Don't Be Who You're Not

 

Don’t Be Who You’re Not

Don't Be Who You're Not - Audio/Visual 

So, Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war. (Joshua 11:23)

No one else has your "you-ness." No one else in all of history has your unique history. No one else in God's great design has your divine design. No one else shares your blend of personality, ability and ancestry. You are heaven's first and final attempt at you. You are matchless, unprecedented and unequaled. Consequently, you can do something no one else can do in a fashion that no one else can. Granted, you aren't the only person with your skill, but you are the only one with your version of your skill. Call it what you wish – a talent; a skill set; a gift; an anointing; a divine spark; an unction; even a calling. The terms are different, but the truth is the same: "The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others." (1 Cor. 12:7) Each of us – not some of us, a few of us, or even the elite among us. Each of us has a special way – a facility, a natural strength, a tendency or an inclination. This "special way" is the work for which you are ideally suited. This is your destiny. This is you at your best.

Many people stop short of their destiny, and they settle for someone else's story. "Grandpa was a butcher, Dad was a butcher, so I guess I'll be a butcher." "Everyone I know is in farming, so I guess I'm supposed to farm." Consequently, they risk leading dull, joyless and fruitless lives. They never sing the song God wrote for their voices. They never cross a finish line with heavenward-stretched arms and declare, "I was made to do this!" They fit in, settle in and blend in but they never find their call. Please don't make the same mistake. "It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others." (Eph. 2:10) Your existence is not accidental. Your skills are not incidental. God "shaped each person in turn." (Ps. 33:15)

Uniqueness is a big message in the Bible, and it’s a huge message in the book of Joshua. In fact, one could argue that the majority of its chapters advance only one command: know your territory and possess it. Joshua's first goal was to establish Israel in Canaan by taking the land, neutralizing the enemy armies and eliminating the major seats of authority. The lists of conquered kings in chapter 12 proclaims, “The land is taken.” The rest of the book urges, “Now, take the land.” As a result, each tribe was given a distinct territory and/or assignment. The inheritance was for everyone, and all the Hebrews were welcomed to Canaan – the old, the young, the feeble, the forceful. The inheritance was universal. But the assignments within their inheritance were individual. They are listed in detail in Joshua 13-21. And if you can't fall asleep tonight, read those chapters.

The book moves from an action novel to a land survey. The pages make for dull reading unless, of course, you stand to inherit something. But since all the Israelites stood to receive an inheritance, they all stood alert as Joshua assigned their territories. Each tribe was called forward. Reuben, Gad, Manasseh, etc. Each territory was different. Judah's parcel was large and central. Dan's section was smaller and coastal. Even the assignments were unique. The tribe of Levi, for example, wasn’t given any land but God himself as their inheritance. Their role was to lead worship and teach the Torah.

The big message was this: No one gets everything, but everyone gets something. Drive out the remaining enemies. Build your farms. Cultivate your fields. Find your lot in life and indwell it. And Joshua wasn't the only commander to distribute territories. Jesus has distributed gifts that are unique as well. The apostle Paul explained it this way: "[God] has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. That is why the Scriptures say, 'When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.'" (Eph. 4:7-8) The apostle was using the metaphor of a victorious king. It was quite common in Paul's day for the conquering monarch to return to his palace with prisoners and treasures in tow. He celebrated his conquest by giving gifts to his people. So did Jesus. Having defeated sin and death on the cross, he ascended to heaven, took his rightful place at the right hand of God and "gave gifts to his people." Jesus, eternally crowned, distributing abilities and skills.

Joshua said, "Tribe of Judah, take the high country." "Manasseh, occupy the valleys." "People of Gad, inhabit the land east of the Jordan." Jesus says, “Joe, take your place in the domain of medicine.” “Mary, your territory is accounting.” “Susan, I give you the gift of compassion. Now occupy your territory.” Everybody gets a gift. And these gifts come in different doses and combinations. “Each person is given something to do that shows who God is.” (1 Cor. 12:7) Our inheritance is grace-based and equal, but our individual assignments are tailor-made. No two snowflakes are the same. No two fingerprints are the same. So why would two skill sets be the same? No wonder Paul said, “Make sure you understand what the Master wants.” (Eph. 5:17) Do you understand what your Master wants?

