Wants and desire

And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. Mark 10:51-52

 

Have you ever wanted something so badly that you were willing to rearrange your entire life in order to get it? Whether it’s a relationship, a dream job, or an athletic achievement, we all have things that we deeply desire and pursue. In fact, we can give ourselves so fully to these pursuits that we never stop and ask if they are, in fact, worthy of our investment of time, money, talent and emotion.

 

God deeply desires that we live full and meaningful lives (see John 10:10). And yet, so often our picture of “life to the fullest” fails to match up with God’s desire for us. We are bombarded daily with a tidal wave of competing promises of fulfillment and happiness. We’re told that happiness is found in sex, money, power, education, and social status. If we have all of these, then surely we’re living the good life. What else could we possibly want or desire?

 

If we buy into this picture of the good life, then fail to achieve all of these things, we believe that we are failures and we start telling ourselves lies: “If God truly loved me, he would have given me that job.” “If God knew just how deeply I wanted this relationship to work out, He never would have let them leave.” We must remember that the full and meaningful life is never found in our situations or circumstances. Our deepest desires are met when we seek to know and follow Jesus, not because of what He does for us, but simply because He loves us.

 

In Mark’s gospel, Bartimaeus asks Jesus to heal his blindness. This is a deep desire of his heart, yet he doesn’t simply view Jesus as a miraculous healer passing through town. He isn’t asking Jesus to swoop in and solve his problem so he can get on with living the good life. He knows that in Jesus the deepest desires of the human heart are met; in following Jesus every longing he’s ever had for identity and purpose is now met.

 

Jesus is inviting us today to explore the deepest desires of our heart. If you’ve sought to find answers in other places but have been left wanting, turn afresh to Jesus. Free yourself from empty promises of fulfillment and find your identity, purpose, and worth in following Jesus.

Our prayer:  Father thank you for your calling to be your disciple.  Along this walk at times our desires do not align with yours.  Father convict us through the power of your Spirit to trust your way above our own that we might experience the fullness of all you have promised us in following You and Your plan Amen.

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Pastor Todd A. Brown
First Baptist of Chesterbrook
and Independent Travel Agent "Travel by Todd"

www.toddbrown.inteletravel.com

www.fbcc-va.org

www.wbgronline.com

The gift looks good on you

I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. 1 Corinthians 7:7

 

Our Heavenly Father uniquely gifts all of His children for His glory. It may be the gift of service, encouragement, teaching, mercy or administration to name a few, but regardless of one’s role, all gifts are necessary in the Body of Christ. One may quietly serve as a intercessor behind the scenes, while another may boldly proclaim truth in front of the faithful by preaching the gospel. Yes, the Lord specially equips individuals for His good works. God’s gifting is His distinctive stamp of value on each one of us.

 

What do you do well? How can you discover your "sweet spot" of service for our Lord? One way is to develop the abilities that come naturally for you and engage in activities that energize you. The Spirit wires you in a way that brings both of you pleasure when you exercise your gift. For example, a generous giver finds great joy in giving and an evangelist is ecstatic when they share the gospel. An administrator is not content until everyone and everything is in its place.

 

You may be an analytical thinker who loves crunching numbers, managing data and interpreting trends from both. Your gift of linear deduction is critical for business, finance and engineering. Perhaps you are great with people. People love your company because they sense you know, understand and care for them. Thus, your ability to network, convene and lead others is valuable for accomplishing a big vision or executing a strategic initiative. Yes, steward well God’s gift.

 

Beloved, seek to marry your passion with your giftedness. For instance, if you love to see someone encouraged, use your gift of writing to convey God’s love to their hungry heart. If you love children, use your ability to nurture and train as a conduit for Christ’s truth. If you love sports, use your teaching gift to lead athletes in Bible study. If you love travel, use your aptitude for business to help entrepreneurs here and abroad. Be who God has uniquely gifted you to be.

Our prayer:  Lord make me aware of the unique gifts you have blessed me with and with the aid and direction of your Spirit show me how I am to use them for your glory and the continual advancement of your Kingdom.  Amen

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Pastor Todd A. Brown
First Baptist of Chesterbrook
and Independent Travel Agent "Travel by Todd"

www.toddbrown.inteletravel.com

www.fbcc-va.org

www.wbgronline.com

Getting finished before you start

I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Philippians 4:13, KJV

 

Have you ever had an idea that set your soul on fire? You were certain it was God calling you out to do something for Him and you were totally excited about it . You wrote down your idea, called your closest confidants, and announced it to all who would listen. But then a couple hours or days passed and the flame of enthusiasm you initially felt began to die, doused by the reality of what it would take: resources you didn’t have; courage you felt you lacked, and expertise you didn’t possess. So, because it looked impossible, you gave up before you started.

