The Holiness Project – Discipline is Essential

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23 NIV).

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2 NIV).

“It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?  If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons” (Heb 12:7-8 NIV).

5 Spiritual Laws of Success – Discipline is Essential

Focus on YOURSELF, not on OTHERS.

Wait a minute. That can’t be right. Christianity is not about focusing on ourselves but rather on others. That is basic to everything that Jesus teaches, isn’t it?

Well, yes and no. It depends on what you mean. Let me explain.

This theme of “focusing on yourself, not on others” is typical of motivational training seminars and teaching. The idea is to take responsibility for your own issues, your own development, your own discipline and not blame others for your situation. So far, so good. But as a general statement, it just doesn’t sound very Christian.

But I would claim the opposite. It is very, VERY Christian in concept and tone. The problem is our weak-kneed concept of Christianity that has been watered down into a justified “spiritual drift” where nothing happens and nothing is expected to happen. What a waste of potential and gifts!

And the problem is exactly here at the gateway to the disicplined life.

Unless we enter into the disicplined life, full of ambition for the Kingdom of God because we are convinced that everything in life is spiritual and therefore what we do in every area of our life will impact our mission and purpose, our Life Ministry….unless we enter into that disciplined lifestyle, all of the other spiritual laws mean nothing. This is the gateway.

The first two laws (Everything is spiritual and Ambition is expected) are the two necessary mindset steps we must take to get started in the right direction. The last two laws (Stewardship is Simplicity and Leadership is Influence) are the results of our journey and make up the two pillars of our Life Ministry. The gateway is right here. Discipline is Essential.

But let’s start at the beginning. What in the world do we mean by the phrase that we should “focus on ourselves and not on others?” At first glance, it seems to be the opposite of Christianity. But let’s take a closer look. Focusing on ourselves and not on others in terms of what? In terms of blame and responsibility, of course. We tend to blame others, and situations and even God for what happens to us when we need to learn to take responsibility for ourselves, for our response to what happens to us. The shift from blame (justified or not) to responsibility is a key ingredient in maturity (much less spiritual maturity).

With that said, we can agree with this statement. In fact, it is deeply and biblically true that the problem is within us and therefore we need to focus our attention on getting ourselves sorted out. That “attention to ourselves” we call discipline. God disciplines us, the Bible says, because He loves us. If we love ourselves, we should also discipline ourselves.

Let me put it this way.

We need to FOCUS on ourselves so that we can SERVE others.

Now that is more like it. That gets closer to the Christian ideal (although it isn’t quite right yet). We need to FOCUS on ourselves, where sin and temptation and even, sometimes, rebellion can lurk and discipline ourselves and transform our minds so that we can SERVE others for the glory of God. We are the problem. Serving others is the solution. We take responsibility for ourselves so that we can serve and help others with their issues and journey. That is more like it. But we are not quite there yet.

This is really what the gurus are talking about when they say “focus on yourself, not others.” So we can agree. But we actually haven’t entered into the world of Christianity quite yet. We are closer. With this step you can become a potentially better human being, motivated to take responsibility for yourself, deal with your issues and start to provide value by serving others (and potentially getting paid to do it). So far, so good. But again, nothing here is particularly Christian…..yet.

The next step is crucial.

The Bible doesn’t tell us to focus on ourselves. Yes, we need to take responsibility and stop blaming others for our situation. Perfect. But the Bible has a particular solution to the problem of sin. That solution is Jesus Christ. All of the motivational talk is about taking responsibility for ourselves, creating a disciplined lifestyle, having a goal to strive for and so on. All fine and dandy, but it doesn’t deal with the basic problem of our alienation from God which is at the heart of the problem of the human condition.

Does that mean that it doesn’t work without God?

No, it works well. It is a creational truth that a disciplined life toward a worthy goal will produce the best results that can be expected in this life. No doubt. The problem is, as Jesus pointed out, “what good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36 NIV).

Christians look deeper and go further into the problem than anyone else. We have an eternal rather than a temporal perspective. The issue, at the end of the day, is our relationship with God. That is at the heart of all of our problems. That can only be solved by Jesus Christ and what he did on the cross to save us from that ruined relationship.

For Christians, then, it isn’t enough to “focus on ourselves” to solve the problem. Actually, that may solve some temporal problems and the advice is still good in general terms but, without a “focus on Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2 NIV), we aren’t dealing with the heart of the issue.

It starts with our identity which has changed significantly. There is no “me,” only “me in Christ” – a new creation. We actually believe that this is the true, normal state for a human being. Already in our original creation in the Garden of Eden, God created us as a hybrid being of body, soul and spirit – fully integrated and dependent upon our relationship with God as an essential element of our identity.

The idea of “self” (generally understood as independent from God) is not a Christian concept, although it is a daily reality. The “self” without God is not normal (although it is common). The “self” with God is normal. We lost that identity and it is only restored “in Christ.”

If God exists, then he is necessary.

If God is a person, then a relationship with Him is necessary.

If God is a loving person, three-in-one, then a relationship of love (rather than obligation) is necessary.

We lost the ability or the desire to love God as a necessary ingredient to our self-identity, self-worth and self-esteem. It can only be restored through Jesus Christ. This is basic Christianity.

But let’s get practical for a moment.

Why does it matter to get this right? In terms of daily disciplines, what changes, what would be different for a Christian as over against someone who is not “in Christ?” The answer is not much….and everything. It’s like the difference between sleeping with a harlot and sleeping with your wife. On the one hand, it is all pretty much the same in terms of the mechanics. But it is completely different in terms of the relationship. The same is true here. The difference is love and love is the most transformative power that exists in this world.

For example, one of the key issues in personal development is forgiveness. Having the ability to forgive yourself and others is essential for you to have the emotional maturity to move on, change your story, think differently about yourself and your future and your abilities. As I said above, it affects your sense of self-identity, self-worth and self-esteem. All of these things are essential for self-discipline which is the gateway to the better life so many of us are striving for (although the word “better” has to be interpreted correctly as well).

Here is the achilles heel of the whole self-improvement, personal development world.

Some people already have a head start and grew up with a strong sense of self and feel that they are worthy to become all that they can be. From a Christian point of view, we know that they are simply deluded. They are de-sensitized to their own failings, especially in terms of their relationship with God (or they have sanitized that as well by being good, god-fearing folk that go to church).

Other people, in fact, most people, know themselves better than that and live with the constant, lurking sensation that they are NOT worthy of making every effort, of self-discipline towards a worthy goal, of a better life that fulfills all of their potential. That lurking suspicion that all is not well in their own hearts can be just as true of people outside the church as inside the church. It usually comes as a result of trauma done to them (usually as a child) which was self-interpreted as meaning that they were not worthy of better treatment. Or as a result of some selfish or traumatic act that they inflicted on others for which they blame themselves (addiction, abuse and the like) which is also self-interpreted (rightly or wrongly) as meaning that they are not worthy of a better life, fulfilling their God-given potential.

And that is exactly the point. It has to do with God. They are not right with God. They are not right with themselves. They are not right with the world. They see themselves as “not worthy” of the effort or the self-discipline needed to change their life. After all, they think to themselves, God (or the Universe, or themselves) will only sabatoge their efforts in the long run anyway. So why bother. Why should I even try?

Now, there is no point in saying that they are wrong. They aren’t wrong. They are right. We are responsible for our sin (even when it is addiction, abuse or abortion) and there is no way to get out of it. We can’t convince ourselves to just forgive ourselves so that we can move on with our lives. That is the best advice that the world can give us. It is true but it just doesn´t work. We can’t be fooled that easily. Sometimes we try, but we always default back to the ugly truth that we are not worthy.

And there is also no point in saying that all human beings are intrinsically worthy and that we all deserve to have a better life. That is also not true. We were all intrinsically worthy at the beginning of time in the garden of Eden but now? Now that we have rebelled against our Creator and have created a world so full of hurt and pain and evil that it is almost beyond belief. Our individual faults, sins and trauma are simply proof positive that we cannot escape the condemnation of a good and loving God on all things evil and hurtful. That includes us. In fact, it includes all of us. Not one of us is exempt (Romans 3:23). There is no escape that way either.

And we know it.

Yes, some people seem to be able to move on. Some people seem to be able to forgive others and restore a relationship sufficiently for them to recoup some semblance of self-worth but forgiving ourselves is still the most difficult thing for any of us to do. Why? Because we know the truth. We know what we intended. We know our motives. We know, worst of all, that we “wanted” to do it. God help us. We actually “wanted” to hurt that person, or fulfill our abusive desires, or solve a problem in the most expeditious way possible, everybody else be damned, doing the right thing be damned, focused on our selfish need or desire above all else. Yes, we know the truth but this truth does not set us free. It enslaves us. And rightly so.

So the utilitarian solution that forgiveness is good for us or the philosophical solution that we are all intrinsically worthy of the effort of self-discipline, neither one works. Not really. And we know it. There needs to be a better solution. One that doesn’t deny the act, or soft-sell its implications and effects on others (and ourselves), one that truly heals, truly restores, truly makes us worthy once again. That solution is Jesus Christ.

What sets the forgiveness of Jesus Christ apart from every other effort at forgiveness is that it doesn’t deny the horrid nature of the sin or the destructive nature of the evil inherent in the act itself. It, rather, looks sin and evil square in the face and deals with it in the only way that even remotely has a chance of changing things for us. God, in fact, makes sin and evil WORSE but claiming that the only solution is to have his only son, whom he loved with all his heart, come to earth to die on a cross a horrible death and, in fact, endure hell and the wrath of God on our behalf.

God makes it WORSE not better by making the cross the only solution. So much for our efforts to trivialize our moral failures. And it makes sense, doesn’t it? Love can never trivialize sin and evil. Love is horrified by it. Love is enfuriated by it. Love goes to war against evil to eradicate it. God does the same. The trick is to eradicate sin and evil without destroying his children who are deeply infected by it. That “trick” was the love of God shown in the cross of Christ.

When we are faced with the need to forgive others or ourselves, God, in essence, is saying first of all that this sin was so bad that the only solution is the cross. Accept that. Don’t deny it but embrace that truth. That is the first step in healing. Confession. We know it is true anyway.

Then God asks us a second question. Will you accept the death of my son, Jesus Christ, as sufficient payment for the sin against you by others or the sin against yourself that you did to yourself? Yes, it is terrible. There is a price to pay. Only Jesus Christ can pay that price. Will you accept that payment? If you don’t accept that payment, then there is no hope and all that awaits you is the moment when you will pay the price yourself, or the other person that sinned against you will pay that price. Remember that if you can’t apply the cross to the sins of others, it won’t be applied to your own sins either (forgive others to be forgiven principle Matthew 6:14).

When you realize that your sin and evil are truly horrible and that the only solution is to accept that Jesus Christ needs to make that payment for you in the presence of God, then you are on the way to healing. There is still a further step and that is repentance. This is not pennance which you must do in order to be forgive. You can´t pay the price. Only Christ can pay the price. It is too expensive, too difficult, too far out of our reach. This is repentance which comes after you are forgiven. Confession is a moment. Repentance is a lifetime. Forgiveness is a moment. Reconciliation is a lifetime. Repentance is not a pre-requisite for forgiveness but rather a pre-requisite for the healing that comes from forgiveness.

Repentance demonstrates to others (and yourself) that you are a new creature, that the forgiveness was real and sincere, that your heart has truly changed. Forgiveness comes with a price (or better put “with a prize.”) Forgiveness is a relational truth. It is not merely transactional, but transformational. Love transforms you through an ongoing relationship. You now belong, body and soul, to Jesus Christ and you now have a restored relationship with God. The “independent from God” you no longer exists and the “in Christ” you is the only truth you need to live by.

