7 Characteristics to Finish Well

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We sing the song, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back,” but why is it that so many people do? There seems to be an epidemic of Christians who begin well but finish poorly. Let me share seven crucial characteristics that will help you to finish well.

1. Intimacy With Christ

Our highest calling is to grow in our knowledge of Christ and to make Him known to others. Does our desire to know Christ exceed all other aspirations? If not, whatever is taking His place in the center of our affections must yield to Him if we are to know the joy of bearing spiritual fruit. A key secret of those who finish well is to focus more on loving Jesus than on avoiding sin. The more we love Jesus, the more we will learn to put our confidence in Him alone.

2. Fidelity In The Spiritual Disciplines

Spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fellowship, study, worship, and submission are not ends in themselves, but means to the end of intimacy with Christ and spiritual formation. When left to itself, however, any one of these disciplines tends to decline and decay. An infusion of directed intentionality and effort is necessary to sustain order and growth and to bring repeated times of personal renewal.

3. A Biblical Perspective on the Circumstances of Life

Part of the purpose of our suffering and trials is to drive us to dependence on God alone. God responds by revealing more of Himself to us. This knowledge increases our faith and our capacity to trust His character and His promises through the times we do not understand His purposes and His ways. When we view our circumstances in light of God’s character instead of God’s character in light of our circumstances, we come to see that God is never indifferent to us, and that He uses suffering for our good so we will be more fully united to Christ.

4. A Teachable, Responsive, Humble, and Obedient Spirit

Those who finish well maintain an ongoing learning posture through the seasons of their lives. Humility and responsive obedience are the keys to maintaining a teachable spirit.

Humility is the disposition in which we displace self through the enthronement of Christ in our lives and realize that all of life is about trust in God. Obedience is the application of biblical faith in that which is not seen, and that which is not yet. As we mature in Christ, we learn to trust God’s character and promises in spite of ambiguity or trials.

5. A Clear Sense of Personal Purpose and Calling

God has called each of us to a purposeful journey sustained by faithfulness and growing hope. This calling or vocation transcends our occupations and endures beyond the end of our careers. As we seek the Lord’s guidance in developing a personal vision and clarity of mission, we move beyond the level of tasks and accomplishments to the level of the purpose for which we were created.

6. Healthy Relationships With Resourceful People

Relationships such as spiritual mentoring, servant leadership, and personal and group accountability are valuable resources that encourage, equip, and exhort. People who finish well do not do so without the caring support of other growing members of the body of Christ. These relationships help us to increase in intimacy with Christ, maintain the needed disciplines, clarify our long-term perspective, sustain a teachable attitude, and develop our purpose and calling.

7. Ongoing Ministry Investment In The Lives of Others

Spirit-filled living requires us to discover and develop the spiritual gifts we have received and exercise them through the Spirit’s power for the edification of others. Believers who finish well are marked by ongoing outreach and sacrificial ministry for the good of other people.

Those who squander the resources, gifts, experiences, and hard-learned insights God has given them by no longer investing them in the lives of others soon wither and withdraw.

What does it take to finish well? How can we run in such a way that we can say with Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7; Acts 20:24; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27)? Taking to heart the above seven characteristics will help you finish well day by day, as you “run with endurance the race that is set before [you]” (Hebrews 12:1).

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Ken is president of Reflections Ministries, an organization that seeks to provide safe places for people to consider the claims of Christ. He has authored numerous books, including Pursuing Wisdom, The Art of Living Well, The Psalms: A Journal, and The Trinity: A Journal.

Uniquely You 8/13

 God knows every detail of is and our circumstances. It’s so easy to blame or circumstances or to think we could never accomplish some tasks. But He is greater than the world and He is at work in us. Rather than blame myself, play the victim, or over think an issue, I need to trust Him and His ways of working an issue out - in His timing, and for His purposes. 

“God often waits until we're out of ideas before He lets us know His plans. He competes for our hearts, not our attention.” - Bob Goff

Friends - Stirrings of the Heart 8/12

 So many have needs that go unnoticed by the rest of our culture. So many are grieving the loss of a family member or have endured the pandemic in loneliness. We have a lot of opportunity to encourage others, pointing them to faith and hope. Let’s pray that our culture is awakened to a revival of deep faith, initiating new efforts to bring people together for the common good. This life is short and we have much to do in a brief time, having eternal impact that we do not visually recognize. 

