How do we do this? How do we follow Jesus when He cannot be seen? Luther says by being the best we can be – if you are a husband or a wife, best the best husband or wife you can be. If you haven’t been specifically called to use your gifts in the ministry of the church, you be the best spouse, child, parent, laborer, employer, etc. that you can possibly be. This is how we glorify God until we see Jesus calling us to follow Him in another direction. He won’t pull us away from being a good spouse in order to follow Him. If church work or sacred acts are conflicting with our ability to be a good spouse, parent, or other, we should spend less time with the religious stuff that really doesn’t do anything for God anyway. We love God when we love our neighbor, spouse, child, friend, etc.
We also don’t need to be trying to be someone we are not. That does no good to try to be someone else. God has given us gifts, formed us in our mother’s womb for a specific plan that will bring glory to God. If we deviate from that plan, we won’t experience the kind of joy the Father planned for us.
So how in the world do we know what “plan” to follow? Peace. Three early church fathers, separate from each other, in different centuries, came up with similar methods of discerning the spirits. In a nutshell, follow the path that brings peace deep inside you. If a choice creates anxiety, distress, unrest, uncertainty, hesitation, or desire for worldly gain – that’s not a desire in line with God’s will.
On the other hand, when making a choice you find a sense of calmness, interior peace, confidence, attraction to God in all things – these are movements of good desires. Many times “no decision” is a decision, and a good one. More time may be needed for God’s answer to surface, so one can follow Jesus.
One of the main themes of this passage is that Jesus tells Peter he is to use the gifts he has been given and not worry about what God has planned for others. Keep your focus on what God is calling you to do and do it well. It’s none of your business if another disciple appears to have fewer sacrifices to make or won’t die a violent death, but you will. People are not content with their own work, and complain that someone else has it better. God’s plan is perfect and each has his or her own part in it.
Blessings - PWM
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
John 21:19-24 - Using the Gifts We’ve Been Given
We fudged a little this week and added verse 18 so we knew what Jesus was telling Peter. After asking Peter three times if he loved Him, Jesus repeatedly told Peter to feed His lambs or sheep. How many times do we have to be told that’s what we are supposed to do if we love Jesus? Throughout Luther’s sermons, he says the way we love God best is by loving our neighbor. FEED MY SHEEP! Have we learned anything yet?
And then Jesus told Peter what kind of death he was going to glorify God. That’s an interesting way to put it. Glorifying God in our death? Is this physical death or spiritual death to the life our flesh desires or thinks is best? How will we glorify God, whether it’s physical, fleshly, or living? Jesus says, “Follow me.”
How do we do this? How do we follow Jesus when He cannot be seen? Luther says by being the best we can be – if you are a husband or a wife, best the best husband or wife you can be. If you haven’t been specifically called to use your gifts in the ministry of the church, you be the best spouse, child, parent, laborer, employer, etc. that you can possibly be. This is how we glorify God until we see Jesus calling us to follow Him in another direction. He won’t pull us away from being a good spouse in order to follow Him. If church work or sacred acts are conflicting with our ability to be a good spouse, parent, or other, we should spend less time with the religious stuff that really doesn’t do anything for God anyway. We love God when we love our neighbor, spouse, child, friend, etc.
We also don’t need to be trying to be someone we are not. That does no good to try to be someone else. God has given us gifts, formed us in our mother’s womb for a specific plan that will bring glory to God. If we deviate from that plan, we won’t experience the kind of joy the Father planned for us.
So how in the world do we know what “plan” to follow? Peace. Three early church fathers, separate from each other, in different centuries, came up with similar methods of discerning the spirits. In a nutshell, follow the path that brings peace deep inside you. If a choice creates anxiety, distress, unrest, uncertainty, hesitation, or desire for worldly gain – that’s not a desire in line with God’s will.
On the other hand, when making a choice you find a sense of calmness, interior peace, confidence, attraction to God in all things – these are movements of good desires. Many times “no decision” is a decision, and a good one. More time may be needed for God’s answer to surface, so one can follow Jesus.
One of the main themes of this passage is that Jesus tells Peter he is to use the gifts he has been given and not worry about what God has planned for others. Keep your focus on what God is calling you to do and do it well. It’s none of your business if another disciple appears to have fewer sacrifices to make or won’t die a violent death, but you will. People are not content with their own work, and complain that someone else has it better. God’s plan is perfect and each has his or her own part in it.
Blessings - PWM
How do we do this? How do we follow Jesus when He cannot be seen? Luther says by being the best we can be – if you are a husband or a wife, best the best husband or wife you can be. If you haven’t been specifically called to use your gifts in the ministry of the church, you be the best spouse, child, parent, laborer, employer, etc. that you can possibly be. This is how we glorify God until we see Jesus calling us to follow Him in another direction. He won’t pull us away from being a good spouse in order to follow Him. If church work or sacred acts are conflicting with our ability to be a good spouse, parent, or other, we should spend less time with the religious stuff that really doesn’t do anything for God anyway. We love God when we love our neighbor, spouse, child, friend, etc.
We also don’t need to be trying to be someone we are not. That does no good to try to be someone else. God has given us gifts, formed us in our mother’s womb for a specific plan that will bring glory to God. If we deviate from that plan, we won’t experience the kind of joy the Father planned for us.
So how in the world do we know what “plan” to follow? Peace. Three early church fathers, separate from each other, in different centuries, came up with similar methods of discerning the spirits. In a nutshell, follow the path that brings peace deep inside you. If a choice creates anxiety, distress, unrest, uncertainty, hesitation, or desire for worldly gain – that’s not a desire in line with God’s will.
On the other hand, when making a choice you find a sense of calmness, interior peace, confidence, attraction to God in all things – these are movements of good desires. Many times “no decision” is a decision, and a good one. More time may be needed for God’s answer to surface, so one can follow Jesus.
One of the main themes of this passage is that Jesus tells Peter he is to use the gifts he has been given and not worry about what God has planned for others. Keep your focus on what God is calling you to do and do it well. It’s none of your business if another disciple appears to have fewer sacrifices to make or won’t die a violent death, but you will. People are not content with their own work, and complain that someone else has it better. God’s plan is perfect and each has his or her own part in it.
Blessings - PWM
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