Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Which Saul will I be today?

This morning I have been reflecting on Sandy's message from this past weekend. She outlined for us two character sketches - King Saul of Israel and Saul(later became Paul) of the New Testament. Both received strategic appointments by God. Both experienced powerful anointing by the Spirit of God. Both walked in the favor of God. But one became a tragic character while the other modeled enduring faithfulness.

I am struck this morning with the opportunity I have today to walk in faithfulness to the Gospel of Christ Jesus. Through grace found in Christ and the love of the Father there is also strategic appointment, anointing, and favor. Will I respond to God's love with faithful obedience? Or will I allow, as King Saul did, the concerns of this world to "choke out" God's blessings?

Any given day "concerns" bombard our lives, attempting to dismiss the work of the Holy Spirit in us. Let's name a few: jealousy, materialism, distractions, gossip, relational conflict, poor self-image, ego, misplaced trust, vanity, anxiety, depression, wasteful time, and ?

I would love to hear from you. What are other concerns that we allow to control our lives? Concerns will always be present on this side of eternity. But the faithful disciple of Christ does not allow the concerns to be the focal point. They are present but not domineering, identifiable but not destructive, and real but powerless in Christ.

My prayer today: May God be my strength and the hope of my life as I fully rely on Him for every aspect of my life. Amen.

Rob

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4 comments:

  1. Beth and LukeDecember 29, 2009 at 7:20 AM

    One of my biggest concerns these days is "am I a good parent?". "Am I doing all I should be?" "Am I ruining my child already?" I know thinking about this all the time is not productive. And those times when I do quiet my heart and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance, he's always there, every time, leading me. I need to focus more on the strength of the Holy Spirit and less on my weakness as a human being.

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  2. Rob RhodenJanuary 3, 2010 at 3:29 AM

    I have these same concerns. I lie awake at night at times wondering, "Did I handle that situation correctly with Avery or Miles?" "What are they picking up from me that I am not even aware of?" etc.. I know exactly what you mean.

    And like you, the Lord has been faithful to quiet my heart and racing thoughts. We are not parenting alone! God is our source and strength. The body of Christ is our community of support. The Holy Spirit is working in our kids lives. Thank goodness we are not alone.

    Thanks for your transparency in this. And my guess: "YOU ARE A GREAT PARENT!"

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  3. catherineJanuary 3, 2010 at 12:04 PM

    Beth and Luke,
    I can so relate to your concerns about parenting. During the service today, I was reminded that as long as I love my children through the "spirit of power, love and self-control" God places in my heart, I will be a good parent.

    Rob,
    Thank you for the new commitment to this blog. I feel it will help our church community support each other. I look forward to participating!

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  4. Rob RhodenJanuary 5, 2010 at 3:27 AM

    You are so welcome!

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