Pastor Elwin Ahu
October 12, 2003 - W0341

Life can feel like weíre running on a treadmill at times. Weíre running in place and nothing ever changes. And then it seems that the longer we stay on this treadmill, the faster life goes. So we actually look for the first chance to jump off this treadmill. Yet we run hard because of our competitive spirit. Perhaps itís because of our ego and we want to be better than someone else. Other times we run on empty because of circumstances beyond our control. We may be a single parent raising a family alone. Or our marriage may be strained and we feel drained day after day. And then there are the pressures and stresses of work that can also leave us feeling drained. No one is immune from this.

Therefore, itís important to address this problem because many of us tend to be living lives without margins. We burn the candle at both ends and because of our busyness we essentially live without any space in between. Hence, we live on the edge and feel tense and get so frustrated with life. Then if we continue on this path, two things will happen:

1. Weíll make poor witnesses as a Christian and the world will not be able to distinguish us as Christians. We will be no different from non-Christians.
2. Another effect of living on the edge is that we become susceptible to the enemy. The Bible says that the devil is like a prowling lion, looking for someone to devour.

Of course we can get tired and exhausted because of a physical reason like a virus, unhealthy diet, or lack of sleep. However, our physical tiredness is often not related to our heath, but rather to our spiritual condition. Medical professionals are now confirming what the Bible has been teaching all along. If you only take care of your physical health and neglect your spiritual health, you will be exhausted, tired, and susceptible to the illnesses of the world. ìPhysical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.î (1 Tim. 4:8 NLT)

Spiritual exercise carries a lot more weight than simply working out in the physical sense. Therefore, here are three spiritual exercises that we must commit ourselves to so that we can guard against drying out our tanks. The first isÖ

1. LEARN THE DISCIPLINE OF WAITING.

ìBut they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.î (Is. 40:31 LB)

ìHe does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His loving kindness.î (Ps. 147:10-11)

To wait is a spiritual discipline. The Bible talks about the Lord giving favor to those that wait. So we find the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10 when Jesus came to visit. Martha became preoccupied with preparing and then got upset with Mary who was sitting at the feet of the Lord. The Lord told Martha to relax and continues to say that Mary chose to do the right thing, which was to sit and listen to what Jesus had to say. You see the Lord is more interested in our willingness to sit at His feet to wait and listen. Yet we find it difficult because itís not our nature to sit around and wait. In fact, it has been said that the ability to calm our soul and wait before God is one the most difficult things to do in the Christian life. Our old nature is restless and the world around us is frantically in a hurry. Thatís why a restless heart usually leads to a reckless life.

So, if we are reckless in our decision-making, we will be more prone to making errors in judgment. We will find ourselves running ahead of Godís timing, or lagging behind, but never in step with Him. As a result, weíll find ourselves depleted of our energy as we try to unwind the mess weíve created. Then we wonder why is life so hard. Yet many times it's because we havenít disciplined ourselves to sit and wait. And it is during those times that we fail to put our trust in the Lord. We tend to instead grab the controls of life and fly by the seat of our pants.

So when you feel your tank is running dry, remember this spiritual discipline: wait upon the Lord and depend on Him. Disciplining yourself to wait is an active waiting or a waiting of expectancy. Itís coming to the Lord expecting that Heís going to say something and to give us instructions for our lives. How do we do this? Well, we reach this by this second disciplineÖ

God is speaking all the time. So when we canít hear Him, itís not that God is silent. Rather it is because we are not open to receive what He has to say. Itís all about fine-tuning our ears in order to receive His instructions.

ìBut blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears; because they hear Ö [Many] prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it; and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.î (Matt. 13:16-17) In this parable, Jesus taught about a farmer who went out in the field and scattered seeds. Some seeds fell upon hard soil, and because it didnít take root, birds came and ate the seeds. Some seeds fell among rocky places, but had no depth and eventually withered away. Some seeds fell among the thorns and the thorns choked up the plants. Still other seeds fell on good soil that took root and began to bear fruit, sixty and a hundred fold. Then the disciples asked Jesus what the story meant. Jesus explained that the hearts of some people were so hardened; they could not hear, therefore failed to perceive. However, the disciples were different because they asked Jesus what the parable meant.

So the difference between the seeds that took root and those that did not was not the quality or quantity of seed for the farmer scattered the same seed. Rather, it was the condition of the soil. And such it is with Godís Word. The disciples, the Pharisees, and the prophets all heard the same Word, saw the same miracles, and saw the same Christ. However, the difference is that the disciples were so willing to receive Godís instruction. So God said blessed are your ears that hear and your eyes that see.

Pastor Wayne and I sometimes do devotions and journaling together. And Pastor Wayne always seems to mine out a gem from Godës word. Pastor Wayne is so open and willing to learn what God has to say, that God takes delight and says blessed are your eyes and your ears. And when God knows that we are open and receptive, He will pour into our lives as well all we need to know.

