Not letting our history define our destiny

It can be a real stumbling block in our Christian walk if we believe that our history, where we’ve come from, our family, our education, our work, even our successes and especially our failures are the defining factors in fulfilling God’s plans for our lives. 

The reality is that when we became believers and offered our lives into God’s service, the Bible assures us we became a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5: 17). In fact Peter tells believers that they are now a chosen people, a royal priesthood … 1 Peter 2: 9

A royal priesthood is quite a promotion for us ordinary folks. Here in Britain we have a pretty good grasp of what royalty means. We have a Royal Family who, since the abdication of Edward VIII in 1936, have modelled to the nation what royalty means. It is a life of privilege and wealth which some people get a bit hung up on, but it is also a life of service, duty and responsibility to the nation. Her Majesty the Queen has modelled this for 67 years now and she has passed on this life to the next generations. 

So what does that mean for us – this royal priesthood?  It means we have been born into royalty with all the privileges and responsibilities that brings.  Jesus is our King of Kings and our role is to promote his Kingdom and bring His will, plans and purposes into those areas that we are responsible for. Our background is not the defining issue in our lives.

Our areas of responsibility start with our own lives, then our families, our church, workplace or neighbourhood. We do this through a life of worship offering sacrifices of praise, worship and prayer – the role of the priest - then performing acts of service into those areas of responsibility. 

King David is a great example of this.  He was not born into a life of royalty, indeed he was the youngest brother of a large family of brothers. When Samuel the prophet came to anoint one of the brothers king, David was not called to the line up. He was out with the sheep and more than one commentator has said this may be because he was actually a half brother, born to Jesse but not Jesse’s wife. He was the despised youngest brother. 

This can be seen in Eliab’s response when David went down to the Philistine battlefield where Goliath was holding sway.  Eliab was plain nasty to him.

David was not deterred by his brother’s hostility, all those years of looking after the sheep, worshipping and fellowshipping with God, had prepared him to overthrown this uncircumcised Philistine who is defying the armies of the living God (1 Samuel 17: 26). David wasn’t frightened – he knew who God is – and holy zeal for his honour rose up and the enemy of the Lord was defeated.

The Bible is full of stories of the least becoming God’s man or woman of the hour, throwing off their background and circumstances and stepping into their God given destiny.

Judah, the fourth son born to Leah, the despised wife of Jacob, and yet he rose to be leader of the whole family. His history is very chequered and yet from his lineage came both King David and the Messiah – Jesus Christ – the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

Joseph, the second youngest son, sold into slavery, imprisoned on a false charge and yet rising into his destiny at God’s appointed moment to save not just the nation of Egypt but also his own family. 

Gideon, the least of the least, yet when God called, he too was able to deliver the Israelites from the Midianites.

Even the great prophet Moses, the younger son, so fearful after years looking after the sheep that he was terrified of facing Pharaoh, became in God’s hands one of the mightiest men of all time.

The Godly annals of history will not be filled with kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers, emirs or any other national leaders. They will be filled with the names of the royal priesthood, faithful men and women of God who have served loyally, no matter what their background, their education, or situations and entered into their destiny. 

They have trusted God despite their weaknesses, real or imagined and believed that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3: 20 – 21.

Living well

Solomon had it all.  Great wealth, riches, possessions and the wisdom he asked for at the beginning of his reign. There was no one like him. Even his people were happy.

The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy. I Kings 4: 20.

It all started out so well with Solomon asking God for the wisdom he needed. He built the temple which his father David had planned. During the building God encouraged Solomon

As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.’ I Kings 6: 12 - 13

At the dedication of the temple Solomon offered a marvellous prayer of dedication to God who appeared to him promising that if he walked wholeheartedly with him, God would establish his throne forever as he had promised King David (I Kings 9: 1 – 9).

However the wheels were already beginning to come off. Solomon took 7 years to build the temple but 13 years to build his royal palace. It would also appear that he got into debt with Hiram, king of Lebanon who provided the materials and labour for the building works. He gave Hiram 20 towns in northern Galilee (I Kings 9: 11) as collateral against the cedar and gold he wanted. These towns were not his to give. The land was not something to use in this way. Hiram was not happy with these towns but Solomon probably repaid his debt when gold was delivered by the expedition to Ophir.