“The Word of God, empowered by the Spirit of God, has an amazing ability to break through our spiritual blindness and help us to see ourselves as we actually are.” - Paul Tripp

Be Draftable 8/11

 What good is it to call oneself a Christian if we don’t act like one. We can do a lot of great things in life but we can lose our credibility over night if we don’t demonstrate integrity. Dungy’s title ‘be draftable’ hits the mark - ready to be drawn into action at a moments notice, ready to be drawn into the play or the game because God sees us qualified for what He wants us to do. 

Bottom Line Love 8/10

 These two verses came to mind in 1975 when my Dad was killed in a car accident. The pain and grief of all the details surrounding the accident were horrendous, but I sensed God’s love and care. It was a compelling urge to read these verses aloud with my family as we sat in overwhelming grief. Life would go on because His love is sustaining, despite the circumstances we are in.  I’ve had similar experiences when I I knew that His love would carry us through. Our world is broken but God deeply cares far more than we realize. Despite the chaos of the past two or three years in our world, I hope many realize what is the most stabilizing force, God’s love. 

“Deeply formed mission is first about who we are becoming before what we are doing. Our most effective strategy in reaching a world for Christ is grounded in the kind of people we are being formed into. The quality of our presence is our mission.” - Rich Villodas, The Deeply Formed Life

Influence 8/9

 Speaking the truth in love is often difficult. It’s far easier to be truthful without much love or to be loving without much truth than it is to balance the two. Truth must be known and love must be known. But equally the person we are speaking to must be known to some degree. True leadership and following Christ is doing the right thing to help the others become Christ followers as well. 

Go & Do 8/8

 God’s Word is far more powerful than we could ever imagine or realize. His Word knows us better than we know ourselves and knows each person’s heart. If only I would be more courageous to lean on the Holy Spirit rather than my own feeble wisdom, I would be more effective at sharing and taking the initiative to follow His nudge. God is often silent during an issue, forcing us to rely on the preparation we have built upon. His presence is unshakable, and He wants us to trust Him regardless of the situation. He is waiting for us to come to Him fully surrendered  

“The Quaker educationalist Parker J. Palmer puts it like this: “The deeper our faith, the more doubt we must endure; the deeper our hope, the more prone we are to despair; the deeper our love, the more pain its loss will bring: these are a few of the paradoxes we must hold as human beings. Excerpt FromGod on Mute by Pete Greig

You Are What You Absorb 8/7

Scriptural intake is essential to maturity. But it seems to be more than reading the Bible each day. Thinking through the verses and applying them to situations is important to growing and being prepared for what’s ahead. I do not always get this done, being distracted by a long list of issues. Too many situations you and I face each day have the potential to lead us away from the Lord or they are opportunities to glorify Him. I could react on the basis of my rights and what I think is right, or I can respond with silence, prayer, or calm reassurance that God is in charge, allowing the issue to take place. God knows my heart, and He is not surprised by any event or person.  

“Our world continues on, faster and busier, and we are reminded that our souls were not created for the kind of speed to which we have grown accustomed. Thus, we are a people who are out of rhythm, a people with too much to do and not enough time to do it.” - Rich Villodas, The Deeply Formed Life

Faith 8/6

 It’s a great grace to not be earning our righteousness or standing with God. Our faith would be no different than other religions with crazy ideas of what would earn a better way to please God. We would be competing with each other more than we do and we would be committing terrible sins all in the name of serving God. But since we experience His love in our hearts and know that His forgiveness is consistent with His plan from the beginning, our efforts to do good are a result of His forgiveness, not steps to earn anything. 

“The truly changed, truly converted, truly Christian heart can say with John Newton, “I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I wish to be. I am not what I hope to be. Yet I can truly say, I am not what I once was. By the grace of God, I am what I am.” - Mark Dever

Family 8/5

 Our growing up families have had and continue to have long lasting impact on the way we think and relate to others. I’ve met many who experienced long lasting negative consequences from dysfunctional patterns. But the Holy Spirit, God’s Word, and new relationships with Christ followers can change the dysfunction into God honoring patterns. Developing relationships with like minded brothers and sisters is life changing, a process that can be emotionally painful. May God help us identify the patterns we practice that do not honor Him, moving us into a fully devoted life that glorifies Him.  

To be an incarnational follower of Christ, there must be a relinquishing of control, a reversal of social order. According to the natural perceptions of this world, it’s an upside-down kingdom. But it’s a kingdom of God-saturated imagination. It’s the way of the Cross.

