Your Life’s Story #9: A Life of Destiny

“God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end” (Ecc. 3:11 NLT).

Often when we think of destiny we make the mistake of thinking only of our eternal destiny. Yes, thinking about where one is going to spend eternity is vitally important! However, destiny involves much more than this. As Ravi Zacharias explains, “[Destiny] is the culmination of all that life was, including how that person prepares for death, whether it comes soon or after several years. Destiny incorporates the sense of purpose and design when it lies in the hands of a Sovereign God” (The Grand Weaver, p. 155).

Throughout Scripture, we learn that we are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27), and that it is our life’s goal to become more and more like His Son (Rom. 8:29; 13:14). This is what every follower of Christ is destined for in this life.

Therefore, God has destined us for a life of greatness. Now I can imagine that many will point to their circumstances and struggles, and doubt the greatness that God has in store for you. Yet just like a beautiful tapestry, you will miss seeing the beauty if you only look at the backside. So while the back of a tapestry may look like a mess, the front reveals a beautiful piece of art. That is what God is doing in the lives of “those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

So as we look at individuals throughout Scripture, and throughout history, even our modern day, we find people who have gone through dark valleys to stand on the mountain tops of life. Their names are countless. People like Noah who was a drunk. Job who lost all that he had. Abraham who was a wander. Jacob who was a liar. Joseph who was abused, abandoned, and forgotten. David who was a murder and an adulterer. There was Lazarus who had died. Peter the betrayer. And Doubting Thomas. All of these individuals had their dark moments, yet God brought them out of their pits of despair in this life. And God can do it in your life as well.

The destiny that God has for every person is amazing. His promises are sure. Yet the question remains. Will you live the life that God is calling you to live?

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:11-13). So are you willing to seek Him here and now so that you can really live both now and forever more?

In His service,

      Matt

Your Life’s Story #8: The Cry of Our Hearts

“When (Jesus) came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!’ ‘I tell you,’ He replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out’” (Luke 19:37-40).

The cry of our hearts is a longing to worship. Yet, what is worship? Webster defines worship as “to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion.” From this definition we learn that really, everyone worships something or someone. Sure not everyone wants to call it worship or even think that that is what they are doing. But everyone worships something or someone. For some, it is religion. For others, it’s money. For some it’s fun. For others, it’s success or power, or science or knowledge, or beauty, or popularity. For some, it’s love or sex. For some, it’s their family. But the Bible says that all things were made by Jesus, and for Jesus. This means that we were created to worship. And He is the only one who is worthy to be worshiped. 

Colossians 1:16-17 declares that all things were made by, through and for Jesus.”  Thus, we were created by Him, through Him and ultimately belong to Him. Therefore, He is the only One worthy of our worship. Furthermore, in Romans 1:21, we discover two consequences of not glorifying or worshiping God: (1) our thinking becomes futile, (2) our foolish hearts are darkened.

Through examining Jesus’ temptation in Matthew 4:10, Ravi Zacharias determined that “plainly put, worship means ‘reverence and action.’  This is important because worship is ultimately seeing life God’s way.” (Ravi Zacharias, The Grand Weaver, p. 133). 1 Corinthians 10:31 is a great verse about seeing all of life God’s way: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Another great passage is Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Therefore, as you go throughout life, I want to encourage you to ask the question: “How can I honor God through this action?” The Baker New Testament Commentary said, “We are unable to glorify God unless our lives are in harmony with Him and His precepts. Nothing in our conduct should obstruct God's glory from being reflected in us. That is, in everything we do and say, no matter how insignificant, the world should be able to see that we are God's people. Exalting God's glory ought to be our chief purpose in this earthly life (compare 1 Peter 4:11).” Thus, our heart’s cry or our chief goal in life is to worship – just One.

More of Him, less of me,

      Matt

Your Life’s Story #7: Strengthening the Will to Live Right

“For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose” (Phil. 2:13).

