Saturday, June 10, 2017

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!


WHY DO WE DO WHAT WE DO?  In other words, just what is it that drives us to action, to speech, or even to thought?  What makes us act a certain way, or say the things we say, or let our minds run rampant with the things we think about?  All good questions, right?   And they all deserve answers – honest answers, for sure.  Why should we care?  Well, let’s put it this way:  God has given us one life to live here on earth, and none of us have a clue today just how many days of our lives remain.  I am not trying to be morbid – that’s not me.  And we have just celebrated Memorial Day weekend, so this message seems timely enough.  Plus, in these days that seem to be unraveling around us, so filled with hate-incited acts against others, these words could be for any day! 

Just recently, my husband and I and one of our sons traveled to North Dakota to attend the funeral of one of my husband’s step-uncles.  Ninety-one years old, he had lived a long and good life.  But was good – good enough?  My husband knew Daniel, but my time in his presence was minimal at best.  But this day, as one of his son-in-laws stepped to the front of the church to share about Daniel’s life – I was suddenly drawn in and began to “see and know” this man for who he was.  A devoted husband, dad, and grandpa.  He loved the land he farmed and found much joy in being outdoors.  He faithfully served his church and his community.  But then, this son-in-law, who in high school was known to have had the “spirituality of a fencepost” (disclaimer:  not MY words!), began to talk from his heart with great emotion and I soon saw who Daniel really was!  He was not a preacher or an evangelist, a missionary or a Sunday School teacher.  Yet everyone around him could not help but see how he lived out his personal faith in God.  No sermon was needed.  Daniel’s life did the talking:  in how he loved and treated his family when no one else was looking; in his honesty and integrity when dealing with others in business or on boards; in the absence of cutting words and harsh judgments of others; in how he spent his time on priorities that meant the most to him.  This son-in-law said that when he married his wife (Daniel’s daughter), you kind of married the entire family.  And Daniel’s quiet but visible faith in God spoke volumes to this new son-in-law’s life, and though I do not have a time-line, you could not mistake the fact that he had become a follower of Christ, too.  The words flowed from his heart and spilled over with love for this man now having completed his life on earth … and for the Man, Jesus Christ, who was now his own personal Savior.  What a legacy for Daniel to leave behind!  And now I will ask this question again:  what makes a man do what he does?  While I do not have the answer to what caused Daniel to receive Christ into his heart and choose to live life the way he did – I can definitely attest to the truth that his son-in-law was impacted by an example of Christ-like living so compelling that he could do nothing else but decide to follow Christ and aspire to live the same way that Daniel did!  What a legacy!

 A legacy is what we leave behind us as a gift to those who follow us, and in all reality, we will leave “something”.  What will it be?  And do we get to choose what we will pass on to those we love?  Of course we do!  In truthful reality, given the choice of leaving a huge inheritance of property or monetary worth to our family … or … the gift of ourselves – our love, time, and attention; our experiences, laughter, and wisdom; and most importantly, our faith in God and teaching it by example to those who follow us by living it purely, simply and genuinely before them – WHICH do you think our children and ongoing generations would prefer? 

Dad’s ~ Father’s Day is just around the corner!  Whether you know it or not, your sphere of influence is great, and the “ripple-effect” of what you choose your legacy to be will carry on from generation to generation!  Your fervent prayers will be effective not only on this earth – but they carry eternal value for each of your family’s lives!  Are you pleased with what you think your legacy will be?  If not, there is no time like the present to begin to create a new legacy with God’s help that WILL make the difference you desire it to!  We love you, dads … and for who you are and all you are, we celebrate you with honor and respect!   

Back to the question in my opening paragraph:  why do we do what we do? The simple, truthful answer according to God’s Word is that out of our heart comes our words, our actions, and our thoughts.  And only we can individually choose what to receive into our hearts.  We are the ones that purposely place things in our hearts.  Sometimes we just allow things in.  And on occasion we are not alert and discerning enough to keep things out.  So whatever we do, whatever we say, and whatever we are thinking ~ is all on us!  We get to make those choices; God lets us because He has given us free will.  When we receive Him into our heart, He teaches us what to do and what not to do.  But when we reject Him and we want our own way, even to our detriment … He lets us have our own way!   So you see how very important our life choices are to what becomes our legacy!  Little choices and major ones.  They all become a piece of what we leave behind.  The best question we can ask ourselves today is, will THIS choice glorify my God and make my legacy a spiritual treasure that lasts even into eternity?  God’s Spirit will give us the answer!

REMEMBER . . .
Here are God’s instructions to help us make right choices instead of learning the hard way:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
and these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
~ Deuteronomy 6:5-7  

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

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