You See Bones, I See an Army (cont,)

We're on the home stretch now, more than halfway through the book, more like 2/3 actually.  Floyd McClung has given us much wisdom.  In this chapter, Watch Out For The Camels, we learn three ways to learn faithfulness and what it means to be a focused person.

Being what the Bible calls a faithful servant is essential to pleasing God and doing what he calls us to do.  Jesus promised that the person who is faithful in little will become "lord over much."  In the same passage, Jesus taught that the servant who is faithful over mammon - things - would earn the right to be a steward of spiritual matters.  In other words, if you don't pay your bills and don't keep your word, professing readiness to obey God is just so much hype.  God can't trust a person with spiritual treasures who is not faithful in the practical issues of life.

Jesus taught in the same passage that a person who has not learned to be faithful in "another man's vineyard" will not be master of his own.  What Jesus meant by this was that learning to serve another person's vision or ministry, learning to be faithful in our service under someone else's leadership, is a prerequisite for being trusted by God to lead others.  Serving people teaches us lessons that prepare us for finding our place in the kingdom of God.

It may help to define what it means to be a focused person.  It means to give a determined, concentrated effort and your full attention to the particular thing God has called you to, such as an assigned responsibility or a commitment to do something.  It means sticking with something until it is finished.

Focus is not just about what we see outside ourselves.  Focused people have a fixed point of reference in terms of their core values and standards as well.  They have inner strength.  Some people may think focused people are stubborn.  I think of them as reliable.  They don't change their message or behavior to please the crowd they are with.

Focused people are not moved by lack of approval.  They have deep inner convictions that allow them to give their attention to the one thing they are assigned by God.

If you are passionate about engaging your culture with others in organic church, you will have to say no to many good things in life.  You will have to reduce the circles in your life, the spheres of activity that draw you away from faithfulness to what you believe in and are committed to.  Simple church requires us to simplify life.

Modernization, with all its advantages, also has disadvantages that can cause us to live a fragmented and harried existence.  We normally live at a hectic, speedy pace that mitigates against what organic church, the ecclesia, is called to be.  You don't have to consciously say yes to sin and temptations to be compromised by our modern way of life; just go with the flow.  Do what is expected of you, and you lose the battle for focused obedience.

Tomorrow we'll look at seven camels that distract us.  But for now let's touch on a couple of the points made above. 

Faithfulness.  Have you ever noticed how God takes us through little things, then builds upon them?  Maybe we start off with making coffee at church on Sunday morning.  We're behind the scenes.  No one really sees us, but if we're not faithful, like if we sleep in instead of showing up on time, there is disappointment and frustration.  If we are faithful, God gives us bigger responsibilities.  It's through this building process that we learn many lessons and God, in turn, continues to mature his disciples.  I was teaching a Bible study last year and we were talking about faithfulness as we studied the story of Ruth.  Someone had an epiphany and said, "I think God is telling me that if I take better care of the things I already have, God may give me more and better things!"  You should have seen how bright that light bulb was that went off in her head!  Since then, she has worked very hard in her home and God has blessed her with better items.  God is faithful.

Focus.  In re-reading this text, I was reminded of two experiences which were quite opposite.  I was sitting with a friend once, just the two of us, discussing a variety of things and learning about each other.  In the hour or so we were together, her cell phone went off with calls to texts several times.  Each time she said "Excuse me," and apologetically took the call or texted back.  None of these interruptions were emergencies, but it seemed as though this was a normal part of her day, to stop whatever she was doing, and respond to whatever distraction came along through her technology.  In contrast, I met with three different ladies this week.  Two were in public settings and one was at her home.  In each case, whether cell phone or home phone, they began ringing.  In all cases, not one lady even flinched to answer.  One even turned off her phone completely.  I must say I felt much more valuable to these three ladies than I did to the first I described.  I saw a maturity in these three ladies that I admired. 

I make it a policy not to interrupt a one-on-one meeting by answering the phone. I believe the person I am with is more important than whatever else may try to interrupt our time together. The only exception is if I hear my child's voice on the message machine saying they are ill and need to be picked up from school, then I will pick up. Otherwise, the call can wait until I'm available to return it.  This decision starts with a time of thought (without distractions), to really consider what is important to us.  We must consider what it is that we value and make sure that lines up with God's principles for how we live our lives.  Life is made up of many choices.  Who we are and what we say and do are the result of the choices that we make.  Are you content with the results of your choices?  If not, spend some time in prayer and seek God to help you determine where you need to make different choices.  Read God's Word (Proverbs is a great place to start) and discover His will in this area. 

Blessings on this cloudy Friday night.