by David Brenneman
Am reading in the book of Job...have gotten to my second most favorite part. The part where Elihu, the youngest of Job's friends, speaks up.
It's worth noting that of all who purported to speak wisdom to Job, only Elihu did not get rebuked by Jesus.
Elihu indeed was wiser than those older than himself. He was different from the rest and understood that came from his relationship with the Lord.
Joseph, in his life of wanderings thanks to his own family, learned to be different. The Bible says that the Lord was with him.
David, we read, was a man after God's own heart. Obviously the Lord was with him. We can quite easily see that his life was much different than King Saul.
Samuel was set apart from before he was born to be different. His life of dedication to his Lord was evident even unto death.
We live in this so called marvel of a world that wants conformity unto itself. To have people believe that this person or that owes them, which is why they haven't achieved success or prosperity. To have people believe that there is no God, that it's you against the world in fighting for what you want to be or to do in life. This world promotes self. Self-love, self-centered living and everything that goes with it. Trying to even deceive the elect of God into living the same. To water down Christianity into a tame, if not neutered, version that can be brushed aside.
Being in Christ is to be different! What the Spirit of God does with an obedient soul is beyond conventional wisdom. It's a path and a life that goes beyond any worldly wisdom that can be conceived or understood.
We ought to be intentional in our days.
Intentional in our time with Jesus in prayer.
Intentional in our study of His Word.
Intentional in our thoughts with Jesus.
Intentional in our desires to become what He desires in our lives.
Intentional in every way that the Spirit directs us to live.
Would you describe your life as intentional towards Christian living? Not merely those one or two times of stepping into a church building. Not just those possible times you might prayer before eating.
Are you pressing your agenda for living life instead of what the Spirit has in mind for you to be doing?
Are you making rash decisions, rash statements of what you will or won't do and are not realizing that you've said these thing to God?
We are told in advance that the god of this world is going to have a huge problem with our coming to Christ for salvation.
Many, without realizing it, are trying to broker a truce with him in order to live a full life that they want rather than the full life that God wants and desires for them.
Many, try to live life as close to the line of sin as they can experience and think they won't cross over.
Many, try to persist in their choices for living and would even betray a relationship that God brought together. Again, choosing self over the desires of God for them. Impatience is not a good virtue.
Would anyone looking at your life see that something different is present that could only be explained by a relationship with Jesus? Would they hear you speak and know that you have been with God?
Or would they hear bitterness or even a spirit of a quitter in you? Giving up on the life that God's provided for you because it's path is uncertain to you? That you don't want to give up on what you have, believing that it won't come again?
In Romans Paul spoke of living a transformed life. Romans 12 to be more precise. The early Church spent much time in prayer and dedication to the reading of the Bible as they had it. Consider it well that until they received copies of Paul's letters or what was written by others such as John and Peter, their Bible was the Old Testament. Some, even though what was taught to them came from the Apostles, wouldn't receive their words as true without confirming it to the Word of God.
Our world teaches, by way of example, blind trust. Public schools teach millions to just believe what is taught. Society wants people that are controllable. Critical thinking is a rarity these days. Satan doesn't want people that will stop and think. Certainly doesn't want people thinking at any length or on any level about the truths of God's word.
You eat because your body needs nourishment. What are you feeding your spirit? What are you feeding your soul?
Are you at all concerned about healthy spiritual living?
It's painful to hear of people giving up so easily on a relationship that God brought together all because of family history on how those before them had. That it must be their lot in life. Really? Should we be mourning because the God of the Bible must be dead or so preoccupied with running the universe to work in your life or the life of those in our lives?
It's equally painful to know of people who don't see their own lives as demanding God giving them what they want.
Has God changed? Has He stopped His work in you? Has He ever stopped being who the Bible says that He is? Has He ever stopped being faithful? Has He ever stopped being right and true? Has He ever not been who He was when you first came to Christ for salvation?
Our lives in Christ are meant to be different. We aren't to repeat what others have done before us in failing to live for Jesus as the Spirit has established.
If you're struggling with stubbornness...stop. If you're not listening to God...stop.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart And lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
You will never be satisfied with your ideas of satisfaction. God is not dead that we should ever live a moment thinking of self as more important.
We are meant to live lives in Christ Jesus in such a way that people see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven. Period. We are supposed to be different on purpose.
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