The following is part of a recent devotional lesson by Francis Frangipane (Lisa's mentor)
The Cup
Part One: The Death of Ambition
by Francis Frangipane
(En Espaņol)
When I first came to Christ, the Lord gave me a dream about my future. I thought that everything the Lord said was supposed to occur immediately; I didn't know of the work of preparation and dying to self, of learning patience and maintaining vision through testing, that would occur before God's promise would find fulfillment. Consequently, I was filled with ambition. Ambition is the first motive that arises in the spiritually immature. I was like the disciples who, a few days after Jesus' resurrection, were already asking, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom?" (Acts 1:6).
Ambition is very deceptive. It can seem just like obedience, yet because we don't truly know the Lord, the voice we find ourselves obeying is not God's, but our own. Our vision can actually be from God, but our motive be self. Consequently, where there is ambition, James tells us there will soon emerge "disorder and every evil thing" (James 3:16). Why? Because we begin thinking we can accomplish the will of God through the strength of man. We are seeking a breakthrough; God wants to give us brokenness.
****************************************************
I so relate to this. I have struggled with directions that I truly felt were from God but within a short time somehow the motive of following those directions changes and I envision the possibilities of how "I" could benefit from carrying it through. I can day dream how this could promote me or benefit my life. (I'm the original Walter Middey in the way I daydream sometimes). Anyway how I keep "self" out of the way in order to go forward in the path I beleive God wants for me is a really difficult thing that i haven't learned to master. I guess I haven't really mastered the dying to the self. The auther goes on to write....
I thought having a promise from God was the same thing as receiving a commandment from God. I did not understand what I personally lacked in character or what I needed to attain concerning faithfulness, becoming a bond-servant, and possessing a grateful heart. These things needed to be worked in me before God would truly begin to fulfill His larger promises and opportunities. What I became for God was more important than what I did for Him.
***************************
If I look at my history , I can claim as true that I also haven't worked on the characteristics that God wants to set as my foundation first. I've accepted myself, more often than not, as who I am and tried to squeeze God in just to fill the gaps as if he was just the putty in my nail holes and the rest of my life I could get by with it just as it is. I put God on hold while I go off and plan how to accomplish the vision I feel he has set for me until pretty soon he seems almost entirely out of the picture. Argh! I am really a foolish person at times. Sadly, I have a feeling that I'm not alone. I have often heard people question why they can't accomplish great things for God and I beleive, like me, they haven't worked on the foundation needed for God to work through them. I'm a "do" kind of person so it's very important that I remember that thought...What I become for God is more important than what I do for Him. I think if I can focus on that, then the later will eventually follow. Argh! I have my work cut out for me, this is my new commitment or rather a "renewed" commitment.
The Cup
Part One: The Death of Ambition
by Francis Frangipane
(En Espaņol)
When I first came to Christ, the Lord gave me a dream about my future. I thought that everything the Lord said was supposed to occur immediately; I didn't know of the work of preparation and dying to self, of learning patience and maintaining vision through testing, that would occur before God's promise would find fulfillment. Consequently, I was filled with ambition. Ambition is the first motive that arises in the spiritually immature. I was like the disciples who, a few days after Jesus' resurrection, were already asking, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom?" (Acts 1:6).
Ambition is very deceptive. It can seem just like obedience, yet because we don't truly know the Lord, the voice we find ourselves obeying is not God's, but our own. Our vision can actually be from God, but our motive be self. Consequently, where there is ambition, James tells us there will soon emerge "disorder and every evil thing" (James 3:16). Why? Because we begin thinking we can accomplish the will of God through the strength of man. We are seeking a breakthrough; God wants to give us brokenness.
****************************************************
I so relate to this. I have struggled with directions that I truly felt were from God but within a short time somehow the motive of following those directions changes and I envision the possibilities of how "I" could benefit from carrying it through. I can day dream how this could promote me or benefit my life. (I'm the original Walter Middey in the way I daydream sometimes). Anyway how I keep "self" out of the way in order to go forward in the path I beleive God wants for me is a really difficult thing that i haven't learned to master. I guess I haven't really mastered the dying to the self. The auther goes on to write....
I thought having a promise from God was the same thing as receiving a commandment from God. I did not understand what I personally lacked in character or what I needed to attain concerning faithfulness, becoming a bond-servant, and possessing a grateful heart. These things needed to be worked in me before God would truly begin to fulfill His larger promises and opportunities. What I became for God was more important than what I did for Him.
***************************
If I look at my history , I can claim as true that I also haven't worked on the characteristics that God wants to set as my foundation first. I've accepted myself, more often than not, as who I am and tried to squeeze God in just to fill the gaps as if he was just the putty in my nail holes and the rest of my life I could get by with it just as it is. I put God on hold while I go off and plan how to accomplish the vision I feel he has set for me until pretty soon he seems almost entirely out of the picture. Argh! I am really a foolish person at times. Sadly, I have a feeling that I'm not alone. I have often heard people question why they can't accomplish great things for God and I beleive, like me, they haven't worked on the foundation needed for God to work through them. I'm a "do" kind of person so it's very important that I remember that thought...What I become for God is more important than what I do for Him. I think if I can focus on that, then the later will eventually follow. Argh! I have my work cut out for me, this is my new commitment or rather a "renewed" commitment.
