Are you a Back Seat Driver?

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"Peter seeing him, said to Jesus, 'But Lord, what about this man?' Jesus said to him, 'If I will that he remain till I come , what is that to you? You follow me!' "  

                                                                                                             John 21:21-22

Peter had been talking with Jesus and wanted to know if John had to do what He was telling Peter to do. Straightaway, Jesus told him basically to get on and do what he had been told and not to worry about what John would be doing. In other words, He was telling Peter, 'Never mind, "What about him - what about you? You do what I've told you to do, I'll take care of the rest.'

It all boils down to as long as we are doing what God wants us to do, that's the way God wants it. The thing is, at times we find ourselves pointing the finger at other Christians. We feel that they shouldn't be doing what they are doing. They should be disciplined.  At times like this, it is more likely that we need disciplining for thinking such stuff about other people.

But we do this. At times, we are like back seat drivers. We even feel that we should be controlling what God should be controlling. 'I mean, for Heaven's sake, why does God allow this to happen? Doesn't He know about what they are doing and saying?' Yes, He does, but it is still no concern of ours. We should be doing what God has told us to do and stop trying to judge people. I always say, if we were meant to judge people, we would have been given a curly white wig and a long black cloak.

We becomes wrapped up in what other people are doing that, at times, that is all we can focus on. Bob Gass, writes, 'Learn to respect your fellow believers, not because of who they are, but whose they are' ( Bob Gass UCB). The very people we judge and point the finger at; the very people that we are tempted to talk about, or to put it correctly - gossip about, belong to God. They are created in God's image the same as we are. How would you feel if they were talking about you to people? It's not nice and I tell you, God is not pleased with such behaviour. 'Judge not, that you will not be judged. For with what judgement you judge, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.'  ( Matthew 7:1-2 ) 

Sitting in the back seat of a car telling the driver what he or she should be doing is akin to sitting in church or in a group talking about other people. Basically it is gossip and we will pay a high price if we continue with this. Yes at times, people do wind us up; there are times when they should be acting in a more appropriate way; but talking about them or judging them behind closed doors is not the way. If there is something you're not happy about, talk to God about it; get some direction and if it is needed, approach that person and gently speak to them about what offends you. If not, then, you do what God wants you to do and let God deal with them.

It is not worth losing your peace and that wonderful flowing in The Holy Spirit. And remember, if we allow the devil to get into the back seat of the car, pretty soon he's going to want to drive. Think about that.

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard 

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Time-outs Part two

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Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you ; you are not able to perform it by yourself." Exodus 18:18

Jethro, Moses' father in law had made a visit to see Moses and observed that what he was doing, was far too much for him or any man. He felt Moses could be heading for Burnout unless something was done - quickly. He suggested that Moses choose men he could trust and allot them a portion of people each that they could take responsibility for. Moses was humble enough to heed this advice and he set this into action.

At times, we tend to take too much on and fail to see that what we are doing is over the top. Many of us have a job to go to each day and oftentimes, that in itself is demanding. On top of this, we tend to take on things within the church and that makes us feel good, because we have a feeling that we are doing something for God. Again, this is good. However, have we ever stopped and thought, 'Am I doing too much?' 

Many of us need to balance out the work that we take on. Within the church, it makes us feel wanted that God has called us to do something for Him. If He has called us to do a particular thing, He will help us balance it out that we don't get worn out and will give us the necessary time-outs. However, if He hasn't called us to do this particular thing, we are heading towards wearing ourselves out.

We can't do it all. There are many people who want to help out within a church family but don't really get the opportunity. Perhaps it would help to point these people out to leadership and enquire if it would be favourable to let them help out, in order to share the workload.

Some people say 'Yes' whenever they are asked to do something, and that is great. The problem is, it can be the same people doing it all and that is where the tiredness and imbalance can take affect. Sometimes it is right to say, 'No, I can't take on anymore at the moment.' It may not go down too well and you may suffer guilt for saying this, but common sense has to prevail.

Finally, a word for Pastors. Do you delegate, or do you try to do everything yourself because that way, you can be sure that it is done correctly? Again there are people who want to help and are longing for you to recognise their callings and talents. Don't sit on their ministry, delegate and give them the chance they're longing for. Perhaps, at one time, you may have felt this way too.

The main point is, we need to watch the Burnout factor and ensure that we don't take on too much. Is the speaking to you? Do you need to slow dow down a little? Do you need to prioritise in particular areas? Are there time-outs required in your life?

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard 

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Time-outs

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"Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  Mark 6:31.  NKJV

A time-out can be classed as a break; a cessation from toil; a time for refreshment and an intermission. This time-out may be instituted by a sports official or someone who is in charge of a particular piece of work that we are doing. Basically, it is a short break from work or play. Children have these at school; workers have tea breaks and such. It is a time where for a few moments, we can re-group, re-focus, gather our thoughts and regain our energy. Time-outs are essential in one's very busy day.

