DON T WASTE YOUR LIFE

DON T WASTE YOUR LIFE Imagine getting to the end of it all, and looking back on a wasted life. What a tragedy that would be! Berni Dymet LIFE APPLICATION BOOKLET

DON T WASTE YOUR LIFE by Berni Dymet LIFE APPLICATION BOOKLET

Published by Christianityworks Berni Dymet 1st edition - Published 2016 Except where otherwise indicated in the text, the scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Cover design: Mariah Reilly Design, Sydney Australia We gratefully acknowledge the creative contribution of Mariah Reilly in the cover design of this book. Ben McEachen, Editor www.thebigpicturewebsite.com We gratefully acknowledge the creative contribution of Ben McEachen in the editing of this book. Printed by: Creative Visions Print & Design, Warrawong, NSW, Australia No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise - without prior written permission. Christianityworks Australia: PO Box 1729 BONDI JUNCTION NSW 1355 p: 1300 722 415 United Kingdom: PO Box 201 CHESSINGTON KT9 9BX p: 0800 078 6565 India: PO Box 1602 SECUNDERABAD - 500 003 Andhra Pradesh p: 91-9866239170 e: ekommu@christianityworks.com w: christianityworks.com e: info@christianityworks.com

CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 Excuses, Excuses, Excuses CHAPTER 2 Wedded to Your Comfort Zone CHAPTER 3 Too Timid to Step Out 5 19 33 This booklet is a gift to you from Christianityworks. Our prayer is that you will truly be blessed as you receive God s Word.

CHAPTER 1 Excuses, Excuses, Excuses Often, there s a big difference between urgent and important tasks. And all too often, we allow the urgent ones to crowd out the important ones. It happens to all of us. I have more urgent things crowding in on me every day than I d like to mention. Maybe you have been listening to our Christianityworks radio programs or watching our television programs for a while and you ve been thinking to yourself, Well, Berni has a great life. He just sits down for a few minutes every day to chat with and that s pretty much it. I only wish!! Each year I write and record over 500 radio programs, almost 100 television 5

programs and that s not to mention the books and booklets (like this one) that I write. Then of course, there s the Christianityworks ministry to run, including teams in four countries and the everyday details in running our office and then there s lots of travel and on and on and on and on it goes. Don t get me wrong. I absolutely love what God has called me to do and I m not complaining. But that s the reality of my life. I was sitting at my desk in the office the other day, and one person asked me a question so I went to help them. As soon as I was finished, someone else asked me another question. Then the next one and the next one. Before I knew it, an hour and a half had gone by. All apparently urgent things and of course they were. But it s just so easy to end up running around doing things for other people doing this, that and the other thing that before you know it, the day is gone. The week is gone. Whoops, it s the first of the month again. And, so, life just slips by. Days, weeks, months, years decades just slip by. A few months ago, I watched a great German Christmas advertisement. It was about an old man who couldn t seem to get his family to come and spend Christmas with him. They were all too busy doing the urgent things they had to do in their jobs and with their own children. So he sent out his own death notice, and they all rushed over not only to find him alive, but with the Christmas table set. How else was I going to get you all together? he asked his stunned family. 6

The closing caption to the ad was: It s time to come home. Spending time with elderly parents is important. Giving your family the best of your time it s really important. And living your life for Jesus, day after day, every day that s really important. But as you and I know, there are so many urgent things that crowd out our time. We feel guilty about not giving time to our family, time to our children, time to our elderly parents. We feel guilty about the fact we don t make the time to pray. That we don t seem to have time to open that Bible that s gathering dust somewhere in a cupboard. That we don t have time to, well, do the important things. A busy young man; a wealthy young man, once confronted Jesus about his priorities. He asked Jesus, What do I have to do to get eternal life? So, what s the most important thing he could do? Let s see how this exchange unfolds, because it s quite illuminating when we compare it with our own situation. Then someone came to him and said, Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life? And he said to him, Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments. He said to him, Which ones? And Jesus said, You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honour your 7

father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbour as yourself. The young man said to him, I have kept all these; what do I still lack? Jesus said to him, If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me. When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus said to his disciples, Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, Then who can be saved? But Jesus looked at them and said, For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:16-26) Now, maybe you re wondering how this story applies to you. Well, the rich young ruler was a busy guy, and he s checking in with Jesus to make sure he has his priorities right in the middle of all that busyness. Jesus answers first with what seems like a checklist and the rich young ruler goes okay in each department. Don t murder check. Don t commit adultery check. Don t steal check. Don t bear false witness - check. But like you and like me, the rich young ruler still knew something wasn t quite right. All the busyness in the world can t wallpaper over that deep feeling inside that something is missing. 8

