1 Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.

Long ago I heard a sermon on order. An example was set before us of the building of great cathedrals of Europe. The first act was to plant the trees that would become the beamed ceilings. It would take seventy years for the trees to mature to the height required ad seventy years before the structure would need them.

How did they know this was the first step? That in itself will lead you to more and more questions. We will end up like little children asking why, why, why, every time we are asked to do something. Order is a given and who gives the orders is everything.

2 Corinthians 5:11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. NIV

Look to the order here and see that fear of the Lord comes before identity, i.e. what you are. Lastly you have to accept that the conscience built in you by exercise of faith recognizes the authority given by God to understand and execute the plans that God has for any effort. They are relayed to you by men.

The real issue beyond execution of orders is the recognition and acceptance of being a part of a body of believers who trust in you to do your part as much you trust in them.

Judges 20:36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.

If you have fear of the Lord first in your heart, can we trust you to follow orders?

Psalm 89:33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.

Ever suffer failure in your life? We talk about successes don’t we? Every tail spoken about failure always seems to end up about being an overcomer. No one likes to speak about failure because it is negative. Failure drags you down. Failure makes you feel less. It creates false identity, it labels you loser.

We have at this time a nation which has lost its identity. I am not talking politics and policies, I am talking identity. It is a subtle thing. We will always have a voice saying what we are but that voice is not our identity. Authentic identity cannot be found in what we do as a nation either. Identity is found in Christ.

Philippians 3:9 And be found in him(Christ), not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

If we as Christians have failed at anything, then we must look to who we are in Christ and act according to that standard of lovingkindness. If we will do that, then success and failure is erased from the results and will have no effect on identity.

1 Corinthians 13:8a Love never fails.

In this section of 1 Corinthians 13 the issue of failure of the power gifts and the service gifts is foretold but love does not fail because love is not a gift. Love abides. Love is our identity. Love is who we are.

John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.