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I was passing by a lady's house, about 4.5 miles from mine. I had to stop because she was backing out from her driveway and I couldn’t go anywhere without risking getting hit. She lets down her window and says, "I’m so proud of you. I’ve been watching you for years and I’m so proud of you for what you are doing". She doesn’t know that I’m a father and that I’m a grandfather. She does not know that I am a pastor of 36 years. She does not know that I’m a business man, yet she says, "I’m proud of you". I’m assuming that what she is proud of in me is that I continue to stick to my morning routine in exercise. Here’s a woman that I have never known who takes the time out to tell me this. What does it mean? Has she wanted to be one who works out and has not been? Is she getting encouragement from someone who has “stickability” (my word for it).
It is interesting how people who may cross your path and that you may never know are getting strength from watching you stick to what you are supposed to stick to (and this is not about exercise). My words to all of my friends is don’t give up. Don’t give up on your marriage. Don’t give up on your hope of finding gainful employment. Don’t give up on your hope of getting married. Don’t give up on your walk with God. Don’t give up on being a person of integrity. Don’t give up on being a friend in deed even when your friendship has been taken advantage of. Somebody is watching you. Stick to it. I know that it gets tough sometimes, but the life that you save just may be your own. I have come to realize that it is never just about me, but it is about the people that God has set me in the middle of. There is a scripture in the book of Romans that says, "but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (Romans 5: 3-5).
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What does it mean to be spiritual? No one can be spiritual or biblical without first experiencing new birth. New birth is life, life that is freely given to all who believe in the Lord Jesus as their personal savior. Spirituality is growing in relationship with the Holy Spirit. It is simply Christian maturity; however, like in the natural, no one is born mature. It is a process that one must go through to become a grown up. The same is also true with spirituality.
A new Christian cannot be called spiritual simply because he or she has not had sufficient time to grow in knowledge and experience. A new Christian can be spirit control, but the area of spiritual control will be expanding in the process of Christian growth. A young Christian has not yet been confronted in many areas to try his or her faith in their life. When he/she is first saved, they may not even know that there is such a person as a weaker brother. Although he may be not be unwilling to curve his liberties for the sake of that brother, he has not yet faced a real challenge. He may say that he has, but he has not faced having to actually not do something that he really wants to do. He does not have to refrain because it is a sin to do whatever it is, but he needs to refrain because it may cause someone else to become weaker in faith or do something that will ruin their life. A Christian of longer standing may not be spiritual either; not because he has had insufficient time, but because over the years of his or her Christian life, he or she has not allowed the Holy Spirit to control them. The difference here is that the new Christian may lack the time required for spiritual growth, but the believer that has been saved for years may be deficient in his or her submission. Without continually submitting to the Holy Spirit a Christian cannot mature. They will remain immature. A Christian can backslide in certain areas of his life without losing all of the progress that he has made while being saved. The flesh may control his actions during a period of backsliding, but when he comes back to the Lord, he does not necessarily have to start the process of growth all over again. This principle does not apply in every area of our life. There are some aspects of living that, when they have been violated, may never fully be redeemed. There are stages of growth within the area of maturity. The Bible says that we grow from faith to faith and also from strength to strength. Are you spiritual or just saved? To make progress in your faith walk you must grow in submitting to the powerfully teaching and leading Holy Spirit. Have you had a time in your life when you were waiting on the Lord and you decided that you could take matters in your own hands to speed things up a little bit? After doing this you saw that, instead of making things better, you made things worse. Now, you regret the fact that you didn't wait on the Lord. I think that all of us, if we spoke truthfully, would have to admit that we have been guilty of the same thing. Think about it...how many times have you opened up your mouth and said things that you regretted later? Perhaps, you reacted to a circumstance before you really had enough time to think it through. Maybe you got so angry at somebody that you actually verbalized your anger and hurt that other person. Later on, you realized that the person really wasn't saying what you thought they were saying. The Bible tells us, in the book of James, to be "swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James 1:19). Good fruit is rarely produced in moments of anger.
