Nothing just happens

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I recently listened to a preach by Paul Scanlon on the well known scripture Romans 8:28. The theology is not new but the way he put it was new for me. It made me think...

When we look at this scripture what happens if we consider a negative of this. Ask yourself 'how many things that have happened to you was God NOT working for your good?' How many? If God is working all things for my good then surely there are literally absolutely no things that God is not using to work for good.

I know there have been disappointments that turned out for good. The first house my wife and I wanted to buy fell through. God founds us a better one. My career choice of drama at school was not available. This led to my current career. Far more stable and fulfilling. I didn't get a recent promotion. I'm grateful now as I would have hated the job and not been up to it.

But what about the really low parts of my life. My mother passing away. My father emigrating. My worst arguments with my wife. My cat being run over. A deal to build a new church falling through. Bad financial decisions. When my children are really ill. When those close to you hurt you. When you let people down and can't repair the damage. Is God at work in these too?

Our assurance is that God is at work in ALL things. As I heard someone say recently "you've got to have a very big God to make sense of all this". And we have such a big God. His ways are higher. His thoughts deeper. His plan is glorious.

How do we know this? God took the horror of false accusations, vicious beatings, meaningless violence, a brutal and bloody death, all done to the kindest most innocent man who ever lived. He took all that and used this for the salvation and hope of the world, He can certainly use ALL things in my life for good.

On YouVersion

How to build a good reputation

Proverbs 3:3-4 Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favour with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.

Few people live in an island completely isolated from others. We are all in some form of community. Many of us have a number of communities we are part of. Whether its the family, the workplace, the church, the friends, the neighbourhood, there are still relationships to be managed.

Despite what we may tell others we actually care what others think of us. It's not a bad desire. We know what we think of ourselves. We know the person we want to be. We just hope that others see past our faults and see our best self. We want a good reputation. But how do you get a good reputation?

Proverbs gives a clear instruction that loyalty and kindness are the key. These oppose self interest, looking out for 'number one'. These aren't surface attributes that we put on every now and again to win favour. We are not kind one day and cruel the next. We are not loyal one day and back-stabbing the next. When the writer says 'write them deep within your heart' he's saying 'make them an integral part of your character'.

This isn't a quick fix. Its probably a daily battle. Loyalty is about looking out for others. Standing by others in difficult times. Lifting them when they are low. Defending them when under attack. It's tough. It takes effort and self sacrifice. It's built over years and shown at its best in the worst of times.

Kindness is a generous spirit. It's thinking the best of people at all times. It's saying difficult things because we want the best for others instead of taking the easy path of 'ear tickling'. It's loving those we would happily see harm come to. It's showing grace and forgiveness. It's going the extra mile. It's not easy and it's a life's mission.

We want the reputation but do want to pay the price. What will I do today to not only show loyalty and kindness but to build it into my character. What will I put to death today, oppose and 'nip in the bud' that fights against this? The things that seek self interest and self gain.

On YouVersion

Its a balancing act

Psalm 2:11 Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling

One of the great things about the global church is the diversity of its expression. If the church really is the body of Christ then its a very broad, mixed and imperfect bunch. I think some of best examples of Churches expressing Christ are those who have acheived 'balance'. This balance is where the whole council of scripture is considered. These churches do not focus purely on one aspect of God's character or one part of the story of the Bible. This doesn't mean the watering down or ommission of difficult doctrines. It means the rightful positioning of all parts within the overarching context of the gospel.

Psalm 2:11 gives a verse where seamingly opposing perspectives are placed together. It says "Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling.".

Service is normally willing. You would associate slavery with fear. Servants have usualy elected to serve. Rejoicing is often associated with happiness and joy not trembling fear. Nonetheless these are together. The reality is I am a servant of Christ, but I am bound to Him much as a slave is bound. I am joyful in Him but must never forget His awesome might and power.

A blog is simply too short to adequately balance and contextualise many of these together. However, God is my friend while He is also my King. Jesus has compassion and forgives whilst He will also judge and condemn. The Holy Spirit both comforts and convicts.

Our best place to know God as fully as we can is where we can hold a number of these contending views in one context much as the Psalmist has in 2:11.

• I will live a life bound to Christ, free in His grace.
• I will rejoice in my suffering.
• I will subject my flesh to a spirit led life.
• I will come just as I am and never be the same again.
• God's will is at work in my choices.
• The Holy Spirit convicts hearts through the words of men and women.

It's a balancing act to not over-emphasise only one half of these statements!

On YouVersion

Everyone has a right to education.

Proverbs 1

1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David's son, king of Israel.

2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. 3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. 4 These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. 5 Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance 6 by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles.

In the western world the right to education has become a norm. We see how essential it is to educate the young, to equip them for adult life and to enable them to support themselves and contribute to the society around them. Where we see other countries in poverty we know that establishing education for all is fundamental to the well-being and development of that community. What a shame we so often neglect these concepts in our own Christian communities.

