Who is Your Center?

~ From God-Centered to Self-Centered ~

The proper progression in the Christian life is from being self-centered to becoming increasingly God-centered in all aspects of living. However, we have an example in Exodus 32 where we find individuals moving in the opposite direction!

As the chapter opens we find Moses doing God’s will in God’s way and according to God’s timing. But the people became impatient.

Wrong Attitude (Impatience)  ~  “When the people realized that Moses was taking forever in coming down off the mountain, they rallied around Aaron and said, ‘Do something. Make gods for us who will lead us. That Moses, the man who got us out of Egypt — who knows what's happened to him?’” (Exodus 32:1, The Message).

Impatience soon became the basis for wrong actions. They quickly moved from being God-centered to completely self-centered.

Wrong Reasoning  ~  “So Aaron told them, ‘Take off the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters and bring them to me.’ They all did it; they removed the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from their hands and cast it in the form of a calf, shaping it with an engraving tool” (Exodus 32:2-4a).

Wrong Decision  ~  The people responded with enthusiasm: ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from Egypt!’ Aaron, taking in the situation, built an altar before the calf. Aaron then announced, ‘Tomorrow is a feast day to God!’ Early the next morning, the people got up and offered Whole-Burnt-Offerings and brought Peace-Offerings. The people sat down to eat and drink and then began to party. It turned into a wild party!” (Exodus 32:4b-6, The Message).

A wrong attitude led to wrong reasoning which ended in a wrong decision. They reverted to doing their own will instead of God’s will for them. As the chapter continues, we find that God was not pleased with their actions. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

A Discipleship Model, Part 7of7

~ Step 7:  Accept Your Life-Long War ~

NOTE:  This Discipleship Model is a special 7-part series showing a clear path to spiritual victory. One step will be posted each day for a calendar week. After completion of this series Abundant Life Now will “resume regular programming.”

The first six steps of this Discipleship Model are similar to boot camp. You have trained yourself, with God’s help, in the skills that are necessary. Now you are entering the war as a career, life-long, soldier of the Cross. There is only one war—but there are many battles along the way.

The key is to stay involved. “O man of God… pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:11-12). 

We fight this “good fight of faith” with the resources He has given us. He has provided a list of our resources in Ephesians 6:10-20. The interesting thing about the list is that all the word pictures of warfare provisions are defensive except for one offensive weapon—the Word of God! “The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (verse 17b). The Word works on our thinking (which changes our attitudes, etc.).

The passage continues, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18a). Time in the Word of God will lead to sincere prayer by the soldier of Jesus Christ. Think of this as our time to interact with our Commander-In-Chief for instructions regarding both the individual battles along the way and the overall war strategy.

We can follow Biblical teachings and lessons and win the spiritual war or we can do things our own way and lose the spiritual war. (Note: All of us will at times lose individual battles—but we should be winning the war!)

Biblical Example 1 (Judges)  ~  Someone has documented what happens when God’s people do not continue the fight in God’s way. Rather than a Discipleship Model they chose a Sin Cycle. It is also a never-ending circular process. They showed how this cycle reoccurs seven times in the book of Judges alone. The Sin Cycle is described this way; Sin progresses to Servitude to Supplication to Salvation to Silence, and then the pattern starts over with Sin.

Biblical Example 2 (2 Kings 22-25)  ~  The good king Josiah makes a last desperate attempt to turn the nation (Southern Kingdom—Judah) back to God. He locates the long lost book of the Law, and institutes sweeping reforms. But though he can impose a change of actions on the people, only wholehearted repentance can change the attitudes of godlessness and self-indulgence that are the root of the problem. As a result, when Josiah dies, his successors revert to their pagan patterns and practices. Finally, God brings down the curtain on the Southern Kingdom as Babylonian soldiers topple the walls, homes, and temple of once-mighty Jerusalem.

