Blog: Glimmers in the Fog by Kim Stiver

The Importance of Love-Infused Criticism

10/9/2019

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The importance of love-infused criticism and why God calls us to give it

The Importance of Love-Infused Criticism and Why God Wants You to Give it

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Last time I led a group Bible study, a rare and remarkable thing happened one night after our session concluded. A class member came up to me as I was packing up and gave me some love-infused, Spirit-directed constructive criticism. As the least talkative and shyest person in the group, I was both surprised and appreciative to hear her thoughts, no matter how difficult they were for me to process. Because she wanted to be obedient to God’s leading and truly cared for me and about our relationship, she spoke up. This act of love wasn’t easy for her. She was almost trembling when her words first began. But her step of faith pushed both of us to grow in Christ and deepened our bond as a result.

I will never teach that particular lesson the same again, and she has become more confident in sharing what God lays on her heart. What’s more, I believe the impact of her obedience ripples far beyond the two of us, touching lives from now and into eternity. I realize that may sound like I’ve blown a simple act of constructive feedback way out of proportion and exaggerated its potential, but I assure you, I have not. You see, prior to sharing her thoughts with me, she had always been hesitant to speak up. It was because of her desire to be more like Jesus that the words came out of her mouth. And once we overcome a spiritual obstacle of that size in our lives, the floodgates for God’s blessings begin to open in ways we cannot imagine. One act of obedience gives us the fire and fuel to have another. And another. There is no way to fathom the lives that will be touched because she is more empowered by the Spirit and encouraged in her walk with Jesus. And for me, her words have the potential to keep me from inadvertently hurting people’s feelings or becoming an impediment to their spiritual growth because of my unintended insensitivity.

One of the most difficult and least practiced things God asks every believer to do is to love each other completely. Fully. Not just a half-way, happy, feel-good, social love. Gritty, down-in-the-trenches love is what Jesus practiced, and He wants us to go there with Him. Even when it’s uncomfortable. Even when the situation calls for tough love. Even when the world says, “don’t get involved,” “just ignore it,” “live and let live,” or any of the other euphemisms that are out there to make us feel better when all we want to do is disregard something we know the Holy Spirit is prompting us to address. This kind of love goes even further than the noble love of social justice and standing up for those who can’t help themselves. That’s because complete love requires us to get intensely personal, putting ourselves, our pride, and our own comfort level in jeopardy for the sake of helping another become what God has created him or her to be in His Kingdom.

Pastor and author Tim Keller said, “Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it. God's saving love in Christ, however, is marked by both radical truthfulness about who we are and yet also radical, unconditional commitment to us. The merciful commitment strengthens us to see the truth about ourselves and repent. The conviction and repentance moves us to cling to and rest in God's mercy and grace.” And here’s my favorite part of Keller’s commentary on what a complete, God-centered love requires. “[Spiritual friendship] is eagerly helping one another know, serve, love, and resemble God in deeper and deeper ways.” The only way we can help each other resemble God in deeper and deeper ways is being obedient when the Holy Spirit nudges us to offer someone constructive feedback infused with His love and without a trace of judgment.

In our modern culture, this aspect of love is often avoided for a myriad of reasons. Most of us, including me, have avoided it at one time or another because we don’t want to seem judgmental. After all, in today’s society of acceptance and tolerance, any trace of criticism is often immediately condemned and publicly scorned. Sadly, most of the time, such criticism is delivered at the wrong time, through the wrong channels, and utterly without the anointing of the Holy Spirit or Biblical confirmation. And because of the highly charged rhetoric playing out in social media, where almost every element of criticism today is not appropriate or offered correctly, anyone who dares wade into those waters — either publicly or privately — experiences an onslaught of negativity or shame. But regardless of our culture and despite what people might think, the Bible encourages believers to love each other enough to tell each other the truth in love and walk alongside each other in accountability. It’s not the kind of thing that belongs in the public arena, but in a one-on-one relationship rooted in Jesus and covered by His grace.

Another reason followers of Jesus flee from opportunities for critique and edification, is spiritual laziness or selfishness. Ouch. I know that’s offensive to say, but I’m only talking about it because I am guilty of it. We all know what the word critique means, but edification is one of those spiritual terms thrown around a lot and rarely used properly. It is not a synonym for encouragement. Edification is defined as instruction, teaching, or building one another up. We can encourage one another by our words and sometimes we even do it with our actions. But by its very definition, edification, cannot be done without taking action. Edification takes work. Edification takes a sacrifice of self, a surrender of pride, and accepting the personal risk. And it definitely includes a time commitment. Many believers don’t give complete love to others because we’re too busy, too tired, or simply can’t be bothered to expend that much time and energy. Helping someone else resemble God in deeper and deeper ways, as Keller puts it, is an investment. Still, if we don’t do it, then we are not only limiting our brother or sisters’ potential in Christ, we are also limiting the impact of the Kingdom as a whole. We are not serving each other as God intended as in Proverbs 27:17, “You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another.”

