A Hungry Hike

When I was about sixteen, I went on a week-long leadership training course. At three o’ clock one morning, we were rudely awaked and ordered to pack everything we would need for a 36 hour hike. We found ourselves a few hours later watching the sunrise and reading our first instructions. If we followed the directions correctly, we would locate some food and our next bearing.

Three hours later, we were delighted to find the food and wolfed down every last scrap before reading the next instructions ... which told us NOT to eat all the food at once because it was intended to last us until 12pm the next day!

You would not believe how hunger can focus one’s attention. We didn’t dally or dawdle on that hike. We read every future instruction as if our lives depended on it. We sorted our priorities with clarity. Not even girls would have distracted us – unless they had food offer. We had one desire: to get to the fast food outlet at Ruwa for hamburgers as soon as possible.

Desires are immensely motivating. And we are driven by many different desires. Yet how often are we gripped by things that are close to God’s heart? Can we describe our spiritual life as passionate? Make a list of five things you long for in order of importance ... informative?

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled (Matt 5:6)”. Paul wrote, “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy (1 Cor. 14:1)”.

I want God to release transforming energy into my life, energy to transform myself and my sphere of influence for the glory of God and the extension of His Kingdom. But I am realising that it starts with a God-given hunger.

It says in Psalm 103 that God “satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's (v5)”. It stands to reason that the desires referred to here are godly ones, but look at the result! A satisfied, God-given desire renews your youth like the eagle’s. The rhythm of desire and satisfaction leading to greater desire will have you soaring the thermals of God’s power and plans.

So ask God to plant a hunger in your heart. Perhaps you should ask Him first thing every morning for a week. Look for the stirrings of new life and carefully tend the sapling of godly desire till it grows into a fruitful tree.

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4)."

Cheers for now - Ian

Driving back from the airport last Saturday ...

Saturday morning 6am, I was driving back from the airport trying to decide whether to attend a men’s breakfast. When I have a decision to make, I often set up a conversation between myself and “God”. The “God” side of the discussion argues for what I think to be God’s position on the matter.

So brace yourself. You are about to get a glimpse into the murky workings of my mind. I hope you are not of a nervous disposition! Here goes:

“Why so grumpy?”

“I’m not.”

“Yes you are. Don’t think you can hide it from me.”

“Ok, so I’m looking grumpy. It’s because I have to go to the men’s breakfast, and I don’t want to.”

“Why do you HAVE TO GO?”

“Erm... because I am the pastor...?”

“Is someone forcing you to go because you are the pastor?”

“No, nobody is forcing me to go. I just think I ought to go.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to go because you WANT to go?”

“Look, I don’t WANT to go OK!”

Silence...

“Ian.”

“Yes.”

“What if I told you that I want to refresh you at the Men’s Breakfast?”

The thought that God might have plans to refresh me brought tears to my eyes. My emotions, my spirit, my entire being said, “YES, Lord, I want to be refreshed. I need to be refreshed”. And so I went to the meeting because I wanted to. And I WAS refreshed!

But why is it that we so often go to or stay away from meetings for the wrong reasons? Why do we go under a sense of obligation to God or people? Why do we go just because we feel compelled to go? Do we feel compelled because we want to earn the approval of God and others?

When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, asking them to take up a collection for the poor in Jerusalem, he said:

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7).

I think we should apply this principle to other areas of our lives. Imagine a church were everyone served with cheerful willingness and a sense of God’s purpose in all they were doing.  Yes, even in the matter of attending meetings, we should go to God and ask Him to impress on our hearts what He wants us to do, and then do it willingly and cheerfully. In this way, we will attend or miss meetings or courses for the right reasons.

Sometimes, however, we miss for the wrong reasons. We throw up barriers which prevent us from finding the good reasons FOR doing something. For example, “I don’t do men’s meetings”.  Such an axiom is usually established to cover a deeper reason for not attending. It could be, “I am anxious that nobody will talk to me.” Or perhaps, “I might be asked to share or pray out loud.” Are these things really that terrible? Would it harm you if nobody talked to you? It might be unpleasant, but if God shows you a compelling reason for attending surely that would outweigh a little discomfort? And if you do not want to share or pray, nobody can force you to. A polite, “I would rather not pray/share” would suffice.

Another bad reason for missing is failure to consider attending. Simple selfishness and lack of concern for the purposes of God often cause me to overlook opportunities to bless or be blessed, to receive or to contribute. Just because I feel a lack of conscience about missing something doesn’t necessarily mean I am in the will of God. The important thing is to consciously seek God and His purposes.

I hope this makes as much sense to you as it makes to me. Let us make decisions with God’s help, and then we will DO and NOT DO things for the right reasons. And when we do things we will do them willingly, joyfully and with an awareness of God and His purposes.

Cheers for now - Ian