By David Jeremiah
Chapter Three Choose: Minimize Your Distractions
Many Christ Followers (CF’s) do not know how to say “No,” and consequently are constantly over committed and the “greater things” are left behind, never even comprehended, visualized, and certainly, never remotely experienced!
Suggestions to avoid such disasters:
1.) Just say NO. That is a complete sentence.
2.) To be more polite, say “I’m sorry, but I simply cannot at this time. I have a personal policy, and it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to, but if anything changes, I’ll be sure to let you know… It looks like I’ll have to pass this time.. I just cannot fit it into my schedule….. That is such a good cause but I’m already supporting other good causes.
Jesus often said NO. Our first priority is to fulfill our Father’s will by implementing:
1.) Love God.
2.) Love those around you.
3.)Love Yourself.
Then he suggests you arm yourself with the clarity of Prov 3:13-18
During the years of ’68-73 I traveled US Rt 30 through Ft Wayne frequently and knew of David Jeremiah from being on Moody Radio and seriously considered stopping by to see him in his double wide church in a field… but I never made it a priority. My loss of just one more another “greater things” in my life! merlin
David Jeremiah’s personal testimony verbatim near end of Ch. Three.
“I entered the ministry nearly 50 years ago in a startup church in Ft Wayne, IN. And I was focused. Man was I focused. I wasn’t necessarily aiming to be a spiritual success, I just didn’t want to be a miserable failure. All my friends knew I went to FT Wayne to start a new church. I wanted to prove to them and myself that I could build a church from scratch. So I was knocking on doors every night, Saturdays and Sunday afternoons; I was gone all the time. I was doing the work of God; what could be better?
But at that time, we had two small children. Jan was a toddler and David was 13 months younger. While Donna was at home, I was out on my white horse winning people to Jesus and building the church. When I came home for dinner each day, Donna would say to me, “Are you going to be gone again tonight?” I was struggling to balance my responsibility to my family and to the ministry. And then I’d go out and knock on some more doors and come home later to the hurt look on my wife’s face. I thought I was doing God’s will, but I was really doing David’s will. I just didn’t want to fail.
One day Donna set me down in the kitchen, “Honey, I just want to tell you I’m never going to ask you again, are you going to be gone tonight? I’ve been thinking and praying about this, and the fact is you are the priest in this family, and one day you are going to have to stand before God and give an account for how you led us. And if you believe led us by being gone all the time, then I’m not going to argue with you. This is all in your lap now. You are responsible.” That was a turning point in my life.
I realized there are no ultimate conflicts in God’s perfect will. He doesn’t call a man to be both a father and a pastor in such a way that those two roles constantly war against each other. I began to pray God’s priorities back into my life. Soon they became crystal clear to me. I organized them into the following four statements: (Note I edited the fourth to meet my situation. You write yours accordingly that reflects your current activities)
I am a person with a responsibility before God
I am a partner with a responsibility to my spouse. (if applicable)
I am a parent with a responsibility to my kids.
I am a PT entrepreneur heading toward retirement and a FT Ambassador for Jesus Christ with a responsibility to either coach or to refer appropriately and responsibly.
Folks, I believe we’ve all been hanging around long enough! Grab onto the life lines of God’s priorities and move forward in His design for your life always abounding with His momentum and with His Blessings.
I’ve not always lived up to these four priorities. Whenever I feel myself straying, I find these four principles pulling me back into line. That’s what priorities do……”
The above words met me head-on once on the interstate of life (guess then I was going the wrong direction since interstates always imply traveling in the same direction?) And yes, spiritual re-freshers are good! Not sure “re-fresher” applies though to the current Broadway Plays that I heard recently are stuck big time in the rut of predominately only “doing over” their past successes. Evidently their audiences are also ok with living in the security & shadows of their past good times rather than to look forward to and trust in new performances. Perhaps not unlike many CF’s stuck today in the rut of past successes when Christ is really calling us to, as Jeremiah’s book is titled, Discovering God’s Presence and Purpose in Your Tomorrow, not your “wispy past.”
A few minutes ago I just viewed the clip of Ron and Sue Wenger sharing their journey with Sue’s cancer during the Fairlawn Easter service. Such events and the deaths of the two youth days earlier near Fredericksburg remind us of our priorities. Please pray for these families as well as for your own during the fleetingness of life as we enjoy it.