by Rick Warren
Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions. 1 John 3:18 (NLT)
*** *** *** ***
Love is something you do. Do you really love someone? Let’s see how you act toward that person. You show love by what you do, not just by what you feel.
Love is more than attraction and more than arousal. It’s also more than sentimentality, like so many of today’s songs suggest. By this standard, is love dead when the emotion is gone? No, not at all. Because love is an action; love is a behavior.
Over and over again, in the Bible, God commands us to love each other. And you can’t command an emotion. If I told you “Be sad!” right now, you couldn’t be sad on cue. Just like an actor, you can fake it, but you’re not wired for your emotions to change on command. Have you ever told a little kid, “Be happy!” I’m trying, daddy!
If love were just an emotion, then God couldn’t command it. But love is something you do. It can produce emotion, but love is an action.
The Bible says, “Let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions” (1 John 3:18 NLT). We can talk a good act: “I love people.” But do we really love them?
Do you really love them? Our love is revealed in how we act toward them.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
What's Worship?
By Joel and Victoria Olsten
“Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name” (Hebrews 13:15, NLT).
Praise is more than just singing songs in church on Sunday. In fact, praise isn’t even about singing songs! Praise is a heart attitude. Praise in your heart prompts singing songs, but it can also be manifest in many different ways. Your words, your actions, your daily life are all ways you give Him praise. Like the verse says, when your actions or words declare your allegiance to His Name, that’s giving God praise.
How do your actions declare your allegiance to Him? By simply obeying His Word. When we continually follow His commands, even when it’s uncomfortable, even when we don’t feel like it, even when we are tired, that’s offering a sacrifice of praise to Him.
Remember, praise is a powerful weapon. Many times in the Old Testament, when God’s people would go into battle, they would send the worshipers out first. Praise precedes the victory. When you live a life that offers Him continual praise, you will see continual victory in every area of your life!
A Prayer for Today
Father in heaven, I do offer You continual praise. I choose to follow Your Word so that You may be glorified through me. Let everything within me honor You in all that I do. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
“Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name” (Hebrews 13:15, NLT).
Praise is more than just singing songs in church on Sunday. In fact, praise isn’t even about singing songs! Praise is a heart attitude. Praise in your heart prompts singing songs, but it can also be manifest in many different ways. Your words, your actions, your daily life are all ways you give Him praise. Like the verse says, when your actions or words declare your allegiance to His Name, that’s giving God praise.
How do your actions declare your allegiance to Him? By simply obeying His Word. When we continually follow His commands, even when it’s uncomfortable, even when we don’t feel like it, even when we are tired, that’s offering a sacrifice of praise to Him.
Remember, praise is a powerful weapon. Many times in the Old Testament, when God’s people would go into battle, they would send the worshipers out first. Praise precedes the victory. When you live a life that offers Him continual praise, you will see continual victory in every area of your life!
A Prayer for Today
Father in heaven, I do offer You continual praise. I choose to follow Your Word so that You may be glorified through me. Let everything within me honor You in all that I do. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Worship on the Go
by John Fischer
God doesn't desire more of our time sometime, He desires more of our attention all the time.
Ever feel frustrated because you hear messages about getting closer to God and you definitely desire this for yourself, but you are inundated with so much to do already that this only makes you feel guilty because you are too busy for God?
I think we all feel this at one time or another. Some of you may need to carve out some time out of your busy schedule for more specific time to be with God, but that isn't necessarily the only answer to this question. Look at the following scriptures: I have set the Lord always before me. (Psalm 16:8 NIV) My eyes are ever on the Lord. (Psalms 25:15 NIV) I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. (Psalm 34:1 NIV)
Reading these words makes you wonder if these are the words of a monk who had nothing else to do but devote himself to God. Actually, they are the words of David, King of Israel, a great ruler and warrior. How did he manage to run a nation and keep his eyes on the Lord at all times?
The only conclusion is that he did this while you he did everything else. It's a continual awareness of God that we are talking about here, not necessarily more time devoted to spiritual pursuits. I once saw a sign that read: "Your God is what you pay attention to."
You see, I believe you can pay attention to God while you are doing everything else. It's all about doing everything for God and seeing God in everything we do. It's about bringing God into the boardroom, the exercise room, the living room, and the bedroom. Now of course He's already there in all these places but we're talking about being aware of Him being there at all times. That's what it means to set the Lord always before us.
Worship is a frame of mind that always has God in the picture. Church, Bible study, or devotions then become more precious to us, because we can devote all our attention to that which we have been aware of all along.
