Clear Channels

“CLEAR CHANNELS BETWEEN ME AND GOD”

1. What are the keys to continuing freshness in your love walk with Jesus?

For me it is important to maintain an open heart to His grace and mercy. To realise that there is no situation that I can get into that is beyond His love. I do not have to work at pleasing God as He is not at all impressed by my efforts. This sets me free to go beyond self-centredness to walk in fellowship with Him and enjoy His friendship and love.

2. What do you experience of the Holy Spirit’s speaking and leading in your every day life?

Here the key for me is to acknowledge Him in all of the little things. To realise that the sense of peace He gives is a safe guide in decision making. The big decisions are easy if He is involved in the little ones.

There are many times when a “thought” conversation with the Lord fills my heart with the sense of His presence and His leading.

3. Can you describe your every day communication with God? Has this changed much since you first gave your life to Christ?

When I first gave my life to the Lord I did not have any real understanding of just how wonderful His love is and I worked very hard at pleasing Him by my own efforts. This was very frustrating and left me discouraged and unsatisfied most of the time. I am so thankful that now life is a simple walk with Him. It involves continual intercommunication between Him and me. This is not always even in conscious interaction but mainly in the awareness of His amazing care and love that plans each day. I have an awareness that He shares life with me in a more intimate way than any human could, even my wife who I dearly love.

4. What is worship to you these days? How does it play a part in your every day life?

Due to past connotations the word ‘worship’ is not one I use frequently. It really is about heart attitude. If Jesus has the pre-eminent position in our hearts then all of our life becomes a series of acts of worship. We live to honour Him in each and everything we do and say. To me that is worship.

5. What is your experience of blessings and disappointments in your relationship with other believers?

The vast majority of my relationships with other believers have been wonderful, enriching experiences. I have experienced some disappointments but I am sure that fault, if that is appropriate, was as much mine as anyone’s. I do not feel as if anyone owes me anything. I have been deeply loved and it is a pleasure to live loved.

6. What is your present understanding of local church life, leadership and structure?

Local church life for me could not be simpler. I am blessed to relate at a deep level with quite a number of close brothers and sisters in the Lord. This is in a non-organised way. There is no fellowship group or structure. (There used to be!) This does not mean that there is not a strong commitment to each other and to the Lord but it is based on common friendship and mutual respect rather than loyalty to a religious club. In a non-structured group of friends leadership roles are primarily by God’s appointment and the recognition of that by brothers and sisters. They are functional in much the same way as parents take responsibility in a family through service, love and care. In such a lifestyle it is easy to recognise that different ones are anointed in different ways and each can function under the Head’s control for the good of the whole body.

7. What 2 or 3 things have become increasingly important to you over the period since you first trusted in the Lord?

Easily the most important thing is to live knowing that there are clear channels between me and the Lord. This means that I have an awareness that the things that I do and say are done “in His name” whether they are just ordinary conversations and day to day living or specifically spiritual things. I believe that it is possible to have the character of the Lord Jesus shown in all of life, even in the midst of my weakness and many failings. This is not a contrived or artificial thing, rather a fruit of knowing I am deeply loved. My failings are not a hindrance to the Lord but if I hide myself from His help and love in any situation then I must resort to my own strength and inevitably fail.

The other thing that comes to mind as increasingly important is the knowledge that I do not need to have each step of my life planned out. No one except God knows the future, so who better to trust to prepare me for it. I can see now with the benefit of age what was happening to me many times when I was walking without understanding. It actually His path of preparation for future circumstance that I could not have predicted. He is totally trustworthy.

8. What 2 or 3 things have become quite unimportant/ meaningless/ valueless to you since God ‘turned your life around’?

In recent years I have known a measure of success and promotion in my career beyond what I could have anticipated. I have enjoyed those roles but the prestige that goes with them has meant little or nothing to me. In taking on such duties I felt the Lord speak clearly to me of an opportunity to express His servant heart. One of the consequences of such an approach is that I could respect those under me and those above me with the same attitude and honesty, and not be compromised as a man-pleaser. Without knowing His values I could not be like this as I would be very aware of the impression I created.

Getting older and knowing the Lord is really wonderful. Instead of frustration at my declining faculties I have a growing sense of purpose and greater appreciation of eternal values. The cares of life and personal ambition get less and less. I still have strong desires for His glory to be revealed in His people. My love walk with Jesus does make earthly things seem less important. Having said that, I do enjoy many things like hobbies and keeping in touch with what is going on in the world.

9. At the present time, what is your main area of desire, concern or aspiration?

I am preparing for retirement soon and I desire that that season of life may be really purposeful. I desire to be hearing and trusting Him for His purposes to be fulfilled in our local area and wider. I think that that will keep me open to respond to Him and be available on this earth ‘for heaven’s sake’ for as long as He desires.

by David Rice, Ireland