Jesus recognised this when He called His disciples aside to have a short rest. They had not even had the time to eat, let alone think things through. Working at this pace can be a recipe for Burnout. According to the World Health Organisation, Burnout is now a  legitimate Medical Diagnosis, although it can be argued that it falls closely into the category of stress. Basically, Burnout is when a person is not coping well with their job or situation. Tiredness, irritability, depression and lack of concentration can be factors of this condition. However, my intention here is not to attempt to give out medical diagnosis where I'm not qualified to do so. My quest is to point a person in the right direction to attempt to avoid this condition.

Jesus recognised the dangers of taking too much on. This is why He advised His disciples against the perils of missing out on rest and not eating their meals properly. This is a big concern in our society today. Many families don't even sit at a table to eat together any more. Preference is given to having their meal on their knees while they watch TV. Some people grab a sandwich or something else that will satisfy the hunger pangs for a time. One only has to watch some of the police dramas on the TV to get an idea of how the stars demonstrate how busy they are and manage to eat at their desks while they write reports, talk on the telephone or dash in the car to some crime scene, burger in hand. It really does nothing to promote healthy eating and it certainly does nothing to recommend having a rest before they go any further.

Our health is most important. God wants us healthy. Many people are giving in to bad health because they just do not take care of themselves. Some people are overweight and yet do very little by way of exercise. Others burn the midnight oil watching endless movies and then struggle to get up and get through the next day. Diets are ignored. Illnesses such as Type 2 Diabetes are on the increase. Strokes, heart attacks and other life threatening illnesses are a risk because we are just not listening to what Jesus told us. We need to take time out. We need to rest; We need to eat properly and at regular times. We also need to get plenty of sleep.

God wants you well. He wants you fit and healthy. He wants to use you - yes you! But things in your life need to change. There needs to be a more stricter schedule in order to reach the place Jesus wants you to be. We only have one life. It is far better to live it to the full, don't you agree?

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard 

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Bury the past

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"Who will deliver me from this body of death?"  Romans 7:24. NKJV

Some ancient kings tormented their prisoners by shackling them to decomposing corpses. This was mostly the one's who had murdered people, but not always. Paul longed to be free from the wretched body of death clinging to him, not that he had directly murdered anyone himself. 

Spurgeon said:

"It was the custom of ancient tyrants, when they wished to put men to the most fearful punishments, to tie a dead body to them; placing the two back to back; and there was the living man, with a dead body closely strapped to him, rotting, putrid, corrupting, and this he must drag with him wherever he went."

As I've mentioned, this was usually the body of the murdered victim who was strapped to the murderer. Eventually, poisonous bacteria would penetrate the perpetrator's back as decomposition kicked in, leading him to an awfully, painful death. 

The Apostle Paul struggled with the fact that the law could not take away his sin. Daily, he felt frustrated that he was committing sin when he didn't wish to. Does this sound normal to you? Many times during the day, we are tempted to sin. Sometimes we don't really recognise that we're doing it; but then again, at other times we do. What about our thought life? What about the times when we allow lust to take over our thinking and for a time, we do nothing to stop this? Paul had similar struggles. We don't know what they were, but he was human just like we are so must have felt similar impulses.

Most of us struggle with things in our past. Some may have been abused by someone that they had felt safe with initially. Some may have become involved with gangs, drug addiction, alcoholism, theft just to name a few. We all have a past but the great thing about belonging to Jesus is that, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ( 1 John 1:9 ) The main scripture above is dealing with the past. The only way the perpetrator would be free from the dead body on his back, would have been to shrug it off and bury it. It is the same with us.

Many of us struggle with past issues when we really shouldn't if Jesus has set us free from them.  However, sometimes, we have to decide to cast the burden off us and bury it. So the past you're carrying around is weighing you down and preventing you from moving forward in victory. It is time that you cast it off, bury it and move to your new life. It really is the only way!

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard 

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Don't be a copy - be the real thing

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"Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."  Romans 12:2. New Living Translation

Human behaviour at times, tends to lean heavily on copying trends, dress styles and habits. To a degree, this is okay. It is good to be fashionable and up to date with what is going on in the world. As kids, we have our heroes, and these may follow us into adult life where we may find ourselves copying some of their characteristics. We all do this. Some of us are pop stars, singing into a hairbrush in front of the mirror. Some of us train and play sport like our hero. Others, copy the dress and hair style of the particular person who we are following. This is all normal. However, in all of this, eventually we need to find ourselves. We need to find our own  identity and do our own thing. If we don't, we stand the risk of being a person who is going nowhere. We need to be ourselves, and allow God to use us as He finds fit.

Jesus didn't copy. He had His mandate from the Father and He set out to fulfil this. He was not a follower. He was a leader! There are leaders and followers in life and that is okay. If we were all leaders, we would have no followers behind us, and if we were all followers, we would be like sheep without a shepherd. It would be total chaos.

Are you a leader or a follower? Deep down within the heart of a leader, is the burning desire that they have been placed here to make a difference. However, to most people it won't happen overnight. There needs to be a period of 'proving', where it becomes obvious to people that there is some potential in this person. In other words, if you have leadership gifting, it will be noticed by people. The book of Proverbs mentions this:

'A man's gift makes room for him , and brings him before great men.'  Proverbs 18:16

A person who is searching for leadership though, must be a person who has found themselves and know where they're going. One cannot copy someone else's leadership. A leader can have a mentor, that is fine. However, at the end of the day, they need to be their own person and not a carbon copy of someone else. God created just one of us, not several copies.

