Purpose and Procedure



   Spiritual goals are wonderful! And by "spiritual goals," I don't just mean the overall mission of witnessing, helping people see God's goodness and seek Him; but specific objectives that accomplish that. Like raising a certain amount of funds for a program, or finishing a tangible project. The absolute fact that God will use these things to save people, and to build up His eternal kingdom is an awesome thing, and it's such a blessing that He's given us all a way to participate.
    But at the same time, it can be stressful, right? Because such a potentially powerful final result takes a lot of work, often a long process, and when working through that long process, there's plenty of time to worry about messing something up. We know ourselves way too well to expect that we'll do a perfect job. Yet we--at least, I assume most people--stress about the concept of risking the final result by human error.
    But a few weeks ago at a Bible study, I heard something that really blows this kind of worry out of the water. It's a simple reminder of something we already know, really: God is with us, so what we do in ministry isn't all in our hands because the Lord guides us in the process! His Holy Spirit is stated to be the One who "bears witness" (1 John 5:6), He's called the "Helper" who will abide with us (John 14:16), and there are verses all through Proverbs where it's stated that God is the one who guides our steps (like 3:5-6, 16:3, and 16:9). The Lord has promised to never forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), so naturally that must mean He won't leave alone in good work either. He'll help us be strong and encouraged to complete the work He's given us to accomplish!
    So the ultimate purpose and the procedure of a ministry-related goal is safely in God's hands, just as we are; isn't that a relief? :)

Respect

    Having stories is a funny thing; sometimes it's a lot like the way we writers are with ideas. One day (usually right after finishing a big manuscript) we don't have a novel-length story to tell, and we're looking high and low to find one; but on other days, when we do have a fabulous story to write, there are a dozen other shiny story ideas, all screaming to be written immediately! And as much as it'd be awesome to dive into writing them (particularly when a severe case of writers' block has struck with the current work), it can't be done because there just isn't enough time.
     Alas, there's no remedy that'll magically enable us to ignore other ideas for just a little while, or grant us super-speed-writing to make the wait for the next project shorter. But there is something that can definitely help us cling to the story we've made a commitment to working on: respect. Having respect for the gift of writing, and respect for the story itself.
    Showing something/someone reverence doesn't just mean to think of something as amazing and wonderful; it can also mean having a deep understanding of how important it is and being unwilling to brush it off as common. Respecting a person means paying close attention to what they're saying and not glancing at your watch to see when you can take your leave. Respecting the gift of storytelling would probably include making quality time for writing and not going about it with a "ho-hum" attitude. And respecting a story (particularly the one currently being worked on) would mean not forgetting what potential it has to be fantastic, giving it time and focus, and sticking with it until it's finished.
    Being able to have this kind of respect is great not only because it helps us keep working on the story to the end, but because the ability to respect something is a really strong character aspect. It makes us better as writers and as people!
    So what are your thoughts? Has respect for writing or the story itself been the vital thing that's ever kept you from giving up?

Zechariah 9:9

 

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey."

Zechariah 9:9 (NKJ)

    What a great prophecy verse! It's poetic, joyful, and it's such a wonderful description of the Lord's coming to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
    It was the arrival of the King of Israel, the Prince of Peace, the One who was prophesied of as the deliverer of His people. Yet in this first coming, He arrived on a donkey--which isn't exactly a regal or powerful animal--and He didn't have kingly robes or a following of warriors. But what He did have that Palm Sunday, as this verse in Zechariah proclaims, was an air of pure humbleness, the ability to reign perfectly as King, and what He came to give to the whole world was life (and soul) saving salvation!
    Which certainly makes a powerful and joyous appearance; amen?
    Happy Palm Sunday!

