Speed of God :: Friday E-Devotion

Speed of Sound.  Speed of Light.  Speed of NASCAR.  Speed of a Turtle.  Speed of God.

In the line above which one is out of place being the fastest and most exciting.  Guess God or you are wrong!  God is working.  Watch Him.  Be a part.  And get excited.

I cannot tell you how excited I am coming off my time at the Southern Baptist Convention this week.  Sunday and Monday I heard some of the greatest preachers of our day.  Tuesday and Wednesday I heard reports and met people who are seeing lives change, churches start and seeing God work in great ways.  It is always encouraging to be around people that God is using.

As the week ends I want to share with you some of the message that Rick Warren gave last Sunday night.   Author of "The Purpose Driven Life" and pastor of Saddlbeback Church which is a Southern Baptist congregation in silicon valley, Warren shared how we are to live in godliess, directed by God.  Here are his nine points, and I pray they will inspire you to live at the "speed of God".

1. live with Integrity – more than honesty.  You can be honest and not have integrity.  Luke 11:36.  Integrity is when your whole life is radiant.  Matt 5:13

2.  live with Humility – not putting yourself down, that is false humility.  It’s being honest about your weaknesses.  It is dependence upon God.  Lack of humility is the greatest cause of stress in your life.  The need to control.  The more insecure you are the more you try to control things.  The more secure you are the more you hold things with open hands.

3.  live with Simplicity.  Jesus lived a simple life.  He lived life in a simple way.  Luke 12:15.  People are possessed by their possessions.  We’ve sacrificed time for things.  They are living their life for things. 

4.  live with Possibility.  Believers should be the most creative people in the world.  Everything is possible for him who believes!   The greatest sin is unbelief.  Not trusting God who has given you so much.  In what area in your life are you limiting God by your unbelief?  He’s doing exactly what you expect him to.  What are you waiting for?

6. live with Hospitality.  We don’t know how to be nice to each other.  One the reasons we (meaning Saddleback) grow is hospitality.  Matt 10:41 “If you welcome a prophet, you will receive the same reward the pastor gets.”   Small groups develops hospitality.

6.  live with Civility.  In everything do to others what you would have them do to you.  This is a counterculture value. 

7.  live with Charity.  Mercy, forgiveness, grace, love, kindness.  It’s love in it’s many formats.  We show it because we’ve been shown it.  Be gracious to people who have hurt you.  Let your enemies bring out the best of you, not the worst.  How you respond when someone treats you like a servant that’s when you know you have a servants heart. 

8.  live with Generosity.  Use your worldly resources to build up others.  Money is a tool.  Money is not to be loved, but used.  If you start loving money you will use people.  Generosity makes us more like him.  When you are generous, your church will be blessed.

9.  live with Priority.  Jesus lived a purpose driven life.  Jesus knew his purpose.  Priority is to live for the kingdom of God.  When we worry, we act like an atheist.  What’s really first in your life?  Getting noticed?  Having a nice house?  Matt 10 (from the Message).  It’s not about you, it’s about serving God by serving others.

Note from Michael ... that will get you going, if you really hear God in what Rick Warren said.  My prayer for the precious church I serve and our church family (and for yours) is that we will live godly lives so that others will come to know God at the "speed of God" and all that distracts us will fail and fall to the side.