Contending

Once you have been saved, you are in the fight of your life and it doesn't end until you are home with the Lord. Daunting? Sounds like it. Being a Christian, in my thinking, is not an easy thing - it's not supposed to be a bed of roses. Though there's a slight possibility that I could be mistaken, I believe that though our salvation has occurred - we will always be contending for it (Philippians 2:12) in the sense of becoming who we are destined and designed to be. 

Though satan has and continues to do everything he can to disrupt you becoming saved in the first place, that last thing he wants is for you to make a difference in your world so he attacks. Remember his description? John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8

   "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they

    may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it

    overflows]." [John]

   "Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times.

    That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely

    hungry], seeking someone to devour." [Peter]

I also appreciate the contrast John presents between satan and our Lord. From Jesus' own words, the contrast is stark: destruction versus abundance. And Peter provides the behavior we should and can display. Those verses are very descriptive of the nature and character and actual ability of our enemy - the key is 'like'. But please... remember he IS our enemy not just some comical cartoon.

Part of the devil's anger has to be based in the fact of what/how the Word speaks about us... and especially that we all have been given spiritual gifts. I don't think the vanity of the devil ever expected this. And thus we contend for who we are, what we are able to do, and how we are blessed. Just as the Lord knows our frame, so does the devil. And he uses our weak spots, our vulnerabilities against us. However, I think I have observed a pattern - satan always uses the same tactics and methods to distract or untrack us. He is not creative so as we grow we can disrupt his intentions (thought this is never an end to his machinations).

One of the wondrous realizations is when we not only know but act on the Word (our sword of the Spirit - Ephesians). When we are in trials, regardless of whether it came from our own bad decisions or satan, we have:

   "No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is

    not common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond

    human resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word—He is compassionate and

    trustworthy], and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist],

    but along with the temptation He [has in the past and is now and] will [always]

    provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it [without

    yielding, and will overcome temptation with joy]." [Philippians 4:13]

Do remember that satan can't be blamed for all the trials we encounter. We sometimes are our own worst enemy. We are the ones who fall for the temptations or seductions. We are the ones who accept the lies. And HOW do we combat this? [verse 14]

   "Therefore, my beloved, run [keep far, far away] from [any sort of] idolatry

    [and that includes loving anything more than God, or participating in anything

    that leads to sin and enslaves the soul]."

Hard? Of course, whoever said that our battles, temptations, seductions were simple and easily overcome? That's why we have our armor and are strengthened to stand, to contend. Remember though that the Word never asks us to do anything we can't. And satan has already been defeated but he will try and take as many of us as possible with him to the Lake of Fire. 

Bottom line is that we have been given everything we need to not only succeed but to thrive, to grow, to live an abundant life. But we also will need to be wise and contend against those forces that continually lie to us about who we are, what we can do, and Whose our Lord.

   "I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who

    strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in

    Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him

    who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]  [Philippians 4;13]

Successfully contending...You did see the word confident 'peace'? Also included. Yes and Amen.

Why, Why, Ohhhh Why?

This is another of my why, oh why's. I probably can write an entire book on 'Why's?'.

   "For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled and bewildered by

    them]. I do not practice what I want to do, but I am doing the very thing I

    hate [and yielding to my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity].

    Now if I habitually do what I do not want to do, [that means] I agree with the

    Law, confessing that it is good (morally excellent)." [Romans 7:15]

The Message Bible states it perfectly [Romans 7: 14-22]

   "I can anticipate the response that is coming: “I know that all God’s commands

    are spiritual, but I’m not. Isn’t this also your experience?” Yes. I’m full of

    myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What I don’t understand

    about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I

    absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself 

    and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary.

    But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if

    the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously

    need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do

    it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then

    I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions.

    Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every

    time.

    It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good,

    sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty 

    obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and

    just when I least expect it, they take charge."

Paul's 'confusion' about his plight definitely mirrors our own. To be totally frank - I am relieved that Paul wrote this because there are times that though I have no answer for my own behavior, at least I know that I'm not the only one that faces this fight. And 'fight' is an appropriate description because that's what is happening. Our enemy has once again somehow gotten a foothold into our lives and is attempting to seduce or tempt us. Until we reach our true home in heaven, we will always be in some skirmish.

However, the question is... is there an answer to this plight? Even if we know the problem, what can we do???

   "I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no

    one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?

