8

GOD ’S GUIDELINES FOR THE
WALK OF FAITH

“It is very important for our spiritual maturity
that our beliefs about success, importance,
fulfillment, satisfaction, happiness, fun, security
and peace are anchored in the Scriptures.”

My wife, Grace, and I (Dave) have a son named David, whom we often call “Davers.” Like most Christian parents, we have prayed since he was born that God would make Davers into the Christlike person He wants him to be. But I had no idea what God was going to use to answer that prayer.

When Davers was four years old, he complained of a lot of pain in his legs and joints. We thought he was experiencing growing pains, but when we took him to the doctor the news was worse. Davers was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, a painful disease that swells and deforms the hands, feet and joints in elderly people but is rare in children.

When we heard the news, I couldn’t hold back my tears. The thought of our son living in such pain really shook me up. I couldn’t see how rheumatoid arthritis could be any benefit to my son’s growth into a godly man.

I remember many times when Davers woke me up in the middle of the night crying and calling to me, “Daddy, it hurts real bad.” I would go to his room, pick him up in my arms and hold him. Davers would whimper, “Daddy, make the hurt go away, okay?” It broke my heart. I explained that I couldn’t make the pain go away, but I could pray for him, which I always did.

In the months that followed, Grace and I noticed something very special happening to our son. He began to show a special sensitivity and compassion for others who were hurting. His daily pain developed a tenderness in him for others in pain.

I had no idea of the depth of his compassion until one night when I went to his room. Davers had been crying, and I said, “Are your legs hurting tonight, Davers?”

“No, Daddy,” he replied. “I was just thinking about all the people who don’t know Jesus, and it hurts my heart.” His words blew me away.

Later I thought about our ongoing prayer for Davers to grow up to be a godly man. I realized that God was using rheumatoid arthritis to develop in Davers the Christlike heart of compassion Grace and I had been praying for all along. We just hadn’t believed that such a bad thing could produce such a good result.

PROPER BELIEFS LEAD TO A PROPER WALK

As far as the devil is concerned, the next best thing to keeping us chained in spiritual darkness or having us live as emotional wrecks is confusing our belief system. He lost us in the eternal sense when we became children of God. But if he can muddy our minds and weaken our faith with partial truths, he can stop our effectiveness for God and stunt our growth as Christians if we let him.

We know that God wants us to be successful, fulfilled and happy. But it is very important for our spiritual maturity that our beliefs about success, importance, fulfillment, satisfaction, happiness, fun, security and peace are anchored in the Scriptures. I struggled with Davers’s arthritis because my belief about his success, significance and fulfillment did not reflect scriptural truth.

In this chapter we will review each of these belief areas from the foundation of God’s Word. Compare these eight descriptions with the eight statements you wrote on the Belief Quiz in the last chapter. These descriptions may help you make some important adjustments in your belief system, which will help you improve your daily walk with Christ.

1. Success Comes from Right Goals

Success in the Christian walk is directly related to our goals. If you ranked yourself low in the success category of the Belief Quiz, you are probably having difficulty reaching your goals in life. And if you aren’t reaching your goals, it’s probably because you’re working on the wrong goals. A good summary of God’s goal for us is found in 2 Peter 1:3-10:

His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith, supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or shortsighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble.

Notice that God’s goal begins with who we are on the basis of what God has already done for us. He has given us “life and godliness.” Our sins have already been forgiven and we have been declared righteous in Christ. We have already begun our growth to maturity in Christ. Christ’s divine nature is ours right now, and we have escaped—that’s past tense—sin’s corruption. What a great start! It happened the moment we accepted Christ.

Our primary job now is to diligently adopt God’s character goals—moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and Christian love—and apply them to our lives. Focusing on God’s goals will lead to ultimate success: success in God’s terms. Peter promises that, as these qualities increase through practice, we will be useful and fruitful, and we will never stumble. That’s success!

Notice also that there is no mention in this list of talents, intelligence or gifts that are not equally distributed to all believers. Your self-worth isn’t determined by those qualities. Your self-worth is based on your identity in Christ and your growth in character, both of which are equally available to every Christian. Those Christians who are not committed to God’s goals for character are missing out on God’s best for them. According to Peter, they have forgotten who they are. They are out of touch with their true identity and purpose in Christ.

Another helpful picture of success is seen in Joshua’s experience of leading Israel into the Promised Land. God said to him:

Be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses, My servant, commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success (Joshua 1:7-8).

Was Joshua’s success dependent on other people or circumstances? No way! Success hinged entirely on his obedience. If Joshua believed what God said and did what God told him to do, he would succeed. Sounds simple enough, but God immediately put Joshua to the test by giving him a rather strange battle plan for conquering Jericho. Marching around the city for seven days and then blowing a horn wasn’t exactly an approved military tactic in Joshua’s day!