The fact of the matter is that we all need patience. Patience is the fruit that is produced by the Spirit of God. As we go through our trials and our mess ups it is something that we have great need of. I don't know that there is any better story in the Bible that demonstrates the tragedy that impatience brings to a person's life than the story of Peter in the garden of Gethsemane the night that Jesus was taken. You can read about it in John 18 and Luke 22:49-50. Peter, through his impatience, was the first one to tell Jesus that he would never leave him; that others might, but that he would not leave him. When the solders came into the garden, Jesus asked them, "Whom seek ye?" When they said Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, by saying "I am he," found the solders and the temple police knocked to the ground by His words. The power that was released hit them so hard and fast that they were on their backs before they knew what had happened. While these soldiers were still flat on their backs, Peter decided to take matters into his own hands. Maybe he thought that it was an opportunity to show courage, but what he did was wrong. It is the perfect picture of someone being impatient and acting before thinking a thing through. So, you need to think before you move. He pulled out his sword and swings for the head of the high priest servant. He missed the head, but he didn't miss entirely. He cut off the servant's ear. This last action of Peter put him in great jeopardy. Had it not been for Jesus, Peter's actions would have landed him in jail or worse. As we said earlier, the cuckleberry can completely take over a field planted for harvest. We know that in the parable in Matthew 13 where Jesus talked about the sower and the seed that these seeds fell in four different locations. Only one out of the four actually produced a harvest. Even in the one productive field, there were three levels of harvest that were produced.
How do I have a hundredfold harvest? In Genesis 26:12, Isaac received a hundredfold return in the same year he planted. A hundredfold return speaks of maximum yield. How does that happen? Well, the first thing that we have to take into consideration is that Isaac heard from God. He, like a lot of others, was about to make a big mistake in going down into Egypt, had God not stopped him. After stopping him from going down into Egypt, God commanded him to plant in a certain place. God determines the location that growth will take place. It is He who will bring the increase though one plants and one waters. It is He that causes increase to come forth. Receiving a hundredfold harvest requires that the Christian hears from God first and is then obedient to what God is saying. It is impossible to receive a hundredfold if your field (your mind) is covered with weed (your problems). The ground has to be cultivated. The difference in the parable that Jesus told and the harvest was because of the soil, it's cultivation. The soil is your heart. A lot of us, and I believe that even this farmer, did not take time to cultivate the soil and rid it permanently of these weeds. Taking more time in soil preparation will produce big dividends down the road. We have to take time in preparing our hearts to do the will of God. A lot of us get in a hurry and we do not take the necessary time to prepare ourself. I learned a long time ago that God is big on preparation. God took 80 years to prepare Moses for a 40 year ministry. Notice that the time of preparation was twice as long as the time of ministry. Jesus waited 30 years to minister for 3 1/2. We are short on preparation and long on ministry. We want to take a short period of time to minister for a lifetime. We get in a hurry and this is where we fail. Preparing your mind and preparing yourself to do the will of God is where you must start if you desire to stop repeating the same pattern of failure in your life. Preparation can be difficult because it feels like you are not doing anything productive. You will also find yourself in a state of obscurity, hidden, going unnoticed, unrecognized, undetected. But that is what preparation is for you. It is a part of the process. God will never thrust anyone out into their place of destiny unless they have taken the time to prepare their mind. The waiting game is the most difficult part of preparation. There is some suffering in preparation. Moses had to flee for his life. David, too, during preparation, faced the wilderness tending his father's sheep. He had to be faithful at it. In Luke 16:12, the word tells us that if you haven't been faithful in another man's who will give you of your own. We want our own without proving our level of faithfulness in that which belongs to someone else. You will never get yours until you help somebody else get theirs. I know of a girl who was very talented and God led her to our church. It was very obvious to me that she had leadership potential, but I could never get her to trust me with what she had. She kept talking about "my ministry"..."I'm going to do this when I get my ministry". This went on for months. Finally, as she was talking with me and talking about "my ministry" I stopped and corrected her by saying: "You don't have a ministry". "Everything that you have is God's". I don't think that she ever got the concept. Not much longer she felt led to leave our church and eventually started her own church thinking that she was going to reap a hundredfold return. She later found out that she had never really cultivated the ground. So, "her ministry" never produced. The pesky weeds came up and choked the seed and she began Gagging for Air. After a year or two she lost hope and gave up. Why did this happen? The answer can be summed up in four words: The Lack of Preparation. About a year ago, I did a piece about a field that I saw that was covered with the cuckleberry plant. I was amazed because I had not seen a field of briars since I was a kid. I saw that in the off season the farmer who owned the field plowed them under and treated the land. Here it is a year later, and the field is covered once again with the same problem.
