How Do You Measure Success?

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” — Francis Chan

What does success mean to you? Is it important? If so, how important? Everybody is looking for success. If you googled “how to find success” right now, a billion of more results would pop up in a matter of seconds. Thousands of books have been written on the topic and even more YouTube videos have been created; all of them promise some level of success if you follow their advice. But, what is success? And, how can we truly measure it? And what is success spiritually? 

The Bible is the place we go to find the answers to those questions, but nowhere in scripture does God offer an exact picture of what “success” looks like. No particular level of achievement. No salary goal. No success checklist for us to complete. The scriptures simply say to roll every aspect of our lives upon Him, to trust wholly in Him, and then our lives will be full. That is all there is to it, yet when looked at in its entirety, it seems like a big undertaking. But is it?  Or is it in the unseen, behind the scenes, everyday small steps of consistent obedience to Him?  Small, everyday steps of allowing His Spirit to work in our lives and change our hearts. And small, everyday steps of loving the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves.

Luke 9:25 (TPT) reminds us that “Even if you gained all the wealth and power of this world, everything it could offer you, yet lost your soul in the process, what good is that?”  

But don’t think that because you are taking small steps that you are limiting what God can do. You can’t limit God. Never give up on moving closer to God because it seems too large an undertaking and too difficult.  We serve a God who makes the impossible possible, who makes the improbable, probable. We know from scripture that nothing is impossible for Him. With God anything and everything is possible. But sometimes it all begins with the small things; like the small moments when I feel God’s presence. Or in the morning stillness and quiet of scripture reading and prayer or soaking in the beauty of a summer sky or choosing to extend forgiveness and grace in a raw moment when anger is threatening to boil to the surface.

And here’s the thing: all those transformative small steps of choosing to walk in tandem with the God of the universe next to me adds up to big success in my relationship with Jesus Christ.   

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you define success in your life? 
  2. How do you need to re-prioritize your life so that getting to know God better is your number one priority?

Is It More Difficult To Trust God Or Obey Him?

“You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” –  Luke 11:11-13. 

During a small group session, a question was asked that required some thought: “What have you learned about God that you wish the world could know?” The group thought about it for second and one person said, “I wish people knew God could be trusted. He has rules for a reason. They are there to protect us. He has our best interest at heart—always.” Then another person added, “trust is important, but it also takes obedience… obedience that flows from trust will last a lifetime.”

Obedience and trust do seem to go together although we often have trouble with one or the other. Trusting God is not the same as understanding Him. Trusting Him means transferring your confidence and hope from yourself to Him. It’s more about knowing who God is than what He will do and why. Only when we trust God will we desire and be able to obey Him. 

Obedience is the more difficult of the two. We tend to argue, push back, and fight a lot when God asks us to do something we don’t really want to do. We want our way. Yet the interesting thing is that in hindsight, we wonder why we fight so much because it always works out better than we imagined in the end. Do we thank God enough for doing His will in spite of us? 

How much do we trust God when we are skeptical, hesitant, or even defiant when God asks us to do something? How much do we trust God when we selectively ignore His prodding in our lives? The bottom line is that obedience to God proves that we love Him and demonstrates our trust.  

A lot of people think obedience is about fearing God, but God wants us to see obedience to Him as a relationship of love. And out of love comes trust. If you trust what God is saying to you, and you believe that He loves you, then that will lead to action.

You need to have all three because action without love is just rote religion. And love without action is just mere talk.

The Bible contains many passages that teach the “trust and obey for happiness” principle. Jacob is one such example. Jacob was a believer who had to learn over and over again throughout his life that “half-way” trust and obedience does not bring happiness and blessing.  Trusting and obeying involves both God’s sovereign work in us and our own responsibility and choice.  

Discussion Questions:

  1. Trust or obedience: Which one is the hardest for you? 
  2. What can we do this week to get better in these areas?  

Take Refuge In God

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it. The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts! The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.” – Psalm 46:1-7

There is virtually no place that you can go to escape the constant stream of new Coronavirus updates. These updates are designed to give you the most up-to-date information on countries and states on lockdown, travel restrictions, numbers of reported cases and deaths, not to mention reports on the catastrophic impact on the global economy.  COVID-19 has become the central focus of the whole world, making many fear the uncertainty of what’s ahead. Everything feels chaotic and uncertain. Where do you find refuge? 