But Joshua’s success was conditional on obeying God regardless of how foolish His plan seemed. As Joshua 6 tells us, Joshua’s success had nothing to do with the circumstances of the battle and everything to do with obedience. That should be your pattern too. Accept God’s goal for your life and follow it obediently. You’ll head straight to the bull’s-eye of success by becoming the person God wants you to be. The only one who can keep you from that is you!

2. Significance Comes from Proper Use of Time

Significance is a time issue. What is forgotten as time passes is of little importance. What is remembered for eternity is of great importance. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “If any man’s work … remains, he shall receive a reward” (1 Corinthians 3:14). He told Timothy, “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness … since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7-8). If you want to increase your importance, focus your energies on really important activities: those that will remain for eternity.

Brian was the pastor of a small church. He also attended classes at the seminary where I (Neil) used to teach. He was in his mid-30s and married when he found out he had cancer. The doctors gave him less than two years to live.

One day Brian came to talk to me. “Ten years ago somebody gave a prophecy about me in church,” he began. “They said I was going to do a significant work for God. I’ve led a few hundred people to Christ, but I haven’t had a significant work for God yet. Do you think God is going to heal me so that the prophecy can be fulfilled?”

My mouth dropped open in shock. “You’ve led a few hundred people to Christ and don’t think you have accomplished a great work for God? Brian, I know some big-name pastors in large churches who can’t make that claim. I know some great Bible scholars who have probably never led anyone to Christ. If a few hundred people are believers today because of you, and they have influenced who knows how many other people for Christ, I’d call that a great work for God.” (Brian is now with the Lord, having completed his significant ministry of reaching hundreds for Christ.)

We’re in the important business of collecting treasures for eternity. What we do and say for Christ, no matter how unimportant it seems in this world, will last forever.

3. Fulfillment Comes from Serving Others

For the Christian, true fulfillment in life comes when we discover our unique gifts and abilities and use them to serve others and glorify the Lord. Peter said it this way: “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another” (1 Peter 4:10).

Some people mistakenly believe that our spiritual gifts aren’t activated until we become mature adults. The Bible doesn’t teach that. If you have accepted Christ, the Holy Spirit is living in you and you have at least one spiritual gift. Age and maturity will help you discover and nurture your gifts, but they have nothing to do with receiving spiritual gifts.

God has a unique place of ministry for each of us. It is important to your sense of fulfillment that you realize exactly where that place is. The key is to discover the roles you occupy in which you cannot be replaced, and then decide to be what God wants you to be in those roles. For example, of the more than 6 billion people in the world, you are the only one who occupies your unique role in your home. God has specially planted you to serve Him by being the best son or daughter you can be for your parents.

Furthermore, you have a unique assortment of friends and classmates. You occupy a unique role as an ambassador for Christ where you live and attend school. These are your mission fields, and you are the person God has appointed to serve Him there. Your greatest fulfillment will come from accepting and occupying God’s unique place for you to the best of your ability.

Sadly, so many miss their calling in life by looking for fulfillment in the world. Find your fulfillment in the kingdom of God by deciding to be an ambassador for Christ in the world (see 2 Corinthians 5:20).

4. Satisfaction Comes from Living a Quality Life

Satisfaction in life is the result of living righteously and seeking to make everything we’re involved in better. Our goal should be to copy Paul’s statement of personal satisfaction in what God called him to do: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Satisfaction comes when we do our best. It is a quality issue, not a quantity issue. You will be more satisfied from doing a few things well than from doing many things in a sloppy or hasty manner. The key to personal satisfaction is not gaining more responsibilities but working hard and doing your best in the responsibilities you have.

The same is true in relationships. If you are unhappy in your relationships, maybe you have spread yourself too thin. Solomon wrote, “A man of many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). It may be nice to know a lot of people on the surface, but you need a few real good friends who are committed to a quality relationship with each other.

Our Lord modeled the importance of close relationships. He taught huge groups of people, but He invested most of His time in the 12 disciples. Among those Jesus selected 3—Peter, James and John—to be with Him at some of the most critical times in His ministry. And while suffering on the cross, He committed to John, perhaps His closest friend, the care of His mother. That’s a quality relationship, and we all need the satisfaction that quality relationships bring.

5. Happiness Comes from Wanting What You Have

The world’s concept of happiness is having what we want. The people on TV tell us we need the latest gadgets and the current trend in clothes or we’ll be out of style and have no friends. Thousands of advertised items are better, faster or easier to use than what we already have. We watch the commercials and read the ads, and we go crazy to get all the latest fashions, fads and cool stuff. We’re not really happy until we get what we want.

God’s concept of happiness is summed up in the words: “Happy is the person who wants what he has.” As long as you are focusing on what you don’t have, you’ll be unhappy. But when you begin to appreciate what you already have, you’ll be happy all your life. Satan’s lie is that God won’t give you what you need or enough of what you need. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:6-8, NIV).