[Copyright Purpose Driven Life]
God doesn't desire more of our time sometime, He desires more of our attention all the time.
Ever feel frustrated because you hear messages about getting closer to God and you definitely desire this for yourself, but you are inundated with so much to do already that this only makes you feel guilty because you are too busy for God?
I think we all feel this at one time or another. Some of you may need to carve out some time out of your busy schedule for more specific time to be with God, but that isn't necessarily the only answer to this question. Look at the following scriptures: I have set the Lord always before me. (Psalm 16:8 NIV) My eyes are ever on the Lord. (Psalms 25:15 NIV) I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. (Psalm 34:1 NIV)
Reading these words makes you wonder if these are the words of a monk who had nothing else to do but devote himself to God. Actually, they are the words of David, King of Israel, a great ruler and warrior. How did he manage to run a nation and keep his eyes on the Lord at all times?
The only conclusion is that he did this while you he did everything else. It's a continual awareness of God that we are talking about here, not necessarily more time devoted to spiritual pursuits. I once saw a sign that read: "Your God is what you pay attention to."
You see, I believe you can pay attention to God while you are doing everything else. It's all about doing everything for God and seeing God in everything we do. It's about bringing God into the boardroom, the exercise room, the living room, and the bedroom. Now of course He's already there in all these places but we're talking about being aware of Him being there at all times. That's what it means to set the Lord always before us.
Worship is a frame of mind that always has God in the picture. Church, Bible study, or devotions then become more precious to us, because we can devote all our attention to that which we have been aware of all along.
[Copyright Purpose Driven Life]
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Fall into grace
by John Fischer
This weekend I got a new take on an old phrase. I had the privilege of being at a church that was born out of failure. Its pastor had a fall from grace forcing him to lose his high position as heir apparent to a 6,000-member congregation and requiring him to give back a very lucrative book deal, but out of the broken pieces of his life, a new thing has begun. I had the opportunity to participate in the new thing that now has gained a level of legitimacy as a new congregation about ready to move into its first building, and it was an eye-opener.
As a result of its unique beginning, this church has attracted people whose life histories have not exactly followed the good Christian housekeeping seal of approval. They are, many of them, rejects from other churches – dropouts due to their own falls from grace. And as I pondered this, I wondered why it was the exception to the rule to have a church full of broken people. What are churches supposed to be anyway if not communities of those who need Jesus on a regular basis?
Unfortunately in many places, church has become more like a group of people who are all fixed up instead of those who are broken. At least that's what we try to be… The First Church of All the Fixed Up People. The problem with supposedly being fixed is that you have to do something with the knowledge that deep down inside, you know that you are not – that not everybody is telling the truth about themselves, yourself included, but because we are all "fixed," we can't face the truth.
In this light, a fall isn't the worst thing that could happen. If it brings you in touch with the real truth about yourself, and a true understanding of God's grace because you need it so much, it could be the best thing that could ever happen to you.
All I can say is, the place where this pastor has fallen to is a much better place than where he was before he fell. And the more I think about this, the more I am convinced that we have the phrase all wrong. You don't fall from grace; you fall into grace. Grace is not up; grace is down. Grace is what you finally understand when you fall. In fact, until you're down and broken, you can't even know what grace is. Oh you may be able to define it, and illustrate it so that it sounds like you know what you're talking about, but you never know grace until it reaches you personally in the depths of your own brokenness. Thus a fall into grace is really a fall into your salvation.
Fall from grace? Impossible. Grace is already down. Grace is what catches you. You can't fall from grace because there's nowhere else to fall. You're already in the arms of God.
by John Fischer
This weekend I got a new take on an old phrase. I had the privilege of being at a church that was born out of failure. Its pastor had a fall from grace forcing him to lose his high position as heir apparent to a 6,000-member congregation and requiring him to give back a very lucrative book deal, but out of the broken pieces of his life, a new thing has begun. I had the opportunity to participate in the new thing that now has gained a level of legitimacy as a new congregation about ready to move into its first building, and it was an eye-opener.
As a result of its unique beginning, this church has attracted people whose life histories have not exactly followed the good Christian housekeeping seal of approval. They are, many of them, rejects from other churches – dropouts due to their own falls from grace. And as I pondered this, I wondered why it was the exception to the rule to have a church full of broken people. What are churches supposed to be anyway if not communities of those who need Jesus on a regular basis?