This cuckleberry plant can become a major problem for crops that are planted in a field because they spring up at the same time that the crop would spring up. Like Jesus said, in Matthew 13, thorns will choke the seed and limit the harvest. I noticed that the crop that the farmer had planted near me did not produce a bountiful harvest. I am convinced that that is primarily because of this pesky cuckleberry plant that keeps reappearing in his field. As I meditated on this, it became very clear to me that a lot of our problems in our lives are like that even though we hear the Word of God. We promise ourselves that we are going to change only to find that after a period of time that the same problem that we thought that we got rid of reappears and begins to choke us again. A lot of Christians will get so frustrated with this that they will give in to the problem, but there is hope. That hope is always in Jesus. He has to be the one to clear our lives of these pesky issues. Until then, the problems will keep reoccurring and they will continue to do so to the point of frustrating and cause us to become unproductive; unfruitful. It is hard to deal with the same problem over and over again. I have talked with many people who have expressed how difficult it is to put forth effort to change only to find that they have to deal with the same problem year after year. It can become debilitating and depressing, causing you to throw up your hands and say, 'What is the use?'. If you are one of the ones who are gagging for air because of the continuing issues in your life know of a certainty that there is hope that you can rid yourself with God's help of these issues and move on to your next level of destiny. You may be wondering how to break through this barrier. See my next blog for some suggestions on how to Learn How To Breathe Again. I remember an old sitcom, The Jeffersons, where the character George Jefferson was the perfect son to his mother. She would even say that from time to time. The problem was that she never had a problem with George, but she always had a problem with George's wife, Louise. A mother is like the lead off runner a the relay race. In time, she hands the baton of leadership off to her husband and they work together raising their son. When a new woman comes into the picture as wife to the son, the mother takes on a new role. They all have the potential for closeness, harmony, love, and respect or for conflict, power struggles, and confrontation. If a mother feels her son can do no wrong, and lets the daughter-in-law know this, trouble is on the horizon. The mother is living in denial. She probably believes that her son is perfect because any indication that he is imperfect is a direct reflection of flaws in her parenting.
Oftentimes, a mother may seek some sort of fulfillment through her son's marriage because of frustrations that occurred in her own marriage or because of a frustation that stems from her having never been married to the son's father. In the sitcom, Louise was always blamed by her mother-in-law for George's problems. So, oftentimes when a son doesn't do what mom expects him to do, it is the daughter-in-law who will become responsible for any shortcomings of her husband. When I was in high school one of my least favorite sports to participate in was track and field. I had to participate in many different events and among the most dreaded was relay racing. The relay race caused you to be dependent upon the ability of the other person to either pass or receive the baton. A mother will sometimes not pass the baton off in the right way to a father. Instead she maintains the role of leadership. By refusing to pass off the baton of leadership, even when there is no father present in the son's life, a developing male fails to become the leader that he was purposed to be. The problem is not always in the mother, but the lack of participation of a father in a child's life is like the runner who doesn't know how to receive the baton in the right way. The children suffer from this malfunctioning team and are unable to complete the race with a win. When we learn how to work together to reach the finish line everyone benefits from knowing that they played their part to the best of their ability. Some people are just lazy which is why they never see anything accomplished with their lives. They blame that lack of success on this, that, and everything but themselves, but God is no respecter of persons. What He does for one He will do for all. Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
The key factors that make the difference are not about God, but about a person's level of determination and his/her willingness to do whatever is necessary to achieve a goal. This is a hard fact to face, but ultimately we are all responsible for our success, or lack of success. We all possess the same promises, the same faith, the same power, the same spirit, and the same Jesus who sits at the right hand of God to make intercession for us. The main thing that determines who succeeds and who doesn't succeed is our attitude. You have to want success in order to get it. It doesn't float on clouds and it takes hard work to achieve it. Because most people are willing to do only average work they reap average results. When I was in the military years ago, I quickly found out that in the beginning stages it was a place where you could do average work day after day and get by. What I found out was that there were some promotions that came automatically because of your time in service but the higher promotions came because of hard work and diligence. To achieve super results, one must do super work, be deeply committed to the task, and be willing to do whatever is necessary to realize goals and aspirations. Hebrews 11:6 says that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. According to this verse, even God rewards diligence. In fact, He only rewards those who diligently seek Him which means people with a lazy--lethargic, do nothing, take it easy--attitude will never be greatly rewarded by the Lord. This verse says that God rewards the diligent seeker. Diligence is required for any success. The phrase "diligently seek" is taken from a Greek word that means to zealously seek for something with all your heart, all your strength, and all your might. It presents a picture of one who seeks something so passionately and earnestly that he literally exhausts all of his power in his search. Because this word portrays such an determinant effort, the ideal of being hardworking, busy, constant, and persistent in one's devotion to what he or she is doing is also included. What this tells us about Hebrews 11:6, is that God is a reward of those who put all their heart, strength, and might into seeking Him. Those who are so committed in their search that they are willing to exhaust all of their natural powers in their search for Him, they are the ones who will find what they are seeking. You see, you have to be diligent to be rewarded by God. So, it should be no surprise that diligence is going to be required in order for you to succeed in every area of life. It is just a fact that the lazy, neglectful attitude will never get you where you need to go. If you take your life's assignment lightly and approach it with a casual, easy-going, take it easy, relaxed attitude, you will never go far in the fulfillment of your call or your dream. It appears as though we are in the midst of a marital season. A lot of young couples are getting married. Most of the time that is a good thing; however some who find themselves a bridesmaid and not a bride can find themselves being troubled or depressed because of their marital status. If you find yourself in a situation like this, the worst thing to do is to become jealous of the person that is getting married. This message is for all of us who are waiting on God's promise to be fulfilled in our life. Whether you're waiting for a spouse, financial independence, a job, house, car, etc. remember that God is not a man that He should lie. No matter what you are waiting on in life, make sure that it is a promise made from God and not one that you or someone else has dreamed up for you.