 

This common scenario reminds me of the book of Nehemiah in which Nehemiah describes how he rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem. His passion for this project was ignited when he asked one of his brothers, Hanani, about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile (See Nehemiah 1:3).  

 

Jerusalem was defenseless against her enemies. When Nehemiah heard this, he was deeply moved so he sat down and wept. For “some days” he mourned and fasted and prayed before God. Finally, his passion led him to petition God for favor in approaching the King to ask for help in rebuilding the wall. Sadly, many people never get past the passion stage where Nehemiah was during his “some days” of fasting, weeping, and praying for favor from the King. Sure, we may pray for days or weeks when an idea has set our souls on fire. But then we take inventory of what following our desire will require, and we decide we can’t do it because we don’t have what it takes.

 

We lack the skills, money, time, courage, influence, knowledge, expertise or college degree. We are too young, too old, over qualified, or under qualified. We’re married. We’re single. We’re divorced. We lack support from others, and the vision to know how it’s going to unfold. And so we shove down our passion, forgetting that if God is calling us, God will provide what we need. We ignore our ideas, disown our desires for fear of failure, fear of being criticized, or fear of not having enough. And before you know it, we have talked ourselves right out of our idea. In-between passion and action, we give up. We fill in the question marks and blanks of our future with deficits and determine that it would be best to stop wanting and dreaming and instead we should just stick with what’s safe—even if it will kill our hearts. We dry our tears, brush off deep emotions that could lead us to action, and decide that we won’t move forward because it’s just too risky. Don’t you think it’s tragic that we give up before we have taken even one step toward what could be God’s plan?

 

Our prayer:  Father increase our faith to trust you completely with the purpose and vision you have put in our hearts.  Strengthen us to see that with You all things are possible and to instead of looking at our obstacles look to you who makes us more than a conqueror.  Amen. 

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Pastor Todd A. Brown
First Baptist of Chesterbrook
and Independent Travel Agent "Travel by Todd"

www.toddbrown.inteletravel.com

www.fbcc-va.org

www.wbgronline.com

Gratitude breeds contentment

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Philippians 4:12

 

Gratitude and contentment go together like turkey, gravy, and dressing. They feed each other, and are both fostered by faith. When I remember how God has so richly blessed me, I am overwhelmed by His generosity. For example, for my salvation through His son Jesus, I am forever grateful. For His gift of grace: I am grateful for its freedom. For His forgiveness: I am grateful for guilt-free living. For His love: I am grateful for the ability to love and be loved.

 

For His holiness: I am grateful His character can be trusted and is transformational. Stuff is secondary, while the blessings of faith, family, friends and health grow our contentment. We may not have what we want, or even deserve, but in Christ we have all that is necessary for a great life. So, be  grateful to God, and contentment will increase its influence.

 

Contentment is to rest in Christ, trusting He is in control. Circumstances, good or bad, are an opportunity for Him to show Himself faithful and strong. Once you go to God in gratitude, you can live life in contentment knowing Christ is in control. Contentment is not passive and uninformed, but rather engaged and educated. It is not anxious. It replaces worry with work, pity with prayer, pride with humility, and grumbling with gratitude.

 

Your peace and stability is the fruit of contentment, which grows out of the ground of gratitude. Seed this soil in prayer, and you will see abundance abound. You are able to accommodate in adversity, because the Lord has gone before you. You are able to bridle wants in prosperity, because gratitude to God and contentment in Christ govern your generosity. Thank God often, and trust Him to cultivate your contentment.

 

Our prayer:  Father create in me a grateful heart, that the peace of God might forever encompass me that I might find contentment in whatever state I may be in because you are with me always showing yourself faithful and strong.  Amen.

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Pastor Todd A. Brown
First Baptist of Chesterbrook
and Independent Travel Agent "Travel by Todd"

www.toddbrown.inteletravel.com

www.fbcc-va.org

www.wbgronline.com

Are you called?