The dictionary says that a “refuge” is a place that provides shelter or protection. Psalms 46 tells us that “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” Taking refuge is like finding a safe place during a storm, or getting comfort in a world where “you will have trouble.” We cannot avoid this reality, only find a place of refuge during times of trouble. 

When the Bible describes God as our refuge, it is saying that God is our safe place when we need protection from something.  With God as our refuge, we need not fear — we will not fear — “…when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!” (Psalm 46:2-3.) God is with us, and we can “be still” when we face struggles and storms, and know that our God is God. Where do we find refuge in the storm? 

The simple answer is to find refuge in God. We can run to Him, seek His help, and face our tumultuous hearts and our circumstances squarely by taking refuge in God. In His infinite power and love, God is a safe place for us to place the burdens of our fear and stress. We should seek refuge the minute troubles arise because He is “…always ready to help in times of trouble…“ We can run to our God, hide in His Presence, and find the strength to face our unexpected circumstances with grace. Only He has the power to rescue and deliver you. Only He has the grace you need to face what you are facing. Only He holds the wisdom that, in trouble, you so desperately need. Only He is in, with, and for you at all times. He is the refuge of refuges.

Today you can run to your Heavenly Father, seek refuge in His Presence, and find help to face whatever storms lie in your path without fear.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What it looks like when God becomes your “Refuge,” and then your “Strength,” and then your “Help.” In what ways can we be a refuge to others? 
  2. What do we do this week to lean more on Jesus in times of trials and trouble?

Do We Take The Bible for Granted?

 

 

Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long.” – Psalm 119:97.

The Bible is a one-of-a-kind book in many ways. It has impacted the countries and people all over the world ever since it was written. Reading it can leave you inspired, amazed, horrified, and challenged. The Bible is not just any old book that was written centuries ago and as a result, is no longer relevant today.  It is the inspired word of God. It is amazing just how much these texts are still immensely convicting and practical even though they are thousands of years old. It was written by 40 men from 3 continents over the course of 1,500 years yet is without contradiction. It is “alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” (Hebrews 4:12.)  

Every time that you read the Bible, God can speak to you and touch you in a new way. Our Bible is always there almost at arms reach for a lot of us and yes we do sometimes view our reading of it as a duty. It begs the question, do we take the Bible for granted?   

Last week, we looked at individuals and groups of people that have suffered for the gospel of Jesus Christ. When researching for those devotionals I came across a video of a group of Chinese believers who opened a suitcase that was full of Bibles (see video) Their expressions and emotions are like those you’d expect from people who had lost their children and had finally found them again, or maybe like those who escaped a life and death situation. No, their joy was a result of receiving their first Bible in a country where Bibles are illegal. A woman says, “this is what we needed most.” Before they received this suitcase they had a community Bible. They would tear out sections and pass them out so everyone would have a part of God’s Word.  Now they each have their own Bible and they are ecstatic. 

After watching these dear brothers and sisters hold their very own Bible for the first time, you have to pause for a second and do a Bible inventory. If we gathered all the Bibles in the house it would probably number well above 10. We probably have several versions including a children’s version, the ESV, NIV, and NLT,  and maybe a large type version because our eyes are not as good as they used to be. And then we need to add another 10 or more digital versions that are readily available on any device. 

So here’s the question I asked myself. If I have say 12 Bibles at home do I get 12 times as excited as they are? That may not be possible but taking the Word of God for granted is very possible. Am I more passionate about things that don’t really matter long term than I am for God’s Word?  The Psalmist reminds us “Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.” (Psalm 119:37)

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you take God’s Word for granted sometimes?  
  2. What can we do this week to ensure we don’t take God’s Word for granted? 

Thoughts On The Subject Of Materialism

“Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” — James 5:1-4.  

It might have been a good thing to give you some type of warning before I hit you with James’ harsh condemnation of greedy rich people. It is certainly not the typical way to start a devotional. In chapter 5, James continues his thoughts from Chapter 4 where he is talking about how some people trust in their arrogance, and make their own plans which do not include the Lord. James speaks about those who trust in their riches instead of in God. Not only do they trust in their riches, but they have obtained their riches at the expense of others.  

