Giving Away Your Freedom
We have just commemorated Memorial Day Weekend…. It is a time when we celebrate the price that has been paid for the freedoms we enjoy and that we all hold dear. Many have sacrificed so much, so that we could occupy the land of the free and the home of the brave. And many have given some but so many have given all! It behooves us to never take for granted what it has cost to pave the highway of liberty. Could we take a moment for prayer as we honor those then and now, to whom we owe a huge debt of gratitude…..
Heavenly Father, as we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, we also think of all the brave and courageous men and women who relied upon your guidance in establishing this great country with prayer and great sacrifice. Hold our service men and women in your strong hands. Cover them with your sheltering grace and presence as they stand in the gap for the liberties we all enjoy. We also remember, lift up and strengthen the families of our troops, and ask for your unique blessings to fill their homes with your peace. May Your provision and a united sense of purpose, Lord, come and fill up their lives. We pray that the members of our armed forces be filled with courage and Your peace to face each day. And may they trust in Your mighty power to accomplish each task before them. Let our military brothers and sisters feel our love, our prayers and our support, each and every day, In the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen.
One of the greatest challenges we will face in this year ahead, in our physical life and our spiritual life is to avoid becoming the victims to second- best. Second-best, is about settling for less than we could have….it is the downward path in the subtle journey of surrendering the freedoms we have been given.
When this begins to happen, we begin to take for granted what we have because we focus instead on all we don’t have. Or, we just settle for whatever the currents of life bring our way….. Drifting with the current, instead of powering our way towards the God given direction that we are called and anointed to occupy. Luke 10:19 has promised…“See what I’ve given you? Safe passage, power over the enemy’s power and protection from his assaults. He shall not be able to overcome you….”
We are not entitled to having an easy go of things, and it is a given, that If you are going to make any head way in this life, you will have to apply yourself, be diligent, and prove that you are trustworthy. If you are going to make any headway with your spiritual life, you are going to have to be a “3-D” person….disciplined, dedicated as a student of the word, and diligent in practice and principal. We cannot afford to be the victims of a second-best mentality, or settling for the path of least resistance…..
A pastor had decided to put sanitary hot air hand dryers in the rest rooms at the church to cut down on paper supplies, but after just two weeks he took them all out. The leadership asked him why and he confessed that they had really worked fine but when he went in that week, he saw a sign that read: "For a sample of this week's sermon from our pastor, please push the hot air button”.
In Numbers 10:29, we are briefly introduced to Moses’ brother-in-law, named Hobab….Moses asked him to come with them to the promised land. He told him “we will do you only good, for the Lord shall surely give us the land”. Hobab was very familiar with the lay of the land, he knew where the springs of water were, he knew where the grassy areas were so the livestock could graze. He knew where the safest routes of passage were through the land….
But Hobab was a Midianite, who was addicted to second-best. He took a look at the sacrifice, and the dedication which would be needed, the challenges to be faced, and said to Moses, in Numbers 10:30, “I will not go with you”….
He listed 6 things that persuaded him to settle for second best! They are His lands, His family, His possessions, trusting Moses’ leadership, the lack of guarantees, and the uncertainty of the journey ahead…I would suspect that we have all faced the same temptations to settle, instead of selecting God’s very best, for some of those reasons!
If you find yourself with less spiritual conviction and passion than you had at some previous point in your Christian walk….you’re at second-best! If you’ve become weary of the battle against the forces of darkness and have the “let someone else do it” attitude…you’re at second-best! ….If you no longer bother resisting the enemy but more and more seek the path of least resistance and compromise…you’re at second-best! If you are no longer passionate about the call and mantle of God on your life, and the difference it makes….you’re at second-best! If you find yourself lowering the standard of holiness and righteousness, and you’re no longer excited to share the salvation message, you’re at second-best! If you’re spending more and more time griping and complaining about people and things, and less and less time giving honor and praise and encouragement….you’re at second-best!