While I am sure there are many other excuses we can make for not edifying each other, a final reason we may avoid it, is because we believe we are ill-equipped to do so or simply see it as a gift we don’t have. But the fruits of the Spirit begin to show up in the life of any person growing in the fullness of Christ. We don’t receive a “get out of jail free” card on edification just because we don’t feel naturally equipped to do it. Ephesians 4:15-16 says, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” If we’re afraid to do something that God asks us to do, then we’ve just discovered the perfect opportunity for Him to show up in miraculous ways and draw us closer to Him. It is the essence of Paul’s radical statement in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through the power of Christ at work in us.

While a detailed lesson on how to give and receive Godly criticism and helpful feedback is beyond the scope of today’s message, it would be irresponsible of me not to mention the importance of being able to practice either according to Biblical principles. There is definitely a wrong way to give it or receive it, and either can be devastating. At the bottom of this page, I have included some links to detailed articles written by others far more trained to help you in this area of growth. I invite you to spend time with God and let Him lead you on where to go next with this. In the meantime, here are a few simple guidelines that apply to either giving or receiving.

Pray immediately and thoroughly. When sensing that the Holy Spirit is prompting you to offer feedback or when someone approaches you with it, begin to seek the Lord’s involvement immediately. Before you speak or react, invite Jesus to anoint your heart and mind with His grace, compassion, and humility. When possible, take the time to pray and study the Word before taking action of any kind. Sometimes God prompts immediate feedback, but more often, He prompts us to spend a significant amount of time preparing before taking action.

View the other person with an assumption of love. Whether God is leading you to offer edification or receive it, assume that the motivation for action or reaction is love. Neither person in the exchange should operate under the judgment of the other, but move forward with the belief that Jesus can and will work through the words of the other person, no matter how flawed they come out.

Listen to what they’re actually saying, not what you think they really mean. In Philippians 4:8, Paul admonishes us to only think about what is true and honorable, not what we imagine to be true. Only the Spirit of God can read someone’s mind or know what’s in their heart. Both the giver and receiver must trust God and trust that He’ll bring out the best in each other.

Listen more than you talk and desire growth. Even if you are giving feedback, if you are truly interested in the other person’s edification, you will talk less and listen more. If you are receiving it, then listen with an open mind even if you initially feel offense, ridicule, or condemnation. Both people should aim for God’s work in the conversation, not their personal agendas or validation.

Be humble. The giver is not superior or more holy. The recipient has no reason to feel shame, but must also acknowledge that everyone has room for growth.

Nurture the relationship and be mindful of unity. One of the most important things to Jesus was the unity of those who follow Him. It so crucial that He made it a priority to pray about unity in the Garden of Gethsemane in the hours leading up to His crucifixion. Biblically-grounded feedback will always seek reconciliation, restoration, and self-sacrifice for the sake of the relationship and the body of Christ.

Follow-up and commit to accountability. This is one of the most-omitted steps of Godly criticism, both on the part of the giver and receiver. If God prompts you to offer feedback, then make the commitment to encourage and check back in, not just once, but multiple times. Do everything you can to nurture your brother or sister in the days and weeks after your conversation. If you receive feedback, follow up with the one who offered it to let them know you appreciate it and their willingness to be obedient. Satan often lurks in the aftermath of these kinds of dialogues to make the giver second-guess what God told them to do or how they did it. The evil one wants to discourage them from ever doing it again. And there’s nothing he wants more than to make the recipient feel anger, bitterness, embarrassment, and complacency, among many other insidious reactions. Take the victory in Jesus’ name, and don’t let Satan win in the aftermath.

The older I get, the more I see so many areas of my life and aspects of my behavior that need to be corrected, softened, or completely eliminated in order to become more like Jesus. As I think back over my years of serving in the church or in my community, I often find myself wishing that someone had said something to me much earlier in my life about many things. And that spurs me to be available to God when He gives me the opportunity to help others on their journey. Loving others completely in Jesus doesn’t require a certain rank. It isn’t reserved for someone with a title. It doesn’t always come from someone who is older, or even perceived to be wiser than us. Building up each other up is every believer’s job and when the Holy Spirit is guiding it, God will always be glorified and His body will always be strengthened.

Five-Day Devotional Guide and Additional Resources
These readings from today’s message can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week. Before you begin reading the passage for each day, spend some time asking God to open your heart to His truth and hearing His voice.
Day 1 - Hebrews 10:24 tells us to stir one another up to love and good works. Read the verse in several different versions of the Bible and write down what God may be calling you to do. Ask Him for opportunities to stir others up around you and the courage to follow through.
Day 2 - Sometimes God calls us not to help someone see what they might be doing that could be improved or corrected, but to overcome weaknesses like fear. Read Isaiah 35:3-4 and ask God to show you how you can edify someone else in their faith.
Day 3 - God may direct you to spend time with someone who needs constructive criticism surrounding actions or behaviors that stem from sin. Read Matthew 7:3-5 and Galatians 6:1-2 and spend time with God asking Him to reveal things in your own life that He has redeemed and could use for His glory.
Day 4 - Read Ephesians 4, paying close attention to verses 2, 3, 15 and 29. God wants us to speak from a heart that is pure before Him and willing to love fellow believers more than our own agendas. Spend time in prayer, seeking the Holy Spirit to reveal any motives and attitudes that may be lurking in your heart beneath the surface. Pray Psalm 51:10-12 back to Him.
Day 5 - Read Proverbs 27:9 and Romans 12:10. Ask God to place the name of someone on your heart today that you can encourage with Godly affection and affirmations. Write down ways God is leading you to spend more time and energy encouraging and edifying others.
Additional growth resources:
Giving and Receiving Godly Criticism: Sharpening Each Other With Your Words — this instructive article includes step-by-step guidelines for offering and receiving constructive criticism.
The Secret to Giving and Receiving Critique — this blog post provides real-world examples of why Biblically guided critique is so vital to our faith.
How to Handle Your Critics Like a Pro, Not a Toddler — this straight-forward message offers actionable suggestions for receiving and processing others’ criticisms even when they are misguided or unfounded. It's written for leaders, but it applies to all of us.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts on this post! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

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Are You Being Real?