Ok, that’s a bit of a long explanation and there is even more to say about Confession, Repentance, Forgiveness and Reconciliation, but you get the idea. Forgiveness based on the cross is a powerful element for transforming lives. Without an ongoing committment to following Christ, that forgiveness cannot be yours. It is only for those who now choose to walk (not perfectly but intentionally) through their life in the presence of God and with the help of Jesus Christ. He is not only the author of our faith but also the finisher. His help is essential in this process of self-discipline that leads to a better life that fulfills all of our potential and gifts. Remember that God has a wonderful plan for your life and that His glory is shown in a man or woman who is “fully alive” in Christ.

Therefore, this transforming power of forgiveness is not available to people who are interested in just doing their own thing, creating their own lives, leaving God out of the picture.

No, this is Christian forgiveness for men and women who are now living out the rest of their lives as a “life ministry” where everything is spiritual, where spiritual ambition is expected and where they know that joy and peace and love await them in a wonderful life that is under the care and guidance of their loving Father focused (in many unique and creative ways) on sharing the great rescue operation that God is carrying out in this world of sin and evil and rebellion.

If you don’t share that conviction, then Christian forgiveness won’t work for you. There is no middle ground. There is no forgiveness without a life of grateful repentance. Sorry.

The point is that the next step is self-discipline.

It is the gateway to this wonderful life that God has in store for you. That is why it is an essential step in the five laws of spiritual success. But now self-discipline is possible. You may have to work on your identity in Christ issues. You may have to remind yourself of your forgiveness, how terrible your sin was (or the sin of others towards you, or both), and how necessary the cross is and how new you are now as a “new creature” in Christ. That’s why you need to focus your attention on Jesus Christ, not on yourself in order to receive the healing, deal with the problem of sin and evil within on an ongoing way so that you can serve others, provide solutions and value for others, in the marketplace, in your relationships, in your life ministry.

Self-discipline is essential. There is no way around it. Verse after verse in the Bible talks about the priority of the fruit of your labor, the harvest of your efforts, the results of your transformation. Why? Because the results rather than “the reasons you didn’t do things” is what tells you that it was real. Our ability to delude ourselves is massive. Results tell the truth. Always have. Always will.

Even God is interested in results. Not because He doesn’t love you but because He does love you. This great rescue operation that He has put all of His effort into isn’t a game to Him. It is a deadly serious business. It is a question of life and death…..eternal life and death actually. Results are everything. Results tell the truth.

There are no results without self-discipline. There is no self-discipline without spiritual ambition. There is no spiritual ambition without a conviction that everything is spiritual and your life is a ministry no matter what it is that you do or how you express it. Stewardship and Leadership are the results of self-discipline and they are essential in co-creating with God a wonderful life of effective ministry. Self-discipline is key.

The Desert Warrior

Lord, I always thought of discipline as a dirty word. It always made my heart sink when I heard it because I know how weak I am and how quickly I fall to temptation. But you promise me that as I focus on Jesus and what he did for me on the cross, my heart will be filled with gratitude and I will be able to take baby steps with your help in the right direction. I realize that I am far more powerful than I knew and that I can do all things that are your will when I have your strength in me. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

The Holiness Project – Ambition is Expected

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13,14 NIV).

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23,24 NIV).

The 5 Spiritual Laws of Success – Ambition is Expected

The problem with “ambition” is that it is a dirty word among Christians. It is intrinsically bad, or sinful, or wrong in the eyes of many people. It sounds selfish. It sounds worldly. But it is not. There. I said it. The cat is out of the bag. I am an ambitious person. And I believe that God wants me to be.

Apparently Paul was fairly ambitious as well. His famous statement that he forgets the past and strives towards the future is quoted by many Christians and self-help gurus alike. Ambition is a normal part of our human existence. What makes our ambition “spiritual” has more to do with the rest of Paul’s quote. He says that his ambition is to “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14 NIV). Now we’re talking…

Of course this verse also stirs up some controversy among Christians but that is easily resolved. A light reading of Paul’s famous words might make you think that he has to “press on” and “strive” toward the goal of salvation. But that would go against everything else Paul says in each and everyone of his letters and teachings. No. Our salvation is a gift and there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1) but that doesn’t mean that there is no “prize” and that therefore all ambition is squashed and there is no significant work to be done. Far from it….

What, then, is that “prize” that Paul is striving for with all of his might? First of all, let’s be clear that Paul must “win” the prize. He is using sports language here. His effort will have a reward but if he doesn’t make every effort to achieve it, he may be saved but he would lose his “prize” or reward. Secondly, it is a prize that is rooted in his purpose. It is the prize “for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” What does that mean? Simply this. It is the prize that comes from fulfilling your spiritual purpose.

We have been called “heavenward in Christ Jesus.” We are on the way. The destination is certain but the journey has purpose. If it were not so, why doesn’t God just allow us to die and go to heaven right away and skip the heartache, difficulty, temptation and persecution that awaits us in this life. No. There is a journey and a purpose and a significance to our life that must come first and to the degree that we fulfill that purpose, to that degree we will “win” the prize, receive the reward, reap the harvest of our spiritual ambition.

You see, that’s the problem. You can universalize the first part of the verse to say that ambition is good and that it is even in the Bible (which is generally true) but without the second part of the verse, you miss the deep truths about spiritual ambition. Spiritual ambition is expected.

Ambition is related to goals but goes a bit further. Ambition is the attitude that empowers goals. It is the motor that motivates us to pay the price to accomplish our goals. Ambition is a vision, an emotion connected to that vision and a hunger to fulfill that vision. Those are deep issues. The problem is, of course, sin. Are those ambitions rooted in a need for security that only God can provide? Is it an ambition rooted in a weak self-esteem that desires fame and celebrity status when only a God-esteem in Christ can satisfy that deepest human longing? Is it an ambition for wealth and fortune when only God can be our provider? These are all secondary ambitions but they can often dominate our lives if we do not have the spiritual insight and maturity to deny them and seek the only ambition that God desires from us. The spiritual ambition to fulfill our purpose as our primary way to please God.

I was listening to Jim Rohn this morning. He was talking about his discussion with his mentor when he was only twenty-five years old. His mentor told him, “You should set a goal to become a millionaire.” Obviously, Jim was pleased. He loved the idea. But his mentor wasn’t done yet. He said, “You should set a goal to become a millionaire, not because of the money but because of the type of person you will become in the process.” That was an eye-opener. And very true. But there’s a catch.

Yes, it is true that what you do (and what you don’t do) in your life will affect who you become. My brother was a policeman most of his life and his rigid approach to the law affected his relationships (especially with me) though he was unaware of it. If you become a salesman, or a housewife, or a politician or a pastor, all of it will affect who you become, how you think, what values and principles you believe in.

Some values and principles you have from your childhood and you maintain them throughout your career but others are forged in the battle for the hearts and minds of all people in the context of living life. Opportunities to compromise or downright violate what we believe come to us regularly. Life shapes us. Our careers shape us. Our relationships shape us. But mostly our decisions shape us. Our purpose, whether chosen or thrust upon us by circumstance, shapes who and what we become. This is all self-evident.

Now, perhaps you aren’t so inclined to set a goal of becoming a millionaire but you may decide that you want to become a leader in your chosen field. Another worthy enterprise. Maybe you want to start your own business. Perhaps you want to become a manager or even the CEO of the company you’re working for right now. Worthy goals. But it is who you become in the process that will either make or break you. So any talk of ambition itself being wrong is not helpful. Ambition is a given since we must have purpose, goals and a vision for our lives. The question is whether or not it is a “spiritual ambition.”

“Now, wait a minute,” you say. “Can’t I have both spiritual ambitions for my personal and church life and normal ambitions for my career or business life?” Well, yes and no. You can but it may not please God. So if pleasing God is your highest ambition, then you will have to do some thinking about how to make your entire life and all of your ambitions pleasing to Him. And that is something that is not often taught in churches. Not only is it expected that you have one purpose, one vision for your life that integrates both your redemptive and your creational life, it is essential in order to accomplish that integrated self-actualization in Christ that is what the Bible calls sanctification.

Remember the phrase – “The glory of God is in man fully alive (in Christ)” by St. Irenaeus (I added the words “in Christ” to make it clear what he was trying to say). Becoming “fully alive” in Christ is the goal. Everything is spiritual. There aren’t two sides to your life. It is all one and it is all “in Christ.”

As a Christian, you now believe that your “wonderful life” that God desires for you can only be found “in Christ” and that, therefore, you know that if you make pleasing God your overarching ambition in life, you will find joy and peace and happiness even in the midst of tragedy, difficulty and even failure. That is a life worth living.

There is nothing wrong with setting a goal to become a millionaire so long as it fits within your overarching ambition to please God and fulfill His purpose for your life. The assumption is that becoming a millionaire is essential to your purpose (it may not be), since resources are always needed even in the Kingdom of God. If you do not become “fully alive in Christ” on the road to becoming a millionaire, then something is wrong but, for a person who is clear about his stewardship role and his kingdom purpose, there is nothing wrong with that ambition. It becomes a spiritual ambition when it is truly in service for the Kingdom of God and comes from an overriding ambition to please Him in everything you do.

One final thought about our purpose. That is a big topic for another day but one thing can be said about it. The overall vision is to participate in the great rescue operation of the hearts and minds of the people in this world that you, yourself, come into contact with and can influence whatever it is that you do. How you do that is as unique and varied as are the people themselves. In this process we become fully alive.

So the first thing to do is become committed to our spiritual ambition to do everything in life under the auspices of God’s good pleasure. Then we need to become clear about what gifts, abilities and passions we have and start to master them, become better at them, develop the skills, the knowledge, the experience we need to use them wisely and well. Passion is about us. Mastery is about our gifts and abilities. Purpose is when we use our passion and mastery for the benefit of others. It is a great adventure and a wonderful life. Enjoy it.

The Desert Warrior

Lord, I want to become everything you meant for me to be. I want to accomplish that “prize” of being Christlike, to share his purpose, passion and plan but with my own twist, my own gifts and abilities. I know that that is the path to becoming “fully alive in Christ.” Keep me from temptation and help me to master my passion and transform it into purpose. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

The Holiness Project – Everything is Spiritual

“The glory of God is in man fully alive”  St. Irenaeus

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.  Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1: 27, 28 NIV).

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1: 31a NIV).

5 Spiritual Laws of Success – Everything is Spiritual

“Thank you for another week of self-discipline and success in fulfilling my daily tasks. I know that I can do all things (that are your will) through Christ who strengthens me. I am learning to have a grateful and positive attitude towards life.  After all, you have wonderful plans for me.  I believe that those plans include writing, publishing and selling my books, seminars and movies as well as becoming a Spiritual Life Coach, International Speaker/Podcaster and Author…”

That’s how I start my daily prayers each morning.

Not that I am a great prayer warrior or anything but, after many years, I finally realized that my goals and dreams were in alignment with God’s plan for my life and, therefore, in faith, I can ask for anything and he will give me his blessing and increase. God is enthusiastic about supporting my efforts and ambitions to further the Kingdom of God.

There is so much to say about each aspect of those two or three preceding paragraphs, I hardly know where to start. But the most important thing is to point out the overwhelming experience of relief and joy and satisfaction that comes from the alignment of your goals and dreams with the overall plan that God has for your life. It truly is wonderful.

