A reader wrote the following to me today:
"Steve,
Thought I’d write my thoughts on Day 25 of your book, particularly the Action Points section.
Your comments about Jesus being comfortable and able to minister to/feel comfortable with people in any socio-economic class are so true. And this is where I struggle so much. During our ‘missionary days’, I had a definite problem with prejudice/bad attitudes toward wealthy people, even though many of them were our main financial supporters. I also had a bad attitude toward some of our co-missionaries that were better funded than we were.
That’s all behind me now, but I’m in a different situation now. I feel as if I am between (wealthier customers), for whom I manage their property, and our small staff , who are definitely on the opposite world of income and lifestyle. While our more direct contact is with our staff and our ("average" customers), we are in contact with the more wealthy (customers) too. . . .
The extreme differences in these two classes of people makes me wonder and try and understand more thoroughly how Jesus did that so effectively, and how I can be better at relating to both classes of people. To top it off, we do live in a nice place. . . and by all appearances we fall into the more wealthy category, particularly in this area of the U.S. where unemployment is high and average income is low."
Here was my reply to the reader:
Those are 2 great examples that you've personally experienced. I'm sure there are many more reasons than we'll ever know (this side of heaven) as to why/how Jesus was able to do that, but to me, 1 thing stands out: Jesus looked at people's hearts. We, on the other hand, typically look at their outward appearances and their "stuff."
In 1 Samuel 16:7, we find that even Samuel the great prophet (who heard God's voice audibly!) made that mistake when he was finding Israel's 2nd king. One thing I try to pray often is to see people as God sees them ("Open the eyes of my heart, Lord.") I want to see Him, but I also want to have the discernment from Him that will minister to whomever he brings across my path.
And as I say in the book, ministry is defined as "bringing someone closer to where they need to be, which is closer to God." I can't tell you how many wealthy people I've prayed with about their problems, which demonstrates that their needs to be closer to God are just as great as the needs of poor and middle class people. Besides, if money solved everything, there wouldn't be any messed-up people in Hollywood or Wall Street, would there?
Blessings,
Steve
Thanks to all of you for your support, and "keep those cards and letters comin'."
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Here's one of many great articles from one of my mentors, Patrice Tsague.
I highly recommend Patrice's information. Visit www.nehemiahproject.org to sign up for weekly emails like this, or to take a course on Biblical Entrepreneurship (which I recommend even for employees who think they will never start their own business).
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"...Yet who knows whether or not you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"~Esther 4:14b
Throughout biblical history, whenever nations or God's people faced a crisis, God always had someone prepared to respond to the crisis. In this week's devotional, I will discuss three biblical examples that may encourage and motivate you in the situation and circumstances where you find yourself today.
In 475 B.C. in Persia during the reign of King Xerxes, God's people faced possible extermination, but God had placed Esther in a unique position to save her people. Through the sovereign plan of God, what looked like a terrible thing-she was taken by force from her family and forced to marry the king-ended up being God's plan to have her in position to fulfill his purpose (Esther 8).
In 445 B.C. the returned exiles in Jerusalem were facing deplorable conditions: the walls of the city were down; the gates were burned with fire; there was no protection for the people of God. But God had positioned Nehemiah, a cup bearer, as a servant of the king. He was able to draw upon his favor with the king to rally resources to rebuild the walls of the city of Jerusalem. As lonely and difficult as it may have been for Nehemiah to work for the nation that had taken his people captive, God placed him in this position so Nehemiah could fulfill God's purposes at the appropriate time (Nehemiah 6:15-16).
In Genesis 41 we learn about another period when Egypt, one of the most prosperous and advanced nations of the world at the time, faced a significant crisis. None of the priests of Egypt could interpret Pharaoh's dream - a dream that Pharaoh was sure was significant. Once the dream was interpreted by the Hebrew prisoner, Joseph, the Egyptians knew a severe famine was coming. They had reason to panic. They needed someone to take charge of the nation's economy to prevent the famine from destroying Egypt and the world. Pharaoh appointed this formerly unknown man, Joseph, a Hebrew in a foreign land, an ex-slave, a prisoner. Joseph was not only able to interpret the dream, but he put a system in place that enabled Egypt and the surrounding regions of the world to survive the famine. With the wisdom God gave Joseph, he ensured that the Egyptian "Federal Reserve" had abundant provision for the time of famine.
Joseph was born a dreamer and his father's favorite. Because of the jealousy of his brothers, he was thrown into the pit, sold into slavery, and then sent to prison for a crime he did not commit by a master he served faithfully. God used all these hardships to prepare Joseph and to have him in position to fulfill God's purposes in Egypt.
