The Open Door

We live in a world of incredible distractions. There has never been greater temptation to lose focus than that which we experience today. May I suggest to all of us that we

(1) Focus upon our love for God.

(2) Focus upon our love for family.

(3) Focus upon our love for God’s Word and His church.

I believe if we will keep this focus, we will keep our priorities in order and the outcome for our homes and our churches will be significant.

First, when you focus upon your love for God it settles so many other issues. In the Epistles of John we learn that it is impossible to say that we love God and at the same time hate our brother. Certainly, the implication is that if we love God we will love others. Love for God, therefore, settles the matter of whether we will love one another.

Further, if you love God, it settles the matter of ministry. Jesus asked Simon Peter if he loved Him. Simon Peter responded that he did, indeed, love Jesus. You will remember that three times Jesus then counseled Peter to feed His sheep.

In other words, tend the flock, care for my children. For the believer, loving God means that the way we treat others is a settled matter. You cannot love God and mistreat one of His sheep. Some folks have missed this point and are living a life of confused priorities, as they are critical and hurtful of others.

It is an unadulterated love for God that causes a church to be missional in its ministry and outreach. It’s not “my church” or “our church,” it is God’s church and so we must be obedient to God’s commands for the church. We are to literally go into all the world preaching the Gospel. All of the world includes my backyard and it includes the other side of the planet.

Since my love for God forces me to acknowledge that it is God’s church, not mine, I must yield to a higher purpose for the church than that of getting my way or doing my will. It’s not really important if I get my way in my church. It is important that God gets His way in His church! If I take myself out of the struggle to control the church or to be right all of the time, I gain a great victory for the cause of Christ by getting out of God’s way.

Some who claim a close relationship with the Lord spend most of their time in the life of the church, or the denomination, trying to control everything. For the heart that is in love with God, that kind of behavior is totally inappropriate. It is literally bowing before another altar in the religion of “meism” rather than bowing before a holy, righteous and faithful God and saying, “God, I love you. I am here to serve You. Help me to never be a hindrance to Your perfect will for my life or for Your church.”

Second, in the midst of distractions we must keep a proper focus upon love for our families. I have had numerous regrets in my ministry over the years. I am so thankful that attentiveness to my wife and children, and now, grandchildren, is not one of them.

If things are not right at home, they cannot be right anywhere else. Dads, particularly you dads who are in ministry, do not sacrifice your family on the altar of sacrifice to your church work. It is so easy to claim your ministry as a higher calling than the calling to be a godly husband and father. God did not call you to sacrifice your family in the process of serving Him.

If you lose your family, you will lose the effectiveness of your ministry. The Scripture teaches, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” Ephesians 5:25. Frankly, you cannot love your wife with a greater love. In essence, the text is saying that husbands should be willing to give their lives for their wives; they love their wives as Christ loved His church. When that kind of love exists in your home, your home will most certainly be an outstanding example in your church and community and your witness will be greatly enhanced and strengthened.

Allow nothing to distract you from giving whole-hearted love to your wife, children and grandchildren. Through this proper focus, God will bless your personal ministry immeasurably.

Third, we should focus upon our love for God’s Word and His church. Truly, if you love God’s Word, you will love His church. If you love God’s Word, you will do God’s Word.

The “battle for the Bible” was a worthy cause. On the other hand, did you know that it is possible to fight for the Bible and fail to live the Bible, fail to obey the Bible, fail to preach and teach the Bible? Surely this is repugnant to God.

Jesus said, “And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand” Matthew 7:26. If the Bible was worth fighting for, then we should all agree that it is worth living for!

In days of distraction, keep your eyes on Jesus. Keep your focus upon the cross. Love God; love your family; love God’s Word and His church. The moment we get off point is the moment we get out of God’s will.