Beginning Your Day

Beginning Your Day

by David Brenneman 

This morning I woke up from a mostly sound sleep.  Am I ready to face the day?  I get going on my daily pre-work routine. Get to the kitchen and get the coffee started. Go and get dressed for today's events.  Events? Well, God's always already here before you and I ever see what today's got going on.  

Jesus said "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34.

My mind of late is mostly at peace. I do often consider where my career is going.  What it is that God's got in mind for me next. There is always a next in terms of life.  

Being idle about growing in Christ bothers me more in the last 10 years or so more than it has before then.  The passage where Jesus stated definitively that He MUST be about His Father's business.  That His Father was working until then and He Himself is also working.  We also read that we're to be ready for we know not when that hour Jesus will be coming back.  To be active in the calling for which He, through the Spirit, called you to be.  To be diligent to be found by Him doing the work He gave us to be doing. 

When you look at your life, are you following that example of Jesus Christ?  

Are there things that the Disciples would have rather been doing?  If there were, nothing had been written save the comment of one "Where can we go? You have the words of life".

Are there things that I might want to do?  Yes.  The true first question is are those things going to help me with the calling for which I have been called in Christ?  The Disciples were still able to go and do what their father's taught them.  Read the account after the crucifixion.  They went fishing as they had before leaving it all to follow Jesus. 

‭‭“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.  Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more.  But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. “Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’  “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’   “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’  “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.  Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.  Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'" Matthew‬ ‭25:14‭-‬30‬

When we come to Christ, there's things entrusted to us to use for the Kingdom of God.  We were given a path to walk that would glorify our Father in Heaven if we would walk it.  Scripture says that we are not our own, we were bought with a price, the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  

We are those given 'talents'...what have you done with what you have been given?  Have you come to Christ for salvation?  Have you received the free gift of salvation?  Then if these things are true...you have been placed in the body of Christ by the Spirit with a job to be doing.  He's imparted gifts to you to be used for the glory of God. Are you using them or are they buried somewhere doing nothing that the Spirit is intending you to use them for?

Coming to Christ in name only with no evidence of life change should really concern any in those shoes.  That last person believed in the reputation of the King but it did nothing to change his way of life. Demons believe in the King and have seen the glory of God in action...they still turned from God and are still going to end up in the Lake of Fire. 

The wanting to do things for me is always there. The should do those things is where I feel the need to check with Jesus about.  I am a amateur inventor with possibly world changing ideas.  Many, I know not to pursue because the Spirit says not to.  Have been told by Him that while yes, they would work, no don't pursue because they do not fit into God's plans for humanity.  

I do have a bug for writing.  Have struggled all my life to write a book to be published. Still working on that. I know not if I will accomplish that but still work at it. Thus far I do not hear from God not to do that. 

Listening to Jesus, through the Spirit, is important in what we do in life.  Not necessarily doctors, lawyers, politicians, so-called experts.  Yes, God's created such people in our world, however, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He knows all truth all the time.  In ways we cannot fathom. 

You who are in Christ ought to be also found by Christ as doers of the word and not just hearers only...why? the rest of that passage says who delude themselves.  

Satan's schemes are very simple...provide an environment where Believers that are indeed God's chosen people in Christ...will be too distracted by wonderful opportunities rather than the work of God in Christ Jesus for them.  Think about that. While you can do something...should you be doing it or is there something else that the Spirit has for you to do?  

Paul's burden about the Church was to see it growing in Christ. To stay true to what the Spirit was teaching them.  That's no different now as it was back then...that's part of the job of the Spirit...protect the Word of God.  Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. So is the Spirit. So is the Father. 

Before you rush into today...are you at all curious to know what it is that Jesus has to say to you about what He's wanting you to do today?  

It might be that He has different priorities for you...unless you're asking you're never going to know. 

You may not understand what you are going to be doing. I still am awaiting my next job.  Until then I will continue to keep giving my best to my Savior and Lord.  Colossians 3:23-24. Right now I do not understand why I am where I am other than my next job isn't ready yet for me. 

Leaning not on my own understanding seems to be what the Spirit is trying to teach me in the last year.  That I am to focus on trusting in the Lord with all my heart and in all my ways acknowledge Him and He will make my path straight.  He leads me through the valley of the shadow of death...I am not a resident of that valley. 

Begin your day with prayer. Listen. 

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.