One woman wrote on her divorce papers these words, “I was tired of being his second best.” I wonder how God feels about being 2nd best? No one advertises that their hotel, car lot, store, shop or church, is second-best! No one ever wears a t-shirt that says “second best”….unless they are walking next to their wife.
Moses’ brother-in-law Hobab, was given the incredible opportunity, of being Moses’ personal guide to the promised land, but tragically, Numbers tells us that he chose to stay with his Midianite lands, friends, family and possessions….However, there came a time when some of the men of Israel brought Midianite prostitutes into the camp, and the son of the high priest, slew them and the men who brought them.. One of them was the daughter of the king of Midian, and it caused a war between them……
Numbers 31:5 “So there were commissioned out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. v6 And Moses sent them to the war, under the leadership of Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand. v7 And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males of the land”……..
Hobab, could have gone to the promised land, with his generations being honored in the chronicles of Jewish history, their history would have been entwined with the people of God, but he died instead as an enemy of God, along with all the other enemies of God….
The very fact that there is a second-best, indicates that there is a better and a best! That not every relationship is the best relationship…. Not every choice is the best choice…..Not every friendship is the best alliance for us…… Not every job is the best career move we could have made…... Not every purchase is the best use of our money.
We make our choices and then our choices make us! As a massive ship is guided by a small rudder, in comparison to it’s size, our lives often turn on small decisions and unexpected events. An unplanned phone call, a chance conversation in the hallway, a friend we “happened” to meet in a restaurant, a book we meant to read and then finally did….
Circumstances and encounters that seemed by chance, yet were guided by the perfect timing of the hand of God! All of this, to bring us back once again to the opportunity to have his best, not a substitute… a counterfeit, or a“what might have been”! …Each decision, each encounter, and each experience links you and I, to the past while at the same time building a bridge connecting us to the future. Things that seemed of little consequence today, may be of enormous importance tomorrow.
Each of us need “insight” from God to make the best choices today as we move forward into the future, and seize those significant moments, which appear as insignificant at the times of their occurrence.
A young preacher came across a farmer working in his field as he was out witnessing and inviting folks to church. Being concerned about the man's soul, the preacher asked the man, "Are you laboring in the vineyard of the Lord my good man?" The farmer replied, “oh, no, this isn’t a vineyard…..these are soybeans, boy." "Then, may I ask you” said the preacher. "Are you lost?"…"Naw! I've lived here all my life, this is my farm" answered the farmer. "Well, sir, are you prepared to go in the resurrection?" ….. Now, this got the farmer's attention and he asked, "When's it gonna be?" Thinking he had finally made a connection, …. the young preacher replied, "It could be today, maybe tomorrow, or it could be the next day."…
Slowly, taking a handkerchief from his back pocket and wiping his brow, the farmer remarked, "Well, preacher, please don't mention this to my wife. She doesn't get out much, since we’ve got a lotta work to do around here, and she'll wanna go all three of them days….."
God will give us spiritual insight, so we can make the very best decisions with the best information available…
Eugene Peterson offers this colorful paraphrase, of Philippians 1:10…“You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gushiness, or mental mush.”
John Knox translates it….“Seek that you may learn to prize what is of value.”
King James says it this way….“May you be able to approve (dokimazo) what is the best.”
This Greek word, “dokimazo”, was used for testing metals—like gold ore and coins, to find out what they are worth. There is gold and then there is “Fool’s Gold.” It looks like gold to the naked eye, but it isn’t, and it’s not worth anything. When it’s melted down, and put to the test, it is not what it appears to be on the surface.
Too many Christians settle for “Fool’s Gold” in the choices they make, because they allow their heart and their emotions to make critical decisions, instead of putting them in the melting pot of the word, and allowing the spirit of truth to break them down, and expose any falseness, flaws, and worthlessness that may be embedded in them.
