Thoughts
on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 247
Michael’s book is
available through:
Abiding Life Ministries
International
Littleton, Colorado
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Everybody
likes immediate results. The “I want it
now” generation is crying out big time.
Trouble is, Michael gives us the dastard deed this syndrome brings to
our lives. See if you recognize the end
result of the two different ways.
Oooooops! Michael has told us
over and over: Jesus is The Way, and all other ways are NOT The Way.
DAY 160
Immediate Results
For indeed He was
crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we
also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God
[directed] toward you.
Test yourselves [to see]
if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that
Jesus Christ is in you—unless
indeed you fail the test? –II Corinthians
13:4, 5
Often we allow our eyes to drift from Christ to our
problems and circumstances through the immediate-results syndrome, which
dictates our success wholly by what we are currently experiencing, either
positively or negatively! This syndrome is actually a major obstacle to faith.
Let me illustrate. Most will agree that the United States is losing its
economic edge because Americans, unlike those with an Oriental or Asian
mindset, are not so willing to invest in something that will not reap immediate
benefits. We want wealth right away, while they are willing to invest year
after year, receiving much less current tangible rewards but knowing in the
future they will be repaid tenfold their original investment, and the wait will
have been very worthwhile. Having seen the wisdom in investing and waiting,
they are not discouraged by any occasional hiccup in the current financial
situation. The wisdom of their policy is now creating repercussions in our own
economy. As we apply the
principle to our spiritual lives, wanting immediate results is a hindrance to
faith; in fact, this mindset will actually nullify faith! The greatness of our faith is not to
be judged by how much we have received, but rather by how long we can wait and
receive nothing! Faith
makes my Christian walk a joy; therefore, if I have voided faith through
wanting immediate results, I have also to the same extent annihilated joy.
When believers do not have a long-term plan, they become
susceptible to the ups and downs of daily life. Their energies get focused on
resolving right away whatever is placed in front of them in order that
they might feel comfortable and secure in the moment. Next they become controllers, pushing God
out of the way and beginning to try to fix in their own strength and with a
variety of plans and manipulations what they perceive to be the real problem.
In other words, they
simply begin to play God. To say the least, in this way the Christian life becomes a struggle,
filled with discouragement, depression, anger, and doom, with minds and
emotions flooded with questions, accusations, and feelings of hopelessness from
the enemy. It is tough to play God! All of this because things are not
going as they feel they ought to today.
Imagine sitting in a
bathtub full of water when somebody dumps into the tub a bucket of ping-pong
balls on which are written all of the problems, circumstances, failures, and
people that are causing you trouble. Your job is to somehow keep every ball
under water. The whole exercise would at first be frustrating and in the end
quite exhausting. This
pictures, of course, the believer who is trying in his own strength to control
every area of his life.
Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point Green
– IT, Incredible Truth
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches Pink
– PV, Priceless Victory
“DO YOU NOT RECOGNIZE THIS ABOUT YOURSELVES, THAT JESUS CHRIST IS IN YOU…” Incredible Truth. Monumental Truth. His Life Himself in us.
What does God tell us that our life IS…equals…? Christ.
Colossians 3:4, “When Christ, who is (equals)
our life…” (It helps to have the old-timey
definition of what “is” is). So, I have started thinking of His Life as my
life. I find great victory, peace, comfort, joy…name all the lovely attributes
you can think of…in Life As A Christian (not TRYING to live “the Christian life”). Are all those great attributes what we get
when we “play God,” OR when we allow
God to BE Himself in us (us not TRYING to live “the Christian life”).
So, who am I to allow my eyes to drift from Christ to “my” problems or
circumstances? (there’s a LONG sermon there!). Who am I to drift into an “immediate results”
syndrome? Who am I to “play God”? Who am I to drift into “discouragement,
depression, anger, and doom, with a mind and emotions flooded with questions,
accusations, and feelings of hopelessness from the enemy”? Who am I to think that I can live this life
in my own strength? Who am I to ignore
the “faith of Christ” He has gifted me with through His presence…and as God
told us through the Apostle Paul: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I
live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for
me.” (Galatians 2:20, bold
writing my emphasis)
I choose not to be that
person in the last paragraph.
(“dastard deed” I
mentioned at the beginning? “wanting immediate
results is a hindrance to faith; in fact, this
mindset will actually nullify faith!”)
To access ALL past weekly
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NOTICE: another blog on
Michael Wells’ book, Sidetracked In The Wilderness, called Getting Out of the
Wilderness. You can access by logging onto
www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com
Lee McDowell Christian Ministries
P.O. Box 633244 Nacogdoches,
TX 75963 936-559-5696
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