That is the experience that God wants for each one of us. We need to be convinced that God has a “wonderful” plan for our lives. We need to know without a doubt that if we focus on the furtherance of the Kingdom of God with all of our effort and ability, we will find joy and peace and significance we can hardly contain. It is a statement of faith to even look in this direction, to be dedicated to finding that alignment here and not in worldly pursuits, to believe that what God holds for us is better than anything else we could ever imagine. That statement of faith is like music to God’s ears.

So let me try to point out a number of key elements to this alignment process….

First of all, when the gurus talk about having a purpose beyond yourself in order to find meaning in life, they are only half-right. Yes, our focus needs to be on something beyond ourselves, beyond our own desires, our own needs, our own thinking. No doubt.

But for a Christian that isn’t enough. Otherwise, you could dedicate yourself to the betterment of humanity, working with orphans and the poor and you would be satisfied that you did something worthy with your life. That, indeed, is satisfying but it is NOT enough.

Not for Christians who live in a world impregnated with the presence of a God who loved them so much that he died a horrible death for their salvation. Not for people who understand that there is a battle for the human heart that will have eternal consequences. No. That’s not enough.

Our purpose must be relational. Our purpose is “in Christ.” It is the same purpose as Christ had and continues to have….through us. Only that purpose is enough for those who have been bought with a price. Everything else is worldly, that is, without God.

Secondly, when I talk in my prayer, about becoming a Spiritual Coach, International Speaker/Podcaster and Author, it is true that I see that as my purpose in life. No doubt. But even that purpose is not enough. It doesn’t go deep enough. There is another element to all of this that we cannot ignore.

Even the gurus understand that the purpose or goal, in and of itself, is not really the true measure of success. It goes much deeper. It is “who we become in the process of pursuing worthy goals” that is the true measure of success in life. And once again, the gurus are half-right.

In order to succeed, you must spend time on yourself, develop yourself, develop your philosophy of life (wisdom), decide on the attitude you will take (values and beliefs) and determine the price you are willing to pay (discipline) in order to accomplish your goals in life. No doubt. Good stuff. Just not enough.

For us, the whole process is relational. It is about pleasing God and God is certainly pleased when our highest goal in life is to please Him above all. His goal for us is to become like Christ and, for Christ, pleasing God was like food and water……like breathing. When we are willing to sacrifice all of our small ambitions in order to attain His pleasure, then we are ready to think about the specific ways we can further the Kingdom of God and participate in his great rescue effort for the eternal hearts of mankind.

In other words, identity and relationship come BEFORE purpose and plans. As it should be.

Thirdly, the truth of the matter is that there is a process that we all need to go through to get to the point where our dreams and abilities are in alignment with the purpose and plan of God in the context of our ongoing walk with Him. There is a process. The gurus talk about it as well and they, once again, got it half-right.

Yes, work on yourself. No doubt. But what, exactly, do we work on? It almost doesn’t matter where you start. Just start. Start with some form of self-discipline. Start exercising regularly. Fix the things in your life that you have been putting off for far too long. Make a decision as to a new direction you need to take. All of these things, from a practical point of view, will start to develop you as a person.

Exercise will force you to start to discipline yourself and your time. Fixing things that need to be fixed (whether around the house or in terms of relationships etc) will teach you not to live your life putting things off all the time. Making decisions (about whatever) and then following through to implement your decisions daily is an essential habit to develop.

You could look at the book by Stephen Covey called the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and get a good start or listen to motivational speeches on YouTube to get some practical advice. All of it good stuff…. but it isn’t enough, not for Christians.

At the same time that we are exercising our worldly disciplines, we need to be exercising our spiritual disciplines and, when we do, our worldly disciplines also become spiritual because everything, for a Christian, is spiritual.

What do I mean? Our spiritual or God-related disciplines have to do with things like reading the Bible, prayer and meditation, worship and church-community engagement and interaction, evangelism and so on. In some ways, these are simply the tatics that we use to accomplish the strategic goal of a deeper relationship with God.

Getting to the spiritual maturity of wanting nothing more than to please God above all allows you to discover that He has a wonderful plan for your life that includes and develops your greatest dreams and abilities and produces true joy and peace even in the midst of difficulties and even persecution. That is the definition of success that God has and that we, as we mature in Christ, come into full and enthusiastic agreement with.

The interesting thing is that it is all a process. That alignment is not obvious at first. When we first become Christians, we need to take it on faith that God has a wonderful plan for our lives but He may not reveal what that is right off the bat. There is a process and it is a necessary process.

Right now, as you are reading these words, you may be excited by the prospect of pursuing something that you really want to do and you are hoping for God’s blessing on it. Hoping is good but faith is better. Where do we get that conviction of faith that we need? It comes through a process. The process of Christian maturity.

Pursue your dreams. No doubt. But also puruse God. Wherever there is some dissonance, some difference, something that doesn’t fit, choose God. That’s a great place to start. There is dissonance because we are still full of sin, we still don’t know what we want, we still don’t really know, like and trust God enough to give him eveything and trust that He will give us joy and peace and significance in return.

There may be disappointments as we pursue God. We may get off track. We may be out of alignment or not be able to see the path before us. The question always remains. Is God first? Is He who you are pursuing or is it your dreams? Are you willing to put God aside if necessary depending on the situations you face as you pursue your dreams? Then you know you are off the track.

Knowing in your heart that you are pursuing God and that God wants you to pursue your dreams is very different from pursuing your dreams hoping for the help and approval of God. It’s the difference between hope and faith, between pursuing God and pursuing something else, anything else.

Did you get that?

For many people, God is there to help us pursue our dreams and for us to developed ourselves and fulfill all of our potential, to become self-actualized. For Christians, we are here to help God pursue his dream, his goals, his purpose and, in the process, to be developed by God in all of our potential, to become Christ-actualized.

After all, that is what St. Irenaeus meant when he said that “The glory of God is in Man fully alive?” I always add the words “in Christ” to the end just to make it clear what he meant. “The glory of God is in Man fully alive in Christ.”

God is not here to help us develop all of our potential and fulfill all of our dreams rather, we develop all of our potential and dreams by helping God accomplish his eternal goal of saving mankind from their sin. That can be done in a thousand ways with all of the creativity and diversity that you might expect from a world full of totally unique individuals. No doubt. But there is an abyss between the two mentalities. One is focused on God who empowers our dreams and the other is focused on our dreams hopefully (in our minds) empowered by God.

Let me give you an example from marriage.

There is no doubt a lot of good advice in the Bible about relationships and communication and forgiveness and gentleness and so on that would be useful in marriage. But that isn’t the same as a marriage that is focused on God and empowered by the Holy Spirit who uses that same Biblical advice to improve their marriage.

A man came to me once and told me how concerned he was about his wife’s involvement in the church. “She is too religious for me,” he said. “I am a Christian, too, but she takes it too far and I am afraid that it will affect our marriage.” We talked for quite a while and I was able to help him see that his wife’s committment to God would actually help improve their marriage. “After all,” I told him, “she has commited herself to following God and one of God’s key expectations is that she would prioritize her marriage and do everything in her power to make it work.” That seemed to make him feel a bit better but he was still uneasy.

I know what his problem was and it is a problem that everyone who is not a Christian has. They want to be the priority in the life of their spouse. Not God. Some people see God as competition and that is true if you aren’t a Christian. The real problem with this man is that he was not truly a Christian himself and therefore did not prioritize God above his wife and family. If he did prioritize God, he would find joy and peace and their marriage would be stronger. Everything is spiritual if you are a Christian but nothing is spiritual if you are not. The difference is significant. It is the difference between happiness and joy, between success and significance, between love and ambition.

There is more to say, of course, but that is enough to get started with. Having that personal experience of realizing in faith that there is joy and peace in that wonderful life that God has in store for us as we pursue our life ministry, is essential.

But for that to happen, first we need to have a purpose beyond ourselves (what some of the gurus like to call a “transcendent” purpose) that is focused on our purpose in Christ. It is specific in its focus even while it is broad in its application. Our life is a ministry and our ministry is focused on the furtherance of the priority of God in the lives of people.

The second thing that needs to happen is that we go back one step from our purpose (which includes our dreams and abilities) to focus on our relationship with God and pleasing Him as the foundation of our lives. Who we are in Christ and the working out of that identity in Christlikeness is essential for finding that wonderful life that God has prepared for us.

And then, thirdly, we need to be aware that this whole thing is a process. We pursue God and He tests us, He challenges us, He leads us in paths we do not always want to go, He teaches us about the power of confession, repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation rooted in the cross, He brings us to a place of spiritual maturity as we walk in the Spirit everyday and in that process we discover that our abilities and dreams are in alignment with our relationship with God. We go from hoping for the blessings of God to knowing in faith that God wants us to pursue our dreams and goals but always with Him, in His presence, holding His hand tightly, fiercely and vowing never to let go. That is what pleases Him.

Purpose. Identity. Process. It’s the same for the gurus but without God. With God is so much better.

Yes, everything is spiritual. Everything has to do with God. Everything has to do with our walk in the Spirit. You can pursue other worthy goals in life if you want. I suppose that’s better than sitting around doing nothing (even in the church) but for the true desert warrior, there is only one course of action to take – pursuing God.

Created for His pleasure
The joy of the Lord is my strength.
Getting rid of all my small ambitions
to make this one thing the hallmark of my life.
To please God.
Whether I get what I pray for or not,
whether my circumstances change or not,
whether I am healed or not.
To consider every sacrifice a small price to pay
to obtain the pearl of great price.
His pleasure.

The Desert Warrior

Lord, I want to pursue You. That’s it. Full stop. Just you. But you tell me that, if I am dedicated to you, I will also dedicate myself to my marriage, my family, my relationships, and also to the development of my full potential as a Child of God in the furtherance of your kingdom. You promise me joy and peace if I pursue you and dedicate my life to ministry. I believe you. Thank you for the gift of a wonderful life living in Your presence and with your blessing. In your name I pray. Amen.

The Holiness Project – The 5 Spiritual Laws of Success (continued)….

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13 NIV).

“Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4 NIV).

“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3 NIV).

“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done” (Matthew 16:26,27 NIV).

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” (Luke 16:10,11 NIV).

My apologies to those who just want to get on with talking about the 5 Spiritual Laws of Success. Upon reflection, I realized that I needed to give this whole idea a bit more of an introduction than just one post. So this post continues from the last one…..

The 5 Spiritual Laws of Success (continued)….

In the last post, I tried to differentiate these 5 spiritual laws of success from the whole Prosperity Gospel thing. Like most heresies, it is based on a half-truth. God DOES want to prosper us (even financially) but He prioritizes our Christ-like character first (including our stewardship) and defines prosperity and success in terms of eternal values and a higher purpose (saving mankind from their sin). This perspective is what we call “spiritual.”

I also pointed out the fundamental differences between an Old Testament citizen and a New Testament saint. God’s purpose and plan was different in the Old Testament. A specific country, a moral light to the nations, a religious and cultural context to understand the cross and even to bring Christ into the world. It was glorious.

But the New Testament (even though based on the Old Testament) has a new plan and a more specific purpose to go and make disciples (not merely be a light to the nations, although that too). The whole world is our “land” even though we are wanderers and strangers, living in the desert, seeking the new Jerusalem, the promised land in the presence of God. We are like the Davids, the Solomons, the prophets of old, the heros of faith, the Rebeccas and Rahabs who lived as Old Testament citizens but had spiritual and leadership roles that were more specific and brought more pain and suffering and grief. If you don’t believe me, just read about the heros of faith and what happened to them in Hebrews 11.

