UNDERSTAND ROLES

Understand Roles

Begun 12-26-03 and last revised 12-28-03

INTRODUCTION

ALL of your life is caught up in the dynamic of relationships.

TODAY you have relationships with other people and God.

You also have a relationship with the world, the flesh and the devil.

These occur all week long, both day and night.

It would be wise for you to better understand each role.

Then you can better participate in the exchanges that are happening.

UNDERSTAND YOUR ROLE

Your role is to come to God just as you are.

Your role is to accept God on His terms.

Your role is to completely surrender your will to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Your role is to let go of your expectations, fears, worries, doubts, objections, etc.

Your role is to earnestly seek God for guidance.

Your role is to pay close attention to each time God guides you.

Your role is to let God use your passions and spiritual gifts to shape a vision.

Your role is to trust and obey the Lord Jesus Christ daily.

Your role is to seek, knock and ask.

Your role is to thank God by faith for the answer.

Your role is to study what the Bible teaches.

Your role is to believe and apply what the Bible teaches.

Your role is to meditate on the Word of God and hide it in your heart.

Your role is to pray for others in Jesus name and expect God to answer.

Your role is to communicate the truth in love as you daily love one another.

Your role is to seek, find and use wise advisors.

Your role is to use each day, week, month and year for the glory of God.

Your role is to become a better steward of your time, talents, things and money.

Your role is to get into the habit of giving generously to other ministries.

Your role is to request grace and mercy as needed.

Your role is to deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow Jesus.

Your role is to thank God when His provision arrives.

Your role is to testify about the faithfulness and goodness of God.

UNDERSTAND GOD’S ROLE

God’s role is to work all things together for good.

God’s role is to watch over His Word to perform it.

God’s role is to keep His promises right on time.

God’s role is to lead you in paths of righteousness for His names sake.

God’s role is to open and close doors as needed.

God’s role is to provide for your needs but not necessarily your wants.

God’s role is to author and prefect your faith.

God’s role is to satisfy your hunger and thirst for righteousness.

God’s role is to extend unconditional love in ways you can and cannot see.

God’s role is to defend you from the sly tricks that the devil tries to play on you.

God’s role is to provide guidance in the Bible.

God’s role is to provide the guidance by the Holy Spirit.

God’s role is to set up divine appointments.

God’s role is to convict of sin, righteousness and judgment.

God’s role is to prepare a place for you in Heaven.

God’s role is to give eternal rewards according to good works done with right motives.

UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF YOUR ENEMIES

WORLD

The world rejected Jesus when He came in the flesh.

The world will not appreciate your Christ honoring motives.

The world urges you to grab for immediate gratification.

The world is obsessed with sex, power, money, fame, control, possessions, etc.

The world cannot have eternity as a steady reference point.

The world is continually cold-hearted, critical and callous.

The world mindlessly hurts people day and night.

The world acts like a mean machine without an operator or purpose.

The world can suck your energy dry in pursuit of some fleeting fun.

The world is unfair, uncaring, impersonal, relentless, heatless, etc.

The world says that you need to take care of yourself … no one else will.

The world says to worry about the bad things that might happen.

The world says that you might be okay when you own the newest things.

The world says that society heading from bad to worse.

The world says that you have nothing of significance to offer anyone.

The world says that you are a small cog in a little wheel … so what.

The world says that if you violate the unwritten rules you will be destroyed.

The world says that nobody wants to hear what you have to say.

The world offers all kinds of stimulants and depressants to adjust your moods.

The world wants to drain away all your attention, affection, time and money.

The world will promise you inexpensive treasures, but only deliver cheap junk.

The world tolerates lifeless religious rituals and hollow talk about God.

The world hates a vibrant faith expressed with loving words and deeds.

FLESH

Your flesh wants to dominate your choices and commitments.

Your flesh never wants you to serve God 100%.

Your flesh wants you to not get too involved in ministry.

Your flesh wants you to avoid people that might challenge your faith.

Your flesh wants you to stay inside of your Comfort Zones.

Your flesh wants you to stay away from the Bible and good Bible teachings.

Your flesh wants you to accept any excuse for not trusting God.

Your flesh does not want you to notice how sneaky it has been.

Your flesh can instantly generate an appealing excuse for anything it wants.

Your flesh continually seeks for more pleasure and less pain.

Your flesh will seek to seduce any opposition to its selfish ways.

DEVIL

The devil is the father of lies.

The devil can only lie to you.

The devil will try to make a half-truth seem like a whole truth.

The devil will try to get you to doubt God.

The devil will try to get you discouraged.

The devil will try to get you to quit.

The devil will try to get you to misinterpret the Bible.

The devil will tempt with the lust of the eye, lust of the flesh and the pride of life.

The devil will lift a verse out of context and make it seem right to disobey Jesus.

The devil will lead you to love world and your flesh more than God.

The devil does not demand the glory – He just does not want God to get the glory.