My Way God

“Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:1–2).

Oswald Chambers wrote, “Much of modern Christian enterprise is ‘Ishmael.’ Born not of God, but of an inordinate desire to do God’s will in our own way—the one thing our Lord never did.” This is an interesting statement using the word ‘inordinate.’ The word inordinate has three definitions in the World English Dictionary. Is Oswald Chambers saying but of an unrestrained behavior or emotion to do God’s will? Maybe he is saying that our desire to do God’s will is sometimes disorderly or out of order. Is he saying, in our quest to serve God, our passion or desire exceeds normal limits? I believe the answer is yes.

A close look at the church, as a whole, reveals the church is having very little impact on the communities in which we live. In defense or rebuttal of that comment, we could point out the ministries of Billy Graham or Charles Spurgeon. There are thousands of organizations that feed, house, and tend to the medical needs of people all around the world. All this is well and true, but what about our impact on the environment we live in and the people we have influence with? One of the questions that the church (God’s people) needs to start asking is, “Do I work in a soup kitchen because there is a need and I want to do something to serve God?” Do we become deacons and elders or even pastors because of our desire to be a part of something that is larger than ourselves? We have to ask ourselves the hard question, “How much of what I do, or don’t do, is governed by my own emotion, my own mind, or even what our church friends and family believe we should be doing?” I have asked God, with all this work being done by well-meaning and compassionate people, “Why can’t we see Your power—the power that created the earth and heavens, parted the sea, calmed the storms, and raised the dead? Why don’t we see Your glory manifested in our services? What do we have to do to experience your manifested presence?”

I believe God answered me with this question: “Jim, is My temple and house in order?” God was asking me to look at myself. A friend told me once, “It’s not about you, Jim.” To a large degree, it is not about me, but then, to an even larger degree, it is all about me. As I prayed, I found words like that of Job coming from my mouth and heart. What about you? Can you pray this without looking or blaming anyone else and be willing to receive His reply?

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23–24).

In service to Him and you, Pastor Jim

Click image to return to Notes