Unfortunately in many places, church has become more like a group of people who are all fixed up instead of those who are broken. At least that's what we try to be… The First Church of All the Fixed Up People. The problem with supposedly being fixed is that you have to do something with the knowledge that deep down inside, you know that you are not – that not everybody is telling the truth about themselves, yourself included, but because we are all "fixed," we can't face the truth.
In this light, a fall isn't the worst thing that could happen. If it brings you in touch with the real truth about yourself, and a true understanding of God's grace because you need it so much, it could be the best thing that could ever happen to you.
All I can say is, the place where this pastor has fallen to is a much better place than where he was before he fell. And the more I think about this, the more I am convinced that we have the phrase all wrong. You don't fall from grace; you fall into grace. Grace is not up; grace is down. Grace is what you finally understand when you fall. In fact, until you're down and broken, you can't even know what grace is. Oh you may be able to define it, and illustrate it so that it sounds like you know what you're talking about, but you never know grace until it reaches you personally in the depths of your own brokenness. Thus a fall into grace is really a fall into your salvation.
Fall from grace? Impossible. Grace is already down. Grace is what catches you. You can't fall from grace because there's nowhere else to fall. You're already in the arms of God.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Cow Shout Out
by John Fischer
Heads up....ears forward....waiting.....
I'm definitely getting a lot of mileage out of my weekend in Kansas. Part of what made it memorable was the fact that the man who invited me and was my host for the weekend is someone whose life and ministry paralleled mine in many ways.
This is our second weekend together in three years and I'm still going, "You're kidding; you were there too?" It is also informative seeing Kansas from the perspective of a relocated Californian (he and his wife have been transplanted from southern California to Kansas for 14 years). Someone from somewhere else is going to see Kansas much differently than one who has always been there.
One picture just won't go away. On the way to the camp, we stopped in a small town for some ice cream. My friend and his wife sometimes spend a Saturday just visiting small towns off the beaten path, and this was one of those they found. This place was far enough away from the main road that people stare at you when you walk into a restaurant because you obviously aren't from those parts.
This particular place was famous for its big scoops of ice cream, and while we were inside waiting for ours, I caught two white-haired ladies sitting side by side, their backs to a wall that was covered in a floor-to-ceiling American flag. On one hand, I craved my camera, on the other, the picture is indelibly printed on my mind. Close your eyes and you can see it too. It is the essence of Midwestern Americana. Not to mention the life-sized Statue of Liberty streetlight that graced someone's front lawn on our way back to the main highway. (It was a replica of the statue holding up an art deco streetlamp globe instead of a torch.)
But the highlight of the experience was undoubtedly the cow "shout out" game my host introduced me to. The idea is to scream, "Hey cow!" at the top of your lungs out the window as you pass a herd of bovine along the road, and the person who gets the most number of cows to actually lift their heads and look your way wins.
Well, yours truly came out on top, getting at least a dozen brown cows looking our way all at once with their red ears standing at attention. It was an amazing reaction. I didn't think they would even hear me; they were so far away. I can still see those cows with their ears up. I think I found a new audience. Now if I just knew what to do with them.
Would that we could give God the same kind of attention all the time. Heads up… ears forward… waiting…
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Peace Be Still
“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39 NKJ).
What do you do when the storms of life seem to be raging against you?
One time Jesus was with His disciples in a boat out on the water when they encountered a great storm. The disciples were very afraid, but Jesus on the other hand, was fast asleep. When the disciples woke Him up to see if He could help them, Jesus got up and simply spoke to the storm, “Peace! Be still.” And the seas were calm again.
When difficult times come, you don’t have to be overwhelmed by the waves of worry or fear. Just as Jesus stood up and spoke to the storm, you have power in your words, too. As a believer, the Bible tells us that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you. That means God’s miracle-working power is on the inside of you. He’s given you His authority to declare peace over your home, over your mind, and over your family. Remember, no matter what storms may come against you, the Greater One lives on the inside of you, and He’ll empower you to live in victory in every area of your life!
Joel and Victoria Olsten
What do you do when the storms of life seem to be raging against you?
One time Jesus was with His disciples in a boat out on the water when they encountered a great storm. The disciples were very afraid, but Jesus on the other hand, was fast asleep. When the disciples woke Him up to see if He could help them, Jesus got up and simply spoke to the storm, “Peace! Be still.” And the seas were calm again.