8/21/2019

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Are You Being Real? God searches the heart.

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Last year I published a blog post about blossoming for Jesus while living in a hard place — either literally or emotionally. However, I wrote that message at a time in my life when I was NOT in a hard place. The words had come to me while reflecting on my previous journeys during times of difficulty, but I had the advantage of viewing everything through a rested and peaceful heart. And while everything the Lord laid on my heart to say in that post still rings true, the application of those truths has pushed deeper into my soul than ever before. So, as I sat here this morning listening to the jarring sounds of drills, hammers, shovels, and an assortment of other tools being used to correct the myriad of problems with my house, I felt the familiar, stirring presence of God reminding me to rely on the only unmovable foundation in my life.

Some of you may remember me writing about a beautiful, but incredibly determined purple iris that had figured out how to not only grow but also blossom resplendently in the most unlikely of places — a rock bed. Just feet away, there was soft, fertile earth beckoning, but that single iris was growing right where it was originally planted many, many years ago by the previous owner. As I pondered the struggle the iris must face each year to rise up among stones and then blossom in unpleasant conditions, I couldn't help but think about the times in our lives when God plants us in places we don’t want to be in. He sees the hard, unforgiving stones and gravel as opportunities for growth, and we tend to see them as nothing but bad luck, adversity, and disappointment. He wants us to learn to depend more on Him and become a bright spot of color on an otherwise barren landscape. But we tend to focus on the lack of comfort and companionship, and beg the Master Gardener to plant us somewhere else… anywhere else.

That’s where I’m at right now, both mentally and physically. I want to resist where is He is planting me with all that is within me. And whether you’re in a season of contentment or a season of confusion, I’m sure you can recall that feeling of resistance as well. When we enter a season of life that places us in unfamiliar terrain that is rough or demanding, we may feel the angled, painful edges of rocks around our hearts, minds or bodies. Sometimes we resist, wilt, and give up. Sometimes our stubbornness kicks in and we try to push through even when we know we shouldn’t go in a certain direction. And other times we do what God calls us to do — to completely trust Him, even amid extreme discomfort.

I am currently vacillating between all of those reactions. Some days I’ve given up and gone to bed discouraged. Other days I’ve pushed through the hours like a robot, willing myself not to feel or react to anything. I’ve told myself that I don’t care when of course, I really do care. And I’ve had what I’ll call a good day, where I receive the Lord’s mercy like water being poured in a dry cistern. What does that look like? Well, it means persevering, praying and waiting on Him for strength, relief, and perhaps most importantly — the ability to hope. Or maybe I should say, to believe that there is always, always a reason to hope, no matter how bleak things seem or feel. It’s the hope that Jesus sacrificed His life for so that when the hard times of waiting and endurance occur — whether you’re in that difficult place for an hour, a day, a month, a year or a decade — you’ll always come out of it having leaned into Jesus more deeply and more fully than you could have ever imagined.

Unfortunately, many believers never experience the kind of joy that flows from a heart that accepts God’s sovereignty to either place us in — or allow us to be taken to — a hard place. In last year’s blog post, I focused on the sovereignty aspect, since I know that’s been one of my biggest struggles in the past. I’ve always strained to find joy and hope in suffering because I had been unable to move beyond the acceptance of God’s sovereignty over my life to a level of fully embracing and welcoming it. It’s kind of like the difference between saying, “Oh God, this is terrible. What are You going to do about it?” And expectantly stating a fact like this: “Oh God, I can’t wait to see what You are going to do with this.” The first statement is hopeless. Joyless. And frankly, self-centered. The second statement, while still acknowledging the situation, acts on the belief that God will always work things together for His glory. We can choose to live expectantly — even in darkness — or we can slump our shoulders under the weight of our doubts. It’s not that we don’t have doubts. It’s impossible not to, but it’s whether or not we’re living out a real faith in the face of them.

Jesus implores us to be real. Real with Him and real with each other. Especially during the trials of life. Ignoring our doubts, concealing our doubts, or living in any way that doesn’t embrace a full trust that God not only sees it all, but is actually working through it all, is only a work of fiction. I shudder to think how many times I have gone to the Lord in prayer and gone through the motions of saying that I trust Him. Yet, then I get up from my knees and begin worrying about tomorrow. What’s more, I later try to go through the situation without sharing any of my internal struggles with the very people God has asked me to “do life” with. I may share a prayer request with someone, but I keep the nagging doubts and other “unspiritual” feelings to myself. As I result, I end up wondering — sometimes excessively — what others might think if they truly knew what I was thinking and feeling about God’s role in the situation. So, if you’re like me, you filter every response to the question, “How are you doing?” with something deemed socially acceptable or convenient. And then we get home and the Holy Spirit is urging us to spend time with our Heavenly Father, and the habit of not being real with people becomes our habit with God. The Holy Spirit is asking us, “How are you doing? Talk to me. Be real with me,” and we mutter out the Sunday school prayers as if He can’t handle the truth.

