Ephesians 4:1-4 (NLT) ^4:1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. ² Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. ³ Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. ⁴ For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

People often wonder what it is that God wants them to do in regards to walking the Christian life.  In this passage Paul gives us some direction that will make our walk to be most fruitful:

1. Lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
2. Always be humble.
3. Always be gentle.
4. Be patient with each other.
5. Make allowances for each other’s faults because of your love.
6. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit.
7. Bind yourselves together with peace.

As I look over this list I recognize that there are areas that I need to work a little hard in regards to.  My vertical relationship with God should translate into a horizontal relationship with one another.  The fact remains that we have to continue to deal with people while we are on earth.  It should be the goal of each and every one of us to lead that life that continues to please God in all that we do and say.

Romans 15:13 (NLT) I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Wouldn’t that be great if all Christians would be filled completely with joy and peace because they trust in him?  Just think about how we would treat one another and how we would walk on this earth.  Think about the confidence that we would exude because of the hope that we have in Christ.  Paul prayed this for the people he was dealing with and we should pray it for those that are in our life also.  He prayed that they would overflow with confident hope.  This only comes through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  I want this for my life and I want it for the people I serve.  Let’s be bold in praying specifically that this aspect of God’s grace would fill each and every one of us.

Proverbs 24:16 (MSG) No matter how many times you trip them up, God-loyal people don’t stay down long; Soon they’re up on their feet, while the wicked end up flat on their faces.

When a person becomes a Christian he is filled with one of the greatest gifts ever – hope.  Just as Christ was resurrected from the dead – we have been granted that same power in our lives to help us overcome the sins in our lives.  It doesn’t mean that we are perfect – we are far from that!  But it does mean that we are living with the power of Christ to help us be over comers and victorious.  Yes… we will trip and sometimes it will be quite hard.  But if Christ is in our lives – we get up, dust ourselves off and get back on track.  Christ gives us the power to do so.  Life is filled with many ups and downs.  It is filled with many obstacles and roadblocks.  But I am not subjected to those things.  I am under the rule and reign of Christ.  Even though I have had many setbacks in life – I know that God will always help me to get back on my feet.  We are victorious today through Christ!

Proverbs 20:27 (GW) A person’s soul is the LORD’S lamp. It searches his entire innermost being.

Within every man is a God designed element called our soul.  Some might call it our conscience.  It’s the part of us that can make decisions in our life.  It’s also the part that Holy Spirit communicates with to reveal whether we are doing things right or wrong.  In a way – it’s like the red light that goes on in our cars warning us that something is wrong.  People can ignore this or they can fully embrace it saving them so much time and energy.  It’s that which helps us to stay on track and in the center of God’s will.  It is the way that God has wired us.  It is on 24 hours a day.  It’s like being “on-line” all the time with God.  But there is a downside also.  It can get hacked into by Satan and His cohorts who send side by side messages making it a little confusing to those not trained in understanding the ways of the spirit. It is so important that we take care to maintain and keep this line clear so when God does speak to us – we will know His voice and not be confused about God’s will for our life is

Romans 11:29 (GW) God never changes his mind when he gives gifts or when he calls someone.

It’s interesting how many times people come to me and tell that at one time they felt called into ministry or felt called to do something for the Lord.  When asked about why they weren’t doing it – a whole myriad of excuses begins to come forth.  God is serious about His calling on your life and the gifts He has endowed us with. We often become very flippant and don’t realize that God gave them those gifts to us for a reason. When you or I am not using our gifts we are short changing ourselves and we do harm to the body of Christ.  I am most fulfilled when I’m doing what God has called me to do.  God gave those gifts to me for a reason.  We must trust Him that He knows what is best for us and step out and use what He has given us.  It is then that I am most fulfilled and blessed!

Proverbs 5:15-19 (NLT) ^5:15 Drink water from your own well— share your love only with your wife. ¹⁶ Why spill the water of your springs in the streets, having sex with just anyone? ¹⁷ You should reserve it for yourselves. Never share it with strangers. ¹⁸ Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. ¹⁹ She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love.

