Spiritual thermostats

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might Ecclesiastes 9: 10

An unfortunate side effect of doing great things with God rather than for God can be a tendency to sit around waiting for ‘instructions’ from God. This leads to spiritual paralysis. God knows our schedules and the things we have to do whether it be work, domestic duties, care for the family and so on. What God wants is an ear tuned to him throughout our day and a heart set to be obedient to do those things that he may call us to which come across our path.

Helen Keller the lady born blind and deaf who so successfully championed women’s rights told the Tennessee Legislature that when she was young, she longed to do great things and could not because of her disabilities; so she decided to do small things in a great way. That is a fantastic attitude. If we want to do great things with God, the way we do the small things will pave the path for greater things.

 The way we do our job, how we drive the car, the way we talk, our attitude to the washing up and other less interesting tasks will train us for anything God wants us to do. This verse from Ecclesiastes encourages us that no matter what is before us, let’s do it with might or excellence.

Our attitude should be that today is full of possibilities. We love to please God more than people and we know that our prayers are making a difference. We have a good attitude to those in authority over us and try our best to be punctual and give our best effort is what we are doing.  We are enthusiastic and a source of encouragement to those round us.

 Steve Backlund says we should be spiritual thermostats not spiritual thermometers. Spiritual thermometers merely reflect the current spiritual temperature. Spiritual thermostats set the spiritual temperature. We can too easily fall into what is happening around us, going with the flow but spiritual thermostats change things. They raise the bar in terms of expectations and attitudes and it is amazing how often people will rise to it.

One of the clubs we play bowls against has a captain who likes to tell dubious jokes in his little half time talk. By gentle persuasion, not criticism or judgement, we have managed to get him to tell less smutty jokes. It is a small thing but it changes the temperature. Excellent attitudes at work encourage others to the same higher levels. Less excessive eating and drinking habits encourage others not to over indulge either and not swearing can have an amazing effect on the people around us.

We really can change the spiritual temperature with excellent attitudes in the small things of life and as we keep busy doing what is before us, God will surprise us with the opportunities he opens up to do great things with him.

Great things for God

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. John 4: 34

There is something in the heart of many Christians and churches to do something great for God. We know God is a great God and does great things and so we slip into a mindset that says we too need to do something great for our God. It will show how much we love him. However this thinking has a fatal flaw in it because God has never asked us to do great things for him but to do great things with him. There is a huge difference.

Doing great things for God can lead to a life independent of God.  God has not called us to live our lives without him unless we cannot manage – he wants us to live our lives dependent on him. This can be a very hard concept for us to accept because many people fear becoming mindless idiots unable to think or do anything for ourselves. However God wants us to use our God given brains and gifting in conjunction with him. We see dependence on God as limiting us but God sees dependence on him as expanding our lives beyond anything we can ask or imagine. If we are dependent on what we can think or imagine, limits soon become obvious. When we give our brains and talents to God for him to use, the limits disappear.

God wants us to do great things with him. He has wonderful plans for our lives but it means we have to stop trying to do something great for God and instead ask him what he is doing. That is what Jesus did – not his own thing but what the Father was doing. As Wayne Jacobsen says, ‘I used to start my day laying out my plans before God and seeking his blessing on them. How silly! Why would I want God to be the servant of my agenda? God’s plans for my day far exceed mine. I can almost hear him now as I awaken: “Wayne, I’m going to touch some people today. Do you want to come along?”

It’s amazing how gentle that is, but all the more powerful because it is.  I don’t have to go. God’s work won’t be thwarted by my lack of participation. He will touch people anyway, but I wouldn’t miss it for the world. He does things I’ve never dreamed of and uses me in ways I could never conceive. His focus on touching people instead of managing programs has revolutionized my view of ministry. It requires no less diligence on my part but directs that diligence in far more fruitful endeavours.