“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called--one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
- Ephesians 4:2-6
In pondering the verses in Ephesians 4:2-6, our brother in Christ, Doug Stricklin, has shared the following with us:
I NEVER ASKED FOR HELP
As a man I spent half my life determining my competence by my ability to master the world around me, on my own. I knew what I knew! I succeeded, so I thought, on my own, never thinking that the skills and gifts I had were God given. I certainly did not feel part of a body of believers that are one in the spirit.
I spent years accomplishing tasks and accumulating stuff, but I was always looking for the “key” to unlock the mystery of my life’s purpose. It was not until I started to accept the possibility of abiding in Christ that I began to discover that it was the locksmith that I needed, not the key.
No matter how impressive my personal achievements, I could never find lasting significance as long as I refused to recognize my dependence on Christ. It’s only in Him that I have begun to make sense of myself, my purpose, my thoughts, feelings, passions and dreams.
Through this journey I have found no more painful punishment then futile hopeless labor. Now as I have begun to abide in Christ’s presence and trust in the Holy Spirit to empower my thoughts and actions, He saturates all I think, say and do, with eternity and purpose.
Some define courage as the ability to do what needs to be done in spite of fear. The Bible offers the elimination of fear.
For me, strength and courage to change did not come from within. It came from God’s hand opening doors to possibility. In July of 2006 I lay in a hospital bed half paralyzed from a sudden stroke. The doctors said this should not have happened. As I lay there thinking of my options I did not have an awakening and turn myself over to God. No! I started to contemplate and design, in my head, ways I could build mechanical devices to allow me to continue the path of futility I was on. Two days later, by the grace of God, I walked virtually unscathed from the hospital. That following Monday I went back to work as if nothing had happened. In fact I did not even tell anyone at work about my stroke. That Wednesday I lost my job that I had spent a lifetime achieving. I was devastated, but now God had my attention! The truth was, a lasting sense of significance had eluded my grasp. I was lost and needed help. But who could help me?
I began to realize that Jesus did not call me to spend the rest of my life trying to endlessly jump back and forth over a bar of achievement and material possessions. He calls all of us to a life of freedom, joy and purpose.
I am now surrendering to God’s will and know the Holy Spirit is my most important advisor. I look to others whom are also one in the spirit; my wife, my family, and other men, to help me figure out what God is calling me to do. Each night I pray and ask Him to confirm it in my heart.
Jesus doesn’t call us to a life of insignificance. He wants our life to matter. He calls us to live a supernatural life that changes people for eternity.
Now, and for the first time in my life, I am one in the spirit. Through Him, I no longer trust in me, I give Him the credit for all that I have, knowing I would have nothing without Him. I want to share what I have been given.
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I NEVER ASKED FOR HELP
As a man I spent half my life determining my competence by my ability to master the world around me, on my own. I knew what I knew! I succeeded, so I thought, on my own, never thinking that the skills and gifts I had were God given. I certainly did not feel part of a body of believers that are one in the spirit.
I spent years accomplishing tasks and accumulating stuff, but I was always looking for the “key” to unlock the mystery of my life’s purpose. It was not until I started to accept the possibility of abiding in Christ that I began to discover that it was the locksmith that I needed, not the key.
No matter how impressive my personal achievements, I could never find lasting significance as long as I refused to recognize my dependence on Christ. It’s only in Him that I have begun to make sense of myself, my purpose, my thoughts, feelings, passions and dreams.
Through this journey I have found no more painful punishment then futile hopeless labor. Now as I have begun to abide in Christ’s presence and trust in the Holy Spirit to empower my thoughts and actions, He saturates all I think, say and do, with eternity and purpose.
Some define courage as the ability to do what needs to be done in spite of fear. The Bible offers the elimination of fear.
For me, strength and courage to change did not come from within. It came from God’s hand opening doors to possibility. In July of 2006 I lay in a hospital bed half paralyzed from a sudden stroke. The doctors said this should not have happened. As I lay there thinking of my options I did not have an awakening and turn myself over to God. No! I started to contemplate and design, in my head, ways I could build mechanical devices to allow me to continue the path of futility I was on. Two days later, by the grace of God, I walked virtually unscathed from the hospital. That following Monday I went back to work as if nothing had happened. In fact I did not even tell anyone at work about my stroke. That Wednesday I lost my job that I had spent a lifetime achieving. I was devastated, but now God had my attention! The truth was, a lasting sense of significance had eluded my grasp. I was lost and needed help. But who could help me?
I began to realize that Jesus did not call me to spend the rest of my life trying to endlessly jump back and forth over a bar of achievement and material possessions. He calls all of us to a life of freedom, joy and purpose.
I am now surrendering to God’s will and know the Holy Spirit is my most important advisor. I look to others whom are also one in the spirit; my wife, my family, and other men, to help me figure out what God is calling me to do. Each night I pray and ask Him to confirm it in my heart.
Jesus doesn’t call us to a life of insignificance. He wants our life to matter. He calls us to live a supernatural life that changes people for eternity.
Now, and for the first time in my life, I am one in the spirit. Through Him, I no longer trust in me, I give Him the credit for all that I have, knowing I would have nothing without Him. I want to share what I have been given.
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Doug’s awesome testimony and the verses from Ephesians raise the following questions:
We are one in the Spirit and nothing can destroy that unity which God himself has formed. But we are told to "make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit." How do we do that? Where do we start?
Members of an earthly family can hold different opinions but still exhibit love. How much more important is being a member of one body of Christ than being a member of an earthly family?
We may differ in our views of how and when the Lord returns, in our concepts of church government or spiritual gifts. Does this keep us from recognizing one another as brothers and sisters in the Lord?
It is not easy to keep the unity of the Spirit, but as people who are in the Holy Spirit we are called to be holy people. It is hard work, but the Spirit who makes us one body also empowers the new life He gives us. Keeping the unity of the Spirit is not an impossibility. Let us make every effort to show that we are one in the Spirit.
Doug… Thanks for sharing your heart for God with us.
ReplyDeleteThis points up the potential of the blog: that we might share the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control of the Spirit with one another, and with a wider group of people than we typically see at worship or study. Imagine being led by the Spirit… in ways that take us beyond our patio… beyond our campus… to demonstrate the fruit of God’s Spirit and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the world.
If you are not a member of our physical community at Messiah Lutheran Church in Yorba Linda, please take just a minute to post where you are located. While you are at it, perhaps you could let us know how YOU are being led by the Spirit.
Your brother in Christ, Dave
Doug--you don't know how important your story is for all of us men. We guys tend to think we're so tough and can always handle everything ourselves. Knowing that we can be men even when we need help is such a freeing message. THANKS!
ReplyDeleteGuntersville, Alabama
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