Obedience & Eternal Perspective

By Jane Oliver, Liaison Coordinator

“…I am God and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I WILL accomplish ALL my purpose.”  Isaiah 46:9-10 (emphasis mine)

“God knows what I need.  I do not.  He sees the future.  I cannot.  His perspective is eternal.  Mine is not.” ~Vaneetha Rendall Risner

Praise the Lord for that, but OUCH!  So often we forget that we have such finite minds, don’t we?  “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21) We make all sorts of plans-even ones that include serving God and His people, so we are sometimes confused when we seem to be stuck in the mundane or when we are waiting on God.  We need to be reminded that our Creator is mostly concerned with the posture of our heart; with deepening our relationship with Him; with solidifying our trust in Him; with our obedience so that He can transform us by the renewing of our minds into Christlikeness; to accomplish “all HIS purpose.”  Our greatest opportunity to serve Him is going to be wrapped in obedience just as it was for Noah, Moses, Abraham, David, Joseph, and Jesus. 

The Lord has taught me so much about how my obedience is directly related to discovering His eternal purpose and plan for my life in a mighty way over the past few months.  I have held many jobs and volunteer positions over the years that I saw no obvious eternal value in.  But, “everyone has work to do that honors God” (from Holy Hustle devo), even when it is not in ministry, right?   As a mom, I’ve often quoted this scripture to my kids when tasked with something they did not enjoy doing: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” (Colossians 3:23)  Who am I kidding?  I have had to remind myself of this even more often!  I have learned that when the posture of my heart is right, especially in the seemingly mundane, or in the waiting, the Lord is faithful to honor me because I’ve honored Him.  Have you experienced the same?

As a teenager, God placed a burden on my heart to make an impact for the sanctity of human life.  Fifteen years ago, I answered His call to volunteer here at Care Net as the Helpline Coordinator.  I KNEW that held eternal value--you don’t have to be exposed to Care Net very long to see that Care Net is a God-honoring, life-affirming, Gospel-sharing ministry that is near and dear to the heart of our Savior.  I was humbled and thankful for the opportunity to serve at Care Net.

During that time, the Lord began to fuel a desire in me to work full time in this ministry, but there were circumstances in my life that kept me from it.  I felt “stuck” with the job I had as a result; so I remained a Helpline volunteer, and continued working and volunteering where the Lord placed me.  The Lord was always faithful to bless me in that.  I loved the job I was doing, but the desire to be involved more deeply with Care Net remained.  What I didn’t realize was that God had something bigger in mind for His purpose that He was preparing me for with EVERY. SINGLE. TASK. and act of obedience and service during that time. 

In March of this year, an employment opportunity opened up here at Care Net.  God reminded me that I was in a different season of life that would allow me the opportunity to make a career change.  I drafted a new resume for the first time in years.  As I listed each job or volunteer opportunity I had held, along with the responsibilities and skills I had acquired, God clearly showed me how He had used each one to prepare me to better serve Him.  It was a light bulb moment! After much prayer and clear confirmation from the Lord, I applied for the position at Care Net. 

   

I was not offered the position that I applied for, and with that came some soul searching and confusion about whether or not I had actually heard God right.  I began to doubt, but He continued to clearly point me to Care Net.  I was offered the receptionist position.  I prayed and felt the Lord encouraging me to take a leap of faith in obedience to His calling.  I was excited to join the staff at Care Net, but the receptionist position was not what I had in mind…..my prideful, finite, human mind that lacks God’s eternal perspective!  I had lost sight for a moment of God’s Word: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)  and (Isaiah 55:8), “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”

 

I accepted the position and thanked God for it daily-- getting to work in this ministry alongside God’s people is an awe-inspiring, and humbling privilege; witnessing firsthand the love of Christ and The Gospel in action with the clients we serve is over the top!  I was overjoyed that I had chosen to obey God in this!  (Little did I know… He was not done moving me yet.)

Because God “…is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” (Ephesians 3:20), additional staffing needs at Care Net were being met even before any of us knew there would be a need!    Not long after I joined the staff here, our amazing Liaison Coordinator shared that for some time, she had felt God calling her to spend more time at home with her family, and that the Lord had already impressed upon her that I was placed here to assume her role; Sue Chess agreed and offered me the position.  MIND. BLOWN.  God loves Care Net and our Liaison Coordinator so much that He provided her with the peace she needed in knowing that the ministry position she would need to vacate was covered-- a sweet reward for her obedience and a gift of God’s providence for Care Net.  And, of course, God already had the perfect volunteer/intern ready to assume the role of receptionist!

What an incredible blessing and what an AWESOME God we serve!  Care Net belongs to Him, and His purpose WILL be accomplished.  God provides the greatest opportunities to serve Him wrapped in our obedience.

Sinner or Saint?

By Pam Durham,  C.A.R.E. Director

How do you refer to yourself?  If you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, how do you think of yourself?  Do you think of yourself as a “Sinner saved by grace” or as a “Saint, the righteousness of Christ?”