    The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set   

    things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my

    heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally

    different." [Romans 7: 24-25 MSG]

Paul talks about the whole armor of God that is ours, thought WE have to put it on and then Paul gives his reasons for doing this:

   "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical

    opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world

    forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in

    the heavenly (supernatural) places. Therefore, put on the complete armor of

    God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in

    the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands],

    to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. So stand

    firm and hold your ground,..."   [Ephesians 2:12-14]

Though this will sound fanciful, I believe our ground is us - who we're becoming which is not what the devil wants. Can we be successful against the devil? Of course... though he tries to tell us he is more powerful and sometimes we buy into his lies. But the Lord tells us:

   "For though we walk in the flesh [as mortal men], we are not carrying on our

    [spiritual] warfare according to the flesh and using the weapons of man. The

    weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our

    weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are 

    destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that

    sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every

    thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ, being ready to punish

    every act of disobedience, when your own obedience [as a church] is

    complete." [2 Corinthians 10: 3-6]

Notice that our weapons are not carnal. The devil would like us to believe that, though he is invincible... he's not. And when in any war does the opponent tell us what weapons we can use?! Point being... if we are feeling why oh why we will buy into the lie that the devil can defeat us. We moan about doing what we do rather than focusing on what we CAN. 

What are we looking at? Ourselves? Our why's? Our enemy? Our Lord? From the feelings, from the thinking, from the temptations, from everything that is attempting to separate us from our source? The Lord is always with us. Turn to Him and tell Him what's happening - He already knows but wants us to seek Him so He can work with and for us to gain our victory! But please… never let how your feel or your frustrations stand in the way of overcoming. While my particular method of resolving this conundrum/dilemma may not be yours, I think I can say without hesitation that our path will be the same, the only path - Jesus.

Accountability

In my world of words and definitions, accountability fits into the same category as 'covenant' - little understood, rarely used. And, who's it for? What's it mean? What's it 'for' and 'Why"? So since I believe it is incredibly important, I'm going to share my definitions and thoughts as a counterpoint to what you may believe and think... and to start a conversation.

Accountability is primarily taking personal responsibility not only for one's own actions and words, but also for the 'fallout'/ramifications from those words and actions. "I didn't mean..." is quite beside the point. The 'how' is that you have a team or at least one person who you trust and that knows what you are doing. Typically this means that this is done prior to taking action But this is also a two-way street. As much as you have to trust another person and let someone(s) in to your life, they have to give you space and time to do this. Their biggest responsibility is to listen to you, to ask questions, to pray to seek the Lord on your behalf but also to share what they think and believe about what you're going to do. [See why I connect accountability and covenant?

One way to view 'accountability' is as a safety net. If you're the principal person then you have a partner (the Lord) and a team, that prays for you, who have your best interests at heart. And if you are part of the team, you have likeminded and concerned people with a one-accord mindset about the person they are supporting. Both the person and the team grow over time. Obviously, a great deal more goes into the activities of the person and team. 

Scripture has verses that speak to our accountability to God.

   "...We are servants of Christ, not His masters. We are guides into God’s divine

    secrets, not security guards posted to protect them. The requirements for a

    good guide are reliability and accurate knowledge. ... The Master makes that

    judgment." [1 Corinthians 4:1-4, MSG]

In one translation it says, "...it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy". Do appreciate that we are stewards of what we know - remember the parable about the talents. We ALL are accountable for what we know and how we steward that knowledge and understanding. Specifically, the 'audience' in these verses relates to teachers but I would argue that this relates to ALL of us about our accountability on what we do/say and Who is our judge. We are not a mistake, we are where we are for a purpose, we have been created for this time but it is always our decision what we do in our world. We are accountable. End of question.

The poet John Donne wrote that no man is an island. And no man is meant to be one. We are created to be a blessing to others. We are not to isolate ourselves but to recognize that we can't grow and continue to be effective if we never interact. And yet... it really isn't as simple as I am saying it. Acting accountable is crucial for promotion because it is a visible witness of who we are. We need to realize that much has been given to EVERY believer. We come just as we are but we don't stay there. And as we grow and mature and understand... we are accountable for our understanding and how we share. 

Appreciate

There's an old saying that goes: "You never appreciate what you have until you don't have it." True. I think I would add... do we really know and understand what that 'it' is? How can one appreciate unless one knows and how can knowing occur until we understand? And when does understanding come... Circular argument. However, that doesn't mitigate against the validity of the original saying.

Can we 'appreciate'? Do we even know how to express 'appreciate'? What IS appreciation?

Webster says: 

   "to grasp the nature, worth, quality, or significance of / to value or admire

    highly / to judge with heightened perception or understanding : be fully aware

    of / to recognize with gratitude"

Grasp, value, judge, fully aware, recognize: the nature, worth, quality, significance, admire, understanding, gratitude. All those words are in relation to the word - appreciation. I think that for me the most significant word is, gratitude. First you have to understand that in my world of definitions, appreciate, gratitude are action words - you demonstrate them. If it isn't expressed... how do we, others know we appreciate and value (fill in the blank). Do remember that your acknowledgement and expression is a visible witness.