Biblical Example 3 (1 Kings 11:1-13)  ~  King Solomon developed wrong attitudes: “As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other Gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to his God” (verse 4). “So Solomon did evil... he did not follow the Lord completely” (verse 6). “The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord” (verse 9). “The Lord said to Solomon, ‘Since this is your attitude (and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I have commanded you,) I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you’” (verse 11a, emphasis added).

Biblical Example 4 (Ezra 3:1-6)  ~  In our role as soldiers of the Cross, worship must precede work. In Ezra we see that the Israelites finally figured this out.  They had been charged with rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem—an event prophesied 200 years before (Isaiah 44:28). 50,000 Jews became a part of the caravan covering 900 miles from Babylon to Jerusalem. Totally worn-out with sore feet they finally arrive eager to do the task set before them.

What do they do first? Draw up blueprints? Hire architects? Order building materials? Rebuild their own houses? Eventually they did all these things, but their first thoughts were for God (Ezra 3:1-6). They knew that the success of their building venture depended on their heart attitude toward Him. And so before they began to work, they began to worship. This is back to our opening paradox. Realize while we are responsible before God we are also totally dependent upon God.

Summary  ~  Embrace the Paradox >>> Correct Thinking >>> Divine Attitudes >>> Controlled Motivations >>> Godly Lifestyle >>> Spiritual Victory >>> Keep Fighting >>> (Continually repeat this Discipleship Model cycle.)

A simple question. Do you love God? Really Love God? Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor martyred in a Nazi concentration camp, wrote: “Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes.” Do you really believe God? Do you believe to the point of changing your actions? Do you really love God? “Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me” (John 14:21a).

Jesus said, “If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed” (John 8:31). This is the definition of a disciple. Are you His disciple?  If not, why not? 

a final thought: “There is no discharge in this war” (Ecclesiastes 8:8). Don’t go AWOL!

Step 1:  Paradox  ~  Understand your partnership with God.

Step 2:  Thinking  ~  Choose to control your thoughts!

Step 3:  Attitude  ~  Increasingly rely on properly cultivated attitudes.

Step 4:  Motivation  ~  Be motivated predominately by yourself, rather than by external factors.

Step 5:  Lifestyle  ~  Continue to practice the fundamentals. 

Step 6:  Victory  ~  Guard your new lifestyle. 

Step 7:  Continue  ~  Be a good soldier for Christ—never go AWOL.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

A Discipleship Model, Part 6of7

~ Step 6:  Continue In Your New Victory ~

NOTE:  This Discipleship Model is a special 7-part series showing a clear path to spiritual victory. One step will be posted each day for a calendar week. After completion of this series Abundant Life Now will “resume regular programming.”

The treadmill of life is functioning at an ever increasing speed. We are going to be what we are now becoming! What we are currently working on, or ignoring, is the tapestry of our future.  Fortunately we are never too old to change. 

This Discipleship Model, when followed, results in a changed lifestyle. The model is not linear but rather circular—with no end. On one hand it is progressive as we have seen, but on the other hand it never ends. We must keep on recognizing our responsibility before God. We must continually control out thinking since our attitudes are constantly being formed. Life provides ongoing situations which test our motivations, and so forth. But self-control and spiritual victory are possible. “For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). This Discipleship Model is a never ending process!

Anonymous, one of my favorite authors, has written: “Righteousness in the heart leads to beauty in the spirit leading to character in the life, resulting in honor in the home, order in the nation, and peace in the world.” When we all have spiritual victory all this will come true (when Christ reigns)! But it should become an increasing reality in the minds and actions of Christians. For that to happen it must begin in our thoughts—only then will our actions be routinely right. 

There are many places in Scripture where we find this Discipleship Model practically displayed or taught. As one example consider Romans 6.

Correct Thoughts  ~  “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death” ”(Romans 6:3). “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin (Romans 6:6). “Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him” (Romans 6:9). Knowing has to do with our thinking it through.