We know when things aren t quite right, don t we? And then, Jesus puts his finger right on the one thing that s not quite right with this young man - his wealth. Give it all away, says Jesus, and then you ll be fine. That brutal challenge causes the rich young ruler to suddenly realise that that s his problem. He s made his wealth more important than loving God. More important than following Jesus. And so the young man goes away grieving, for he had many possessions. So let me ask you, what s that one thing in your life that s keeping you from doing the most important thing? In his exchange with this young man, Jesus didn t directly mention the most important thing. But at other times, Jesus explained the most important thing any of us can do is to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and strength and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second one is just like it that we should love our neighbours as ourselves. On these two hang all the law and the prophets. That is, everything God has revealed and instructed about how to live for Him, is summed up by the commandments Jesus mentions. (Matthew 22:34-40) Jesus told the rich young ruler to live this way by giving away the one thing that he d placed above God, and then, then he d be doing the most important thing. In your life, in my life, there are so many important things that compete for our attention and time and effort. And then there are all those urgent things as well the interruptions, the distractions, the 9

With so much going on in our lives, you and have become very good at coming up with excuses. I m too busy. You don t realise how hard it is for me. There s this and there s that and there s the other thing and before you know it, life has slipped away. The time is short, seriously short. The days fly by so quickly. And so how we spend our time, comes down to our priorities. Have you found yourself making excuses? I don t have the time to visit my ageing mother because I m too tired by the time I get to the weekend. I don t have time to read my Bible, or to go and visit that sick friend. I don t have time to use my gifts and abilities and resources for God. Excuses, excuses, excuses. But if I spent all my time racing around after the other people who work here in the ministry of Christianityworks, I d never find time to write any radio messages, books or television programs. And when you think about it, in the kind of ministry that I m involved in, being able to write is pretty important, right? Without me doing that, there is no Christianityworks ministry. There is no impact on the lives of people. It just ain t going to happen. So, with the million and one urgent things that I have going on at work and at home, I ve decided that after spending time with the Lord each morning (which is actually, the most important thing) this one thing of writing is the next most important thing in the ministry. There are days and weeks where, frankly, I lose sight of that because of all those other things going on. But pretty much each week, as I plan my week, I 10

diarise the chunks of time that I need to prepare these messages. I block out that time, and it has to be something really big, to get me to move it. The time I dedicate to writing is normally really early in the morning. I was up at 3:15 the morning I prepared these word that you re reading today. That s a time when the phone doesn t ring. When people don t interrupt me. First, I spent some time praying and reading God s Word, then it was straight into this one thing. The bottom line for me and I suspect, for you as too, is that the truly important things in our lives are only going to happen if we decide on our priorities and then deliberately set aside the time to make them happen. Because there will always be some other thing some thing that pretends to be far more urgent to crowd out the important. So, what are your important things? Hmm? EXPLORE Then someone came to him and said, Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life? And he said to him, Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments. He said to him, Which ones? And Jesus said, You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honour your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbour as yourself. 11

The young man said to him, I have kept all these; what do I still lack? Jesus said to him, If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me. When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus said to his disciples, Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, Then who can be saved? But Jesus looked at them and said, For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:16-26) 12

GOING DEEPER... QUESTION 1 What are the urgent and important things in your life? 13

QUESTION 2 What is the area of your life that you have made more important, than the most important thing Jesus mentions? 14

QUESTION 3 How will you respond to Jesus calling upon you to give it up? 15

QUESTION 4 Start today to prioritise the important things, over what seems most urgent. 16

QUESTION 5 On an everyday level, what will it look like when you do this? 17

PRAY Dear God, You know how our daily lives can be full of so many things. Things which are urgent. Things which are important. Give us the ability and wisdom to prioritise all these things, in order that we don t become bogged down in stuff or get stuck making excuses for what we don t do. Help us to listen to Jesus words about what is most important and give us opportunities, every day, to shape our choices around them. We ask for Your Holy Spirit to empower us to do this, in Jesus mighty name. Amen. 18

