Thought of the Day Deep Dive 001
Intro
I want to post a Thought of the Day on social media sometimes to explore my ideas and thoughts with others. I plan to keep my T.O.T.D's pretty short, usually a paragraph or two. They are quick thoughts of things I am currently learning and processing. I expect contradictions to arise as I grow. Sometimes the ideas are so impactful to me, and I want to do a deep dive. See what other things I have consumed that tie in and get more information. This post is the first of those deep dives.
Thought of the Day: The power of the Holy Spirit is real.
— Chakeira Gilbert (@ChakeiraG) August 9, 2021
Take Peter as an example.
The T.O.T.D that impacted me posted on social media on August 9th. The thought was something that has been a thread throughout many of the thoughts I have written (haven't posted them yet but some will post). The bottom line is Christians have to take God seriously. Not just because of our individual journey but because of our sphere of influence.
Christian Responsibility
When I got saved, I don't think I thought about any responsibility I may have as a Christian. I don't remember anyone going into depth about if God placed any added responsibility on believers in Jesus. So I thought about what Christian responsibility means to me.
First, "we are under His sovereignty, but we aren't free from the responsibility of our actions" Source. That means human responsibility and divine sovereignty work in conjunction. God has always been concerned about bringing His creation, aka humanity, back to Him. See this great article. So it comes down to our decisions. "The decision to be in God's will is a daily decision we face to seek God's kingdom or ours, submit to His Lordship or not, and live according to His rules or our own." Source. So then, what is my responsibility?
I think 1 Corinthians 15:58 sums up my responsibility nicely. It states, "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." We should "make God's agenda [our] own." Source. We should manage our resources wisely. That is not just money but also our time and talent. And most importantly, we should love God and love people.
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What "The Great Commission" Means
After thinking about the responsibility I have, I then thought about how that looks in my life. Is there anything that is commanded of me that highlights making God's agenda my own? And of course, I came to "The Great Commission" in Matthew 28: 16-20.
The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted. Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
One thing I noticed is that the Great Commission is a command, not a suggestion. So as believers, we should be doing this! It is the practical element of our responsibilities. The "Lord's work" is drawing all to Him and the Great Commission is how we partner with God in doing that.
Looking at this verse, one of the first things that may come to mind is, what are disciples? A quick Google search defines A disciple as a "learner who seeks to become like the one he is following." Therefore, discipleship is a crucial element to God's agenda because the goal is to help people become more like Christ progressively. We all help each other collectively and are humble enough to understand we are all weak and need discipleship in one area or another.
Let's go through the steps that Jesus has laid out for us. First, go means you take your witness into the world. We all have our paths, but we should all be influencing those around us. We can't compartmentalize God in our life. Next, baptize means that it should be clear that we follow Jesus. All our actions and interactions should be glorifying Him. Lastly, teach means that the goal is to impart knowledge AND help people apply that knowledge. All believers should be becoming wiser.
If you want to see the Great Commission in action, read Acts. It's a great way to see it in practice in the early church and then think about how you can live it out in your life.
How We Compartmentalize God
You may read that and think, "I am not ready for that!" That's cool! Ask God to help you find a place that you can be discipled. Jesus understands us and doesn't relate to us all the same way. Read John 2:23-25. Some of the Christians Jesus encountered were spiritually immature and not ready for a total commitment to discipleship or public identification with Him. That's why spiritual growth is essential, and that happens in discipleship but can be slowed by compartmentalizing God.
Compartmentalizing is just having a place for everything. Your faith is regulated only inside the church during services. Your coworkers don't know you're a Christian. You get in the car and have some road rage and impatience. Your finances are yours to handle, but God can help with getting that promotion. Compartmentalizing God is just keeping Him out of areas of your life.
Is this dangerous to our growth? Yes! We tell God He can have all of us until He steps into our "off-limit" areas. Proverbs 20:25 tells us, "it is a trap for anyone to dedicate something rashly and later to reconsider his vows." Don't tell God He can have all of you, and then reconsider that by your actions. I'm sure we have all struggled with this at some point. It simply shows spiritual immaturity and a lack of wisdom.
Wisdom
As I was thinking about all this more, I realized that wisdom allows us to live this all out practically. In Acts, you will see the disciples take guidance from the Holy Spirit, combine it with the knowledge they have learned, then apply it to a situation.
Proverbs 1: 2-6 tells us what wisdom is and how we acquire it. It is the ability to apply knowledge. It is the ability to be disciplined, understanding, just, shrewd, and discerning. It is the ability to take God's perspective and turn it into functional applications. It is the ability to take spiritual understanding and apply it to earthly living. True knowledge starts with the fear of God, reverence for Him. Taking God seriously opens the door to wisdom.
So we need to "understand what wisdom is. The fear of God, finding the knowledge of God, and obedience. You get wisdom by "meditating on the Word day and night," listening to sound advice and correction, and prayer." Source. Take God seriously; grow your relationship with Him through individual study, fellowship, and discipleship.
How These Thoughts Influence My Actions
"As dual citizens, we should engage culture and bring renewal to every arena—arts, business, education, agriculture, and yes, even politics." Source. We should be about God's agenda in all areas of our life. That doesn't mean beating our bible over people's heads but having wisdom and letting God use us how He sees fit. "When we have the wrong view of God, it undermines our responsibility, accountability, and initiative." Source.
So what am I doing? I am taking action by putting my T.O.T.D out there and launching this blog (and soon a youtube channel). I'm not 100% sure what God wants to do with this, but I am putting myself out there for Him to use as He sees fit. I want to get into mentoring, coaching, or helping lead a bible study for teens or young adults. I am joyful and excited about partnering with God in His agenda. I'm also looking for a local church that is highly focused on discipleship and making sure I have people in my life that will offer advice and correction regarding my content and the way I am living my life. So I encourage you all to take God seriously. Take action to give God all of you and grow in wisdom. Lastly, be discipled and disciple others.
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