Finally, I also mentioned Bill Bright and his 4 Spiritual Laws which are focused on salvation and the conversion process. Here we are talking about discipleship (what comes after conversion). Bill Bright coined the phrase (with solid Biblical backing) that “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” Without Christ, you cannot know that “wonderful” life. So true. That foundation is essential which is why this blog post and this theme is for Christians even though there are universal truths to be found here as well.

I finished my last post by giving you the 5 Spiritual Laws of Success and I will repeat them here again for you to have in mind.

The 5 Spiritual Laws of Success

1.  Everything is Spiritual
2. Ambition is Expected
3. Discipline is Essential
4. Stewardship is Simplicity
5. Leadership is Influence

But before we go any further, I have come to the conclusion that one of the key parts of this whole process is how we anchor these 5 spiritual laws of success into our ongoing discussion on holiness and Christian maturity. Specifically, how do these laws of success “square” with our discussions on confession, repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation. Good question.

We will find ourselves coming back to these questions over and over again as we discuss success and prosperity. I plan to take popular quotes from big name speakers like Tony Robbins, Jim Rhon, Les Brown and others and reflect on them and try to root them in the Scriptures (but not throwing the baby out with the bath water). What we will find is that these people are NOT rooted in the cross or in a relationship with Christ but they still speak Biblical truth and frame it more as universal truths. That’s fine for what they are doing, but not good enough for Christians.

Our highest ambition is to please God and so we aren’t inclusive of all spirituality or all points of view. We have been bought with a price and we want to understand our creational roles from a spiritual point of view. Making those distinctions are what I plan to do as we go along.

But first of all lets talk about the relationship between Spiritual Maturity and Success. It is a rocky relationship to say the least. The gurus have the ability to talk to a wide audience in language that makes sense to them (and that’s a good thing) but we have few people in the church who can do the same and do it right. Perhaps some would point to someone like Joel Oosteen as a model to follow. I would disagree. His preaching sounds very similar to the other big names in the industry even though he uses the word “God” more often and even “Jesus” on occassion. But he never talks about “sin” and the cross is an alien concept to his teaching. He is positive and optimistic but does not seem to understand anything about suffering for the gospel and being persecuted for following Christ. He has embraced the world to the detriment of the kingdom of God and so does not represent a good model to follow.

Others might point out that there are great apologists and writers in the church, past and present, from C.S. Lewis to Chuck Colson to………(and there is a long list). An apologist attempts to speak to the world in a language that the world understands but squarely from within the gospel. I love them all. Some take a more logical tack and others make movies and still others demonstrate the gospel with their actions. It’s all good.

But there still seems to be a lack of structure, or biblical theology, or training to support our efforts to explain the gospel in terms of this “wonderful” plan that God has for our lives. Apologetics seems to be focused almost exclusively on salvation issues rather than “success and prosperity” (with a few notable exceptions).

So let me talk a bit about this connection between Spiritual Maturity and Prosperity and Success. We said in our last post that success is optional, exclusive and relational and that’s a good place to start. By calling success optional we root it in the concept of “no condemnation” which is a relational concept. We are loved. We are saved. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. We have his perfection, his righteousness and nothing can be added to it. It is finished. Wait. Hold on a minute. The Bible tells us that we have work to do, that we need to make every effort, that we need to make building the Kingdom of God our top priority, doesn’t it? It most certainly does. But God cares about our motivations. If we are trying to be “successful” as Christians because we want to make sure we are saved, then we have a problem.

I just watched a video on goal planning (quite well done) by an internet marketing guru who claimed also to be a Christian. One of his goals was to make a certain amount of money in five years so that he could retire and dedicate more time to his spiritual life. So far so good (although spirituality is ongoing and not merely a project to be done later). But then he said, “because, you know, I want to tie up that part of my life and make sure I get in.” Well, that changes everything. He needs to hear and accept the good news. Accept Christ as your Lord and Saviour and you are already in. For Christians, there is no condemnation. So what is our motivation for serving Christ? Gratitude. Love. Always has been and always will be. The problem is that gratitude and love don’t seem to motivate people as much as fear and greed. Sigh.

So, yes, the first point to make is that it is all optional. There is no obligation in terms of the relationship. No one is laying down an ultimative that we must do in order to be in the relationship. When that happens in marriage, watch out! It will backfire. Ultimatives do not come from a place of love. Period. On the other hand, even though love accepts, it also expects. Love expects great things from us. Love wants the best …..for us. Ultimatives are about you. The obligations of love are about the welfare of the other. God invites us to find our identity in Christ as a new creature, a son or daughter of the King. Great. That is where it starts. He also invites us to find our purpose in Christ, in fact, to share the purpose of Christ in saving the world from the consequences and the power of sin (rebellion against God). We find our significance in Christ because we are needed, truly needed in this process of salvation and making disciples from every nation.

Our testimony, in words and deeds, that proves to people that God is real in our lives and that transformation actually happens and things are truly different. That “social proof” (to use an internet marketing term) is essential to the process and God has given us that significant role to play in the process. And when we have our identity, our purpose and our significance in alignment, we discover what true meaning in life is all about.

Not only is success (which is another way of saying “significance”) optional in the ultimate sense (but not optional from a love point of view), it is also exclusive. Success is defined by one person and that person is not ourselves. It is God. Our success is exclusive to our relationship with God. It is not merely “spiritual” which is a universal concept that includes all types of spirituality from many different traditions. It is spiritual in the sense that it is based on the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. We, therefore, cannot be successful and find our significance or our “wonderful” plan for our lives without the Holy Spirit who only comes into our lives through Christ and accepting him as our personal Lord and Saviour (the 4 Spiritual Laws). That makes success rather exclusive to those who have the Holy Spirit and who are walking in the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, our definition of success will have to be something more than merely financial prosperity. This definition of success will have to be “spiritual” rather than worldly. But, and listen well, that doesn’t mean that it is something less than what Tony Robbins and Les Brown offer but rather more, much more. Spiritual success includes financial success but goes further, digs deeper, and accomplishes more. Thank God.

And what that “more” consists of is what I call the “relational” aspect of success and significance. Here we come full circle back to our identity in Christ. It is all relational. Relationships are key to life as we have been saying in our last post. Even the gurus believe this and, in that respect, they are dead on. But something more has to be said. Although they claim that relationships are key to success and to life, they seem to assume that we all have the power to heal our relationships in our own strength. And right there, the lie is exposed. It simply isn’t true. Sometimes a relationship can be restored but that doesn’t mean it is healed. Two different ideas. Reconciliation (a healed relationship) is something that happens spiritually based on confession, repentance and forgiveness. Reconciliation is the natural consequence of true forgiveness.

We talk about forgiveness a lot but very few, even in the church, know the power of a forgiveness rooted in the cross. Some of us might know it but not apply it. The power is in the application of the power of forgiveness rooted in the cross that results in reconciliation. The problem, of course, is sin. Sin is like a stick in the wheel, a fly in the ointment, a wrench in the gears of the process of healing a relationship. It is a rocky road and cannot be accomplished without the help of the Holy Spirit. It takes training. It takes focus. It takes “every effort.” There is no other way. And the truth of the matter is that we all go to our deathbeds with broken relationships we wish we could heal, with regrets centered around awful moments in which we let our anger overflow, our resentment continue, or bitterness dominate our language and attitude. All of that has to do with our relationships. It isn’t about our work, our money, our assets or our accomplishments. It’s about love and relationships. That’s what matters and that’s what we all regret on our deathbeds. Enough said.

So what am I trying to say? In some ways I am rehashing some of the points from the last post about success being optional, exclusive and relational but I am going deeper. I suspect that this circular approach will be a common occurance in dealing with this theme.

Here are some key takeaways that I have on this discussion…..

1. Yes, success is defined in terms of our significance in the Kingdom of God, which is rooted in our purpose and identity in Christ. That is a key part of our spiritual success. It takes some spiritual maturity to accept (with joy) that our “wonderful” life will be focused on the Kingdom of God and that all of our abilities will be developed and used and our dreams fulfilled in the battle for the human heart.
2. Yes, spiritual success is rooted in Christian maturity since walking in the Spirit is key to having the power and the help of the Holy Spirit to fulfill our purpose and express our identity in Christ. Spiritual success is a consequence of Christian maturity.
3. Yes, spiritual success includes, but is not limited to, financial success and prosperity. The word “prosperity” is usually associated with a type of lifestyle. Mother Teresa was a spiritually successful person even though you would not normally associate the word “prosperity” with her or her mission in life to work with the poorest of the poor in Calcutta, India.
4. Yes, spiritual success is something to be desired, sought after, pursued as a natural outcome of our walk with God. Why do so many Christians live in spiritual drift, without ambition for the things of God? Either because they are worried that ambition will drive them away from God or because they are unable to reconcile their worldly ambitions with their walk with God. A pox on both your houses. Spiritual ambition is expected and needed so long as it is ambition focused on the things of God and, at the same time, fulfills your deepest longings and desires for this life. Those two things are not mutually exclusive but, rather, wonderfully inclusive.
5. Yes, spiritual success is a reflection of holiness. It is becoming “fully alive” in Christ (which is the ONLY way to become fully alive, self-actualized, developing all of your potential). That is why this discussion is part of the Holiness Project.

Here they are again – The 5 Spiritual Laws of Success (for Christians)

1. Everything is Spiritual
2. Ambition is Expected
3. Discipline is Essential
4. Stewardship is Simplicity
5. Leadership is Influence

Now I think we are ready to move on and talk about the truth that “Everything is Spiritual.” Until next time.

The Desert Warrior

Lord, I don’t want any success other than what is success in your eyes. I suspect that your wonderful plan for my life will make me grow and become a unique type of person that will have great power and ability to accomplish meaningful things. I give up all of my small ambitions to make this one thing the hallmark of my life – to please You. That focus on you will always steer me right. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

The Holiness Project – 5 Spiritual Laws of Success

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” (Proverbs 16:3 NIV).

“Observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go” (I Kings 2:3 NIV).

 ^“Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 1:2 NASB).

The Holiness Project – The 5 Spiritual Laws of Success

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One of the things that I truly dislike (to not use a stronger word) is the whole prosperity theology thing.  As if God is somehow here to give me wealth, health and happiness and help me to achieve my dreams.  People who preach this kind of nonsense use verses like I quoted above, especially 3 John 1:2 which, they claim, proves that God wants us to be successful and prosper.

Actually, I do believe that.

What I take exception to is their, obviously, unbiblical definitions of success and prosperity.  They claim that John just meant normal financial success in life and that we shouldn’t try to spiritualize it.  Well, actually, I agree with that as well.  Yes, John is talking about normal financial success (with all of the practical results that entails).  No doubt.  The question is WHY?

Without the ability to ask John directly to contextualize his words for us, we have to turn to the larger teaching of Scripture to find out what John is referring to here by “prosperity” and “success.”  From a practical point of view, I doubt that it looks much different between a Christian and a non-Christian in terms of the amount of money being made but it does (and should) look very different on the side of Stewardship.

Therefore we need to look at the context of stewardship to find the major difference between prosperity theology and the prosperity meant here by John.

I always appreciated the teaching of John Wesley on the topic of Stewardship.  He said, “Make as much money as you can.  Save as much money as you can.  Give as much money as you can.”  No doubt we need to understand the point about making as much money as we can in the context of integrity, legality and social norms.  Adding value instead of taking advantage.  No doubt.

So on the first point we can agree.  Making money isn’t a bad thing.  The love of money is the root of all kinds of sin but the making of money itself is a necessary part of living on this earth behind enemy lines, supporting ourselves while we go about our mission for the King.

