Christ is Risen: Our Joy
Rev. Dr. Richard Howell
Deeply frustrated with dullness of heart, rejection and a cold shoulder at the work place, John turned to God for answers. A vision came. God spoke to him posing a troubling question. "What value does the pearl of great price, the gospel, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead has for you?" The Holy Spirit reminded him that faith is a deep assurance and an unquestioning trust in God's grace, promised in Christ and in the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. It is ignited by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. Through this faith he has received forgiveness of sins, in no other way than through pure grace without any of his own merits (Eph. 2:8) but only by the merits of Christ. That Jesus died of his sins and he rose again from the dead for his justification.
He was disturbed by this vision. Ashamed and repentant, He prayed, 'Lord, I trust your resurrection power to renew my strength in my times of weakness so that you will be honoured in everything I do. Draw me closer to yourself and make me more sensitive to your divine purposes. Let your Spirit give me an attitude of great joy and peace in the midst of all the setbacks. Lord, I trust that you will use this attitude to encourage others at my workplace, those who are experiencing challenges of their own.'
In an age when athletes gloat with victory and bask in the glory showered on them, he prayed to the Lord to help him exercise his faith not so much in stardom's glory but in the crucible of everyday tests and frustrations in the power of your resurrection.
'I couldn't be more thankful that in the past couple of years God has allowed me to deal with a great deal of change, adversity, and unknowing because my greatest growth usually comes in times of despair,' says John.
"As I've gone through great adversities and challenges of life, God is beginning to paint a very clear picture for me of how He's drawing me closer to Him— where exactly my heart is, what are my deepest thoughts and motives when the lights are off and nobody's around. Do I long to be faithful so that I'll be rewarded in the workplace, or is it my desire to be faithful so I'll just continue to trust Him?
The Gospel of Success
In an age in which the very air one breathes is laden with self-importance, John makes genuine humility one of his top spiritual quests. 'Thank you God that you are using my workplace to break me so that I may know you better,' whispers John.
The 45-year-old John does not expect faith to necessarily produce success at the work place. "I tend to differ from some who have been very outspoken in their faith. I don't think that our success level dictates the amount we can glorify God."
John thinks a false assumption is spreading throughout the increasingly Christian preaching that the more successful a person is the more he glorifies God, because now he can show the world that he serves a powerful God who gives him victory and great honour and blessing where He's not giving it to others. But as he searches God's Word, he does not see Him saying that.
Rather, John says, Scripture indicates that God calls believers first to be faithful, and secondarily to develop 100 percent of what He has given them–whether they are teachers, business owners, spouses, parents, athletes, or any other vocation.
'It's the process more than the product that brings Him glory,' John says, 'because when people who are truly searching look at the lives of believers to find answers, they'll see God is glorified in a consistent life and in the process of being faithful, not necessarily the end result or the product.'
The testimonies of dramatic success develop the notion that God glorifies Himself by granting success to His talented children. John has been as consistent in defeat as in victory; on occasions when he is criticized he has asserted his trust in God to test and develop him through the difficulties.
John has considered the issue of faith and mundane victory deeply enough, however, to arrive at a graceful correlation. "I nowhere feel that because I'm striving to be faithful that the flip side will be great reward at the workplace," he says. "But I believe that I am more motivated professionally than I've ever been because God has given me a certain amount of ability, leadership, and other areas that I am called to develop through His strength. This will naturally help me progress in a successful way."
Anything we do in our day-to-day lives should be an act of worship to God. This is possible if all our actions are for the glory of God, done in the name of Jesus Christ and is for the benefit of others. In a time when the world showers praise on the superstars, we simply say, God, this isn't about me. This is about you.
Gaze Upon Christ
Paul tells the Corinthians that as Christians gaze upon the glory of the Lord, "with unveiled faces," we "are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory" (2 Cor. 3:18, NIV). The apostle is suggesting that looking intently on the Lord will bring about a change into Christ's image by the Spirit.
John prays, 'Lord I trust you to renew my strength in my times of weakness so that you will be honoured in everything I do. Lord, all of you, none of me. I need your Spirit to be in total control of my thoughts, actions, emotions, and words. God, I know you have given me a platform to work with people, and I pray that you will give me the wisdom and words to encourage them, but more importantly, I pray that you use me in their life to encourage them with the truth of your Gospel, and the your resurrection power, with which you encouraged me. Christ is risen, our joy. Is Christ your joy as well? |