Do you know what makes you, you? Have you identified the features that distinguish you from every other human who has inhaled oxygen? You have an “acreage” to develop, a lot in life. So, “make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given and then sink yourself into that.” (Gal. 6:4) In other words, don’t be who you’re not. "If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies." (1 Peter 4:11) Ability reveals destiny. So, what’s your ability? What do you do well? What do people ask you to do again? What task comes easily? What topic keeps your attention? Your skill set is your road map, and it leads you to your territory.

God loves you too much to give you a job and not the skills. Identify yours. What you do for a living should conform to your design. Few situations are more miserable than a job misfit, yet few maladies are more common. One study concluded that only 13% of all workers find their work truly meaningful. No wonder commuters look so grumpy: nearly nine out of ten of them don't want to go to work. So, find something you like to do and do it so well that people pay you to do it. Look for ways to align your job with your skills. It may take time. It may take several conversations with your boss. It may take trial and error, but don't give up. Not every tuba player has the skill to direct the orchestra. If you can, great, then do it. But if you can't, blast away on your tuba with delight. "Stir up the gift of God which is in you." (2 Tim. 1:6) Just don’t be who you’re not.

Don't be your parents or grandparents. You can admire them, appreciate them and learn from them, but you can’t be them. You aren't them. "Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life." (Gal. 6:4-5) Jesus was insistent on that.

After the resurrection he appeared to some of his followers. He gave Peter a specific pastoral assignment that included great sacrifice. The apostle responded by pointing at John and saying, "'Lord, what about him?' Jesus answered, 'If I want him to live until I come back, that is not your business. You follow me.'" (John 21:21-22) In other words, don't occupy yourself with another person's assignment; stay focused on your own.

A little boy named Adam wanted to be like his friend Bobby. Adam loved the way Bobby walked and talked. Bobby, however, wanted to be like Charlie. Something about Charlie's stride and accent intrigued him. Charlie, on the other hand, was impressed with Danny. Charlie wanted to look and sound like Danny. Danny, of all things, had a hero as well: Adam. He wanted to be just like Adam. So, Adam was imitating Bobby, who was imitating Charlie, who was imitating Danny, who was imitating Adam. Turns out, all Adam had to do was just be Adam.

So, stay in your own lane. Run your own race. Nothing good happens when you compare and compete. God doesn’t judge you according to the talents of others. He judges you according to your own. His yardstick for measuring faithfulness is how faithful you are with your own gifts. You’re not responsible for the nature of your gift, but you are responsible for how you use it. Don’t be like the Hebrews in Joshua chapters 11 and following. I wish I could report that each tribe moved quickly into its land, drove out the inhabitants and put the acreage to good use, but they didn't. In some cases, the tribes didn’t drive out the enemies: "The children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites." (Josh. 13:13) "They did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer." (16:10) Your enemy, the devil, is determined to linger in your land as well. You, like the Hebrews were instructed, must drive him out. He’ll lure you with thoughts of greed, power or jealousy. So, be on your guard.

Unfortunately, other tribes fell victim not to the Canaanites, but to their own laziness. Long after Joshua had distributed the land, seven of the tribes were still in the military camp. Joshua had to scold them: "How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?" (18:3) How do you explain their indolence? They marched out of the wilderness and conquered the land. Yet when the time came to inherit their unique parcels, they got lazy. Don't make the same mistake. You are an heir with Christ of God's estate. He has placed his Spirit in your heart as a down payment. What God said to Joshua, he says to you: "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you." (1:3) But you have to possess it. You must deliberately receive what God so graciously gives. All that you need to enter your inheritance is to walk by faith. So, walk. Move forward. Find your lot in life and live in it. Just be you and don’t be who you’re not.