When difficult times come, you don’t have to be overwhelmed by the waves of worry or fear. Just as Jesus stood up and spoke to the storm, you have power in your words, too. As a believer, the Bible tells us that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you. That means God’s miracle-working power is on the inside of you. He’s given you His authority to declare peace over your home, over your mind, and over your family. Remember, no matter what storms may come against you, the Greater One lives on the inside of you, and He’ll empower you to live in victory in every area of your life!
Joel and Victoria Olsten
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Outside In
by Jim Poole
Excerpted from Willow Creek Magazine, Summer 2008
“Hey, I knew we were running late, but I didn’t think we were that late.”
Kristi and I were running up the steps because we were, y’know, late, and coming down the stairs was a guy to whom Kristi was directing her remark.
“Hey, Dude!” Kristi can be outspoken on occasion, “Is it over? Is it breaking up already?”
“Oh, uh, no.” The guy seemed startled that a stranger would be talking to him. He looked up and added, “It’s just getting started I think.”
“Well, then, you’re going the wrong way!” Kristi persisted.
“Oh, uh, well I don’t think I’m supposed to be there — you’re asking about the church group, right” He was second-guessing what was happening at the moment. He wore his coat zipped all the way up to his chin, though it was unseasonably warm, and his baseball cap was pulled down low.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s a community group kickoff,” Kristi confirmed. “And whaddaya mean you’re not supposed to be there?”
“Well, everybody else’s bringing in a dish to pass and I don’t have … ”
“Oh, rubbish, the potluck thing is just optional, just for the regulars. C’mon, let’s go in … ”
“Seems like everyone is a regular in there,” he managed a chuckle, “I just heard about this deal this afternoon … ”
“Well, it’s not like there were any formal invitations or anything,” I tried to joke.
He then held up a postcard with a graphic that depicted a formal type invitation. “They handed this to me at the door … just to me. I think everyone else knows each other … ”
Kristi interjected, “Well, what’s your name?”
“Will.”
“Hey, I’ve got a little nephew named Will,” I offered as a way to connect. “You kinda remind me of him: he didn’t want to go to his Sunday School classroom because he didn’t know any of the other kids there and …”
They both just looked at me with blank stares. Then Kristi slugged me in the arm.
“Don’t pay any attention to him. I’m Kristi and he’s a blockhead. So now you know us, let’s go in, whaddaya say?”
Kristi won Will over and introduced him to other people in the community group. He discovered several others who were there for the first time and who didn’t know anyone else either. Some even joked about being intimidated about entering the room where it looked like everyone already knew everyone else and were having a great time as old friends, when in fact it turns out half the people there were newcomers.
When you’re on the outside looking in, things can often appear to be closed and exclusive and unfamiliar and intimidating. It’s not until you’re brought inside that the scales fall away from your eyes and you see things with more clarity. Like how everyone wants to have community, a place where everyone knows your name ... and how it seems like that kind of community is ever so elusive ... and how it just takes someone to kindly usher us in from the outside.
by Jim Poole
Excerpted from Willow Creek Magazine, Summer 2008
“Hey, I knew we were running late, but I didn’t think we were that late.”
Kristi and I were running up the steps because we were, y’know, late, and coming down the stairs was a guy to whom Kristi was directing her remark.
“Hey, Dude!” Kristi can be outspoken on occasion, “Is it over? Is it breaking up already?”
“Oh, uh, no.” The guy seemed startled that a stranger would be talking to him. He looked up and added, “It’s just getting started I think.”
“Well, then, you’re going the wrong way!” Kristi persisted.
“Oh, uh, well I don’t think I’m supposed to be there — you’re asking about the church group, right” He was second-guessing what was happening at the moment. He wore his coat zipped all the way up to his chin, though it was unseasonably warm, and his baseball cap was pulled down low.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s a community group kickoff,” Kristi confirmed. “And whaddaya mean you’re not supposed to be there?”
“Well, everybody else’s bringing in a dish to pass and I don’t have … ”
“Oh, rubbish, the potluck thing is just optional, just for the regulars. C’mon, let’s go in … ”
“Seems like everyone is a regular in there,” he managed a chuckle, “I just heard about this deal this afternoon … ”
“Well, it’s not like there were any formal invitations or anything,” I tried to joke.
He then held up a postcard with a graphic that depicted a formal type invitation. “They handed this to me at the door … just to me. I think everyone else knows each other … ”
Kristi interjected, “Well, what’s your name?”
“Will.”
“Hey, I’ve got a little nephew named Will,” I offered as a way to connect. “You kinda remind me of him: he didn’t want to go to his Sunday School classroom because he didn’t know any of the other kids there and …”
They both just looked at me with blank stares. Then Kristi slugged me in the arm.