Actually, you already have everything you need to make you happy forever. You have Christ. You have eternal life. You are loved by a heavenly Father who has promised to supply all your needs. No wonder the Bible repeatedly commands us to be thankful (see 1 Thessalonians 5:18). Jesus told us not to worry about what we would eat or drink or wear but to seek His rule in our lives (see Matthew 6:25-34). If you really want to be happy, learn to be thankful for what you have, not greedy for what you don’t have.

6. Fun Comes from Enjoying Life Moment by Moment

How much fun are you having as a Christian? Some people think fun is a trip to Disneyland. Yes, there’s a lot of fun to be had at Disneyland, but you usually come home with sore feet and used gum stuck to your shoes—and you’re out a couple hundred dollars.

Real fun is hanging loose and enjoying life as it happens. Chances are the last time you really had fun it was a spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment activity or event. Big events and expensive outings can be fun, but we tend to plan and spend all the fun right out of them. Sometimes a spontaneous water-balloon fight with friends is as much fun as an expensive concert or trip to Disneyland.

The secret to enjoying life moment by moment as a Christian is in removing the roadblocks. One of the biggest roadblocks to Christian fun is our tendency to keep up appearances. Satan wants us to fear what people say and think about us. We don’t want to look out of place or be thought less of by others, so we put on a façade instead of just hanging loose. Fear of what people think moves us to become people-pleasers, and Paul suggested that anybody who lives to please people isn’t serving Christ (see Galatians 1:10).

Look at the uninhibited joy in King David, who knew the happiness of being in the presence of the Lord. He was so happy about returning the ark to Jerusalem that he leaped and danced before the Lord in celebration. He knew there was joy in the presence of God. But Michal, his party-pooping wife, thought his behavior was unbecoming for a king, and she told him so. David said, “Forget you, lady. I’m dancing to please the Lord, not you or anybody else. And I’m going to keep dancing whether you like it or not” (a loose paraphrase of 2 Samuel 6:21). As it turned out, Michal was the person God judged in the incident, not David (see 2 Samuel 6:23). You’ll find a lot more fun in pleasing the Lord than in trying to please people.

7. Security Comes from Focusing on Eternal Values

The key to experiencing security in our lives is to depend on things that will last for eternity, not just for time. Christians often feel insecure because they are depending on temporal things over which they have no right or ability to control. For example, Rick, a shy, non-athletic guy, wants to hang out with some guys from the football team. Rick is sure the jocks won’t accept him on the athletic level. But he has a part-time job and makes good money. So he throws a little of his money around—buying pizza and Cokes for some of the guys. Soon he’s accepted as part of the group. His expensive new friendships build his sense of security.

Then one day the boss lays Rick off for a few months. No more pizza parties with the guys. What happens to his security now? It lasts only as long as the money lasts. That’s not very solid security.

Security only comes from relating to that which is anchored in eternity. Jesus said that we have eternal life and that no one can snatch us out of His hand (see John 10:27-29). Paul declared that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ (see Romans 8:35-39) and that we are sealed in Him by the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 1:13-14). How much more secure can you get than that?

When we trust in temporal values and relationships, we are always subject to insecurity because these things are subject to failure. The greatest sense of security you can experience is the byproduct of taking a firm grip on values and relationships that will endure as long as God Himself.

8. Peace Comes from Quieting the Inner Storm

Peace on earth, good will toward men; that’s what everybody wants. But nobody can guarantee external peace because nobody can control other people or circumstances. Nations sign and break peace treaties with frightening regularity. One group of peace marchers confronts another group of peace marchers and they end up beating each other over the head with their signs. Kids everywhere say their homes are more like a war zone than a safe haven for family and friends.

The key to experiencing peace is in understanding that it is primarily an internal issue. Peace with God is something we already have. As Paul states in Romans 5:1-2, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.” Peace with God is not something we strive for; it’s something we received when we were born again. The rebellion against God is over and our inner world is eternally at peace with God.

The peace of God is something we need to take advantage of every day inside us while storms rage in the world around us (see John 14:27). A lot of things can disrupt your external world because you can’t control all your circumstances and relationships. For example, if one of your teachers is ticked off at the class and piles on the homework, there’s not much you can do about it. But you can control the inner world of your thoughts, emotions and will by allowing the peace of God to rule in your heart on a daily basis. So even though extra homework from an unreasonable teacher ruins your plans for the weekend, it doesn’t need to ruin you.

There may be chaos all around you, but God is bigger than any storm. Nothing will happen to you today that God and you can’t handle. Your daily time of worship, prayer and reading God’s Word will help you get a grip on the peace of God you desire (see Philippians 4:6-7; Colossians 3:15-16).

TRUTH ENCOUNTER

1.   Why is it important for you to have the right belief system?

2.   Why is it impossible to be living in fear and trust the Lord at the same time?

3.   What false beliefs did you spot in your own belief system? How can that change?

4.   Write out in your own words a brief description of God’s view of success, significance, fulfillment, satisfaction, happiness, fun, security and peace.