Correct Attitudes  ~  “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11). Having thought it through, new attitudes are formed.

Correct Actions  ~   “Do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:13). Attitudes are the basis for our choices, our daily decisions, which result in our actions.

Correct Lifestyle  ~  “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14). Our actions have created a new lifestyle. It is not that we now live perfectly but that our overall lifestyle becomes increasingly pleasing to our Father.

Summary  ~  “Just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness” (Romans 6:19). 

The concepts in this Discipleship Model are simple to grasp but they require consistent work to develop self-control of our thinking which leads to a new lifestyle. But with God’s help we can do it. Remember the paradox of your responsibility before God and your total dependence upon God. 

Our thoughts, attitudes, motivations and lifestyle, determine what we are becoming! The real crux of the matter is desire. Dr. Wayne W. Dyer put it this way, “You are the sum total of your choices.”

It starts with controlling our thoughts. “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8). 

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:3-8). 

Step 1:  Paradox  ~  Understand your partnership with God.

Step 2:  Thinking  ~  Choose to control your thoughts!

Step 3:  Attitude  ~  Increasingly rely on properly cultivated attitudes.

Step 4:  Motivation  ~  Be motivated predominately by yourself, rather than by external factors.

Step 5:  Lifestyle  ~  Continue to practice the fundamentals. 

Step 6:  Victory  ~  Guard your new lifestyle. 

The next step will focus on the on-going battle.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

A Discipleship Model, Part 5of7

~ Step 5:  Feed Your New Lifestyle ~

NOTE:  This Discipleship Model is a special 7-part series showing a clear path to spiritual victory. One step will be posted each day for a calendar week. After completion of this series Abundant Life Now will “resume regular programming.”

What kind of lifestyle do you currently possess? Is it all you desire? If not, what kind of lifestyle do you desire?

Here are two good examples of lifestyles. First, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders, and so that you will not be dependent on anybody” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12). Second, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more  abundantly”(John 10:10b).

Our thought life is critical since it forms attitudes. Attitudes are an extremely important aspect of our motivations. In order to possess a consistent God-pleasing lifestyle and consistent spiritual victory, we must consistently think correctly. Such a lifestyle is the result of controlling our thinking. A faulty lifestyle is a symptom of a spiritual problem which has its roots in our thought life!

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8). This is the foundational aspect to controlling and maintaining correct patterns of thinking (attitudes). Our Lord understood this—recall that when He was tempted to think incorrectly, He quoted Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11).

Life is a series of changes or “change points.” Some are gradual and some are abrupt. But we are all being constantly changed. The key to living in a changing world is the ability to adjust, to relate, and to take control of the direction of our change. The role of a disciple is be control their changes in order to become more Christ-like—that is normal (not average) Christian living. If we are controlled by the Spirit we are being changed into the image of Christ—a lifelong process that is at work in us now. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Thinking forms attitudes which motivate our action. Spiritual maturity is the result of training one’s thinking to discern good and evil thinking. “The mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14). In that passage we have been given a definition of spiritual maturity. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was” (James 1:22-24). We are only mature when we translate our head knowledge into foot knowledge.

There is a practical side to all of this. We live in a crazy world. In order to maintain sanity we need to be looking at the source and completer of our faith. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2a). This has been the source of His people’s strength throughout history. For example, “I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored” (Daniel 4:34).

But maturity is a long-term process and maintaining sanity in an insane world is an on-going process. This is counter to our environment which is based on an instant mentality. We have fast food restaurants. In our home we use products labeled shake 'n' bake, pour 'n' serve, stir 'n' blend, bake 'n' slice, mix 'n' broil, chop 'n' simmer, etc. Many of us eat junk food rather than nutritious food. We tend to focus on short-term convenience rather than long-term health. The world is training us in the opposite direction than we need to go. 

The remedy is given to us in Scripture, “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). The underlying important point is that as humans we live forever. Life on earth is an extremely tiny portion of forever!