James 5 echos Matthew 6 where Jesus is teaching about prioritizing eternal things over earthly treasures. James is warning the rich new believers who aren’t using their resources for the glory of God. The question is what constitutes rich. When we hear the word “rich” we think of Bill Gates or Warren Buffett; the people who buy jets and yachts costing $100 million each. But many of us are rich as well. We live in a nation of abundance. We live in a house, drive a car, and have money in the bank. That alone puts us in the top 5 percent of the world’s wealthy. But James is telling us that money is not the issue. 

The heart is the issue. Matthew 6:21 says “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Money is not the problem. We all have to have money to live and support our families. It’s not a sin to be wealthy. You see in verse 4 that James is talking to the rich who have exploited their employees to put more money in their own pockets. These verses in James redirect my heart to prioritize what really matters. People matter. People matter to God so they matter to us. Materialism and the material things we desire don’t matter. When I prioritize people in my mind and heart, money issues fade into the background. Helping people and changing hearts is what we should be pursuing not things.   

 Jesus is better than the perfectly decorated house, or a full closet, a fulfilled wishlist, an unlimited budget, or a substantial bank account. The material things we accumulate will fade and disappear one day. As Charles Studd sais, “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. What did you think of James words when you read them?  
  2. What can we do this week to prioritize people over possessions?  

Seek First What Matters Most

“For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.“ – Philippians 1:10. 

During the Coronavirus, I realized how much I enjoy and miss one to one, face-to-face meetings. Face-to-face communication allows for open and heartfelt conversation: but intentional conversation not only requires speaking openly, but it also requires me to set aside all distractions and give the person my undivided attention. Undistracted, face-to-face time is an opportunity to truly listen to one another, and to truly be heard. Face-to-face time with God is an opportunity for us to know His heart. What if we took the time to listen, as well as a time for God to hear from us regarding those things that really matter to Him. How often do we consider what it is that really matters to God?

Paul, writing to the believers in Philippi says,“For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.” (Philippians 1:10) This verse indicates there is a benefit to us to understand what really matters. Knowing and loving God is our greatest privilege. And being known and being loved by God is our greatest pleasure. And then to seek what matters to God first in our lives.  

I do not believe God intends for us to live our lives being self-absorbed. I believe He created us with intentionality; for us to live an intentional life for His purpose. To know His purpose is to know Him; to know Him is to know what is important to Him; to know His heart. And to put those things first in our lives. 

A.W. Tozer said this about what matters most: “Yes, worship of the loving God is man’s whole reason for existence.  That is why we are born, and that is why we are born again from above.  That is why we were created, and that is why we have been recreated.  That is why there is a genesis at the beginning, and that is why there is a re-genesis, called regeneration.  That is also why there is a church.  The Christian church exists to worship God first of all.  Everything else must come second or third or fourth or fifth.”   

What would happen if I began to lean into God, to be intentional enough to discover the things of God that truly matter to Him? Maybe it begins with setting aside distractions for just 10 minutes each day, to become comfortable in solitude. It takes discipline on our part to position ourselves to know God’s heart. Be willing to create some space – some margin – in the midst of your busyness in which God can reveal the unexpected work of His Spirit.

Face-to-face time with God equips us and positions us to know His heart and the things that matter to Him; heart to heart. When we are aware of the things that matter to Him, we are able to partner shoulder to shoulder with Him more effectively.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you need to re-prioritize your life so that getting to know God better is your number one priority?
  2. Based on what you talk about most, what would people say is most important to you?

The Insanity Of God: Nik Ripken

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. 

The Insanity of God tells a story—a remarkable and unique story to be sure yet, at heart, a very human story—of Nik and Ruth Ripkens’ own spiritual and emotional odyssey. After spending over six hard years doing relief work in Somalia, and experiencing life where it looked like God had turned away completely and they were clueless about the tragedies of life, the couple had a crisis of faith and left Africa asking God, “Does the gospel work anywhere when it is really a hard place? It sure didn’t work in Somalia. Their story and the insightful stories of the remarkable people of faith Nik and Ruth encountered on their journeys, serves as a powerful case study for anyone who wants to know whether God truly is enough.

Nik compared his experiences to the Bible. “You got on the plane to go was the New Testament and when you landed you were in the Old Testament. It was hell.” They saw real darkness in Somalia. After their son died they returned to the mission field in some of the toughest places for the gospel and asked a simple question: Is Jesus worth it?  That began their journey of sitting at the feet of believers being persecuted and ask them to teach them. They witnessed the sacrifice of believers. 

