Part 3 – How to Be Blessed

I’m continuing a multi week blog series called, “Can You Identify?” I’m pretty excited about it because during these weeks you’ll find some type of identity within these blogs and what you can do to become, “more like Jesus” through it.

This week I want to talk about what to do when you are doing everything right and someone who seems to be doing nothing or less than you, gets the blessing that you were hoping for. You go to church, you pay your bills, you don’t cuss, you tithe, you aren’t blatantly in sin, you’re doing everything right, BUT, nothing seems to be happening, you feel like God isn’t blessing you. Then you look up and see someone who seems to be doing the exact opposite and they have the great family and all the financial blessing you want! What gives? Can you identify?

Well let’s jump into a story that may bring some perspective to this situation.

Luke 10:38-42 NIV 
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Here’s a great story of two different types of believers. One is busy about the business of Jesus and one is receiving from Jesus. Jesus sets things straight. He isn’t opposing doing things for Him, He opposes doing things that don’t matter for Him. When we take the time to sit at the feet of Jesus and receive His love, His mercy, His impartation, then we receive His blessing. Don’t get me wrong, we should be productive, notice I said productive and not busy. We should be productive but we should be doing the one thing that matters and that is spending time with Jesus.

Matthew 6:31-34
31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

When we focus on Him the blessing will come. Let’s stop comparing our blessings with someone else’s and focus on being grateful for what we do have.

I’d love to hear how you identify with this story! Leave your comments below.

Part 3 – Being Right

I’m continuing a multi week blog series called, “Can You Identify?” I’m pretty excited about it because during these weeks you’ll find some type of identity within these blogs and what you can do to become, “more like Jesus” through it.

This week I want to talk about what to do when you know someone who has been in the wrong. Maybe they’ve wronged you or someone you know. Maybe you heard about what someone did that was just plain dirty. What do you do? How do you respond when you are in the right and someone else is in the wrong?

Being right is something we all love. We love to be right. I think it’s ok to want to be right. Being right is built into our DNA, God built us to be right with Him and with others. The problem we get into is when we become right and our security is found in that self-righteousness. All of a sudden, it’s not about just being satisfied and content with being right with God through Jesus, now we want to show everyone how right we are by showing others how wrong they are. Listen friend, this is a clarion call to complete dependency of the righteousness found only in Jesus. Anything we take pride in, God will surely make a stumbling block. If you boast in your righteousness be sure that something in your character is going to foul that up. It’s just the way it is. God wants us totally dependent on Him and anything that is in the way, as a good Father, He has a way of removing.

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Galatians 6:1 NIV

So many good things in this verse, but what I want you to see is that it warns us to watch ourselves! Watch out how you deal with CHRISTIANS who have sinned and need restoration. If you are walking around high and mighty and think that you have some superior moral ground…. your temptation is on the way! The problem is most people who have a sense of moral superiority don’t know it! It’s so sad because these are the people who make us all look like religious nuts! We must do better church.

2Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. 7So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 11She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” 12Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:2-12 NKJV

Jesus paints us the picture with complete clarity. No one knows what He wrote on the ground but my guess is maybe it was the names of woman these guys had slept with or the individual sins of each guy! Who knows?! But what we do know is Jesus will always cut right to the chase and get us gut level honest with the cross. In light of our own sin do we have any room to be “right”? We all deserve hell, let that sink in. But because of Jesus we get salvation and to live in heaven for eternity.

The next time you want to throw stones, think of Jesus stooping in the dirt.

I’d love to hear how you identify with this story! Leave your comments below.