CHAPTER 2 Wedded to Your Comfort Zone As we just saw, being unable to prioritise and discern the difference between what s important and what s urgent, means that we end up making up all sorts of excuses about how we use our time. But there are other reasons that cause us to resist or avoid doing what God is calling us to do. Most of us, for instance, aren t thrillseekers. Most of us don t go bungee jumping or parachuting, or rocketing around a racetrack at a hundred and fifty miles an hour. And so, most of us well, we like things to be safe and predictable. Yep, safe and predictable is good. It s true, isn t it? We re happy to get our thrills and spills by watching movies and 19

television shows you know, the suspense drama, the fast and furious stuff, or perhaps a sporting contest whatever genre takes your fancy. Will the hero live or die? Will the heroine survive? Let them take the risks. We call that entertainment. A bit of nail-biting, edge-of-the-seat drama is good fun. As long as it s happening on the screen and not in our life. Am I right? When it comes to our own lives, we definitely definitely want them to be safe and predictable. Not boring, necessarily. We don t mind being stretched a little bit sometimes. But safe and predictable is good. So for instance, mum and dad bring a small child into the world. What you love is when bubs has the same sleep patterns day after day. That way, you can get in sync and get a bit of rest too. But, as things happen, sleep patterns change or get disrupted and so you walk around bleary eyed. You were hoping for predictable, but what you got was unpredictable. And before junior starts walking, you childproof your home, right? We move all the precious ornaments up high where they can t be reached and damaged. If you have stairs, you buy one of those kiddie gates to put at the top of the stairs so junior doesn t fall down them. But still, the little darling manages to get into trouble and hurt herself. They re just two simple examples of how you try to make your world safe and predictable. And there s nothing wrong with either of those; because we re kind of programmed to aim for safe and predictable. We like routines. We don t like surprises. We don t like risks. Compare full-time employment to casual employment. 20

Most of us would much rather have full-time employment. Why? Yeah, you guessed it. It s safe and predictable. A regular income coming in each month. Plan your budget, your costs and expenses and everything is just fine. Right? Of course it is, until you get sick. Until you have to have two months off work. Until your sick leave runs out, which is why so many people these days have income protection insurance. Why am I carrying on about this? Simply to make the point that we arrange our whole lives to create a comfort zone around us. Almost everything we do is designed to make our lives safe and predictable. The problem with that is that Jesus is anything but safe and predictable. He was wild. Untamed. He still is. The religious leaders of the day tried to rein Him in, but he kept on going out there and breaking the rules. Healing on the Sabbath and hanging around with sinners tax collectors, prostitutes and the like. He touched lepers; an outcast group that society considered to be unclean and not to be approached. By and large, whatever Jesus did upset the safe, predictable and lucrative lifestyles of the rich and famous the Pharisees and the Sadducees. And think about it. It was this clash between the unpredictable, unconventional, radical, subversive Jesus and the comfort zones of the religious leaders, that ultimately got Him killed. This was the reason they plotted to have Him crucified. So there you have it. Safe and predictable on the one hand, Jesus on the other they re a bit like oil and water. They don t mix. They never have and they never will. 21

And you know how it goes. We read stories in the Bible so often, that they just seem mundane. Routine. We don t think too much about them. But time and time again God calls men and women out of their comfort zones, to follow Him on a risky, dangerous venture. Take Abraham for instance. Now the Lord said to Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your father s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Haran. (Genesis 12:1-4) Abram (later called Abraham) was really quite wealthy and very comfortable indeed. He was also seventy-five years old and childless. And yet, God calls him out of his safe and predictable existence, where all the buses and trains ran on time, onto a long and arduous journey towards well, towards the impossible. Abram was old and childless, yet God promised to make him the father of a great nation!! Give me a break. But to Abram s credit, he went - just as the Lord had told him. Then there s good old King Jehoshaphat not quite the biblical A-lister that Abraham was. A mighty army comes against Jehoshaphat. The odds are overwhelming. He s absolutely petrified, but 22

instead of panicking, he s smart enough to seek the Lord. A prophet is raised up and speaks: He said, Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you: Do not fear or be dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours but God s. Tomorrow go down against them; they will come up by the ascent of Ziz; you will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. This battle is not for you to fight; take your position, stand still, and see the victory of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you. Then Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. (2 Chronicles 20:15-18) Do you notice what God told the king to do? He told him to leave the city; to leave the apparent safety behind the defences that Jehoshaphat built and go out into the open against this great and mighty army. This king is told to get out of his comfort zone and just stand there and wait for God to fight on his behalf. What, is God completely crazy? If He s going to do it all anyway, why not leave Jehoshaphat and his army in the safety of the city? Answer: because God s mighty deeds never happen in our comfort zone. They always involve stepping out, putting ourselves at risk (at least that s the way we see it as though somehow, following God s call is risky!) 23