A person’s will can be a powerful thing! So what is your will to live? What causes you to get up in the morning, and/or stay up late at night? Ravi Zacharias said, “The will is a strong but fragile part of every human life, and it matters in the rich weaving of your tapestry that is in the making” (The Grand Weaver, p. 114).

My grandmother Boughan was a strong Christian woman, who got cancer; the doctors gave her 6 months to live yet she lived for 6 years. She was determined to live and be a difference maker; she had a reason for living and the will to help motivate her. Thus, she had a strong will to live right: that is in a way that pleases God.

Josiah was a king who did just that. His grandfather Manasseh was one of the most immoral kings that the Southern Kingdom of Judah ever had. Similarly, Josiah’s father Amon was immoral. However, Josiah became king at only 8 years old and he was one of the best kings that the nation ever had. What made the difference? Josiah did four things that can help strengthen our will to live.

First, Josiah began with the end in mind. He witnessed what his father and grandfather had been like as kings and how it had not gone well for either of them, so he decided to change things. 2 Kings 22:2 tells us that he refused to turn to the right or to the left. He had a laser focus on the end which he desired, and his desires were lined up with God’s desires.

Second, Josiah, admitted his mistakes and sought to change them. When he learned God’s Word concerning idols, he owned the mistake/sin and cleaned house, removing the idols that were present in his kingdom.

Third, Josiah always sought to grow. Stephen Covey said, “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.” Therefore, what is the destiny that you are going to reap based upon the thoughts that you are sowing? Is it pleasing to God?

And fourth, Josiah was determined to live his life for the Lord. “Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did--with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses” (2 Kings 23:25). Our enemy the Devil has a plan to lead us away from living for the Lord. Thus, we must likewise have a plan to overcome his attacks; that requires great determination.

Therefore, I encourage you this New Year to strengthen your will to live right. Begin with the end in mind. Admit your mistakes and seek to change them. Always seek to grow. And be determined to live for the Lord. 

In His service,

      Matt

Your Life’s Story #6: Spirituality Matters

“It is the most wonderful time of year.” The holidays can be that: spending time with those whom we love, vacation, and holiday cheer. Yet, is this all there is to Christmas being such a wonderful time of year? Is it just about family, food and exchanging gifts? I ask this because many are left empty at the end of the festivities, and others sink into depression due to absent family members.

 As one searches for the source of wonder, many turn to spirituality. Ravi Zacharias explains the significance of this reality: “First, we human beings are incurably religious. We long to worship and will even create our own objects to worship” (The Grand Weaver, pg. 95). Furthermore, Stanford University found that there is a positive relationship between religious inclination and one’s well-being. 56% of physicians believe spirituality influences health, and 80% of medical schools offer spiritual care courses. There is even a positive correlation between daily access to spiritual support and shorter hospital stays among cardiac patients. Additionally, religious or spiritual belief is a factor in overall mood elevation and reduction of depression (available from https://www.lifesharetech.com/spirituality-matters-with-age-part-1/).

But are the benefits of spirituality merely a placebo or false hope? That depends. You see, “It is imperative that we know whether the object we worship truly deserves our worship and actually has the characteristics we ascribe to it” (The Grand Weaver, pg. 95). Thus, while spirituality can have beneficial effects on our lives including making this season “the most wonderful time of the year,” one’s spirituality needs to be checked. What is the basis of our spirituality? As Ravi points out, “Spirituality does not give relevance to life; rather, truth gives relevance to spirituality. Your spirituality must be born of the truth and lived out in grace (The Grand Weaver, pg. 109). Yet what is truth? The Bible teaches that truth is embodied in a person whose birth we celebrate this time of year. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Yet, what if one chooses not to indulge themselves in the spiritual realm? Mortimer Adler, in an interview with Larry King pointed out that “there are more consequences for your life that follow from that one issue [God] than any other issue you can think of.”  More consequences for your life follow from what you believe or disbelieve about God. If you believe and trust in God, your beliefs, language, behavior, charitability, ethics, etc. all stem from it. You may not always live consistently with it, but your guilt and shame or fulfillment comes on how you think about God.

