Maximise Your Life with Paul Benger - Part Three
Faith doesn't escape from reality, it confronts it. In this third extract from Paul Benger's excellent book, 'Twelve', he looks at how to live the Christian life with both your head in the skies and your feet on the ground. Enjoy!
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus Philippians 2:5
As I write this chapter our TV screens are once again full of reality TV Aprograms and interactive offerings. Big Brother has just completed its 4th series, Fame Academy is racing through the second series and ITV's Pop idol is down to the last 100 contestants in series two. Part of the success of these programs is their ability to show us the bad behaviour and bad attitudes of the participants. Some of the programs deliberately set out to reveal these things to us by setting up tasks or including judges that are guaranteed to wind things up a little. Why? Because we love it. Maybe it's something to do with seeing the failings of others that makes us more comfortable with ourselves. One thing is for sure, bad attitudes are everywhere.
You're full of it: All of the TV programmes that I am talking about work on this premise. "What is in you will ultimately come out of you." That is why contestants are squeezed and put under enormous pressure so that the watching public gets to see the juicy bits. This premise is actually biblical. Jesus said, A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. Matthew 12:35 (NKJV) God's desire is to so radically transform the heart of his people that what comes from us is a reflection of our King and not a reflection of our sin. The new covenant of life in Christ Jesus has this dynamic element at its core. God says, I will make a new covenant...I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people. Hebrews 8:8-10 (quoting Jeremiah 31:31-33) God transforms our lives from the inside out.
Inside out: A relationship with Jesus Christ will change your world because it will change you on the inside. Your heart will be transformed or renewed on a daily basis and this will have repercussions on your outside world. The Apostle Paul knew this process; Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2Corinthians 4:16 As our hearts and characters change so do our lives. Out of a heart of faith comes a life of faith, out of a heart of fear comes a life of fear and missed opportunity. Your heart is the key to your future. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV) The issues of life refer to the borders and parameters of our lives and these are determined by the attitude of our heart. "What you fill your life with, determines the power at work in you." - Brian Houston (You can change the future, p16 Maximised Leadership Inc) In the first chapter I said, "Imagine a church full of God," now imagine your life full of God. As your life is filled by God, God will be the power at work within you. If, however, your life is full of bitterness, anger, jealousy etc. that will be the power that is at work within you and the power that manifests itself at crucial times. It is for this very reason that God instructs us to guard our hearts, to maintain hearts of hope and faith so that at crucial moments it will be the power of God that is at work within us.. Glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)
New Person, New Attitudes: Throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness - righteous, holy and true. Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT) The teaching of the New Testament is clear. You are a new person with a new nature. Your job and mine is to take off/rid ourselves of our old nature that was full of stinking attitudes and put on the attitude of Christ, the attitude of our new nature. "Tall order," I hear you say. Well, if that is how you feel I've great news for you. The Holy Spirit is with you to help you along the way. As you read the rest of Ephesians chapters four and five, this theme of displaying a new nature is expanded. Some of our old smelly attitudes are revealed along with some great advice about living for God. But right in the middle we are introduced to the Holy Spirit. "I'm taking my ball in.": Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30 As I grew up in church this verse was talked about a lot. Whilst listening to many speakers refer to this theme I embraced a picture of the Holy Spirit being somewhat weak and sulky. I imagined the Holy Spirit to be like some of the kids I used to play football with. If you disputed a goal, or they weren't picked to play on the best side they would get their ball and say, "I'm taking my ball in." These words in Ephesians, however, when properly understood, reveal exactly the opposite. The Holy Spirit is with us forever. He has come into a relationship with us that requires cooperation and mutual involvement. To grieve him is to refuse to cooperate with him in his work of producing the life of God within us and to stay connected to our old nature.
Sealed: The bible uses the word "sealed." This word is only used in two ways:
• When a product has been tested and, after inspection, is declared fit for use. That certainly applies to our new life in Christ. An amazing exchange has been made. Jesus took our dull and lifeless nature and gave us his passionate, colourful and vibrant spirit.
• A powerful or wealthy person would seal a document being sent with wax. He would do this by pressing a ring, which may contain a family emblem, onto the warm wax. This seal would ensure: a) safe passage, b) special care, and c) the guarantee of reaching the final destination.
From this illustration we can see that the Holy Spirit is not flying away every time we fail or upset him,taking his ball in, or saying, "stuff this for a game of soldiers." The fact is, he's with us forever, working in us to produce the life of God.
