08/26/16 WE NEED THE GRACE AND WISDOM OF GOD IN EVERY AREA OF OUR LIVES
I am a dreamer, a visionary (but more about that at the end of this article).
I am a success oriented person. In other words, I really don't like losing and failing; and quitting is almost never an option. I realize this is true for the average, well adjusted person, but I am one of those driven people. I don't tend to wait for life to come my way; I tend to go after it. One of the down sides to this is that I feel the weight of failure and take it personally.
Driven people need the grace and wisdom of God to guide them, to temper them, to humanize them.
People who take failure personally need the grace and wisdom of God to keep them from depression or anger or defeat.
I always expect top level performance from myself, and I also expect success from my effort. Needless to say, I am often disappointed, and I readily blame myself, usually by talking to myself, as in, "David, David, David" or by placing the blame on myself, as in thinking,, "I am sorry."
But as I said, this is where the grace and wisdom of God comes into the picture. I have to accept that I cannot do everything, in fact I cannot do everything that I think I can do. Even when I have the skills, I may not have the opportunity or time or support. I have to set my agenda by the things that are possible. Even then I don't always measure up.
This is a reason that I have to narrow myself down to the doable. I get frustrated when I see the things that need to be done, the things that can be done, but they are not being done because the workers are not making themselves available. The old saying is that, "many hands make light work." When there are not enough hands then the darkness prevails (yes, a play on the word, "light").
As I mentioned earlier, I am also a dreamer, a visionary, and an optimist. When I encounter a problem, I immediately start thinking about possible solutions. Mixed with faith in Christ and supported by a willing and eager team of believers, the opportunities for victory and success are beyond spectacular.
I believe that pastors should have these qualities. If your pastor has these qualities you should add your own skills, abilities, talents, gifts, know how, faith and support to his. In fact, if your pastor does not have these qualities, you probably need a new pastor or your pastor needs a renewal. If you are not joining in his mission, then you need renewal. Or, in keeping with the title of this article, you need the grace and wisdom of God in your life and then you need to live it out by faith.
We can't do it all. We cant even do what we think we can do, but we must do what God enables us to do, and then, we must leave the end result in His hands. As I mentioned in my previous FB LIVE presentation, "Do not let the lack of interest from other people determine your level of commitment."
Ecclesiastes 9:10
(10) Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
1 Corinthians 15:10
(10) But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Colossians 3:23-24
(23) And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
(24) Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
