Preview 7: "The Day I Stopped Trying"

Rather than give you a straight up preview, I want to summarize the next couple of chapters in the post for today. This will also make up for me missing yesterday. I share about some things that are completely personal for me, but I do believe that it is applicable regardless of your vocation or station in life. We exert so much energy and focus on our jobs and dreams that we sometimes forget that there is grace available. This is where resting in Him is so important.

Psalm 127:1 is considered a song of ascents. In other words, this is what the children of Israel would sing on the way to the Temple. While the words are familiar to most believers, I wonder if the mindset has taken root in our lives. "Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain." What this psalm is not suggesting is that you kick back and do nothing. Instead what this song of ascent does is it forces us to focus on the power and presence of the Lord among us.

In the two chapters of the book that I am summarizing today, I deal with two areas that are very personal. Preaching and building the church. The reason I use Psalm 127 is to help each preacher and pastor to regain their focus. So often we become consumed by what we are doing. We look into the latest models of church success. We catch onto the popular pastor threads and books and use their materials. We try to do an awful lot of stuff that works for others. All in an attempt to advance the Kingdom, build the church, and make a difference.

Thankfully, the Lord knows our hearts. He knows that we want to make a difference. He also knows that we have missed out on the grace He provides to do just that.

Jesus said, "I will build My church..." This tells me that He has this under control. He has laid the foundation, He has provided the laborers, and He will finish the job. We simply partner with Him. When we learn how to rest in our identity, and become secure in this relationship, we will discover that it's not about what we do. It's about who we are in Him and how we partner with what He is already doing.

Henry Blackaby made it so simple in the study "Experiencing God." He said, "Find out what God is doing and join Him." In that one little statement, the Lord brought incredible freedom into my life. I used to be consumed with trying to figure out what I needed to be doing. I placed so much emphasis on my performance. If the church was faltering, it had to be my fault. If we weren't reaching people, I must have been doing something wrong. While there can be some truth to those statements, it is only tied to my unwillingness to partner with the Spirit of God.

How do we find out what God is doing? How do we discover His will in the mist of all of this?

I think the problem is found in the last question and how we apply it. The will of God is not necessarily some THING. The will of God is something that is proved in your life. You discover the will of God within yourself. His will is attached to you. Therefore, it is very important that you learn how to do from your being. And this is where the grace of God comes in. His grace will supply everything you need. In fact, it already has.

While I spend a couple of chapters dealing with "church stuff." I think it's important for us to understand that this applies to every area of life. Keeping our focus on the Lord, and recognizing His ability at work in our lives, is an incredible blueprint for business, family, and relationships. Think about it. Paul said that what ever we do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord. Even the way that we serve is to be done as unto the Lord. When Jesus becomes the center of attention, then everything will center upon His activity in us.

It is time for us to stop treating the will of God like it is some bulls-eye that we have to it. We need to reconcile within our thinking that we are His will in the Earth. This is what He wanted. Image bearers that would carry His likeness. Although we would all do it through different avenues, the reality of His Kingdom can be found everywhere. You can see His Kingdom in a small business, coaching a team, within our law enforcement, and in the home. It's not about trying to do the will of God as it is becoming the will of God where we live and work.

There is grace to stop trying and to start being. Enjoy the journey!