DuAnneSeeley.com

Today through sometime in 2009 I will be unplugged.  In addition to spending focused time with my family I will be spending some special time with the Lord.  As I will be spending much extended time in prayer I invite you to share a prayer request and I promise to intercede for you during this time. May God richly bless you and yours as we celebrate this Holy Season.

I spoke with a mom recently who deeply regrets missing out on the opportunity to spend her last Christmas with her grown son.  Several years ago her son and his family lived just a couple hours away and pleaded with her for a month to spend Christmas with him, his wife and small children.  The son was in full-time ministry and though he was happy, content and fruitful where he was, deep down he knew the Lord was about to make a geographical change.  Deep within he knew this was going to be the very last opportunity he ever had to spend Christmas with his mother. He was bold enough to share this with her but to no avail.  Though she was a widow, she had 3 other children living near and wanted to keep things the way they had always been and visit with them. She justified her decision by telling this son she would consider spending the following Christmas with him and his family.  Another Christmas will never be. The son and his family moved far, far away and the mom is now too ill in health to travel.  Today she lives with deep regret and every Christmas she thinks with sadness about the last opportunity she had to spend Christmas with her son.

Should this mom beat herself up every Christmas?  Absolutely not.  But she has deep regret over the missed opportunity and finds it difficult not to reminisce about her decision.  The son has been in full time ministry for 25 years and many holidays found him too far away and without travel expense to be with his extended family.  So she lives with the memories she has and longs for more.

What about you?  Maybe you don’t have a child who is asking you to share Christmas but maybe the Lord is prompting you to do something that you prefer to put off.  We are to ask the Lord for guidance in our decisions but sometimes we choose to take the path of least resistance.  The easy road will always be a temptation.  But the road of regret and missed opportunity is the most painful road. I challenge you today to die to self when you wait for the Lord to answer Lord, is there anything you want me to do for you this Christmas?

I grew up hearing a variety of ole wives tales and today I have been thinking about one from my childhood.  Better safe than sorry!  Are you kidding?  Who in the world made that one up?  Funny how these sayings can stick with us even as adults.  Todd has been interviewing pastoral candidates and though a few would love the opportunity to minister in NYC on Staten Island, there are just as many who send resumes but are fearful of the possibility of making a change. 

So thankful that I did not play it safe…

• when God put on my heart to resign from a church ministry position I loved even-though I did not have another job waiting. 
• when I agree to move anywhere the new ministry organization wanted me. (they chose San Diego
• when 9 years later I accepted a new pastoral staff position with John Maxwell.
• when I accepted a date request from Todd Seeley in 1993
• when I said I Do in 1994
• when I agree to move from San Diego to Birmingham to Madison.
• when I agree to support Todd in church planting on Staten Island.

Have you ever felt sorry for playing it safe? When have you been most grateful for stepping out in faith?

My husband made a decision to have a very special service on Dec. 28th.  It’s called Amazing Grace.  Our first experience with a service like this was under our Pastor at Skyline Wesleyan, Dr. John Maxwell.  In San Diego we looked forward to this service with great anticipation.  Jesus was always lifted up as we sang praise and worship and heard testimony of His goodness.  As we have prepared for this service I have been thinking a lot about the #1 benefit of adversity. 

When adversity comes, not if but when, the greatest benefit is that a result of adversity is brokenness.  I doubt if someone asked who wants to be broken that I would raise my hand. Yet I have seen that adversity is indeed a gift.  It is a tool that helps you reach your greatest potential in Christ.  In my life I have experienced several types of brokenness…emotional, relational, financial and physical.  Each type leads you to new areas of growth and development.  I believe brokenness from adversity leads us to the building of character traits such as maturity, humility, compassion, mercy, joy, peace, patience and kindness.  The bottom line is with adversity we can become more Christlike.  It is our choice whether circumstances will be a stepping stone or a stumbling block.  Our response to them is the key that opens the door to receive this gift.  As we surrender our hearts to God’s penetrating, though sometimes painful workings, we will never be the same again.  In our brokenness we realize that the difficulties in life are not the plans of a hard hearted God, but rather, products of life which God intends to use to make you stronger and more in His image.

How has brokenness changed you?

Today we will look at how we can approach a few decision areas, and compare possible choices with kingdom mindsets.

CAREER/JOB/SCHOOL

I should do my studies in whatever area I’m most gifted in.  Or…While a gift is important, it is not the only factor I need to consider.  I am willing to study any subjects, and serve in whatever position God wishes to place me in His global army. 

I should get a job as a ____.  Since that’s what my training is in.  Or…I’m willing to change my career even if it seems foolish according to the values of this world.

Missionaries are usually spiritual people.  I’m not gifted or spiritual enough to become a missionary.  Or…missionaries are not super spiritual Christians; they are normal people seeking to be used by God among unreached people.

If I am not called to be a missionary I need not be concerned about missions, as it is not my purpose in life.  Or…no matter where I am, I will always try to see that His name is made known among people.

