Vol. 18 No. 38 | September 26, 2016

It is a time of transition in our household. I will not go into much detail, but this statement from Paul to his young friend in the faith expresses very well my feelings.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. … 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 1:12, 14, NIV)

To be considered trustworthy to His service is an honor beyond description. I have been in full-time local church ministry for almost 41 years. It has been an honor and a privilege that has created unspeakable joy, and at times unutterable heartache.

To feel appointed to His service, which we might consider a calling, is an incredibly humbling experience. It is an honor to think that the Lord could use me in a special way to introduce Him to people who do not know Him, to help those who know Him know Him better, and to encourage the discouraged. St. Frances of Assisi has probably said it best:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

To feel appointed in His service, which we might consider a calling, is also a curse. Once you get a taste of being considered trustworthy in His service you cannot get away from it. You cannot stop wanting to know that feeling. You cannot resist the joy that is found in serving Him. You cannot un-call the calling.

To be considered trustworthy for His service is an honor and a challenge. It can be a blessing and a curse. It can be joy-filled and heartbreaking. It can be rich and rewarding and it can be difficult and draining. There are good seasons and seasons of distress. Through it all when we realize that we have been considered trustworthy in His service we move forward with courage. We seek opportunities to serve. We strive to please Him with our hearts, souls, mind, and strength. When we fail we try again. When we fall down we get back up. As we get back up we look around to see who else may have fallen and reach out our hand to help them stand back up. And as we serve we find rest and pleasure in knowing that, “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2016. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.

Vol. 18 No. 37 | September 19, 2016

“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, NIV)

“A quiet life?” Some of you read that phrase and thought, “Dream on, Dude! Ain’t happening! You can talk about living a quiet life all you want, but you don’t know the world I live in. There is nothing quiet about it!”

Unfortunately I hear statements like that too often. Unfortunately I also find myself thinking along those same lines and using similar language.

There are two words in the sentence that appear to be contradictory: “ambition” and “quiet life.” We rarely put those two words together.

When we think of ambition we think of climbing the corporate ladder, getting to top before anyone else, winning at all cost, being the very best, being a high achiever, and accumulating the most. Ambition is often spelled B-U-S-Y. Ambition speaks of hustle and hurry.

When we think of a quiet life we hear Jesus say, “Come to me and I will give you rest.” We hear the Psalmist say: “Be still and know that I am God.” The quiet life reminds us of peaceful waters, green pasture, and a restored soul.

When we think of ambition we are reminded of the disciples arguing over, “Who is the greatest?” When we think of the quiet life we are reminded of Jesus going off by Himself  to a quiet place.

When we think of ambition we have visions of the President. When we think of the quiet life we see images of a father fishing with his son on the bank of a pond.

When we think of ambition we see the corner office with a spectacular view of the city. When we think of the quiet life we see Granddaddy sitting in his rocker on the front porch.

When we think ambition we often think hard-working and successful. When we think of the quiet life we often think lazy and failure.

Is the quiet life feasible in our day? It must be and Paul provides three simple guidelines for living the quiet life.

Plan for it. The quiet life will not just happen. It must be your ambition. It must be your goal. You must plan for it. You will not wake up one morning and suddenly your world has become quiet. You will need to work at living a quiet life. There will be things you must stop if you are going to live a quiet life. You will need to shut down and shut out some of the noise in your life, get rid of some of the clutter in your life, and focus on what really matters. To have a quiet life you must desire a quiet life.

Mind your own business. Wow! What a difference that will make! Do not read that statement like siblings would say it to each other: “Mind your own business!” Read like a loving spiritual parent would say it to their spiritual son or daughter who is trying to be the person God wants them to be: “Just mind your own business. It’s not your responsibility to straighten out the rest of the world. You have plenty to do taking care of your own business. Don’t borrow frustration from someone else. Just mind your own business.” Social media would certainly change if we started minding our own business. Conversations between friends would sound different. That does not mean you ignore the needs of other people. Paul has covered that in other places. As a general rule, mind your own business.

Do your own job. Work with your hands. What have you been trained to do? Do that. What are you most passionate about? Do that. Do it well. Work hard at what you are gifted to do. You cannot do someone else’s job and still do your well. If you are teacher, then be a teacher. If you are a preacher, then be a preacher. If you are an artist, be an artist. If you are a police officer, be a police officer. If you serve coffee, then serve coffee.

