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Exactly what is prayer?  I want to pray and have done so for many decades.  I’ve read and written about prayer, taught and tried various models of prayer many times over.  Yet in the recesses of my heart, I continue to have this sense that, for the most part, we have misunderstood what prayer is.

Consider this, how often did the disciples set aside time each day to get alone, kneel and pray as Jesus prayed in the garden or in a way that we think of as prayer today?  Truth be known, His disciples weren’t able to pray one hour with Jesus in the garden.  Yes, when they were in Jerusalem they practiced the traditional Jewish temple prayer time, but that would have been a Jewish ritualistic prayer – very different from how Jesus communicated with His Father.  Other than Daniel, how many major Bible heroes are said to have arranged daily prayer times?  Where did we get the idea that we must pray the way we do today?

I was taught prayer was to ask God for certain things like a grocery list type thing.  I prayed that way for decades, but my prayers weren’t much of a two-way conversation!!  All the while, something within continued to long for more of an intimate communication with God.

What kind of prayer did Jesus teach His disciples to pray?  Was what is commonly referred to as the Lord’s Prayer intended to be a liturgy spoken in church or in private?  Based on what is recorded about Jesus’ prayers and His passing comments about His communication with His Father, may I be so bold as to suggest we have missed the mystique in what He enjoyed and intended for us to enjoy?   For starters, I am convinced that what is commonly referred to as the Lord’s Prayer was not intended to be mechanically recited but rather “talking points” of how our conversation with God might go.  He taught us to begin our conversation acknowledging the reality of our Heavenly Father and His awe-inspiring holiness.  After reading Jesus’ prayer in John 17, I get the distinct impression He didn’t depend on a prayer list.  Rather His prayers consisted of a sacred exchange of whatever the Holy Spirit prompted His intuition when talking with His Father.

I’ve also observed some of my prayers originate out of my mind or emotions (soul) while others flow out of my inner most being, my intuition, conscience or worship to Him (spirit).  It’s the latter type that allows me to sense I’m most connected with God.  I’ve also found He talks to me most when I’m meditating/reflecting on a Bible passage.  What He says is personal, but it generally consists of a greater revelation of His value, ways, truths and heart.  I thrive on that because I walk away from those times invigorated and optimistic about whatever I’m facing.

There’s something special within each believer that genuinely longs for intimate fellowship with his or her Creator including hearing His whispers in response to his or her requests.  Isn’t that longing in itself a strong clue as to how we should focus our quest in learning to pray more effectively?

Have you been sensing a deep connection with God when you pray?  If not, try breaking out of your routine and experiment with a new way to authentically connect with God who so loves you.  Try journaling what you sense God may be whispering to you as you reflect on scripture; journal your prayers; pray in a different location; add a worship time [books on prayer offer different sequences before praying]. Whatever you do, seek with all your heart to connect your spirit with His Spirit. Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV) You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.   Share your discoveries with me.  My time with God is so special; I want you to find a fresh way to also enjoy that same pleasure in His presence.

Remember standing in line while two captains picked their team? Everyone was crying, “pick me, pick me”.  Who among us does not want to be picked; liked, respected, accepted, wanted and even loved by someone or something?  It may be our faithful dog and how he/she greets and even becomes our protector.  By the same token, we have a distaste for the person who goes out of their way to avoid us or for those who may even bully us in some way.  No one wants to spend their life with a person who doesn’t want to live with or even be seen with them.

Has it occurred to you that God also wants to be wanted?  He planted a desire for eternity [a divine attribute] in our hearts but then leaves our response to that desire to separate out the ‘gold from the fool’s gold’, the authentic from the wannabe.  (Eccl. 3:11)

Imagine a seed or a bulb enduring the cold of winter, but then the desire within begins to force its way through the frozen ground to see the sun and becomes a crocus or daffodil. The dark cold winter takes the bulb with a weaker desire out of the game, but it cannot hold back those with healthy life within.  Consider our example Jesus, Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) …who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Our Lord tells us in Matthew 6:33 (NLT2) Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously… The Greek word translated “seek” means to seek God’s reign over you as much as you would seek your last, but lost, few coins.