Therefore, is your spirituality grounded in false hope, or in the truth named Jesus? I encourage you to join us this Christmas season and discover or refresh how this Way, Truth and Life can bring wonder to your life the whole year through.

Merry Christmas,

      Matt

Your Life’s Story #5: Morality Matters

What once was black and white now has grayed lines, and blurry edges. I can hear you say, Matt, you’re over the hill and need to get your vision checked. Yes, you may be right. However, I am not speaking about my ability to see, but that of society’s ability to discern between right and wrong. You see, what once was very clear, has now developed some gray and blurry areas. For example, it was once believed that murder is wrong period. But 45 years ago, abortion (murder) was legalized, based on the definition of when human life begins. Thus, we can still wholeheartedly agree that murder is wrong, but some say that abortion is ok, others no.

How far will we allow the rules to be bent? In the past, slavery and atrocious acts to those individuals were accepted simply because they were considered sub-human. Likewise, Hitler convinced the German population that Jews and others sub-human to the degree that over 6 million were slaughtered. Hitler was angry, blamed the Jews for it and got away with murder. Literally.

The bottom line is that we are changing the rules for our benefit. But this change can bite. However, we may not realize the implications of this until we get bit. Several years ago when I worked as a foreman for a heating and cooling company, I was given the job of installing a gas fireplace in a new home. As an individual who has held a builder’s license, I quickly recognized that the fireplace chase was improperly built. There was about 4,000 lbs. of weight positioned directly above where I was to install the fireplace, and all of that weight was held by just a handful of nails. I recognized the gravity of the situation (pun intended). The builder was cutting corners to save time and money. It was situationally right for him, yet morally unethical. Would you have responded in the same way as the builder? Then again, what if you were on the other side of the coin? What if this was your house? Would you still say it was ok for the builder to cut corners?

Without a moral law-giving God, objective morality is not possible. Even atheist philosophers like J.L. Mackie have said that, “Moral properties were not likely to arise without a God to create them” (https://www.youtube. com/watch?=9txl6lA_z30).

While we may be ok with redefining basic moral issues like murder, rape, etc., when it becomes personal, things change. But at what point do we hit the point of no return? Instead of being lulled into the blurred edges and gray lines of subjective morality, I urge you to consider what Paul wrote in Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” It is our responsibility to recognize when the objective black and white is becoming subjective gray and blurry and to take society to the eye doctor’s for a check-up.

In His service,

   Matt

Your Life’s Story #4: Your Life’s Calling

 “Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work…” (Jer. 1:5 NCV).

Why do you exist? What is your God given calling? Ravi Zacharias said, “We all seek success, eager to grab whatever we can along the way. Just look at the sections in our bookstores that promote resources about motivation and career selection, and you’ll find all the advice you need on how to find that specific purpose for which you are distinctly wired.. However, accomplishments and dream careers do not necessarily lead to happiness. Making it to number one really means knowing where God wants you to be and serving Him there with your best efforts. The goal then, is to find the threads God has in place for you and to follow His plan for you with excellence” (The Grand Weaver, pgs. 54-55).

Deep down inside of every person are the seeds of greatness, as we all have been made in the image of our Creator God. He formed us, each of us, uniquely for a special purpose. According to the Bible, there are five purposes for our lives: worship (Rom. 11:36), discipleship (Rom. 8:29), fellowship (Phil. 2:1-4), service (Eph. 2:10), and evangelism (2 Cor. 5:20). God’s special calling for our lives will relate to these five purposes and how He has uniquely shaped us to make a difference in our world.

As Christians, God has blessed us with Spiritual gifts. Everyone has a Heart for certain things and people. We all have God given Abilities and Personalities. And we all have gone through numerous Experiences to S.H.A.P.E. us into the person that God created us to be so that we might fulfill our God given calling. A calling is simply God’s shaping of your life to serve Him through serving others.