Grieved: So what does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit? God is a relational being. He created us to know us and that we might know him. The Holy Spirit has not been given as a mere power tool that enables us to do a job but as a person with whom we are to work in partnership with. By the way, it's worth noting that he is meant to be the senior partner. To grieve him is to violate that relationship, it is to become uncooperative with his work of transforming our lives, to allow the attitudes of our old nature free reign when the Holy Spirit is with us and in us to help us. To grieve him is to ignore his counsel and guidance and also to ignore his presence and power.
Hard Hearts: Throughout the bible we are warned against having hard hearts. Hard hearts ultimately hurt us and hurt others also. The heart that allows God to engrave his word and ways upon it will be healthy and heal others. Here are three keys to recognising a hard heart, some of which we'll talk more about later:
• Can you submit So humble yourselves before God. James 4:7 (NLT)
• Are you teachable Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do. Proverbs 4:7 (NLT)
• Are you open and honest with God and people If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar... 1John 4:20 (NLT)
All three of these keys involve God and people. Submission is more than just submission to God but also involves submission in church, in our jobs and in our families. Being teachable is not just about receiving revelations direct from God but allowing others to speak truth to us and disciple us. Openness and honesty with God and people will mean that we don't push people away with spiritual language like, "The Lord told me," but we will share our true feelings. I've found as a pastor that this last point is the one we struggle with the most. The Holy Spirit wants to create in us a heart that is pliable. A heart that has the stamp of God upon it. For that to happen we have to cooperate.
Weather with you: "Everywhere you go always take the weather with you." Do you remember this Crowded House song from the 90's? Well this is exactly how God wants you to live. The truth is you will encounter all types of "weather" during the course of your life, maybe even during the course of a day, but you have internal weather and it can always be good. As we partner with the Holy Spirit throughout our lives and live relationally with him we become subject to God's weather. God's weather is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of God is... righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17 Wherever we go, even in the midst of desperate storms we can encounter God's peace.
Eleven years ago my wife was involved in a very bad car accident along with her sister Karen and our two youngest sons, Josh and Sam. On that very same day I was at a reception held to celebrate a promotion that I had just been given. I received a phone call at the reception from Jeannie's mum who explained that they had been involved in this bad accident and I was needed at the hospital right away. My best friend drove me there and on the way we hardly spoke as I was extremely concerned. As we entered the hospital drive I heard the Holy Spirit whisper in my heart, "everything will be alright." I can honestly say that a sense of peace filled me although I was still anxious to see my family. On entering the hospital a nurse grabbed my arm and said, "I need to take you to see one of your sons, we think we might lose him." I was rushed through to a room where he was lying on a stretcher. I grabbed his hand, kissed him and whispered," Josh, you're going to be alright." As soon as I had said these words a doctor came in the room and, in what seemed like panic to me, took Josh away. Josh is now sixteen years old, six feet tall and still growing. Sam is eleven, he has had numerous accidents in his life but he is fit and healthy and now at secondary school. Jeannie had twenty one stitches in her face and numerous others elsewhere but she came through that ordeal and today is an amazing woman of God. Without a doubt that was the stormiest day of my life but I am so grateful to the Holy Spirit for being alongside me and giving me his peace.
Atmospheres and attitudes: "The power of an atmosphere is that it creates an attitude, the power of an attitude is that it creates authority, the power of authority is that it determines your altitude." Pastor Phil Pringle (Christian City Church, Oxford Falls, Sydney, Sunday 31/8/03) Atmospheres determine attitudes! If you live your life around small hearted, mean spirited people the atmosphere will not be pleasant and your attitude will be affected. I believe the people of God are meant to carry the atmosphere of God everywhere we go. The bible calls it being salt and light. Obviously, by working and living in and around other atmospheres we will pick up stuff that we don't really want. That is why we must protect the atmospheres we control. The atmosphere within our spirit and heart must be guarded so that we maintain attitudes of generosity, life, health, friendship, loyalty and love etc. Protect the atmosphere within your home. Don't allow language and attitudes that compromise who you are. Finally, let us protect the atmosphere in the house of God. Even when we are tempted to complain, accuse and be offended, let's not. Let's be like our God who loves unconditionally, supports eternally and smiles constantly.
REMEMBER:
What is in you will ultimately come out of you.
God transforms our lives from the inside out.
You're a new person with a new attitude.
The Holy Spirit is your senior partner. He is with you to produce Christ's nature in you.
Take your weather with you.
Atmospheres determine attitudes
You control your atmosphere.