Thursdays With Oswald—Yielded

March 3, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Oswald Chambers. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Oswald” in the search box to read more entries.

Yielded

       There is a distinct period in our experience when we cease to say—“Lord, show me Thy will,” and the realization begins to dawn that we are God’s will, and He can do with us what He likes. We wake up to the knowledge that we have the privilege of giving ourselves over to God’s will. It is a question of being yielded to God.

From Facing Reality

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. (Psalm 139:14)

God has a plan for my life. He prepared me in advance to fulfill His will and plan for me. Will I yield to Him? Or will I continue to try to find my own way?

What a supreme privilege it is to yield to His will for my life!

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AND

March 2, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

It’s a small conjunction that can have enormous impact on your life. Everyone loves it when you can have your cake AND eat it too. Isn’t that way better than having a cake but not getting to eat any of it? For God followers, AND takes on an added power.

Look at this verse:

We prayed to our God AND posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

Of course Christians would never say, “We posted a guard but didn’t pray to God.”

But far too often Christians live this way: “We prayed to God but didn’t post a guard.”

Sometimes God provides supernaturally, and sometimes God provides through our efforts. In either case, God is still the provider. How sad that we often limit what God can do because we replace AND with but.

How about this instead…

  • Pray to God for healing AND see a doctor.
  • Pray to God for provision AND get a job.
  • Pray to God for a successful marriage AND learn to love your spouse better.
  • Pray to God for your church to grow AND invite your neighbor to a service.
  • Pray to God to protect your kids AND stay involved in their lives.
  • Pray to God to strengthen you against temptation AND get an accountability partner.

Start with prayer, then add AND.

Where will you add AND to your prayers today?

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Land Of Smoke

March 1, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Guest Blogger: Dick Brogden

Greetings From the Land of Smoke,

A Christian handed a Bible to a Northern Sudanese Muslim Arab who declined to receive it saying, “I have a smoking problem. If I take the Bible, I will just rip out the pages, make cigarettes, and smoke them.”

Thanks be to God, the distributor did not stand on niceties and responded, “No problem, go ahead and rip the pages out to make your cigarettes. But before you roll them, make sure to read the page you ripped out.”

The Muslim man agreed, took the Bible and began to contemplatively smoke his way through the Gospels. Daily he would rip out a page, peruse it, then roll it into a cigarette and puff away. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all were read and then immolated. By the time the smoker had inhaled his way into John, the Holy Spirit had begun to draw as well. John 3:16 was the clincher—it was after smoking that chapter and verse that this Muslim man gave his heart to Jesus.

I guess it goes to prove that where there’s smoke, there is fire!

Dick Brogden and his family have served as missionaries in Sudan for 15 years.

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How Noble Do You Want To Be?

March 1, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Sometimes I find the most thought-provoking phrases buried in the middle of passages in the Bible that seem somewhat obscure. Take this line from the book of Nehemiah, where we read who’s rebuilding which section of the Jerusalem wall…

The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.

This chapter lists all kinds of people working on the wall: priests (including the high priest) … goldsmiths … perfume-makers … temple servants … mayors … even Shallum’s daughters. Everyone, it seems, was willing to pitch in except these nobles.

Many times in the Old Testament this Hebrew word for nobles is used to describe God Himself. In other words, these nobles thought they were far too important to put their shoulders to the work.

Jesus washed feet. The noblest of us all came to earth to serve even the lowest of the servants.

Which do you think was really the most noble?

How noble do you want to be?

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Restless

February 28, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

This song has been running through my mind all day, so thought I’d share it with you…

Still my heart hold me close
Let me hear a still small Voice
Let it grow, let it rise
Into a shout, into a cry

If you’re interested in the lyrics, you can check them out here. Enjoy!

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Getting Back To God

February 28, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

An important reminder from Ella Wheeler Wilcox—

All the aim of life is just

       Getting back to God.

Spirit casting off its dust,

       Getting back to God.

Every grief we have to bear

Disappointment, cross, despair

Each is but another stair

       Climbing back to God.

Step by step and mile by mile—

       Getting back to God;

Nothing else is worth the while—

       Getting back to God.

Light and shadow fill each day

Joys and sorrows pass away,

Smile at all, and smiling, say,

       Getting back to God.

Do not wear a mournful face

       Getting back to God;

Scatter sunshine on the place

       Going back to God;

Take what pleasure you can find,

But where’er your paths may wind.

Keep the purpose well in mind—

       Getting back to God.

(Song Of The Spirit)

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Have A Cookie

February 28, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Do you like cookies? I do! In fact one of the main reasons I workout is so I can eat more of the sweet treats my wife makes.

