Got Your “Strivers” License?

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    Whenever the “crusty” Commanding Officer would walk into the ready room on the aircraft carrier, one of my squadron mates would pick up his pile of paperwork and “look busy”.   The humorous part of this blatant act is that my friend fooled no one, including the CO.  

    If we are not careful, the same thing can occur as we “strive” to please our Lord.   We hear about this activity or that and think to ourselves, “I should do that”. 

 

We get an invitation to a conference, the opportunity to participate in a fundraiser, to travel for a missions trip, to read the latest Christian self-help book, make a promise to read “a chapter a day” of the Bible, all worthy actions, and yet can feel a twinge of guilt when we end up not living up to the standards we hold to ourselves.  

    We all know the strategy of the devil.  Scripture describes that he is there to “kill, steal and destroy” (John 10:10)   Our jobs, our marriages, our children, our peace and if “lucky” our lives.  Sad to say he can use the conventional church as an agent to enact his war plan.  Have you ever thought to yourself that unless you participate in every activity that is offered you just aren’t “good enough”, or worse, you fall under the disapproving gaze of the “super” Christians – you know the type - they are the ones who know just how to say the right things, act the right way and yet never reach out when they KNOW you are going through hard times?

    Get off the destructive moving sidewalk. 

 

• You ALREADY please God.  

• He made you in His image (Gen. 1: 27). 

• He called you and you answered (2 Tim. 1:9)! 

 

When you did that, He took up residence in you, He adopted you (Eph. 1:5, Rom. 8:17) and has ALREADY provided you “every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies” (Eph. 1:3).  Is it because you are good person, or do good things?  NO!  It is because YOU are united with Christ!

    Our Lord has gifted you with at least one and perhaps several spiritual gifts that are uniquely yours.  Those are your “sweet spots” and you want to use them for the betterment of the body.   Whether operating within the church universal or church organizational, your efforts are sacred to Christ and it is His gifts within you that He wants you to act on.  Stay in your lane and don’t feel guilty about not being involved in every project – that guilt is not from God even though it may be induced from the well-meaning.   

    Let your "striver’s license" expire and enjoy the life that Jesus has provided for you while He provides the good works for you to walk into (Eph. 2:10).  

 

 

 

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In Love,
Bro. Mike

Mike Bradberry

mb52@aol.com