What Are You Doing?

What are you doing?

...and the LORD said to Elijah, "What are you doing here. Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:9,13)

Good question eh?

What are YOU doing? 

Elijah is eager to tell God how he was doing everything right ...but everyone was after him. 
I'm so faithful but "they" are not...
I'm standing up for You God and defending Your honour and name while "they" are running around killing all the good folk   (folk like me)
I'm all alone... it's me against "them"...

I'm surprised God doesn't just take Elijah's head off...   or at least raise His voice, cause thunder to shake the earth and lightening to strike a nearby tree.

Remember, this Elijah guy has just called down fire from heaven in the name of his God.   He's prayed the end of a three year drought.   (If I had seen and done stuff like that I wouldn't ask for another sign  for the rest of my life... yeah right.  Still, calling down fire from heaven   WOWS).   Elijah should be strutting down the street.   His confidence should be brimming.   "Look at me people!   I just went head to head with 400 false prophets and came out on top!   Don't mess with me!   Do you know that three year drought we've been having?   I prayed the rain down!   ME!"

Instead...   What are you doing Elijah?

I'm on the run.... I don't know what's next.. I thought it was going to turn out differently.   I thought that people would see Your power through me and would hoist me up on their shoulders chanting "YAHWEH! YAHWEH! YAHWEH!"   with a few "EL-I-JAH!   EL-I-JAH!"   thrown in... instead I'm on the run... nothing seems to have changed.

What's your answer?   What are YOU doing...?

I don't know what's next... I thought it was going to turn out differently. 

I thought that my marriage would be different... that my spouse would love and adore me - understand my soul,
I thought my kids would grow to respect me... ask for my wisdom before every life choice and always take my advice
I thought my job would be completely fulfilling, rewarding and that people would shower me with awards for my innovation and creativity
I thought I'd be richer... happier... prettier... more respected... better...

I thought it would be different...

So what do you do?  

Do what Elijah should have done...
Remind yourself of where you've come from...
Remind yourself of what you've been through...
Remind yourself of who walks with you...
You are never alone...

…just sayin’

Dangerous Prayers 01

No trial is so hard to bear as a sense of sin.

If You should give me choice to live in pleasure and keep my sins,

or to have them burnt away with trial,

give me sanctified affliction.

Deliver me from every evil habit,

every accretion of former sins,

everything that dims the brightness of Your grace in me,

everything that prevents me taking delight in You.

Then I shall bless You, LORD of all, for helping me to be upright.

Prayer modified from The Valley Of Vision: A Collection Of Puritan Prayers  by Arthur G. Bennett  

Like Jesus

So I’ve often wondered… what does it mean to look like Jesus…?  To live like Jesus…? To be like Jesus…?

I’m tired of Christians who say, “If Jesus were alive today He wouldn’t go to church… He’d be hanging out with prostitutes and sinners in the bars.”  Mostly I think they say it because it makes them feel good about hanging out in bars – thing is if you want to be like Jesus you can’t just go places Jesus might go… …you need to do what Jesus did … and continues to do…

…but that’s not even what I want to talk about…

I think the church has had a pretty good track-record of helping those in need.  Historically it was Christ-followers who were the first to start hospitals and schools, foodbanks, clothes banks, soup kitchens and drop-in centres.  We’ve done a great job preaching a gospel that confronts social and economic ills.   

What we haven’t done is articulate why a successful, affluent, mortgage holding, two-cars-in-the-driveway, name-brand-wearing North American needs Jesus.

Maybe we’re not sure they do… 

…just sayin…