I find that there are a lot of people who say that God has said something when in actuality He hasn't said anything at all. All of these things are good things, and I believe that God would desire for us to have them; however we must possess our souls with patience. As we are waiting on the manifestation of the things that God has promised, don't compromise your convictions while waiting. I have seen so many times that a person wanted a thing so bad that they were willing to compromise their convictions. They got the thing, but lost it later on. Said another way, they got what they wanted, but they lost what they had. The truth of the matter is that when God blesses us with something, the Bible says that it maketh rich and addeth no sorrow. I have spoken on numerous occassions of wanting something so bad that I convinced myself that this was the thing that God wanted me to have, or that God was telling me to get that particular thing. Upon receiving (the car, for example), I praised God for it because I convinced myself that it was God. Later on, I found out that it couldn't have been God because it was never a blessing to me. It gave me trouble after trouble. God's desire for me, and all Christians, is to rejoice with them that rejoice. I find that in doing that it combats the spirit of jealousy that resides in all of us. So, instead of withdrawing get involved and help that person who seems like they are getting what you have been wanting and see how God blesses you in the process. Everybody desires increase. We want to have more, go more, do more, be more. The fact of the matter is increase doesn't automatically come because you ask God for it. I know that this may surprise (or sound strange to) some because a lot of us have the mentality that if we ask and just believe it will happen. Years ago, I was praying for increase and God plainly told me that if He gave me more, I wasn't able to handle it. He told me that He wasn't going to give me more than I could handle. That disappointed me at the time, but as I thought about it, it made a lot of sense. I knew of people who suddenly came into large sums of money and found themselves after a few years broke. Why?...because they didn't know how to handle it. The statistics show that even in things like weight loss, the large majority of those who lose it will gain it back because they don't know how to discipline their appetite. There are also all types of resolutions that are made in January and by March those resolutions are gone by the wayside.
I began to research scripture and I found several places that address these matters. I don't have the space to discuss all of them here now, but one in particular in Luke 16:10 says: "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." What I saw in that scripture is that the way to the increase is to manage what God has already given me; to manage that well which is already in my possession. During the early part of my adulthood I was frivolous in spending. I was a poor manager of what God had allowed me to have. My credit was a mess and it was just a reflection of my attitude toward scripture at that point in my life. I didn't see the connection between how I managed that material things that God brought into my possession and my integrity. I definitely didn't see how that would hinder what God would trust me with in the way of increase, and I was a pastor at the time. It was the small things that were hindering me like not paying my bills on time and buying things that I didn't need. I had to learn how to become a better manager, and that was not easy. Coming to the realization of that was powerful, but to put it in operation was very difficult. It requires a life-change. One of the major keys to increase is managing well what God has already given you, whether it be money, time, talent, or relationships. Are you preparing yourself for increase? Prepare to be blessed by learning how to appreciate and best use what you already have. Giving up is an easy thing to do when you're under pressure. In fact, for many of us, we become convinced that it is God; convinced that it was the will of the Lord for us to give up and quit, especially after we have fought for a while. There are some immediate benefits that we gain by giving up: We get rid of the pressure; We don't have to deal with the test anymore; It feels like God has given us relief from our pain; It's just outright easier; There is a short-lived peace that you quickly obtain; You are free to put your energy into something that seems like it's better; and It gives the impression of moving forward.
However, we all need to understand that nothing happens to us unless God allows it. Scripture says. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). Note that in scripture, escaping the temptation is not quitting (unless you're practicing sin), but it is bearing up under a burden. Why? Because this is one of the many ways that God has chosen to strengthen our faith. There are two ways to come out of a trial. The first one is to give up. The second one is to bear up. Both routes out end in the word up, and they both will seem like they are taken you in an upward motion. The truth is that one is deceptive; it's a lie and won't lead you up and out...it could just take you out. It has been my experience that when I have chosen the first way out that I usually find myself right back in the midst of the same set of circumstances a little later on. But when God brings me out, it means that I have learned the lesson of faith that the Holy Spirit was teaching me and my faith is ready to move UP to the next level. Consider what I have said and may the Lord give you wisdom. |
 AuthorPastor Earl Goings shares his thoughts on everyday concerns. 
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