Like us, the Apostle Peter repeatedly messed up, but he chose to nurture the passion in his heart to seek Jesus.  When in the midst of a storm with the Sea of Galilee’s waves crashing over the sides of the boat, he got out of the boat just to be with His Lord!  When Jesus was arrested, though he ran as the others, he kept following Jesus from a safe distance because he wanted to be with Christ.  After his world had collapsed in darkness when Jesus died, as soon as he heard Jesus had risen from the grave, he ran to the tomb to find Him.  Trying to understand all that had happened he went fishing, but as soon as he saw his Hero walking the shore line, he plunged into the water and swam to be with Jesus.  God allows us to go through discouraging times, even to fail miserably, in order to draw out our desire to know Him more deeply.  A snapshot of the reward is seen in Job’s awe inspired words after extended pain and confusion, I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. Job 42:5 (NLT).  God wants our passion for Him to grow until it is able to exceed our deepest pains.

What have you been doing with the desire God planted in your heart to know Him in a more intimate and perfect way?  Have you been persistently nurturing your desire to be close to Him to the point your family, friends or those you serve can see its fruit or have you just wanted Jesus when you want something or are in trouble?   I’ve taken great comfort in knowing that God will draw close to me when I choose to draw close to Him.   Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV) You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart… He longs for me to want Him enough to seek Him with all my heart!!  What might God’s persistent love for you say about the kind of God who created you?    

I can still remember decades ago trying to step on my shadow.  I was fascinated because whenever I moved to step on it, it moved.   Did you ever do that?

I recently was meditating through verses in Colossians 2 when I read Colossians 2:17 (ESV) These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.  Again, the word captivated my thinking, so I had to spend time reflecting on it.  In this case, the shadow didn’t follow the substance, it preceded it.  The shadow did have value but only when it was directly related to being in Christ.

In the context, Paul is writing about abstract things like Old Testament legal demands, laws, or rules.  I understand that to mean laws like circumcision, what you are to eat or drink, celebrations regarding holy days or sabbaths.   In their day those were a ‘big deal’.  Moses was told he would be killed if he didn’t circumcise his sons on his way back to Egypt.  People could be severely punished if they ignored the holy days, especially the sabbath.  So, they were more than just suggestions!  Their value was in how things like circumcision pointed to the necessity of being separated from sin and unto Christ.

It makes me smile today, but in my early days, I was raised to think doing things like roller skating was a sin, along with girls wearing jeans or makeup.  My dad, a pastor, asked good friends to have their daughter stop wearing lipstick in the choir.  None of those things had any direct connection with people growing in intimacy with our Lord.

Could it be that our traditional view of how someone prays the sinner’s prayer, embraces doctrines of predestination or pentecostalism, or how we do church with hymns or contemporary choruses these are days only a shadow?  If so, we can sure get into some heated debates that separate believers into different denominations over a simple misunderstood “shadow”!!

I suspect we confuse legalistic tribal rules with shadows that point us to seeing ourselves through Christ’s eyes.  It begs the question, ‘considering all we consider essential doctrines, behavioral practices, or rules and regulations of our church tribe today, are they only shadows of what is related to knowing who God really is?  Paul went on to write, Colossians 2:18-19 (NLT2) Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud and they are not connected to Christ…  I shudder to think of all I have thought, even taught, to be absolute truth may only be a proverbial shadow and lack substance of its own because it failed to connect people to Christ.

The Holy Spirit is saying through Paul, the things that have substance are ONLY found in how we relate to Christ Himself.  Unless we have died in Christ to our petty dogmas that make us proud in we are totally missing the boat!  He says in Colossians 2:23 (NLT2) These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

I am so grateful when the Holy Spirit confronts me with my prideful ways.  I so want to instruct others in the beauty of living IN CHRIST where alone there is substance.  There is no room for my prideful pettiness or controlling issues when I acknowledge I am not God and have no business confusing others with my prejudicial “shadows”.  How about you?

A couple years ago, Connie planted maybe six special tomato plants in our small garden.  We enjoy them so she chose the best plants, cared for them but at the end of the year, we had hardly a paltry amount of tomatoes.  For some strange reason, most of us plant trees, veggies, even do hard work always expecting there to be some form of ‘fruit of our labor’.  And when that doesn’t happen we fuss and fume.  In Mark 11:12-14 even Jesus was agitated because when he was hungry and went to a fig tree that didn’t have any fig, he essentially cursed the tree saying no one would ever eat fruit from that tree.  Matthew references this incident and records later when He and the disciples saw the same tree, it had withered away.  Fruitlessness is an irritation to all of us, including Jesus!  But while that less than fruitful year for us was annoying, it didn’t stop us from trying again the next year.