The good news… no, the most phenomenal news ever… is that He can handle the truth. He created us for fellowship with Him. Not to be robots. Not to be afraid of Him. Not to live without feeling, dreaming, risking, and wondering. Yet most of us — me included — insist on going through life as if we need to perform. As if we need to fabricate some level of faith we don’t have. As if the other believers in our lives have the power to determine our holiness. But here’s some truth that God keeps hammering home to me: the trials of life and negative thoughts will come at us from every angle, and Satan will attempt to use every single one of them to make us doubt God’s sovereignty. To doubt His love for us. To doubt His ability or even willingness to help us. That’s because the evil one knows that our belief and unwavering trust in God’s authority and power is crucial for our faith to grow and real joy to flow from our souls into the lives of others. If Satan can sabotage our ability to be real with God and others, then he can successfully stunt our faith for life. We’ll keep hitting this seemingly invisible, spiritual brick wall over and over. And we’ll keep wondering why.

Imagine being an early follower of Jesus in the years of hardship after His resurrection and ascension. The apostle Peter was crucified upside down for the cause of Christ. Paul was beaten, jailed, bitten by a snake, and suffered great personal affliction on an ongoing basis throughout his life. They, and the countless believers who suffered gracefully in the centuries that followed, all looked to Jesus as a role model for embracing and thriving under God’s sovereignty. When Jesus endured the beating, the ridicule, and agony of His trial and crucifixion, He laid His life down of His own accord in willing surrender to his Father’s sovereignty for the joy that was set before Him. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus knew that if He embraced — not just obeyed — what God was allowing to happen, there would be joy. We know from scripture that He had to be willing to surrender and play the position God had put Him in. Luke 22:42 tells us that Jesus earnestly pleaded with God about the difficult position He faced: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done.” Jesus was real with His Father. Go back and read the passages about Jesus’ pleading in the Garden of Gethsemane, and you’ll see the ultimate example of someone being truly raw with God about internal struggles. (Luke 22:39-46, Matthew 26:36-46, and Mark 14:32-52)

Waiting, seasons of suffering, and learning to glorify God in the role He’s placed you in is an uncomfortable thing to ponder. Sharing the truth about your feelings and doubts with others during those difficult seasons is even more uncomfortable. If you’re in a season of comfort and rest right now, going back to a place of stone and striving is not something you want to think about. The subject of God’s sovereignty and suffering can also be unsettling and even divisive depending on who you’re talking with about it. Yet understanding it, embracing it, and trusting in this attribute of our Heavenly Father is one of the most important keys to finding true peace and joy in this life.

Most importantly, the very existence of God’s sovereignty means we are not in control. Acknowledgment of this fact and the ramifications of it in our lives is the most uncomfortable feeling of all. As a recovering control freak with perfectionist tendencies, my discomfort seems as though it’s at an all-time high. But as the Holy Spirit met me in some of my most desperate hours these past few weeks, I kept hearing, “Be real with me,” over and over. And as I thought about the blog this week and wondered if I could even muster up some words, I heard, “Be real with them too.”

And so, here I am being transparent. Being real. And letting anyone who listens or reads to see my doubts, disappointments, and confusion. While I’m determined to say boldly, “I can’t wait to see what God is going to do with all of this,” I’m struggling with deep discouragement over where my life seems to be headed right now. Through God’s clear direction and provision a little over two years ago, I exited the corporate world to start Core Radiate and subsequently the Glimmers in the Fog blog. But with all that’s happened this year, that calling seems to be in jeopardy due to financial circumstances. Which brings up another reality of life that almost everyone is uncomfortable being real about… money. But, if I can’t be real about the whole truth, then I’m not actually being real with you at all, am I?

The majority of people spend a lifetime denying God’s sovereignty and struggling needlessly with the stony places. And because they think they’re not supposed to question God or express doubt, all their internal struggles mount up like immovable rocks in their souls. Because they don’t ask why and because they don’t expose the wounds, the Holy Spirit can’t move in to address the questions, teach the heart, and soothe the soul. Then, the more they resist being where God has placed them, attempt to control the situation, and try to change things on their own, the more hardness and bitterness take over.

I don’t want to be in the majority. My prayer is that God will give me the faith, submission, and trust to fully embrace the stony places and fully rest in the bountiful ones. That doesn’t happen without being real and trusting the results of doing so entirely to Him. So as I wrap up this week’s message, I humbly ask you for prayer that I will get out of His way and let Him do only the work He can do in hard places. At this point, almost nothing is outside of the realm for potential change or out of the question, and although that means the future of the Glimmers blog isn’t clear, I know that God’s truth is. Romans 8:28 in The Passion Translation says, “So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are His lovers who have been called to fulfill His designed purpose.” Scripture doesn’t leave any room for loopholes or caveats in that statement. God’s sovereignty prevails no matter what the details. My dream has been to serve the Lord by encouraging others through the written and spoken word, but His dreams for me are better, whether they include what I desire right now or not.

