It has been about a year since I have revisited this site and wrote my last entry here. A lot has happened since then. I finished my foundation and concentration year clinical internships. I have completed my last year of graduate school and have been job searching for about three weeks now. One week ago, I turned 31. In the midst of what appears to be accomplishments, has been the frustrations of receiving rejection notices, empty job leads, and the sudden onset of major knee pain. This week has been very difficult having received a rejection notice on Tuesday afternoon and then one on Wednesday morning both from agencies serving Asian Americans. The Tuesday rejection notice included the line "You have impressive skills and experience but you do not meet the minimum qualifications". The Wednesday notice was very similar: "We are looking for other applicants with other qualifications". In other words, "you're not who we're looking for". Back to back rejection notices are hard to take. That, plus the increasing pain in my knee is creating this sense of abandonment by God.
The Bible states in detail our position in Christ. It paints the Christian as someone who is victorious. King Solomon notes a scene he sees and describes this oddity: "There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler: Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones. I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves" (Ecclesiastes 10:5—7). Princes ride on horseback. Servants go on foot. Spiritually speaking, the children of God should be on horseback, and those material things, money, possessions, and appetites are on food. Wiersbe writes: "too many people are walking when they should be riding. Too many people are acting like servants when in fact they are princes, heirs of the King" (Wiersbe, 2007 p. 12). It is amazing that the second time this week I have been brought back to the first chapter of Genesis. This idea of rulership is painted here: "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground' "(Genesis 1:28). This was the original design for human beings to have dominion over living things. Yet, in the third chapter our first parents go from sovereigns to sinners to servants. Eve's desire to be like God began the chaos that is still being rebuilt. For the Christian, Adam's disobedience was made right through Christ's obedience. "For if, by the trespass of the one man [Adam], death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ." The text says that we will reign in life. Here and now. Present tense. This is God's desire:
"God the Father created you to be a king, God the Son redeemed you to be a king, and God the Spirit can empower you to be a king. We reign in life through the power of the Spirit of God. "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Philippians 2:13). "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20). If left to ourselves, we fail; but if we yield to the indwelling Holy Spirit, we succeed. He alone can empower us to live like kings. The question you must answer is, Am I walking or riding! Or, to put it another way, Am / serving my servants, or are they serving me? Are you ruling over the appetites of the body? Are you in control of money and material things? (Money is a wonderful servant but a terrible master.) Are you reigning in life" (Wiersbe, 2007 p. 14).
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I confess that recently, I have been living far more like a servant than a prince, as an heir of the King. I let worry cripple my faith. I am worried about ever finding employment, worried about my knee situation, worried about tomorrow. Father, in the next few days and weeks I pray that you would be teaching me about what it means to reign in life and live like an heir of the King.
No comments:
Post a Comment