In just a few days, I will celebrate my 37^th wedding anniversary to the wife of my youth – Denise.  It’s hard to fathom being married that long.  We met in High School and dated until our second year of college.  Together, we have learned the joys of just being together and enjoying the company of one another.  Our journey has allowed us to pastor three wonderful churches.  It has allowed us to be the parents of two beautiful daughters who walk with Jesus on a daily basis.  We have had the privilege of being grandparents to Jonathan, Kyle, Caleb, Cassidy and another grandson to be born in early November.  We’ve had some wonderful highs and have traveled to many places in the United States and abroad.  We’ve also endured some tough times, hurts and disappointments.  Through it all we have been able to lean into and trust in God almighty.  We are truly each other’s “best friend.”  It has been my pleasure to call her my wife and BFF.  I look forward to many more years of waking up next to her and enjoying the smile that she has no matter what.  I am truly a blessed man today.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) ^3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. ⁶ Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

As a young child – this was one of my favorite verses in the Bible.  I memorized it and I lived it out in my life.  God has never been unfaithful to me and has always led me in the right path to take.  I can’t say that I’ve always been obedient to in following Him but I have for the most part lived by the principles of this verse – to just trust the Lord with all my heart and to not follow my own understanding.  Life is always filled with twists and turns.  It throws obstacles at you in every way possible.  Without the Lord’s help – we would be lost and wandering aimlessly.  As we seek God – He promises to lead us and show the right path to take on a daily basis.  God is such an awesome God.  I am overwhelmed with His love, grace and mercy.  Today is a new day and He promises to walk with me and to take my hand and lead me through.  I praise Him for who He is and what is has done and what he will be doing.

Romans 5:3-5 (NLT) ^5:3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. ⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Whenever we face difficulties in life we wonder why and for what reason.  Our finite minds don’t grasp the greater meaning and the trials seem more like an annoyance then anything else.  Paul gives us understanding into the heart of God in this passage reminding us that problems and trials have a purpose by adding to us endurance and strength of character that strengthens our salvation.    We are reminded that God loves each and every one of us and He desires to fill our hearts with His love.  Ultimately, it is remembering that God is sovereign and knows what is best for our lives.  He loves us more then we ever would know and He knows what is best for our growth in the Christian walk.  Trials cause us to lean “into” God and depend upon Him for our daily walk.  He fills us with hope and He leads us through each and every difficulty because He loves and cares for us so much.

Psalms 97:11 (NIV) Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.

As I write this today I am looking backward in the way and leading of the Lord in my life.  As a young man – there we’re a multitude of possibilities that lay before me.  I could have gone in any number of directions in ministry.  Was I to go into missions?  Was I to be a pastor?  Was I going to pursue education? Was I to pursue music? Etc.  The list could have gone one and on.  But as I began to pray and seek the Lord – the possibilities we’re narrowed down and became more specific.  Light began to shine on my way little by little.  It has continued shining on and directing me to this day.  Unlike some people who are able to map out the whole of their life I have been given only enough light for this day.  When I say light – rarely has it been huge sunbeams bursting down on me making the path clear and navigate able.  For me, it has mostly been a shimmer here or a quick burst of light in some other place.  It think this keeps us on our toes and causes us to really depend on the Lord for the next step.  I can’t imagine what my life would have been like had I not carefully kept my eyes on way of the Lord.  This verse promises to give us those beams of light and promises to shed us with His joy.  Every day is a new adventure for me and every day is a new day for me to look for the way of the Lord in my life knowing that He is going to lead me in the right direction.

Psalms 78:52 (NLT) But he led his own people like a flock of sheep, guiding them safely through the wilderness.

Psalms 78:72 (NLT) He cared for them with a true heart and led them with skillful hands.

This chapter reveals so many things that God did for His people but it also shows their lack of appreciation for the things that He did.  Over and over we see that they kept testing Him and rebelling against Him.  Yet… He keeps loving and caring for them.   The greatest part of this chapter is the unrelenting love and care that God has for His children.  In spite of their constant rejection and stubbornness – He continues to lead them through the wildernesses of life and bring them to His promised land.  When we get to heaven I think that we will be amazed at how much God brought us through and what He did for us.  We will finally see how much He really loves us and how much He really cares for us.  So often, we are compared to sheep in the Bible – unable to navigate our way through life.  I am so thankful that God is such a loving God and that He wants to be my shepherd today.  I am so blessed to have such a loving shepherd in my life.