What spiritual gifts has God blessed you with? What do you have a heart for? Or asked another way, if you could spend the rest of your life doing one thing or fixing one problem in our world today, what would it be? What abilities has God given you? What is your personality type? And what life experiences, good and bad have you gone through? As you consider your S.H.A.P.E. in relation to your God given purposes, this will reveal your life’s calling.

It is only through fulfilling your life’s calling will you be able to find true joy, peace, satisfaction, and fulfillment in life. Thus, I encourage you to take some time to reflect on your own life. Pray diligently seeking God’s direction. And then respond. Often God’s assurance that we are headed in the right direction comes after we set out on the journey that you were created to live. So may God bless you as you answer your life’s calling!

In His service,

      Matt

Your Life’s Story #3: The Tragedies that Lead to Triumph

 “Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory” (Rom. 8:17).

Recently, we celebrated Memorial Day, specifically remembering and honoring those who have served in our armed forces. Also, in a little over a month from now we will celebrate our independence day remembering the freedom that these men and women were able to ensure for us as a nation. During both of these holidays, our minds turn to the memories of those who died for our country. For some of us, these memories are clearly bitter sweet as we think of friends and family members who have paid the ultimate price. In these instances, most of us can rationalize why those individuals suffered.

On the other hand, sometimes, the suffering that happens in this life seems to be more than we can bear; and for some, they are never able to move past those painful memories. Sometimes our hurts or disappointments do only slight damage, while sometimes they inflict deep and devastating wounds. If disappointment were a thief, it would be no respecter of persons. In fact, the more a person had, the more there would be to plunder. So how could there be a Grand Weaver behind the scenes, weaving a dark pattern such as this?

It seems difficult to consider God as One who would use such dark, hopeless threads. But there arises a question, at the end of your life, what has happened to your heart through these disappointments and sufferings? One of three things will happen to your heart: it will grow hard, it will be broken, or it will be tender. Your heart will become coarse and desensitized, be crushed under the weight of disappointment, or be made tender by that which makes the heart of God tender.

God, the Grand Weaver, seeks those with tender hearts so that He can put His imprint on them. Your hurts and your disappointments are part of that design, to shape your heart and the way you feel about reality. The hurts you live through will always shape you. There is no other way (portions from Ravi Zacharias, The Grand Weaver). 

Unfortunately, most people are more moved by the tragedies than they are by the triumphs of this life. Most people who become Christians as adults come to Christ after a time of great hardships. Furthermore, even as Christians, we tend to be more shaped through the fires of affliction than anything else. C.S. Lewis explained it like this, “God whispers to us in our pleasure, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

Even still our tragedies will ultimately lead to our greatest triumph as we seek the face of the One who suffered and died for our sins. Therefore, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:12-13).

In His service,

                   Matt 

Your Life’s Story #2: The DNA of Your Life

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).

A building block in a Christian’s DNA is trials and hardships. However, as James explains, there is a purpose—maturity and perfection or completion.

One of my favorite Bible stories is Joseph. Joseph’s life started out well—he was his father’s favorite, and received dreams from God of his eleven brothers and even his parents bowing down to him. However, his dream life quickly turned into a nightmare.

Joseph’s brothers were jealous of their father’s favoritism and these dreams of superiority. So, one day, one day when Joseph went to check on them as they were working in the field, they beat him up, stole his coat, and sold him to be a slave in Egypt. His troubles continued in Egypt, there, he was enslaved, falsely accused and imprisoned. He was abandoned and forgotten by those he helped.

However, not everything that happened to him was bad. God’s hand was on Joseph while he served as a slave and in prison and “the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand” (Gen. 39:3). And eventually he was elevated to second in command of the most powerful nation in the world at that time, Egypt. And the dreams that he had had years ago came true.

