04-08-2019
There is a huge difference between people who do great things and people who live great lives. Attitude plays a role. But perspective is important. As Christians, our perspective is based upon our understanding on how God views us. We can put our faith in Christ but never surrender our lives to him and prefer to run our own lives ourselves.
When Jesus gave them those orders, they had nothing. They didn't even have the completed Scriptures. He decided to give them a lesson on trusting Him.
Jesus taught them a good lesson.
And He gave them a test.
They got an F on the quiz. They could not have died even if the boat sunk.
When God calls us to do something, we have to trust Him.
Some of us are hardwired to look at the glass half full. Others look at it half empty.
Sometimes positive attitude is the human ability to bypass God. It doesn't work that way.
It is abundant thinkers vs scarcity thinkers.
Scarcity thinkers:
Life is a finite pie and everything is limited. Resources, ideas, opportunities, even love are limited.
Abundant thinkers:
They start with a presupposition that there is plenty for everyone. Resources, ideas, opportunities, even love are unlimited.
God wants us to let His abundant presence and power work through us.
We tend to hoard resources, ideas and opportunities... Even love. We are selfish. We are like lawnmower or bulldozer parents.
Some people may be very devoted to the Bible and the church that they become professional critics of God's service. Some are serial Bible study attenders. We come to church for this. It is easy to sit in our evangelical hot tubs. But our journey with God is supposed to be personal.
God has called us to make a difference. He has called us to make disciples. He wants us all to represent Him.
Abundant thinkers share time, ideas, opportunities, profits... And love.
Scarcity thinkers have a difficult time being genuinely happy for the successes of others. They treat other people's blessing as something taken from them. They wither away inside right away. They get wrapped in swallowing the pill of comparison every day. They miss out on shared blessing. They see others as obstacles and challenges as opposed to fellow human beings.
God can't love you more. God loves you completely.
If He loves you based on how you behave and what you do, you'd be dead. For the wages of sin is death.
Abundant thinking Christians love it when good things happen to anybody. They get so excited about what happens in another people's life because they get all the joy. They recognise the intrinsic value in people.
Grace-based relationship is simply treating the people you love the same way God treats you.
Start with humility. It is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.
Scarcity thinkers tend to take it personally. And they build a shrine and continue to worship it. They take on victim status and operate as a victim. They'd be locked down. Jesus sets us free from this stuff. We all get wounded but God wants us to be broken before God and trust Him and identify who Jesus is.
They don't dream and don't give others permission to dream. They'd rather feel good than do good.
Abundant thinking Christians feel the pain and frustration but they know that God is bigger than their problems and troubles. They fall forward in life. Falling is rough and it is hard. A Christian life is a contact sport. Satan is coming after you. Just keep going forward and watch what God does.
We come to church. This is not a country club. This is a hospital. We all get hit. We all get hurt. Some come here because we are lonely. Some of us have to pull the knives from our back.
God wants to come alongside and do wonderful things on you, with you, for you and through you when we let Him have His rightful place. We are a new creation. We are His children. It doesn't mean that life will be easy. But He will be with us.
Understand what an abundant, wonderful God we have and let Him have His rightful place.
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