As I mentioned, are you feeling that you are a potential leader, whether it be in the Christian field or the secular? Don't rush things. Dependent on your age you can seek counsel about this with your pastor or work leader. Training will almost certainly be required plus a time of testing the waters. There may have to be a time where you sit on the subs bench for quite a while before you're set free to have a go. Be patient, because as the Proverbs scripture above says, eventually you will come to someone's attention. You will be noticed. Until then, spend time with Jesus and talk to Him about all of this. He's pretty good at offering expert advice about such things. He also has the key to open all doors.

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard 

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Happiness

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'Happy are your men and happy are these your servants , who stand continually  before you and hear your wisdom. Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you, setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God!'     2 Chronicles 9:7. NKJV

The Queen of Sheba had heard of Solomon's great wisdom and wanted an audience with him, to test him. She travelled around 1500 miles to do this, from what is now known as Yemen. She wanted to know if what she was hearing, was true. When she did meet him, she was astounded at his great wisdom and the way happiness appeared to rule in his household. What a wonderful witness it is when people see God in us and how He has blessed us! It is something that must be uppermost in our lives.

David Guzik writes : 'It is a joyful thing to serve a great, wise and rich king. If it was a happy thing to serve Solomon, it is a much happier thing to serve Jesus.'

Blessed means happy and this was what Jesus was referring to when He quoted the beatitudes to the people in Matthew 5:1-12. Jesus wants His people happy in all they do. But are we? Be honest, are you really happy? If not, why not? What is blocking your happiness. As a Christian, Jesus has given all we need to live happy lives. Yes, we suffer persecution; we suffer problems within our families and business life. The same rain that falls on a non-believer falls on a believer too. We don't all of a sudden become excluded from what the world has to throw at us. We will suffer death and heartache; pain and suffering. We'll have good and bad days just the same. The difference is, we have Jesus to share our days with and I would sooner have Him on my side throughout the day than go it alone.

Being happy brings us joy and we know that joy is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Furthermore, we're told in Proverbs 17:22 that, 'A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.' Being happy - being joyful, is a recipe for being content and having a good attitude to life. What is your attitude like at times?

Being happy comes down to choice. Yes, at times of great pain and loss, it is incredibly hard to be anything but sad. But trying to find a way through this darkness - step by step, can lead us to freedom. It takes time, but a happy heart can heal a thousand woes in our life.

Saying this to people may bring the response, 'You don't know what I've been through.' That is so true, but neither do they know what you've been through either. We have choices in life and God wants us to choose the right ones. Being happy, with a right attitude and a determination that, 'Whatever, I may face, I'm going to do this,' can be such a winner to your soul. 

God wants to bless you - make you happy. Why not allow Him to make a start, today!

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Favour

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"For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With Favour, You will surround him as with a shield."    Psalm 5:12

God wants to bless you. Are you hearing me? God wants to bless you and He wants to use His favour to do this. Favour is grace. But it is also identified as pleasure, desire and delight. In fact, God wants us living favour-minded wherever we are and whatever we do. We are His children and it is understandable that He wants to give us that we need. Notice that I say, 'what we need - not what we want.' There's a big difference between these two words. 'Need' is simply what we need on a day to day basis and that includes protection and direction in whatever we do. 'Want', is the selfish part. What we want is not always what we get for the simple reason, if we received everything that we could possibly think of, eventually life would become boring. There would be no excitement in what God is doing. We would have it all and and have done it all. It would work rather like when a child is spoilt by its parents. They receive everything and after a while, they become disgruntled because they want more and more. God does not wish to spoil us. This is one of the reasons that some of our prayers go unanswered.

Being favour-minded is the way to live. It's a great idea to start the day with the prayer: 'Lord, I confess and believe that I'm walking in the favour of God today, and I receive all of Your benefit'. Psalm 103:2 says, 'Bless the LORD O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.'
Gods benefits are not means-tested. He doesn't give you something one way and take it off you another. No His benefits are the greatest and I would sooner have God's benefits than all of what the world can offer.

For a start, God loves you and He has your best interests at heart today. Is there something important that you need to do today. It may be to do with work or housing or even the medical world. Whatever, God wants to give you favour with this. That's right, just ask Him and believe that He will give you all the favour you need to go out and get the job done. I heard one Pastor say that he often asks God for favour dealing with parking his car. Where he is based, the car parking is crazy and one can spend hours trying to find a space. This guy claims that God has never let him down yet. Unbelievable? No, I believe this is true. God is interested in your life and that includes you having a stress free time away from finding a space in a car park. I've tried it myself and it worked but I have to admit, it took longer than the Pastor takes to get a space. 

God's Word says, 'But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these thing shall be added to you.'  (Matthew 6:33)

Put God first in your life and He'll take you up on the deal. He is totally for you and wants to soak you in His favour, each and every day. But don't take my word for it. Try it out yourself!

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard 

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com