Rich Villodas, The Deeply Formed Life

High School reunion Dinner 7/27

 Five of us gathered for supper to celebrate each of us turning 70. Dan couldn’t stop talking gossip about college and high school days, remembering pranks and drinking escapades. His crude jokes were designed to make us laugh but it showed true character. One thing I’m reminded is that no bad stories could be told about me - I’ve lived a sheltered life. 

Do older men still wonder who they are and who they want to be?  Are they still trying to figure out their insecurities?  I’m hoping I’ve grown up enough to distance myself from my old self toward becoming all in for Jesus. What else is ther, at this point?  Who knows how much time is left to make a difference or to lay up treasure in heaven. 

It’s amazing that 70 year olds are worried about their bravado, brashness, having been cool back in the day, trying to convince listeners that they are still cool. But following Jesus creates a mission with passion, giving others space, yet being more accessible and approachable. Pursuing Him makes us mor open and loving, shying away from categorizing and judging. His Word and the Holy Spirit do their work in our lives, helping us look beyond the surface, across borders, beyond cultural boundaries. We discover ourselves to be more caring and full of Hope than we could imagine. We see through the institutional systems of sin and idolatry that have become embedded in our thinking. Jesus becomes our King, not an added Christian slogan or resume link. 

Rather than trying to prove ourselves before others we discover we have nothing to prove. We allow ourselves to be vulnerable, and in the process, enable others to be the same. God calls us to where our burdens surface. He nudged us to the hurting and grieving. We discover that we cannot fix every broken person or mend all hurts but we can give evidence that our Lord cares and that He will one day make all things right. 

Core 08/04

 The “look at me / take a selfie“ attitude runs counter to following Christ. Self promotion and self marketing do not glorify God unless we our efforts are pointing directly at Him. It seems that God is working under cover behind the scenes to accomplish what we could never do in our self efforts. Loud prayers on the street corner are not as effective as quiet prayers that search for His will and love. His knows who we are and what we are all about. We can portray one image but the truth resides in us. I want to be an authentic follower of Christ - what others see is who I am. 

If you allow physical selfishness, mental carelessness, moral insensitivity, or spiritual weakness, everyone in contact with you will suffer.  Oswald Chambers

I would like to buy three dollars worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough of Him to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don’t want enough of Him to make me love a black man or pick beets with a migrant. I want ecstasy, not transformation. I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack, please. I would like to buy three dollars worth of God, please (Wilbur Reese).

Faith 08/03

 

The popular concept–that we should each determine our own morality–is based on the belief that the spiritual realm is nothing at all like the rest of the world. Does anyone really believe that? For many years after each of the morning and evening Sunday services I remained in the auditorium for another hour to field questions. Hundreds of people stayed for the give-and-take discussions. One of the most frequent statements I heard was that 'Every person has to define right and wrong for him- or herself.' I always responded to the speakers by asking, 'Is there anyone in the world right now doing things you believe they should stop doing no matter what they personally believe about the correctness of their behavior?' They would invariable say, 'Yes, of course.' Then I would ask, “Doesn’t that mean that you do believe there is some kind of moral reality that is "there" that is not defined by us, that must be abided by regardless of what a person feels or thinks?' Almost always, the response to that question was silence, either a thoughtful or a grumpy one.

Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

We often live by the expectations of what people think, cultural trends, and the expectations we have of ourselves. I’ve spent way too much time being stressed with measuring and comparing myself to those standards. But the pure in heart have no agenda other than coming to Jesus with all burdens and baggage. He gives rest with a motivation to be our very best, knowing that He accepts us unconditionally - with an assurance that I am His, I am in Him and He is in me. 

Mission 8/2

 Character and integrity are challenged many times as we interact with our culture. Sinful behavior gets watered down as we slowly accept what is unacceptable in God’s eyes. Each person has their rights, but there responsibility and justice for all are rarely discussed. It is easy to slightly get off course, which leads to a trajectory that is very difficult to correct without an intervention. It’s one thing to look like a Christ follower, yet another to truly be one. As Samuel found out as he looked for a king of Israel, God led him to David who had a heart after God.  As David later learned, he got off track with major consequences. 

Reputation is what people think we are; character is what God and the holy angels know we are.”

