What God Allows

I don't remember just who I was talking to the other day when the topic of the election came up but this individual said, "Whomever becomes President is the one God allows."  I couldn't disagree, I believe deeply and take great security in God's sovereignty.  But that doesn't mean I believe in personal passivity as I know that one of the things God allows is the consequence of our choices: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows" (Gal 6:7).

Just how God's sovereign choice is exercised concurrently with my selecting consequence, I don't entirely understand nor can I adequately explain it.  There are some things, like the make up of the Trinity, that leave me scratching my head just a bit.  In those matters, I concern myself less with clarity and more with faith.

Nonetheless, I believe in God's sovereignty and I believe in consequences directly connected with our personal choices.  So, while I trust God completely with my future, I make plans and take steps to address it, but I don't worry about it knowing that despite my choice and my consequence, God is in control.

Notice what God tells Joshua as he is called to stand in the place of Moses: "I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates---all the Hittite country---to the Great Sea on the west" (Josh 1:3-4).  God tells Joshua that he was going to give him the territory where Joshua chose to set his foot and then goes on to tell him "Here's the boundaries of the territory I will be giving you.

Joshua was one who trusted greatly in the Soverignty of God but also took seriously mankind's personal need to choose: "

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Josh 24:15).

Solomon seemed to agree: "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps" (Prov 16:9).  We have the right of choice and the expectations of consequence but God's will remains and we do not have the power to circumvent his Soverignty.  So, how does this all work out?  I don't truly know except to say that God is faithful and just, and we can trust in his goodness even when we cannot trust in our good choices.  Understand?  Me neither!  But I trust God!  I also make choices.  Jus' Say'n.

What God Allows

I don't remember just who I was talking to the other day when the topic of the election came up but this individual said, "Whomever becomes President is the one God allows."  I couldn't disagree, I believe deeply and take great security in God's sovereignty.  But that doesn't mean I believe in personal passivity as I know that one of the things God allows is the consequence of our choices: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows" (Gal 6:7).

Just how God's sovereign choice is exercised concurrently with my selecting consequence, I don't entirely understand nor can I adequately explain it.  There are some things, like the make up of the Trinity, that leave me scratching my head just a bit.  In those matters, I concern myself less with clarity and more with faith.

Nonetheless, I believe in God's sovereignty and I believe in consequences directly connected with our personal choices.  So, while I trust God completely with my future, I make plans and take steps to address it, but I don't worry about it knowing that despite my choice and my consequence, God is in control.

Notice what God tells Joshua as he is called to stand in the place of Moses: "I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates---all the Hittite country---to the Great Sea on the west" (Josh 1:3-4).  God tells Joshua that he was going to give him the territory where Joshua chose to set his foot and then goes on to tell him "Here's the boundaries of the territory I will be giving you.

Joshua was one who trusted greatly in the Soverignty of God but also took seriously mankind's personal need to choose: "

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Josh 24:15).

Solomon seemed to agree: "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps" (Prov 16:9).  We have the right of choice and the expectations of consequence but God's will remains and we do not have the power to circumvent his Soverignty.  So, how does this all work out?  I don't truly know except to say that God is faithful and just, and we can trust in his goodness even when we cannot trust in our good choices.  Understand?  Me neither!  But I trust God!  I also make choices.  Jus' Say'n.

What God Allows

I don't remember just who I was talking to the other day when the topic of the election came up but this individual said, "Whomever becomes President is the one God allows."  I couldn't disagree, I believe deeply and take great security in God's sovereignty.  But that doesn't mean I believe in personal passivity as I know that one of the things God allows is the consequence of our choices: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows" (Gal 6:7).

Just how God's sovereign choice is exercised concurrently with my selecting consequence, I don't entirely understand nor can I adequately explain it.  There are some things, like the make up of the Trinity, that leave me scratching my head just a bit.  In those matters, I concern myself less with clarity and more with faith.

Nonetheless, I believe in God's sovereignty and I believe in consequences directly connected with our personal choices.  So, while I trust God completely with my future, I make plans and take steps to address it, but I don't worry about it knowing that despite my choice and my consequence, God is in control.