Where does God have you right now? You may be like Esther in a civil situation that you did not choose, but in a position of potential influence to further the work of the Kingdom of God and protect God's people. You may be like Nehemiah in a political situation that you would not prefer, but in a position with favor whereby you could impact the fate of God's people in America and the world. You could be like Joseph in an economic situation that you did not choose, but have the answers and solutions to assist in this time of crisis. Whatever your circumstances and position, you could be placed there for such a time as this.
And what if you do nothing? Remember what Mordecai told Esther: "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish" (Esther 4:14a). God does not place us in positions simply for our own comfort or pleasure, but rather to fulfill a purpose. Whether you are in government, in the workplace, or an entrepreneur, God has placed you in those circumstances for such a time as this. Call to mind all that He allowed you to go through for preparation. Was it all in vain? No! It was all to prepare and equip you. Find ways to use what God has put in you to contribute to His cause and bring solutions and answers for the marketplace problems the world faces today. If you can, and you do not, God will use someone else. And you will face the consequences of non-action.
Instead, take action. You must reject fear, cultivate courage, and pursue God's purposes to see His answers for the current crisis. Reflect upon these scriptures so you may be encouraged to fulfill God's purpose where you are: Jeremiah 1:4-8, Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:18-39.
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"...Yet who knows whether or not you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"~Esther 4:14b
Throughout biblical history, whenever nations or God's people faced a crisis, God always had someone prepared to respond to the crisis. In this week's devotional, I will discuss three biblical examples that may encourage and motivate you in the situation and circumstances where you find yourself today.
In 475 B.C. in Persia during the reign of King Xerxes, God's people faced possible extermination, but God had placed Esther in a unique position to save her people. Through the sovereign plan of God, what looked like a terrible thing-she was taken by force from her family and forced to marry the king-ended up being God's plan to have her in position to fulfill his purpose (Esther 8).
In 445 B.C. the returned exiles in Jerusalem were facing deplorable conditions: the walls of the city were down; the gates were burned with fire; there was no protection for the people of God. But God had positioned Nehemiah, a cup bearer, as a servant of the king. He was able to draw upon his favor with the king to rally resources to rebuild the walls of the city of Jerusalem. As lonely and difficult as it may have been for Nehemiah to work for the nation that had taken his people captive, God placed him in this position so Nehemiah could fulfill God's purposes at the appropriate time (Nehemiah 6:15-16).
In Genesis 41 we learn about another period when Egypt, one of the most prosperous and advanced nations of the world at the time, faced a significant crisis. None of the priests of Egypt could interpret Pharaoh's dream - a dream that Pharaoh was sure was significant. Once the dream was interpreted by the Hebrew prisoner, Joseph, the Egyptians knew a severe famine was coming. They had reason to panic. They needed someone to take charge of the nation's economy to prevent the famine from destroying Egypt and the world. Pharaoh appointed this formerly unknown man, Joseph, a Hebrew in a foreign land, an ex-slave, a prisoner. Joseph was not only able to interpret the dream, but he put a system in place that enabled Egypt and the surrounding regions of the world to survive the famine. With the wisdom God gave Joseph, he ensured that the Egyptian "Federal Reserve" had abundant provision for the time of famine.
Joseph was born a dreamer and his father's favorite. Because of the jealousy of his brothers, he was thrown into the pit, sold into slavery, and then sent to prison for a crime he did not commit by a master he served faithfully. God used all these hardships to prepare Joseph and to have him in position to fulfill God's purposes in Egypt.
Where does God have you right now? You may be like Esther in a civil situation that you did not choose, but in a position of potential influence to further the work of the Kingdom of God and protect God's people. You may be like Nehemiah in a political situation that you would not prefer, but in a position with favor whereby you could impact the fate of God's people in America and the world. You could be like Joseph in an economic situation that you did not choose, but have the answers and solutions to assist in this time of crisis. Whatever your circumstances and position, you could be placed there for such a time as this.
And what if you do nothing? Remember what Mordecai told Esther: "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish" (Esther 4:14a). God does not place us in positions simply for our own comfort or pleasure, but rather to fulfill a purpose. Whether you are in government, in the workplace, or an entrepreneur, God has placed you in those circumstances for such a time as this. Call to mind all that He allowed you to go through for preparation. Was it all in vain? No! It was all to prepare and equip you. Find ways to use what God has put in you to contribute to His cause and bring solutions and answers for the marketplace problems the world faces today. If you can, and you do not, God will use someone else. And you will face the consequences of non-action.
Instead, take action. You must reject fear, cultivate courage, and pursue God's purposes to see His answers for the current crisis. Reflect upon these scriptures so you may be encouraged to fulfill God's purpose where you are: Jeremiah 1:4-8, Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:18-39.
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