Grace,

Randy

Footstep Faith

 

Footstep Faith

Footstep Faith - Audio/Visual 

The day God gave the Amorites up to Israel, Joshua spoke to God, with all Israel listening: “Stop, sun, over Gibeon; halt, moon, over Aijalon Valley.” And the sun stopped, and the moon stood stock still until he defeated his enemies. (You can find this written in the Book of Jashar.) The sun stopped in its tracks in mid sky; just sat there all day. There’s never been a day like that before or since — God took orders from a human voice! Truly, God fought for Israel. (Josh. 10:12-14)

When Martin Luther's good friend, Friedrich Myconius, was sick, Luther wrote to him: "I command thee in the name of God to live because I still have need of thee in the work of reforming the church . . . The Lord will never let me hear that thou art dead but will permit thee to survive me. For this I am praying, this is my will, and may my will be done, because I seek only to glorify the name of God." Friedrich outlived Martin Luther by two months. As John Wesley was crossing the Atlantic Ocean, howling winds began to blow. Wesley was reading in his cabin when he became aware of some confusion on board. When he learned that the winds were knocking the ship off course, he responded by praying. Adam Clarke, a colleague, heard the prayer and recorded it. “Almighty and everlasting God, thou hast sway everywhere, and all things serve the purpose of thy will, thou holdest the winds in thy fists and sittest upon the water floods, and reignest a king forever. Command these winds and these waves that they obey thee and take us speedily and safely to the haven whither we would go.” Wesley stood up from his knees, took up his book, and continued to read. Dr. Clarke went on deck and found calm winds and the ship on course. Wesley never said anything about the answered prayer. Clarke wrote, "So fully did he expect to be heard that he took it for granted that he was."

So, how bold are your prayers? Like those? Boldness in prayer is an uncomfortable thought for many. We think of speaking softly to God, humbling ourselves before God, or having a chat with God. But agonizing before God? Storming heaven with prayers? Pounding on the door of the Most High? Wrestling with God? Isn't that irreverent, even presumptuous? It would be had God not invited us to pray that way. "So let us come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive his mercy and to find grace to help us in our times of need." (Heb. 4:16) Joshua did that, but not before he didn't. His prayer life teaches us what happens when we don't pray, as much as it tells us how to pray.

In the days following the Shechem gathering, a group of strangers entered Joshua's camp. They told him, "From a very far country your servants have come." (Josh. 9:9) They presented themselves as hapless pilgrims from a distant place. And everything seemed to fit their story. Their grain sacks, sandals and clothes were all worn out. Even their bread was moldy and dry. They praised the accomplishments of God, and asked Joshua and his men to make a covenant with them. Joshua weighed the options, and his rulers eventually agreed. Three days passed before Joshua realized he’d been hoodwinked. These people weren’t from a distant land; they were from Gibeon, only a day's walk away. Their weathered clothing was a disguise. They pretended to be foreigners because they knew that the Hebrews had ransacked Jericho and Ai. Maybe they also knew about God's laws which had a special provision for any city that agreed to make peace with God’s people would be spared. So, they resorted to deception.

Why didn't Joshua and the elders detect the ruse? Because "they did not ask counsel of the LORD." (Josh. 9:14) The practice of the Hebrews was supposed to be pray first, act later. In fact, Joshua was told to "stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the LORD." (Num. 27:21) But Joshua didn’t do that. He and his council entered into an alliance with the enemy because they didn't first seek the counsel of God. We’d do well to learn from Joshua's mistake.

Our enemy enters our camp in a disguise, too. "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." (2 Cor. 11:14) He’s crafty. That's why it’s essential that we consult God in everything. Always. Live with one ear toward heaven. Keep the line open to God. "Is this opportunity from you, God?" "Are you in this venture, God?" "Should I take this road, God?" At every decision. At each crossroad. Acknowledge him, heed him, and ask him, Do I turn right or left? "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths." (Prov. 3:5-6) Our relationship with God is exactly that: a relationship. His invitation is clear and simple: "Come and talk with me, O my people." (Ps. 27:8) And what should be our response? "Lord, I am coming." (v. 8) We abide with him, and he abides with us. He grants wisdom as we need it.

God will help us against the tempter. He will disclose the craftiness of Satan. But we must regularly consult him. In everything. His word is a "lamp unto [our] feet" (Ps. 119:105), not a halogen spotlight into the future. He gives us enough light to take the next step. Call it footstep faith. We learn to hear God's voice telling us to turn this way or that way. "Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, 'This is the way you should go,' whether to the right or to the left." (Isa. 30:21) Refer every decision to the tribunal of heaven. Wait until God speaks before you act. Be patient. Monitor your impulses. "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye." (Ps. 32:8) If you feel a check in your heart, heed it and ask God again. That’s the only way to outwit the devil's deceit. Consult God in everything and call on God for great things. Joshua did.