You, O LORD, are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name. Jeremiah 14:9

 

Do you think of yourself as called? In church circles we usually reserve this language for the pastors, teachers, missionaries, evangelists, apostles, and prophets amongst us. While we can and should respect these leaders, we must be careful not to create a special class of disciples, the "called ones." In fact, in God's family, each and every disciple is called (see Matthew 28:19-20). To understand this more fully, however, we need to ask ourselves the question, what or to what, are we called? Let's look at three answers to this question.

 

We are called sons and daughters according to 1 John 3:1. To be called a son or a daughter of God is to be given a new identity. Though we were once separated and isolated from God, he has now drawn near to us in Jesus and invited us to know him as our Father. In this great act of love, God speaks worth, value, and meaning over us. He calls us out of darkness and invites us to encounter the radiance of His glory, His marvelous and uncreated light.

 

We are called to Love according to Luke 10:27.  When we encounter the unspeakable joy of being called a child of God, we are invited to respond to God in loving gratitude. One primary way we do this is through the act of worship. We offer God our sincere gratitude and thanksgiving for the love He showed us and continues to freely give us. Yet, we also respond to His love by sharing it with the people God has placed in our lives. What does it mean to love your neighbor? In part, it is as simple as extending the dignity and worth you have received from God to everyone you encounter. In a world that often tells us "you are worthless," Christ invites us to tell others through word and action that "you are beloved by the King of kings and Lord of lords."

We are called to mission according to Isaiah 12:4.  If you are a disciple of Christ, you have been given a mission. As we've seen above, this mission is simple: love. When Isaiah invites us to proclaim the exalted name of the Lord, we are telling the world that the Lord is good and filled with great love for everyone he has created. You may not think of it this way, but you are living as a missionary every day that you choose to deny yourself and live for the sake of others. When you make yet another plate of mac & cheese for hungry little mouths, when you go out of your way to publicly affirm and build up a coworker, or when you give up vacation time to care for a sick loved one, you are participating in the mission of God in the world. God takes our small gifts of love and sacrifice, insignificant as they may seem, and uses them to advance His Kingdom in the world.

 

Our Prayer:  Father help us to see that all of us are called to be conduits of your love in the earth, and are called to be ambassadors of your Kingdom.  Amen.
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Pastor Todd A. Brown
First Baptist of Chesterbrook
and Independent Travel Agent "Travel by Todd"

www.toddbrown.inteletravel.com

www.fbcc-va.org

www.wbgronline.com

God-sized goals

Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”  Luke 18:27

 

God-sized goals are meant to challenge our thinking and further our faith. These Spirit-given ideas/inspiration are crafted by our Lord to spur us on to good works and transformational living. God-sized goals make us uncomfortable at times. They are not guaranteed to happen, but they position us to pray more, believe and depend on God more.

 

It is through prayerful planning and implementation that gigantic goals move from mere possibility to a surer probability. Huge objectives are a hedge against mediocrity and a prod toward perfection. God-sized goals are given to govern our thinking and determine our time, so we are intentional and focused on His big picture. 

 

Best of all, God-sized goals get you to God. It is prayer and planning with significant progress that move you from the realm of possibility to the place of probability. In most cases, it is one person’s passion and focus that prove catalytic in the creation and execution of the goals. The leader looks failure in the eye and extinguishes it by faith, wisdom, and hard work, all wrapped around a skilled and unified team.

 

Christ-centered possibilities far outweigh man-centered probabilities. Perhaps you need to get away in solitude for several days, asking your Lord to sear your soul with His goals. Think outside the box of small belief in the Inbox of faith, for the Lord is unlimited in His abilities and resources. God-sized goals arrest your attention, adjust your attitude, and accelerate your actions.

 

So, prayerfully set great goals, and He will grow your character in the process, while influencing others for His glory. Trust Him to teach you the way, to show you with eyes of faith way beyond the bounds of your experience, for His plan will prevail.

 

Our prayer:  Dear Lord as we take time to spend with you daily through the power of your Spirit breath fresh vision, direction, and goals for this year, that we might be even more purposeful for you this year.  Amen. 

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Pastor Todd A. Brown
First Baptist of Chesterbrook
and Independent Travel Agent "Travel by Todd"

www.toddbrown.inteletravel.com

www.fbcc-va.org

www.wbgronline.com