Point of View.
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • The Program
  • Online
  • PL

Step out of the shadows

RSS FeedTwitter
Feb 1 2021

Step out of the shadows…

Posted by Bob Shank
Tweet

step out of the shadows

So, how do you become champions of Super Bowl #55? To get to the pinnacle of accomplishment in professional football takes more than a conventional approach. Once proven to be the best in one’s field, the opportunity opens to write the book on the process that delivers the results.

If winning the title game for the ’20 NFL season is worthy of serious devotion and dedication, the pursuit of top status in a lifetime – what we often refer to as significance – is even more crucial to understand. Success lasts until someone surpasses your achievement; significance is an eternal marker and cannot be surpassed by anyone. It isn’t competitive; it measures results against one’s potential, not against others on the quest of lasting impact.

We opened this conversation four Mondays back. The ultimate objective of life was described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”  Any and all activities of life are to be conducted with the understanding that bringing glory to God is the essential qualifier.

To glorify God is to allow Him to be seen as great through His creation – we, who have been restored to life through faith in Jesus Christ – by lost people whose only chance to encounter Him is by seeing His power unleashed in His redeemed followers who have become family.

How do you and I crack the code for a Super Bowl-level victory in glorifying God? We’ve worked through three steps so far:

  1. Achieve godliness in your earthly life, qualifying you to compete in the Glory league.
  2. Discover and pursue your unique Kingdom Calling, which is your highest assignment.
  3. Participate in producing fruit measured in people, who are Heaven’s currency.

Tough criterion, but entirely possible as we follow the lead of Jesus, the apostles, and history’s contingent of men and women who have lived in service to the Kingdom that is to come. What’s the last key secret to the life of eternal significance?

Hear me out; filter the static you may have heard from others on this point and listen – instead – to the voice of the One Who is the focus of our efforts: “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

There is a follower of Jesus whom the Enemy allows to be attributed the great works done in service to the King. Who is it? Anonymous. Let me say their name again: Anonymous.

Lucifer’s losses begin when a spiritually-dead human hears and responds to the Gospel. Every win for the Savior is a defeat for the Devil. The next set-back for Beelzebub happens when the Child of God begins to live for the glory of God. Godliness; calling; fruit: these are all salt-in-the-wound of the Serpent, destined to disrupt his attempts to defame God among men. His last-gap desperate tactic to distract the glory from God: convince the person living for the Light to cover up their works of glory so that no one knows who did it.

Jesus’ instruction was vivid: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house” (Matthew 5:14-15).

Moments after that imperative, Jesus added this caution: “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (6:1). If your good conduct was principally to get applause for yourself from people, the benefit stalls on earth and never reaches Heaven. But if your real desire is to send applause to the God Who is worthy, hiding your Light display will disallow God’s glory.

The final point: 4) Allow people to see through your good works, to see the Good God Who is behind it all.  Give God the shout-out!

There it is; the ultimate objective of life: Glorify God. You now have the formula. Are you following through to make it happen?

Bob Shank

Tags: shadows

No comments yet.

Add a comment Cancel Reply

RECENT POSTS

  • Where do you go for answers?
  • If your heart’s not in it, neither will you be
  • Are you able to connect the dots?
  • Is Easter fake news, or the real deal?
  • Will heart failure take you down?

RECENT COMMENTS

  • Skip H on Will heart failure take you down?
  • Ron G on Will heart failure take you down?
  • Alexis P on Will heart failure take you down?
  • Mike L on Will heart failure take you down?
  • Hank R on It’s time to get physical…

ARCHIVES

  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010

FOLLOW ME

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • rss

Archives 2005-9

Go to: Archive Page

CATEGORIES

  • Special Edition
  • Weekly Post

MENU

  • About
  • Contact
  • Home
  • The Master's Program
  • TMP Online

Social

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • rss

Contact Me

2618 San Miguel Drive, #410
Newport Beach, CA 92660
USA
Phone: (949) 721-4191
WordPress Blog for The Master's Program