We need a call to be a missionary but a call is unnecessary for any other vocation.  Until I receive a call from God to be a missionary, I’ll just choose my own career in the secular world.  Or…I need God’s direction to be an engineer, a lawyer or a nurse, just as I do to be a missionary.

I need to take on a job with a reasonable good salary in order to provide for myself and my family, and to ensure a comfortable future. Or…I will seek God’s direction for my career, trusting that as I follow Him, He will provide for the needs of myself and my family.

RELATIONSHIPS

I can make friends with whomever I please, just as long as they are Christian. Or…my closest friends will have the same commitment to Christ and His purposes as I do.  My spouse will need to have a vision compatible with the one God has given me.

I am so busy with life that I don’t have any time to give to relationships with other Christians.  Or…I’m purposefully investing in relationships with other Christians so that I’m part of a thriving, challenging, supportive community that sharpens me.

Why establish relationships with unbelievers? We don’t relate anyway. Or…Establishing relationships with unbelievers can be hard but it is worth it to be able to eventually share the love of Christ with them.

POSSESSIONS/FINANCES

As long as I give 10% to the church, I can do what I want with the rest of my money.  Or…All that I have and own is God’s.  He has entrusted it to me and I shall always seek His direction when I invest it.

It is my right to live a comfortable life with a big house, nice car and all the trimmings.  Or…I cannot claim a right to comfort when the average income of most of the world is far below mine.  The advance of the kingdom takes precedence.

If God blesses me financially; it’s a personal benefit to me.  Or…If God blesses me financially, it is so that I can be a blessing to others.

Poor people are poor because they are lazy and don’t work hard enough.  I don’t really feel sorry for them.  Or…I’ll seek to care about the poor whenever and wherever possible. Jesus is my example.  Many of the poor are victims of a more powerful segment of society and many are also unreached.

TIME

As long as I go to church on Sundays I can do whatever I want for rest or relaxation for the rest of the week.  Or…I want to be careful to use my time as well as I can.  Life is from God, to be lived for Him and His glory.

There is so much work to be done, I’ve no time for rest or relaxation.  And there is world with great needs out there. Or…We need times of refreshment so that we will have something to give to others.  Keeping personal time with God and family must be a priority. My ministry should be an overflow of my personal relationship with Jesus.  My family is a priority.

LOCATION

I’m willing to minister for Christ as long as I can live ___.  Or…I’m willing to live wherever Christ sends me, trusting Him to provide for me and care for my family. 

The journey in God’s spiritual kingdom for His purposes will work out differently for each of us.  We begin at different places, at different ages, and take varied steps in diverse circumstances but all can contribute to the same end.  It is encouraging to me that we can be significantly involved right were we are.  We can center our lives to become an active part of Christ’s purpose on earth.  There will be great joy in living out our purpose.  And until we understand this purpose nothing else in life will make much sense.

One of the most popular questions I have been asked is “how do I know God’s will for my life?”  The Scripture has much to say about how to make a great decision.  Matthew 6:33 is just one of many principles that should guide the decision making process.  Yet I have to ask how many Christians actually make choices using the Bible as a guide?  I’ve seen a few but sadly I see more folks that do what they want and then ask God to bless their decision. 

The difference between a kingdom mindset and a self mindset is not necessarily the actual decision reached.  Rather it is in the ambition and end goal.  When our desires (rather than God’s will) are considered first.  Two people could end up making the same decision, one seeking self first and the other seeking God first.

An example:  Two students want to know what they should study as a major.  The first, not considering God’s Kingdom purposes decides to study electrical engineering, and then on for a masters in business administration.  He likes it, and knows he can excel in this field and will become financially comfortable.  These are not wrong choices per se, but he has left God out of His decision. He is pursuing his own ambitions and putting his trust in the world system rather than God.

The second person brings the decision to God.  Making sure he is clinging to nothing, He asks God to guide his decisions.  Then he evaluates the option in light of how each decision he makes would enable him to grow closer to the Master and contribute to the Kingdom. He checks if there is anything in his options that hinders his relationship with God and also the natural desires God has given him.

He may be unclear as to his long term role in God’s plan, but he pursues his studies believing God will use the things he learns, whether as a missionary or in the secular world.  Rather than grasping choices tightly he opens his hands before God, ready and willing to be redirected at any time.

I like to plan.  In fact in my early 20’s I set 25 year goals in every area of my life.  Yeah, I laugh about that too. While attending a college conference in Gatlinburg, Tn I felt the Holy Spirit asking me to surrender all of those goals to the Lord. All of them.  Last year while cleaning out the garage I found that life goals notebook with my plan typed neatly on 8 pages. It was interesting to me that every goal written had come to pass with the exception of one.  Want to guess what that goal was? The point is that eventhough I gave up these dreams to the Lord they still came to pass. 

As Jim Elliot said, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Tomorrow we will conclude this subject with specific questions one can ask in making a great decision.