I quickly put the word “sinner” in as a word search in BibleGateway.com.  The term in the New Testament is not referring to Christians.  Paul’s reference is to his past.  Not once is the term “sinner saved by grace” found.  The closest thing to that is in James 4:8 (“Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”) James is referring to the double-minded person being directed to purify his heart; the terms grace, holy, redeemed, etc. are not found in the verse or those around it.  Are you thinking that you are a sinner and have been saved by grace?  I mean we all were sinners and once we’ve trusted Christ as our Savior we are saved by grace, but is “a sinner saved by grace” how you see yourself and refer to yourself?  If you do, I must ask if you struggle with your identity in Christ.  Having worked with many women who have struggled with their past, I can tell you that most if not all have felt at some point that they were not as good as those they attend church with.  They saw themselves as unworthy. 

I remember praying about a situation where I had taken responsibility for possibly offending a group and I went to each one and asked for their forgiveness.  Even though they all said they did forgive me, there were one or two whose actions didn’t confirm their words.  While praying I asked why they were rejecting me.  Almost verbally, God said, “They are not rejecting you, they are rejecting me through you.”  How freeing that was to understand rejection from God’s perspective.

Galatians 2:20 states that Christians have been crucified with Christ so that they no longer live but Christ lives in them.  If Christ lives in you, are you still a sinner or a saint?  Again 1 John 3:9 tells us, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.”  And Romans 8:1-2 states, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

Break free from this mentality; don’t mix your old identity with your new identity.

I am set free to be a righteous saint.  I remember when I first became a Christian over 40 years ago.  I thought that you became a saint when you were old and had white hair.  I soon learned that a saint was a person chosen by God.  That included me in my teen years.  In the NIV version, it’s translated as holy people.  Do you think of yourself as being holy and righteous?

Here are some scriptures where righteousness is used to describe Christians. Romans 5:17 & 19, plus Romans 5:21, “… just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Can grace reign when we are filling our mind with being a sinner?  I Corinthians 1:30 “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”, Ephesians 6:14,

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place…” If you see yourself as a sinner (saved by grace) the breastplate cannot fully protect you from the enemy because of the “half-truth” you are believing.  Philippians 1:9-11,  ^“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” and 3:9, “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

I am not saying we live the rest of our lives sinless.  Until we are taken home to heaven, we will be imperfect.  But, we are what we think and speak.  Have you heard about self-talk?  It is so important to speak the positive.  This is supported with Scripture as well.  2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” And Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

I haven’t always walked in this truth.  For many years I was still bound by the shame of my past.  My self-value didn’t change overnight – it was work!  But now, I am the righteousness of Christ Jesus – I am a daughter of the King of Kings.  I stand on this identity.  Where do you stand?

What Does Grace Look Like?

By Traci Bolden

      Center Director - Stuart

Grace is not an easy concept to wrap your mind around.  You can look up grace in the dictionary and you will find words like divine assistance, unmerited favor, or virtue from God.

When we talk about grace and we struggle to define it, we are left to wonder, do we really understand what it is.  Do we even recognize it?   In order to understand what grace is, you need more than a definition.  It requires an experience.

One of the best ways to convey grace is through a story – your story.  There is something that is captured through telling about an experience you have had or what God has done in your life rather than simply just giving an explanation.

Grace is the heart of our relationship with God.  It says that no matter who you are or what you have done, grace can still be part of your story.

Everything that God does through you, he does by grace.  God knew every dirty deed you would ever commit, yet he still chose to create you.  We believe that God is the author of life, but do we live like He is our gracious creator.   When you look at scripture, the concept of God’s grace is woven throughout the pages of both the Old Testament and the New Testament.  He taught us about grace through stories, stories that are still just as relevant to our lives today.  We hear stories of the nameless woman at the well where God’s grace was poured out.  She was a woman who desired to be wanted, to be cared for when no one, not even herself, could see anything of value in her.  Her story is uncomfortable to describe, but it is the epitome of God’s grace and forgiveness.  We also see grace in the story of David, who is the ultimate example of God’s “unmerited favor”.  David lusted, stole, committed adultery, lied, and even killed, and yet, God saw his heart and loved him.

Grace is what rewrites our story.  It is not having to wait to get your life “cleaned up” or “back on track.”  It embraces you in your mess.  Romans 5:20 tells us that “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”  Our stories allow grace to spread.

Grace is also seeing people through the eyes of Jesus.  It is not always easy to give grace, especially when it is seemingly undeserved, but when you replace what has happened to you with what God has done for you, you find you have more grace to give.

Grace is what is required for you to live free.  Ephesians 1: 7-8 tells us that “it is the blood of Jesus that gives us grace (sets us free).”  It is not something earned or deserved.  It is the price He paid for us.  Grace is when God gives you what you need, not what you deserve. 

 

What does grace look like in your life?  How has God shown you favor when you did not deserve it?  We do not have to look very far to be able to tell that story.

When you look in the mirror…you are looking back at the very definition of grace.  Your story is where grace is defined.  Allowing God to rewrite your story… that is what grace looks like.