in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

• Be holy for I am holy. Lev. 11:44, 19:2
• You are holy to the Lord. Ezra 8:28
• ...but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior because it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:15-16

Now, let's get one thing on the table and understand it. Holy does not mean perfect! We usually think of those two words as one in the same, but that's not biblical. Jesus Christ, who is God in the flesh, is the only person who was and can ever be perfect - because He is God! We are called to imitate Christ, not BE Christ!

• Therefore, be imitators of Christ... Eph. 5:1

To imitate Him means to take on the attitudes, actions, and thoughts of holiness. The word holy is defined as being different or set apart. Thinking about the earthly life of Jesus, there is no question that He fits that definition. He was definitely different; His was a different kind of normal.

To understand how we are to adapt to that kind of normal, we must make some observations about His life and how it was different from those He walked among. To understand God's character and Jesus' attitudes and actions, we only have to look to the fruit of the Spirit.

• But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control... Gal. 5:22-23

Fruit is the by-product of life, which re-generates life, and the cycle continues. Spiritual fruit, then, is the by-product of life with the Spirit - God's Spirit. This is fruit that we normally would not produce of ourselves.

For example, there are some people that are hard for me to love - if not impossible. If left to myself, I would not love them, but choose to ignore or even forget about them. But the Spirit's love doesn't work that way. When Jesus passed by a blind begger, He felt love and compassion for him. This was a person who, in that society, was shunned and left to fen for himself, so he would sit, probably in the same place everyday, and beg. Most people would walk out-of-their way to NOT come close to this man. But Jesus walked right up to this blind man, spread some mud on his eyes, and healed him! (John 9:1-11)

We saw Jesus approach the unapproachable again when he visited with the adulterous woman at the well in John 8. Another person who society shunned because of her lifestyle, but Jesus treated her with kindness and gentleness as He shared His forgiving news with her.

And who can doubt the presence of the Holy Spirit's peace during His trial and crucifixtion? He was totally at peace as false accusations were shouted at Him and as He was beaten and flogged with the cat-of-nine tails. He was totally at peace as He gave up His life on the cross.  (John 19)

Therefore, part of being different in this world means we are to live in the fruit of the Spirit as Jesus did. If we can experience the kind of peace that the human mind cannot comprehend (Phil 4:7) in the midst of stress and tragedy, we are learning to live like Jesus. When we can allow joy to trump our sorrow, we are learning to live like Jesus. As we love the unlovable and approach unapproachable with kindness and gentleness, we are learning to live like Jesus.

As we learn to live like Jesus, we are becoming holy - set apart, different from the secular world. What is normal for someone learning to live like Jesus will look, think, and act differently from the world.

• ...God has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given us through Christ Jesus. 2 Tim. 1:9

Answering that holy call will mean a new and different normal for us. Are you willing to be different?

Lord, I Need To Know What To Do...Esther, Part 3

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5 NLT

Wisdom...who doesn't need wisdom...and lots of it! Obviously, we all do. But when we talk about "wisdom," what do we really mean? Knowledge, intelligence? A person can have tons of knowledge about something, but not be wise, and a person can have a very high intelligence level, and not have wisdom. 

Wisdom - knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgement as to action (dictionary.com)

Wisdom is so much more than knowledge; it is discernment, good judgement, or, as my granny would say, "horse sense."

I can't even begin to count the number of times I've asked the Lord for wisdom when it comes to my children - from needing to know when to let them cry themselves to sleep as babies to guiding them through those difficult teen years and beyond.

I also can't count the number of times I've been faced with a situation and a sense of panic began creeping upward from my stomach - because I didn't ask for wisdom. I just acted on my own, out of my flesh. Sometimes, that doesn't work out too well!

The point is - God is the source of wisdom, and we are instructed in His word to ask Him for it, and we are promised in His word that He will give it. WOW! That seems so simple....