But that second point puts the lie to Prosperity Theology in a big way.  They teach that it is justified to live in big, expensive houses, fly around the world for pleasure and spend money to their hearts content on whatever pleases them.  After all, they would say, God has blessed me so I am free to live my life any way I choose.

Not so.  At least not for Christians.  We have a purpose.  Our resources have a purpose.  Certainly taking care of our needs (and the ones we are responsibile for) is part of that purpose and therefore money can be (and must be) spent on houses, cars, education and the like.  How much and in what ways is up to each individual.  That is what the Bible calls Stewardship.

It starts with a recognition that all of the resources of the earth belong to our Father.  If He makes some available to us, it is for our use as His agents in a troubled world and for the purpose of the furthering of His Kingdom.

That is where the third rule of John Wesley comes in.  We live a simple life, saving as much as we can in terms of our own needs, in order to free up the resources for the work of the Kingdom, what he called “giving as much as we can.”

No one is going to judge your stewardship, or mine, until the Master returns but we can still judge our attitude towards money whether we love it or whether we are wise enough to use it as a tool for the building of the Kingdom.  We must judge, at least in ourselves, what our intentions are, what are purpose is, what our approach, posture and language is around money in order to evaluate the maturity of our Stewardship.

Ok, so I think I’ve made my point that I am not in favor of the whole prosperity theology movement that has plagued the Western church for the past 30 years or so.  But one more thing needs to be said about the overall approach to money and resources from a Biblical point of view.

There is a fundamental difference between the Old Testament ethos and the New Testament ethos and culture when it comes to how God uses us for the furtherance of His Kingdom.

Some things are obvious, such as the fact that God established a nation in a specific place which was to be a light to the nations.  At it’s height, during the reigns of David and Solomon, we can see what God had in mind, but mostly it was an unmitigated disaster.  Still, God needed a specific ethnic, religious and culture context for the coming of the Messiah so that we could understand the spiritual dynamics of what happened that day on a cross over 2000 years ago outside of Jerusalem.

But, after the resurrection, everything changed.

Now it wasn’t only about the Jews and their fight for freedom and independence from Rome.  It was about the world.  We, who follow the King, are now strangers and wanderers in this land, hoping for a new Jerusalem and a new Israel for all people in the coming Kingdom of God both here on earth and, ultimately, in the new heavens and the new earth.

Do you see the basic difference (among many others)?  Most of the prosperity talk of the Old Testament is based on that particular purpose of God to provide a physical nation as the context for redemption.  In the New Testament, the focus is not on the blessings of God in the land as we follow the Mosaic law, but on the blessings of God as wanderers and strangers as we follow the law of love that freed us from the law of death.

In fact, the New Testament is far more difficult than the Old Testament and, don’t forget, that the Old Testament plan didn’t work out very well.  The people were faithless, rebellious, adulterous and God had to accomplish his plans despite them instead of with them.  There were exceptions of course, but, by and large, that was the case.  The people of Israel had hard hearts.

But God determined to change our hearts by giving us the Holy Spirit as a consequence of a new relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.  We, who follow Him now in this New Testament age, have hearts made of flesh.  We want what He wants.  We are willing to suffer for the gospel as He suffered for the gospel.  The church is the new Israel and she is the invisible bride of Christ who wants to follow, who wants to be faithful, who wants to sacrifice everything to please her beloved.  The New Testament church, the true bride of Christ, is made up of the Davids, the Solomons, the saints of old, the heroes of faith all brought into a new, glorious relationship with God through faith in Christ Jesus.

That is who we are.  It isn’t about prosperity in exchange for blessing but, rather, a blessing that brings prosperity so that we can be a blessing.  The intent of the Old Testament, fulfilled in the New.

And it makes a world of difference.  Too many Christians today are living their lives as Old Testament citizens instead of New Testament saints.  We should expect to suffer.  We should expect difficulty, and persecution, and trials and temptations.  We still need resources.  We still need to function within the world’s financial systems.  No doubt.  We are behind enemy lines and need to learn the language, use the wisdom of the world, take advantage in the right way, of the resources that are available to us.  Wise as serpents (i.e. wise as the people of the world) but innocent as doves (i.e. innocent of any wrongdoing as children of the King).

The difference in purpose, in perspective, in attitude, in expectation, in intention, in execution of our plans is all possible because there is a difference in our heart.  Because we are new creatures in Christ, we have a different perspective on prosperity and success.  Period.

So, why have I called this post The 5 Spiritual Laws of Success (for Christians)?  Good question….

Let’s start by talking about the 4 Spiritual Laws that Bill Bright from Campus Crusade for Christ wrote about in his book.  Everyone is familiar with them, right?

1.  God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life (John 3:16, John 10:10)
2. Humanity is tainted by sin and is therefore separated from God.  As a result, we cannot know God’s wonderful plan for our lives (Rom. 3:23, Rom. 6:23).
3. Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for our sin.  Through Jesus Christ, we can have our sins forgiven and restore a right relationship with God (Rom. 5:18, I Corinthians 15:3-4, John 14:6).
4. We must place our faith in Jesus Christ as our Saviour in order to receive the gift of salvation and know God’s wonderful plan for our lives (John 1:12, Acts 16:31, Eph. 2:8-9).

Good stuff.  There has been a lot of discussion about the 4 Spiritual Laws and whether or not they are accurate and helpful but they have stood the test of time and we can accept them for the gems that they are.

But that doesn’t mean that they cover everything and that there are no other spiritual laws to talk about.  There are two aspects of these 4 Spiritual Laws that I would like to point out here.  The first is that the statement “God has a wonderful plan for your life” is a recurring theme throughout these 4 Laws.  I actually agree wholeheartedly with this perspective on the Christian life.  But Mr. Bright has shown us the door to this new life and how to enter in, but he hasn’t really explained how we find out and live out this wonderful life that God has in store for us.

The focus, obviously, is on Salvation and not on Christian living specifically (and that’s okay).  In the fourth law he also mentions accepting Jesus as our Saviour but doesn’t talk about accepting him as our Lord.  Not really an oversight, just a limitation of purpose because of his focus on evangelism rather than anything else.

So, building on these four spiritual laws is a whole life of discipleship that comes after.  A life of accepting and following Jesus as our Lord (as well as our Saviour).  A life with a new identity in Christ, a new purpose in Christ, a new significance in Christ as we participate in God’s great rescue operation of mankind.  This new identity, purpose and significance gives us a new responsibility and meaning to our lives.  This is what makes our lives “wonderful.”

Yes, yes, I know.  There will be suffering, and scarcity at times.  There will be difficulties, persecution and trials but we will consider them all a small price to pay to obtain the pearl of great price – His pleasure.

What?  Are you crazy?  What are you talking about?  Pain and persecution?  I didn’t sign up for that.  No way, man.  I’m out of here…..

You can imagine what someone might say when they are just a new-born Christian.  You have to grow into it, no doubt.  I remember telling my wife when she first got pregnant that there was a reason that God fills our hearts with hope and wonder at this new life that is His gift to us.  If we focus too much on the sleepless nights, the wailing of the baby (and sometimes the mother), the dirty diapers, the worry, the pain that love can bring, I’m not sure anyone in their right mind would undertake such a project.

But it is still true….that the best things in life are free (marriage, babies, a relationship with God) but they cost you everything.  That’s the way relationships are.  That’s the nature of love in a world in rebellion against it’s Creator.

These are dangerous times but He is faithful and there is still joy and hope and pleasure even though they are often accompanied by pain, and difficulty and temptation.  Love will always win the day but the battle is still very real.  This is no path for weak faith….

The point is that there is still more to say.  Before we can get to the Biblical understanding of prosperity and success, we need to pass through the gateway of Christ and enter into a new relationship with God through the blood of the lamb.  There is no other way.  That is why this post is for Christians.

Some people may want to take these 5 Spiritual Laws of Success and apply them indiscriminantely to everyone no matter who they are or what their spirituality consists of.  And there are aspects of universal laws involved since we are all created by God in a certain way, and we work and function in a certain way.  No doubt.

Just like a couple who comes to me for counseling but aren’t Christians….can I help them?  Of course.  Communication skills, relationship attitudes, dealing with the mindset of both couples to bring them into alignment with God’s universal, creational laws, will definitely help.  But they will lack the power of the Holy Spirit and a purpose that goes beyond their marriage and they will be lost for all eternity.  Not a small thing.

But these 5 Spiritual Laws for Success are for Christians.  They are exclusive, relational and optional.  Yes, you heard that right.  Optional.  There is no condemnation.  There is no requirement.  Love accepts but it also expects.  It expects the best for us and from us because love wants us to fulfill our God-given potential.  Just like any parent for their child.  It is optional but it is still expected that we will make every effort out of love to please the One who has given us new life.

Yes, these laws are exclusive.  Of course.  It is the difference between a single guy learning how to pick up girls in the bar and a married man learning how to love his wife.  One is inclusive.  Which girl is up to him and it might change from Friday night to Friday night.  But your wife is your wife.  The relationship is exclusive.  As it should be.  These 5 Spiritual Laws of Success are for Christians who are the bride of Christ and seek, as their ultimate ambtion, to please Him.

And yes, these laws are relational.  You can’t excape it.  In fact, the whole Bible is based on the truth that life is relational.  Our relationship with God is fundamental to everything else in life.  Without our soul prospering, we cannot prosper in any meaningful way on a creational level.  Our relationship with ourselves is also fundamental, even though secondary, and until we understand our new identity and purpose in Christ and what that means for who we are, we cannot prosper in any meaningful way as a Christian.  And our relationships with others is also crucial to our success in any endeavor we might undertake.

The third of these, in terms of our relationships with others, the normal success books will talk about extensively.  They will also talk, to a certain extent, about your relationship with yourself, but not give you the solutions that come from the Word of God.  They might even talk about spirituality, or God, or something similiar but, here the waters get muddy, either because the spirituality has no basis in the Word of God or it is a spirituality that serves the purpose of success rather than being the foundation for success and prospertity in our lives.

So, yes, these 5 Spiritual Laws of Success for Christians are exclusive, relational and optional and that’s what makes them both difficult and glorious.  We will explore all of them in the posts to come but I will mention them here.

The 5 Spiritual Laws of Success

1.  Everything is Spiritual
2. Ambition is Expected
3. Discipline is Essential
4. Stewardship is Simplicity
5. Leadership is Influence

Some of these themes you have heard me speak about before in my other posts but now I will go into more depth and integrate them all into a path to follow as we seek out that wonderful plan that God has for our lives.  Enjoy the journey.

The Desert Warrior

Lord, I know that you have a wonderful plan for my life.  I also know that your goal is for me to become like Jesus Christ and dedicate my life to the furtherance of your Kingdom using my skills, talents and dreams you have put within me.  These are exciting times.  Give me the faith, freedom and focus to work out my salvation in fear and trembling.  I look forward to the journey, knowing you are with me every step of the way.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

The Holiness Project – Spiritual Foundations

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. ²⁶ And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-27 ESV).

The Holiness Project – Spiritual Foundations

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Argentina is known for many things.  We have “asados” (a typical barbeque) with some of the best meat in the world.  We drink “mate” which is a rather bitter herb grown locally and usually shared around in a group (no more after Covid19) and we have Maradonna (and Messi) two of the best soccer players in the world.  We love our soccer!!

But Argentina is also known for other things, such as, Peronism (a political party) that has fascist roots but, really, is rather socialist and has destroyed the local economy.  Many would argue that point of course but that is the problem.  Not that I want to talk politics, you understand, just point out the obvious.

Argentina is also known as the country in the world with the most “tomas de tierra” (occupations of land) and it is becoming a major social issue.  On the one hand, the constitution protects the right of every citizen to have a roof over their heads but on the other hand, people seem to think that they can just take over seemingly “unoccupied” land and start building their houses, private property be damned!

