Spiritual Warfare

Sometimes as I slog through my daily tasks and challenges, I don’t always notice my emotional state until I am on the verge of an explosion or meltdown.

And then I wonder. How did I get to this point? And why am I getting so worked up?

There’s no easy answer to these questions. But as I wrestle with resentment, frustration and anger with my current situation caring for a handicapped niece, I realize that sometimes my feelings are intensified by spiritual attack. Trying to do everything in my own strength, I open myself up to the snares of the devil.

This thought isn’t something that fits with our materialistic culture with its pride in scientific knowledge and achievements. But that doesn’t make it any less true.

The Bible tells us plainly to be on guard, alert for the attacks of Satan. To put on all of God’s armor. And to pray continually.
Much easier said than done.

When I get drawn into a battle of wills with my niece, I am not keeping an eye out for the approach of the enemy. When I am planning my day, I don’t think about putting on God’s armor. And when I am exhausted emotionally and physically, prayer is not the first thing I want to do.

So keeping my own limitations in mind, I need to be smarter about waging the spiritual war.

Before I get caught up in the cares of the day, I need to spend time in prayer and in His Work, so that I put on my armor. As I go through the day, I need to practice the habit of praying continuously.

I also need to follow the example of Daniel. He didn’t spend his time in prayer talking about the devil. He spent his time praying for God to be at work in His people.

That is the key to successful spiritual warfare: God fights the battle. We just need to walk closely with Him, whether times are good or bad, smooth or rocky, near to Him to let Him protect us and defend us.

And no matter what, to keep standing. For we know that in the end, we have the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

A Spiritual Growth Plan

Sometimes I think I drive my husband crazy. That’s because I’m always thinking down the road, making plans for the next meal, the next weekend, the next vacation. He thinks I worry too much about the future.

Maybe he’s right. But there is a need for planning in our lives, including our spiritual lives. After all, as the famous quotation goes, those who fail to plan, plan to fail.

For many, the idea of a spiritual growth plan might seem a bit over the top, too fanatical. Is it?

If we are called into relationship with Christ, to grow closer to God in ever-deepening fellowship with Him, then if follows that we need to be making serious, disciplined, and regular efforts to do so.

We know that any close relationship takes time and work, so why would our relationship with God be any different?

I’ve heard many people say they just don’t want to get that involved with their faith, that they are satisfied with the faith they have. But that is kind of like going over to someone’s house and staying in the foyer. Or worse, refusing to go farther than the front porch. What would your neighbors think if they invited you to dinner and you did that? What does God think of us when we don’t bother to seek to know Him more?

God didn’t intend for us to remain spiritual babies; it’s clear we need to keep growing and maturing. The spiritual growth plan outlined in this week’s reading is a good place to start.

The problem with kind of exercise is that it’s easy to get excited and all motivated and come up with a long list of goals. Then a few weeks, days or hours later reality sets in. I’ve written many a plan only to realize while it would be great to achieve all those goals, it’s not going to happen.

The first time I did the Spiritual Growth Plan in DbD, I was overwhelmed by it. So what I do now is to write my plans is list all my goals. Then I pick 3 to start with. Then I try to consider the rest “nice to do” and focus on the others. If I have success with those I started with, then I can add another.

The plan is just a plan, to keep me moving forward, not a taskmaster to rule my life. God may have other plans for me, and I need to leave some room for those.

Finding Your Place in Ministry

Ever since my life changed so dramatically in July, I’ve thought many times about what God’s plan in all this is. I certainly didn’t plan on taking in my handicapped niece and spending my days caring for her.

Suddenly my husband and I, who were reveling in being empty nesters and discussing other ministry opportunities, had a ministry of another kind dropped on our laps.

Over and over the last few weeks, the Scriptures in the DbD material drive home the point that God created us for service, that His plan is for us to be doing good works, that we are to bear fruit for His kingdom.

But how do we find our place in ministry? While sometimes we are given a ministry, at other times we need to seek on out.

A good place to start is by thinking about our natural abilities and our spiritual gifts. “What am I good at?” is a natural first question. “What do I like to do?” is another good question.

Then we can think about our own unique experiences and education that will have prepared us for a particular ministry.

I think back in my own life. In college, I was a Child Development/Child Care major. I never worked in that field, since I went on and got a master’s degree in hospital administration. But I am using everything I remember from that child development degree in dealing with my niece. That training gave me many of the tools I need to manage her behavior, and also gave me enough knowledge of how the mental health system works to know what questions to ask. God knew 30 years ago that this degree would come in handy.

So it is with any experience we have had. It may seem completely random, but months or years later will be used by God in service somehow, somewhere.

Having said all that, I think the key is to not spend too much time trying to come up with the perfect ministry that will be fulfilling, enjoyable and bear much fruit. If you don’t start serving until you find that perfect opportunity, you probably never will.