One powerful scene in The Insanity of God movie is the story of Dmitri, the pastor of a small house church in the former Soviet Union. One night, communist officials burst into his home during worship. They arrested Dmitri and sent him to prison for 17 years, more than 600 miles from his family. Dmitri was the only believer among 1,500 hardened criminals. The isolation from the body of Christ combined with the physical torture tested his faith and strength. But he found a way to endure. For 17 years in prison, every morning at daybreak, Dmitri would stand at attention by his bed, Nik wrote. “As was his custom, he would face the east, raise his arms in praise to God, and then he would sing … to Jesus. … The other prisoners banged metal cups against the iron bars in angry protest.  Then, one day, after finding a piece of paper on which Dmitri had written every Scripture reference, Bible verse, story, and song he could recall, his jailers beat him severely and threatened him with execution. As they dragged him from his cell down the center corridor toward the courtyard, Dmitri heard a strange sound.”

The 1,500 criminals who had long ridiculed him stood at attention by their beds. They faced the East, raised their arms, and began to sing the song they had heard Dmitri sing to Jesus every morning. The guards returned Dmitri to his cell. Sometime later, he was released. 

“I went looking for tools from God and what I found was the resurrected Christ himself,“ Nik said. 

About the Author: Nik Ripken is the world’s leading expert on the persecuted church in Muslim contexts. He is a missions veteran of 36 years, having served primarily in North Africa and the Middle East. He is the author of The Insanity of Obedience and The Insanity of Sacrifice. He and his wife have conducted extensive research in approximately 72 countries with believers in persecution including how they view suffering through a Biblical lens.

Amy Carmichael: Rescuer Of Precious Jewels

“Let us not be surprised when we have to face difficulties. When the wind blows hard on a tree, the roots stretch and grow the stronger, Let it be so with us. Let us not be weaklings, yielding to every wind that blows, but strong in spirit to resist.” — Amy Carmichael

There are many people who set out to change the world and there are those that actually do it. Amy Carmichael was such a person. Now she has faded from the scene and millions of people have never heard her name. She lived a quiet, sacrificial life for the cause of Christ and personifies the spirit of missions and of rescuing helpless people. Amy was born in 1867. She died in 1951. Amy Carmichael is one of India’s most beloved missionaries. She spent 53 years in South India without a furlough, earning the nickname “Amma” or “Mother” from the underprivileged children she regarded as God’s jewels.

Amy really found her true calling in India. She had heard about young girls who were sold by poor families. They were sold to the temples in order to get money for the temple priests through prostitution in Hindu worship. Sometimes they were kidnapped and indeed they were kept there for the rest of their lives. They could never leave. So, she began to pray and ask God, “How can we help these girls?” One day, a woman literally came to her doorstep with a young seven-year-old-girl named Preena. It is a famous story of Amy Carmichael’s. This woman said, “This is Preena. This is her second attempt to escape from the temple. Her mother sold her into prostitution. She escaped from the temple and I found her on the streets. I took her home and her mother returned her again to the temple. As punishment, they branded and burned her palms to where they were just black. They punished her for leaving, for running away.” This little girl must have been a spunky little thing. She ran away again the second time and this woman said, “I found her again and I did not know what to do with her. I know that you want to help us. Maybe you could help this little girl?” She began to take in other young girls. Dozens of young girls were rescued from temple prostitution and hundreds of others from poverty and neglect. 

She established an orphanage. She eventually established a medical clinic for them. She established a school for the girls, and she also ended up establishing a school for young boys. Her ministry call, was to rescue these girls, to redeem them, to win them to Christ, to give them a Christian upbringing, and to help them to fulfill their calling in the world. 

All this time she was constantly harassed by the temple priests. They burned down buildings. They called her demon woman. They started all kinds of rumors about her. They abused her. They were always reporting her to the government or to authorities. But she stayed. And she stayed focused on taking the light of the gospel to this foreign land. Amy spent 56 years in India. She never went home. She never returned to her family. She remained focused on her ministry.  

Amy was also a writer. She wrote something like 40 books. 

What Is It Like To Be A Christian In A Country That Is Hostile to Christians?

“One in every nine Christians in the world lives in an area, or in a culture, in which Christianity is illegal, forbidden, or punished. That’s a 14 percent increase over the previous year.” – The latest report on global persecution by Open Doors USA.  

