I just received a phone call that a saint of God has changed address. She is no longer with us in this life, but now has only eternity ahead of her. This had brought up a flood of emotions for she is my daughter in law's grandmother and a woman that taught me the things of God when I was a very small child and a woman who I worked beside in ministry as a young married adult. It has also brought up some very sobering thoughts that I would like to share.
Life is so very short. It is a vapor that is here today and gone tomorrow. When we stand before God we will give account of our lives. Our actions and words will be judged, but I think that will not be the most important aspect of our accountability to God for our lives. More important than our actions are our motives. Many will stand on that day and say, "Did we not do all of these great things in Your name.", and God will say depart from me you workers of iniquity. I never knew you.
I thought of this in relation to what happens on this discussion forum. The forum is nothing really. It is a place where strangers for the most part discuss the Bible. Twenty years ago this would not even have been possible. Yet it is a place where we can learn and grow if we will use it as such. It is a place where we can be encouraged in the things of God if we will use it as such.
I think about the tenor of the discussion that happens here. The actual discussions are not what I believe to be important. The motive behind the discussions is the important thing. The discussion is often revealing of the motive, true, but the motive is what is important.
I am a teacher of the word of God by calling. I am VERY interested in sound and correct doctrine. It is my calling. I study the word, and I want so desperately to understand and rightly divide. And, I am willing to stand toe to toe to defend sound doctrine. But I must guard my heart and I must check my motives constantly. I must ask myself why I am interested in sound doctrine.
God once showed me something that has stuck with me very strongly. There are times when I teach that the Holy Spirit takes me off my notes. I find myself saying things that I did not prepare to say, nor intend to say, and I listen to myself speak and say, "Wow, where did that come from?" It is the anointing of God. I did not come up with it, and it was not me who said it really. It was God and Him alone. In any ministry it is so cool when God's anointing is manifested. But God told me one day, "Travis, I do not anoint you for your sake. It has NOTHING to do with you. I anoint you in ministry BECAUSE I LOVE THE PEOPLE YOU ARE MINISTERING TO!
The reason we should participate here has NOTHING to do with us. We should look at this forum as a place to help us prepare to minister reconciliation to a lost world. We should look at this as a place to refine our doctrine so we can be prepared to teach the truth to young believers as we disciple them and bring them into maturity. My particular slant on doctrine is not worth a hill of beans. The truth of the word of God is priceless. My motive should be to be always bringing my own views into subjection to the truth of the word of God. Here my views get challenged. Do I stubbornly try to defend my views against the challenge, or do I use the challenge as an opportunity to test my own views against the word of God.
What is the motive? It is for that that we will be judged.
Just a thought this morning. Have a blessed day and help me rejoice that a saint has finished the course.