And the justice system doesn’t help things along either.  It can take years before an eviction notice is issued (if ever) and the property owners are not allowed to physically have the new homeowners removed.  What to do?  Wait.  In the meantime, people are building their houses, going to work, having families as if everything is fine and dandy.

Until one day, the judge decides and the police come and there is an imminent eviction with tears and yelling and regret and TV cameras.  A royal mess, to be sure.  It was all on the news this morning.  Again.

What strikes me is the connection with what Jesus said in our passage for today.  Don’t ignore your foundations, especially your spiritual foundations.  If you do, there will be hell to pay.  Literally.  And all of the tears, and yelling and regrets will be to no avail.  Jesus warned that there will be “gnashing of teeth” which indicates great anguish and regret.

It’s easy to ignore the foundations of your life.  I have diabetes, type 2, and they call it the “silent killer” because it kind of sneaks up on you from behind and, before you know it, you can have a heart attack and die.  It is a lifestyle issue.  Yes, there are some genetic issues as well in terms of pre-disposition but the main culprit is our modern diet with its high concentrations of sugar and carbohydrates.  That’s pretty well established by now.  And most people know it.

Ignoring the foundations of our lives is easy to do.  Diabetes is not the only “silent killer.”  If you ignore your relationship with your spouse and family, your apathy can be a “silent killer” of your family life.  If you ignore your relationship with God, your negligence can be a “silent killer” of your spirituality and, ultimately, of your eternal life and you could end up with your “house” destroyed by the storm of God’s return at the end of your life or the end of time (whichever comes first).  Serious stuff.

As I sit here talking with you, I need to take stock of my own life and ask myself the question “Are my foundations strong?  What am I missing?”  The message is that these foundational issues are never obvious but are always dangerous.

For example, I brush my teeth religiously twice a day.  But is that enough?  Am I aware that taking care of my teeth is an essential part of my overall health?  Without proper care of my teeth, I can cause digestion problems which can lead to other health issues over the long term.  Teeth issues can cause inflammation in the heart and lead to heart attacks.  So the question remains, am I doing enough?

Should I be flossing, for example?  (Duh)  Do I need to see a dentist more often?  Should I be wearing implants (at my age that is a pertinent question) in order to improve digestion?  The point is that I ignore my teeth issues to my own peril.

The same is true if you are building a business and working hard everyday but you ignore your health.  Or you are a great family man or woman and you have a well-balanced life but you ignore your spiritual walk with God (or you are not a Christian at all).  Or you are a religious person who goes to church regularly, tithes and has served as a church elder (or whatever) but your life is in spiritual drift and you have not discovered nor developed your gifts, talents and skills in the direction of God’s purpose for your life.

Spiritual foundations are key.  Just like these otherwise good families who decided that it was okay to take over land that didn’t belong to the them and start building their houses (and their lives) on a foundation that would crumble into the dust under them one day.  That shortsightedness will bring tears of regret but it will not bring relief.  The justice system, at the end of the day, must decide for private property and that’s all there is to it.  Period.

Jesus warned us.  Will we listen.

One final thought to share with you is this.  Yes, we need to pay attention to our spiritual foundations.  We need to get our relationship with God right through Christ.  No doubt.  But we must also be on the way, in terms of our discipleship, to determining and developing our particular gifts in the fulfillment of God’s purpose for our lives.  That is also foundational.

But here is the thing.  You still have to build the house.  Sometimes we stay so focused on the foundation, tweaking this and that, shaving off a bit here and there, that we never get to building the house.  That is also a mistake.  The house is necessary to withstand the storms of life.  Projects need to be undertaken.  Businesses need to be built.  Strong families and marriages take time and effort and churches need people who get involved and engaged in the process of building the family of God.

Without a strong spiritual foundation, we are in danger of collapsing all of our efforts into the rubble of regret and tears.  But with a strong spiritual foundation, we can build lasting structures that will serve the needs of many as we participate in God’s great rescue operation of this world.

The Desert Warrior

Let’s talk to God…..

Lord, I don’t want to be so foolish as to ignore the foundations of my life.  My relationship with you, with my spouse, with my family is my top priority.  But I also need to build a career, a business, an income and I don’t want to forget in that process to be an integral part of building your kingdom.  I know that everything is spiritual.  Help me to stay focused on what matters and build lasting value for your benefit.  In your name I pray.  Amen.

The Holiness Project – Spiritual Goals

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14 NIV).

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3)

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps” (Proverbs 16:9)

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:2)

The Holiness Project – Spiritual Goals

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We have been talking about Spiritual Drift and the reality that most people (and most Christians) “drift” through life with only a hazy, half-formed idea of where they are going.  We have made the bold claim that the normal (but uncommon) Christian life is one with purpose and direction and self-discipline towards a goal.

We have also been talking about Christian Hedonism and the fact that joy is not optional in the Christian life.  If your life is “joyless” there is a fundamental problem that needs to be addressed.  Again, the normal (but uncommon) Christian life is excited about the future.  We have hope because God has a wonderful plan for our lives (Jeremiah 3:14).  Our bold claim here is that our deepest held dreams and our purest desires have been put there by God and that His Kingdom purpose for our lives will include and enhance those natural, creational gifts, talents and abilities.

With those two bold claims, we as a Christian fellowship should be able to take the gates of hell by storm.  But alas, it is not so.  Something else needs to be said.  For some reason, a suspicious fear has arisen among the people of God that if they strive too hard for anything, they would offend God.  We want to be super careful not to build our own kingdoms and end up defeated, living life in our fleshly selves without the anointing of God.

Actually, I have to agree.

We need to be careful.  I already pointed out in the previous post that sin also needs to be taken into account.  Some of our felt needs are rooted in unbelief and fear.  Sometimes we want full control over our lives and our situations and we leave no room for God to be our provider and take care of our needs.  Sometimes our deepest desires are really secondary dreams that are rooted in trauma or need or scarcity and do not reflect our true selves in Christ.  Sometimes our dreams of the future have to do with luxury and self-aggrandizement and personal status.  This is not our true self in Christ.

The goal of Christian self-actualization is to become all that we can become in Christ.  Not without Christ.  To the degree that we practice our unity with God and others, to the degree that we are rooted in the finished work of Christ on the cross, to the degree that we develop our relationship with Him and His bride, the church, to that degree we are in Christ.  A Christian who is fully alive in Christ is the glory of God.  God is revealing His glory in us and that has to do with everyday reality and not just with the heavenly realities we love to talk about in church.  Everything is spiritual.

But still….

When you listen to motivational speeches on YouTube, you get the distinct impression that these people are building a fortress of flesh with a focus on self and the strengthening of pride in one’s own accomplishments that should put the fear of God into all of us.  Rightly so.

But it isn’t the process of setting goals, learning self-discipline, encouraging one another to stay focused and working hard towards a goal that is the problem.  It is the foundation that is weak and rotting, no matter what your accomplishments are in life.

I am reminded that after all of my hard work to accomplish my goals, if I don’t take care of my health, I have nothing.  I am a diabetic (type 2) and I need to take my health seriously.

I am reminded that after all of my hard work to accomplish my goals AND take care of my health, if I don’t take care of my relationships with the people closest to me, I have nothing.  No one ever lies on their deathbed wishing they had made more money or had accomplished more.  It’s always about their relationships.  That’s what matters.

I am reminded that after all of my hard work to accomplish my goals AND take care of my health AND protect and develop all of my relationships with my family and friends, if I don’t have a relationship with God in Christ, I have nothing.  Jesus put it quite well.  “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36 NIV).

Point taken.

On the other hand, if you are a new creature in Christ and you are growing in spiritual and relational maturity and you are taking care of your health (since your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit – 1 Cor. 6:19), then what about your purpose, your goals and your ministry.  Your life is your ministry.  You have influence in many different ways and you must use that influence to promote the Kingdom of God.  No doubt.

But still, most Christians fall short right at this point.  Being too ambitious is bad, they say.  But I say, ambition for the Lord, rooted in the cross and your relationship with God in Christ, brings glory to God.

It’s a question of getting the foundation right and establishing your spiritual goals.  But what are spiritual goals?  Are they goals about spiritual things, about ministry ideas, about church development or are they about your career, your business, your finances?  Perhaps both?

Definitely both.

One expert suggests that we have goals in the areas of our FINANCES, our FAITH, our FAMILY and our FITNESS.  I like that breakdown.  In each area of our life, we can have goals and work towards those goals.  We figure out what our spiritual and creational gifts are and what we believe is our Life Purpose (which includes a true assessment of what we want to do, what we are motivated to accomplish and what we “dream” about doing).  So far so good.  But we need to go further.  Those general directions need to be broken down into specific goals (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) that we can only hope to accomplish.

Why BHAG goals?  Because we can’t do them without God’s help.  That’s the whole point.  Once you understand that it is literally impossible for you to change the human heart, impossible to transform anyone into a new creature, even impossible to get someone to agree with you about the message of the Bible, you realize that without God, and His intervention, no one will every be saved and all of our efforts at evangelism are useless.  That is when you discover the power of prayer.  The point of trying to do the impossible is to do it in the strength of God and with His anointing.  Of course.

But BHAG goals that are not part of the church?  What about those?

Like what, for example?

Well, like making a million bucks.

Yes, well, why do you want the million bucks?

I suppose to live in a big house and have a secure income for the rest of my life.

Well, everything is spiritual but I think, in this case, it isn’t very pleasing to God.  God sets the overall agenda.  We are here to build the Kingdom of God.  We need a tentmaking business or job, of course, and there is no reason not to excel at it.  But the above discussion simply demonstrates that we don’t know our purpose as a child of God, yet.

On the other hand, someone might say that they want a million bucks because that is what it will take to fund up a foundation in which they can make their living as the director with a normal salary and use the foundation to care for street people in San Francisco.  Well, now.  That is alot better.

And you seem to have a passion for this work.

Yes, I am out there every weekend working with the Salvation Army trying to bring some relief to the homeless but we need more resources.  I know something about business and I have this business idea that may work and it would provide ongoing funding for this cause.

Great.  Get to work.  Everything is spiritual.

In this case, we can certainly pray with open hearts for God’s blessing and increase because the purpose of the resources is to benefit the Kingdom of God while taking care of our own needs in the process.  Well done, thou good and faithful servant.

What makes a spiritual goal “spiritual” is that it is rooted in your Life Purpose which is determined by your new identity in Christ.  There is a lot of leeway that God gives you, but looking at what you are good at and what you dream of doing is a great place to start.

But…..and this is key…..your heart must always be right with God.  Your motives must always be pure.  Your intentions must always be to please God.  But don’t be so heavenly minded that you are of no earthly use.  That doesn’t please God at all.

If your foundation, your relationship with God, is strong the rest will be built up in the right way.  It isn’t about your ego but about glorifying God and building His Kingdom.  It isn’t about your security, since God is your provider.  It isn’t about your enjoyment of all the best things in life (leave that for heaven), rather it is about the stewardship of God’s resources (which includes taking reasonable care of yourself and your family).

I always liked what John Wesley said about Stewardship.

Make as much money as you can.

Save as much money as you can.

Give as much money as you can.

Stewardship is about living a simple lifestyle (Saving) but still being wise as serpents and innocent as doves in business (Make) with a focus on building the Kingdom of God (Give).  Makes sense to me.

