By Paula Childers
My dad has been working for the same company for the past 30 to 40 years and he has always been startled at the lack of accountability and integrity the workers have for the company. For example, his co workers will say they got to a job and worked 8 to 5 but they actually worked 9 till 2. And the thing that is most astounding to my dad is that his bosses don't put an end to the blatant lieing and cheating to their company.
This morning I was reading TozerSpeaks and he was talking about the lack of integrity that Christians have as followers of Christ. Just as my dad is in awe of the way his bosses run their company so was Tozer at the way Christians rspond to their callings. So who is our "boss"? Does he care about our actions? Do we actually have a job as Christians? Isn't being Christian about eternal security? That is not only what many believe but it is what many teach. Grace Church teaches we have a strong role in the world today even with our eternal security in tact. So then we must ask ourselves what is our purpose? Is it to just get by until we die? Do we care enough about our calling to find out what we are meant to do on this earth? Tozer says this is a place of preperation for eternity. So are we ready? Are we checking in with "the boss up stairs"? So many questions that need to be answered.
I pray that my love for God increases, my 10 is discovered and that I learn how to live out who I am 100%. I pray that I stop snarking the church living off the lie that "it doesn't matter. No body cares about or even notices". Those are lies I have lived a long time. Not only do people and God care but they are watching. I have no secret power of invisibility and neither do you. God cares and we as a people care too. So let's all check in with the boss with the intent of doing what he asks us to do.
Focus
Something that has always bugged me is seeing a parent with a kid at their heels begging for their attention while the parent ignores the child. Usually this occurs while the parent is in the middle of a conversation. Recently I was hearing yet another conversation in a Christian circle questioning wether or not God talks and if so how and what did he say. This conversation has always annoyed me. Even as a young Christian I was confused by the controversy of God all mighty having a voice. If he is alive why in the world would anyone think he was mute when he talked so clearly to his children in the bible.
So why do many Christians seem unable to hear the voice of God? I am certainly no scholar but I believe it has to do with that parent who is blatenly ignoring their child in order to focus on something or someone else. Of course God processes the ability to knock us over if he so desires and maybe he does do that sometimes but I would think that is against his nature. So maybe, just maybe God is talking but we are so focused on other matters - such as weather or not he talks that we have become blinded to his gentle plea for attention.
Recently I have joined what is called a prophesy team at Grace church. Even though I do hear from God I am being taught how to fine tune my listening skills to expand not just to myself but his loving thoughts to others. What an amazing gift! As we go out this week I pray that we all learn to focus our ears on Him and listen to what "do unto others" he may have for us this week.