Romans 2.6-8
⁶God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” ⁷To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. ⁸But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

The phrase “will give to each person according to what he has done” is repeated two other times in the OT (Ps. 62.12 & Prov. 24.12).  This princinple is so important and it all comes down to the idea that God looks at the heart of men, not just thier actions.

In our culture, we reward work regardless of the motive.  ”As long as stuff is getting done” we say.  This is not the way God works. We cannot separate our doing and our being.  What we do should, and eventually will, show who we really are.

I found it interesting that Paul describes doing as “seeking glory, honor and immortality.”  He did not say it was being a good person, doing good things for others, planting a church, preaching, giving to the poor, or all the other “good” works we are to do.

We are to seek God and His plan.

It is by this standard we will be judged; not how hard we worked at “doing,” but how hard we worked at “seeking!“

I was studying for our student service this week on the topic of love and I felt I should share this.  We will be learning from 1 Corinthians 13.1-8. Here it is…

What if I could speak all languages of humans and of angels? If I did not love others, I would be nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ²What if I could prophesy and understand all secrets and all knowledge? And what if I had faith that moved mountains? I would be nothing, unless I loved others. ³What if I gave away all that I owned and let myself be burned alive? I would gain nothing, unless I loved others. ⁴Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or ⁵rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do. ⁶Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. ⁷Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. ⁸Love never fails!

Now I don’t want to sound like a hippie leftover from the 60′s, but as I was reading, I am reminded that love really is the answer. The only command that Jesus stated from the Law was “Love God… and your neighbor as yourself.”  Love is the secret to society’s problems, family issues, selfishness, hatred, racism, and the list goes on.

The funny thing is, the above description of love is truly a districption of God.

So, let us all stop for a second and look at our heart.

• Are you in ministry for your love of Jesus or love for attention?
• Do you serve others because you love them as yourself or because you love their praise?
• Do you love God or love yourself?

1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Here is a statement from the book Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge that really caught my attention.

“To wait on God successfully, we must come to derive more fulfillment by being with Him than by working for Him.”

Living for Jesus is important, but we are also meant to live our lives “with” Jesus.  I have a habit of running to God for the next task and getting frustrated when I feel there isn’t one.  But God has been teaching me lately that the Greatest task is to know Him.  The Bible is a giant reference book to God’s love of relationships.  It’s what He is all about.

So if you are having a difficult time figuring out what God has for you next, He may be waiting on you to realize that He is not just a boss, but a friend.

While you are in a period of waiting, enjoy God for who He is and not what He does.

Have you ever had a conversation with someone and you leave more confused than when it started?  Or have you ever try to tell someone something, only to have them stare blankly back at you?  It is important when communicating to someone to understand what is at stake.    Here are a few tips to help in communicating clearly:

1. Think about what you are about to say before you say it.
   • Although you may be an expert, your listener may not be so it is important to think through the conversation before it happens.
2. When having a conversation, Listen.
   • If you are the only one talking, the conversation is probably not going well.  If your listener is not responding, it may be because they have no clue to what you are talking about, thus wasting both of your time.
3. Speak clearly.
   • Sometimes we can be too polite because of a difficult issue, or speak to fast because of time restrains or nerves, or we mumble because of insecurity about the topic, but whatever the cause it is pointless to expect our listener to understand us if we do not speak clearly.
4. Lastly, If you don’t know, then don’ pretend like you do.
   • The phrase “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bulls**t” may be hilarious, but it is not very good advice if you want to be taken seriously.  I run when I see the person who is constantly trumping everyone else’s conversation just to hear themselves talk.  Don’t be that person.

Communication is a vital resource.  The best ideas will never happen if they are not communicated correctly.

I have been reading through 1^st & 2^nd Samuel and I came across a passage that really blew me away.

This story is the aftermath of David’s affair with Bathsheba:

• ¹⁵ After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. ¹⁶David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground. ¹⁷The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them. ¹⁸ On the seventh day the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, we spoke to David but he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.” ¹⁹ David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked. ”Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.” ²⁰ Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. ~ 2 Samuel 12.15-20

Several things that jump out:

• David was desperate after God
  • Although this tragedy was a consequence of his sin, David immediately persued God.  If we are not careful, we allow our sin to drive a wedge between us and God. David knew that God was big enough to handle his junk.
• David got up
  • Once he has his answer, even one he didn’t want, David moved on.  He knew that to continue to pray was pointless, God had given him his answer and it was time to move.  We must be ready to move when God movies, even if we aren’t sure about the direction.
• David Worshiped
  • This part blows me away.  As a true man of faith, David knew that God still loved him.  Despite the tragedy of losing a child, David continued to worship God.  This is the reason God deemed David as a “man after his own heart” because despite the circumstances, David continued to worship the Father.  This is an important lesson for us. In the mist of our greatest heartaches and tragedies, God desires our worship.

Worship equals faith. If you are having trouble worshiping God, then you are having trouble trusting God.

• ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. ~ Heb 12.2-3