A Couple of Things One Can Do with Bible Study Notes

    Note-taking is great. It can be a little rushed, sometimes, but when there's no serious pressure to catch every single bit of information, the process is fun and the result is satisfying. And when the subject of the notes is the Bible, or a sermon given by someone talking about the Bible, it's particularly special. Because the material we're taking notes on is the written word of God, and His wisdom is relevant and applicable to every aspect in life.
    But what does a person do when they've got a bunch of Bible study notes though? It seems sad to gather up so many gems of knowledge only to put it in a folder and not look at it again. Finding ways to keep the notes in mind and in constant application is a nice goal, but how to go through with it?
    Well, one thing a person can do with Bible study notes is sort the information into topics like faith, Christ's divinity, or verses about family relationships. This way, key verses and biblical concepts are easy to locate, and each piece of information has personal significance to the person who arranged it.
    Another use for study notes is to make copies and share them with others. One week there was a really popular study series going on at my church, but a family member couldn't make it, so I typed out my notes for her. She kept them, read them, and then gave it to another relative who didn't make it to the study either. The notes obviously weren't a word-for-word transcription of the study, but it got the main ideas down, and they said it was informational.
    It's also really nice to sit down every once and a while and reread notes just for the sake of revisiting the particular study. It's an opportunity to recall lessons learned, figure out the solution to unanswered questions, and memorize concepts supported by God's word. Plus, notes make very nice material for meditation.
    In addition to these things, there's a wonderful concept that creates a nice idea. Very recently, the leader of a Bible study I attend  said that when we read something in God's word that seems directed right at us, we should write it down because it's a personal lesson from Him. Having one particular document or even a book full of these special  things learned would be amazing not just because it'd help remember specific things the Lord has pointed out to us, but because it's really touching to be able to look back and point out all these moments of instruction He's given.
    So there are a couple things one can do with notes from Bible studies. Do you do any of them? Do you have any other ways that you utilize study notes?

Running Out of Time?

    Does anyone else sometimes feel really, really rushed? Not just in a particular activity, but in everything? Like there's always a clock ticking down, draining away time to accomplish things that you really, really, really want to get done? Like time will run out at any moment?
    I'm talking about the fear that the Rapture will come before a person has done all the things the Lord has called them to do; be it a project, or another kind of goal in life. I've been having this kind of worry recently, particularly when I consider how much time I spend procrastinating or investing precious time on less important things. The idea that all this wasted time will accumulate to the point where I no longer have enough time to finish the work before the Rapture tangles me--and surely a lot of others--up inside in knots of nervousness and guilt. And it's really a conflict in the mind too, since we know that fear and worry aren't of God.
    But when one really thinks about it, oversights aren't of the Lord either.
    And in that, there's hope! God doesn't notice anything too late; He's all-knowing and infinite. Before He created any of us, He knew us and our lives inside-out. He knew exactly how much time it would take us to complete a work, even accounting all the time we might spend procrastinating from that work. From the very beginning, He's known just how many hours it'll take for the jobs to be finished, so surely He must have things planned out so that even with occasional bouts of procrastination, the good, fruitful work will be completed in time.
    Not to say that it's okay to be lazy, having the mindset that we have all the time in the world; but the fact that God's gracious enough to grant us all the time we need in spite of our lapses in focus is a real comfort. It's motivating, calming, and it gives a real hope that it's never pointless to keep working on the work God has given us to do. It puts away the fear that time is going to run out and there's nothing we can do about it.
    What do you think? Do you ever worry about the clock striking twelve too soon? Does this idea about God's foreknowledge granting us enough time, wasted hours and all, sound right?

Martin Luther King Jr.: "Faith is Taking the First Step"

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase."

~Martin Luther King Jr.

    Life is a lot like a staircase. A long staircase, with a lot of twists and turns (maybe one of those fancy spiral staircases), and a staircase that you can't see the end of until you're actually there.
    I think certain things we do in life are also like a staircase. A ministry that one commits to, for example, or a career path, or a new relationship. Like a spiral staircase, it's a journey that one can't see the end of from the bottom; one actually has to embark on a trek without knowing what exactly is going to happen, or how long it'll take. When we start a new project or plan, we don't know for sure how it'll turn out, or if it'll even turn out at all! That can make it seem a lot like a risk.
    But it isn't really an unreliable risk with the Lord in our lives, is it? Since we've given ourselves to God, He's placed a purpose in and a diligent plan for our lives, which means that He's got everything figured out step by step, all the way. When He places a "staircase" in our lives to climb, He'll give us the strength and endurance to make it to the top, to a good and fruitful end.
     But to make it up to that good and fruitful end, one actually has to take the first step, which requires faith, as Dr. King states in this quote. To live out God's wonderful plan, one has to believe that He has a plan, a whole set of stairs for us to climb, and that He'll guide us through each one to the end. It takes faith throughout the whole way, but faith is especially needed at the beginning; it ignites the action that starts the whole thing.
    A staircase is a pretty interesting way to picture this, don't you think? :)

Blah! Distractions!

