Semper Coram Deo et Soli Deo Gloria!
(latin: We live always before the face of God and only for His Glory!)
For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
~ 1 Corinthians 15:9-10
Many who know this writer personally sometimes ask a question.
Where is this man’s switch?!?
My best friend (you would really like this guy!) of 20+ years calls me the ‘energizer bunny.’ And in the years before my absolute surrender to the Sovereign One, doctors even prescribed medicines because of my “bi-polar” condition. What was missing in those days, was an understanding that the high energy level was not maniacal – it was the rare moments of me running according to how G_d had wired me. I was running to my design specs when i was up. The times where i was often down and depressed and lazy and frozen in anxiety had everything to do win sin and disobedience – and almost nothing to do with chemistry or normality.
Enough biography though, where is this man’s switch? Short answer: I don’t have one.
What?
I’m dead. I no longer do anything.
Oh, now you’re talking in riddles blogger man!
No riddles. Here is how it works to be a person with abundant energy to do whatever God wants you to do. Let Him do it through you. Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians 15 above are not a one-off. The ONLY way the impossible Christian life works is for us to stop working and allow the very great grace of G_d to flow in and through our lives. And once we do that (notice my term “absolute surrender” above) the very infinite power of G_d begins to course in our veins.
We become His mighty men. We begin to do things that raise both the eyebrows and even the ire of others who claim to be believers. We begin to have actual influence in our environment. We become instruments of change. We begin – in His strength alone – to take spiritual and even physical territory for the Kingdom of G_d. We, by our simple presence, begin to establish command in our environment.
Our list of priorities begins to look nothing like something we would see on TV. Not even close… Rather, mighty men have lists that look something very much like the following.
1. Live always for the Glory of God
2. Offer body and blood to Jesus Christ
3. Be the first to suffer the wrong
4. Proclaim Jesus Christ in every moment
5. Let the vulnerable claim your strength
6. Agree to the task even before it is assigned
7. Never shrink from the challenge, but rise to meet it
8. Never dilute the manly Gospel message
9. Never heed the Old Man’s fuss
10. Never capitulate to the Devil
(see https://ps1611.org/resources/how-we-live/)
And when we take territory, and put it under the shadow of the flag of Zion – MAKE NO MISTAKE – there will be resistance, naysayers, complainers, and people who think we are just trying to assert our own agenda and control in the environment.
And this is where meekness comes in. Meekness is not being weak. Meekness, rather is maintaining control over our own power. It is veiling our glory. Meekness is giving up the right to be right – and just doing the right thing no matter how many people lob in negativity grenades from the sidelines. Beloved, if you think meekness is weakness, try being meek for a week (send me a note, tell me how it goes!).
We have only to look to Jesus for how this all works. On this earth, He was the mightiest and meekest man ever. And this meekness, made Him all the more mighty.
One of the mightiest warriors this planet has ever seen, was wrapped in the package of a little tiny nun in India. Mother Teresa says all this, perhaps, more clearly than all the rest of this entry.
