Our Best Life, Step 2: Direction

Previously (link), we found this working definition of a person’s “Best Life”:

              A long, fulfilling life characterized by health and well-being.

We also discovered that God has given us a clearly defined path to a life that meets this description.  King Solomon addressed this in the proverbs he wrote for his sons.  These wisdom sayings would lead his children to the “Best Life” they desired, but only if the steps were applied:

Proverbs 3:1-2
My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commands;
for they will bring you many days, a full life, and well-being.

King Solomon’s Best Life teaching involves both Do’s and Don’ts…sometimes within the same teaching, in order to provide contrast.  His first step involved our reputation (link).  His second step looks at how we can make sure our lives are heading in the right direction.

Before we look at the next two verses, we need to remind ourselves of a trap that’s easy to fall into whenever we study God’s Word.  When we read something that is familiar, our immediate tendency is to think, “Oh yeah, that.  I already know this one.”  When this attitude slips in, we block ourselves from learning anything new or we stop ourselves from discovering new ways to apply familiar truths.  So, we need to check ourselves and ask:

Am I ready to hear a word from God and think about the ways it can be applied in my life?

If the answer is “No”, then I appreciate your honesty…but you need to talk your attitude over with God before reading on.  The rest of this blog will mean nothing if you’re stuck in the I-already-know-this-stuff mindset.

If the answer is “Yes”, and you’re open to hearing Step 2 of Solomon’s Best Life teaching, then read these verses, looking for how God says He’ll provide direction in our lives:

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;
in all your ways know Him, and He will make your paths straight.

This was the first verse my mom had me memorize when I was a kid…and yet, it is exactly what I need to hear and apply in my life right now.  It would be easy to blow by these verses, but the promise at the end of verse six is what grabs my attention: He will make your paths straight. 

The Hebrew word for straight means to be made level, to be laid smoothly out.  With all the chaos and uncertainty in this world, how comforting would it be if your path forward was laid out straight and level before you?  How big of an advantage would you have if you knew, 100%, without-a-doubt that you were on the path that God wanted you to be on? 

Maybe that’s why we struggle with direction for our lives…we’re not fully trusting God with what He’ll say is our life’s direction.  The verse is pretty specific, there’s no wiggle room here: in all your ways know Him.  Not some of your ways.  Not most of your ways.  Not every way except this one hard part of my life.  We are to invite God into all our ways.

What parts of our lives are we keeping to ourselves?  Why do we do that?  Because we’re embarrassed?  Because we think God is too busy?  Or that the impact of our life is “too small” of a matter?

I think we forget that the first descriptive name the prophet Isaiah foretold for Jesus was Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6).  Do we approach God regularly for His counsel, in all areas of our lives…or do we call out to Him only for the crisis at the moment? 

That’s a tough question, but let’s make it practical: Get specific about the parts of your life you haven’t invited Him in to yet.  Let’s think about this: He’s the expert in all careers.  He’s the one who invented marriage and parenting.  That hobby you enjoy is one He loves, too.  Like working with dogs?  He created them.  Is outer space intriguing to you?  He knows what’s out there.  Have a struggle you can’t solve on your own?  He’s ready to go through it with you.

Know Him in all your ways means you need to know Him in ALL your ways.

Invite Him in.  Ask for His guidance.  Trust Him to give good counsel.  And then walk the straight, level path in the direction He sends you.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Is our worship ignorant?

When we get together at our church locations, do we know why “we do what we do”?  Seems like most, if not all, churches have the same basic steps in a worship service: songs, announcements, a sermon/talk, prayer.  Do we do these things – and typically in the same order each time – just because it’s tradition or is there some other reason?

The Greek word for worship (proskyneo) means to “pay homage or show reverence to someone”.  That would be a pretty open-end definition, if it is all we knew about “worshipping” God.  So, is there a “right way” to worship God – or at least a “better way” of doing it?

