"No Leftovers" by Margaret Slaughter

“Only be very careful and diligently observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord has commanded you to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul [your very life].”

Joshua 22:5 AMP

 

In this fast-paced world, we’re all over committed.  Careers, hobbies, extra-curricular activities, sports, business ventures, and the list goes on and on.  With all that we have on our plates, where does God fit in?  Many of us give Him what’s left – the leftovers.

God always, without fail, gives us His best.  So, why should we give Him anything less?  Our subject scripture says, “serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul [your very life]”.

One thing I’ve learned is if I take care of God’s business, He will surely take care of mine.  I strive to give God my best, and not leave Him with the leftovers.  I admit sometimes it’s a struggle.  Things can crowd in quickly and monopolize my time.  But I continually pray that the Lord will pull my coattails (convict me) when that happens.  Will you join me in the pledge to never give God the leftovers?

Margaret Slaughter

"Don’t Break Your Vow" by Margaret Slaughter

“When you tell God you’ll do something, do it – now.  God takes no pleasure in foolish gabble.  Vow it, then do it.  Far better not to vow in the first place than to vow and not pay up.  Don’t let your mouth make a total sinner of you.  When called to account, you won’t get by with ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean it.’  Why risk provoking God to angry retaliation?  But against all illusion and fantasy and empty talk there’s always this rock foundation:  Fear God!”

Ecclesiastes 5:4-7

 

Remember when you were a kid, and you and your friends made a promise, and you would do the ‘pinky promise’.  That meant you were absolutely, positively going to keep your word.  One of my biggest pet peeves is people promising or agreeing to do something, and not keeping their word.  Unfortunately there is a lot of that in the body of Christ.  We commit to a ministry or committee with our words, but we are severely lacking in the actual work.  Other ‘things’ take priority over the commitment or vow we made.  We have a real lackadaisical (lacking enthusiasm and determination; carelessly lazy) attitude towards the work of ministry.

As much as I am aggravated by this type of behavior, just consider for a moment how God feels.  If you had to stand before God today and explain why you didn’t keep your vow, what excuse would you give?  What if God treated our prayer requests the same way we treat our vows to Him?  We would be a sorry bunch of Christians!

The Word says, “Don’t let your mouth make a total sinner of you”.  Let’s begin today with a renewed commitment to the vows we’ve made.  The body of Christ needs your service.  Jesus laid down His life for us, the least we can do is keep our vow to Him!

Margaret Slaughter

"Don’t Miss Your Blessing" by Margaret Slaughter

“Do you think all God wants are sacrifices— empty rituals just for show?  He wants you to listen to him!  Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production.  Not doing what God tells you is far worse than fooling around in the occult.  Getting self-important around God is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors.  Because you said No to God’s command, he says No to your kingship.

1 Samuel 15:22-23 MSG

Has God ever told you to do something, given you clear instructions, and you disobeyed?  If so, you’ve missed out on the best God has to offer you.

In 1 Samuel, Chapter 15, Samuel was sent to Saul with clear instructions from God, “Go to war against Amalek.  Put everything connected with Amalek under a holy ban.  And no exceptions!”  No exceptions means everything and everybody, that’s pretty clear.  However, Saul revised the instructions to fit his preference, forewarning the Kenites and letting them go, sparing Agag and his choice sheep and cattle.  The Word says, “but all the rest, which nobody wanted anyway, they destroyed as decreed by the holy ban.” (verse 9).  And after Saul’s disobedience to God’s clear instructions, he has the audacity to set up a victory monument in his own honor, and used the plunder for a burnt offering to God.  Wait, it gets worse.  He then declares to Samuel, “I accomplished God’s plan to the letter!”  Not!  Because of Saul’s disobedience, Chapter 15 closes with the statement, “But God was sorry he had ever made Saul king in the first place.”

When God gives you clear instruction, you cannot alter it, revise it, or change it to fit your desires.  The King James Version says, “to obey is better than sacrifice” (verse 22).  God doesn’t want your “lavish religious production” (what looks good), “He wants you to listen to him!  Plain listening is the thing” (obedience).  Don’t make God sorry He’s anointed you to do a thing.  Don’t miss your blessing walking in disobedience.  Get in alignment with what has been spoken, and do it!

Margaret Slaughter

"Just Do Something!" by Margaret Slaughter

“Just as each one of you has received a special gift [a spiritual talent, an ability graciously given by God], employ it in serving one another as [is appropriate for] good stewards of God’s multi-faceted grace [faithfully using the diverse, varied gifts and abilities granted to Christians by God’s unmerited favor].  Whoever speaks [to the congregation], is to do so as one who speaks the oracles (utterances, the very words) of God.  Whoever serves [the congregation] is to do so as one who serves by the strength which God [abundantly] supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified [honored and magnified] through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen”

1 Peter 4:10-11

‘Many hands make light work’.  ‘Team work makes the dream work’.  We’ve all heard them.  Sayings designed to inspire people to work together.  How does this fit into the body of Christ you ask?  In churches all across the country, there are more spectators than there are workers.  Jesus puts it this way: “The harvest is great, and the workers are so few,” he told his disciples.  “So pray to the one in charge of the harvesting, and ask him to recruit more workers for his harvest fields.” –Matthew 9:37-38 TLB

We’ve all ‘received a special gift [a spiritual talent, an ability graciously given by God], employ it in serving one another.  All gifts are not meant to be out front (i.e., everyone can’t be a Pastor).  Maybe you enjoy cleaning.  Offer your ‘gift’ to your Church.  Maybe you enjoy singing.  Join the choir.  Maybe you have great organizational skills.  Lend your gift to a committee.  You might enjoy the open road.  Volunteer to drive the Church van.  You love serving others.  Assist in outreach.  Assess the needs of your Church, identify your passion, and ‘Just Do Something!’  God needs you.

Margaret Slaughter

"What Shapes You?" by Margaret Slaughter

“And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].

Romans 12:2 AMP

I’m sure everyone has heard the phrase, ‘show me who your friends are, and I’ll show you your future’.  Basically, the company you keep, says a lot about who you are and where you’re going.  Your company usually shapes your ideas, morals, and values.  If you hang around people that see no problem with breaking rules, eventually that will become the norm to you.  What’s the big deal, right?

The big deal is once we accept Jesus Christ, we become a new creature.  Old things, habits, attitudes, speech and behaviors should ‘be transformed and progressively changed’.  What shapes you?  The company you keep, or Christ?  The new creature should show some signs of ‘the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes]’.  The only way to do that is to know the mind of Christ, His attributes, and His way of doing things by reading and studying His Word, ‘so that you may prove what the will of god is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].’

Start today, and let Him re-shape you.

Margaret Slaughter