Goals and plans

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21

This Wednesday, our prayer topic is our plans and goals. We all have goals - from short term all the way to long term. Likewise, we develop plans for reaching those goals. But we don't always stop to seek God's will before we make goals and plans. My typical mode of operation is - develop a goal, make a plan to reach that goal, and then pray that the plan works out. This is really backwards from what we should be doing as Christians. We should first seek God's plan through prayer… then pursue it… praying all along the way. The question to ask is - Are my goals and plans based on my will or are they based on God's will.

One last thing. When I set a goal and lay out the plans to reach it, I am typically focused on the goal more than anything else. Said another way, I tend to focus on the destination - not the journey. But which part do you think God is more interested in? It's during the journey that God is refining us. In retrospect, I can think back on situations were I'm certain the journey is the only goal God had for me all along. The destination wasn't important at all.

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

Boldness

I was in a parking lot in Albuquerque a short while back when I saw one of the strangest sights I've ever seen. There was an older guy (probably in his 70s) wearing a suit complete with a bow tie out on the sidewalk. He had a bicycle, a tiny dog, and a huge exotic bird with him. When I first saw him, he was in the process of getting all situated. He put the bird on a special perch attached to the handlebars. Then he got on the bike, got the dog where he wanted him, and started riding down the sidewalk. He rode very slow and the dog was so tiny that it seemed to be running at top speed to keep up. All in all, the entire scene was extremely odd. In fact, I bet it would seem odd to anybody… except that guy riding the bike.

So what does this have to do with Wednesday's fasting and prayer topic? Simply stated, I want to wear my faith boldly. I never want to be embarrassed or ashamed that I am a Christian. I want my actions to say that I care more about what God thinks than what other men think. Yet, in all, any pride that I show, let it only be a humble confidence in Christ.

Many Christians are bold in their Christianity… on Sunday while at church. Yet, it may be tough to even tell that the same person is a Christian when Monday rolls around. The thought of boldly wearing their faith on Monday feels like riding a bike in a 3-piece suit with a giant bird and a tiny dog in tow. They don't want to draw any negative attention to themselves.

So as we fast this Wednesday, we are praying for boldness.

"Therefore, since we have such hope, we are very bold." 2 Corinthians 3:12

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

Lord and Savior

2 Peter describes Christ as "Lord and Savior" in 1:11 as well as 3:18. This Wednesday, we are praying that Jesus is both these things in our lives. First, let's look at the savior part. For Christ to be our savior, we need to have accepted His sacrifice on the cross as payment for our sins (past, present, and future sins). It's a gift and it's a one time thing. There's nothing we can do to earn it and there is nothing we can do to keep it or lose it. Once we accept it, it's ours. Now let's look at the lord part. Webster defines Lord as "master or ruler". If Christ is our Lord, he is who we listen to. He is who we submit to. He is who we obey. And He is who we strive to emulate. We do this the rest of our lives.

Savior is all about love and Lord is all about the obedience that springs from this love. I heard one pastor describe Christianity this way: "The entrance fee is nothing but the annual dues are everything."

Chances are, since you're on this fasting and prayer list, Christ is already your savior. However, if you're at all like me, He isn't always your Lord. This week, let's all pray that we are placing Christ in the position of Lord of our lives. That we are looking to Him in all things. Why should we obey Him? Two reasons: Because He's God… and because we're not. They're two separate and distinct things and it can take us a lifetime to get them right.

Early on, when Ann Sullivan first started working with Helen Keller, she spent a lot of time working against Helen's strong will in an attempt to teach her manners. After one particularly trying interaction, she wrote the following: "Although I'm sure we will have many more of these altercations, it occurs to me there are only 2 essential things I can teach her… Obedience and Love." I think our Father looks at us the same way.

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob