Welcome to Hank’s Place —
At Hank’s Place we choose to live in the New Covenant. And why not? Everything is BETTER there — Hebrews 8:6. The Old Covenant and the world live under a system of performance and reward/punishment: do well and we get rewarded. Do poorly and we miss out – even be punished.
Blessings under the Old rested upon our shoulders. Our performance. Obeying the rules God set down. But our ability to resist temptation – well, you know.…
Many Christians try to keep the rules found in the Old Covenant. But wait! Hebrews 10 declares the entire Old Covenant consists of mere shadows of what was to come! Shadows cannot make a person perfect, can they? Following shadows is a fruitless endeavor – just as bars on a cage do not change the nature of the beast within…. The laws only serve to remind us – of our failures.
When I am not at Hank’s Place, I may be found keeping a mega-billion dollar company going. (laugh) Recently employees have been tasked with developing their IDP – an Individual Development Plan. Based on the Korn Ferry leadership architecture and it’s Core Competencies. Sheeez. My development is all on my shoulders. If I respond to this with my own efforts, well, I go under the LAW – and it will crush my spirit. What is the solution?
Consider Joseph in Genesis. His teen years were bumpy: his brothers sold him into slavery! But in Genesis 39:2 and onward, we find these words; “GOD WAS WITH HIM.” And Joseph succeeded. Prospered. Oh, there were more bumps. Evil people sought to do him harm. BUT GOD WAS WITH HIM. God made him ruler of all Egypt. Because GOD WAS WITH HIM. Not Joseph’s clever analysis of his strengths and weaknesses and his IDP. What mattered was that GOD WAS WITH HIM. Do you recall Matthew 28:20? Jesus words? “…behold, I AM WITH YOU always, to the end of the age.” In a New Covenant where things are even BETTER! Hmmm?
This is today’s takeaway, dear believing friend – life is not about our performance, but that GOD IS WITH US, in a New Covenant through Jesus’ blood, a covenant where everything is BETTER, full of better promises. We are blessed, not because we got it right. Not because we are exceptional. We become exceptional — because GOD IS WITH US.
Our IDP, Individual Development Plan, has been crafted by God before we were born. We’ve been made ‘fit for God’ because of Jesus’ sacrifice. So today, toss off the stress of life. Toss off those anxieties that distress you — the fears of failure — all fears — DARE to live life, confidently, God is with you, and — COME ALIVE!
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