That wasn’t just an incident in Jesus’ life.  Because He knew how His heavenly Father felt about fruitfulness, He used various illustrations to draw attention to the importance of producing whatever the plant is designed to produce.  One was in Luke 13:6-9 when he talked about a man planting a fig tree in his vineyard and there was no fruit on it at the end of the season.  The same thing happened the next year and the third.  The man decided to dig it up and throw it away.   Wow!  He was serious about the need to be fruitful.

Like so many others, I poured my life into trying to disciple a young lady only to see her choose to join a cult.  I know of parents who have poured into their children only to see them choose to live contrary to God’s laws.  It is heartbreaking when you feel like years of your prayers and training produced no fruit.  None of us like to see a person God has shaped for some “good work” (Eph. 2:10) waste what was given them on self-destruction and hurting others.  But it is exhilarating when you see that child or person you worked with, later reverse their course of life around.

One of the motivators in my life has been the fact God hand-crafted me for some good work and I intend to do my best to be faithful and fruitful to that assignment.  On one hand I have come to so enjoy my relationship with Christ that I only want to spend more time with Him and do whatever He wants.  On the other and, I also know the truth is that Jesus Himself said, John 15:6 (ESV)  If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.  While that is not motivating me to seek to know and serve God as I do, yet there remains a healthy fear in my heart of my God.  He is serious about fruitfulness so I will be serious about it as well.  How about you?

As you look back as a boatman looks back at the wake of his boat, do you have confidence that your seeking intimacy with God and the subsequent fruitfulness is as God expects out of the craftsmanship He invested in you?  Remember, God can ONLY be fruitful and expects His passion for fruitfulness to be manifest in those close to Him.  John 15:8 (ESV) By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

Is decision making hard for you?  It probably depends on what is at risk or how much information you have in order to make your decision.  How do you respond in decision making when you have to make one that will affect the lives of other people?  Tougher isn’t it?  …at least it is for me.

I recently wrestled long and hard with a very difficult decision that could affect others.  I tried to think it through from various angles in order to get a sense of the depth and impact it might have.  I wrote down my thoughts and then shared them with a friend. As I shared them, suddenly it became clear what I needed to do.  Once I sensed that, certainty was there and the wrestling within virtually stopped.  What a relief!!  Let me explain.

Quite a few decades back I was introduced to a concept that has helped me make tough decisions.  Although the model is not embraced by all, it has been without doubt the most practical, insightful, and challenging model I’ve encountered to date.  The model is rooted in a few words written by Moses.  Genesis 1:26a (NLT2) Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like ourselves….”  When I was young I wondered how we were made to be like God since all humans look so different!  Later the word “our” in that verse was brought to my attention because God is normally thought of as one, not multiple Gods.  Thinking of God as three yet one resolves that dilemma since He is pictured in Scripture as God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s words add shape to what God said in Genesis 1:2 when he wrote 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NLT2) Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.  There it is!  We really are made in God’s image, not physically in looks but three ‘persons’ in one body!  We have a spirit, soul and body as God consists of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

As you walk out that parallel thought, the most powerful and insightful AND challenging piece is learning to distinguish in practical terms the difference between the voice of our spirit and that of our soul.  However, developing a skill in that area can reap incredible rewards!  One reward is seen in the decision-making process!  The three primary functions of our soul are our will (make choices), mind and emotions.  Depending on our personality, most of us use our mind or emotions to make daily decisions.  In contrast, the functions of our spirit consist of our ability to have communion with God, our intuition (maybe thought of as a gut feeling or uncanny knowledge), and conscience (issues regarding right and wrong).  Unless the Spirit hits us with a two-by-four, we don’t allow that part to guide the decisions we make.  Furthermore, unless we are very careful, more often than not we will confuse the voice of our mind or emotions with the voice of God who speaks to our intuition and conscience.  The decisions I have regretted were made by neglecting to distinguish what my spirit was saying to me.

When I wrote down my thoughts and shared them with a friend suddenly it became clear!  My wrestling had been coming from my soul—my mind and emotions, not my spirit (intuition or conscience).  Once I recognized that, I immediately knew what I needed to do because Paul wrote Romans 8:14 (NLT2) For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.  I have used this model to help make thousands of decisions through the decades and I’ve never regretted having done so.   If this concept resonates with you, search to know more about the difference between your soul and spirit.  It can help you make decisions faster and with more confidence.