Come to the Lord with a willingness to know what He is saying because God calls that blessed. How then, do we develop this receptivity, this openness? The first sensor we need to fine-tune and develop isÖ

• LISTENING EARS

Thereís a big difference between hearing and listening. Just because we hear doesnít mean weíre listening or tuned in to what is being said. God can speak to us all the time through devotions, friends, or a message. Yet we often fail to listen to what God is saying. Many times itís due to the condition of our heart. Like the soil, our heart can be so hardened that we cannot hear through the people and resources God sends into our lives. His instruction makes no difference in our life. It just sits on the surface and cannot penetrate into our lives.

On the other hand, like rocky soil, we hear the Word and get excited. However, we have a tendency to forget all of Godís instruction and how to apply it to our lives. Or maybe like the thorny soil we hear His instructions and we know His promises, but the deceitfulness and the worries of the world overshadow Godís word and make no difference in our hearts. Then again, we can be like the good soil. We come and sit at the Lordís feet with a heart that is so willing to receive. Then we can make a commitment to change based on the instructions God is giving us. ìCommit yourself to instruction; attune your ears to hear words of knowledge.î (Prov. 23:12 NLT)

So, how do we fine-tune our ears to increase our receptivity to Godís Word? When doing your devotions, listen carefully. Even if itís just one point that you need to change, have a conversation with God. Talk with God about the different kinds of soil in your life. It may be the same seed, but what soil are you like? What is the condition of your heart? You may have to plow, dig out some thorns, or get rid of some worries. Then begin to write down the instructions for your life and make a commitment to change. That way Godís Word will dig into your heart and cultivate the soil so that the seed has a place to bear fruit in your life. You then begin to change, and God will say blessed are your ears.

Oftentimes, God speaks through friends. Thatís why I surround myself with godly men. I tell them they have full permission to speak into my life anytime. So if thereís a correction to be made, they will tell me so that I can correct it immediately. If we make changes in our life and improve something just 1% every day, over the course of the year we would have a 300% improvement. And then God will say, blessed are your ears, as youíre trying to hear and because weíre coming with a willingness to learn. Then watch how much more God will pour into you.

The second sensor that we need to fine-tune and develop is Ö

• SEEKING EYES

ìTurn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to Your word.î (Ps. 119:37 NIV) We need eyes that are seeking Godís best. We need to discipline our eyes, as our eyes are just like our ears. Itís part of our flesh. Sure our spirit may be saved, but our flesh will always default back to who we were before. Thus, our eyes will especially look for things that used to give us validation. So we need to make a commitment to turn our eyes away from what is worthless. You see we feed our minds with the things we see. Therefore, what we think becomes whom we are and in turn transforms into our behavior. So seek whatís God best for your life.

Remember that God has a path all laid out for your life and there are mile markers along the way. The trouble is that many times instead of looking for the mile markers, we look beyond that and end up lost and off course. Then when we try to find our way back, we use additional energy that in turn drains us. Save yourself years of exhaustion by looking for the things God has for your life and stay on that path.

ìLet your eyes look directly ahead, and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established.î (Prov. 4:25-26) Oftentimes we look for validation stamps for our lives: money, power, and position. Remember that thereís only one that will validate us and thatís Jesus Christ. If you havenít given your heart over to the Lord, let Him validate your life right now. It doesnít matter what youíre feeling, or what youíre going through. His validation stamp will change your life.

Speaking to the men: why is it that we hate going shopping but we love to window shop with our eyes? We think no one is seeing what weíre thinking. But be careful and make a covenant with your eyes that you will keep your eyes fixed on the things of the Lord because if you donít, sin will drain you faster than anything else.

And if youíre dealing with sin right now, here are two guidelines to help you:

1. Remember that God's grace and His forgiveness is sufficient for you. He is willing and able to forgive you right now.
2. Confess your sin to the Lord, release it, and cut yourself from your past. Then watch how God begins to fill your empty tank.

Thus, when your feel like you are running on empty, remember to discipline yourself to wait on the Lord. Take time to fine-tune your sensors so you will know Godís instructions for your life. You can do this by developing ears that hear and eyes that see. And finally, the third spiritual exercise to help you is toÖ

Donít allow the circumstances around you to define who you are. Circumstances will always change. However, if you anchor yourself to Jesus Christ, our Lord never changes so our identity in Him will never change. He will provide everything we need to fill us even when weëre in the roughest seasons of our lives. ìI am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.î (John 15:5) When you remember who you are anchored to and that your identity is in Jesus Christ, you will be able to get through the toughest of days. When you are at your lowest point, Jesus will fill you with everything you need and you can go on again.

Sure there will be seasons in your life which will be dry or seasons in which youíll feel beaten up and knocked down. So how do you get back up again? Well, remember to train yourself in these spiritual disciplines: 1). Learn the spiritual discipline of waiting. Moreover, develop an ìactive waiting,î or a waiting of expectancy knowing God is going to offer instructions for your life. 2). The next discipline is to take the time to fine-tune your sensors by developing listening ears committed to instruction, ears that are attuned to hearing the words of knowledge. Also develop seeking eyes that are looking for the things God has for your life. 3). And finally, remember your identity. Identify and anchor yourself with Jesus Christ. He will give you everything you need.

ìPhysical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.î (1 Tim. 4:8 NLT)