Geneva Men for Christ

Follow the Blueprint

Raymond Harrison | July 27, 2008

“And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:2-3 (NAS)

Think About It
We all understand the utter dependence a child has on it’s parents. Everything that a child needs must be supplied to them…food, shelter, love, compassion, discipline. It’s difficult for grown men to think of themselves in this same light. After all, we are trained from an early age to become increasingly dependent on ourselves, when in reality we must learn utter dependence on our Heavenly Father. If you are a father or grandfather there are two equally important lessons here. First, we must let go of self-reliance and pick up “God-reliance”. Secondly, we MUST model this to our children and grandchildren. If we don’t SHOW them our utter dependence on God then they will grow up “self-reliant”. Do you children or grandchildren see you turning all of your life over to Him? A great way to start is by vocally bringing God into your family’s decisions. Think about it.
CONSIDER

“So give it all to God: your past regrets, your present problems, your future ambitions, your fears, dreams, weaknesses, habits, hurts, and hang-ups. Put Jesus Christ in the driver’s seat of your life and take your hands off the steering wheel. Don’t be afraid; nothing under his control can ever be out of control. Mastered by Christ, you can handle anything.” Rick Warren

EVERYTHING BELONGS TO GOD

“I am a fan of the budget that spends, saves, and gives. Any budget from a Christian perspective must, I believe, have a component of giving. Although people differ on whether a specific percentage is required of Christians, all would agree that Christians should give of their resources. The primary reason, of course, is that we give in recognition that everything belongs to God. But giving also challenges our natural inclination to depend on ourselves. When we give, especially when we are in debt and do not have what we think is enough, it forces us into a position of depending on God (see Malachi 3:10). Terry Hargrave, Boomers on the Edge: Three Realities That Will Change Your Life Forever

VERSE TO PONDER

“I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.” Ecclesiastes 3:14-15 (NIV)

CONSIDER

“Apart from God every activity is merely a passing whiff of insignificance.” Alfred North Whitehead

TRUE GRACE
“God’s grace is not a static attribute whereby He passively accepts hardened, unrepentant sinners.

Grace does not change a person’s standing before God yet leave his character untouched. True grace, according to Scripture, teaches us “to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:12 ). Grace is the power of God to fulfill our new covenant duties (1 Corinthians 7:19), however inconsistently we obey at times. Clearly, grace does not grant permission to live in the flesh; it supplies power to live in the Spirit.” John MacArthur, The Gospel According to Jesus: What Is Authentic Faith?

ON PRAYER

“Spiritual growth is impossible apart from the practice of prayer. Just as the key to enhanced relationships with other people is time spent in communication, so the key to a growing relationship with the personal God of heaven and earth is time invested in speaking to Him in prayer and listening to His voice in Scripture.” Kenneth Boa, author and President of Reflections Ministries

LESSONS FROM JAMES MACDONALD

Follow the Blueprint

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. Psalm 127:1

In the construction world, nothing good is built without a blueprint. The necessity of a plan is a universally accepted assertion that you’d have to be nutty not to follow. Any time there is a problem or question, builders examine the blueprints. Every time there’s an uncertainty or a perplexity, every time there’s a question about what to do next, they go back to the blueprints.

Interestingly, though, the principle is not just true in the construction world but also in life. You can’t build your finances without a blueprint. You can’t build your family or your future or your faith without a blueprint.

It’s amazing to me how professionals in the construction trades would never try to build anything of value without a blueprint, but all the time people try to slap together a sort of life without a pattern or a plan. They reach for materials, cut without measuring, and hurriedly nail a bunch of stuff together and up goes all kinds of craziness in their lives. Even as the horror at what they’re building grows before their eyes, most never stop and say, “I’ve got to get a clear plan for my life. I’ve got to consult the blueprints.”

Sadly, even a lot of Christians don’t get the importance of operating from God’s blueprint. God Himself authored all the manufacturer’s specifications for our happiness. He knows how we’re each put together; He knows how we work. He knows what will make us each happy and or miserable. He knows what will satisfy and give us joy. He wrote the blueprint for our complete happiness.
Just in case you’re wondering, it’s not too late to follow God’s blueprint. Your life could be better. Some of the things you’ve dreamed about can still be yours. You don’t have to be trapped in this cycle of failing and falling and fumbling all the time. You can rise up and be who God wants you to be.
Get alone, open God’s Word, and start to read, the Scripture will wash over your mind. It will clean up your faulty thinking, set your feet on a rock, and send you out in a good direction. When I get disappointed with people and I get disillusioned about the way situations unfold, and frustrated with my own failures and weaknesses, I go back to God’s Word.