June 9, 2010 The Spirit of Excellence

Being an artist, I always love reading the descriptions of the temple, in all of its stages throughout the Bible.  They've become more vivid to me as I've practiced imagining the details in my mind's eye.  The varied way that the Spirit of Wisdom worked in Solomon-- either in the practicalities of business, or in the beautiful details of an artistic vision-- is a vivid picture of how God's wisdom is a priceless endowment in every area of life.  Christ is now building His temple, the Church, as a habitation for God's name, and the glory that permeates His workmanship, through the Spirit of Wisdom, is what sets the Church apart and makes her great in every area of influence.

The same Spirit of Wisdom works through the members of Christ's Body today.  No matter what our endeavors and areas of gifting are, the Spirit of Wisdom, when allowed to guide and empower, will enable us to glorify God by helping us to achieve a level of excellence that shines.  I am reminded that when people began to notice Jesus, they commented that He did "all things well."   The fact that Solomon did "all things well" clues us in to the concept that he is a "type and shadow" of Christ.  Think how glorious His reign will be!  Do you ever let yourself imagine what that time will be like?  I certainly do!

Nobody that I know does "all things well"!  I'm good at several things, but I'm terrible with numbers!  Lucky for me, my husband Bob is a whiz!  He, on the other hand, has some holes in his abilities that I can fill nicely.  We're a good team!  And this is the glory of oneness: not only in marriage, but in the Body of Christ, the Church!  As we each do our part by the Spirit of Wisdom and Excellence, we participate in building a living temple for the glory of God's name.  "O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!"  Psalm 8:9

We should never look down on someone because their part doesn't look spiritual to us.  Everyone has a duty, whether they are prophets or plumbers, to walk in the Spirit, and thus shine with God's wisdom and excellence, which is part of His glory. As for the saints who are on the earth, "They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight." Psalm 16:3  Being excellent in all we do is not about getting glory for ourselves (which is worldliness), but is all about showing forth the glory of God. 

Sadly, a religious spirit of false humility has, over the decades, tended to tarnish the Church's ability to shine forth the glory, promoting, in many individuals, a need to diminish the light of Christ in themselves.  If we are truly walking in the Spirit, we will do whatever it is we do, whether small or great, in an attitude of worship, which will allow God's excellence to be seen. 

Even when something is unnoticed by people, excellence glorifies God!  One of the marks of quality-- for example, of a piece of designer clothing-- is that even the hidden seams are marked with excellence of workmanship.  Never think that what you do doesn't matter-- it's all part of the Church's reason for existence: to glorify God's name. 

Don't get discouraged if you feel like you're not doing excellently!  Jesus is still the Author and Finisher!  It's our job to take His yoke upon us and learn of Him, not stress and strive in a perfectionistic way. (see how today's Psalm addresses this: Psalm 127:1-2). He will teach and guide, and if we just keep on being faithful, we will eventually do excellently without even trying. 

Jesus Christ is excellent.  If you're born of God, and if the Spirit of God lives in you, you are made of excellent material!  As Christ is formed in you, you will become-- you are becoming-- more and more excellent, just like Him!

June 8, 2010 The Glory of Wisdom and Counsel

Today, the glory of God shines forth in two awesome examples of the how the Holy Spirit manifests Himself as wisdom, understanding and counsel (see Isaiah 11:2)-- King Solomon and Stephen.  I never would have thought to connect them, but there it was.  I hesitated to even mention it for fear of it being too obvious.  But then, the glory of God is obvious each and every day when then sun rises and we think our first thought-- but plenty of people manage to miss it.  It's always in good taste to magnify the Lord!

I'm not going to write a big essay on these two, because I think you're intelligent enough to see what I'm talking about.  I'll simply refer you to a few verses to get you started on your own study.  God honored Solomon's request for "understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart." 1 Kings 3:12.  "And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice." 1 Kings 3:28

The Apostles told the people to chose deacons from "men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom." Acts 6:3.  "And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people." Acts 6:8  (Notice that Stephen was not one of the Twelve, yet he did signs and wonders).  When he was taken before the council for his "blasphemy", they saw his face shining with the glory!  What was the glory?  The Spirit of God!

In the next few days, when you read about Stephen, look to see how the same Spirit of discernment was working in him as in Solomon when the king judged a case.  Why did he get a different reaction from the same people than did Solomon? How does Solomon's heart for the nation compare to Stephen's?  What does this tell us about the prerequisites for making righteous judgments?

There is great glory in wisdom and discernment!  I want those-- don't you? We can't be sure what kind of outcome we'll have when we function in the Spirit of wisdom and counsel, but I believe it is a great need, not only in our daily lives, but for the nations we represent.  Whatever the turn of events, we can be assured that God's glory will rest on the one who serves Him with faith, love, and humility enough to give His timely counsel with razor sharp clarity of discernment and wisdom.  We could even end up glowing like Stephen did!