“Don’t pay any attention to him. I’m Kristi and he’s a blockhead. So now you know us, let’s go in, whaddaya say?”
Kristi won Will over and introduced him to other people in the community group. He discovered several others who were there for the first time and who didn’t know anyone else either. Some even joked about being intimidated about entering the room where it looked like everyone already knew everyone else and were having a great time as old friends, when in fact it turns out half the people there were newcomers.
When you’re on the outside looking in, things can often appear to be closed and exclusive and unfamiliar and intimidating. It’s not until you’re brought inside that the scales fall away from your eyes and you see things with more clarity. Like how everyone wants to have community, a place where everyone knows your name ... and how it seems like that kind of community is ever so elusive ... and how it just takes someone to kindly usher us in from the outside.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Life Together:A Shared Life
By: Rick Warren
How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for God’s people to live together in harmony! Psalms 133:1 (TEV)
*** *** *** ***
God intends for us to experience life together. The Bible calls this shared experience fellowship.
Today, however, the word has lost most of its biblical meaning. Fellowship now usually refers to casual conversation, socializing, food, and fun.
The question, “Where do you fellowship?” means “Where do you attend church?” “Stay after for fellowship” usually means “Wait for refreshments.”
Real fellowship is so much more than just showing up at services. It is experiencing life together. It includes unselfish loving, honest sharing, practical serving, sacrificial giving, sympathetic comforting, and all the other “one another” commands found in the New Testament.
When it comes to fellowship, size matters: smaller is better. You can worship with a crowd, but you can’t fellowship with one.
Once a group becomes larger than about ten people, someone stops participating—usually the quietest person—and a few people will dominate the group.
Jesus ministered in the context of a small group of disciples. He could have chosen more, but he knew twelve is about the maximum size you can have in a small group if everyone is to participate. The body of Christ, like your own body, is really a collection of many small cells. The life of the body of Christ, like your body, is contained in the cells.
For this reason, every Christian needs to be involved in a small group within their church, whether is it a home fellowship group, a Sunday school class, or a Bible study. This is where real community takes place, not in the big gatherings.
If you think of your church as a ship, the small groups are the lifeboats attached to it. God has made an incredible promise about small groups of believers: “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst” (Matthew 18:20 NASB).
How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for God’s people to live together in harmony! Psalms 133:1 (TEV)
*** *** *** ***
God intends for us to experience life together. The Bible calls this shared experience fellowship.
Today, however, the word has lost most of its biblical meaning. Fellowship now usually refers to casual conversation, socializing, food, and fun.
The question, “Where do you fellowship?” means “Where do you attend church?” “Stay after for fellowship” usually means “Wait for refreshments.”
Real fellowship is so much more than just showing up at services. It is experiencing life together. It includes unselfish loving, honest sharing, practical serving, sacrificial giving, sympathetic comforting, and all the other “one another” commands found in the New Testament.
When it comes to fellowship, size matters: smaller is better. You can worship with a crowd, but you can’t fellowship with one.
Once a group becomes larger than about ten people, someone stops participating—usually the quietest person—and a few people will dominate the group.
Jesus ministered in the context of a small group of disciples. He could have chosen more, but he knew twelve is about the maximum size you can have in a small group if everyone is to participate. The body of Christ, like your own body, is really a collection of many small cells. The life of the body of Christ, like your body, is contained in the cells.
For this reason, every Christian needs to be involved in a small group within their church, whether is it a home fellowship group, a Sunday school class, or a Bible study. This is where real community takes place, not in the big gatherings.
If you think of your church as a ship, the small groups are the lifeboats attached to it. God has made an incredible promise about small groups of believers: “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst” (Matthew 18:20 NASB).
Thursday, August 14, 2008
2008/08/12
We Need Models and Mentors
by Rick Warren
Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. Philippians 3:17 (NIV)
*** *** *** ***
For us to mature, we need models and mentors.
Many people make the mistake of thinking all they need to grow spiritually is God’s Word and prayer. But the truth is, we need people to help us grow.
Christlike character is built through relationships, not in isolation. There are many things God wants you to learn about life that you’ll never learn on your own. You’ll only learn them in community.
We always grow faster and stronger with living, breathing examples who can model for us what a purpose driven life looks like. We need more than explanations, we need examples.
Paul realized the power of a pattern when he advised, “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you” (Philippians 3:17 NIV). To grow, we need to see principles in practice. We need to see what beliefs looks like when they are translated as behavior in everyday situations.
