The year 2013 is about to come to a close.  What were your highlights from this past year?  Do they out number the lows?  It’s easy to be thankful for the highlights, but a bit tougher to “give thanks in all things” for the lows.  Someone said if you get your eyes on what you feel God hasn’t done, you’ll lose your thankfulness, but if you keep your eyes and heart on what God has done you’ll maintain a heart of praise and a spirit of joy.

Before we enter 2014, I want to encourage you to take some time to evaluate 2013 and consider what you have learned, how you have grown as a person, what did you needlessly worry about, what financial decisions were right and which ones were wrong, how did you do with dating your spouse and children, and perhaps consider what you would have done differently now that you have the hindsight?  Then turn the corner and ask God for the vision He has for you in 2014.  What three or four goals would you like to see accomplished spiritually, emotionally, educationally, financially and physically?  Consider writing down the vision along with steps to take in order to reach your vision.  When you come to the end of 2014, you’ll have more to rejoice about as you discover many of the goals written twelve months earlier are accomplished.

Write down the vision and make it plain on tablets…  (Habakkuk 2:2)

I was talking to a young man recently, maybe 27 or 28 years old.  He had multiple piercings and quite a few visible tattoos that did not represent positive themes.  His cloths were a bit too large, which I did not perceive to be a fashion statement.  Further, he was in need of deodorant.  I went up to him and asked him about his life story and what his dream is.  This young man took off with a plethora of words about a successful music career in Hollywood, CA with many “rock stars,” one of them being him.  He, further into the conversation, said he lived in Nashville, TN where he was a “country music sensation” dropping some well-known names.  At another time in the conversation, he told me he spent two and a half years incarcerated in Florida, on “false charges” of course.

As I was listening, I found myself thinking about what might be truth and what might not be.  I was wondering about his reality.  I was captivated by his incessant desire to be someone of worth and value, someone famous.  When we are attentive in our listening, we are making a statement that the one speaking is important.  It could have been easy to be distracted or simply want to move away from this person, but Jesus would have listened intently.  Jesus would have cared about his personal story even if it were fabricated.  Jesus would have given him every minute he needed without judgment.  And then He would have posed a pointed question like, “Do you know how much I love you with or without worldly success?”  Or, He might have said, “The kingdom of God is not meat or drink, but righteousness, peace and joy.”  How can I be more like Jesus today and who needs my listening ear without my judgement?

In part one we said that a temptation is an appeal made upon a weakness within you.  Temptation is not wrong; we all have them.  Temptation is satan’s way of pulling you away from God thoughts, an unhealthy distraction from the focus of obeying your heavenly Father.  Even if it lasts only seconds, you still need to face it scripturally and not simply avoid it or wait until it seems to have passed because you know it will return with a vengeance.  I Corinthians 10: 13 tells us that God makes a way of escape from temptations.  What are those ways?

First, identify the weak area(s).  Acknowledge them, be accountable with them, pray over them and seek healing through the work of the Holy Spirit.  If you take the weakness out of the dark and bring it into the light, you give the enemy less to work with.  Be honest before God about them, confessing to Him your weak areas.  Next, study yourself, listen to your self-talk and discover when you are most susceptible to listening to the enemy’s voice.  For me, I have learned that it is when I am physically and emotionally spent.  Then ask yourself if any life changes are necessary in order to be less susceptible.  I had to discover just how much sleep I actually needed on a daily basis.  Further, I had to recognize and acknowledge personal stress areas rather than be in denial of them.  Lastly, keep inviting Holy Spirit into the process to show you areas of healing still needed within your soul.

God knew I needed refreshing while on a two month sabbatical from work/ministry responsibilities.  I knew I needed refreshment.  Little did I know, however, that it would begin with repentance.  To repent means to do an about-face, to turn away from and to pursue a different direction.  Was there some major sin in my life, no, but any shortcoming, any missing the mark should be major to us.  The Father was gently nudging and I was determined to listen, to hear, to believe Him and to respond.  I was acting upon a verse of scripture that He was highlighting to me.  Acts chapter three verse 19 says, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…”

I have been a Christ follower for 42 years and I sense there are seasons of my life where I simply forget about the gift of repentance.  It’s a gift because following true repentance I am then in right standing with God, not due to my own effort.  I know I am forgiven through one act of grace on the cross.  I love what Paul wrote to us in Colossians chapter one about this gift.  He said that at one time we were alienated from God, we were enemies, due to our behavior, but then came reconciliation through Christ’s death to, …”present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”  Wow, you and I are holy in His sight, without blemish and free from the accusations of the evil one.  Repentance, what a gift.

Throughout the Old Testament, Sabbaths were observed on different days and observed for different lengths.  A Sabbath was actually from God or designed by God for mankind.  No work was to be done on a Sabbath outside of essential duties like feeding the livestock.  Under the Law the penalty for breaking the Sabbath was a mild one – death.  (It seems there was this random guy gathering wood on a Sabbath and wondering what to do with him the Israelites inquired of the Lord.  God’s reply was that he must die outside the camp – Numbers 15.  Yikes!)  The word Sabbath in Hebrew means to take an intermission or cessation from work.  It is a repose, a desist from exertion in order to seek the Lord and God was quite serious about it.

Jesus said that man was not made for the Sabbath; the Sabbath was made for man (Mark 2:23-28).  The Living Bible states it this way, “But the Sabbath was made to benefit man, and not man to benefit the Sabbath.”  Every creature God created needs rest, a cessation period.  When God said that six days we will work but rest on the seventh He included the hard-working ox and donkey too (Exodus 23:12).  Even today, a wise farmer learns the principle of letting fields be fallow and rest for a season.   No one would be productive working 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Even Jesus rested from His labor.  (See Matthew 14:23; Mark 6:31)

A Sabbath is God’s idea; He instituted it.  The IBM Company, along with others, actually has a sabbatical policy.  I remember as a child that my neighbor’s father would receive a sabbatical from Bethlehem Steel every so many years.   From the Church of God Pastoral Program book comes this statement, “There would seem to be no doubt that many pastors who left ministry would never have made that decision if they had been given the opportunity for some time away from the pressures.  It should also be pointed out that other members of the pastoral family share those same needs to a greater or lesser degree.  Sabbatical planning should always include the family.”

Joe Reynolds, CEO of Red Frog Events has instituted a sabbatical policy for his company and says this about sabbaticals:  Everyone needs to recharge. Frogs (his employees) can disconnect for a full month every five years. A month away allows enough time to come back hungry to tackle the next big project.  Appreciation goes a long way. I give tremendous latitude, sabbaticals included, and it’s appreciated. People who love their job perform better.  They gain perspective.  It helps bring fresh thoughts to the table on your next project.  Valuable family or friend time. Red Frogger’s flat-out work hard. A month away every five years allows time to reconnect with a loved one.  Going outside of your comfort zone elicits unconventional ideas. Being away for a month breed’s creativity. My best ideas come during extended time away.

DOVE International, where I serve, has a sabbatical policy and it is now my time to take that break from normal ministerial and writing duties.  I have written about this subject to you because I am about to embark upon an eight week Sabbath in order to rest, receive some training, “breed creativity,” and hear God for the coming years.  For that reason, I will be back to writing my blog and communicating with you once again this coming September with, hopefully, fresh insight and revelation.  Stay healthy and have a blessed summer!