Do you see how easy it is to read that story and think to ourselves: Great. God did it all. They didn t have to do a thing. Well, God did do it all in the end, if you read on. But Jehoshaphat and his army still had to leave their comfort zone and put themselves in mortal danger out in the open. Got it?! And then there is As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, Follow me and I will make you fish for people. And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him. (Mark 1:16-20) These young fellows were fishermen. Fishing was their family business, their living. They got up early every morning, went and hauled in the catch, sold it at the markets and made a good, solid living out of it. Safe and predictable. Now this Jesus comes along, sweeps them all up, and calls them to leave their safe, comfortable, predictable lives to follow Him. Where to? Who knows? Do you see a pattern emerging here? Those are just three examples but you see it happening over and over and over again throughout the Bible. God calls people out of their comfort zones, into the risky business of following Him. I ll say it again, in case, sitting there in your comfort zone, you missed it. 24

God s mightiest works don t happen in our comfort zones. I remember when God called me out of my safe, predictable and, let me say, rather lucrative information technology consulting career into this ministry of Christianityworks, the ministry was pretty much dead. No radio programs. No donors. No income. Pretty much terminal, you d have to say. Last one out switch out the lights. Thank you Jesus! But Christianityworks was the call that God place on my life. And the reason I followed that call, is that I didn t want to die wondering: What if I d followed God s call that day? How would it have turned out? I didn t want to get to the end of my life and look back on a string of missed opportunities. I didn t want to look back on a wasted life. Let me tell you something: safe and predictable has derailed many a plan that God has had for His people. And it will continue to do so. So, when Jesus calls you to what He s calling you to, how will you respond? EXPLORE Now the Lord said to Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your father s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 25

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Haran. (Genesis 12:1-4) He said, Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you: Do not fear or be dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours but God s. Tomorrow go down against them; they will come up by the ascent of Ziz; you will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. This battle is not for you to fight; take your position, stand still, and see the victory of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you. Then Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. (2 Chronicles 20:15-18) As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, Follow me and I will make you fish for people. And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him. (Mark 1:16-20) 26

GOING DEEPER... QUESTION 1 Do you take risks or play it safe and comfortable? Why? 27

QUESTION 2 The three biblical passages share common stories of people being called out of their comfort zones. How do you react to God asking people to do that? 28

QUESTION 3 What did Abram, Jehoshaphat and the young fishermen have to leave behind to follow God s call? What would they have missed out on, if they had not followed? 29

QUESTION 4 Jesus was untamed and controversial. Why should that shape our faith and how we live it out? 30

QUESTION 5 If God calls you to do something out of your comfort zone, how will you respond? 31

PRAY Dear God, creator of all things and giver of generous promises. You have constantly called Your people to lives outside of their comfort zones. Asking us to trust and love You, as You empower us to do amazing things beyond our hopes and dreams. Give us the courage to follow You wherever You call us, being inspired by how Jesus did not play it safe and predictable. The wild and untamed life He led for You is what we want to share in and be committed to. Amen 32

CHAPTER 3 Too Timid to Step Out Okay, so sometimes we have our priorities wrong that s why we don t get on with the most important thing in life loving God with everything we are. And sometimes, we re so wedded to our comfort zone that the idea of going and doing something crazy for God is completely unthinkable. But on top of that, so many people, so many people who call themselves Christians have felt the call of God on their lives yet they ve been too timid to step out. They re frozen by fear. Afraid of failing. Afraid of losing. Afraid of risking it all. What s the matter with us? Why do we do that? They say that about 12.3 per cent of the population are natural entrepreneurs. Now I m sure that if you used different scales and measures, that would go up or down by a few percentage points here or there. Nevertheless, 33

I think it s safe to say that well under 20 per cent of us - fewer than one in five - are natural risk takers; people who are prepared to scout an opportunity and then, put it all on the line to have a go at turning that opportunity into a successful venture. That s okay. If we were all entrepreneurs, then it would be a pretty unstable world in which we live. We need people to front up to a host of regular jobs that deliver a regular pay cheque, otherwise our economy and our society simply wouldn t function. But have you ever seen an opportunity, a possibility, the glimmer of something that just might turn into something, and just been too timid to step out? It doesn t have to be a business venture. It might be that your church is crying out for someone to help with the kid s ministry or the sound desk or whatever it might be - and you think, Yeah, yeah, I could do that. I think I d enjoy that, actually. But for some reason, you just couldn t bring yourself to actually put your hand up, to step out, to have a go. Well, if you ve been in that situation, you re not alone. We ve all been there. If the truth be known, it s failing to take that first step that causes so many to miss out on the life God has planned for them. I remember as a young Christian, I went to a church in a green, leafy, southern suburb of Sydney Australia called Oyster Bay. There was a brochure on the back table for a local Bible college. The moment I picked it up, God stirred something in my heart. I felt Him nudging me in that direction. So I took the brochure home, got all excited, read it cover to cover several times, 34

and then there it sat on the coffee table for weeks. It s not that I m an indecisive person, I m not. But it just seemed ludicrous that Berni, the former army officer and now information technology consultant, should study at a Bible college. All too often, it s at this point that things come to a screaming halt, because we re afraid of taking that first step. In the Old Testament book of Esther, we discover that God s people are in mortal danger. Miraculously, the Hebrew woman Esther has become the Queen, but one of the king s advisors, Haman, tricks the king into ordering that all the Hebrews in his kingdom should be executed. Now, although he s only a commoner, Esther s uncle, Mordecai, decides that in this desperate time, something had to be done. So he secretly goes to see speak to his niece, Queen Esther, and implores her to petition the king on behalf of the Hebrew people. Good plan, Mordecai, but Esther knows that she ll be taking an enormous risk by approaching the king. [Esther said:] All the king s servants and the people of the king s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law all alike are to be put to death. Only if the king holds out the golden sceptre to someone, may that person live. I myself have not been called to come in to the king for 30 days. When they told Mordecai what Esther had said, Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, Do not think that in the king s palace you will 35

escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this. Then Esther said in reply to Mordecai, Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish. (Esther 4:11-16) Wow, what an extreme situation. All the Hebrew people s lives are at stake. All of Esther s relatives. The whole Hebrew nation. She s in a position to go and see the king about it. But she faces a huge risk. After all, the king already has done away with his first wife; would Esther follow the same fate? She s teetering on the edge, and then Mordecai makes that powerful point: perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this. Maybe God put Esther in that position, to deal with the very problem afflicting her people. And that s the thing: so often, in God s economy, tremendous opportunities come disguised as insurmountable problems, don t they? It was a problem to me that I d been a Christian for all of five minutes and yet I felt God calling me to Bible College. When I eventually applied, I had to go for an interview. I remember feeling like such a fraud. I knew nothing. Nothing about the Bible. Nothing!! And yet it was at that Bible College that I came into contact with the ministry of Christianityworks. It was at that Bible College that 36

the next part of God s plan for my life was already waiting. If I hadn t gone, I wouldn t be here with you now, sharing what I m sharing. Too many of God s mighty plans go awry because, at that crucial point of taking that first step, we re too timid to step out. God put Esther in that place to risk her life for her people, in order to preserve the Hebrew nation so that one day, all the nations would be blessed through their all-important descendant, Jesus (Galatians 3:1-14). Get a revelation today! God has plans. He has mighty plans and He calls His people to be ready and waiting. Like soldiers waiting for the call to battle. When a military unit receives deployment orders from its government, men and women step up, put on the uniform, take their pack and their provisions and their weapon and head out into a situation that risks their lives. It s what they ve been trained to do. It s what they ve been called to do. And so they go. Now, as one of the New Testament s letters clearly explains, God has made us with a purpose. For you are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do the works that he prepared beforehand for you to walk into. (Ephesians 2:10) I ll say it again. God made you and me with a purpose, with a specific plan in mind. It s a good plan and God is faithful. He will give you what you need to complete the tasks he sets for you (Philippians 2:12-15 and Hebrews 13:20-21). So, when that call comes, as it always does, don t be afraid to take that first step. 37