— Warren W. Wiersbe

Lantern 8/1

 Growth, maturity, and courageous faith seem to grow in intensity for most of us over time. Inch by inch in the ordinary, we learn to trust God rather than ourselves. I’m learning that if God is faithful in the small things, He will be faithful and trustworthy she the storms arrive. Even through pain and hard times, He will give grace to handle the issue. It’s a good thing we do not know what is ahead on the path, allowing us to trust Him with our unknown and confusion. 

As I look around on Sunday morning at the people populating the pews, I see the risk that God has assumed. For whatever reason, God now reveals himself in the world not through a pillar of smoke and fire, not even through the physical body of his Son in Galilee, but through the mongrel collection that comprises my local church and every other such gathering in God’s name.

–Philip Yancey

Friends 7/31

 I pray that my eyes are wide open to see the opportunities around me and my spiritual ears are ready to listen for those moments God lays before me. I do not want to be so self absorbed that I’m blind to what God is presenting before me. At the same time, I recognize that mountain top experiences of faith may be rare. It’s in the ordinary that the extraordinary times happen. 

You never have to advertise a fire. Everyone comes running when there’s a fire. Likewise, if your church is on fire, you will not have to advertise it. The community will already know it.

-Leonard Ravenhill

Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile.

-Billy Sunday

Dungy 1 7/30

 “[Some] take some things of Christ not the whole Christ. They think it’s only believing on Him as a Saviour for pardon of sin; they do not choose Him as Lord to whom in all obedience they resign themselves. This is indeed the rock that splits many, tell them of believing in Christ, and they think that is only to rest on Him for salvation, they attend not that it is receiving of Christ for all ends and purposes God sent Him into the world.” - Warren Wiersbe

I have more time to reflect and read than I have ever had in my life. It was very difficult to carve out any time because of the long list of ‘to do’ items that never ended. But I often wonder if I had taken more time to pray, would some events have been different? Would more people’s lives have been influenced to live for Christ? I’m learning that even though I can be busy, it’s no excuse to not pray during the busy time and not let my to do list be an excuse. 

Why I Write 7/29

 John 21 is filled with so many encouraging words. Peter had just denied that he knew Jesus but He was waiting for Peter and the disciples on the shore to serve breakfast. Jesus didn’t have a choir of angels singing to announce His resurrection or an army of angelic soldiers. He cooked breakfast for an intimate group of men. He looked Peter in the eyes and told him to make disciples. Even though we totally mess things up, Jesus is there to help us get back on track. These verses are inspiring, teaching that we have a mission and purpose in life far more than possessions and status. Jesus knows us far better than we know ourselves and He loves us so much that He looks into our eyes and says “go”; “I am with you, even to the end.”  

The familiar words of Jesus are “Without me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). But these must be balanced by the insight that, in general, if we do nothing it will certainly be without him.

Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God

Peace, Power, and a Campfire 7/28

 Our world is filled with anxiety and a long worry list. If ever we needed peace to calm our hearts it is now. I’m praying that you and I grow in an awareness of Christ’s presence in our hearts, that we know He is with us regardless of the issue. He will give us direction and guidance throughout our lives for each step in our journey. Just like Mary at the tomb, I don’t expect God to show up but He does. I’m praying that we expect God to do big things and that we attempt great things for Him. If I’m so full of myself that I do not expect Him to work, I’ll never experience the fullness of the Spirit with love, peace, joy and kindness. 

To live strongly and creatively in the kingdom of the heavens, we need to have firmly fixed in our minds what our future is to be like. We want to live fully in the kingdom now, and for that purpose our future must make sense to us. It must be something we can now plan or make decisions in terms of, with clarity and joyful anticipation. In this way our future can be incorporated into our life now and our life now can be incorporated into our future.

Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God

King Jesus 7/27

 Following Christ goes against what our culture teaches about success and fulfillment. I used to think that being a Christian was sort of an add on character quality to be successful but I was completely wrong. Christ gave everything to bring us to Himself. Following Him is a 100% change from self driven motives to His way of living. I’ll never be perfect with my decisions but I want to get closer to honoring Him with my life. We will never be perfect in this life because of our sin and weakness but He has changed everything through His death and resurrection. You and I have so much to praise Him for!

The hidden dimension of each human life is not visible to others, nor is it fully graspable even by ourselves. We usually know very little about the things that move in our own soul, the deepest level of our life, or what is driving it. Our “within” is astonishingly complex and subtle—even devious. It takes on a life of its own. Only God knows our depths, who we are, and what we would do.

Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart: Putting On the Character of Christ

The Face of Truth 7/26

 I’m slowly learning that following Christ often means going it alone, going against the trends of culture, being different than many around me. Most do not understand the truth of knowing Christ in their heart of hearts, seeing the bigger picture of God drawing us to Himself. The most important goal in life is to honor Him with our efforts which will have eternal results. Loving Him completely is a process, identifying more areas in life that need to be turned over to Him. He is the truth and has not nor will ever change, despite the trends of our culture. He is the stability of life and knowing Him better each day makes us more stable. 

Jesus did not send his students out to start governments or even churches as we know them today... They were, instead, to establish beachheads of his person, word, and power in the midst of a failing and futile humanity.

Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ

What Did Jesus Pray? 7/25

 Unity between followers of Christ is evidence that our faith is real, and inner proof that we are being changed by the Holy Spirit. I sense this truth between us, Michael  - even though we are just beginning a friendship that I hope lasts!  I pray that you experience His love in a deep way, that you find many more who are growing in faith, and that you will always be an influencer of many. Let’s pray that we stay away from the divisive issues of the culture and focus on our adoration and praise of the One who saved us from ourselves. 

Much of our problem is not, as is often said, that we have failed to get what is in our head down in our heart. Much of what hinders us is that we have had a lot of mistaken theology in our head and it has gotten down into our heart. And it is controlling our inner dynamics so that the head and heart cannot, even with the aid of the Word and the Spirit, pull one another straight.

Dallas Willard, The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’s Essential Teachings on Discipleship

Messages From Heaven 7/24

 Learning to recognize and respond to His nudge means I need to talk all things out with Him as I go about my day. Recognizing His presence in my life, especially in the little decisions I make is so important to listening to His voice. I’m learning that I may not know the answers to my prayers or see the outcome of my efforts. It’s much more important to walk with Him and follow His lead than to have all the right information stored in my head like a library. Our lives are not to glorify us but Him and what He is doing, even though we may not understand the details. I’m so grateful that you and I can walk with Christ through this connection too!

We don't believe something by merely saying we believe it, or even when we believe that we believe it. We believe something when we act as if it were true.

Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ

Remain 7/23

 His presence in our hearts gives a calmness, peace, and direction that nothing else can. To remain in that presence despite the confusion or anxiety of the day is most important, not drifting into whatever is the trending move of the day. Following His prompting, we are able to love and forgive even though we don’t feel like it. With Him, we can move forward in life with purpose and meaning. With Christ’s presence, I’m not going through the motions of being a Christian in a robotic, or intellectual / mathematical way. My authenticity grows as I experience His love growing in me. 

I found this quote - “God’s grace and the Church’s teaching gave me a deep longing to be wounded in three ways: 

first, to have my ego ground down into pieces; 

second, to be able to suffer with others; 

and third, to have a firm and unfailing desire for God’s presence.”

— Lady Julian of Norwich

Disobedience to Dysfunction 7/22

 Learning to follow Christ deepens our purpose for living and deepens our awareness that we need relationships which help us follow Him. So many in our world will distract us from a deeper walk with Him, creating more dysfunction than could be imagined. I pray that you and I build friends that encourage us in our walk with Christ, but that we become effective in discipling others to be like Christ. Obeying Him counters the dysfunction around us. Loving God with our whole self, mind, body, emotions, and spirit, makes us even more whole, changing our identity as a follower of Christ. 

The world can no longer be left to mere diplomats, politicians, and business leaders. They have done the best they could, no doubt. But this is an age for spiritual heroes- a time for men and women to be heroic in their faith and in spiritual character and power. The greatest danger to the Christian church today is that of pitching its message too low.

Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines

Wash Feet 7/21

 Washing others’ feet was and is true humility. Leadership, discipleship, setting an example requires the willingness and follow through to serve another person without expectation of a return. So many relationships, public and private, are built on a ‘what will you do for me in return’ attitude. Christ gave His life for us and set the example to live. His way is certainly not weak but filled with courage and risk taking.  Jesus must have had a lot on His mind that night but His humility was grounded in love and wisdom. Lets try to be the same kind of men, demonstrating love and compassion in our relationships. 

We have a terrible time understanding love, because we confuse it with desire. Desire and love are two utterly different kinds of things. Not only is desire not love; it is often opposed to love. Right action is the act of love, regardless of the desires of anyone involved.