Queen Esther was faced with a dire situation in which she desperately needed God's wisdom. (To catch up on Esther's story, read Part 1 and Part 2) The king's Prime Minister, Haman, had connived a way to destroy the entire Jewish population and the king had unknowingly given his approval. Mordecai had alerted Queen Esther and implored her to go before the king and plead for her people. But remember:

• Anyone, including the queen, who approached the king without being summoned could be put to death and
• The king was unaware that Esther was a Jew.

We've already discussed how God displayed His Power and Presence through Esther's courage. However, another quality that showed up in Esther's actions was wisdom. Courage is best coupled with wisdom. In fact, wisdom keeps courage from becoming fool hearted.

As Queen Esther dealt with the knowledge given her about the plot against the Jews, we can see seven steps of wisdom that she took.

1. She STOPPED - Esther did not rush headlong into or away from the problem! Before doing anything, she paused and caught her breath - so to speak. It's always wise to take a few minutes or even a few days, if possible, before acting on a rash emotion. There is a difference between "action" and "reaction," and "reaction" usually leads to more problems.
2. She WAITED - Instead of acting on impulse, Esther sent a servant to talk to Mordecai to find out what was really going on (4:5). She wanted the facts before she acted. Patience is a virtue.
3. She CONSULTED - Esther sought advice and counsel from her cousin Mordecai (4:12-14), who had proven his wisdom to her throughout her life. Proverbs 11:14 says, "Where there is not guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory." Seeking godly advice is also a virtue.
4. She PRAYED - After hearing from Mordecai and his plea for her to go before the king, she called for prayer and fasting. She knew her ultimate counselor was God, Himself. This wasn't just a wing and a prayer, either. Esther called for a three day fast for herself, her maids, Mordecai, and all the Jews in the city. She wanted to hear from the Lord. Phil. 4:6-7 - "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace that surpasses all human understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
5. She DECIDED - Time, counsel, and prayer led Esther to a decision that gave her the kind of peace described in Philippians. She was so at peace with her decision that she said, "...I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law, and if I perish, I perish." (4:17) That was God's kind of peace!
6. She ACTED - Esther put feet to her faith in 5:1-2 and went in to the inner court to the king's throne room praying that he would extend his scepter to her, which he did. What if she had known what God wanted her to do, but never acted on it? Knowing God's will doesn't mean much if we don't DO God's will. He gave her the plan, and she carried it out with boldness.
7. She ADJUSTED - Part of wisdom is discernment, and Esther discerned that it would be better to explain her plea at a second meeting with the king and Haman. So she invited them to a another banquet on the following evening. Because she listened with her heart, God's timing played out perfectly. The king learned that Mordecai had thwarted an earlier plot to kill the king but had never been rewarded. And Haman's pride led him to build a gallows on which he planned to hang Mordecai. However, Haman, himself, was hanged on that very spot after the king learned of his deceit. (Esther 6-7) 

God's Power and Presence in Esther's life allowed her to call on His wisdom in that difficult circumstance. And because she did something with that wisdom, the Jews were not annihilated. His wisdom and His will is perfect. She put herself completely in His hands and felt that peace that cannot be explained.

Where does that leave us? Hopefully, we are left remembering that when we are faced with a stressful situation, we should call upon the Power and Presence of our Lord to give us His wisdom. We should never panic and react but pray and act, putting our faith into action, and let God take care of the rest.

God may not need you to save an entire people group, but He does want you to be His hands and feet in the world around you. That includes your family, friends, work place, social circles - wherever life takes you. He has a plan and purpose for your life, and when you are smack dab in the middle of it, you, too, will have that peace that we cannot understand.

But I want it NOW!!!!

The other day my four year old grandson was at our house for a few hours. Now, I love the "Nana" role - it's much less restrictive than the "Mom" role. Without being overly indulgent, Nana can allow things that Mom cannot - an extra snack here and there, reading a favorite book anytime of the day, etc. And believe me, even at four, Benson has learned how to snag his Nana with his big, beautiful eyes...

Well, that particular afternoon, he had had a snack or two already when he asked for an ice cream cone he "conveniently" found in the freezer. I knew his mom would be picking him up shortly and it was close to supper time. So I said, "Not now, Benson. It's too close to supper time."

