Influencers Weekly Devotional

Training Camp by

Bryan Craig

The other morning, my 4 year-old daughter woke me up at 4:30 a.m. After getting her settled, I was wide awake. I decided to get up, for it’s on these mornings when God seems to wake me up extra early and I’m unusually awake, that He has a word for me. So, I grabbed my coffee, turned on the fire, and settled in to see what God might want to say. Something has been bothering me for a few weeks now. There has been an unsettling in my spirit. I haven’t been able to put a finger on it. I’ve been trying to figure out if I’m being disciplined or pruned or disobedient in my life. I’ve been processing the financial stress caused by the aftermath of a few difficult years in my business. I’ve also thought of the challenges of raising a big family and trying to provide for the physical, mental and spiritual needs of our four daughters. I consider the strain that we added as we took two extra teenagers into our home last year, which resulted in the emotional roller coaster of trying to sell our house to find a bigger one. Amidst all of those thoughts and emotions is this deeper search. I’m longing for something, something Big, something special from God. I want to be entrusted to do more for Him. I journaled, as is my regular practice. I always start my journaling with a log of what’s going on in my life. I want to remember life’s events someday when I look back. The last lines I wrote were, “I know the Lord cares about me and my future. I know He has good things stored up for me. I am being tested, refined, humbled, purified, trained.” Then, I opened my devotional, “Every Day With Jesus”, and I realized the bookmark fell out. I don’t follow the dates, so I flipped through the pages to find my place. As I perused the pages, some words jump out at me. God trains before He entrusts. For some reason, I didn’t remember reading this. The last word I had just written in my journal was “trained.” I dug deeper to see that my devotional writer listed 7 key areas that God must train in a person before He can entrust him with greater ministry. Somehow in the past few weeks of doing my quiet time and reading this devotional, I missed it. I must not have been listening or I didn’t have eyes to see. God did have a word for me that morning. The late Selwyn Hughes, who wrote this devotional, has profound insight and wisdom from the Spirit. He writes, “Believe me, if you want to do something great for God, you must be willing to be tried and proved. And the ‘testing’ is not so much that God might be convinced of your ability to perform, but that you yourself might become more refined and ready through the process.” He maintained that God will train us in 7 areas of life before He entrusts. These really spoke to me. #1. Financial Stewardship. He quoted the verse in Mark 12:35-44, where it says, “Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched.” He spoke of the critical nature of how we handle money and how those who can be trusted with little can later be trusted with much. I thought of our debt and our spending, and I began to see how God was stretching me to get my financial house in order. It’s not fun, but necessary. #2. Time. He emphasized the importance of how we spend our time. He quoted Colossians 4:5, “Make the most of every opportunity.” He says we must learn to say “No”, and we must manage our time effectively. This is a discipline. Interestingly, I had just recently sat down and tried to reorganize how I spend my time. I felt like I was all over the board and needed focus. Selwyn would agree. #3. Persistence. God must build perseverance into our lives so we will finish strong. 2 Peter 1:5 admonishes us to add to our faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control…then, perseverance. The first few characteristics don’t seem too difficult until you get to perseverance. However, on the other side of perseverance, there is godliness, brotherly kindness and love. If anyone is to do something great for God, they will need these last three. To get there, God must train us in persistence. #4. Contentment. Selwyn talks of how many Christians dream of all the things they would do for God, if they could only change their circumstances. If they could only be in a different job or be in full-time ministry, they would be so fulfilled. He talks about the Israelites and how they had to learn to be content eating manna every day for 40 years. He quotes Philippians 4:11, where Paul writes, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” So, as I dream about doing great things for God, I realize I can do great things now. Years ago, I was rocking one of my baby daughters to sleep, and I whispered a prayer to God, “Will I do something great for You someday?” I heard the reply, “What if it’s not you who will do something great, but this little child you hold in your arms?” Maybe being a good Daddy is the greatest thing I can do for God. #5. Controlling the Tongue. The tongue is written about extensively in James 3. And as we grow spiritually, we learn to be slow to speak and quick to listen. He also quotes Psalm 141:3, “Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.” Many good men and ministries have been destroyed by words. Selwyn believes this to be a critical training ground. I think of the importance of confidentiality and the dangers of gossip and how I’ve learned these things the hard way. This, too, was right on point. #6. Ability to Forgive. He quotes Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind and compassionate…forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Selwyn talks of all the people he has counseled through the years and how he has been in the confidence of several Christian leaders. Time and time again, they told him how they had been hurt and offended and they struggled with forgiveness. He says, “Take my word for it, if you want to do something for God, come to terms with the fact before you start that you are going to get hurt. People will disappoint you, tell lies about you and vilify you- so prepare for it by learning to forgive.” #7. Control of Desires and Wants. He talks about how our desires are God-given areas of the personality, but when they become demanding and undisciplined, they become a hindrance to our daily living. He focused on three main physical desires: food, drink and sex. Through his years, he has seen abuse in these three areas ruin many men and women and their ministries. We must learn discipline in these areas. He believes God will train us to control these desires if we allow Him. I am keenly aware of how powerful these desires are in our lives and how they will attempt to control us. I believe that is why God calls us to “fast” and pray. We must train our flesh to submit to the Spirit. God is not a “killjoy”. Rather, He wants to give us the greater joy which comes from His Spirit. I left my time with the Lord encouraged. I felt affirmed that God loves me and is proud of me. The fact that I am being trained gives me hope that He does have good plans for me. It’s time to take heart and be glad. It’s time to keep seeking Him and trust Him with His plans for me. Do you want to do something great for God? If so, take note of these truths. They will change your life.

“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent His rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son He delights in.”

Proverbs 3:11-12