by Charles Bertelsmeier
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Read 1 Samuel 17:17–30
As I write this, our church is doing a series on the life of Joseph, the son of Jacob. It is interesting to note some of the parallels. Joseph, the youngest adult son, was anointed by his father with a special coat and by God with vivid predictive dreams. David, the youngest son of his father, was anointed by Samuel (and God) as the next king of Israel. In both cases, the brothers had strong negative feelings (including jealousy) against their younger brother.
The parallels continue. The older brothers are away from home working, with the youngest still safely at home. In the case of Joseph, the older brothers are tending the flock of sheep – searching for good pastures. For David, the older brothers are away fighting a war against the Philistines. In each case, their father sends the youngest brother to see how the older brothers are faring. In each case, we see the jealousy of the older brother(s) express itself.
Considering these parallels, I was reminded of times I have felt jealousy towards other Christians in whom God was working in powerful ways. Why was God not doing wonderful things through me?
One valid answer was that I was not really surrendering my life to God, giving him full freedom to call me to follow him, with the assurance I would follow (I had lots of excuses for why I couldn’t). However, I would like to pick up on another reason that relates back to St Paul’s description of each of us being a different part of the body of Christ. God really has a different plan and purpose for each one of us. When we surrender to God’s plan and purpose for us, it is to trust that he knows what he is doing and to faithfully follow his leading.
We may not get any glory, honour or even acknowledgement for our efforts, but that is the point. We don’t follow God’s calling for what we will get from it, but because of all that God has already blessed us with. The glory, honour or even acknowledgement all belong to God for what he is doing in and through us.
So, each time we feel the first pangs of jealousy about God working in others, an immediate antidote is to praise God for what he is doing in that person’s life and to thank God for all he is doing in our lives. And to pray to God that he would help you see more clearly how he is working in your life to bring his healing and good news to those in need. Maybe, even to re‑surrender your life to God’s will and purpose for you.
Heavenly Father, thank you for having a unique plan and purpose for my life. Please help me to concentrate on your call and not compare myself with others whom you have called for a different purpose. Amen.
Charles is a retired engineer who has worked on communications projects for the air force, army and navy. He lives in a retirement village in the outer north-western suburbs of Sydney with his wife, Diane. Together, they have four children and eight grandchildren, all of whom they love spending time with. Charles keeps busy caring for their pot plants and a community vegetable garden, researching his family history and volunteering in the community and at LifeWay Lutheran Church.
The cost of being a disciple
by Ruth Olsen
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If anyone comes to me and does not hate [… their family] – yes, even their own life – such a person cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:26).
Read Luke 14:25–35
Families are God’s idea and God’s creation. He has created us as social beings who need others. We are meant to help and encourage each other. When that happens, joy can flow. When it doesn’t, sorrow can flow.
Why would Jesus say we are to hate our family? That seems inconsistent, doesn’t it? Jesus loved his mum, Mary. He loved his siblings, though they may not have understood until later – likewise with his disciples.
To ‘hate’ one’s family is not about emotions but rather priorities. When we surrender to the lordship of Jesus, he becomes central and pivotal in our lives. As we yield to his ways of loving and caring, worked in us and through us by his Spirit, it flows to others and blesses them. He turns things the right way up for us as we learn to die to self, to yield to him, to honour him in all that we are and do. When we live in him and through him by the power of his Spirit, we are his disciples. Yes, that costs us too. After all, it cost Jesus everything, even his last breath, to open the way for us to be brought back into his Father’s family.
When family or our life is held on to more keenly than holding on to Jesus, things go wrong because we have put them in the place that rightly belongs to God. Once we awaken to this reality and say ‘Yes – thank you’ to Jesus and the life he gives, his peace can settle in our soul. This saying ‘Yes’ to Jesus is an ongoing daily choice. Then the focus is no longer on the cost of discipleship; instead, it is on him and our relationship with him, his presence with us each day to enable and empower us to be what he calls us to be. We thereby give him the glory. And we will grow in loving and caring as he works it in us and through us.
Lord Jesus, this sounds easy, but we can’t do it. By the power of your Spirit, continue to grow us in being your disciples. We bless you! Amen.