I have spiritual goals.  I believe that my life purpose is to please God and take joy in my relationship with Him and using everything at my disposal to promote the Kingdom of God and live a decent, but simple, lifestyle in the meantime.  I believe that making as much money as I can in business (if that is my gift) is an honorable endeavor.  I have some freedom to pick and choose which kind of business, always thinking about working to my strengths, and able to pray for and expect increase and blessing from God.

I believe that my mission is to write, publish and sell my books, seminars and movies and influence my generation as an international speaker, spiritual life coach and podcaster.

That mission is the expression of my Life Purpose and fits within the overall vision of God for me and my integration into His church.  As part of the church, which has a key role to play in the Kingdom of God, evangelism and discipleship is the primary goal.  But as part of the broader Kingdom of God, each of us must fulfill our individual roles and responsibilities in a way that influences their generation to take the rule of God in this world seriously.

I also have spiritual goals that have to do with my health.  If my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, then I am responsible to take care of it.  Enough said.

Still, as Paul points out, physical training is good but spiritual training is better (I Timothy 4:8).  So, the ultimate foundation for my spiritual goals is my relationship with God.

Here is how I express that most important aspect of my life.

Created for His Pleasure

The joy of the Lord is my strength.
Getting rid of all my small ambitions
to make this one thing the hallmark of my life.
To please God.
Whether I get what I pray for or not,
whether my circumstances change or not,
whether I am healed or not.
To consider every sacrifice a small price to pay
to obtain the pearl of great price.
His pleasure. 

The Desert Warrior

Let’s talk to God….

Lord, I know that my relationship with you is fundamental but I also know that you expect me to work on all the levels of my life.  Relationships.  Health. Stewardship.  Sometimes I like to blame a lot of things, situations, people, even You, for why I can’t seem to get much traction in the practical things of life.  But I know that isn’t fair.  The truth is the problem is me.  I am often unwilling to pay the price to become the kind of person who is worthy of the resources to do effective ministry.  I don’t want to become an unworthy servant.  Teach me to be like you.  Worthy of your trust.  In your name I pray.  Amen

“For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” I Corinthians 9:16 NIV

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

The Holiness Project – Christian Hedonism

Joy is Not Optional.  That is the declaration of Pastor John Piper from Desiring God.  He coined the term Christian Hedonism and it certainly puts a spin on things.  Listen to what he says….

Christian Hedonism is the conviction that God’s ultimate goal in the world (his glory) and our deepest desire (to be happy) are one and the same, because God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. Not only is God the supreme source of satisfaction for the human soul, but God himself is glorified by our being satisfied in him. Therefore, our pursuit of joy in him is essential.

This is a truth that many (if not most) modern Christians simply do not understand or experience. I want to take a closer look at it precisely because I did’t get it either for a long time. Now I have a glimpse of that far country, that beautiful vision, and I want to share it with you.

The problem with most of us (myself included) is that having joy in my relationship with God is not that common. Certainly there are moments of joy but it is not a common experience. Certainly I can compare it with my relationship with my family and understand that there are moments of joy and, in other moments, there is anger and pain and depression as well. Not necessarily because of my family. Just because of life.

Is an abiding joy in God even possible? And, if so, what are the necessary conditions that would make that happen? I’m not sure how to arrive at that heady place going in a straight line, so I will attempt a slight detour that may act as a roadmap to that beautiful country.

Sometimes it is good to take a detour. What I propose is that we talk about God’s purpose for our lives and start there. If we cannot find joy in God’s plans for our life, we will fight Him or ignore Him and, certainly, we will find no joy in our relationship with Him. But if we discover that God’s plans for us are full of joy beyond belief, then we may begin to understand that joy is, indeed, essential, and moreover, practical in ways that I am only just now beginning to understand.

Yes, this is a Hedonistic approach to my relationship with God. What’s In It For Me is not something we are used to saying (or admitting) in church circles but, in this case, I think it is allowed. After all, even someone like C.S. Lewis was a Christian Hedonist. He claimed that there were natural benefits to a relationship and that, even though we may not have gotten into the relationship for the benefits, we still expect that they are part of the package.

Love goes beyond the benefits. Love is about the other, not about what I get out of it. Still, we need to be convinced that this relationship is good for us, brings natural benefits and, ultimately, is a source of joy. In other words, we may love someone who does not love us back. Not a good basis for marriage. But when the love is mutual, the relationship is natural and the result is joy. Of course.

In the passages I quoted at the beginning of this post, on the one hand we have Paul saying “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel…” and on the other hand, we have God declaring through Jeremiah that He has good plans for us and a future. So which one is it? Is Paul telling us that he is under obligation to preach the gospel, that it brings no joy, that he is not in agreement with God’s plan and future for him? Not at all. We know better.

Yes, there is a deep passionate need for Paul to preach the Gospel but it was because he had accepted God’s plans for him so deeply into his heart that his hunger and thirst to please God could only be expressed by fulfilling God’s desire to preach the Gospel through him.

What am I trying to say? Just this. For many of us, we simply don’t believe that God’s plans for us will bring us the benefits we want, the relationships we want, the joy we want. God’s plans are “heavy” and difficult and often painful and takes great spiritual maturity to accept and carry out. No doubt. But that doesn’t sound like much joy. I think we are missing something.

Sometimes I hear people say that they always had a dream to be a great musician but they knew God wanted them to be a missionary and so that is what they did. Now they are back 30 or 40 years later, ready to retire and full of regret that they never pursued their dreams. What a tragedy!

Yes, God wants us all to build the Kingdom of heaven and bring people to God for salvation to become disciples. If you have read anything that I have written over the past number of years, I believe that evangelism is the key focus of the church that all of us need to be involved in. The question is how?

The mistake to avoid is thinking that God’s plans for your life are somehow different from the dreams you have in your heart to do. After all, I remind them, who do you think put those dreams in your heart in the first place? Where do you think you got your musical skill? Your job on this earth is self-actualization. Period.

Self-actualization? What in the world are you talking about? I’m talking about become the best, real YOU that you can possibly become. The glory of God is man fully alive to Him in Christ. Yes, you need to be in Christ. We are not talking about the process of salvation here. But when you become a Christian you don’t need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Who you are is no accident. Now that you are in Christ, you need to come fully alive to God. What does that mean?

Yes, we can talk about the spiritual fruit and gifts, the spiritual armour and disciplines, but let’s also talk about the creational side of things as well. The spiritual and the creational have come together now that you are in Christ. Everything is spiritual. Nothing is left out of your relationship to God. Even sin is spiritual in the negative sense. Everything has to do with our relationship with God. If we are good at music before being a Christian, we are still good at music afterwards. That music was put in you by God who knew you before the foundations of the world.

The music in you is spiritual by definition. The music in you, the dreams that you have, the abilities, skills, talents you have are part of what it means to come totally alive in Him. You have been living like a zombie in sin but now you are in Christ and learning to come fully alive in (and through) your relationship with God. That concept of coming fully alive is what I mean by self-actualization. Becoming everything that God planned for you to become with the spiritual and the creational integrated into one beautiful whole.

What that means is that God’s plans for you include your dreams, include your deepest desires and plans. God is not working at cross purposes with you. He wants to empower you. He wants you to become a powerful influencer in your realm of relationships as a child of God. Yes, a powerful influencer. That doesn’t mean you have to be an extrovert or a celebrity or a famous speaker (unless of course that is the dream and ability that God put in you). It means that you need to become everything that God has in store for you, that He put in you in the first place. That is your unique way of becoming fully alive in Him.

Now a few cautions are in order.

If we are convinced that God’s plans for us integrate perfectly with our dreams and abilities, we have a great starting point and I think we can assume that if there is a problem, it is probably on our side, not His.

What I mean to say is that many people don’t know what their dreams are or they are unclear about what they really want. We aren’t used to talking in those terms in the church. What do you really, really want? What are your dreams? If you had one year to live and you could not fail, what would you do? Take stock of your life and ask some hard questions.

The question about what you want is a bit dangerous because we still have sin within us and that sin can still mess up the process but if we are convinced that we need to do some work to find that plan and future that God has for us, at least we can agree that it will bring us great joy.

So, be careful to recognize that sin may blind us to our real dreams and abilities. Fear will try to cut us off at the very start of the process. A lack of resources and support from family and friends are easy excuses not to do anything. The amount of work that it involves can get us a bit depressed right off the start.

Furthermore, we often have secondary desires that are rooted in sin and fear and a low self-esteem. Saying that we just want a million bucks is not very helpful. What would you do with those resources? Focusing on a luxurious lifestyle may be nice for a while but also not very helpful. You don’t have to be a Christian to know that money can’t buy you happiness (or love).

To the degree that your desires are rooted in your ego, your necessities, your primeval desire to control your world, they are not your true dreams. Remember that we are talking about coming fully alive in God through Christ. Your identity has changed. You are a child of God. Part of the royal household. You don’t have to play in the mudpuddles of life. It isn’t about trying to control your world, or protect yourself from the dangers and difficulties of this life. God is your provider, your protector. You are in Him. You are part of the family already.

So what do you want? Most people don’t really know. They have stopped dreaming and need to be woken up. Then they need to be challenged to come up with dreams, dig deep for their best self, and focus on that.

Whatever we come up with, one thing is for sure. What we need to be convinced of is that God’s plans and future for us will bring us great joy and therefore it is worth the effort and risk to make it real, to come fully alive in Him.

The Desert Warrior

Let’s talk to God…..

Lord, we want to come fully alive in You. Thank you for saving us and thank you for teaching us that you saved us for joy and peace and a life full of purpose and adventure. Yes, it will be difficult and that isn’t a surprise. We know that the kind of people we become as we fight for our dreams is the real prize at the end of the fight. Thank you for giving us life and giving it to us in abundance. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”  Revelations 3:15,16 NIV

“So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”  2 Peter 3:34 NIV

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The Holiness Project – Day 4  “Spiritual Drift”

My youngest girl just turned 18 this month.  Wow!  Do they ever grow up fast!  My other daughter is already living on her own in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada.  But, although she is far away and my youngest is close by, they always need their parents.  Especially when it comes to boys.  Sometimes the relationship is hot and sometimes it’s cold.  Sometimes they are getting along fine and sometimes they are fighting like cats and dogs.

And when things are going well, I tell them that the fact they are angry or upset means that the relationship matters to them.  Hot or cold, they are engaged.  It’s when they don’t care, when they shrug their shoulders and have no problem walking away, when they are lukewarm….that’s when you should start worrying.

Apparently God thinks the same way.  Whether we are passionate or upset, whether we are super excited about the things of God or whether we are depressed and in despair, we still care, we are still engaged.  And that’s good.

The problem is that most people, even in the church (maybe especially in the church) are simply lukewarm about God and the things of God.  Most churchgoers are experiencing what I like to call “spiritual drift.”

The truth is that I have been in “spiritual drift” myself, sometimes for days or weeks at a time.  Looking back, if I am honest, sometimes for years at a time.  It doesn’t mean that I wasn’t a Christian.  It just means that I was not engaged, not caring, lukewarm.  And that isn´t a good place to be for very long.  I’m not exactly sure what it means for God to spit a lukewarm church out of his mouth (not just individuals but churches which is who He is talking to here in Revelations), but I don’t really want to find out either.

A lukewarm church filled with lukewarm Christians will not actively seek the anointing that comes with spiritual unity and maturity and, if that is what God is talking about, turning His face away from us, spitting us out of his mouth as individuals and as a fellowship of believers, then that is bad enough.  Maybe it is necessary for us to understand and appreciate that the anointing of God on our lives and ministry is not automatic nor easy but rather a result of who we become in our spiritual walk.