Do you get anxious at times?  I’m told we normally worry about only 5 major things.  What might those be for you?  The theory is, if a person identifies the 5 areas and identifies the core issue of each, by taking them one by one with help they can overcome their intimidating ‘giants’.  For me it seems I get most anxious about the unknown or unexpected.  Depending on what is at stake, that angst can nearly shut down my capacity to think clearly!!

That frustration increases when we read Jesus’ words like Matthew 6:25 (ESV) “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”  Or, Matthew 10:19 (ESV) When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.   Or, Luke 12:25-26 (ESV) And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?  Can you relate to that type of thing?

A while back the Holy Spirit broke a glass-ceiling in my life.  My subsequent thoughts centered around the practical difference between Christ being “in me” and me being “in Christ”.   You probably wonder what in the world does worry have to do with THAT Biblical issue?  Interestingly, as I began to allow my mind to meditate on what it might be like being in Christ in Heaven looking down at Bob Wine, my anxiety level dropped!!  Sounds crazy!  Let me try to explain.

The idea of Christ being in me is relatively easy to grasp because I know my strengths and weaknesses.  So, when the Holy Spirit positions me to do something that is NOT in my ‘wheelhouse’ and others are somehow blessed through my efforts, I know without a doubt it wasn’t my knowledge or skill set that did it.  It was clearly Christ in me doing whatever resulted in being of help to others.  This has happened so many times I would be a fool not to accept the truth that Christ is in me.

However, when I think of Christ in me with His unlimited capacities, if great things don’t happen it is most likely because I’ve been in the ‘driver’s seat’ and kept Him in the passenger’s seat.  He is ‘in me’ but my depraved humanity still wants to claim responsibility for what happens!

In contrast, if I think of myself as being in Christ, He is the one in total control and I’m just in Him, like a baby is in his/her mother’s womb.  I have no control and guess what comes with that!  Minimal anxiety!  The primary practical difference between Christ in me and me in Christ can be reduced down to who is in control of the situation!  I did a crude study using only one translation just to see how many times the two phrases were used in the Bible (in the right context).  I found that the concept of us being “in Christ” was mentioned 66 times and the concept of Christ being in us was used only 8 times!!!   That tells me while both are true, God obviously wants us to think far more about us being in Him than of Him being in us.  Why?  Because when we see ourselves being in Him, we will take our hand off the steering wheel of our lives and trust Him more—reducing our anxiety big time.  This insight has helped me with my anxiety and I believe God intends for it to help you as well.  I urge you to take time to mediate on this—or do your own Bible study on the difference.  This could reduce your anxiety and give you greater joy in life!!

How much are you worth?  Is it measured by your possessions, your knowledge, your position or your natural gifts or skill set?  Genesis 2:7 (NIV) the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.   Obviously, we are worth more than the sum of our parts as long as we are alive.   At times we feel and act like we are made of gold and other times nothing more than dust of the earth.

I’ve been reflecting on Paul’s words when pondering this question that were inspired by the Holy Spirit.  2 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV) But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  The point is that our value, even as a believer, is still limited to whatever a common jar of clay was worth in Paul’s day.  What gives us such infinite value is what God has put within us.  We must always keep in mind that distinctive difference.  I, for one, confuse this from time to time.  Unfortunately, I too often I focus on being only a jar of clay and not on the incredible treasure within.  That is when I end up with reverse pride or ‘glorifying’  my weaknesses.   The Holy Spirit woke me up to that recently, for which I am so grateful.

Jesus prayed, and certainly His prayer will be answered, John 17:23 (NLT) I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.  John later clarified that writing 1 John 4:15 (ESV) Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  Paul further clarified that writing Colossians 2:9-10 (ESV) For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.  Try to get your mind around THAT!!  I’m still struggling to even imagine in practical terms that kind of treasure dwelling in my clay pot!

When I consider Jesus walking in His humanity on this earth, I can’t imagine how the fullness of the Godhead could be residing within His humanity in a veiled condition. (Philippians 2:7) However that worked for Jesus works the same is true for us as we walk around with God inside of us!!!  My humanity (clay pot) is my greatest inhibitor!  So why is it I try to protect and lean so much more on my clay pot rather than on the stunning treasure within me?  What kind of foolishness is that??

