Lee McDowell Christian
Ministries LMCM
Nacogdoches,
Texas Gal. 2:20 KJV
Thoughts
on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 40
Michael’s book is
available through:
Abiding Life
Ministries International
Littleton, Colorado
(303) 972-0859 almi@abidinglife.com
Barbara and I will
never forget the first time we met Michael and Betty Wells. Expecting a quiet, relaxing, uneventful
couples’ retreat with some friends in a neat place on the west side of Colorado
Springs…the regularly scheduled speaker couldn’t make it…Michael Wells was
available and subbed. Being a pastor, we
were asked to be in an “elite” group of the attendees that would serve as
leaders of small group sessions, and that meant getting to meet Michael and
Betty before the others. Michael walks
into the meeting and asks something like this:
“How many of you have any problems…and do you like them?” The next 72 hours changed our lives, our
ministry…we never look at problems the same as before that divine meeting! (and that is just touching the hem of the
garment, as the old saying goes). Oh, I
remember Michael saying something else…about liking Betty’s pecan pies.
DAY 225
Problems
But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost
my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from
the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills.
--Psalm 73:2-5
It is easy for the
believer to become discouraged when comparing his life to the unbeliever’s and
only the outward is taken into consideration. Since the
unbeliever receives today his good things and the believer waits for his good
things, a disparity could well exist. However, many believers have made the mistake of thinking
that being a child of God means financial wellbeing, good health, and respect
from his fellow man. The real head-scratcher for the believer, then,
can be to find himself lacking in these while the unbeliever appears to be
fulfilled in every worldly desire. David made an objective observation that
the wicked do better! Today, when the believer is bombarded by the media and by
observation with all that he "should" possess, the temptation to
examine what unbelievers possess is all the greater; and many will make the assessment
that they are lacking, they possess less, they suffer more often with illness,
and they do struggle more. However, there is a trade-off that should not be ignored, for in possessing a
life void of material and physical struggle, something else is created in the
soul of man, such as pride, violence, hardheartedness, iniquity, an evil mind
that knows no limits, malice, arrogance, oppression, boasting, and a big mouth
(Psalm 73:6-9)!
Let me ask a
question: Would you like to be free from all sickness and monetary pressure to
live a life of ease?
What if I stood two people in front of you, one a prosperous unbeliever with a
good job, a new house, an attractive mate, and children on their way to college
driving new cars. The other is a believer who just lost his job, has a
rebellious child, has told his children college is out of the question, has
nicknamed his car the "Prayermobile" (never knowing if it will
start), and has a mate with a terminal illness. Which person would you choose
to be? Be honest! Which would you pick? I suspect on any given day you would
pick the life of the unbeliever, or at least would attempt to negotiate a
compromise! It is the
tendency of man to want to accept Jesus as Savior and call on Him in the future
but in the meantime live as the unbeliever. Even though the suffering of the believer delivers him
from pride, violence, hardheartedness, iniquity, an evil mind, malice,
arrogance, oppression, boasting, and a big mouth, the pull and appearance of
the prosperous outer life of the unbeliever is too great, too attractive, too
overpowering, and too appealing to turn down. We know we should be happy with Christ within,
but we are not! What is the solution? What can make the life of a believer
desirable? What can make suffering, a small home, lack of job security,
uncertainty with the future, and even struggles in marriage appealing? Only one
thing!
"When I tried
to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of
God; then I understood" (Psalm 73:16-17). There
are many tasks in life that make no sense until they are begun. Often
while in campus ministry I would have students tell me they were not going to date
or get married. However, once they met that special person, they
wondered why they had not dated sooner. I have observed those who, for fear of
rejection, hate to look for a job. Instead they sit at home depressed,
wishing for employment. Once they begin to look for opportunities, their
countenances immediately change. Many, through fear of failure, never start
higher education, but once they begin, the fear gives way to hope and
wishing they had started sooner. Experience proves over and over again that once we are in the midst of
something, it makes perfect sense. Often the problem is getting someone involved to the
point that he can see the logic of what he is doing. Tell a drug addict
his drugs are being taken away and watch his panic ensue. However, after being
drug free, no longer controlled and free to choose, the wisdom in taking away
the drugs becomes obvious to him. My point is that the things of God, the ways of God, the desires of
God, the life of the believer, and those things given to the believer by God
make no sense until we are in the midst of God. David was baffled until
he entered the sanctuary! This Old Testament sanctuary is not the equivalent of
the church building today; the
sanctuary for the believer is the heart, the dwelling place of God. Once we
turn within to Him to abide in His presence and bask in the life He has given
on the path we are walking, the adverse circumstances make perfect sense. I
will go one step further. All problems make us happy and give a feeling of
being special. "I bear in my body the marks of Christ," said Paul
with gladness.
When we compare the
easy living of the unbeliever to ours, what are we to do when we apparently
come up lacking? Should we strive for more? Should we bemoan our condition?
Should we rebel against God in anger? Should we become depressed and withdraw?
Should we question?
No! We need only turn to Him
for the life we are living to become special; we sense we are called out, we
know we are not of this world, and we are happy.
Believer, do receive
something today that will forever escape the unbeliever: inner peace, rest, and
fellowship with our God. Turning to the presence of Christ within moment by
moment will make your life in Him make sense! You
will be happy, more than a conqueror, free from the power of sin, and sharing
in all that He has.
(underlining is my own emphasis…Lee)
Michael had written a
book called Sidetracked In The Wilderness. The organizers of the weekend retreat had
mailed one of the books to us to read before getting to the retreat. Having pastored for over 15 years at that
time, I then knew this would be a dynamic time of learning.
Let me ask you: Have you ever looked at problems as Michael
writes today? Have problems in your life
been “making you happy”?!? …”feeling
special”?!? I didn’t think so. But they can take you into the “sanctuary” if
you will let them. And inner peace,
rest, and fellowship with God will be yours.
And your life in Him WILL MAKE SENSE.
Well, amen!
Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point Green
– IT, Incredible Truth
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches Pink
– PV, Priceless Victory
Lee McDowell Christian Ministries
P. O. Box 633244 Nacogdoches, Tx 75963 936-559-5696
No comments:
Post a Comment