Abraham Lincoln put it this way, “I’d rather lose in a cause that ultimately wins than win in a cause which ultimately loses.”

Jim Elliot wrote in his journal, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”  

My favorite author said, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Jesus Christ, Mark 8:36). The point in all this is that we should not sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate.

Step 1:  Paradox  ~  Understand your partnership with God.

Step 2:  Thinking  ~  Choose to control your thoughts!

Step 3:  Attitude  ~  Increasingly rely on properly cultivated attitudes.

Step 4:  Motivation  ~  Be motivated predominately by yourself, rather than by external factors.

Step 5:  Lifestyle  ~  Continue to practice the fundamentals. 

The next step will focus on-going spiritual victory.  

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

A Discipleship Model, Part 4of7

~ Step 4:  Understand Your Motivations ~

NOTE:  This Discipleship Model is a special 7-part series showing a clear path to spiritual victory. One step will be posted each day for a calendar week. After completion of this series Abundant Life Now will “resume regular programming.”

Motivation is an important subject to all of us. There are times when we would like to motivate our kids, sometimes our spouses, our employees, etc. Sometimes we know we aren't adequately motivated ourselves!

Where does motivation come from? A key motivation is from our attitudes. Most of our attitudes are formed slowly through repeated thought patterns. An attitude can also change quickly due to a strong emotional event.

I once heard of a hard-working Christian couple who skimped and saved in order to send their only child, a daughter—Barbara, away to a fine Christian college. One day they received the following letter;

“Dear Mom & Dad,

“I met this neat guy a couple of months ago. He doesn't go to school, in fact he dropped out of high school! He's trying hard to find a job, but he has no work experience of any kind—nor does he know what to do with his life. But the important thing is that we really love one another. Mom, Dad, I know you won't approve ... but I've been living with him, my grades have dropped real low, and I'm pregnant! I think I'm going to withdraw from all my classes to avoid receiving failing grades!”

 (The tear-struck couple turned to the second page as best they could with their trembling hands.) The letter continued...

“Everything you read on the first page is false! However, this term I have dropped from straight A’s to a mixture of A’s and B’s and I do need some extra expense money real bad. Love to you both—as always, Your daughter, Barb."

Now Barbara knew how to motivate her parents through a change of attitude! She motivated them to not be overly upset about her grades and to be willing to help with extra expense money.

But just what is motivation?

Your motivation is the reason behind your actions—your “motive—action.” Virtually all of our motivations can be broken into one or more of three types:

(1)  Positive   ~   This motivation is to obtain something or gain an advantage. This is the reward or “carrot and stick” approach based upon an incentive of some kind. It depends on an external stimulator.

(2)  Negative  ~   This motivation seeks to avoid a loss or a disadvantage. This is the punishment approach, and action based on fear is designed to avoid a negative result. This motivation is also dependent upon an external stimulator.

(3)  Attitude  ~  There are three important differences which separate this motivation from the first two. First, this motivation can be either positive or negative. Second, it is internal and not dependent upon external factors. Third, and most importantly, the first two are temporary (they only work while the external factor is in play) but the internal or intrinsic motivation is much more permanent (but does need continuing cultivation).

Our motive for action is rarely only one of these three motivations. Usually there are at least two of the three involved and often all three are involved.

Consider the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, and the salvation it can bring.

(1)  Positive:  The gain of heaven and to be with God forever can be a motivation for many.

(2)  Negative:  Avoidance of hell and the wrath of God can be a motivation for others.

(3)  Attitude:  “We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19) is a motivation for many.

While all three are valid motivations, may I suggest that the most worthy motivation is our love response to Him—without that being at least a part of a decision for Christ, one could wonder if salvation has in fact occurred. Attitudinal motivation will be part of the motivation of anyone who understands what the Lord has done on the Cross on their behalf.