The key is to find something that you can commit to for a few months, and give it a try. Just get out and start serving someplace. It may not seem like a glamorous ministry (like washing pots) or one that uses all your gifts. But try something, get started.

You may find that the ministry you tried is not for you. But that ministry could lead you to another that you never would have considered which turns out to be the one you were searching for.

Once you are in motion, God will lead you and use you. I know, because He’s done that for me.

Exploring Your Spiritual Gifts

Years ago a preacher started a church in a drive in movie theater. People literally drove in, watched the service from their cars, and drove off. One man spoke of how great it was for his wife, who was unable to walk. “This way she doesn’t have to get out of the car, she doesn’t have anyone looking at her. If she doesn’t feel like putting on makeup, it doesn’t matter, because no one sees us.”

I can’t help but feel that while I’m glad they feel attending church is important, they are missing something important.

They are missing the opportunity to allow another member of the body of Christ to serve them, by helping his wife to get from her car to a pew.

They are missing the chance to encourage someone else dealing with a disability, to teach that person that life can be full and rich.

And church isn’t just about showing up. It’s about the body of Christ coming together, to worship together, to be in fellowship, and where one is weak, another is strong.

Our scripture this week talks about the various parts of the body in service to each other. Not everyone is an eye. Not everyone is an ear, and for good reason. We need each other to accomplish all that God has for us to do.

And what is that?

God created us to do good works. To help us do them, He has given us different gifts.

These gifts are meant not to be hoarded, but used in service of others. The Bible gives many reasons: to build others up, to teach the truth, to bring other to maturity, to draw closer to God.

Somehow the idea of being in service makes people nervous. It sounds a bit like some horrible tedious work. Some people even have the idea the more suffering involved, the more God is pleased.

I don’t think so.

The apostle Paul was clearly using his gifts in his teaching, preaching, and evangelism. While he suffered greatly during the course of his ministry, he “counted it all joy.”

So why would it be different for us? If we are using the gifts God gives us, then we will be able to rejoice in our service.

One thing is clear: God expects us to be serving, faithfully using the gifts He gave us for the common good. The first step is just to get involved with some ministry that sounds interesting or you think you’d enjoy, and see where that goes.

When I went to Russia as a missionary, I thought I’d build relationships with doctors through the medical supplies and equipment I brought, or through the knowledge I was bringing.

I didn’t turn out that way.

God used a different gift to bridge the gap. My ability to make chocolate chip cookies (which became known as “Evelyn cookies” and to prepare Mexican food, including tortillas from scratch, provided a way to spend time with many doctors and to have many conversations of a spiritual nature.

I didn’t value my gifts in the area of hospitality, but that’s just what God used.

He values the gifts He has given us. It’s up to us to use them for His service.

Practical Faith Sharing

I shoved my bag into the overhead and collapsed into seat 9B. Having been travelling for much of the last 24 hours, I was exhausted and just wanted to be left alone. Hopefully the rest of the occupants of row 9 would feel the same way.

It wasn’t to be. One of them wanted to chat. I answered her questions politely but briefly and closed my eyes.

Not too long after I heard a sermon on being always ready to give an account of the hope we have in us, that we should never miss an opportunity, as who knows if that person will die the next day.

Racked with guilt, I tried to determine: what really is our call regarding evangelism? Am I really to take every chance encounter as an opportunity to share my testimony, explain the gospel, and win another soul?

Reading the scripture gives the clear direction to be a witness everywhere. But what is a witness?

A witness is simply someone who tells what they have seen, heard, or learned. Notice we are not called to be persuaders, confronters, or bull dozers. Just witnesses.

Think about how you talk about anything you find interesting: the success of the Cardinals, news of an asteroid passing by the earth, or a revolt in the Middle East. You share some information, maybe give your opinion, and if no one is interested, move on to another topic.

Or if you are joining a conversation, you make your contribution, listen respectfully to different opinions, and don’t push others to agree with you.

There may be a time with a specific person we might need to confront them or push them to consider the claims of Christ, but in most cases, it seems to me, we are simply to be witnesses.

It takes great humility to discuss something very important to us, knowing we could be met with scorn and mockery, often with great wit. But we still need to bear witness.

When I was a missionary in Russia, I was soundly criticized by a fellow missionary for having struck up a friendship with a doctor who performed abortions. “She has blood on her hands,” I was told, “and you shouldn’t be spending time with her.”

I ignored that advice, and continued with my friendship. I wasn’t about to abandon this woman who was seeking God, just because she hadn’t accepted Christ by our third meeting. I didn’t think my call was to rack up big numbers of converts.

Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. Here was someone who was lost who wanted to be found, who had some big issues to deal with. In Russia, doctors do not have the right to refuse to do certain procedures for reasons of conscience. Her choice was quit her profession or do the work assigned to her to do.