The view outside the window . . .

    Everywhere! Distractions are everywhere!    In the house, at school, at work, by the sidewalks. No matter where I go, there's always something to keep me from doing what I should be doing, or something that's more interesting to think about than the thing I need to be planning for. Even when there's nothing in the room, zoning out or daydreaming happens in an instant, and the minutes get eaten up like crazy!
     And it's not just stuff like that or the Internet or snacking or having a sudden interest in the fish tank in the other room. Distractions tend to involve good things too, like other forms of work; "fun" projects and skill-developing things. Like, for example, designing decorations for an event instead of studying, or reading a great book on writing instead of finishing required reading for class. It's still work, but work that can be put off, and work that keeps a person from doing something that needs to be completed now.

Pets . . .

    But the worst kind of distraction's got to be the kind that one thinks is useful while they're spending time on it, but really isn't. I stopped and began to read a book recently, spent precious hours doing so, thinking "This book has great material! It'll be so useful!" but really I was just enjoying the book for myself, and when the book was finished, I found that I didn't have anything to apply to other kinds of work. And then came that guilty feeling.

And even the way the light shines onto
the wall can be a distraction!

    The guilty feeling that marks the end of the distraction cycle. After the time's been spent, and the distraction's gone, when one thinks about what they have left--which is sometimes really nothing. Guilt, shame, and even anger can come, because it's not just our time that's wasted on distractions, but God's time. He's given us a certain amount of hours, and the thought of some of those precious hours being gone forever because of a thoughtless decision . . . it's really crummy.
    Distractions . . . (cue the long sigh). They'll always be a part of life, which means fighting it is a regular thing too. I guess the only way to really resist distractions and get down to work is to be determined, and to pray (especially the prayer part).
    How do you deal with distractions? Do you put yourself in a place where they're minimal? Or do you have the grit to ignore them and just get the work done?

Motivation

 
    Motivation. Everyone's got to have it in absolutely everything they do. Each and every person has a motivation to get out of bed in the morning--to get prepared for a long day, to go get breakfast, to make the alarm clock shut up. Both small and grand actions require motivation, a reason to do something. A purpose for the work.
    Purpose. What is our purpose? As the designed creations of a Creator? To please Him. To do what He made us for. When someone designs and builds a robot, it's expected to do as it was programmed and equipped for. So it's absolutely appropriate that our divine Creator receives the desired result from His successfully formed creations.
    The fact that serving the Lord is the right thing to do is a very good motivation indeed. But it's not our only one.
    Another factor in our motivation is that God has been so good to us, and we're grateful! He's rescued us and brought us into this fantastic relationship with Him. We've been given an ability to talk with God and to do things not only for but with Him.. These are awesome things! Gratefulness is a natural response that generates a motivation to serve.
    But that's still not all. There's at least one other point from which our motivation to serve God stems.
    Love. God loves us. And thanks to His grace, we can love Him back. Love is the strongest motivation of all, powerful enough to endure pretty much anything. Love was the Lord's motivation when He went to the cross; He saved humanity in His love, going through pain and humiliation for it. In response to this, we give love back to the Lord, give our hearts to Him, and serve with unselfish love. Love for God, and love for all people.
    Respect for God, gratitude for God, and love for God. These all combine for a sole motivation to serve and please the Lord: the Lord Himself! He is our motivation. This motivation gives us strength when we're tired, endurance when life gets difficult, and comfort when we need it most. He keeps us going when the road gets rocky.
    Motivation. Isn't it a wonderful thing?