Solomon had a great taste for the high life as the reading of I Kings 10 shows. Solomon’s real weakness though was foreign women which God expressly forbad kings to take. Not satisfied with incredible wealth and wisdom he took 700 wives and 300 concubines starting with Pharaoh’s daughter (I Kings 3: 1). God had said that these foreign women would lead the Israelites astray (Exodus 34: 16 and Deuteronomy 7: 1 – 3) because they would turn their hearts away from God and they did. Solomon started following other gods.

Solomon had it all. Unlike his father David though he was not ‘a man after God’s own heart’. In fact a reading of Deuteronomy 17: 16 – 17 with the instructions to future kings shows Solomon did everything he shouldn’t do.

Even when God became angry with him (I Kings 11: 9 – 13) Solomon did not repent or turn back to God unlike David who repented when confronted with his sins.  It is such a sorry story and yet one repeated again and again throughout history and in the church.

It happens when the focus of our lives becomes ourselves and not God. Solomon forgot that the purpose of his fame and wealth was so that God would be glorified and made famous. The purpose of our lives is to bring glory to God.

In the midst of the great materialism and wealth of the Western society and church, we are to live our lives dependent on God and reflecting his glory. This can be hard as we have so much it is easy to live dependent of God rather than dependent on God.

However if we make God our priority every day, if we seek to put him first as Matthew 6: 33 says: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well, then we will glorify him and not lack either.  

Our whole lives, the way we talk about God and others, the way we spend our money, our attitude to wealth, marriage, fidelity, honesty, integrity, fame or in other words righteousness can and should be a great testimony to God and his goodness to us.

My desire this year is to live my life a bit better so it brings greater glory to God in all I do. What about you?

PS you may not consider yourself wealthy but try out the Global Rich List (http://www.globalrichlist.net) and see how rich you are compared to the rest of the world.   

God's calling - our calling

There can be times when we may feel that past failure, sin or fear will keep us from stepping into or fulfilling the calling of God for our life.  Fear of failure, inadequacy and guilt can be huge stumbling blocks but our God is mightier than any of our sins and failings. The Bible is full of stories of people who felt inadequate or who in human eyes had disqualified themselves from ministry yet God had not finished with them despite their failings and weaknesses.

When God met Moses at the burning bush, he told him to go back to Egypt and speak to Pharaoh to set the Israelites free.  Moses argued with God five times about his inadequacy and every time God gave him the words and signs necessary. Finally God’s anger burned against Moses and as a concession he said that Aaron could go with him to speak to Pharaoh.

By the time of the tenth plague though Moses didn’t need anyone to speak on his behalf because his confidence in God meant he was more than adequate for the task. This stood him in good stead for leading the people out of Egypt, crossing the Red Sea and dealing with a difficult and rebellious group of Israelites for 40 years.  Moses had asked God at the burning bush to send someone else but God knew that Moses was the man for the job.

Moses’ brother Aaron was one who could also have been disqualified from his calling of being the first high priest of the nation.  While Moses was up the mountain for 40 days and nights Aaron led the nation into idolatry by making and worshipping the golden calf.  Not long after that debacle God appointed him as high priest.  Most of us would have thought Aaron had blown it irrevocably but not God. He had called Aaron to the priesthood.

Or what about David, the great king, the man after God’s own heart who committed adultery and murder? Surely he should have been stoned to death but when confronted with his sin, he repented before God writing surely one the most beautiful psalms, Psalm 51.

Peter let Jesus down by denying him three times on the very night when he could have used a friend. Yet Peter became one of the leading apostles in the early church. And Paul persecuted and murdered the early Christians yet when confronted by the love and grace of God he stepped into his God given destiny to be a great apostle and author of much of the New Testament.

God has a calling on each of our lives and whilst we may not be called to lead the nation or be a great apostle, we have a unique and important role to play. The devil would like to remind us frequently of our sin, failure and inadequacies but God would remind us that those he has called he will also equip. His love and grace are always more than enough to overcome our shortcomings. 

Next time you feel you have irrevocably blown it just remember these great men of God who fell or were overcome by their insecurities and recall what they achieved.  If they can do it, so can we.