Power To Advance

I went to a coffee shop this morning and ordered a certain type of tea that I enjoy. I wanted it to brew for a while and then I wanted the waiter to add steamed soy. I made the request, paid the cashier and sat down. After watching others receive their drinks, I went to the counter to ask about mine. The waiter went on to say, “I have the soy all ready to go.” She was supposed to make the drink, but when she realized they did not have the kind of tea I wanted, she did not take any other action. Then, another waiter opened a package of tea that I did not order and said to me “we don’t have the brand you want.”

I was not happy that they did not tell me this before I paid. Instead, they assumed that I would just accept another type of tea. That, my friends, is mediocre and as some would say from my old neighborhood: “that’s some weak game”.

How often do we offer God “some weak game?” How often do we attempt to offer God something He does not want?  You can’t “play” God.

Do you want to know what God really wants?  It is not simply your best performance. It is not simply your community engagement.  It is not simply your wealth.  Those “tea bags” have merit, but they fall short.

When God comes to your counter to place an order, he is asking for one specific thing.   He wants your trust.  Give Him what He wants: Trust God. Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.

With faith it is possible to please God.

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

“And he [Jairus] fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house.” – Luke 8:41

The multitude is crowding Jesus. They all want to see Him and hear Him. They all want something from Him. Such was true of a man named Jarius, whose twelve year-old daughter was extremely ill. What is the difference between Jarius and the great multitude?

He asked.

It is amazing that one of the major tipping points in our walk with Jesus is a simple request. Asking God in faith, according to His will, is the thing that can distinguish you today in the eyes of God and bring to your life what God has for you. The Bible instructs us:

• Ask, and it shall be given you. [Matthew 7:7]

• If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. [James 1:5]

• Let your requests be made known unto God. [Philippians 4:6]

God is listening. He hears the cry of His people. The one question before you today is: What one thing would you dare to ask if you knew God would grant it?

We don’t need more self-esteem. What we need is more self-government.

The first and most important thing for people to govern (rule, manage) are themselves. The book of Proverbs lets us know that he who rules his spirit is stronger than he who takes a city.

Self-Government is built upon Self-Denial & Sacrifice.

With the increase of self-help books, teachings, and conversations, why is there an increase in counseling, depression, and discontent? Could it be that the focus on self is counterproductive?

What if we turned our focus to others?   What if we took to heart the example of Jesus and laid down our lives for others?   

God’s ways are not our ways.   Instead of seeking to save our lives, life is found in giving our lives.   The more we give our lives through self-denial and sacrifice, the more we govern ourselves.   

I pray today that we all would advance from the bondage of self-help to the freedom of self-denial and sacrifice. 

Through the power of the Holy Spirit we can manifest one of His fruit: self-government.

The more we value people, the better we can help them. People are more important than what they do for a living. They are more valuable than “the letter of the law”. People matter to God. He died for them. He got up from the grave for them. He is coming back for them (those that receive Him.) People matter to God.

The religious leaders in Matthew 12 tried to get Jesus trapped by the letter of the law. They were focussed on their religious agenda. Jesus was focussed on helping people. He poses a question to them, that I believe He poses to us today: “Of how much more value is a man than a sheep?”

Today, it sometimes seems that people are more concerned about whales than they are the little fatherless kid. Some are more concerned about turtles than the small business owner who is losing his business. But, people matter to God.

After Jesus talks about the priority of people, he demonstrates it. He tells the man with the withered hand, “Stretch out your hand.” While the religious leaders were pontificating and posturing, Jesus was serving and saving. He valued the man, thus was able to help him.

People matter to God. God help us to be more like You.

You have the power today to tell someone, “stretch out your hand.” Who can you value and serve today?