agendas – Moment to Moment (Bible blog)

Joining in with God’s work

I have to admit, too many times in my life I have missed opportunities God has given me to touch a life. Why? Because I’m too focused on my own agendas.

I can’t count how many times I have had opportunities to touch a life and I’ve missed it because I had to do some shopping. Or because I had to go to this place or that.

And sometimes, they were legitimate reasons. But even if I truly couldn’t afford to stop and talk for long, how difficult would it have been to say, “Hey, let’s hook up later,” and make plans to do so?

But too often, I simply made excuses and just went on my way.

Peter and John, in this passage, could have made similar excuses as they passed the man begging for alms.

After all, they were going to the temple. They were going to worship. Surely, they couldn’t stop simply to engage with this man. Especially since they didn’t have any money to give him.

It would have been so easy to simply ignore him. Or to say, “Sorry, I don’t have anything on me” and pass on by.

But instead, they stopped and actually made eye contact with this man.

And instead of focusing on what they couldn’t do (give him money), they focused on what the Spirit could do.

Peter said,

Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk. (Acts 3:6)

Then he picked him up, and immediately, this man could walk. Not only could he walk, he started jumping around and praising God to the amazement of all the people.

How about you? Do you get so focused on your agenda that you can’t see what the Spirit is doing around you? And are you so focused on what you can’t do, that you can’t see what the Spirit can do?

Let us walk each day, led by the Spirit. Let us become aware of what he is doing around us, and as he leads us, join in his work.

Following the Father’s agenda

Jesus had been avoiding Jerusalem and Judea for some time after the feeding of the 5000, and the falling away of many of his “disciples” in John chapter 6.

But the time of one of the great Jewish feasts, the Feast of Tabernacles, was approaching when most Jews would make their way to Jerusalem.

So Jesus’ brothers basically said to him, “Hey, you’ve been avoiding Jerusalem for a long time. If you really want to get out into the big leagues, you should go to Jerusalem. Go out. Perform some miracles. You can’t become famous if you’re hiding out here.”

But John makes it clear that this was said sarcastically, as he wrote,

For even his own brothers did not believe in him. (John 7:5)

Jesus replied,

The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right…

You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come. (John 7:6, 8)

In short, “I’m not following your agenda. I’m not even following my own agenda. I’m following the agenda of my Father.”

So while his brothers went up to Jerusalem, he stayed behind for a while longer.

Often times, people try to follow their own agenda. Or they get pressured into following another person’s agenda.

But as Christians, we need to be like Jesus. Listening to the Father, and following the agenda he sets.

I think there are too many times that I miss out on what God is doing because I’m too set on my own schedule and agenda.

I’ve got things to do but suddenly God brings a person in my path. Yet instead of stopping and talking to them, I just say a quick hello/good-bye, and I’m out of there.

And if they don’t notice me, I won’t even do that. But even as I’m walking away, I’m wondering to myself, “Should I have stopped? Did I miss an opportunity?”

How about you? Whose agenda are you following?

Are you willing to interrupt your agenda to follow the Father’s? Or are you so set on yours, that you miss out on what God wants you to do?