God is Not Impressed

Just a few thoughtful quotes from Oswald Chambers from the past week:

"Christian work may be a means of evading the soul's concentration on Jesus Christ."

"It is not service that matters, but intense spiritual reality, expecting Jesus Christ at every turn."

Busy? Oh boy! Was I busy!

I was one who made serving Christ everything - instead of knowing Christ. Having been in some form of "ministry" since age 10, it was so close to me constantly I never got a chance to step back and take a broader look at my life and what mattered. I confused growth in ministry with growth in characer. Now that I am away from ministry, I have discovered God like I could never experience when I was in the middle of the cloud of ministry dust I was stirring up in the middle of my frantic hurried hurricane of service for God.

"Growth in grace is measured not by the fact that you have not gone back, but that yo have an insight into where you are spiritually; you have heard God say, "Come up higher," not to you personally, but to the insight of your character."

I lived to please people and impress God. People may have been pleased for awhile, but God was not impressed.

While I may have impressed some people along the way with my ministry, that was never my intent. But I did want to impress God and make Him glad I was on His team. When people used to ask me how I did "so much," I am embarrassed now to say that I had answers. I even had a workshop I would teach on how to organize and manage a multi-faceted ministry. I dicussed putting "First Things First," delegating, team building, choosing the best, etc. All things I sincerely tried to do. I would tell the story (familiar to time managment junkies) of the clear container and the rocks... you'd better put the big rocks (important things) in first, or there won't be time for the small rocks, gravel, sand and water. So I DID put the big things in first, I just had so many of them, and they were so perfectly cubed in shape, that once in there was nearly no room for ANY gravel or sand or water... so I had the "big things" only, and ended up missing the Biggest Thing - intimacy with God and Family. And the container finally broke.

Now there is only one Person I aim to please - and a close second, my wife. HE must be #1, but not to impress, but to please, and He isn't pleased by work or service or ministry, He is pleased when I am in relationship to Him.

Others? Paul said to do whatever you can, as far as it depends on you, to live in peace with everyone, but there is a limit in what is possible. In the end, keep your focus on Jesus. Oswald warns, "Trust no one, not even the finest saint who ever walked this earth, ignore him, if he hinders your sight of Jesus Christ."

But have grace, mercy, gentleness and forgiveness. Give that which you wish to recieve, and even if you don't receive it, it does not matter. God has given it generously.

Seek Jesus today. Close the calendar, put the computer to sleep, and seek God. He's closer than you may think! Then serve Him with joy, and whistle while you work. (or play your iPod if you can't whistle!)