Hebrews 12:1

 

 

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin with so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,"

Hebrews 12:1 (NKJ)

    With the Olympics happening, this verse easily comes to mind, doesn't it?
    One of the reasons this verse is really awesome is because of the comparison of our living life as Christians to running a long race. The simile is both cool and accurate; life with the Lord is sweet, but it isn't a cakewalk! It takes diligent effort to stay on track. "Run the race" is also a great encouragement to live as fully for Christ as possible, to give things our all, and to keep going until we reach the grand finish line!
    What do you like about this verse?

Colossians 3:23

 

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,"

Colossians 3:23 (NKJ)

    It's great to do a job with genuine joy! Heart makes art, for one. When a person cares about something a lot and puts their heart into working on it, the result is usually spectacular and special--which is important since our work as well as our lives reflect God. And not only that, but being passionate about the work makes it wonderful all the way. Rather than it being just a task, it's something one can enjoy thoroughly; a blessing!
    The fact that the Lord wants us to be blessed in working is so wonderful, isn't it? God is good!

A Few Thoughts On Joseph

    The story of Joseph (the son of Jacob, not the husband of Mary) is a really fascinating one. It's got brotherhood, betrayal, integrity, righteousness, faith in God, an incredible rise to power, forgiveness, and peculiar dreams.
    Said dreams, at first, didn't seem to bring their bearer, Joseph, much good. The first two times he talked about them, he was scolded by his family, his brothers became bitter against him, and they eventually sold him out--literally. Then he ended up in prison interpreting the dreams of prison mates. He had to tell one that he was going to die, and when he asked the other to have someone get him out of prison, he was completely forgotten.
    Then, two years later, he was called up by the country's ruler to interpret his dream. And immediately, Joseph went to do it.
    Which seems incredible considering what had happened to him so far. There were so many things that could've kept Joseph from speaking.
    Fear of something bad happening, for example--this was the ruler of the land; if Joseph did something wrong or even just offensive, he could be executed. Then there was the possibility of bitterness--it's so tempting to be angry when you've been kicked more than once. Joseph also must have been plagued with doubts at some point--his initial dreams about wheat sheaves and the lights in the sky hadn't come to pass yet, after all.
    Fear, bitterness, and doubt. All of these things are powerful motivations to keep quiet. So why did Joseph take the risk? Why did he dare to speak of dreams again?
    In Genesis 41:16 (NKJ), Joseph tells the Pharaoh that: "'It is not in me: God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.'" He understood that God was the one who gave him any wisdom in anything--that He was the one who gave him dreams and interpretations of them. Joseph also believed that God had put him there in that situation and that God had given him things to say of dreams.
    He had faith that God had given him the gift and was willing to risk his life on it--and he was not only righteous in doing so, but right. Since Joseph didn't succumb to fear, bitterness, or doubt, God used him to save more than one nation from a severe famine. He used the situation to give Joseph authority and to reunite him with his family in forgiveness.
    So among being a story of integrity, righteousness, coming to power, and faith, the story of Joseph seems to also be a story of using the gifts that God gives, even when it has a cost.
    Genesis has so many awesome stories like this. Isn't it cool? Which story in Genesis is your favorite?

1 Peter 1:13

"Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;"

1 Peter 1:13 (NKJ)

    To "gird up your loins" is basically like rolling your sleeves up, preparing to do some hard work. I really like how this verse tells us to do this for our minds, to get in a mindset for getting some work done. Like focusing and thinking about useful things. It's also really cool how in the same verse, Peter additionally says that while having a work-ready mindset is vital, our salvation isn't dependent on works but on God's grace. Salvation is a gift; working is a blessing!
    Have a nice week! :)

John 15:5

 

"'I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.'"

John 15:5 (NKJ)

Having Heart In What You Do

    Everyone who's taken on a trade or tried to learn a new practice knows that you've got to care about it--really care about it--and be glad to improve it. Otherwise, as time goes on, you notice imperfections in your work that make you really upset, grasping new concepts becomes more difficult, and practicing becomes tiresome and even boring sometimes. That's when the temptation to quit shows its deceitfully relieving and tempting face.
    You've got to have passion for what you do--not just thinking "I have to do it", but taking heart and really enjoying doing it. Knowing that it's not for nothing.
    For a writer, every paragraph written with eagerness and attentiveness creates a heart-felt passage and flexes their creative muscle. Every song a pianist practices faithfully keeps their fingers flexible and produces beautiful, harmonious sound. Whenever an actor works hard and gladly in the play/musical/opera they perform in, they gift an audience with a real and heart-felt performance.
    When someone really cares about what they do, and they put all they've got into it, the work can really be amazing.