Ruth lives in Adelaide, South Australia, with her husband, Steen. Peritoneal dialysis at night is now their settled ‘new normal’. Ruth says, ‘It is in the challenges of life where we grow in recognising the Lord’s enabling and faithfulness. Like the psalmist, we grow in knowing the goodness of the Lord’s love and his great mercy. All praise be to him!’
‘Who do you say that I am?’
by Ruth Olsen
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‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say that I am?’ (Luke 9:20)
Read Luke 9:18–26
In this passage, Jesus moves from a general knowledge to the specific. Therefore, I put it to you also: What do people around you say about Jesus, and who he is? Who do you say that he is? Our answer to that determines what can unfold from there. We each need to give our answer.
Peter’s immediate response was, ‘The Christ of God’, in other words, the Promised Messiah! It may seem strange that Jesus then warned them not to tell anyone. The people were waiting for the Messiah, but their expectations of the Messiah were very different to those Jesus had from the Father. Peter recognised but did not understand. The people didn’t recognise or understand. They needed further teaching before Jesus could publicly identify himself. He had a crucial schedule to keep and would not be interrupted by premature and superficial reactions. Yet immediately, Jesus started predicting his death.
Words matter. Words are important. They carry life – and/or death. What you say about Jesus determines whether your life is lost or saved.
When we want to hold on to our lives, we can easily forfeit the life that really matters. When we are willing to let go of our lives, to place them and ourselves in the Lord’s hands and be available to him, we are likely to discover the fullness of life that Jesus alone can give us. We won’t find that by grasping, but by yielding to him, surrendering our will to his will for us. That is the risk and response of faith.
To follow Jesus requires self-denial, self-surrender and the obedience of faith that enables us to endure suffering, building our character through perseverance and hope that holds on to God’s love by the power of the Holy Spirit within us (Romans 5:1–5). Being available to him, the Spirit can work the Father’s purposes in us and then through us to others around us.
Lord Jesus, thank you that you ask me also who I say you are. Here’s my response to you [tell him in your own words]. Amen.
Ruth lives in Adelaide, South Australia, with her husband, Steen. Peritoneal dialysis at night is now their settled ‘new normal’. Ruth says, ‘It is in the challenges of life where we grow in recognising the Lord’s enabling and faithfulness. Like the psalmist, we grow in knowing the goodness of the Lord’s love and his great mercy. All praise be to him!’
Heart – attachments
by Ruth Olsen
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Peter answered [Jesus], ‘We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?’ (Matthew 19:27)
Read Matthew 19:16–30
What is it that your heart holds dear? Is it your loved ones, career, body shape/appearance, reputation, bank account, mobile phone, health or faith? It can be different for each of us, likewise at different stages of life.
I have probably moved through each of those stages; however, my faith – my relationship with Jesus and, through him, with Abba Father and the Holy Spirit – has been central since I was about 18 years old, with much growth, development and adventure along the way.
Whatever our heart is focused on will absorb our attention. And if there have been hurts and wounds along the way, leaving us broken-hearted, then our focus is much more muddied. But it does not have to stay that way!
The wealthy young ruler in our Bible passage thought he had it all together except for the surety of eternal life. Jesus replies to his question with a question, to which the young man replied, ‘Which commandments?’ Had he not heard that if we break one of the commandments, it is the same as breaking all of them? Jesus then challenges the young man on his ‘heart focus’ to ascertain whether he was really seeking eternal life.
Then comes the conversation about a camel passing through the eye of a needle as a descriptor of the immense pull – and even addiction – that material wealth and possessions can have on our hearts’ priorities. This led to Peter’s spontaneous question voicing what was probably on each of their minds – and most likely on ours too! ‘What about me/us?’
We like being first. We do not like being last. Yet God’s perspective and priorities are very different to ours. For us to settle with his priorities, we must surrender our heart’s desires to Jesus and ask him to be central in all we are and do. If we are willing to let go of our grasping after the things of this life, we will discover the joy of a bigger picture and purpose to our life with him here on this earth.
Lord, help us be real and honest with you and with ourselves. Search our hearts; enable us to recognise our priorities and change them where your Spirit prompts. Amen.
Ruth lives in Adelaide, South Australia, with her husband, Steen. Peritoneal dialysis at night is now their settled ‘new normal’. Ruth says, ‘It is in the challenges of life where we grow in recognising the Lord’s enabling and faithfulness. Like the psalmist, we grow in knowing the goodness of the Lord’s love and his great mercy. All praise be to him!’