The same principles stand for us as new born believers. In order to equip us for a mature adult life with God we need to be educated. To support our own development and to contribute to the community around us we need to develop in our education. But this education isn't just head knowledge. The opening of the book of Proverbs promises us that these words teach wisdom and discipline, help us understand the insights of the wise, to build a disciplined and successful life and do what is right, just and fair.

Access to education can be a problem in less developed societies. Praise God for the his word. This is our unending source for education. We no longer have to wonder where to find the resources to equip us for life. He has provided this in His word. I believe in the Church of Jesus Christ. His body. A living and vibrant organism that expresses His life on earth. Yes, its messy. Yes, it has its faults. But it's all part of God's amazing plan. I believe in preaching. The power of the word of God expressed with life, vitality and relevance to every day lives. But if we rest there and don't invest in our own education through engaging with the Bible on a daily basis we will be 'under-educated' and inadequately equipped for all the greatness of a daily walk with Jesus.

I have just committed myself to a yearly bible reading plan. A daily appointment with God. Now I'm good at starting and poor at continuing. But it's my commitment. How are you going to invest in your ongoing education?

On YouVersion

If it feels good, do it!

Romans 8:4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

Welcome to the SatNav generation. Streets upon streets full of cars with little boxes declaring 'in 300 metres turn right', and 'at the next roundabout take the second exit'. Punch in your destination, stick it to the front screen, switch of your brain's personal sense of direction and do as it says! For someone like me who has very poor sense of direction these are quite handy. My SatNav has shown me many a useful shortcut when in less familiar territory. However, I won't speak of the times it has directed me to drive through rivers or private farms!

Prior to the SatNav was the compass. Still used as a primary instrument at sea. But imagine if everyone's compass had a different North or everyone's SatNav had a different map it was following. There would be chaos. It's a picture of the 'if it feels good, do it' culture. Everyone being led by their own personal compass. I want to do it, I enjoy doing it, I'm going to do it. Is that our personal compass?

But what about the 'right' thing to do? There is a true north that all compasses point towards. I could decide what I think is north but in reality it won't help me get to where I want to or need to go. In our everyday life the Holy Spirit wants to provide a true North for us to follow.

My own desires, directed by what feels good, may want to guide me. But let's face it, its a fake compass. When I follow this compass I have placed my frequent idol, self, in the driving seat and told God 'it's OK. I know best'. But I don't. My personal compass is my sinful nature as Romans describes it. It's broken and guides me exactly to the place I don't want to go. The true compass is the Holy Spirit. He guides me to the best I can be, the best God wants for me, the way God intended it to be.

On YouVersion

Project Management 101

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

My work is often focused around projects. Large, complex projects, using vast resources and with significant risk. I also work in an industry that has a poor track record for delivering projects on time and in budget. When things go wrong 3 things are usually to blame

- There was no effective project management

- A clear goal was not established for everyone to aim towards

- The plan was not credible, realistic or adhered to

Yours and my life have got to be some of the most complex projects in the universe. We have been invested with the most precious resource ever (the gospel) and the risks are great. Praise God that these three fundamental issues are in good hands?

Who's the project manager? God - we are God's workmanship. He's the boss. It's his project. We may have a part to play but in the end he is the one doing the shaping and moulding. What a relief. Such an awesome task is in the hands of someone vastly more capable than you or I. If you have ever worked for a really good manager this is a pleasure. They make the burden light and the project a pleasure. They manage the risks and build the team. Its a joy to be involved.

What's the project? Good works - created in Christ Jesus to do good works. He set the mission statement, the goals, the "critical success factors" those things that really matter! There is nothing more depressing than a dead end job with no purpose or meaning. We have the greatest purpose ever. To do God's work!

Who's got the plan? God - God prepared in advance for us to do. He sets the milestones and the objectives. The pace is set by him and the tasks are prepared for us to. We might not see the whole project plan but we are given our daily part to play.

On YouVersion

No-one cares?

Psalm 142:4

Look to my right and see;

no one is concerned for me.

I have no refuge;

no one cares for my life.

I love the honesty of the Bible. Clearly the Psalmist felt very low. Don't we all have moments like this? We dont know if in fact no-one did care or if it just felt like no-one did. I know in my life in fact there are more moments when you feel alone than the ones when in fact absolutely nobody cares. Whether fact or fiction the feeling is just as strong. Isn't being a 'real' christian someone who can be 'real' with God? If you feel like you are alone - let God know. As plainly and as clearly as it feels. The great story of the Bible and God's love is that he cares, his son Jesus cares and invariably he shows it by sending someone to demonstrate it.

Turn it the other way though. Who do you know right now that might be crying out like this. Is God calling you or I to go tell them God loves them? It sounds so simple and obvious. But those three words at the right time are like a kiss from heaven.

On YouVersion