January 19 2014
Do Something, Even If It Is Wrong!
"Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come."
1 Timothy 4:8 (NIV)
I once worked with a man who often said, “Do something, even if it is wrong!” This comment meant, at least to him, to not hesitate to take on a job, without fear of failing, because it is better to try and fail than to fail without at least trying! This is a good idea for followers of Jesus to apply to sharing the positive aspects of having Jesus in your life, and how it has positively improved your life! This first assumes that you truly feel that having Jesus in your life is a positive effect. Many followers of Jesus fear failure so much that they never try to tell someone they know who does not attend a church of their choice, about the positive effect of having Jesus in their life!
The selected verse was chosen, because it “may” represent a failure to continue, or even to start working on some resolution, you have made for positive action(s) in this coming year. Notice Paul is emphasizing here that “training” is an important ingredient in both physical and spiritual endeavors, but that spiritual work has a better return, as it has “promising benefits in this life and in the life to come." If you have committed your life to being a follower of Jesus do you feel there are “benefits in this life?” The beauty of following Jesus is that you do not have to wait until you die to enjoy the improvements it offers; those benefits start immediately when you accept His perfect sacrifice to cover-over your sins. Remember too, your new life does NOT end when you die! Actually, those benefits are just extremely amplified at your death and release from this lifetime!
No one can take any credit for their salvation, as it is a free gift, it is awarded to all those who profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior. He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5, NLT) Please remember being a follower of Jesus does not in itself automatically cause you to become sinless, because your sinful nature is still a detriment to you (us) leading a sinless life. Having Jesus or the Holy Spirit within you certainly does put you in a position to avoid sin, BUT it does not guarantee it, as you must submit to that Spirit, as you still have a free will!
Since every day gives us a new opportunity, as long as we wakeup breathing, we can resolve to work on becoming more Christ-like! On that day when we stop breathing, if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, then we can expect to receive a promise from Jesus about a place He has reserved for us in heaven. Not only did Jesus promise to make a place for us, but He also said He will come and get us. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:3) Jesus’ promises should inspire us to tell His story, but it seems most humans suffer from the malady of the fear of rejection. Please take heart, even if our message seems to be rejected, we may have planted a seed, which may take growth later in the life of those we come into contact with.
Jesus gave us His example of doing what His father had instructed Him to do when He walked this earth as a man. John wrote about what Jesus said in the context of being here with Jesus, as He lived out the life the Father had granted Him to fulfill His earthly mission. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:38-40) Jesus here talked about those people who God the Father had given to Jesus. That would be all those who choose to follow Him.
All those of us who has accepted Jesus are in-line to talk to Him at any time and He will hear our prayer, and answer us. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. (1 John 5:14-15, NLT) Notice that John emphasized a point in this prayer request ability we have, where it says, “we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.” Jesus gave us a command while He was still walking this earth about how people could know we are His disciples. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)
Do you really believe what Jesus said about giving whatever we ask for that pleases Him, where it says, “We also know that he will give us what we ask for.” What a great promise this is! If you fear rejection from humans more than you accept His promise, then you need to work on your resolve, today! My friend used to say, “Do something even if it is wrong,” but Jesus says “do something for me, and it will never be wrong!” Do not gauge right or wrong by some human reaction to you telling His story! If a seed is planted only Jesus can make it grow, which may lead this person to the knowledge of the truth that only the Gospels can tell!
Your (our) job is to sow seeds not present ourselves as a savior of some sort. Just show them the love you possess and they will identify you as His disciple by how you show love to them, not by your amassed knowledge of the Scriptures or any man developed training. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7) Paul wrote to the church in Corinth and to all future followers of Jesus helping us understand what we can do, and not do, to guide someone toward Jesus.
If you do something that pleases Jesus, it can never be wrong!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
"Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come."
1 Timothy 4:8 (NIV)
I once worked with a man who often said, “Do something, even if it is wrong!” This comment meant, at least to him, to not hesitate to take on a job, without fear of failing, because it is better to try and fail than to fail without at least trying! This is a good idea for followers of Jesus to apply to sharing the positive aspects of having Jesus in your life, and how it has positively improved your life! This first assumes that you truly feel that having Jesus in your life is a positive effect. Many followers of Jesus fear failure so much that they never try to tell someone they know who does not attend a church of their choice, about the positive effect of having Jesus in their life!
The selected verse was chosen, because it “may” represent a failure to continue, or even to start working on some resolution, you have made for positive action(s) in this coming year. Notice Paul is emphasizing here that “training” is an important ingredient in both physical and spiritual endeavors, but that spiritual work has a better return, as it has “promising benefits in this life and in the life to come." If you have committed your life to being a follower of Jesus do you feel there are “benefits in this life?” The beauty of following Jesus is that you do not have to wait until you die to enjoy the improvements it offers; those benefits start immediately when you accept His perfect sacrifice to cover-over your sins. Remember too, your new life does NOT end when you die! Actually, those benefits are just extremely amplified at your death and release from this lifetime!
No one can take any credit for their salvation, as it is a free gift, it is awarded to all those who profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior. He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5, NLT) Please remember being a follower of Jesus does not in itself automatically cause you to become sinless, because your sinful nature is still a detriment to you (us) leading a sinless life. Having Jesus or the Holy Spirit within you certainly does put you in a position to avoid sin, BUT it does not guarantee it, as you must submit to that Spirit, as you still have a free will!
Since every day gives us a new opportunity, as long as we wakeup breathing, we can resolve to work on becoming more Christ-like! On that day when we stop breathing, if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, then we can expect to receive a promise from Jesus about a place He has reserved for us in heaven. Not only did Jesus promise to make a place for us, but He also said He will come and get us. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:3) Jesus’ promises should inspire us to tell His story, but it seems most humans suffer from the malady of the fear of rejection. Please take heart, even if our message seems to be rejected, we may have planted a seed, which may take growth later in the life of those we come into contact with.
Jesus gave us His example of doing what His father had instructed Him to do when He walked this earth as a man. John wrote about what Jesus said in the context of being here with Jesus, as He lived out the life the Father had granted Him to fulfill His earthly mission. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:38-40) Jesus here talked about those people who God the Father had given to Jesus. That would be all those who choose to follow Him.
All those of us who has accepted Jesus are in-line to talk to Him at any time and He will hear our prayer, and answer us. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. (1 John 5:14-15, NLT) Notice that John emphasized a point in this prayer request ability we have, where it says, “we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.” Jesus gave us a command while He was still walking this earth about how people could know we are His disciples. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)
Do you really believe what Jesus said about giving whatever we ask for that pleases Him, where it says, “We also know that he will give us what we ask for.” What a great promise this is! If you fear rejection from humans more than you accept His promise, then you need to work on your resolve, today! My friend used to say, “Do something even if it is wrong,” but Jesus says “do something for me, and it will never be wrong!” Do not gauge right or wrong by some human reaction to you telling His story! If a seed is planted only Jesus can make it grow, which may lead this person to the knowledge of the truth that only the Gospels can tell!
Your (our) job is to sow seeds not present ourselves as a savior of some sort. Just show them the love you possess and they will identify you as His disciple by how you show love to them, not by your amassed knowledge of the Scriptures or any man developed training. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7) Paul wrote to the church in Corinth and to all future followers of Jesus helping us understand what we can do, and not do, to guide someone toward Jesus.
If you do something that pleases Jesus, it can never be wrong!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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