Paul is praying that the Philippians would have such love and insight that they would continually make wise choices in life. He is praying that they would not be satisfied with the status quo or with spiritual mediocrity but would push on to true spiritual excellence. He is asking God for the gift of spiritual discernment, “dokimazo”, to judge between good and bad, good and better, better and best. It is the ability to make wise choices under pressure. Oh how we need discernment so that when we come under pressure we can still make wise choice.
A man hired a plumber to help him restore an old farmhouse, the plumber had a rough first day on the job, since it was a very difficult project. The man who had hired him, drove him home, and on the way, he sat in stony silence. On arriving home, he invited the driver to come in. But first, he paused briefly at a post on the front porch, rubbing his hands on it’s top….As they opened the door to go in, the plumber underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was covered with a smile as he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a big hug and kiss. After a while, he walked the driver back to his car and the driver asked about the post. That's my trouble post," he replied. "I know I can't help having troubles and pressure in my life, but one thing's for sure, those troubles and pressures don't belong in my house with my wife and the children. So I just wipe them off and leave them out here on the trouble post every night when I come home and give them up to God. Then in the morning I peel them off again so I can deal with what needs to be done. But the funny thing is, when I come out in the morning to peel them off, there aren't hardly any of them left to take with me”….
Making wise choices is a real balancing act…and we face a critical problem today, because wise choices, depend on knowing WHAT IS RIGHT and what is wrong, not just what is acceptable or popular !!!!. This is crucial because we live in a world where many people evidently have lost much of their sense of right and wrong. Everything appears to them as shades of gray.
IF IT FEELS GOOD DO IT….IF IT GRATIFIES THE FLESH, GRATIFY IT…..IF YOU HAVE AN ITCH,THEN SCRATCH IT!!!!
After establishing in our hearts what is the best, we must then have the courage and commitment to do what we know to be right. True discernment gives you vision to see what is right and then, courage, gives you the determination, conviction and commitment to actually go out and do it. We can give away our freedom, by allowing what has been done to us at some point in our past, to identify us to the degree, that it becomes the theme underneath all that we do…. then we allow it to rule us, instead of being ruled and governed by the freedom for which Christ has died and raised up to make us free!
1 Corinthians 2:6 “We, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground….v7 but God's wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of His purposes. It's what God determined as the way to bring out His best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. v8 The experts don’t have a clue about this eternal plan. If they did, they wouldn't have killed the Master of the God-designed life on a cross. v9….No one has ever seen or heard or imagined anything quite like it - What God has arranged for those who love Him. v10 But you've seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open for you.v11 and He not only knows what He's thinking, v12 but He lets us in on it. v13 We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We learned this from God, and we're passing it on to you in the same, personal way. v14….Spirit can be known only by spirit - God's Spirit and our spirit being in open communion. v15 Being Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing.”
There was a young lady named Naomi who was in the ROTC program. She had endured many challenges and difficulties in order to succeed in a male dominated program. In spite of all the intimidation and pressures, she was made a captain, the highest rank in her class, while excelling in the program.
One day she was called in by the officers in charge of the program and they informed her that she could not be so vocal about her religious faith and convictions, and that she had a right to them, but she would have to keep them to herself. She politely declined to do so and finally, in a surprising turn around, she was called in one last time and they told her, “Look Naomi, you can continue sharing your convictions in the appropriate circumstances with no repercussions, because all of the women in your troop have notified us that if we dismiss you, they will all be quitting the program too. So we have decided to let you share your convictions and all of the other girls have decided that from now on as long as you are in this program, they are going to share theirs too!”
Naomi was selected from a graduating class of over 1200, to give the valedictory address to over 6000 people. Sixteen times she brought up the words, “God my Savior” and many times she referred to “the Lord Jesus Christ’.
Paul tells us how he prays for the Philippian Christians in Philippians 1:10 “And may you be pure (i-lik-ree-nace'….genuine, with integrity) and blameless until the day (hay-mer’-ah….the glorious daylight) of Christ”…. Paul is praying that they would have a genuine Christian life…. Not Second best!... “Hay-mer’-ah”, means being exposed to the light….. “i-lik-ree-nace'” means genuine, and without deception….