It is very intriguing to consider what happens when my earthen vessel begins to crack or be broken—feel some sort of pain.  It would be in those times the awe-inspiring God within me is most likely to shine out so those around me can see His light.  In this sense, I think I do understand why God would set up times when I feel pain.  I also want to be willing to be broken so the world around me can see Who is in me.  However, in my painful moments, my first tendency is to ‘close down’ or withdraw and feel sorry for my clay pot!  Hum!!  Those around me then only see my clay pot.  Holy Spirit, PLEASE remind me when you are allowing me to be broken, that aching is purposed by You to glorify yourself IN ME!  May the eyes of my understanding be enlightened so I may know the hope of Your calling and what the riches of the glory of your inheritance are in my life.  Ephesians 1:18 (NKJV)

My grand-son’s interests seem to change like Nebraska weather.  My five-year-old grandson seems most interested in games on the iPad.  My three 11-year-old grandsons seem to largely focus on the subject of sports but the sport changes with the season.  On the other end of the age spectrum, my oldest granddaughter’s interest is primarily captured by her one-year old son and another granddaughter’s interest focuses on her pre-med college classes.  What would you say has captured your interest?  Whatever that may be, it at least gives you a clue as to your value system and therefore what motivates you.

I have been intrigued with how frequently Jesus referenced ‘Scripture’.   He repeatedly made statements like “have you not read [heard]…” or “it is written…”  Yes, he no doubt focused on individuals (relationships) and serving others but so much of what He said and did could be reduced down to Scripture.

But it wasn’t just Scripture that captured His attention.  He obviously believed the source of Scripture was His Father who was His ultimate love.  He literally lived out what He taught was the greatest commandment, Mark 12:30 (NLT) ‘And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’   He even modeled His definition of that kind of love when He said Matthew 10:37 (NIV) “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me..”  balanced with His concern for His mother when He said to John 19:27 “…Here is your mother” [i.e. ‘take care of her’].   The loving devotion He had for His heavenly Father was unadulterated.  Since the Scripture was the most tangible representation of His Father, that was what He valued most highly.

When I ponder my value of Scripture, while I certainly have deep love for it, I cannot come close to saying it I love it as He did.  Jesus literally thrived on God’s Word—it was bread for Him!  His speech, His actions, His thoughts never veered far from it.  I suspect it could be said what a person likes to talk about the most is a good clue as to what he/she values most.  It certainly is true with my grandchildren and many I’ve connected with in life.

Jesus’ didn’t have the Bible in so many different translations and formats as we have today.  But if He would have, I suspect He would have opened his phone, iPad, computer or printed copy multiple times a day!  What might the frequency of your meditation on Scripture, talking about or actual obedience to it reveals about your value of what Jesus so deeply valued.   I know there are those who claim they value God’s word and believe it is the authoritative Word of God—until it talks about issues like “count it all joy”, “be anxious for nothing”, “be Holy because I am Holy”, “giving thanks for all things”, “submit to one another”, or reveal God’s ways with us.  (I’m sure you’ve already thought of many other examples).  Then they rationalize, justify or otherwise ignore those passages that don’t fit their lifestyle.  They obviously don’t value scripture as Jesus did!

When Jesus was being arrested, all His disciples would desert Him, and He would be taken to be tried and then crucified, He said Mark 14:49-50 (NIV) “Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” Then everyone deserted him and fled.  He literally staked His life on walking out what the Scripture said!!!  If He is our model, what might that be saying to us on how He expects and will empower us to live in our world today?

God’s Little Helper

When our daughters were small they wanted to help me mow the yard.  I let them hold the inside of the handle of the mower while I held on to the outside.  When I stopped pushing the mower, they were able to budge it a bit, but when the mower did move a little, it went way off track.  When they got tired of that they went in the house and told mom they mowed the lawn.   Of course, we bragged on them to help build their confidence.

When I started into ministry, I too pushed or pulled whatever direction just to get movement when leading the church’s music and youth ministries.  And like my girl’s, I would also claim the choir (choirs used to be the major piece of a church music program) as ‘my choir’ and the youth as ‘my youth group’.  You know the game because that is how most of us commonly think and talk even though we are adults!