The quiet life often escapes us not because it is unachievable, but because we make excuses, because we enjoy being (or appearing) over-worked and over-committed, and because we simply refuse to make it our ambition. It is your choice. Is it important? Is it possible? God thought it was important enough to include in His Book. Maybe this week you will experience the quiet life.

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2016. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.

Vol. 18 No. 36 | September 12, 2016

It is Monday morning.It is early Monday morning. You are sleeping soundly and deeply and peacefully. You are shaken from your slumber by your alarm on the nightstand next to your bed. In your grogginess you search for the alarm and turn it off as you glance at the clock. You groan in disbelief that it is time to get up and flop your head back on your pillow. Then, you remember, “I work for the Lord! I get a pay check from the company, but I serve the Lord Christ.” Your approach to the day is totally different.

You did not get much sleep last night. One of your little ones had a nightmare then had a difficult time getting back to sleep. Once he was finally settled down, your other little one woke up wanted to play. as the day goes on you perform your duties as best you can. Getting them fed for breakfast, then again for lunch, then your husband calls and tells you he needs to works a couple of hours longer. You slump down in a kitchen chair almost in tears, when these words printed on a card and stuck on the refrigerator, “Whatever you do…” (Colossians 3:17). You know the verse. You put the card there for just such times. Your sigh changes to a deep cleansing breath as you remind yourself: “I work for the Lord. I serve the Lord Jesus.” You smile when the little ones come running in saying, “Mommy, we’re hungry.” “Yeah, Mommy, we’re hungry.”

The summer break seemed much too short as you get your classroom ready for a new group of students. Faculty meetings, after school activities, and parent conferences are what awaits you. It almost overwhelms you until you remember, “I work for the Lord! I get a pay check from the school board, but I serve the Lord Christ.” Your whole disposition has changed as you look at the list of new students.

Your football team lost, your car would not start this morning, you electric bill is the highest of the year, and your son just called saying he had lost his job and wants to move back home. Your boss hands you a project that she wants finished by the end of the day. Your wife just called saying her mother is coming for long visit. Your shoulders slump as your turn your chair to face the window daydreaming about last summer’s vacation. That’s when you are reminded, “I work for the Lord! I take orders from my employer, but I serve the Lord Christ.” You spin your chair around and dive into the project.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:17, NIV)

Keep that verse handy this week. You may need it to help you remember that there is a different approach to the tasks that face you.

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2016. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.

Vol. 18 No. 35 | September 5, 2016

If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. (Philippians 2:1-4, The Message)

Your assignment this week: put yourself aside.

It starts, if you read further in Philippians 2, with an attitude. It is not just any attitude, it is the attitude of Christ. In order to put yourself aside, and hope other get ahead, you must develop the attitude of Christ. Interestingly enough, in order to develop the attitude of Christ, you must put yourself aside. It does not just happen. You must consciously and intentionally think about it and act on those thoughts. Remember, even a small step is still a step.

Small steps you can take this week.

When you are in line at the grocery store, let the person behind you go ahead of you. Yes, I know you are in a hurry. Let them go ahead of you anyway.

When you reach the drive-thru line at Starbucks at the same time as the other person just as desperate for that first cup of coffee, let them go ahead of you. Then, don’t grumble about it.

When you have had a hard day at work and come home to your spouse and kids, remember your spouse has probably had a hard day at work too. Remember your kids have probably been anxiously waiting for you to get home. Put yourself aside and play with the kids and give your spouse a break.

When you are having a bad day and it seems to be getting worse. Put yourself aside and do something good for someone. Give them a phone call or a text them to remind them how much they mean to you. Take a couple of extra minutes and after the pleasantries of your usual “Hey, how are you?” Wait for a real answer to that question. You might have to say, “No, I really mean it. How are you?”

When you are in the meeting with the other leaders of your company or your church or your club and you want things done your way and someone else wants things done their way, unless it is a life or death (speaking physically and spiritually) issue, let things be done their way.

When you are trying to make an important point with your spouse and making your point may determine who wins or loses the discussion (argument). Let your spouse win.

Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Consider others better than yourself. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Put yourself aside: That’s your assignment for this week. The joy you experience when you put yourself aside will make you glad you accepted the assignment.

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2016. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.