For perhaps, it was for a time such as this, that He created you. Perhaps God is calling you to something big. Perhaps God is calling you to something small and still scary. It doesn t matter which. We all have our part to play in His plans and purposes. It seemed such a small thing for me to be called to this humble, under-funded Bible college, that had its premises in an old truck warehouse and showroom. It had a crummy little library, not a big impressive library like the denominational college up the road. I went to lecture after lecture often at night, following a hard day s work (and I am not a night person, let me tell you). Assignment after assignment. Tutorials. Exams. Finished one unit, on to the next. It was so plain, so ordinary. But then, one day, the former head of Christianityworks came to teach a half unit elective in media. One thing led to another, and here I am with you and millions of other people who will listen to our radio programs, watch our television programs, read our booklets, explore our website in more than 160 countries. Go figure. How did that happen? God only knows. I think back to that first step of applying to attend the Bible College that brochure lying on the coffee table in my lounge room for weeks, and I think of the complete tragedy it would have been just to leave it lying there, without following the call that God had put on my heart. Without taking that first, crazy, ludicrous step. As you look at your situation, your circumstances, I know that things can look so 38

plain and ordinary. It s so easy to imagine that God doesn t have a plan, but He does and He s calling you to a life of significance, a life that will impact others for His glory. A life that, perhaps, He created just for a time such as this. Don t be afraid to take that first step. EXPLORE [Esther said:] All the king s servants and the people of the king s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law all alike are to be put to death. Only if the king holds out the golden sceptre to someone, may that person live. I myself have not been called to come in to the king for 30 days. When they told Mordecai what Esther had said, Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, Do not think that in the king s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this. Then Esther said in reply to Mordecai, Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish. (Esther 4:11-16) 39

GOING DEEPER... QUESTION 1 When has fear held you back from pursuing an opportunity or new direction? 40

QUESTION 2 Where have you looked for help with overcoming fear or lack of confidence? What was the result? 41

QUESTION 3 Why did Queen Esther not want to approach the king (despite being married to him)? What was Mordecai s response? 42

QUESTION 4 How might for such a time as this apply to you? 43

QUESTION 5 Write down the main areas of your life where you can step out without fear. What s the first step you will take? 44

PRAY Dear patient and faithful Heavenly father. You call us to step out of our comfort zones but, so often, we are afraid to take that first step. Inspire us with confidence and courage to not be timid. To not allow our doubts or shortcomings get in the way of the plans you have for us. We praise you that we can be a part of the incredible purposes you have for the world and humbly ask that you reveal the for such a time as this areas of our lives. Fill us with you powerful Holy Spirit, to embolden us for the big and small tasks you have for us to do. With great reliance, we pray for all these things. Amen. 45

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Berni Dymet is a contemporary Christian communicator with a passion for sharing the Good News of Jesus right into the middle of life. He comes from the perspective that this Christianity thing it isn t just a faith that lives in our heads or even our hearts, but that it actually works right here in the middle of our lives. Christianity actually works when we dare to accept Jesus Christ into our lives!! Not just as Saviour, but also as Lord. Millions of people around the globe tune into Berni s radio programs each week. The Lord has given him a special gift for sharing the Gospel in a truly practical way. In a way that really connects into the hearts and lives of real people in real places, transforming their lives. That s what the ministry of Christianityworks is all about. Leading people into a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ. But Berni s passion, his enthusiasm and his insights into the day to day realities of life are simply tools in God s hands. The real change agent is God Himself. And to Him and Him alone be all the glory. 46

Berni Dymet DON T WASTE YOUR LIFE Imagine getting to the end of it all, and looking back on a wasted life. What a tragedy that would be! For so many people who believe in Jesus, there is a yawning gap between the life that Jesus promises, and the life that they re actually leading. The compelling urgency of just eking out an existence, making it through today and the next day, takes our eyes off the plan that Jesus has for our lives. And it s all too easy to get to the end, and look back on a wasted life. What a tragedy that would be! And in any case, God doesn t want you to waste your life. So in this latest booklet, Berni takes a look at how to lay hold of God s amazing plan for your life from a different perspective.