Turning away forces us to evaluate the relationship, explore our real commitment to following Him, and, especially in light of His promises of powerful anointing, to ask whether He is slow to keep His promises or we are slow to fulfill His conditions.  The real question, just like any other relationship, is whether or not we are ready to receive the intimacy of His presence which is the source of His anointing.

But let’s get back to this idea of “spiritual drift.”  It was a real eye-opener for me when I finally grasped the idea and I want to try to help you to see it for yourself.

Lately, I have been listening to some pretty good motivational speeches by Tony Robbins, Denzel Washington, Arnold Swartzenegger and others.  I always filter what they have to say through the lens of Scripture but, still, a lot of the basic teaching is ver biblical (at least in my opinion).

As some of you may know, I am diabetic, type 2, which is treated with a radical change in lifestyle, eating a ketogenic diet, regular exercise and the right supplements.  Losing 20 or 30kg to get down to your ideal weight is key to mitigating the long term effects of diabetes on your health.

Motivation is always hard.

Yes, diabetes is a disease but it is not called “the silent killer” for nothing.  Generally, at least at the beginning, there aren’t any severe symptoms to alarm you.  Yes, my eyesight is going, but I am also turning 61 in a few weeks.  Yes, I am losing some feeling in my feet (circulation problems), I have a hightened need to go to the bathroom more often (kidney problems) and my “blood numbers” are not healthy (high glucose and cholesterol levels etc).

So the logic is there.  Make a change in your lifestyle or diabetes will slowly but surely kill you.  More than 80% of diabetics die of a heart attack earlier than they otherwise would.  But logic doesn’t seem to motivate me enough.  Nor fear, which followed quickly in the footsteps of the logic (or truth) that the doctors shared with me over and over again.  Make a consistent and permanent change in your lifestyle or diabetes will win out.  Fear tends to be a short term motivator anyway.  Good for sprints but not marathons.

What I did accomplish was to get myself educated about diabetes, the ketogenic diet and how to read my “blood numbers.”  Education is a good long term strategy, but I was still in denial and not really making any headway.  I would get motivated for a few weeks and then fall off the bandwagon and take my time getting back on.

Then I realized that I was “addicted” to destructive behavior patterns (like anxiety based “junkfood” eating) and emotional “comfort zones” (no pressure allowed, even from myself).  I had enough to deal with in life, I didn’t need the added stress of trying to accomplish something so difficult as a radical change in lifestyle, eating habits and, God forbid, exercising daily.  The supplements weren’t so bad, so I started with that.  But the rest?  No way.

But knowing what the problem is doesn’t always translate into doing.  At least not in my case.  But I was getting closer.  I decided to start listening to motivational speeches and see if that would help.

And they were good.  Very good.  But not what I expected…

The basic message was that motivation was not the problem.  Self-discipline was.  I didn’t want to hear that, but I knew it was true.  I would argue that I needed to be motivated to be self-disciplined.  They said that that wasn’t entirely true.  It’s more like a simbiotic, interactive relationship.  All virtues are that way (spiritual and creational).

Like love (and the other virtues), there is an element of truth in that it must first of all just be there.  The motivation must exist.  But, like love, self-discipline is a lifestyle choice that also creates motivation.  Like all virtues, self-discipline is a muscle that you have to exercise, a skill to be learnt and applied, a lifestyle that must be lived.

Success breeds success, they say.  Maybe so.  But what I do know is that love breeds love.  Self-discipline breeds more self-discipline.  Motivation can get things started but habits and routine is what builds up the momentum to make changes happen in your life.  Period.

The problem is that the majority of people do NOT live self-disciplined lives towards a specific goal or purpose.  The 80-20 principle applies here.  Leave spirituality out of it for a moment, only 20% of people in any group, Christians or not, live actively and proactively working towards a goal.  Only 20% have created a lifestyle based on delayed gratification, personal authentication, and clear purpose and goals.

Many want to be olympic atheletes, few discipline themselves enough to get there.  It isn’t only about talent but about preparation.  There is nothing more common that talent that is wasted on people unwilling to do the work or pay the price.

Many want to have successful businesses, few are willing to discipline themselves enough to accomplish that goal.  Whatever area of life you want to talk about, the ones who accomplish goals, who achieve greatness, who get the job done, are those willing to pay the price.

Even more impressive are those who face great adversity, who have suffered loss or a terrible accident and have had their “normal” life taken from them, or their health, or opportunity, or resources but have come back stronger than ever, inspiring the rest of us with their stories of heroism and courage.

How true it is that the value of a self-disciplined life dedicated towards a worthy goal, even in the face of adversity, is the person you become on the way.  I believe that God sees it that way too.

God is interested in our character, in our values, in our identity as His children and whether or not we take that seriously enough to change our ways.  The whole point of adversity, and evil, and sin (none of which will win the day) is that they are the context of God’s molding of our characters into the likeness of His son, Jesus Christ.  It is a purpose worthy of our greatest efforts.

Yes, our efforts.  It isn’t just what God is doing but how we respond.  Are we engaged?  Does it matter to us?  Are we hot (passionate) about what God is doing in our lives or cold (upset, depressed, desperate) towards God because we don’t like the way things are going?  Why did He allow me to get diabetes?  He would ask me the same thing, no doubt.  Why did I allow myself, through bad lifestyle choices, to get diabetes?  Yes, we are intimately involved in the process.

Ok, I get it.

Logic (and even education) is not enough.  It helps but most Christians are educated in spiritual things far beyond their ability to obey.  Fear won’t get you far and fear as a motivator for spiritual things is an affront to God and our relationship with Him (just as it would be with my wife).  Yes, it is true that we are all addicted to sin and a rebellious lifestyle to one degree or another.  That should give us pause but it doesn’t necessarily motivate us to make changes.

So what’s left?

Gratitude.  Gratitude is the key.

In spiritual terms, gratitude is the basic attitude of the Christian life.  Not fear but gratitude.  Not despair but gratitude.  Gratitude for what Christ has accomplished for us on the cross.  Gratitude for a new relationship with God as a source of comfort in a difficult world, a source of strength in a world at war with itself and God.

Gratitude is the key that unlocks motivation and self-discipline is the lifestyle that keeps gratitude front and centre no matter what we go through or what weakness or sin we are dealing with.

Gratitude is the key.  But more needs to be said.

Let’s work it backwards a bit.  If I am not self-disciplined towards my purpose and goals (creational and spiritual), then what does that mean?  If we accept that a proactive lifestyle that is self-disciplined (what the Bible would call “picking up your cross daily and following me”) toward the goal of following Jesus and using our spiritual/creational gifts for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God in the lives of our family and friends (and even strangers), then what are we saying?

If we aren’t proactively engaged in the kingdom of God, and excited about it, then what does that say about us?  It either means that we have not learnt the lifestyle lesson that gratitude is a muscle that must be exercised or it means that we are not grateful for what God has done in our lives.

Is that harsh?  I don’t think so.

Many churchgoers are deluding themselves into thinking that they are Christians in the first place.  The Bible is very clear that if you are a Christian, there will be fruit.  Gratitude is expressed in words and deeds.  Always has, always will.  Nothing new there.

Others, many others, may be Christians but are suffering from “spiritual drift” because they do not exercise the value of gratitude.

Sure, going to church helps to remind us of what God has done for us but we need to own it and work it and pray about it and meditate on it until it burns in your soul with a desire to do something, anything to please the God who loved you enough to endure hell for your sake.

That’s the thing about gratitude, you see.  Just saying “thank you” is not enough (nor singing it) especially if God is asking you to act, to create a new lifestyle which will create a new you, so that you can access the power of His anointing through a focus on spiritual unity and maturity.  That is a goal worthy of any child of God.

But do you even care?  Does even the thought of God’s intimate anointing fill you with hunger?  Or does it seem like too much work? If you aren’t hungry and thirsting for God, you will never be filled.  That is as true in the creational realm as the spiritual.  What do you hunger for?  What do you want?  Be careful to hunger for spiritual meat and not worldly junkfood, certainly, but the life principle of hunger still stands.

Perhaps your reaction goes the other way and a wave of despair sweeps over you when you think about the effort involved and the changes that need to take place?  I get it.  I’ve been there.  It is part of my perfectionist mentality that tries to place a burden on myself that is too large for me to carry.  Thankfully (gratefully) it isn’t necessary.  It isn’t about doing things perfectly, or even consistently, it is about trying.  You can be consistently inconsistent or even inconsistently consistent (wow, that’s a tongue twister), so long as you keep trying.  Relationships are not perfect.  The virtues are not perfectly formed in us but we are on the way.  Don’t wrestle with God, wrestle with sin and let God help you.  That’s another key thing to learn.

Whether hot or cold, God can help you.  If you are passionate, you are on the way and God will mold that passion into a character worthy of His calling.  If you are in despair, and fighting God, wrestling with Him, trying to ignore Him, cold against His advances in your life, God can also work with that.  His calling is sure and He will find a way to woo you back into a passionate relationship with Him.  He has done it a thousand times before, and will accomplish it in you as well.

But you have to participate.  Sooner or later, you need to get engaged.  Gratitude is the key.  Practice it.  Meditate on it.  Let the discipline of gratitude teach you the truth about what you truly value.  And if you discover that you value other things above God, let it drive you to the cross in repentance to receive the life giving forgiveness that only God can give.

As you discover (or re-discover) what matters to you, what you value, you will stop taking your relationship with God (and others) for granted and realize that gratitude needs to be expressed.  If it is not expressed, in words and in deeds, according to what God wants you to focus on, then there is a question of what is important to you, what you value and you need to go back to the beginning again.  That is also key.

How gratitude (and love) is expressed is not about you but about the other.  My wife likes to hold hands (specifically my left hand, yes, I know, strange) when we go for a walk.  I don’t tell her that she has to walk with my arm-in-arm or hold my right hand.  Love isn’t about how I prefer to express it but how she needs to recieve it.  Obviously.  God is the same way.  He tells us how He wants to be loved.  That also is a key life lesson.

Whatever your purpose is in life, both creationally and spiritually (and don’t forget that as a Christian they are one and the same, since all things are now spiritual), you cannot fulfill your true purpose without first going back to your fundamental identity.  Who are you?  Have you been bought with a price?  Our identity is defined by our relationships.

Our relationships define what we see as valuable.  Our values determine what our life purpose is (to please God by following Him and loving Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength)  and our gifts, abilities and interests determine how we will fulfill that life purpose (vision and mission).

So if you lack motivation, if you feel like the purpose of God for your life is an imposition, that it is at cross-purposes with what you want to do, what you want to accomplish, remember two things.  First, that God’s purpose for your life will be a source of joy and peace more profound than anything you can accomplish going it alone (Jeremiah 29:1).  Secondly, that God’s vision and mission for your life is based on your creational/spiritual gifts, talents and interests that He put in you in the first place.  Why would that be an imposition to you?  It should be a source of excitement and passion.

Unless, of course, you just don’t care.  In that case, you are in real trouble.  It would have been better if you were passionate about (hot) or fighting with (cold) God.  As it is, you are either suffering from “spiritual drift,” or you aren’t a Christian in the first place.  The discipline of gratitude will show you which one it is and (hopefully) give you the motivation to create a proactive lifestyle of following Christ with your whole heart.

Which, by the way, is the normal (but not common) Christian life.

The Desert Warrior

Let’s talk to God…..

Lord, I am grateful to you for my life.  I don’t know where I would be today if it wasn’t for you.  I want to follow you with my whole heart.  I know it is a battle but I am excited because you promise your intimate anointing power if I will dedicate myself to follow you, proactively creating a self-disciplined lifestyle towards the purpose that you have set for me.  Thank you.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.