While I won't tell you what your expression should be... I will tell you that we all need to express our gratitude and appreciation. No onw likes to have what they've done for you to pass unnoticed.  Specifically, look at how much the Lord has done for you... do others, does He see your expression?

   "We've all heard the word "gratitude." It is used to express thankfulness and

    praise. It refers to the quality of being thankful and a readiness to show

    appreciation for and to return kindness. Throughout life's trials and blessings,

    displaying a general attitude of gratitude distinguishes the Christian, but it also

    makes you a lovely person to be around!"

Actually that quote [countryliving.com] came from a secular site but do see the relevance. Many of the verses in the Bible use 'gratitude' 'thanks', and 'appreciate' interchangeably.

   "In every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and

    continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ

    Jesus. " [1 Thessalonians 5:18]

   "Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, take pleasure in Him]; again I will say,

    rejoice! Let your gentle spirit [your graciousness, unselfishness, mercy,

    tolerance, and patience] be known to all people. The Lord is near. Do not be

    anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and

    situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your

    [specific] requests known to God. And the peace of God [that peace which

    reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that

    peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is

    yours]...

    for I have learned to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied

    to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my

    circumstances. ...

    I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who 

    strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in

    Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him

    who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace." 

    [Philippians 4: 4-7,11, 13] 

I can list more scriptures but this gives us our understanding. It not only tells us what to do, how to do it and the results (blessings) that results. The delight that I found, when I do speak/act on words of gratitude/thanks/appreciation, is that it is I who am blessed because I see the growth in me as one of my results.

Longing...

Have you ever longed for something so intently that it seemed to pour out of every pour in your body? The only problem was you couldn't identify what you were longing for... Has this every described how you feel/felt? I have. Please... never put down those feelings when you experience them. They will be heard and if nothing else, you can control the volume and scope of their expression.

Before I was saved, when I was a churched person though, I felt those longings, many times. Did not know what it was and am sure I wouldn't have known where to look. Very frustrating, but even more painful. You try to push on, to push down, to push through but are only marginally successful. What DO you do? In my case, I did try and discover if there was anything in my view (there wasn't) to resolve these feelings and I even tried a few to see if the feeling would subside - and no, it wasn't sex, booze, or drugs. Primarily it was activities, doing things with others because I somehow felt people were involved in this nameless and aimless quest. I was partially right and totally wrong.

It wasn't fame, or fortune, or even the esteem of others. It wasn't accolades or

accomplishments - all of that was 'nice' but not  the answer.  Personally, I kinda gave up and just endured the feelings and tried desperately to not let them have a voice or infect what I was doing. Marginally successful. Don't misunderstand, longing isn't a bad thing. but without a focus, an understanding - without knowing what it is you are seeking let alone where - there's little you can do. The point is that nothing works, nothing eases the sense of longing. However, once you are saved the light dawns... at least it did for me. 

It isn't a 'what' you seek, it's a Who. I had heard that we all are created with a little hole in us that can only be filled by God. I came to believe this through my own experience. The totally fascinating thing is the song, "Just as I am" is true. We can come with all our gifts, talents, and junk. You are asked to believe, to make Jesus your Lord. That's the entrance, the only entrance. We have only 2 commands: to Love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, minds and our neighbors as ourselves. [Acts 4:12, Matthew 22:37-40] 

Don't expect that accepting the Lord means a free ride. There will still be down days or mistakes/sins you commit that need repenting and a host of other problems, issues, etc. When/if you have feelings of longing that seem answer-less (actually you do have The answer); and if you knew the answer... wouldn't you pursue it until it expressed itself as your answer? Of course. So when you find yourself in these times remember the Lord is always with you. He said He'd never leave and He won't. He is faithful when we are not. [Hebrews 13:5] And He always wants the best for us. Why? Because He loves and cares for us unconditionally - without exception, hesitation, or question when we turn to Him and accept His gift of salvation and an unparalleled future.

Longing... the lack of satisfaction and all the other attendant emotions and thoughts are not unusual for those who haven't accepted Jesus as Lord. And the remedy is so very simple - no litmus test, no 'cleaning up your act', no hoops or hurdles to accomplish. It's really quite simple - accept the free gift of salvation. But then.... hold on, you are in for an amazing, endless journey of discovery about everything!

Exceptional

Being exceptional has absolutely nothing to do with what surrounds you and everything to do with what’s in you. I think it starts with your character and how you express you. But are you aware of what you do? Do you express your uniqueness... especially as how it defines your exceptional-ness? 

To expound a bit on this. ‘Surrounds you’ is defined in my world by status, accomplishments, fame (even the in-famous), fortune, exterior to the person though perhaps supported or initiated from within. Not unimportant, just not as important. ‘In you’ are those intrinsic demonstrations of your character, who you are, how you go about being you, and your why. In other words - the most important parts of you... at your core. All the rest emanates from the core. It's the external evidence.

