I was talking with Nick yesterday about three different situations of
dealing with people in our lives. People that God has brought into our life to
minster to, yet we feel so hollow and sad when they don’t respond, or at least
not as we hope they do. One is a single mother with four children from four
different fathers, all absent from their lives. She needed work, and after
meeting her physical needs, and giving her good counsel, I got her two job
offers, one she could start the same day. I thought it strange I never heard
back from her, and as expected, two weeks later, she called in trouble again.
Without a job, she showed up only one day after two weeks of applying, was in an
accident, and now no better off. But for two weeks, what were you doing? What
didn’t she do that affected now? Sadly a recurring theme...just because it is
my advice you don’t have to take it, or that it is good, this wasn’t taken, and
the results show it.
Another single mother, with two kids, she lost custody of them to their
real father, was working, producing more than kids, and her good attitude when I
met her showed. She needed some help, we offered, and she became missing in
action, not showing up. She got a tummy tuck, lost a ton of weight, looked
good, and turned into a party animal. Described as “maybe the worst mother
ever,” she neglects the kids, parties until all the hours till dawn, doesn’t
work, and is being evicted. It seems every relationship she had she has ruined,
yet calls me, seeking advice, then does the opposite. I never find joy in being
proved right by those kind of actions. Sadly, it doesn’t have to be this
way.
The third guy is a young man, raised in a home of alcoholics. You can see
the excuses being made already. He got arrested by being stupid, he is a nice
man, I love him and have counseled him also. There have been signs of
brilliance, but lately he has disappeared for days. He had some court
responsibilities he has neglected, and now faces doing jail time. After
watching his father receive his ten year clean and sober award, now he claims to
be an alcoholic. How convenient. At 23 when he has his whole future ahead of
him, and it looked bright and promising after the court showed him mercy, he is
copping out, it sickens me to see him drowning in stupid, when he doesn’t have
to. Three distinct situations, that really are too common in today’s
world....what advice would you give them? What advice would you take if
offered?
There are many times in my life that I feel powerless, financially,
socially, but rarely spiritually. Fortunately. I have been given good advice
over the years, and can brag on it when taken, also when not taken, and been
faced with an alternative I hadn’t expected. Some has sounded good, even had a
scripture or two thrown in for good measure, but fell short, as the scripture
didn’t exist. A friend tells me of a Bible study he is in, and when questioning
the source of the teaching, found it wasn’t in the Bible as the pastor had
taught. He too was surprised. Yet we all fall prey to a power structure that
isn’t there, if only we had sought the spirit and his guiding, rather than a
self help book, or one of the “how to” books filling Christian book stores.
What may have worked for you is not for everyone, lest you think you have
attained greatness. I know I haven’t, learning something new every day, only to
be reminded how much I don’t know. But while some seek knowledge, which puffs
up, I seek grace which humbles. Note that humbling is better and different than
being humiliated. In Christ we all have the power to be overcomers, yet we seek
other advice. Sounds Biblical is not the same as scriptural. Yet from the
newest and most ignorant Christian to the most learned and senior saint, we all
have the same Jesus. 40 years of knowing him has not absolved me from learning
from younger or less mature saints. But it can and has been a stumbling block.
If the only thing we share is sin, we neglect the power of Jesus in our lives,
and never attain a level where we can love freely, forgive easily, and live
gracefully. Personally I was hurt at first by the above cases not taking my
advice, I knew it came from God, but now it hurts more to see their outcome
rather than my bruised ego for not having been obeyed. Maybe I am learning
still after all, and that includes loving those who disagree with me.
Feeling powerless, you are in a great place, for God’s strength is made
perfect in our weakness. He makes ways we cannot see, he gives great counsel to
those seeking, and we may come out bruised and broken, but closer to him. Which
is our goal, isn’t it? To know Jesus more and more, like we sing in church?
Jesus offers us resurrection power, the power of his spirit, but reminds us,
that it is not by power we live, lest we boast. Yet we try to exercise our
power over situations, and find out that it is not by might, there is always
someone tougher, not by power, someone is always more powerful, but by his
spirit, for there is none other name under heaven that has such power and
might. The name of Jesus, revealed to us via his spirit. Still fighting
spiritual battles using physical tools and weapons, you will never win. Your
enemy has too many to use on you, but he cannot defeat those of us in Christ
Jesus. You may feel powerless, but the power found via the holy spirit will
deal with any and all situations. The people mentioned above still have a way
out, if they seek Jesus and listen to what the spirit is saying. When we see
things in life through the eyes of Jesus, we see more clearly, we hear more
clearly, and can proceed more clearly.
Two men hung on a cross by Jesus, one as close to heaven as he would ever
get, one as close to hell as he would ever get. Don’t wait until the last
minute to seek Jesus, both men had a past, only one a bright future. The
miracle on and of the cross takes on a new light when we see ourselves as those
thieves, life is not a game we push the start over button on, real people die in
wars, not all live to play again. Wise men still seek him, saved men find him.
Who you see on the cross next to you makes all the difference, it did then, it
does now. Has it to you?
Some seek only advice, Jesus is the answer. By example. There is a
difference. Or you can utter the words you should have at first, “everything
else has failed, I guess I need to pray.”
love with compassion,
Mike
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