Through ALL of these experiences, God was accomplishing maturity and perfection in Joseph’s life. And Joseph was able to come to terms with this fact (see Gen. 45:5-8). Even though Joseph’s brothers had intended on harming him, and he encountered numerous hardships by no fault of his own, God was able to accomplish the saving of Joseph’s family from famine (Gen. 50:20).

God is working the same in our lives as Christians; He takes the building blocks of our trials to accomplish His purpose of maturity in our walk with the Lord (Rom. 8:28).

Corrie ten Boom explained this process of maturity well: “My life is but a weaving between my God and me. I cannot choose the colors He weaveth steadily. Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow; and I in foolish pride forget He sees the upper, And I the underside. Not ’til the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly will God unroll the canvas, And reveal the reason why. The dark threads are as needful in the weaver’s skillful hand as the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned. He knows, He loves, He cares; nothing this truth can dim. He gives the very best to those, Who leave the choice to Him.”

Ravi Zachrias said, “Accepting and celebrating the thread of your own personality is the first grasp of the Grand Weaver’s design in your life. You are not a number. He knows you by name. Every stage of the process may not look picturesque, but every detail will come into focus and possess its share of beauty (The Grand Weaver). Thus, as you go through various trials, be encouraged that God is weaving maturity into your life and quite possibly the salvation of those around you.

In His service,

            Matt

Your Life’s Story #1: The Author Identified

“For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose” (Phil. 2:13).

Have you ever had the feeling you were being watched? Or maybe you’re discovering fascinating coincidences in your life that intertwines it with others? Have you ever thought that maybe there’s a bigger picture that we’re just not seeing? 

Over the past four months, several famous, and not so famous people have died. Many of whom have played some part in our lives: actor John Mahoney, to the world-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, to Naomi Parker Fraley better known as the iconic female World War II factory worker Rosie the Riveter, to actor and comedian Jerry Van Dyke, to 33-year-old singer Seo Minwoo, to Rayya Elias (the lesbian partner of author of the best-selling novel Eat, Pray, Love Elizabeth Gilbert), to the former rapper Craig Mack, to Billy Graham. While there are vast differences in the lives that these people lived, there are still some similarities. All of these individuals were blessed with the gift of life, suffering in one shape or another, and God’s grace along the way to receive Christ or reject Him.

The Bible records numerous stories like these individuals who have impacted other’s lives in big and small ways. However, the Bible makes it clear that every person’s life, and all of history is a part of something bigger (Col. 1:16-17). It is all God’s story. The Bible teaches that history is going someplace. It is all a part of God seeking to fill the earth with people who would praise Him. Even those who choose not to praise Him are still a part of His story. God orchestrates His message of grace even in the lives of non-believers. God did this with the pagan nations of Assyria and Babylon. Both of these nations were raised up to purify God’s people.

God is at work in your life’s story as well. I like how Paul Tripp explained it. “Thankfully I am not the author of my own personal story. Your story isn’t an autobiography either. Your story is a biography of wisdom and grace written by Another. Every turn He writes into your story is right. Every twist of the plot is for the best. Every new character or unexpected event is a tool of His grace. Each new chapter advances His purpose” (New Morning Mercies).

God is ultimately the author of the bigger picture. Thus, God is weaving your story together as a part of His story throughout time. God wants to write your story is such a way that ultimately leads you to being a part of the few who travel the narrow way to life eternal (Matt. 7:13-14). And He wants you to help lead others down that narrow road.

In the meantime, He wants you to meet Him in all your appointments and disappointments of life. “Every stage of the process may not look picturesque, but every detail will come into focus and possess its share of beauty” (Ravi Zacharias, The Grad Weaver, p. 31). So what if rather than trying to be the author of your own life, you trust your life to the One who is writing your life’s story as a part of His story? If you do, the Bible affirms that your story will end in the best way possible (Phil. 1:6).

In His service,  

      Matt