I have no way of knowing this, but I think Paul had Psalm 37:4 in mind when he followed the leading of the Holy Spirit to write Romans 8:28. Psalm 37:4 says, “Make God the utmost delight and pleasure of your life, and He will provide for you what you desire the most.” (The Passion Translation). When we make God our utmost delight… when we make Him our focus and not ourselves, then He transforms our hearts to desire what He wants. Just before Paul declares that all things work together for bringing good into our lives, he says in verse 27: “God, the searcher of the heart, knows fully our longings, yet He also understands the desires of the Spirit, because the Holy Spirit passionately pleads before God for us, His holy ones, in perfect harmony with God’s plan and our destiny.” If I believe what God promises, then I must conclude that even though I am uncomfortable or feel disappointed, He is still working on my behalf to bring His plans to glorious fruition. He knows something I don’t know. He knows what’s best, even when it seems completely opposite of what I’m feeling or experiencing. But if I deny my reactions, feelings, and doubts, then He can’t intervene and adjust my vision to see His perspective. And if I don’t have His perspective on things, then I don’t have hope… or joy… or patience.

It may sound strange to say that I hope you find encouragement in my doubts, but that is my prayer as I share this message today. Even if you’re miles away from a hard place right now, there’s not a believer out there who doesn’t struggle deeply with doubt from time to time. And each time it happens, it will seem new, shocking, probably confusing. And Satan will make you feel guilty and alone in the midst of it. When it happens, I hope that you remember this message and follow the Spirit’s calling to be real. Don’t fight it, deny it, or feel guilty about it. Be real and God will eventually bring the healing.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts below! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

Five-Day Devotional Guide for Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week. Before you begin reading the passage for each day, spend some time asking God to open your heart to His truth and hearing His voice.
Day 1 - Read one or more of the Gospel passages about Jesus’ prayer in the Garden the night before He was crucified. (Luke 22:39-46, Matthew 26:36-46, and Mark 14:32-52) As you read, ask God to show you how Jesus was being transparent about His feelings and struggles with God. What do you think God wants you to be willing to expose to His healing?
Day 2 - How have you struggled to accept God’s sovereignty in the past? Read Jeremiah 29:11. Spend some time recalling how He has been faithful even when it didn’t seem like things we’re going well at first.
Day 3 - The Psalmist was very real with God. He had no hesitation about bringing his doubts, fears, and questions to God. Read Psalm 42. Even though many of us know the Psalms well, we still struggle to be as transparent with God. Why do you think that is? What do you have going on in your heart that you have been hesitant to be honest about with yourself and God?
Day 4 - Read Galatians 6:1-3. Sharing one another’s burdens requires being genuinely open and transparent with each other. How have you struggled with that in the past? Ask God in prayer to reveal anything that you need to be more open about.
Day 5 - As believers in Jesus, we can always have hope because no matter what happens here, we have an eternal destiny. But how do we renew our hope when eternity seems so far away or hard to imagine? Read Philippians 1:3-9 and write down anything that comes to mind about Paul’s source of hope, even when he sat in a Roman prison. Read Romans 15:13 and then spend time praying it back to Him. If you have time, play two or three worship songs and sing along with all your might.

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Does God Want you to Be a Minimalist?

8/7/2019

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From the day you were born, you started collecting stuff that will be with you for the rest of your life. Indeed, stuff was already waiting for you in your room before you even came home from the hospital. There were the super practical things, of course, some of which would come and go within hours (like the diapers) and others that would linger for years until you grew out of them. And then there were the completely non-practical items. These were usually adorable and capable of generating an “Awwwww, how cute,” comment in the most high-pitched tone. Some of them were useless, but entirely sentimental icons of your earliest days, and they might still be tucked away in a box in the furthest corners of your attic or basement, no matter how old you are. If keeping some of your childhood memories isn’t your thing, then I am sure something else is. It may be a weakness for clothes, gadgets, knick-knacks, or books. Even artwork, pantry items, tools, office supplies, or small appliances can mound up through the years.

For most people, too much stuff of some kind in their closets, drawers, or garages is making them feel smothered, constricted, overwhelmed, busy, depressed, or frustrated on some level, whether it be occasionally troublesome or incredibly debilitating. We all exist somewhere on the continuum between minimalism and hoarding. But where does God want us to be? Is joining the minimalism movement, led by the likes of Marie Kondo and Clea Shearer, any different from trying out the latest fad diet to shrink our expanding waistlines? We try them out, only to find ourselves struggling again once we inevitably diverge from the plan. I found myself asking these questions and many similar ones over the last several months of packing, moving, and trying to unpack. Notice I used the word “trying” regarding settling into my new home. Just like getting a huge shock when you step on the scale for the first time in five months (yep, I have that problem too!), I have been both surprised and dismayed at how little storage capacity is available in my house. Having too much stuff combined with an impressive lack of storage options has created the perfect storm of clutter, disorganization, and overwhelm in almost every room.