Dallas Willard, The Allure of Gentleness

What If Nothing Makes Sense 7/20

 I’m learning that many of my questions about life issues will not be answered in this life. The disciples did not understand everything Jesus said until after the resurrection when they carried on with the great commission. It’s like we live by 20/20 hindsight, hopefully acquiring wisdom as we take risks that honor Him, not ourselves. Even with hindsight we do not understand what God was and is doing behind the scenes. Let’s pray that each of us will always lean in on Him and not our own understanding, but that we love and trust Him with our whole hearts. May we experience His love growing in our hearts. 

It is only in the heat of pain and suffering, both mental and physical, that real human character is forged. One does not develop courage without facing danger, patience without trials, wisdom without heart- and brain-racking puzzles, endurance without suffering, or temperance and honesty without temptations. These are the very things we treasure most about people. Ask yourself if you would be willing to be devoid of all these virtues. If your answer is no, then don’t scorn the means of obtaining them. The gold of human character is dug from torturous mines, but its dung and dirt are quite easily come by. And it should come as no surprise to us that in our time—the time of the great flight from pain—such virtues as these are conspicuous only by their absence. I’m

Dallas Willard, The Allure of Gentleness

Meet Me In The Mess 7/19

 When my Dad died in a cart accident (a long time ago) I thought of this story many times.  Jesus knew what would happen, delayed His visit, yet wept at their grief. He knows our pain and struggle and He is with us, giving us the strength and grace to handle hard times. He has a plan for lives that is bigger than we realize and He wants to change us into the people we can and should be.  But more important, Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Life has no meaning or purpose without Him. When you and I go through the gut wrenching times of life, He is there and He understands each step we take. 

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess, we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity, and in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new heaven to dim. Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas, where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizon of our hopes; and to push back the future in strength, courage, hope, and love. This we ask in the name of our Captain, who is Jesus Christ. Amen!*

Craig Groeschel, Dangerous Prayers: Because Following Jesus Was Never Meant to Be Safe

He’s Not Afraid of Questions 7/18

 Life is filled with many perplexing questions for me, usually focusing on why pain and suffering happen to good people, why innocent people have to suffer under the evil decisions of others. But the more I’m learning about Christ, the more I trust that He will make all things right in the end. Pain and suffering do not mean that He loves less or does not care. We live in a broken world and we need His mercy all the more. Christ lived in the flesh and experienced the pain and tension we experience. He truly is the Man of Sorrows who understands. I’m learning we can trust Him even though we have doubts about outcomes. 

If God has done what you think he should do, trust him. If God doesn't do what you think he should do, trust him. If you pray and believe God for a miracle and he does it, trust him. If your worst nightmare comes true, believe he is sovereign. Believe he is good.

Craig Groeschel, The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living As If He Doesn't Exist

Blind Leading the Blind 7/17

 I’m wondering if there are many today who are so blind to the truth of who Jesus is that they would never admit to being blind even though the truth is right in front of them. The man in the story was healed physically and spiritually, seeing who Jesus was in His heart. I’m also wondering if I’m blind at times to seeing how much others need Christ in their lives. The more we see Christ with our spiritual eyes the more we want to see Him. However there are many who think they’ve seen enough, just enough to get by., without going too deep. I want to see more clearly the opportunities He puts before me, responding in the way He would to those needs. 

“Let the Bible shock you and anger you and baffle you and humble you and convict you and rattle you and undo you. There, in those places of unexpected & uncomfortable encounter with the voice of the Almighty, you will be transformed by the non-conforming words of the Scriptures...... alive and made effectual by the Holy Spirit, who is definitely out to get you and change you, doing a deep work in you so he can do a great work through you.” - David Cassidy

Who’s Your Dad 7/16

 It’s so easy to remain comfortable with  a few, if any changes in my life. I’ve made it this far okay so why change. It’s easy to follow a watered down version of the gospel, thinking that going to church and doing what is expected is good enough. But God has something different in mind because He wants to be glorified as Creator and King.  He knows my heart and how much I’m holding on to His teachings. If I’m in Christ, I need to be all about Him. My life should not be about me but about Him. I’m learning to be more excited about where God is working, asking God to show me ways I can participate or pray for His working. He wants us to follow Him, not play the part. I’ve got a lot to learn. 

The union Christ had with the Father was the greatest that we can conceive of in this life—if indeed we can conceive of it. Yet we have no indication that even Jesus was constantly awash with revelations as to what he should do. His union with the Father was so great that he was at all times obedient. This obedience was something that rested in his mature will and understanding of his life before God, not on always being told “Now do this” and “Now do that” with regard to every details of his life or work.