I’d like you to consider some of the ingredients in my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe:

  • Butter
  • Chocolate chips
  • White flour
  • Wheat flour
  • Oatmeal
  • Sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Vanilla

On their own, some of these ingredients are sweet, some are rather bitter, and some don’t have much flavor at all. Now keep this list of ingredients in mind as you read this:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Really, “all things”?!?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had some pretty bitter things happen in my life. But the Bible says that God is using all things—the sweet, the bitter, and the bland—to make something good.

I’d never eat a big spoonful of baking powder or salt or vanilla extract as a treat, but my favorite chocolate chip cookie would be terribly lacking without those key ingredients.

You may not like the bitter things in your past, but God is using even those—part of the all things—to make something good out of your life.

So the next time you are questioning how the bitter fits into your life, ask the Holy Spirit to show you. And while you’re waiting on the answer, have a cookie and think about the bitter and sweet ingredients that went into making something so good.

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What’s Your Excuse?

February 25, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

It’s so easy to make excuses, isn’t it?

  • I wasn’t feeling well
  • I don’t have enough training
  • The sun was in my eye
  • The other guy was supposed to….
  • I don’t have the right tools
  • If only….
  • I can’t because….

John Maxwell has started a new teaching series where he presents a one-minute lesson on one word every day. Today’s lesson was on excuses. Watch the clip here.

Here are some other quotes on excuses:

“Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.” —George Washington Carver

“There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you are interested in doing something, you do it only when it is convenient. When you are committed to something, you accept no excuses only results.” —Kenneth Blanchard

“Obstacles are not excuses for failure, they are opportunities for growth.” —Craig T. Owens

“People who are good at making excuses are seldom good at anything else.” —Benjamin Franklin

Let’s stop making excuses and start taking responsibility! 

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Stay Farther Away

February 25, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

The little boy was all dressed up in his brand new clothes for Easter Sunday. He was pretty excited to be sporting his new duds on this special day. And what a beautiful day it was! A rain shower the night before had given way to brilliant sunshine on this Resurrection Sunday morning. The birds were singing, the flowers were so fragrant, and the puddles were shimmering like diamonds. A picture-perfect morning!

While waiting for the rest of his family to finish getting dressed for church, the little boy ran outside into the sunshine. He breathed deeply of the fresh spring air, closed his eyes as he turned his face upward to feel the warmth of the sunshine on his freshly-washed face. Ahhh!

He opened his eyes again and saw those shimmering puddles. He just had to get a closer look!

He ran over to the edge of a puddle and poked a stick into the water. Then he spotted some pebbles and picked up a handful to throw in the water and watch the splash. Cool! He looked for something bigger to throw in the water, when he saw a really big rock in the garden. He ran over, grabbed it, sprinted back to the puddle, wound up to make his biggest throw yet, swung his arm forward with the rock, and as his foot slipped on the wet pavement, he and the rock sprawled right in the middle of the puddle. His new Sunday-best clothes were ruined for Easter Sunday!

It doesn’t seem that hard of a concept: To avoid falling into something, stay far away from it.

Parents lecture their kids on this all the time. And our Heavenly Father warns us about this too:

Let your way in life be far from [the seductress], and come not near the door of her house [avoid the very scenes of temptation].

I have people tell me all the time, “I slipped up,” after they have said or done something wrong. Yes, they slipped and sprawled and ruined something beautiful, but if they hadn’t been so close to their puddle in the first place, they probably wouldn’t have slipped.

Solomon wisely said don’t even get close to the danger zone … stay as far away as you can.

That’s the way to live in true freedom!

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Don’t Fake It

February 24, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.

Have you ever had someone tell you, “Fake it until you make it”? In other words, you may not feel happy, but just start smiling and soon you will feel happy. Sadly, I’ve heard this type of so-called wisdom given by Christians to other Christians. Phrases like…

  • Don’t let anyone know that you feel scared, doubtful, or angry.
  • Never let ‘em see you sweat.
  • Even if you’re down, put on a happy face.

Turns out that this is not only bad advice, but harmful advice too. A study done by Michigan State University found:

     “Pretending to smile when you’re feeling bad makes you feel worse and be less productive. … [You] can’t just fake a smile and expect to feel good about it or negative feelings intensify.”

If you’re a follower of Jesus Christ, you should never fake it. Take a quick glance through the Psalms and you’ll see raw, real emotions: anger … depression … anxiety … vengeance … sadness … envy … spite … and many others. 

Here’s the deal: You may wear a {fake} smile on the outside, but God knows the {real} emotions in your heart. You’re not fooling Him. And, as it’s been revealed in this study, you’re not fooling anyone else either.

So go ahead and vent those negative emotions when you’re alone with God. Tell Him how you really feel (He already knows, but it’s good for you to hear you say it). And then let the Holy Spirit show you how to deal with those emotions in a healthy way.

Don’t bottle it up—don’t fake-it-until-you-make-it—be real and let God heal you.

UPDATE: I talk a lot about dealing with our strong, negative emotions in my book When Sheep Bite.

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