For those of you who know me, the inability to unpack quickly, organize, and enjoy clutter-free tidiness, is driving me crazy. Bonkers. Nuts. Attach any word to it that makes you picture a woman with her hair on fire, and you’ll understand my state of mind. What’s more, I’m one of those writers who can’t even concentrate on crafting a single sentence until my desk area complies to my own very unorthodox version of feng shui. While I recognize that I am clearly displaying inherited OCD tendencies right now, and I probably need to break into a rendition of a saccharine Disney tune like Hakuna Matata or Let It Go, the truth of the matter still needs to be addressed. I must purge. Purge even more now than I did when I packed up everything. But again, questions come to my mind. Do I purge only enough to ease the madness, or should I take it much further and clear out everything but real necessities? And speaking of essentials, how is that really defined in my life? What is truly necessary, versus what makes life a bit more comfortable, versus what is outright indulgence or laziness? Did God lead my husband and I to this home in order to spur me toward adopting a more minimalistic lifestyle, or is being at some other point on the continuum of stewardship acceptable to Him?

Perhaps you’ve also wondered how much stuff God wants His followers to have. And I am not just talking about the stuff that actually costs money. Most of the faith-driven Christian books, blog posts, and sermons surrounding this topic tend to focus only on the stewardship component of this problem. As a result, I think many believers end up feeling justified in hanging onto a lot of stuff through the years as long as they are honoring God with their financial giving through regular tithing and offerings. After all, as far as I know, there’s no verse in the Bible that says you shouldn’t keep your first-grade finger painting masterpiece or that special dress that you wore to your Sweet 16 party (um, that would be me.) Or how about we head into even more sensitive territory? What would the Bible guide us to do with highly useful items that haven’t been used in a decade? What if we will need them again for some unpredictable project or event in the future? If we needed something once, doesn’t it stand to reason that we will need it again? And wouldn’t God want us to tuck it away in the back of the shed or closet instead of spending money on a new one should the need ever arise again? That last example is the toughest one of all, isn’t it? Maybe that expensive tool will come in handy again. Or perhaps the outfit you bought for that black tie wedding ten years ago might come back in style.

While Jesus didn’t talk specifically about things like that, He did make one truth repeatedly clear during His time with the disciples. He asks us to remove anything from our lives that prevents — and that means even slightly hinders — us from fully and completely following Him. Furthermore, He asks us to live without fear or wondering how our needs might be met in the future. Therefore, I believe we can firmly conclude that Jesus wants us to let go of anything that might get in the way of us drawing closer to Him, experiencing His goodness, obeying His direction and calling for our lives, or dwelling in the states of contentment and mental freedom. While this truth has different ramifications for each unique individual, the scriptures that support the idea of living with an unencumbered heart are uncompromising. Beyond that, it’s up to each of us to prayerfully seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance regarding the boundaries needed in our lives. As I have been seeking God’s instruction in my own self-made chaos, here are a few of the Bible verses He’s brought to my attention in recent weeks.

Matthew 5:29 says, “So if your eye — even your good eye —causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” Ouch. Can you even believe I am starting with that verse? I actually tried not to, but the Holy Spirit kept bugging me about it. Here’s why. There is nothing I have in my boxes of stuff, not even my most beloved wedding memorabilia, that is as important as my eyesight. I don’t think any of us would be willing to lose an eye over a possession. And here Jesus is using an extreme example to indicate the kind of extreme love we are to have for God. So even something useful or of the greatest value to us must take second place to serving and loving our Heavenly Father. I love how the verse includes the phrase, “even your good eye,” as if a person would want to give up either eye at all! But yet, that’s how some of us approach sacrificing our stuff in order to follow God. We prioritize it for Him — as if we have the right to do that. We’ll give up that thing, but not the best or the dearest thing. In this way, the Word makes it clear that even valuable, cherished, or useful things sometimes need to be sacrificed for the sake of obedience to — and love for — God. So if God calls you to downsize in order to fulfill your calling, then even something you might — just maybe — need again, probably needs to go. And the next verse offers assurance that if you need it again someday, He’ll provide it when the time comes.

Matthew 6:33-34 is Jesus’ end to all of our arguments about retaining things we don’t need or fretting about needing things we’ve let go of under the guidance of His Spirit. “So above all, constantly chase after the realm of God’s kingdom and the righteousness that proceeds from Him. Then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly. Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.” I’m not planning on throwing out my box of wedding memories… at least not right now. There are plenty of other things the Holy Spirit seems to be leading me to let go of first. And what He might be asking you to release may be different now than it will be next year or next decade. And the flip side of that is true as well. You may be tempted to buy something that seems very reasonable right now that God knows will only be a hindrance later. So when the Spirit whispers to you with conviction or direction, it’s far better to obey and trust that your emotional, physical, or financial needs will be taken care of the way He knows is best for us.

