One thing I noticed right away is that I haven’t written a blog entry since October. This is regrettable and something I want to correct. With my daughter-in-law and two grandchildren living with us, our household has been a bit hectic.
In addition, our school incorporated three significant changes this year which has impacted my schedule adversely.
1. The high school changed from a block schedule to a skinny schedule which
means that I now teach 7 out of 9 periods a day.
2. Three of these periods are new subjects that I haven’t taught before.
3. Since this is an accreditation year for our school (those seasoned teachers who are reading may now take a moment to shudder with empathy) I was made a chairman of one of the nine major committees.
Needless to say, each of these facets of the year has been like a pack of Idaho wolves taking a savage bite of time from an unsuspecting hiker. So what has happened to this poor wayfaring stranger over the last four months? A few comments about my recent daily Bible reading will probably answer this question with reasonable satisfaction.
I’ve followed with curiosity Paul's decision to be in Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost and then to go onto Rome.
"After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome." Acts 19: 21
"For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost." Acts 20:16
When other disciples of the Lord heard of Paul’s decision and knew that it was a dangerous decision to make, they tried to dissuade him. Some "wept sore and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more." (20:37,38)
Others "said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem."
(21:4) It even came to the point where a prophet named Agabus tied up his own hands with Paul's belt and confronted him publicly saying, "Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles." (21:11)
When Paul did not change his mind, the disciples finally accepted his decision. "And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done." (21:14)
This scenario is interesting on several levels. First, the disciples were giving advice in the “Spirit” (notice the capital letter). It is mentioned specifically several times. Secondly, Paul did the opposite of what advice they were giving because he was bound in the “spirit” (notice that it is not capitalized). Then they trusted that the will of God be done.
This leads me to believe that the will of God is not necessarily a specific geographical decision. In other words, the decision on whether or not to go to Jerusalem was not the issue that God was concerned about. In the “Spirit” there were very good reasons to NOT go, and in the “spirit” there were some very good reasons to GO. Paul expounds on these reasons.
"And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." Acts 20:22-24
Evidently God uses other believers to point out all sides of a specific decision, the believer then makes a decision based on how he purposes in his own spirit, and then we trust that the will of the Lord is accomplished.
So let me draw a few principles from this if I may:
1. The will of the Lord can be accomplished wherever I decide to stay.
God's will is not necessarily location but concerned with the attitude
of the heart wherever I am.
2. Believers need to be strong in their opinion about another's intended
decisions so that the Christian decision-maker can receive input to
challenge his thinking. We are all sinners saved by grace and are
susceptible to deception in our thinking, so we all need that.
3. Decisions to serve the Lord should not be made solely on the basis of
physical needs and safety (Maslow’s hierarchy of needs). They should
be made on the basis of God's kingdom and a desire to serve him in the
best way possible for as much time as He allows before we face eternity.
Based on this kind of thinking my wife and I have made two decisions. The first is that we have decided to stay here in the DR to teach another year. This decision was not an easy one. Paul was single … I am not. He didn’t have children and grandchildren … I do. He probably did not have many possessions (ie – a house)… I do and it makes things complicated. So I know I can’t make my situation a direct parallel to this passage.
However, it gave me much to think about and pray over. We have a limited number of productive years where we will have the physical ability to do what we are doing now. To put it simply, I feel “bound in the spirit” to stay. I truly want to use every ounce of skill and energy that God has given me to influence as many people as possible for the Kingdom.
The second decision is to have my wife leave me forever (at least it will feel that way.) Our daughter who lives with her husband in Peru is expecting her first child. So my wife is flying down to see her on the first of February to help care for the new little bundle. She will be gone for a small eternity (about three weeks.) This also was a big decision but we felt “bound in the spirit” to support our daughter’s family in this way.
In principle at least, it appears to me that the basis of decision making is pretty straightforward. I know it hasn’t felt that way either to my wife or me these last few months as we wrestled with these two decisions, but maybe we made it more difficult than it is because of our lack of faith. In a parable, Jesus laid out the duty of a believer during the time he has left on the earth.
"A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come." Luke 19:12, 13
We are simply to keep busy doing the things that promote his kingdom with the “pounds” that he has given us. He has given us freedom to make specific decisions based in part on input from other believers, and are eventually judged according to our attitudes of service or laziness. So, Lord willing, this will be the words on our lips for another year in the DR … occupy till I come.
No comments:
Post a Comment