The Word For Today

In her book A Slow and Certain Light, Elisabeth Elliott wrote: 'When I lived in the Forest of Ecuador, I usually travelled on foot...Trails often led through streams and rivers which we had to wade, but sometimes there was a log high above the water which we had to cross. I dreaded those logs and was always tempted to take the steep, hard way down into the ravine and up the other side. But the [local guides] would say, "Just walk across, senorita," and over they would go, light-footed and confident. I was barefoot as they were, but it was not enough. On the log, I couldn't keep from looking down at the river below. I feared I would slip. I had never been any good at balancing myself...so my guide would stretch out a hand, and the touch of it was all I needed. I stopped worrying about slipping. I stopped looking down at the river or even the log and looked at the guide, who held my hand with only the slightest touch. When I reached the other side, I realised that if I had slipped, he would have held me. His being there, and his touch, were all I needed.'

That's all you need too: to experience God's presence and feel his touch. Daniel wrote: 'The one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said..."Beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!" So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, "Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me"' (Daniel 10:18-19 NKJV).

One of Satan's tactics is to take us from one extreme to the other - from laziness to workaholism. Understanding the difference between being a hard worker versus a workaholic is key. Hard workers have the wisdom to set limits on how much they will do in the course of a day.

In her book 30 Days to a Stronger, More Confident You, Deborah Smith Pegues wrote: 'I was in denial about my propensity towards workaholism until I realised that I had too many of the tell-tale symptoms: I worked late the majority of the time. Most of my conversations revolved around the issues at the office. I rarely took lunch breaks. I was always multitasking; I rarely performed any task single-mindedly. If I talked on the phone, I would also use the time to tidy the house. If I watched television, I also organised papers, and on and on it went. When I tried relaxing, I would think of all the things I should be doing. My to-do list had more items on it than I could possibly achieve during a single day. I was a slave to my overcommitted calendar; I left little or no downtime. Everybody seemed to move too slowly. I was always rushing to the next appointment. I looked forward to the accolades I received for performing well. I found little time to nurture my friendships...Today, I try to engage only in those activities I feel are part of God's plan for my life.'

Jesus said to his hard-working disciples: 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest' (Mark 6:31 NIV). Is the Lord saying the same to you?

God is at work 'in you'. What is he working on? Your 'will'. What does he want you to do? 'Act in order to fulfill his good purpose' (Philippians 2:13 NIV). How does he accomplish this? Through your mind: 'Think the same way that Christ Jesus thought' (Philippians 2:5 CEV). God can speak to you audibly, through circumstances or through another person. But because God can give you his thoughts or guide your thoughts, your mind is the meeting room where he will most often communicate with you.

That's why Satan will try to place evil thoughts in your mind. If this doesn't work, he will try to fill your mind with fear and worry. If that doesn't work, he'll settle for having you watch hours of 'worthless things' on television or the internet. The psalmist prayed: 'Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things' (Psalm 119:37 NKJV). To hear from God and recognise what he's saying to you, you must make your mind a protected environment. And one more thing: your desire to hear from God must take precedence over every other desire you have.

Social reformer Dorothy Day, who did much work on behalf of the poor in the twentieth century, spoke of what she called her 'notions' - ideas that had the unmistakable stamp of God's authorship in her mind. George Fox and the Quaker tradition called them 'concerns'. Others speak of 'promptings' or 'leadings'. The good news is... if you truly want to hear from God, he'll speak to you.

Our God is the God of new beginnings! The Bible says: 'Whoever brings a sinner back from the error of his ways will save him from death, and many sins will be forgiven' (James 5:20 GWT). It's never too late for a new beginning. And what's even more remarkable is that God uses people like us to help others find a new beginning.

The Bible contains many accounts of many who got a second chance and, by God's grace, used it well. Like Peter, who denied Jesus but went on to become a leader in the New Testament church. Or David, who committed adultery and murder, yet his psalms are a major part of one of the most quoted books in the Bible. And what about Jonah? He got a do-over! 'The word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time' (Jonah 3:1 NKJV).

Sin can wreck hearts, homes, plans and people. But the good news of the gospel is that sin never keeps God from loving or reaching for us. And we should never stop loving and reaching for others. 'If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness' (Galatians 6:1 NKJV). The Greek word for restore is a medical term that means 'to set a broken bone'. When a doctor resets a broken bone, he realigns it and then puts it in a cast for about six weeks. During that time, God does the actual healing. Your job is to find broken people who need a second chance and help to restore them.

Who are you? A simple question that can be so challenging to answer. To know who you are and what you stand for, to be aware of how you're perceived by others and how you present yourself to the world, is one of the most important aspects of a well-lived life. This could be called your 'personal brand'. Your brand consists of attributes that are present for every encounter you have with work colleagues, family or friends. You could call them 'deliverables', virtues you bring to all your social and business interactions. You may take your deliverables for granted but consider writing down your own personal mission statement.

What is your purpose? What are you about? What is your vision? Does your life truly reflect what's important to you and how you want others to see you? So often, we live our lives based on what those around us think we should be or do. We follow the path we've seen others take or pursue what others define as success. As a result, we may find ourselves frustrated, angry or disappointed in life.

Have you heard this quote about business professionals who 'climbed to the top of the corporate ladder, only to find that it was leaning against the wrong building'? They were so busy keeping up with what they thought they were supposed to be doing that they never stopped to ask themselves what they actually wanted to do. Be like Paul: know who you are, honour your personal brand, and say, 'By the grace of God, I am what I am' (1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV).

How many times must the apostle Paul, who was once known as Saul the persecutor of Christians, have had flashbacks to Stephen's stoning? Or the countless other Christians he hunted down like animals? Paul was an eyewitness, which means those snapshots were sealed into his visual cortex. When he closed his eyes, those images could have haunted him for the rest of his life. By today's standards, Saul was a terrorist - but he had an encounter with Jesus that blinded him. He regained his physical sight after three days, but the grace of God enabled him to turn a blind eye to his forgiven sin forever.

If God turns a blind eye to confessed sin, shouldn't we? This doesn't mean we deny our sin or ignore it. If we underestimate our sinfulness, we depreciate the grace of God. Paul called himself the chief of sinners (see 1 Timothy 1:15). Perhaps that's why he appreciated the grace of God so much. The reason many of us label others by their sin is because it makes us feel better about ourselves. We think: 'I may not be perfect, but at least I haven't done that!'

But Paul was explicit: 'For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard' (Romans 3:23 NLT). God doesn't grade our sins like the legal system, as indictable or summary offences. No, we are either in sin or in Christ. We're either guilty or fully forgiven. Not only have our sins - past, present and future - been atoned for. At the point of believing faith, God forgives us and credits our accounts with the righteousness of Christ.