When God created humans, Genesis 1:28 (ESV) “God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”  The verb “subdue” here refers to God’s mandate for his servants to subdue His created species.  It is also used to describe Israel’s taking of the Promised Land, Canaan (Num. 32:22, 29; Josh. 18:1).

I have a hunch that since they “subdued” the Promised Land, they called it their land, not God’s!  Judges 3:1-2 adds an intriguing twist to this concept.  This passage essentially says God strategically left various nations in the land “to test Israel” and in order “to teach them” the art of warfare.  No matter what the people thought or felt was ‘due to their own life-giving efforts’, God was still the King and they were still His subjects.  He was simply permitting them to feel like they were doing the hard labor when all along He had all things under control and was empowering them—perhaps similar to what I was doing when I helped my daughters ‘mow the yard’.

God can get very touchy when someone usurps what is His.  Moses is a classic example in Numbers 20-11-12 when in the process of obeying God’s direction, projected too much of his humanity into what God and told him to do by drawing the people’s attention to himself.  God interpreted it taking the glory for himself and ‘not giving Him the glory’ that is rightfully His.  Moses paid dearly for what most would consider no big deal today.

I acknowledge that at times, like Moses, I can get so involved in accomplishing a mission God has put on my heart, or addressing a serious problem, that I too project too much of myself into the matter and fail to do or say things that glorify God.  Later I can even go so far as tell others how I addressed the matter instead of pointing out how the Holy Spirit was leading and intervening in the situation.  That would be no different than what my daughters did years ago, except they were innocently doing it as a child against their dad and I am doing it as an adult against God!  How about you?

Holy Spirit, please forgive and stop me and my friends when we are about to do something so foolish!  We don’t intend to usurp your Lordship!  Thank you for your patience with us in our process of becoming like you.  Teach us more of Your ways so we can live a life that always honors and glorifies you.

I don’t recall ever being the best when growing up.  Only after the more skilled were first picked did I get picked.  Obviously not everyone can be the best, so the fact is, the rest of us will end up farther down the line.  Like everyone else, that often made me feel bad but I came to accept that when God passed out skill sets, I wasn’t first in line.  Nevertheless, perhaps because of my personality I’ve always tried to try hard to do what I was capable of doing.

As life progressed, I’ve often wondered why God chose to use me in spite of the fact so many others were more gifted or skilled at music, leading youth, preaching or whatever else He assigned me to do.  This has perhaps never been more true than when elected to fulfill my current assignment, especially at my age!

A story in the Bible that touches on this issue and has intrigued me for decades is the one found in 2 Samuel 18:19-31.  The back story is King David’s son had become embittered against his father and successfully initiated a coup.  David took his family and loyal servants out of town as Absalom, his son, came into the capital city of Jerusalem.  David escaped into the neighboring country as a fugitive or refugee.  Absalom decided to go to chase down and kill his father, David.  An ugly battle ensued with many being killed, including Absalom.  Here was the intriguing part for me.  Joab, David’s army general, was told the game-changing news of Absalom’s death so his next step was to send a young man to run and tell David the news.

A young man Ahimaaz, had a reputation of being the fastest runner for such assignments.  Being a loyal subject of David, he was available to run and tell David the news.  In fact, he even offered to do so.  However, Joab essentially ignored his offer and chose a slower ‘runner’ to carry the news.

Imagine how Ahimaaz felt when his offer was ignored when he knew he was the best choice for this task!!  Now imagine how the unnamed young man felt who was chosen to bear the big news!!  Why me, right?  But my guess is that this young man ran as hard as he could with what would have meant in practice ‘the long, bloody battle is finally over’!  The crazy part of the story is, Ahimaaz pestered Joab so much about wanting to run, Joab finally told him to run and run he did!  In fact, he out ran the young man who had the big news!!

Here is my point.  Like Joab, God doesn’t always choose the most talented or best endowed.  Frankly, that has confused me.  But it has also given me a great deal of encouragement!  It is humbling for me to know others can and will do better than I yet I have the assignment.  I often wonder how those more gifted than I see or think of me when I perform below their standard.  What has encouraged and comforted me when I sense their strange looks or words is to know God has chosen me for reasons known only to Him.  I must accept and honor His choice by given Him my very best.  I’ve learned not being as skilled as others is not valid justification for refusing whatever God has called me or any other person to do.  So even if we aren’t the best, let’s give our best in whatever we are called to do.