Nick Meeder | Way Finders

I love being challenged to be better. I love discovering the deep things of God’s character. It always strikes deep at the core of what holds me back from experiencing God more fully.

“…God has chosen the world’s foolish things to shame the wise and God has chosen the world’s weak things to shame the strong.” 1 Cor 1:27 (HCSB)

I love the paradox! The paradox that great wisdom can be gleaned from simple questions from children. Yet, here is another paradox, Jesus said that we should become like them. It isn’t what I’d like to think it is, that through great leaning or wealth a person can enter into the kingdom of God, but through simplicity. The simplicity of faith in Christ’s atonement, the surrender to Christ’s control.

What is holding you back from experiencing God’s profound work in your life? 

Jesus knows exactly what your vice is. For one person in particular, it was riches (see Luke 18:18-23). And here is yet another paradox, as Jim Elliot is quoted, “He is no fool, who gives up what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.”

What is holding you back from gaining what you cannot lose?

Jesus, in John 5:19, said that He only does what He sees the Father doing.

Wow, let’s be honest, how many of us see what the Father is doing? And, when we do see it, how many of us actually participate?

Today, start being effective in spreading God’s love and generosity by asking Him to open your eyes to what He’s doing around you. Maybe at work today, there’s a lady who is really hurting and needs your encouragement and empathy. Maybe there’s a guy at your job who is harsh and a jerk because his wife   tells him how much he fails as a man of the house. Tell him you appreciate him and take him out to lunch. Maybe you’re a stay at home mom. You’re training up the next generation of people to be a light in this dark world. You’re shaping their character.

The more you look for what God is doing around you, the more clearly you will perceive it. It takes practice, but just like a muscle, the more you exercise it, the stronger it will become. Ask God to show you what He’s doing and how you can be a part of His story.

When my wife and I sit down to partake of a meal together, we always try to reflect on God’s provision.

You and I live in an abundantly blessed country. We are so blessed that we are not preoccupied with surviving. We don’t have to wonder if we will eat, but when, what or where. We have choices for Chinese, Thai, burgers, Latin foods, and the list could go on and on.

Because we are so blessed, we have added many pains to ourselves because we have lost our dependence on God. Before, when our ancestors were trying to survive, they had to depend on God to provide and thus their faith was strong. However, we’re so blessed, that sometimes we don’t acknowledge that it comes from God.

God warned the Isrealites in Deuteronomy 8,

10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16 He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”

Today, before you eat, or drive your vehicle, go to work and make a living, go to the movies, or enjoy many of the commodities that we do today, really take time and force yourself to connect with God and give Him the gratitude that He deserves. It ALL comes from Him. You don’t have to worry about surviving as other people in the world do.

I’m constantly looking for new strategies or information on how to be more productive, or live with intentionality and purpose. Somehow, I seem to forget that Jesus Christ was the best example on how I should live my life before God, after all, He was and is God!

So, what did Jesus do?

1. He did the right things – John 5:19 says, “…the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” 
2. He understood who He was and what His purpose and mission were – John 18:37 – “Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

I don’t think that Jesus, got “more” done, but that he only got the “right” things done because He knew who He was and why He was sent here. He did only what He saw the Father doing. His identity and mission kept Him on course. We get mixed up into so many things that deter us from our calling because we don’t know what the Father is doing, nor do we know our purpose or mission. This leads to two questions:

1. What is God telling you to do? This I feel is difficult because it requires us to stop and invest in the most important relationship in our lives. This does not come naturally, but with time, it becomes easier. You see, in order to know what He is telling us to do, we have to stop and listen! We have to know what His voice actually sounds like so that we can recognize it (Jn 10:27).
2. What is God’s mission and purpose for your life? I wish I could tell you that one, but honestly, I’m just as clueless as you are on how God shows you His purpose and mission for your life. I can tell you the generalized elements that it will have in it, such as, “It will glorify God, and point people to Him, etc.” Yet, how to find what it is specifically, I believe, is a process of discovering how God has designed you. I will tell you that you need to start where you are, right now, do your best for Him! Don’t wait for God to reveal your purpose, start living EVERY area of your life as unto the Lord! This will lay the foundation you need to have for when He does reveal His specific purpose and mission for your life.

Ever feel overwhelmed from too many things vying for your time and attention? Don’t you wish you could “do it all”? 

If you want to prevent burn out there are four things you must grasp.

1. You decide who or what gets your time – When you acknowledge that you decide what or who gets your time, now you’re not the victim. The ball is put back in your court. You decide.
2. Learn the word, “No” – You must give yourself permission to say, “No”. It will be okay to let someone down or disappoint them so that you can have your time back.
3. You can’t do “it all” – There will always be more to do. So the key is to do the things that God wants you to do, and the things that you feel are a priority. This means, you need to decide what is important, not necessarily urgent.
4. You need periods of margin – People who are able to accomplish many things are usually the ones who are spread thin and most likely to burn out. There is a reason that God rested on the seventh day. We need the same thing to rejuvenate. Be intentional about setting aside a day or periods of time where you get to rest and focus on spiritual, emotional, and physical rejuvenation.