In Mark 10:17-31, a prominent rich young man approaches Jesus and asks how he can live forever. When he explains that he has followed all the commandments and lived in obedience to God, verses 21-22 recount Jesus’ reply. “Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. ‘There is still one thing you haven’t done,’ He told him. ‘Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’” While this story in the Gospels is often used to illustrate our willingness to surrender financial assets, the implication is far more comprehensive. Jesus wanted the young man’s whole heart, and He could see that this prominent and accomplished guy was far more in love with his belongings and his stature than he was with God. When our accumulation of stuff encroaches on any aspect of our ability to love and serve God, then we are like the wealthy young man. Our hearts are clinging to our memories, treasures, gadgets, and clothes more than Him. So if I have so much stuff I can’t create a small, non-distracting space in my house to be alone with Jesus in prayer, read the Word, and worship Him, then something’s gotta go. If I own too many “toys” and their maintenance or use prevents me from serving others, then something’s gotta go. Jesus makes it that clear. That simple.

The apostle Paul said it this way in Hebrews 12:1-2: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” We don’t like to think of our stuff as sin. It makes us feel shameful. And shame causes us to feel defeated. It makes us feel like not bothering to try. And that’s right where Satan wants us. Shame makes us ineffective for Jesus. Yes, having a bunch of stuff can chain us down and keeps us from being free to go wherever and do whatever God asks us to do. But having shame over our stuff increases the weight upon our shoulders to an unbearable level. And Satan simply loves that. Not only are we weighed down, but we are also unmotivated and bewildered. But as Paul says, Jesus ran the race to demolish our strongholds of sin and shame. So no matter how much stuff I have or any stigma associated with it was buried with Christ, enabling me to run free in His strength and power. That’s how God sees me. Through the power of the cross. And that’s how He sees you too. All He asks is that we surrender our hearts, which means that He has the freedom to clear them out when necessary. Just like our houses, we have a tendency to fill up the rooms of our heart with things that don’t belong there. And everything in our houses first appeared as a desire in our hearts. Nothing shows up in our physical world until we’ve first acquired it in our hearts and minds.

A huge pile of stuff in my bedroom is about to be loaded into bags for donation. Some of the items have been in my closet for more than a decade. Some of the items are fairly new but should’ve never been purchased in the first place. For many different reasons, all of them were taking up space in my heart that wasn’t intended for them. I don’t know what else the Holy Spirit will bring to my attention for elimination in the days and weeks ahead, nor could I ever tell you what things in your life might need to go. But this I do know beyond a shadow of a doubt: with each step of surrender and obedience, Jesus is waiting to usher both of us into a greater depth of love and willingness to serve than we’ve ever known before.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts below! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

Five-Day Devotional Guide for Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week. Before you begin reading the passage for each day, spend some time asking God to open your heart to His truth and hearing His voice.
Day 1 - Read Matthew 6:25-34 in at least 3 different versions of the Bible. Spend time in prayer asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to you anything (physical, emotional, societal) that you are hanging onto or long to have that might be creating a byproduct of worry, fear, or greed in your life. Write down anything He brings to your mind and commit to seeking God’s forgiveness and direction in those areas.
Day 2 - Go back to the list you made yesterday and spend time in prayer. Read 1 Timothy 6:6–8 and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what areas of discontentment exist in your life.
Day 3 - Sometimes contentment has nothing to do with material possessions or physical comfort, but rather our emotional or societal desires. We might be bitter over a lost relationship, promotion at work, or a wrong that someone committed against us. Even our state of health can tempt us to long for what we don’t have. Read Philippians 4:10-13 and ask God to reveal any emotions or longings in your heart that are leading to discontentment or mistrust of Him.
Day 4 - When life doesn’t seem fair, we might resort to unconsciously accumulating things or pursuing activities for the wrong reasons. The things or activities themselves may not be sinful, but if they are not God’s best for us, then He wants eliminate the root causes of those errant desires within us. Read Psalm 139:-23-24 and pray it back to God.
Day 5 - Read 1 Chronicles 29:11. Spend time today celebrating all the good things in your life that God has blessed you with, including your special memories, possessions, and most valuable relationships. Give God all the honor and glory for each one. Write down a few for future encouragement.

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Are you a Distant Observer?

7/31/2019

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There’s nothing like a little distance to put things into perspective. And while we’ve all heard the cliche that, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” I love Charles Lindbergh’s quote the most. “Life is like a landscape. You live in the midst of it, but [you] can describe it only from the vantage point of distance.” How his words so aptly describe the effect of distance on almost any feeling or circumstance in life. When we live in close proximity to those we cherish, we are more likely to take them for granted. Just as when we are too deeply embedded in a problem, we are unable to see the solution right in front of us. Like a pair of glasses for a nearsighted person, distance has a way of bringing life into focus that cannot be achieved through any other means.

With my recent relocation across the country, my awareness of distance and its effects on my life has been rolling through my heart like waves on a seashore. With each new wave of realization, a freshly unfamiliar landscape appears, forcing me to think about how far away are so many of the people who have shaped my heart, enriched my life, and impacted my day-to-day existence for more than a decade. As if my affected emotions weren’t enough, distance is also altering my memories. Like repainting a wall, the structure remains unchanged, but it is awash in a new color scheme.

This morning, my distance reminder came in the form of a text from a friend in need of prayer. Yet another reminder that more than 3,500 miles exist between us, but that God intends for me to love her just as completely as if I were there right beside her. The Holy Spirit whispered to my heart, “Distance can become your excuse, or it can be My catalyst. Be a participant, not just an observer from afar.” As this thought rolled around in my mind, Jesus’ words in John 15:12 quickly followed: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” I may be halfway around the world from my friend (well, it feels like it anyway), but God placed me in her life, and she in mine, to take an active role.

