Friday, January 25, 2008

Guarantee #7 of 12: Promised Job

Guarantee #7 I posted in the list of guarantees people claim from scripture on my post when I started this little mini-series was: God promised me that job.

Here's another example of the phrase, "God promised…"

As I'm thinking about what to write here, there are many directions I could go. I could go down the road of any of the following:
  • preachers who use phrases such as If you will…, I guarantee you God will…
  • teachers who teach the claiming-promises guarantees
  • the art of prooftexting any scripture for personal purposes
  • the interesting practice of closing your eyes and pointing to a scripture and claiming that God said specifically to me for this situation…
  • gullible listeners who follow false teachings and then give up
All of these would be good solid roads to travel with a good destination reached at the end. However, I think I'll traverse this road: What's more important? What job I have or what kind of worker I am? I believe it's the way we think that's the root problem.

We look at what we want and think if we can find a scripture or some spiritual guru who will tell us we can claim a scripture and have faith and God will give it, then we will be spiritual, faith-practicing servants of God.

Quite heavily missing in today's theology, preaching, teaching, and practice is the saturated teaching in the New Testament that no matter who we are, where we are, or what we are doing, we are to be the redeemed being God paid the highest price for us to be able to be.

Basic to my belief system is to realize I am living under the New Covenant not the Old Covenant. I understand the Old Covenant to teach that if I will, then God will. That is throughout. Conditional. 

But the New Covenant is radically different. The new way is to enjoy what God has already done. There is no if. He already has, and because He has, then I can. I don't do or ask things hoping that because I have, He will. I  know that He has already given me all I need, even above what I could ever ask or think, and I am to enjoy and BE the redeemed paid-for believer, no matter what my circumstance.

Back to the subject lest you think I have strayed. God promised me that job. Guarantee? I wonder. I believe God promised me and any believer that we are His and He has given us the ability to be His representative in any job, in any circumstance.

Maybe instead of spending all my energies and prayers claiming God's supposed promise of that job, making sure I am true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report (Phil. 4:8) and a worker worthy of my hire in my present job. Or, if I'm without a job, making sure I have my eyes wide open to all the opportunities afforded rather than tunnel vision to the one supposedly-promised job. Different attitude entirely.

You may think I haven't really answered or addressed the subject. I think I covered it well. I guess it might be perspective. 

If you've read this, I welcome your comments.
MB  

1 comment:

MB said...

Great post. It reminds me so much of a message that I heard Wade preach at the retreat center from Phil. 4:11b...'I have learned that in who I am therewith to be content.' One of those 'life-changers' for me. I must live my life of faith content with who I am and Who God is in my life. You've covered that well. Move forward with these truths and we can't go wrong. I'm learning and I love the post. MB