For four years I prayed for that doctor, listened to her talk of her shame, and encouraged her as she did her best to talk women out of the abortion they came to her to receive. There are many alive today because of her. Best of all, she had the courage to change jobs several times until she found a place where she did not ever have to perform another abortion. “I feel like a great rock has rolled off of my soul,” she told me. By meeting her where she was, and talking about the needs she had, she was much more willing to listen to me talk of how God can meet those needs.

Many people see evangelism as simply giving their testimony and presenting the gospel. But I think it begins a little differently. When someone shares a need, I can at least offer to pray for them. Or share a time when God helped me through a similar situation. Just bearing witness of what God has done for me and what He can do for them.

One of my favorite quotes is “preach the gospel always, and if necessary, use words.” Our culture is so jaded on the topic of Christianity that our words or appeals to the authority of scripture fall on deaf ears. Our actions and willingness to listen get us a hearing for the gospel that meets the needs many don’t even know that they have.

Interacting with our Culture

How are we as Christians to deal with the differences between God’s Word and the wisdom of our culture?

Good question.

Especially because the “wisdom” of the world is so often contrary to what the Bible teaches. It also comes backed up with “scientific” studies and an onslaught of public opinion.

And since we live in culture, it’s hard to know which influence is shaping our thinking more: the word of God or the words of our culture. This is one more reason to study the Bible and know well what it says.

I saw this worked out many times while I was a missionary in Russia. Many of the practices of worship or church organization that were being taught by missionaries were American in nature; many of the values promoted were more American than Christian. We were dealing with three cultures: Russian, American, and Christian. The challenge was to avoid teaching American culture as if it were Christian, to not favor one particular way of doing things because of our own cultural biases.

One bias in our culture is that of prosperity or materialism. We value hard work and success and the things that money can buy. Many of the cultural “hot potatoes” that our reading for the week covers have roots in materialism or the love of money, or as Paul wrote to the Philippians, “their god is their stomach.” We need to watch for how the influence of our culture that drives us to seek comfort and convenience affects our judgment.

Engaging with our own culture can be tricky and a bit scary at times. Standing up for values promoted in Scripture can result in family quarrels or scorn of coworkers. This should be no surprise, as Jesus told us that if the world hates us, it’s because it hated Him first.

Our reading tells us to interact with our culture but not accommodate it. Sounds good, but how does this play out in practice?

I have a friend who recently visited a church in which a lesbian couple sang during the service. This church takes the position that all are welcome, so that the church can extend the love of Christ to all. Eventually they will deal with the sin in people’s lives.

This raises an interesting and challenging question. How much do we tolerate in order to avoid pushing people away, to not offend them, so that they will stick around long enough to hear the Gospel of grace? But where is the line between tolerating a certain behavior and accepting it?

As we engage with our culture, we need to be ready to be more than critics. We need to be ready to offer some positive solutions. God is looking for us to be concerned with more than our own personal salvation. What He wants us to be is living sacrifices, not adapted to this world, living models of Christ on earth, putting their hope in Him.

Leadership and Followership

“Leadership is like the Abominable Snowman, whose footprints are everywhere but [he is] nowhere to be found.” (1)

I hear a lot about a lack of leadership, or poor leadership, or dysfunctional leadership. And these complaints are not just about politicians or bosses, but often about leaders in the church.

Unfortunately, often the complaints are justified.

We are told to consider our leaders, to consider the fruit of their lives and imitate their faith. While we all sin and fall short of God’s glory, if a leader’s life is bearing good fruit, then that’s a leader worth following. If not, maybe it’s time to look for another leader.

But instead of looking at those around me and pointing out others’ deficiencies , I realize that I need to spend some time following Jesus’ advice to take the log out of my own eye before worrying about the speck in someone else’s.

Whatever role I am in, whether leader or follower, the question remains: Am I doing this God’s way?

The reading this week was terribly convicting.

Do I really believe that my power as a leader comes from prayer? Or how much do I rely on my own talent?

Do I let my vision for what I am trying to achieve be cramped by my own fears and doubts, or I concentrate on the vastness and glory and might of the God I serve?

If my personal devotions are not what they should be, I won’t be praying or seeing the vision. And going through the motions isn’t good enough.

Am I letting the Holy Spirit guide me?

Do I have the faith to go against the majority opinion when God calls me to do so?

And do I recognize that I am expendable, and should be developing others to become greater leaders than I?

And what about when I am not in a leadership role? What am I doing to support those who are leading, to be a good follower? What I am doing to encourage, to support, to co-operate?

If I don’t think those I am following are leading well, maybe it’s because I am judging them by some other standard than God’s. Or maybe I am not being a good follower. Or maybe I need to do what I can to help the situation, starting by spending a lot of time in prayer.

Then maybe this elusive thing called leadership will be more easily found.

(1) Warren Bennis, quoted by R. Kent Hughes, in Disciplines of a Godly Life, Crossway Books, 1991.