Every Sunday, Christians in North America gather for worship (online during the pandemic). We sing. We pray. We give. We listen to a message. With rare exceptions, we do this in complete safety, never thinking someone would want to do harm to us for our faith. Yet, that is not the case around the world. It is estimated that approximately 300 Christians die each month simply because they believe in Jesus. That’s nearly 11 every day.  

These numbers are heart-breaking. And yet, they do not tell the whole story. Persecution is now truly global. There are many reasons why Christians are persecuted. Sometimes, religion may be tied to ethnic or cultural identity. In other places, governments who thrive on power view Jesus as competition and those who follow Him as threats. Still, other areas put such a high value on their majority religion that any other faith is seen as something to be rooted out and violently oppressed. From Somalia to India, from Nigeria to North Korea, from Iran to Pakistan, followers of Christianity are targeted for their faith. They are attacked; they are discriminated against at work and at school; they risk violence, torture, arrest, and much more.

Most of us reading this know this: We know that persecution happens, but we probably don’t know what Christians all over the globe are experiencing because of their faith in Jesus Christ. We need to know. 

The writer of Hebrews tells us this in Hebrews 13:3 (TPT), “Identify with those who are in prison as though you were there suffering with them, and those who are mistreated as if you could feel their pain.” God has called us to remember and support those suffering through persecution. Please pray that these believers will not only stay committed to the call of Christ but also will respond in love to the evil shown by their aggressors.

Pray and ask God to comfort families who many times do not receive updates about their loved ones and are not allowed to visit, or it’s simply not safe enough to do so. Pray they, too, will remain faithful to the calling God has placed on their lives.

And pray that world leaders would do all they can to fight this persecution.  Pray God would stir their hearts, and they would not only draft but enact the necessary policies and procedures to make a lasting, global difference.  

A Martyrs Grace: Signe Amelia Erickson

A Martyrs Grace: Signe Amelia Erickson    

“Have you grace to be a martyr,” D.L. Moody was once asked. “No,” he replied, “I have not. But if God wanted me to be one, he would give me a martyr’s grace.”

Sensing God leading her to missionary service, Signe entered Moody Bible Institute for a year’s training in 1923. Following Moody, Signe taught at a country school that was notorious for its undisciplined students that three teachers in succession had resigned the previous year. Single-handedly she so mastered the unruly boys throughout the winter months that by spring their hearts were softened by her caring Christian example. After attending Gordon College and earning a Bachelor of Theology degree she applied to and was accepted to be a missionary in the Philippines preparing young women for church ministries and missionary work on Panay Island.  On a furlough she obtained a master’s degree at Columbia University, New York. She returned to the field in May 1941 with her new degree in hand and worked as a professor of religion at Central Philippine College in the School of Theology. 

As war became more likely, Signe was under no illusion as to what the prospect of war could mean to them and their work. They frequently discussed what measures they would take if the Japanese were to invade the islands. Signe said ”that she wanted to stay with the Filipinos unless her continued presence endangered the lives of the people she had come to serve.” 

The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and overran Manila in January 1942. By April they reached Panay Island. Soon the entire coastal area of the island was in their grasp. Signe had no place of escape except for the interior of the island. She joined the other American missionaries in the mountain hideout they named Hopevale. Here she and the others waited out the war. As her seclusion passed from months to a year and then to a year and a half, the rigors of isolated living took their toll on her. Signe patiently hoped for either the end of the war or for rescue by American forces. As it turned out, neither happened in time to save either her or the others hiding from the Japanese.

The end of all hope came to Hopevale on a fateful December morning just days before Christmas in 1943. A battalion of Japanese soldiers crept through the mountains and made a surprise assault on the little hamlet. It took the soldiers less than an hour to round up all eleven unsuspecting missionaries who had been caught completely off guard. The Japanese waited a day to make sure they had caught everyone.

That was the last communication anyone would receive from Signe. The Japanese granted them an hour to prepare to die. Then systematically, one by one they were blindfolded and taken into a hut where they were ruthlessly beheaded. Signe’s life ended in the midst of that heartless slaughter.

The story is taken from A Martyrs Grace: 21 Moody Bible Institute Alumni who gave their lives for Christ by Marvin J. Newell; Moody Publishers, Chicago.