The alliance with the Gibeonites quickly proved to be a trainwreck. The other kings of Canaan saw the Gibeonites as traitors and set out to attack and kill them. Five armies bore down on the people of Gibeon. They were overwhelmingly outnumbered, but since they had an alliance with Joshua they asked the Hebrews for help. And because he had given his word, Joshua had no choice but to come to their rescue. “So, Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. And the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.’ Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal.” (Josh. 10:7-9)

The five kings didn’t stand a chance. Apparently they didn’t expect Joshua to respond with such fervor. They turned and ran with the Hebrews hot on their heels. And as Joshua's army thundered behind them, the clouds began to thunder above them. "Large hailstones" fell from the sky in a divine carpet bombing. (v. 11) Joshua saw the hailstones falling and anticipated the sun setting. But it was midday. We need more time, he realized. Nightfall would give the enemies a chance to regroup. If he had just a few more hours of daylight, he could win the battle and strike a decisive blow. So, he began to pray. He’d failed to pray about the Gibeonites, but he didn't make the same mistake twice. So, Joshua prayed. For reinforcements? No, he prayed for the world to stop. Now that’s praying, or just plain crazy.

“The day God gave the Amorites up to Israel, Joshua spoke to God, with all Israel listening: ‘Stop, sun, over Gibeon; halt, moon, over Aijalon Valley.’ And the sun stopped, and the moon stood stock still until he defeated his enemies. (You can find this written in the Book of Jashar.) The sun stopped in its tracks in mid sky; just sat there all day. There’s never been a day like that before or since — God took orders from a human voice! Truly, God fought for Israel.” (Josh. 10:12-14) This was a stunning, unprecedented prayer. The narrator, knowing his readers would be shocked at the story, referred to the Book of Jashar, an extra-biblical volume that contained stories of the Hebrew people. He was saying, in effect, "Hey, if you think that one’s hard to believe, just check it out in the Book of Jashar." But the verse that really deserves your highlighter is verse 14. "GOD took orders from a human voice!" God, in his providence, pressed the solar Pause button. He chose to hear and heed Joshua's request. Might he do something similar for us?

Greg Pruett is trained as an engineer, linguist and Bible translator. But his most significant contribution might be in the area of "extreme prayer." In his book by the same name, he relates how he returned from Guinea, West Africa, to assume the role as president of Pioneer Bible Translators. It was 2008. The great recession was sucking dollars out of the economy and confidence out of the public. The ministry's financials were in a free fall toward a pool of red ink. Greg had no tangible place to cut expenses. Resources were few, and donors were fast disappearing. Greg knew of only one response: prayer. "That's when I began to learn not to pray about my strategies, but to make prayer the strategy." So, in July he wrote a half-page letter to his teammates worldwide, calling them to prayer. He urged them to stand before God's throne with specific and bold requests. They did, and Greg described the result: “When I saw the end-of-the-year report, I knew God had heard our prayers. My eyes welled up with tears . . . If a financial expert were to analyze this graph, he or she would put their finger on the month of July and say, ‘What did you do right here? Whatever it was, you need to do a lot more of that.’ I searched in vain for a tangible explanation. I wanted to find trends to explain how it worked, so we could do it again. I never could . . . I just know [God] provided. All I had was God and prayer.”

Maybe God and prayer are all you have, too. Like Joshua, you face battles. Maybe five kings are bearing down on you called discouragement, deception, defeat, destruction and death. They roar into your world like the Hells Angels. Their goal is to chase you back into the wilderness. But don’t give them an inch. Respond in prayer – honest, continual and audacious prayer. You’re a member of God's family. You come to God not as a stranger but as an heir. Confidently approach his throne. Earnestly make your requests known to him – not because of what you’ve achieved, but because of what Christ has done. Jesus spilled his blood for you, so you can certainly spill your heart to God. "Ask and it will be given to you." (Matt. 7:7) "If you believe, you will get anything you ask for in prayer." (Matt. 21:22) Yes, it’s a battle, but you’re not fighting in vain. Consult God in all things. Call on him for great things. And then bring extra sunscreen because the day of victory may very well last long into the night.

Grace,

Randy