Dallas Willard, Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God

Suspicion to Division 7/15

 Having complete confidence in Christ is essential as we live in today’s world. There are many voices trying to steer us away from Him, even by some who have a lot of status among Christians. I am learning that following Christ with our whole selves means listening to the Spirit and not following a certain person or political / religious view. I’m probably not making much sense but I think Christ wants our hearts fully and completely each day without being side tracked by the politics of the day or using our faith to advance ourselves in the world. Too many are following rabbit trails that lead them away from the purity of the gospel. 

“We fail to be disciples only because we do not decide to be. We do not intend to be disciples. It is the power of the decision and the intention over our life that is missing. We should apprentice ourselves to Jesus in a solemn moment, and we should let those around us know that we have done so.

Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God

When It’s Hard 7/14

 Jesus said many hard and difficult statements. His words were often blunt and shocking, counter the cultural and usual standards for living life. He said that we needed to be born again, and He set the example to cross boundaries to communicate who He is with the way we live. He said we need to drink His living water and our lives will be changed. Following Christ is not going with the flow and cruising along with culture. We are different than the world for sure. I’m praying that each of us will consistently live in light of God’s Word, which is often met with resistance. Let’s pray yhat we become disciple makers, influencing others to be disciple makers as well. God will provide wisdom for each twist and turn in our journey. . 

“David cuts through all the many needs, wants, and desires that may have been bouncing around inside him and essentially says, "If I could have only one thing, I want to be with God, to be in His presence, to know that he is always with me." Whether in good times or bad times, David knew the thing he needed most: to feel God's presence close by, intimately, through worship.” - Craig Groeschel, Weird: Because Normal Isn't Working

Don’t Miss Jesus 7/13

 There is a long list of issues that can get in the way of a growing relationship with God. Not all of the interruptions are bad because they are worthy and excellent things to be involved in. Anything can distract us if we are not focused on glorifying and honoring Christ in our hearts. Each day is a new battle to give Him first place in our walk and talk. I’m praying that we each make progress in being consistently moving in the right direction in our walk, that Christ becomes most important in our lives. He will make the path straight and give us the wisdom we need. 

“Faith is a living, well-founded confidence in the grace of God, so perfectly certain that it would die a thousand times rather than surrender its conviction. Such confidence and personal knowledge of divine grace makes its possessor joyful, bold, and full of warm affection toward God and all created things—all of which the Holy Spirit works in faith. Hence, such a man becomes without constraint willing and eager to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer all manner of ills, in order to please and to glorify God, who has shown toward him such grace. It is thus impossible to separate works from faith—yea, just as impossible as to separate burning and shining from fire.” - Dallas Willard, The Allure of Gentleness

Line Crossing Love 7/12

 I have a list of people I’d like to avoid because of their past comments to me or their past behavior. I often imagine that the next conversation would go further south so I do not give them much of a chance. But that attitude was not found in Jesus. He crossed boundaries and looked right into their hearts to show each one who He was. I want to grow deeper in my walk with Him to overcome my avoidance and always be looking for ways to reach out, saying the right thing at the right time. You and I have to be patient to be that person as we grow deeper. I’m working on my attitude but I’ve got a long way to go. I want to look more at Christ than my own selfish defenses. 

“The means of our communication needs to be gentle, because gentleness also characterizes the subject of our communication. What we are seeking to defend or explain is Jesus himself, who is a gentle, loving shepherd. If we are not gentle in how we present the good news, how will people encounter the gentle and loving Messiah we want to point to? And finally, in an age shaped by feuding intellectual commitments and cultural battles over religion, science, truth, and morality, how will we get a hearing by merely insisting that we have truth and reason on our side?  - Dallas Willard, The Allure of Gentleness

Decide to Disciple 7/11

 Choosing to follow Christ is the most important decision to make in life. Following Him changes everything from what we think of ourselves, about others, our purpose for living each day, to our influence in the world. Being born again is a fresh beginning with forgiveness and freedom that nothing else provides. Every day is a new beginning even when we blow it. We may not see external rewards for following Christ for every decision but we are building an eternal treasure that cannot be spoiled.  Im hoping this devotional series will inspire each of us to grow deeper as disciples of Jesus, and inspire us to be creative disciple makers.     