In the first century the shops were often dimly lit which meant that prospective customers would have trouble getting an accurate view of the various gemstones and precious metals. When they took them into the sunlight, they could see accurately since the sunlight revealed the truth. Any cracks, flaws or scratches could no longer be covered up or hidden by the shadows.
To be pure and without deception means to live in such a way that the truth about who we are is clear and evident. It means that people don’t have to wonder about what you are doing, or why you are doing it, because you have nothing to hide from the light. You are the same in good times and bad times…..
You are the same at midnight as you are at high noon….You are the same on the job or at school as you are in church on Sunday morning…You are the same behind closed doors as you are in public. You are the same, regardless of who you are with, or what they may be doing. To be “pure” means to be a “sunlight” Christian. Your life is consistent no matter where you happen to be or who happens to be with you.
One 19th century writer called it “The Life of God in the Soul of Man.” In some ways it covers the whole range of what God wants to do in us and through us so we can have His best, not the second-best!!!.
The Philippians 1:10 “Sunlight Christians”…1. Are known by their abounding charity and love. 2. They are people of knowledge and discernment. 3. They are consistent and make wise choices under pressure. 4. They have the visible fruit of a righteous life. 5. They enjoy a vibrant, living relationship with Jesus Christ. 6. They are careful that in everything God alone gets the glory.
Paul tells those of his day as well as those of our day…1 Corinthians 12:31 “Covet earnestly the best (tagarista) gifts: and I show unto you a more excellent way”. “Tagarista” means having the ability to separate good things from the best things….Most people don’t fail because of really bad things, but they fail in the area of discerning “the good from the best”….
Oak Park River Forest High School, has on the school’s website, it’s school Logo, which is a shield with some Greek writing on it. The Greek writing is the word “Tagarista”, which is a fitting goal, both for a high school and for an individual life.
Those who proposed this motto for the high school understood that there is a dimension to all education which goes beyond and is also embedded within geometry, biology, American history, or English literature. It is also an understanding of a framework of values that enables us to make proper judgments about ethics, and life principles. But apart from God, and His spirit of truth in our lives, we cannot and are not capable of ever doing this….
We must have the wisdom and discernment that comes from God alone….If we want God’s best for others…If we want God’s best in our own life….If we want God’s best in our family…If we want God’s best in our church…
God’s Spirit challenges us to be Philippians 1:10 “Sunlight Christians” who refuse to settle for “second-best” Christianity and spirituality! God’s best for each of us is for us to be transformed from death to life, from deception and denial, into truth…. from despair to hope…. from fear and uncertainty to trust…. from rejection, jealousy and hate to love…. from turmoil, struggle and worry into His glorious, overwhelming peace. Let us never, never, give away the freedom for which redemption’s price was paid!!!
Let’s expect some freedom miracles today!!! Lord Jesus, grant that our love may overflow so that we will love even the irritating people we meet every day. Give us the knowledge that comes from knowing you and the insight and discernment to see what really matters so that we can make wise choices under pressure. Make us “sunlight” Christians who bring forth good fruit and bring glory to God. We long to be people who make it easy for others to believe in You. Lord, may this prayer come true in us and through us. Help me to start each day with the attitude of gratitude.
I believe that You and I together can make the best of each and every day. Help me to clear my mind so that I can hear from You and be willing to accept the things that I can only know by Your word within me. Let me not whine and whimper about things I have no control over and I give them to You for the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't find the words to pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will. Continue to bless me as I am willing to be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak... Keep me uplifted that I may give words of encouragement.
I pray for those that are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those that are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those that don't believe, because You have given me faith that You can change people and situations and circumstances. I pray for each and every family member and their households, that they come out of debt and their needs be met. You said that if we knock it would be opened, if we ask it would be given, and if we seek, we would find. So I pray that the peace of God, which passes all understanding, would keep our hearts and minds and lives, through Christ Jesus our Lord…..in Jesus' name. Amen!
