What do you do when living right isn't working?

Finally.

I was listening to TD Jakes teach on Silent Frustration and he was using the story of the Prodigal Son as his teaching point.  He then focused on the perspective of the older brother.  When I have heard people teach on the older brother, many were critical of his bitter spirit.  They would teach the congregation that the older brother was wrong to feel angry and he should have  just been happy that his brother returned home.

Maybe they were right to teach from that perspective, but I liked how Jakes taught the story because that to me reflects reality:  How are you supposed to feel when living right gets you nowhere?

I'm pretty sure churches don't want to talk about this because if they did then the pews would empty out, but the pews are emptying out anyhow so why not be honest?  Maybe if churches were more honest instead of sugarcoating and being shallow, then they could have more inclusive and authentic relationships amongst members instead of exclusive junior high clique type relationships.

Doing the Right thing and becoming angry and bitter

Earlier this year when the anger  and bitterness was revealed in my heart, I realized why I was so angry with God.  I had been trying to improve myself and do all these Christian activities such as read the bible, attend church, tithe, and participate in Bible studies and yet I was getting nowhere.  No results and nothing was moving.  Yet it seemed that others who did what they wanted and had a good time doing it were getting it all.

I was becoming more and more frustrated as time went on.  When it all just came to a head and my frustration came to the surface, I just decided to put it all on the table before God.

I couldn't understand the point of trying to do things "the right way" and STILL ending up unsuccessful.  Other people can get blessed with everything I want and they are doing as they please.

Reveal my filthy spirit

 I am glad all of this ugly stuff came to the surface because then I could begin to deal with it.  I could begin to deal with the inferiority complex that said I wasn't good enough and led me to believe that if I just worked harder or translated the book of Leviticus from its original Hebrew that I would be blessed.

Instead God began to deal with me.  He could begin to deal with and change the filthy and evil things in my spirit such as envy, jealousy, ungratefulness, disobedience, self righteousness, pride, etc.  

The revelation of my filthy spirit let me know that I was not ready for any of the blessings that I desired because I would not know how to treat them once I received them.  After the roses and romance music wore off, all of these ugly things would have begun to reveal themselves.

Comparing and not worrying about others blessings

In the story of the Prodigal son, the older brother got angry when the brother came home because his father decided to have a big party.  Here he had been working and doing what he was supposed to do all along .The younger brother who just went off and made a mess of his life comes back and gets a party!

The older brother did something that I do and need to stop doing: He self righteously pointed out that he had been there doing everything all along and he never got a party.  

Who can blame him for feeling like he did?   I know I can't because I had that exact same conversation with God.  

"God I have been serving you all of this time and I've been trying to do the right thing and I have nothing.  Yet other people do whatever they want and they get everything.  This isn't fair!

God was very clear with me he said, "Don't envy people.  Pray for them.  Bless them.  You don't know the whole story.   Pray for them and bless them."

As time went on and I began to calm down, God gave me a word from Joyce Meyer in which he said:  

"You won't get what you want until you can be happy for someone who has what you want when you don't have it"

I also began to realize that my journey is my own and other folks have their own journeys.  The more I compared and complained abbout what I didn't have, the more God began to show me all I did have.

God showed me instead of worrying about what He decides to give others that I should instead prepare my heart for what he's going to give me and to be thankful for what I do have because like the older brother in the story I already have access to His power and the annointing, but I was too busy comparing, complaining, and worrying about circumstances to even care about those things.

So what do you do when living right isn't working?

I think many people are frustrated like me and the older brother.  What are we doing wrong?  What do we do when living right isn't leading to the results we want? 

Get honest with yourself and God

I let it all out.  Once I told God why I was so angry and bitter, then that's when things began to shift and change.  God already knows how we feel and what we're thinking.  We will feel a lot better if we verbalize them to ourselves and to Him and then he can help us change our perspective.

Stop worrying about others

I had to stop letting my envy and jealousy get the best of me.  It isn't my business how God decides to bless others.  I also don't know the full story.  All I know is what my envy and jealousy wants to see: Everyone has more than I do and I don't have anything.

Revisit your vision and your motivation

Why was I doing all of the good Christian duties?  Was it because I loved God and wanted to serve  Him and help others.  Or was I doing it because I wanted to get something out of it?  What is the ultimate goal anyway?

In my case, I needed to be reminded that my vision was about uplifting and empowering others.  Instead of spending my time complaining and grumbling about what I don't have, I then realized this time  is building the very FOUNDATION of my teaching and leading.

My motivation is to help others and to live in victory.  I cannot have victory if there's no battle.  I'm in training right now for battle and it's humbling, but it's SUPPOSED to be.  I must be a humble servant instead of a prideful brat.

Take Action and stop sitting on the sidelines waiting for something to happen.

This is the part that I think the church misses.

Living right is one thing but I feel like the majority of us who claim to be living right aren't doing anything except keeping the rules, doing things out of duty, and then complaining about how nothing is happening.

We sit on the pew every Sunday listening to the sermon, praying, going to Bible study, and church events, but where is the ACTION towards their vision.  Where's the movement?  Are we accessing God's power or are we waiting for Godot?

I saw this a lot in my experience with the Church of Legalism.  It was all about "living right" and following made up rules, but there was very little action towards any type of vision.  There was also very little power or victory.  There was a lot of anger, bitterness, petty infighting, and hopelessness.  I felt most sorry for the people who actually were living right.  They followed all of the rules but they had no idea of the access they have to God's power and how it can truly be life changing.  They were wallowing in the mire and hanging on til heaven.   They had no clue it doesn't have to be this way!

I'm not saying that we should rush ahead and start trying to make things happen, but too many of us just sit around hoping for things to change without taking any action.  I think it's because we don't really EXPECT and BELIEVE our lives are going to change so we don't do anything except wallow in the mire, complain about it, and let our frustrations bubble up.

Paraphrasing something Chrstian author Mark Batterson said,

One of the reasons Christians have such poor witness is because we do not have any great stories of faith.  We are  ho hum and playing itsafe   We don't step out and take many risks and as a result we have no victories.  People aren't interested in listening to people who are just living right but have no victory.  

I think that living right isn't enough.  We've got to be bold in our faith and take ACTION.

Say what you want about the younger brother in the story, but at least he went out, took a risk, learned a lesson, and came back home.  Many Christians never take any risks so they don't learn any lessons.  How can you have faith if you don't take risks?

People love testimonies because it shows that if that person can do it, then so can they.

I'm no longer willing to just "live right"and keep rules or do things out of duty.  I want to get out in the trenches with the people, take some big risks, and be a living witness to God's power.

To God be the Glory