Notice what God tells Joshua as he is called to stand in the place of Moses: "I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates---all the Hittite country---to the Great Sea on the west" (Josh 1:3-4).  God tells Joshua that he was going to give him the territory where Joshua chose to set his foot and then goes on to tell him "Here's the boundaries of the territory I will be giving you.

Joshua was one who trusted greatly in the Soverignty of God but also took seriously mankind's personal need to choose: "

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Josh 24:15).

Solomon seemed to agree: "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps" (Prov 16:9).  We have the right of choice and the expectations of consequence but God's will remains and we do not have the power to circumvent his Soverignty.  So, how does this all work out?  I don't truly know except to say that God is faithful and just, and we can trust in his goodness even when we cannot trust in our good choices.  Understand?  Me neither!  But I trust God!  I also make choices.  Jus' Say'n.

What God Allows

I don't remember just who I was talking to the other day when the topic of the election came up but this individual said, "Whomever becomes President is the one God allows."  I couldn't disagree, I believe deeply and take great security in God's sovereignty.  But that doesn't mean I believe in personal passivity as I know that one of the things God allows is the consequence of our choices: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows" (Gal 6:7).

Just how God's sovereign choice is exercised concurrently with my selecting consequence, I don't entirely understand nor can I adequately explain it.  There are some things, like the make up of the Trinity, that leave me scratching my head just a bit.  In those matters, I concern myself less with clarity and more with faith.

Nonetheless, I believe in God's sovereignty and I believe in consequences directly connected with our personal choices.  So, while I trust God completely with my future, I make plans and take steps to address it, but I don't worry about it knowing that despite my choice and my consequence, God is in control.

Notice what God tells Joshua as he is called to stand in the place of Moses: "I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates---all the Hittite country---to the Great Sea on the west" (Josh 1:3-4).  God tells Joshua that he was going to give him the territory where Joshua chose to set his foot and then goes on to tell him "Here's the boundaries of the territory I will be giving you.

Joshua was one who trusted greatly in the Soverignty of God but also took seriously mankind's personal need to choose: "

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Josh 24:15).

Solomon seemed to agree: "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps" (Prov 16:9).  We have the right of choice and the expectations of consequence but God's will remains and we do not have the power to circumvent his Soverignty.  So, how does this all work out?  I don't truly know except to say that God is faithful and just, and we can trust in his goodness even when we cannot trust in our good choices.  Understand?  Me neither!  But I trust God!  I also make choices.  Jus' Say'n.

Not Fair!

Do you remember stomping your feet and indignantly decrying, "Not fair!", when you were a child.  You probably haven't done that lately.  As adults we tend to control our foot stomping, at least on the outside.  But inside, that little boy or girl in us is stomping away as our adult outside is trying to make a cogent argument for equality.   Although, truth be told, some haven't gotten all that far away from outward foot stomping.

Nonetheless, the fact remains that we often feel that life, our parents, our spouse, our boss, God...is not fair.  Mostly we tend to feel that way when the tables are tipped against us and things aren't going our way.  Sometimes we have to admit that things have been unfairly or unexplainable tipped in our favor.  Generally we're OK with that and don't complain.

But, make no mistake, this little child, fairness barometer is actively checking the equality index moment by moment.  And when it begins to rise, we begin to feel the inward change of equanimity being registered in our childish spirit.

The biblical story of what we call the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32, while teaching the principle of God's love, forgiveness and grace, has a sub-plot of "not fair" from both sides of the spectrum.  The Prodigal, realizing how he has foolishly wasted his early inheritance, knows it would be unfair to except his father to restore his position and instead dreams of returning fairly as a "hired hand" (v. 19) in order to pay back what he squandered.

The older brother, having faithfully but apparently not graciously stayed behind and worked while the younger prodigal went on an extended spending binge, agreed thinking "not fair" at the prospect of the other son returning to his original position.  He would likely have agreed to have him return to work under his control and at his bidding - that would have been fair.

But the Father, dismissing the Prodigal's notion of returning as a second or third class member of the household, who would earn his position; and imploring the older son to set aside his jealousy and rejoice with the return of his brother who "was dead and now is alive again (v. 24), sets fairness on its ear has he very unfairly but very lovingly and graciously restores the Prodigal to his original position.

Both sons are stunned by the Father's decision.  Both were operating under the banner of fairness but the Father operates under the banner of love and "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud...it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs...It always protects..." (1 Cor 13:4-7).  Love does not insist on giving what one deserves but rather offers what is best.