“To be simple, humble, and thoughtful as we listen to others and help them come to faith in the One who has given us life.” - Dallas Willard, The Allure of Gentleness

Contributors 7/10

 I’m  learning to listen to His nudge and His push, showing me opportunities to participate where He is working and not be too worried where I see no evidence of His work. I appreciate this daily connection and feel that our efforts will be worthwhile, Michael. God is working in your heart to draw you closer to Him, to prepare you for serving Him, and increase your love for others. I want to encourage you and be there for you, in the good times and bad. I’m looking forward to encouraging you and to see the man you are becoming, and the influencer for God that you are. I’m praying that God will change and transform you into His man. 

“Our thoughts are either focused on what's eternal, life-changing, and true, or lost in the details of our temporary, selfish, false beliefs.” - Craig Groeschel

Discipleship #1 7/9

 I’m learning and relearning that the whole focus of life is to honor Christ. All other goals do not compare in weight or magnitude. Reading God’s Word, praying, praising Him, and searching for what He would have you and me do or say are daily exercises that bring great return. Neglecting them squelches the desire to listen to the Holy Spirit or the desire to honor Christ. Life becomes all about me without a desire to honor Him. Even doing good things without the right perspective can turn into a selfish rabbit trail. The need to exercise these godly habits is an everyday battle with new circumstances to work it all out. But He is faithful each and every day. I hope you sense this to be true throughout your life. 

“Our thoughts are either focused on what's eternal, life-changing, and true, or lost in the details of our temporary, selfish, false beliefs.” - Craig Groeschel

Moods and Mouth 7/8

 StabAlizing the ups and downs of emotions can be related to health and tiredness. At least that’s my experience. But if I have expectations for myself or others and I don’t follow through with commitments, my emotions go haywire. My disappointments and disillusionments can be driven by over indulgence on the news or when I let others manipulate my plans. I’m learning that my conversation with the Lord in prayer can help sustain my focus and emotions. Praying about a news event, for others, and that I may glorify Him helps. 

“LORD strengthen me where I am too weak.” - Leonard Ravenhill

Think On Your Own 7/7

 Having worked with middle school students, a common theme in discussions has been the importance of making your own decisions, rather than surrendering to peer pressure. So many issues confront students leaving them searching for who they are and want to be. If Scriptural teaching g has been invested into a person’s heart, that person will often stand alone, hopefully as an influential leader, not following the crowd. Moral decisions are not crowd sourced, but are based on God’s moral system of growth and maturity. Middle school students are no different than any age, as we constantly need to be growing into deeper maturity. 

“The greatest miracle that God can do today is to take an unholy man out of an unholy world and make him holy, then put him back into that unholy world and keep him holy in it.” - Leonard Ravenhill

Think Forward 7/6

 I’ve spent a lot of time rehearsing past decisions, hurts, regrets, and mistakes. Feeling guilty for what I did or didn’t do only limits maturity and moving on. Todays devotional is so important to practice if we want to grow deeper in bold faith. Reliving the past without learning from it will repeat itself. The sin and regret from one generation can be passed on to the next generation if healing, forgiveness do not happen. Our Lord loves us so much that He does not want us to be stuck in regret. 

“Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?” - Leonard Ravenhill

Think Before Speaking 7/5

 I’ve said too many words at he wrong time, with the wrong tone of voice. What I wanted to say didn’t come out right and I’ve said too much to resolve an issue. I’m hoping that I’ve improved a lot, because I do not want to be a hindrance to someone’s growth in Christ. The most helpful advice I’ve heard was from Rick Warren, who said “Show up and shut up.”  It’s important to be a safe person to talk to, who listens, with the best intention of caring for the other person. Life gets complicated, but I hope that His love covers my multitude of sins with words. May His Kingdom be built, not my delusional kingdom of self preservation or enhancement. 

“An idolatrous heart will produce idol words, words that serve the idol that grips us.” - Paul David Tripp, War of Words: Getting to the Heart of Your Communication Struggles

“I’m practicing the discipline of not having to have the last word.” -Dallas Willard

Thought Life 7/4

 One thought after reading today’s devotional is the importance of renewing the mind each day, with respect to Romans 12:2.  My thought life can go south if I allow the negativity of the world to rule. I can get so hooked into the political debates and personalities that I become angry and disillusioned fast. But knowing that Christ paid the penalty for my sinful self, that i do not have to live in negativity, but live for Him, wveruthing changes. We are so dortinate live in a nation that has protected freedom to think and speak. 

“Our brains can work hard for a long while, only with the help of others.  It's in the beauty of community that we are equipped, strengthened, and encouraged.” - Curt Thompson