Remember the old admonition that you can fool some of the people, some of the times... etc.? Why bother putting up a façade when the reality is so much better and you don't have to worry about maintaining the same persona with the right person. You do realize that you're not in competition with someone else - yes? You're not trying ‘to be better’ than someone else. If you are comparing then it should be against yourself. God has given each of us our measure of faith, the gift(s) He wants for us and placed us perfectly in the body according to what He has decided - and that's truly the best. I dare to suggest that if, after you've been saved, you are focused only on you, that you've missed the point (Jesus) and exceptional will never be who you  become.

Yes, 'exceptional' is spoken of in the scriptures... but not often - 5 times. You read it in 3 places in the Old Testament and 2 in the New, at least according to:

https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/ but that doesn't make the word unimportant. The simplest definition is that exceptional is beyond average. Then again... who wants to be 'average'? (Remember that 'average' is an external determination - if you are doing all that you can, it can never be defined as 'average'.) With a bit more attentiveness and effort, can't we turn our 'average' to 'exceptional'?

13 years ago I wrote a blog post that made it into one of my books that was called - Be Extraordinary. 

   "Never forget that if you try for extraordinary and don't make it, where you

    arrive is going to be definitely higher than 'ordinary'. Don't misunderstand,

   'ordinary' isn't 'bad' unless it's less than what you are capable of accomplishing.

    Even in a limiting situation you are in control of what you learn, what you

    discover, how you refine what you do and how you can do it. Others can

    attempt to limit you but only you can decide to accept that limitation. 

   In the last analysis, you are the only one who can determine if your effort is

   extraordinary or not because you are the definer of the word. But extraordinary

   is something that is exhilarating when you do attain it. It is a defining

   moment."

Remember that the only one that defines extraordinary, exceptional is you because only you know who you are and whose you are and what you can do. On your own... never, but in partnership with the Lord... everything. And that's truly the point - partnership. For some they never realize that partnership is available and never achieve their goal. But for those who realize that everything is always enhanced with the help of the Lord do achieve... exceptional.

Listen to what you say...

Do you? Do you listen to what you say (and how you say it)? For a moment, can you put yourself in the position of being the hearer - how the hearer would hear what you are saying? Are you lucid? Are you relevant? Are you only speaking to hear yourself speak? What are you saying... and why? No this doesn't require you to censor yourself nor is it asking that you obsess about this - merely, do you listen to what your saying and discover how you would respond to you? 

These are not frivolous questions. If you want to be an effective communicator, if you want your message to be heard - then you need to know what it is that you are saying and be alert to the clues about how others are receiving and understanding what you said! Is the message the focus or the speaker or the  recipients? Too often it isn't the message that is spoken or heard.  

I know I've written on this before and focused, especially, on the scripture that tells us we will be held accountable for every idle word we speak. It's the 'idle' that's important. And it is we who should judge ourselves as to not only what we are saying but why.  Personally, I join the group who are terrible at 'party chatter' primarily because I think it's a waste. But don't quickly judge what you hear as only 'chatter'. This brings us to the focus - Listen.

This brought me to the question of whether 'listen' is defined in scripture. It is and it begins in Deuteronomy. I do believe that the word is defined in terms of the effect when we do listen.

   "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one [the only God]! You shall

    love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and with all your soul and

    with all your strength [your entire being]. These words, which I am

    commanding you today, shall be [written] on your heart and mind. You shall

    teach them diligently to your children [impressing God’s precepts on their

    minds and penetrating their hearts with His truths] and shall speak of them

    when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie

    down and when you get up." [6:4-7]

In it's simplest understanding, 'listen' and 'hear' are related. But listen goes far beyond just hearing - often it's an impetus to action. In these verses it talks about what and how to listen; they evoke a responsibility and an attentiveness. God's words to His people which tell us what to do, the reason we are doing it, and our attitudes toward it. My question is - is this our basis to judge the words that come out of our mouths? Should we be as intentional?

Yet none of that is censorship or even obsession... it's intentional. Can we do this? Does the Lord expect us to because if He does then we can. Perhaps the last question relates to our attitude toward the message. Is the message important? If it is, then the message is designed to bring knowledge and understanding and to initiate a response. Does it? Does it provide sufficient information to make a reasoned decision?

I believe it is in the presentation. How you go about presenting that has an important impact. Simple example: when you are presenting, do you allow for/encourage the questions from your audience? Is your presentation formal or more relaxed? Do you tailor how you speak to your audience and/or the context of the message?

Again... back to your priorities and attitudes about your focus - speaking or understanding. You can only present the truth as you see and understand it. Is this your rep? If it is then others do pay attention when you speak. One of your greatest assets is... do you listen to what you say???