I
have started a lot of things in my life that eventually fell by the
wayside. I have begun and ended diets,
running or walking for exercise, sticking to a strict time-management system
and a few other things. I was excited
about the ideas in the beginning and wanted to do those things. I had good intentions, but they were clearly
not a priority in my life. Other things
took precedence, and they were abandoned.
There
is one thing I never want to let go by the wayside, and that is my relationship
with Jesus Christ. He has been my
priority since I was eleven years old, and He still is. All healthy, growing relationships require
time, loving and giving. If we do not
make our relationship with Christ top priority, it will fall by the wayside.
The
apostle Paul was determined that his relationship with Christ would be foremost
in his life. In 1 Corinthians 9:26-27,
he said, “Therefore
I do not run without a definite goal; I do not flail around like one beating the
air [just shadow boxing]. But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and
make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I
myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service].” (Amplified
Bible) The King James Version says, “lest that by
any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” Paul wasn’t talking about training to become
a great athlete. But he knew if he
allowed his body and mind to dictate his life, he would lose out in his
relationship with Jesus. So, he
determined to make his body serve his spirit instead of the other way around.
That is easier said than done. There
are times we know we need to draw aside and be with Jesus, but the busyness of
life says we don’t have time, not right now.
Or when God speaks to us to do a certain thing and we put it off because
we are afraid. Doing what we know is
right will cost us physically, financially, and emotionally. Sometimes it is
difficult. Those are the times we need
to tell our bodies and our minds that they will serve the Spirit. They cannot have their own way.
It’s easy to give ourselves a
break and rationalize how the demands of this life keep us from fulfilling the
things of the Spirit. Paul was ruthless in keeping his spirit strong, and he
was always ready for whatever lay ahead.
He knew how easy it could be to get soft on himself and lose his
spiritual strength. We need to be
careful, too, not to relax our guard and become unfit for the kingdom of
God. It doesn’t happen all at once. It is a gradual decline when we let our
relationship with Christ take second place.
Paul knew the
temptations and faced them head-on. And
he knew the
time to prepare for service in the kingdom of God was not fifteen minutes
before a “ministry opportunity”. Sometimes he didn’t know fifteen minutes in
advance where he would be or what he would be doing. He seldom knew just when an opportunity would
present itself, so he had to stay spiritually fit. That means “working out” during private
times. Prayer, worship, reading and
meditating on the Word of God to keep spiritually strong and in tune with God. Without
becoming one with Jesus, we cannot follow His directions. Paul also knew
“ministry” took on many different manifestations. One day it may mean preaching to a small,
obscure group of women who were meeting at the river bank. Another opportunity could bring him before a
king to plead His case and share the gospel. Yet again, he could find himself
in jail. Whatever occasion presented
itself, Paul had to be ready. And the
only way to be spiritually fit is to deprive the body and soul so the spirit
can be strengthened.
Paul faced much opposition in his
life, but his earthly life wasn’t his priority, so he could call them “light
afflictions”. His connection to Jesus and obedience to Him was top priority. His body had no choice in the matter, but to
follow Christ. Paul said, “I have learned in
whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and
I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to
be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all
things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13) He went on to list some of his afflictions. “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice
was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night
and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often,
in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in
perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in
perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and
painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in
cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh
upon me daily, the care of all the churches.”
(2 Corinthians 11:24-28)
Paul did not set out to become a well-known,
celebrated person in the kingdom of God. Those who do will seldom be selfless
and commit themselves to the conditions Paul often found himself in for the
sake of Christ. Paul was not trying to
impress people with all his knowledge of Scripture, his pedigree or the numbers
who came to hear him preach. He had
already gone down that road and found it empty and leading him in the wrong
direction. He considered it all garbage
once he came face to face with Jesus Christ.
Serving in the kingdom of God is
full-time, regardless of who we are. We either serve Christ or we don’t. It’s not enough to obey Him only when it’s
convenient. A true disciple gives their
life to follow Jesus. You may have a secular job, but as a Christian you are
called to be serving in God’s kingdom on that job. Every minute of every day, we are
ambassadors. Our lifestyles, our words,
our attitudes, all reflect the One we are representing, Jesus Christ. We have to be ready at a moment’s notice to
share our faith. That requires a
relationship with Jesus that transcends all other priorities in our lives.
Many times God chooses someone
for a particular work. He sets them
aside for that work and places His Spirit in them in a distinctive way. They may begin to operate in that work with
joy and humility, following the leading of the Holy Spirit. But the humility and eagerness to serve can
be tainted if the focus turns from the glory of God, to the glory of self. Paul knew that. That’s why he was so determined to keep
himself spiritually fit and close to Jesus.
Just as Paul gives us a strong
example of one who gave himself up to serve God in complete obedience, King
Saul is an example of failing to remain humble, obedient and true in his service
to God. He was chosen to be king of
Israel, the very first king. He ruled
well for a time. But when he placed his
position and prestige before the glory of God, the prophet Samuel reminded him
of the time he was not full of pride, but of humility before God. He said, “Is it not true that even
though you were small (insignificant) in your own eyes, you were made
the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed
you king over Israel?” (1
Samuel 15:17, Amplified
Bible) Now Saul had turned to a pattern of
rejecting God’s Word. He listened to the
Lord’s voice through Samuel, but then took matters in his own hands, what he
thought was best.
After yet another act of
disobedience by taking part of the spoils of battle, Saul tried to cover for
himself by rationalizing the reason he disobeyed. He placed his human reasoning above God’s
instructions, and when he was faced with his disobedience and rebellion, he
treated it as nothing. He was more
concerned how he looked before the people than the fact that he had defied God. He had disobeyed before, but this time Saul
learned the drastic consequences of his rebellion. Samuel said, “For rebellion is
as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and
idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:28)
God may choose to use us greatly
at some point, but we must be watchful that we don’t allow it to cause us to
place ourselves on a pedestal and rob God of His glory. When the Holy Spirit
works through us, we cannot take credit.
We are only earthen vessels. He
is the Treasure. The vessel is
disposable. The Treasure inside is
eternal. Saul discovered when the Spirit
of God left him, he was helpless and hopeless.
It had not been his wisdom, valor and strength that brought him success. He had seen success because God was with
him. Now he was destitute. He had no one to give him directions. Yet he still tried to keep up his image as
king of Israel. He even went so far as to
go to a witch for help.
If we feel as though we have to
keep up our image, we may resort to means outside the leading of the Spirit. If we are purely following Jesus, we will do
whatever He says regardless of how it affects us. God knows better than we do. We don’t have to warn Him about the pitfalls
that may lie before us. He already
knows. Our part is to trust and obey, to be one with Him and His purpose.
Oswald Chambers said, “It cannot
be stated definitely what the call of God is to, because His call is to be in
comradeship with Himself for His own purposes, and the test is to believe that
God knows what He is after. If we are in
communion with God and recognize He is taking us into His purposes, we shall no
longer try to find out what His purposes are.
If we have a purpose of our own, it destroys the simplicity and the
leisureliness which ought to characterize the children of God.” Oh, may we trust the wisdom of God!
“…lest that by any means, when I
have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
