Cause to Pause

Just finished Chuck Swindoll’s book on Elijah. This is book number five in his series “Great Lives from God’s Word”. I’m kind of a Swindoll fan as his radio program was a key part of forming my faith and beliefs in the early years of my Christian walk. Combine that with Elijah being a “kick butt, call fire down from heaven, Ultimate Fighter” kind of prophet and I was really looking forward to this one.

This particular book chronicles Elijah’s life from a slightly different perspective though. We may know about his strength through the Mt. Carmel Incident, we may know about his weakness from the Gentle Breeze Episode. However, what Swindoll does so well in this book is to take those episodes and the whole of Elijah’s life and look not at the heroism of Elijah, nor at his “human weakness”, but at the genuine humility of Elijah. He presents him in such a way that we see how easy it would be to get puffed up and full of pride at the mighty way God was using him – and the way others reacted to his very presence, and contrasts that to the way Elijah really responded. All the while tying in life applications.
From Elijah’s early years hiding out by a brook, waiting for God to provide him food via “crow delivery” as a boot camp in trusting God, to the very end when he was taken up in a fiery whirlwind, the process was a constant building and shaping. Each subsequent victory building on the faithfulness of the past. Many of the things that God called Elijah to do had less to do with the task at hand (rebuking pagan worshipping leaders for example) and more to do with forming the relationship between Lord and prophet. Which at the end of the day, is still the way it is now. God doesn’t “need” us to get something done. He uses us – if we are willing and obedient – and in that process shapes us to be who He really intends.

The book ends with a great summary of Elijah’s life and how, even though it was centuries ago, his responses and subsequent actions can be imitated today. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time to come.

Next stop: Max Lucado’s Fearless.

In Haggai God admonishes the nation of Israel telling them that they have “sown much, but brought in little, they drink but are not satisfied”. It’s kind of a tough message. The reason for this, God explains, is because they have put themselves first. Built for themselves some nice houses while letting God’s house lie in disrepair. For more of the back story, read this post.

I just can’t seem to get over the fact that the issue is they built their houses up while leaving God’s house in disrepair. Speaking metaphorically, do we do the same thing? Are we focusing on ourselves while neglecting God’s house-the body of Christ? I know I do.
By the same token, I am blessed to know some people who continually add value to other people and to the kingdom of God. And they do it not because they are trying to, they just do.

This is not one of those “beat yourself up” posts. There is too much of that going on in the world. Nor is it a “God wants you to be happy in life” post.  WAY too much of that too. But rather a post to encourage us all to ask “Am I building up God’s people and purposes – or trying to make myself look good?” 

That would be my challenge today. To ask “Is what I am doing right now adding to God’s house"? Or just trying to put new paneling on my own?”

There is an interesting lesson in the book of Haggai. The Jews had just returned from captivity and set to rebuilding the temple. However, once they got the foundation laid, they ran into opposition. As a result they convinced themselves to look after their own needs. Matthew Henry puts it this way:

but, being served with a prohibition some time after from the Persian court, and charged not to go on with it, they not only yielded to the force, when they were actually under it, which might be excused, but afterwards, when the violence of the opposition had abated, they continued very indifferent to it, had no spirit nor courage to set about it again, but seemed glad that they had a pretence to let it stand still.

Do you like that last phrase? “seemed glad they had a pretence to let it stand still”. They were just looking for an excuse to quit.

So, they had been freed from captivity, started to rebuild the temple according to God’s word, then allowed themselves to get caught up in the mundane of life saying things like:

"The time has not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built." Hag 1:2

There are times when God calls us to do things. To “rebuild His temple” if you will. We have been brought out of captivity and now it is time to honor Him. But as soon as we hit some opposition, we convince ourselves that “we better look after our own houses” and “evidently, the time isn’t right otherwise it would be easier”. The reality is we are just looking for an excuse to quit.

God has a very straightforward response:

"[Is it] time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple [to lie] in ruins?"

The Jews had said “The time isn’t right to rebuild the Lord’s house.” to which God replied “But the time is right to rebuild YOUR house?” We worship the God of irony.

I have to ask myself, “What is it lately that God has asked, and when I hit some opposition, I turn to myself and never return to His purposes?” A ministry goal? Maybe a professional goal? A relationship that needs mending? How about just some area that is in need of some basic obedience? Those are good questions to ask.
Am I more concerned with living a life of ease, in a “paneled house” as it were, than in serving Him? All because of what? A little opposition? A little failure? Because I swung for the fence only to hear the dull thud of the ball hitting the catcher’s mitt?

There’s never a wrong time to do the right thing…or to return to what you know God is calling you to do.

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ministry,goal,relationship,obedience,failure