"But I want it now!" he said, looking at me with those beautiful eyes. Only this time, I saw a tiny speck of defiance. Immediately, I knew he was testing me!

Now, the Nana-part of me wanted to squeeze him tight and fill him up with ice cream cones! However, the Mother-part of me knew better. Even though I wanted to give him what he wanted and make him happy, I knew that was not what was best for him in the long run.

So, I answered, "Not now, Benson. You'll have to wait." And his countenance fell, and for just a moment, my heart ached.

Does that sound like a conversation you've had with the Father?

• God, we need rain before it's too late...
• Father, please heal my loved one - quickly...
• Lord, I don't understand why this is happening to me...
• But Father, Your word says, "Ask," and I've been asking...
• How long is my "wilderness" going to last?...
• I've been praying for my husband's salvation for years, Lord...

We've all been in situations in which we desperately wanted God to work, work in our desired way, and work quickly. If we are honest with ourselves, frustration has probably set in because we weren't getting our way! We may have even been tempted to quit praying or even get angry with God.

Satan delights in our spiritual frustration!

Sometimes and for reasons we don't always understand, the Father will say, "Not now. You have to wait."

Psalm 37 gives us insight in how to handle adverse circumstances, especially when things aren't moving as quickly as we want. It gives us one "don't" and five "do's."

• DO NOT fret (NAS) be upset (NCV) be bothered (The Message) worried (GNT) - Anger and worry are two very destructive emotions, which erode faith. The Psalmist says, "Don't go down that path!" In fact, he says it three times - verses 1, 7, and 8, so it is an important exhortation.
• Can all those worries add a single moment to your life? - Luke 12:25 (NLT)
• Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Phil. 4:6 (NLT)
• DO Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness 37:3 (NAS) - To trust means to rely upon or place confidence in someone. We can have absolute confidence that the God of this universe has our backs!
• "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." Jer. 29:11 (NAS)
• For the Lord will be your confidence... Prov. 3:26 (NAS)
• When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You... Psalm 56:3 (NAS)
• DO Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. 37:4 (NAS) -  To delight in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in his or her presence. This only happens when we know that person well. Thus, to delight in the Lord, we must know Him and know Him well.
• ...I know Jesus, the One in whom I have believed. And I am sure He is able to protect what He has trusted me with until that day. 2 Tim. 1:12 (NCV)
• Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. Psalm 40:5 (NAS)
• DO Commit your way to the Lord... 37:5 (NAS) - To commit ourselves to the Lord means to entrust everything - our lives, families, jobs, possessions, future - to His control and guidance.
• I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith...Gal. 2:20 (NAS)
• Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. Psalm 55:22 (NAS)
• DO Rest in the Lord...37:7 - Rest means to relieve weariness by cessation of exertion. Therefore, to rest in the Lord, we must trust Him, know Him well (delight), turn the situation over to Him (commit), and then cease from trying to fix it ourselves! Don't do anything about it unless He directs you to.
• Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Matt. 11:28
• For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing. Jer. 31:25 (NLT)
• DO Wait patiently for Him...and you will inherit the land...37:7, 9, 34 - Of all these actions, waiting is the most difficult, at least for me! We must learn to trust God's timing.
• There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven...Eccl. 3:1
• For your thoughts are not My thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. Is. 55:8-9

Turning these commands into personal actions will not be easy, but we must not forget what is promised at the end of the commands - You will inherit the land. That land is the Promised Land, which in the future is Glory - spending eternity with the Father. But for the here and now, the Promised Land is the abundant life that Jesus came to give on this earth. And part of that abundant life is peace.

• Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:6-7

My sweet Benson did not understand why he had to wait until after supper to have his ice cream cone. "But Nana, I want it now!"

But let's remember that our Father knows all and certainly knows what is best in all our circumstances. We just have to learn to:

• Not worry or be upset
• Trust Him and place our confidence in Him
• Delight in the pleasure of His presence
• Commit everything to His care
• Rest in Him and not try to manipulate
• Wait patiently for His will to work in His timing

Yet those who wait patiently upon the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired; they will walk and not become weary. Is 40:31