Ward's Words | BY WARD PIMLEY

Sharing the Lord's Message of Grace

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Tag: Obedience

  • MY FATHER IS ALWAYS WORKING

    Jesus, in His earthly ministry, did not talk to us about rest. He talked to us about our mission, our ministry, our witnessing—in short, our work.

    MESSAGE BY WARD PIMLEY

    IF YOU WERE TO ASK ME to describe a perfect week, or even a day, no doubt I would conjure up a restful spot, probably near the ocean with a bright sun and low humidity, and I would be lounging in a comfortable chair sipping a cool drink.

    30s-SOMETHING COUPLE RELAXING BY THE LAKE

    Oh, sure, there are varieties of that image; for example, a mountainside retreat overlooking a verdant valley, or an early morning with the Bible and a steaming hot cup of coffee, but even those are not much different from the first image.

    In all three scenarios, I would be at rest.

    Yet, Jesus, in His earthly ministry, did not talk to us about rest. He talked to us about our mission, our ministry, our witnessing—in short, our work.

    We are to learn from Him and follow Him:

    • Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” — John 5:17 (NLT)

    • Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. — Colossians 3:23 (NKJV)

    • Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else. — Galatians 6:4 (CSB)

    Henry Blackaby, in his book Experiencing God (Kindle edition, loc. 1767), put it this way:

    “In Scripture, you never find God asking people to dream up what they want to do for Him. He never urges His people to set impressive goals and generate grand visions for Him and His kingdom.”

    ~WILLING SERVANTS~

    IN FACT, IN SCRIPTURE, we find God TELLING people what He wants them to do.

    Here’s King David looking for men to step up and pledge their allegiance to the Lord:

    • 1 Chronicles 29:5b (NKJV): “Who [then] is willing to consecrate himself this day to the LORD?”

    God is always on mission, and His mission is to reconcile a broken world of disobedient humans to Himself—-men and women created in His image for His glory, who in misguided pride, prefer to serve their own desires, not the Creator’s.

    In the next verse, God gives us the response He expects:

    • 1 Chronicles 29:6 (NKJV): “Then the leaders of the households, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly.”

    Don’t miss the key words “Gave willingly.” Not only did they give, which was what God wanted them to do, but they gave “willingly” from the heart.

    ~PRAYER FOR PEACE~

    If you want the peace and joy that comes only from giving “willingly” to God’s design for your life, then would you join me in this prayer (or use similar words):

    “LORD GOD, I am so lost. I feel an emptiness inside that I know only You can fill. Would You come into my heart and rescue me from myself and the world’s influence on my life. Lord, forgive me for how I’ve rejected You and gone my own way. I am a sinner lost in time, and I claim the promise that is mine when Christ took my sins upon Himself and suffered on the Cross for me. Lord, forgive me and give me new life.” AMEN

    If you prayed that prayer (or one similar) and genuinely meant it, then Welcome to the Kingdom of God, your Creator and Sustainer!

    From this day on, you are a new creature; the old has been washed away, replaced by the new.

    To keep on the straight path, determine to do these things daily:

    1) Read Your Bible.

    2) Pray To God.

    3) Fellowship With Other Believers.

    GO TELL SOMEONE WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU!

    PRAYER

    GOD’S HOLY WORD
    GOD’S HOLY WORD

    HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU for the gift of life through the shed blood of Your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We lift up those, Lord, who have come to You in trust for their salvation that they may know of Your unending love, Your unqualified forgiveness, and Your beneficial commands. Lord, we honor You, we praise You, we love You, and we worship You. In Jesus’ name.

    AMEN

  • ARE YOU HEARING OR JUST LISTENING?

    Weekly Message by Ward Pimley

    YEARS AGO, I VOLUNTEERED to be a *mentor*  for a minority individual interested in becoming a journalist. Through the program, I mentored two individuals — both Vietnamese.

    “GO ON, I’M LISTENING.”

    Before beginning our work, we were taught some basic strategies for mentoring. The first one — the most important one — was the Art of Listening. 

    That’s counter-intuitive, isn’t it, to the way most of us would consider the role of mentor. 

    We’d love to fill the air with our bon mots, our pearls of wisdom, as we talk down to the individual who, we believe, should be eternally grateful to have been assigned to our care.

    Mais non, sugar-breath, that’s not at all how it works, despite our well-intentioned tendency to dominate the conversation. 

    As proper mentors, we need first to listen, to actually hear what our mentee is saying, as he/she expresses feelings or frustrations or makes observations or asks questions or even segues into a seemingly unrelated area of discourse. 

    When the mentor can build trust in the relationship, the mentee (don’t you just love that word?) can open up about deeper, more important issues.

    REAL TRUST

    THE LIFELONG BENEFIT of learning to listen in a mentoring situation  carries over into our non-mentoring lives; in fact, into our daily conversations with our wives/husbands, our children/parents, our neighbors/friends/co-workers, and even casual strangers.


    Jesus said: “Anyone with ears to hear
    should listen
    and understand!”

    Matt. 11:15 NLT

    So, you’d think from what I’ve written here that I have mastered that lesson and employ it rigorously, taking in every morsel of observation, truth, fiction, humor, emotion, instruction, and whatever else comes my way with the serious intention it deserves.

    If so, you would be wrong.

    I don’t. 

    It’s not that I don’t believe I should or that I discount what others are saying, it’s just that my mind drifts, and I comfort myself in the warm cocoon of “Ward’s World,” my wife’s term for the insular world I’ve built around myself. 

    Yes, I can focus intently on messages, like sermons, teaching, and other items that speak seriously into my life; it’s just that everyday conversation tends to be — in my mind — largely pointless. I mean, how often can one comment on the weather?

    CONNECTING POINT

    CLASSES ON MENTORING tell us there are three types of mentoring: 

    “I HEAR YOU, BRO. LET’S PRAY.”
    1. TOP DOWN, where the mentor helps, assists, teaches, encourages the mentee, 
    2. HORIZONTAL, where each partner is both mentor and mentee, sharing and encouraging one another, and 
    3. BOTTOM UP, where the mentee benefits from the loving attention of someone more experienced or skilled in a particular matter.

    All of us can benefit from the second and third forms, and as we gain experience, we can benefit others through the first form.

    To maximize effectiveness, in whichever form we find ourselves in a particular relationship, listening is the key trait, not just a key trait but the key trait.

    It also is important in our other relationships, and it’s a lesson I would do well to take more seriously. 

    “Hmm, did you just say something? Go on, please. I’m listening.”

    PRAYER

    FATHER GOD, HELP ME TO LISTEN. Your Son told us to listen to His Words, that they will never fade away, and You have said Your Word will never come back to You void. You created our fellow men/women in Your image, and as imago dei, their words are important, even if we don’t think so in the moment. Those words are connecting links, ways of building community, and each of us needs to pay attention when someone addresses us, even if it’s to comment on the weather. Thank You, Father God, and now bless us to be a blessing to others, those You put in our lives. In the name of Jesus.

    AMEN