When Paul would travel to a city to start a church, he would begin by simply living among the people. He was a “living Bible,” echoing the life of Jesus, where “the word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14 NKJV).
After Paul left a city, he would write back, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9 NLT).
Who are your models for following Christ? Who are you watching and learning from?
Here’s a tougher question: Are you an example for anyone else? In elementary school, you probably enjoyed “Show and Tell.” As believers, we’re often better at “telling” than “showing.”
In today’s culture, the world desperately needs people who can show us how to love our spouse and make a marriage last, how to relate to our kids, how to do business with integrity, how to handle conflict in the way Jesus would. These are lessons we learn by watching others.
Not only do we need models to grow, we need mentors. Mentors are people who’ve followed Christ longer than we have and are able to share their life lessons. You’ve heard that it’s wise to learn from experience, but it is wiser to learn from the experiences of others. Life is too short to learn everything by experience! And some painful experiences can be avoided if you’re smart enough to learn from mentors in your church family.
Ask yourself this: “What’s been the greatest positive influence on my life?” Most likely it was not a sermon, seminar, or small group lesson. It was somebody who shaped your life through a personal relationship.
Can you see God’s wisdom in creating the church, a family full of mentors and models for our benefit?
That’s why being connected to a small group is so crucial to spiritual growth. It’s a regular opportunity to learn from each other.
Today, spend a few moments getting intentional about this. Write down the names of people in your church and small group that you’d like to learn from. Then identify what you’d specifically like to learn from them. Remember, they don’t have to be perfect to be a model or mentor.
To grow spiritually, you must also be willing to be a model or mentor to others. That may scare you but all it takes is being one step ahead.
People don’t expect you to be perfect – they already know you aren’t. What they want you to be is honest! So let them see your struggles, not just your successes. We usually grow as much from others’ weaknesses as we do from their strengths.
© 2008 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved.
We Need Models and Mentors
by Rick Warren
Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. Philippians 3:17 (NIV)
*** *** *** ***
For us to mature, we need models and mentors.
Many people make the mistake of thinking all they need to grow spiritually is God’s Word and prayer. But the truth is, we need people to help us grow.
Christlike character is built through relationships, not in isolation. There are many things God wants you to learn about life that you’ll never learn on your own. You’ll only learn them in community.
We always grow faster and stronger with living, breathing examples who can model for us what a purpose driven life looks like. We need more than explanations, we need examples.
Paul realized the power of a pattern when he advised, “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you” (Philippians 3:17 NIV). To grow, we need to see principles in practice. We need to see what beliefs looks like when they are translated as behavior in everyday situations.
When Paul would travel to a city to start a church, he would begin by simply living among the people. He was a “living Bible,” echoing the life of Jesus, where “the word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14 NKJV).
After Paul left a city, he would write back, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9 NLT).
Who are your models for following Christ? Who are you watching and learning from?
Here’s a tougher question: Are you an example for anyone else? In elementary school, you probably enjoyed “Show and Tell.” As believers, we’re often better at “telling” than “showing.”
In today’s culture, the world desperately needs people who can show us how to love our spouse and make a marriage last, how to relate to our kids, how to do business with integrity, how to handle conflict in the way Jesus would. These are lessons we learn by watching others.
Not only do we need models to grow, we need mentors. Mentors are people who’ve followed Christ longer than we have and are able to share their life lessons. You’ve heard that it’s wise to learn from experience, but it is wiser to learn from the experiences of others. Life is too short to learn everything by experience! And some painful experiences can be avoided if you’re smart enough to learn from mentors in your church family.
Ask yourself this: “What’s been the greatest positive influence on my life?” Most likely it was not a sermon, seminar, or small group lesson. It was somebody who shaped your life through a personal relationship.
Can you see God’s wisdom in creating the church, a family full of mentors and models for our benefit?
That’s why being connected to a small group is so crucial to spiritual growth. It’s a regular opportunity to learn from each other.
Today, spend a few moments getting intentional about this. Write down the names of people in your church and small group that you’d like to learn from. Then identify what you’d specifically like to learn from them. Remember, they don’t have to be perfect to be a model or mentor.
To grow spiritually, you must also be willing to be a model or mentor to others. That may scare you but all it takes is being one step ahead.
People don’t expect you to be perfect – they already know you aren’t. What they want you to be is honest! So let them see your struggles, not just your successes. We usually grow as much from others’ weaknesses as we do from their strengths.
© 2008 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved.
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