Influencers Weekly Devotional

Smacks in the Face

by

Rocky Fleming

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.” Isaiah 55:8

Have you ever noticed how radically different the way God does things and the way the “world” does it? Have you also noticed that much of your challenge to follow God is to simply follow Him by doing things His way, rather than the way the “world” tells you to do it? Think about some of the things taught by God and the world that conflict with one another. There are many examples we face in commerce, education, government, at home and everywhere we go. How about the following? How about Leadership? The way of the world is to dictate, motivate, agitate and aggravate until we get what we want out of the people we lead. We could have good motives, but we inevitably try to manipulate people to get what we want if we use these means. On the other hand, the way of Christ is to be a servant leader and use humility, compassion and understanding as our method to unleash the possibilities of greatness in a man or woman we lead. Quite a contrast in styles of leadership when one would try to set a person free from the limitations that our attempts to control imposes on someone, and by doing so help someone find his or her true potential. Quite a contrast to lift them up rather than put them down, to stand under them, rather than stand over them, to trust them and to entrust important things, such as our goals, to them, rather than playing them like a banjo to get what we want. Servant leadership as Christ modeled and taught it is needed in all areas of life, and it is a rare thing to see. However, what is not rare is the response and benefit seen in those we lead in this manner. People led in this manner join in our leadership, for they sense we are investing our life into helping them be better at what they do. This is what a true leader does, and he is loved because of it. How about Following a Leader? To follow anyone the way the world teaches us, and especially a ruthless leader, we will do only the minimum but no more, unless we are rewarded, catered to, motivated, or threatened. The way of Christ is to work for this person, as unto the Lord, by giving our best because we are God’s children. Quite a contrast for an employee to serve a scoundrel and help him be successful, rather than sabotage him at the first chance given, would you agree? Sometimes it never changes the ruthless leader when we serve him the way Christ would have us do. However, sometimes it does, for God is delighted in our honoring Him even to the point He makes a hardened heart tender in a person like a scoundrel boss. Maybe this is a reason why God would have us live and act in contrast to the way of the world? It changes people around us, for they see in us a contrast to the system they live and die by. How about the way we Value others, including our self: The way of the world is to value others and our self by what we have in hand, what we’ve accumulated, what our potential is, whom we know, what we’ve done, where we’re headed, and where we’ve been. The way of Christ is to be valued by Him because He has created us and He likes His work, even though we think ourselves ugly. To be valued by Him, not because of what we have done for Him, but because of what he has done for us in exchanging His life for ours. To be valued by Him based on what we will become, rather than being pigeonholed as someone who can never change, or ever be given a chance to do so? The way of the world is to impose limitations on our value based on a corrupted value system formed by years of a system fostered by the Father of Lies. Our Creator wants to break this system’s rule over our life and restore us to the real humanity He created in the first place. But, we must change the way we value others and ourselves for this transformation to take place in our life. How about the Way True Life Change Occurs? The way of the world tells us that all change in our life must happen based on our will power and what we are willing to pay for it. This message has even found willing ears in the Body of Christ, as we sometimes hear a message that to become what we want to become is as simple as knowing who we are presently and who we want to be in the future, … where we are headed if we don’t make a change, … and where we desire to be in the future, if we are willing to make it happen. We are challenged with the question if we are willing to pay or give up whatever it takes to attain what we want, and that we must make a plan to attain it, for it is up to us. But, my questions are: Where is the strategy Christ and the transformational plan He gives promoted? How is the plan God has given for change viewed? Is it OK to answer these questions by responding: … “I am God’s child … I am walking with Him … I don’t know where He is taking me, but, I know He has a plan and it is good … I have given my life to Him as the price I am willing to pay, and I still think I’m getting the best part of the deal.” Would the self-help gurus be willing to accept these answers without thinking of us as being underachievers or space cadets? Probably not if they are committed only to the way the world teaches how life change comes about, for the world teaches“it is up to us to make it happen, not God.” God’s strategy for life change and making a significant impact on our world smacks in the face of the way the world teaches us, and it is just one of many examples of the subliminal thinking of the world value system that saturates our thoughts from the time we are born, until we die. What about the question “Are there good things that are part of the world for making a change in a life?” Yes! Absolutely yes! There is still a need for coaching and encouraging and helping someone take responsibility for doing their part in their own life change. But, if a strategy excludes God and His work in our life, and it makes necessary life change only a work of man without God’s involvement, you can know the way of the world is being presented to you in its purist form. In the passage above, God gives us a little insight we all need to heed. It might be the smartest thing we ever do to realize that we cannot comprehend God or His ways, and we should simply trust that he knows what He is doing with our life. As long as we struggle with Him for control of our life, as if to say we know best what is needed, we will miss out on the great transformational work God can do in our life. There are a lot of robbers in the world. They steal everything from money, to cars, to identities. You name it and they try to criminally or unethically take what is yours. In the same way, the Thief of Thieves tries to take what is yours by convincing you that you are an orphan who is on your own, and nothing good will happen in your life unless you make it happen. He attempts to steal from you your joy, your identity, your sense of self-worth, and the greatest resource you have for change, which is the transformation that comes through your relationship with Christ. This “Thief” has developed a complex system that overwhelms your thoughts with a message that you need only what his system can give you, and God and His system is irrelevant. Don’t let him take from you what Jesus has given His life to restore in you. Jesus came to restore all that was lost, which includes your soul, your self-worth, your purpose and the pure humanity He originally created in you. These things need to be unleashed in you and only Christ can do it. Let Jesus do His work in you. He knows what He is doing for He operates on a higher plan of understanding than anyone on this earth could ever understand. He wants the best for you, more than anyone, including yourself, can know. Download file