During their conversation at the well, the Samaritan woman presented Jesus with the biggest hot-button culture question of her day – and it was about worshipping God.  The Jews and Samaritans took the topic so seriously, that over the centuries, people had even died over it.  While we could brush off their dispute as something that was an issue long ago, Jesus’ answer raises a few questions for us, as well.

John 4:19-20
“Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that you are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain [Mt. Gerizim], but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”

As we saw last time, Jesus didn’t choose between her Option A or Option B, instead Jesus chose “neither”:

John 4:21-24
Jesus told her, “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain [Mt. Gerizim] nor in Jerusalem.  You Samaritans worship what you do not know.  We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews.  But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth.  Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him.  God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”

Jesus said the Samaritans worship what [they] do not know or fully understand.  Earlier in their conversation, Jesus point out that she didn’t know the gift of God (John 4:10).  From what Jesus has said, we can see that it is possible for people worship God in religious ignorance.  But why would they do that?

The Samaritans worshipped in ignorance because they acknowledged no prophet after Moses – other than the one spoken of in Deuteronomy 18:18, and they regarded that yet-to-arrive person as the Messiah.  Because of this, they rejected the rest of the Old Testament and had mixed in pagan concepts with their faith.  They stunted their ability to worship and know God fully because they cut themselves off from God’s Word.

In contrast, the Jews accepted all of God’s revelation in the Old Testament, therefore, they “knew” the God whom they worshipped.  What the Jews knew, however, became something all too familiar.  By the time Jesus arrived on the scene, the Jewish worship of God was outwardly religious and extremely formulaic.  Instead of looking to walk with God, the first century religious leaders were much more interested in enforcing “perfect living” according to the 600+ laws of the Old Testament as well as following all Jewish religious traditions.  They would rather debate the fine details of the law, instead of taking action to help their fellow Jew.  Jesus routinely called them out for such behavior.  Even though they knew God’s Law and could recite it line-by-line, they still doubted that Jesus was the promised Messiah.  In their familiarity, they began to focus on themselves rather than God.

Thinking about the times your church family gathers together to worship God or when you worship God on your own:

·       Do you know the God you worship? 
·       Have you looked for God in all His revealed Scriptures, or are you ignoring some parts?
·       If you do know Him, has your worship become stale or formulaic? 
·       Are you just going through the Sunday morning motions, because that’s what your family is expected to do on Sunday morning?

Think about your answers.  Talk to God about your answers.  It’s ok to wrestle with any thoughts or feelings that come up.  If you need help processing, ask a mature believer.  And next time, we’ll look at what Jesus said our worship should look like.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Familiar

There are times when familiarity is a good thing.  Strength, comfort, and rest are found in safe, familiar places. 

The same can be said for familiar passages of Scripture.  There are verses and promises we rest on when life takes a detour.  However, there is also the potential that the familiar passages are simply comforting because they are well-known, instead of pointing us back toward God Himself.

A perfect example of this is Psalm 23.  Most Christians, especially those of us raised in the church, can rattle off at least the opening verse with ease:

Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

If you’re used to the King James Version, the New American Standard Bible, or the New International Version ’84, then these words are very familiar.  I’ve realized in this past week, that for me…they’re too familiar.

This week, I’ve focused on reading Psalm 23, but in the Holman Christian Standard Bible translation.  It’s a modern translation which does a good job of balancing the words of the original Scripture language and the author’s intended meaning of the original words.  The new-to-me phrasing of this familiar psalm has been a great stimulus for me to think about my relationship with God.

Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters. 

He renews my life;
He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake.
Even when I go through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff – they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.

When you look up the original Hebrew text, the HCSB translation is true to the author’s chosen words.  Did you notice the phrases that are different from the older, familiar translations? 

Take some time to think through these new-to-you words and concepts.  As you meditate on this psalm, allow the words to deepen your relationship with God.

Keep Pressing,
Ken