This internal motivation has a strong basis in Scripture. Consider these examples:

“Keep thy heart with all diligence” (Proverbs 4:23a kjv).

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23 niv).

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will put the right desires in your heart” (Psalms 37:4a).  

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart” (Luke 6:45a).

“He answered and said to them, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy [Isaiah 29:13] of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me’” (Mark 7:6-7a).  

“And everyone who has this hope [of Christ’s coming back for His own] in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3).

Step 1:  Paradox  ~  Understand your partnership with God.

Step 2:  Thinking  ~  Choose to control your thoughts!

Step 3:  Attitude  ~  Increasingly rely on properly cultivated attitudes.

Step 4:  Motivation  ~  Be motivated predominately by yourself, rather than by external factors.

The next step will focus on gaining control of your lifestyle.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

A Discipleship Model, Part 3of7

~ Step 3:  Evolve Your Attitude ~      

NOTE:  This Discipleship Model is a special 7-part series showing a clear path to spiritual victory. One step will be posted each day for a calendar week. After completion of this series Abundant Life Now will “resume regular programming.”

Attitudes have a lot to do with what life is all about. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 2:5). But how do you transform your attitude? First you must understand what an attitude is. 

In simple terms your attitude is a habitual pattern of thinking. For example, when you hear words or phrases you have automatic thoughts. What are your automatic responses when you hear the following: taxes, Congress, Post Office, God, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, Chevrolet, love, mother, the IRS? Your thought response is a large part of your attitude toward each of those words.

Your attitude is formed by repeatedly thinking the same way about something. Those words in the list to which you had no strong responses are ones for which you have not formed strong opinions (attitudes). 

Attitudes are insidious. We think a particular way once. The next time it easy to think the way we did the last time on a particular issue. That is why it is critical to constantly test the correctness of our thinking.

To change your attitude you must change your pattern of thought with regard to the particular issue. There are a number of ways you can do this. One is with an affirmation (affirmative statement), or what I like to call the use of replacement. 

Replacement  ~  Imagine a glass which is half-full of milk and is glued to a surface. Your task is to fill the glass with pure water. One way of accomplishing that is to pour a pitcher of pure water into the glass. As the glass fills it becomes half water and half milk. As you continue to pour, the water replaces more and more of the milk until eventually the glass contents are as pure as the water in the pitcher. You have replaced the milk with water. It was a conscious effort on your part! It took some work—but it worked! The same principle works in our thought lives.

Suppose you have a negative attitude toward the Post Office. But then you read the following newspaper story about a young boy who wrote to God. Since the local post office didn't know quite what to do with the letter addressed to the Almighty, they decided to open it.

“Dear God, My name is Jimmie, I am eight years old. I don't got no parents, and my sister is real sick. I need $500 real bad!” The guys in the post office were moved, and they took up a collection. They sent Jimmie $300 in cash. Later there was a second letter in the dead-letter file from Jimmie: “Dear God, The Post Office ripped off $200 of your dollars!”

Would your attitude toward the Post Office change a little?

Habituation  ~  A traumatic event may change an attitude almost instantly, however most of the time are attitudes are formed by habituation. An example of habituation is the gradual dulling of our sense of outrage resulting in a slow acceptance of society's degenerating moral standards. A common example is those who were once shocked at reports of marital infidelity, divorce, and premarital sex who now regard these practices as inevitable, especially among young people. 

The route to effective discipleship is to “be made new in the attitude of your minds” (Ephesians 4:23). 

Our Pattern  ~  “Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God” (1 Peter 4:1-2, emphasis added). “Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 2:5, emphasis added). “We [disciples] take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (Corinthians 10:5b, emphasis added).

Step 1:  Paradox  ~  Understand your partnership with God.

Step 2:  Thinking  ~  Choose to control your thoughts!

Step 3:  Attitude  ~  Increasingly rely on properly cultivated attitudes.

The next step will focus on your reasons for your actions. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW