The Gift of Work

December 28, 2008
“He who enjoys his work never labors” Jim Stovall

My husband Johnny loves to work. Not in the workaholic kind of way but in the pure satisfaction it brings him kind of way. Johnny does an honest day’s work six days a week. Typically he puts in 8 hours at his full time job and 3 – 4 hours at a part time job. Johnny works for the put pleasure and satisfaction it brings him. That is not to say he doesn’t enjoy his leisure time – he does. Johnny loves’ a good cruise and will take a vacation in a red hot minute. But when he was little he received the gift of work from his father. He learned how much pleasure he would derive from a cruise or a vacation when he earned them himself instead of having it handed to him. Somehow he “got” that leisure was a reward for hard work therefore he enjoyed his work all the more. I am reminded of someone else who learned this lesson from his father. Jesus was a carpenters’ son.

He was someone who did manual worked with this hands. In fact, while he was here on earth, he was a carpenter longer than he was a “preacher “. Joseph, Jesus' father, was a carpenter [Matthew 13:55], and Jesus followed the family trade growing up, especially being the firstborn, he would follow in his father's profession. There was a saying among the Jewish men in the nation of Israel: "If you do not teach your son how to work, you teach him how to be a thief." Joseph and Mary were hardly wealthy, and Nazareth was a small remote town. The family of at least 5 sons needed money and building is honest work.

Many of Jesus’ teaching reflect his carpentry background. For example, Jesus spoke about the "narrow gate" that we have to go through. Jesus talked about building a house "upon solid rock" and not "upon the shifting sand" and in Matthew 11:29, Jesus said that his "yoke" was easy. Using carpentry skills Jesus could make a yoke that was comfortable for the animals.

The gift of work is fundamental to who we are, how we life and what contribution we make. Have we learned it and have we passed it on?

T

The Ultimate Gift

December 27, 2008

Every year at Christmas time I read an inspirational book. This year I re-read one from last year. The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall. What would you be willing to do to receive your inheritance from your rich uncle? Such is the question Jason Stevens is asking himself as starts a year long journey of self discovery. The journey is a condition of the will in order to receive the inheritance (the ultimate gift). Each month he learns a different life lesson. In reading such a book, I too learn a different lesson. But before I start there, I pause on the question,

What would I be willing to do to receive my inheritance from my rich uncle?

Humm.....

T

Patience

I have to tell you, patience is not my strong suit. I recently took a spiritual growth assessment that our church gives and as usual, patience was right there at the bottom of the list. The assessment was fairly comprehensive and in the area of patience it covered patient with family members, patiently waiting on God's answers and timing, extending patience (grace) to others, and patiently waiting in Atlanta traffic. I struggle at any point in time with any of these - usually not all at the same time.

The thing about patience is that it is really self-control. Katie Brazelton in her book Character Makeover says "patience is an outwardly displayed character quality that results from the inward character quality of self-control."

She wasn't the only one to link these two fruits of the spirit. Peter said,

Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. 2 Peter 1:6 NLT

It is also amazing how often endurance and patience are linked together too.

So when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your benefit and salvation! For when God comforts us, it is so that we, in turn, can be an encouragement to you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 2 Corin. 1:6 (NLT)

I am John, your brother. In Jesus we are partners in suffering and in the Kingdom and in patient endurance. ...Rev. 1:9 (NLT)

If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints. Rev. 13:10 (NIV)

Self-control, patience and endurance - these are the character traits that should mark God's children. This was expected over 2000 years ago and it is still expected today.

What Happened?

What happened to Kirsten? Kirsten, my sweet spirit, quiet giggly, absolutely adorable (OK I am bias) 13 year old granddaughter one day woke up and was this moody, broody, "whatever" kind of girl. Where did the other Kirsten go? Having raised her mother, I am afraid I know where she went and it may be a while before she comes back.

There is a side of transformation that is not pleasant, not easy for all those involved. As Kirsten grows through teenagehood and into a young adult she will decide who she is, what childish habits to leave behind, which new ones to embrace. Over the next 10 years she will make many decisions that will dramatically impact her future.

Spiritual transformation is not so different. Like Kirsten’s journey through teenagehood, a Christian journey through spiritual transformation is a process that does not happen overnight. It takes time and there are no real shortcuts. There will be times God will give you a awesome victory and you will have a mountain top experience but most of the journey will require faith, obedience, perseverance and discipline.

I have to say that many times I have almost given up and been content with the “status quo” in my life. Gratefully the Father was not content to have me remain “status quo”. Through a well timed friends nudging or a Bible verse the desire to experience spiritual change was built back up in me. I have learned my obedience is in direct proportion to my desire for the Lord. That desire is most present when my intimacy with Him is strongest. When I do stay connected with Him (abide in Him) I want to obey Him in this journey called spiritual transformation.

For me, staying connected to Him requires discipline therefore spiritual transformation requires discipline. This is particularly true in the area of yielding and lordship. I am a strong woman and I must constantly keep before me that I am to yield to the Spirit and not the other way around. Spiritual transformation happens not because we read God’s Word but because we yield to what it says. Like Kirsten's decisions over the next 10 years will impact her future, as we go through spiritual transformation so will ours.

TJ

God's Word

"Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25 - The Message

You got to love the Message. It seems that when I can't get my head wrapped around a passage in God's Word, the Message clears the cobwebs away. Not that it is my study Bible - it is not. It is more my inspiration Bible. It makes me ask questions of myself. Toni, how inventive can you be in encouraging your husband, your sister..... Toni, are you avoiding worshiping your Lord through acts of service or tithing?

Eugene Peterson has also written other fine books like Eat This Book. In that book he quotes Kafka "If the book we are reading does not wake us, as with a fist hammering on our skull, why read it?....A book must be like an ice-axe to break the frozen sea within us." (page 8)

That is what I have come to look for God's Word to do - to break something frozen within me. Regardless of the translation I am reading. It is hard to transform something frozen.

TJ

Transformed

Richard Foster said

"I know the Lord is speaking to me when I carefully consider the spirit, the quality, and the content of the voice I am hearing. The spirit of the voice of God is a spirit of gentleness. It is the Spirit of Jesus. When He speaks, He will not crush the needy or snuff out hope. The quality of His voice is one that draws and encourages rather than one that pushes and condemns. The content of His voice will be consistent with what He has already revealed in Scripture. That is why we must know Scripture. He will never contradict Himself."

As I have been studying "Discerning the Voice of God" by Priscilla Shirer I was stopped by this quote she uses in the book. How do I really know God is speaking to me? In the past, has it always sounded gentle? But wait, the "spirit of gentleness" is not always gentle sounding is it? After all Psalm 29 talks of God's voice being powerful and majestic. It says His voice thunders over the mighty waters, breaks the cedars, shakes the desert and twist the oaks. Truthfully, while I can say the Lord is more gentle with me than I deserve, there have been times when I felt "twisted" under His voice. When my "spirit" (i.e. pride) was broken like the cedars.

But there have been many times too, that I felt His gentle presence and heard His sweet encouragment. Even now, I smile as I think of the intimacy of those moments. Those moments that have the power to transform.

TJ