Do It

 

    Procrastination is like a sinkhole, isn't it? It's so easy to put something off! Especially when you can make up excuses to do it later, or find something else that "needs" to be done before you do it. And sometimes, you just don't feel like doing it--you're more in the mood to do something else.
    But then time flies and two days have gone by. Then another day, and another, and another. Then a week has passed. And soon enough, it's too late to do the thing. Sometimes the consequences are small and bearable, but other times, consequences are . . . not so small and bearable.
    My advice is: do it. Just do it. Despite how difficult it might be, even if you really don't feel up to the task, get it done and over with. When you do, it can be very rewarding.
    Procrastination is a beast that must be slain!
    Do you have a specific way to beat procrastination?

1 Corinthians 16:14

 

"Let all that you do be done with love."

1 Corinthians 16:14 (NKJ)

    Why do something if you don't like to do it?
    Not counting chores or other mandatory duties, of course.
    The best things made are those that were made with the labor of love. A real passion to create, a determination to work hard because you deeply care about it. Love is the strongest, most powerful motivation--and sometimes, it's all that gets you to continue on when you'd otherwise want to give up. Love for something is very important in writing and other ministries.
    But I think this Bible verse applies not only to using your talents, but also in "normal" stuff life as well. Like going to school/work--you can do that with love by brightening your teacher/boss's day with enthusiasm and diligence.
    It really makes things better--tasks become more pleasant for everyone. Don't you agree? :)

Acts 2:4

"And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance."

Acts 2:4 (NKJ)

     Now wouldn't that be awesome? One moment, you can only speak English, and the next you can speak in a dozen other languages fluently. Spanish, French, Mandarin, Russian, Japanese, Arabic . . . the skill would certainly open up a lot of job opportunities--and opportunities to spread the gospel.
    As far as I've heard, radical episodes like this are rare these days--but the Holy Spirit definitely still gives utterance to people. Even utterances that are completely foreign to us. The Holy Spirit can make a stuttering person speak with perfect eloquence and He can empower someone who doesn't have a way with words to make perfect sense.
    The Lord has told us not to be afraid concerning what to say because He'll give us the words we need. This verse is a good example of how He does that, isn't it? :)

Wanna Change The World?

 

"If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write."

~Martin Luther

    Would you want to change the world?
    Think about it for a moment--the prospect of changing the world. Making a difference so that something is not the same. That you did something that affected someone. Would you want to do that?
    Because that is what writers do. Well, maybe not every writer changes the entire world, but writers do change somebody's world--including fiction writers. Stories can make a difference in people's worlds, their lives. Stories can show people a real world they never knew existed, teach them truths in a way they can understand . . . God speaks to people through stories.
    Have you ever been changed by a book you read? Which one? :)

Proverbs 12:11

"He who works his land will be satisfied with bread, but he who follows vain things is devoid of understanding."

Proverbs 12:11

 

    I really like working. The feeling of accomplishment is a wonderful one, an awesome feeling. But even the most devout person can burn out when nothing seems to be coming to fruition. That's why I love this verse. It encourages everyone to keep working hard and obtain the promised rewards. Don't you agree? :)

James 1:17

 

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."

James 1: 17

    No variation and no shadow of turning--in modern terms, God isn't going to take the gift back. I sure am glad to hear that, aren't you? Because sometimes I am guilty of neglecting God's blessings or even taking them for granted--for both of those things, I deserve to lose those blessings. But God is so good that He doesn't take them back. Instead, He encourages me and strengthens me--that just warms my heart and makes me love Him more.
    You know what this verse also applies to? Jesus Christ, the ultimate Gift of God, and His grace. He never takes it back. Even when we mess up horribly, He never repeals His grace.
    What an awesome and generous God we love.