God is not fair.  But aren't you glad he isn't?  Aren't you glad that he offers us what we need instead of what we earned?  Aren't you glad he offers grace from a father's heart instead of justice from a judge's bench?  Aren't you glad God's not fair?  Jus' Ask'n.

The Winning Plan

In the 1998 classic business allegory, "Who Moved My Cheese?", two mice, Sniff and Scurry along with two little people, Hem and Haw, live in a maze in which they find a corridor filled with cheese.  While they become dependent on the cheese in a particular corridor of the maze in which they live, the cheese isn't there one day.  They no longer can rely on what they have come to rely.

The book was a tremendous success.  It was on the top of the charts for four years, selling 25 million copies and still remains a widely used book in business training because it deals with a reality all of us encounter: "The best laid plans of mice and men..."  You know the rest.  Our plans just don't always work out and they never can be trusted to endure forever.

We can, and I think should, make plans - plans for college, plans for employment, plans for family and plans for retirement; plans of all kinds.  But we need to humbly accept the fact that our plans are not guaranteed to succeed.  In fact, life is more often about a well executed plan B than holding on to plan A.  And even plan B can be reduced to ashes in a moment.

The simple truth is that despite our well intentioned, well founded and well executed plans, life just doesn't always play ball.  Sometimes life takes its ball and goes home, leaving you holding the bag instead of advancing to the next base.

Suddenly, you realize that you are not in control, that your plan is not going to pan out.  You can get bogged down in that reality either continuing too double down on your plan, try to devise a new plan or you could yield to the fact that you are not in control and turn to the One who is.  For, while we lack the power to control circumstances, there is One who does not.  As the Scripture says: "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails" (Prov 19:21).

This realization and the willingness to trust in God over self is the winning plan.  You can make all the plans you want, realizing that when they do not succeed, you are not undone but simply redirected.  As plan A or B or C gets set to the side, you can trust that God is still in control and that he will indeed "Work all things to the good of those that love the Lord" (Rom 8:28).   Jus' Say'n.

Audience of One

Hold on to your hat, someone from Arkansas is about to quote Shakespeare, and no, I don't mean a Shakespeare fishing gear representative, the actual William Shakespeare: "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages."

Willie, as we like to call him here in Arkansas, is quite right.  Our lives are played out in front of others.  People are always watching, gaining insight and forming an opinion from how we act and react to the scenes of life as they unfold.

We are not unaware of this fact.  Rather, we choose our words, our next steps, our reactions in view of who we believe our audience might be at the moment.  When we are young, we tend to act one way if our parents are in the audience another way if it our friends.  As adults, how we act around our co-workers and how we act around our boss is often vastly different.  What one would see of in at home getting ready for church and what they see when we arrive there can be world's apart. 

Is any of this sounding familiar?  Have I crossed the line from teaching to meddling?  I hope so.  I want you to take this personally, I want you to do more than just listen and nod, I want you to shake your head and think, "Yeah, been there done that and haven't quite got all the way past it."  That would be thee truth as we all wear the masks of the stage from time to time, depending on who is in the audience.

But here's a reality that is so much more important than who all might be in the audience - so much more important is Who is always in the audience.  There is One who is watching every moment, listening to every word, seeing every act and every reaction - the same One that pays attention to even the sparrows (cf. Lk 12:6), it is the One from which "nothing is hidden in all creation" (Heb 4:13): God!

Regardless of who might be watching at any particular moment in time, God is always watching, every moment in time.  Your audience may contain many or few, but it always has One.  What you say and do never goes unnoticed by God.  And, with all the many that watch your life, there is only One that ultimately matters and only One to whom you must give an answer: that same God.

While I think it important how we conduct ourselves before everyone as it impacts them and can have an impact on us, it is vitally and eternally important that we concern ourselves with our Audience of One who is always there, pulling for us, encouraging us, but one day must judge us.  He watches with the loving eyes of a Father, wanting the best for his child but also of the God of the Universe upon whom justice rests.  

I pray that all who read these words choose to focus on the Audience of One and not allow the many others to distract you.  And I pray that you will accept the grace of the One who makes up this Audience of One offered in Christ Jesus alone.  Jus' Say'n.