Never in Scripture do we see Jesus advocating for passivity when it comes to relationships. Even more impressive is that He clearly reveals that active, life-giving relationships with each other are central to what it means to loving God Himself. In that same passage in John, we read: “You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.” It is simply not possible to separate Jesus’ command to love others from fruit-bearing activities.

Prayer is at the top of the list of fruit-bearing activities for all believers. So much so that Scripture tells us to do it continually, without ceasing, in all circumstances, and for all believers. If we endeavor to be participants in people’s lives, then our activity must begin with prayer before we take any other actions. Philippians 4:6, tells us to pray about everything and Ephesians 6:18 issues this command: “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”
As I prayed for my long-distance friend this morning, I also became newly fascinated with the mysterious and powerful interrelationship between prayer for others and our own spiritual well-being. When we pray for others, we are clearly carrying out God’s command to love them well. Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Interceding for others in prayer is an act of obedience and an expression of our love for God Himself. And Scripture makes it very clear that being obedient is key to spiritual wholeness and living abundantly in Christ.

Take, for example, the story of Job who perhaps suffered more than any other person in history except for Jesus. After losing everything he owned and loved, he was also shamed and rejected by his friends. And then we read this enlightening verse from Job 42:10: “When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!” When preaching on this stunning passage, Oswald Chambers asserted that if you are struggling spiritually, then you will find a fresh infusion of growth, joy, and hope by interceding for others. “If you are not getting the hundredfold more, not getting insight into God’s word, then start praying for your friends, [and] enter into the ministry of the interior. As a saved soul, the real business of your life is intercessory prayer.”

The way I see it, the best thing you can do for your friends is also the best thing you can do for yourself. Since my new location still feels entirely foreign to me and distance feels more like my constant companion rather than a simple measure of space, praying for those I love even when I don’t feel like it, is doing just as much work in my soul as it is theirs. James 5:16 says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” Notice that James says, “that you may be healed,” not that they may be healed. Granted, he is using the collective form of the word “you,” but Scripture is consistent in how it describes the far-reaching effects of prayer on both the one praying and those being prayed for. Psalm 145:18 says, “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.”

But prayer is a tall order, isn’t it? Praying for those we love with consistency takes both time and a serious level of commitment. Even though it takes far more effort physically, most of us would rather do something for a friend than take the time to pray for them throughout the day during their time of crisis. Human nature screams at us: just solve the problem for them, and you’ll feel good about it too. Throw money at it. Maybe even give a little of your time on a Saturday morning. Oh, and definitely meet them for a yummy lunch and offer your sage wisdom on the situation. These are all things that come naturally to us, and while doing something may be exactly what God is calling you to do, praying for your friend in need is always what God wants — whether or not physical participation is needed as well. Anything done without the covering of prayer is vulnerable to our own motives, misguided perceptions, or uninformed perspectives.

However, under the power of prayer, the Holy Spirit can reveal the otherwise unknowable to us in loving and serving others. Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” And James 1:5 gives us this assurance: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” We all know someone who would be harmed more than helped by receiving certain kinds of aid. Likewise, we all know someone who really needs our assistance, and our selfishness may be stopping us from serving them in the way Jesus reveals to us in prayer or commands us in Scripture. Corey ten Boom famously said of prayer, “We never know how God will answer our prayers, but we can expect that He will get us involved in His plan for the answer. If we are true intercessors, we must be ready to take part in God’s work on behalf of the people for whom we pray.”

God puts us in — or makes us aware of — circumstances to be a participant, not an observer. The minute you hear of someone in need, it’s never a coincidence. If you believe God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and wants to be intimately and personally involved in our lives, then you must also think that nothing happens without His intention or knowledge. Therefore, we must conclude that praying for someone is always what God desires. He wired us to need Him and each other. When we go to Him in prayer for others, heaven touches earth, effectively drawing us closer to our Savior and to each other… no matter what the distance, emotionally or physically.

Today, whether you’re feeling distant from God, or feeling distant from someone else, the gap for either is closed in the same way: prayer. And if you think you’ve been away too long to pray, trust me, you haven’t. If you think you need flowery language to pray effectively, you don’t. If you think you’ve done too much wrong to pray, thankfully, you’re wrong. Prayer is simply talking to God without a filter, pretense, or agenda, and then waiting in stillness for Him to respond. Prayer is spending time with the One who loves both you and the person you need to pray for, no matter what either of you has done or not done. And, bonus, no matter what you say, according to Romans 8:26, the Holy Spirit will turn it into a pleasing aroma to your Heavenly Father. God designed prayer to lavish us in His love and teach us to abide in that all-encompassing love. And if His perfect love can drive out fear (1 John 4:18) and has nothing to do with punishment, then why do we so often fear coming into His presence?

No matter what you’re doing right now — whether you’re reading this at work or listening to it in your car — when you’re finished, I invite you to pray for someone you love, someone you’re struggling with, and someone suffering or in great need. That person may be one in the same, or many different people. As their names drift through your mind, recall and imagine this scene when you pray for them: their names are carried by the Holy Spirit into the throne room of the almighty King of the Universe. And as your prayers are lifted up, His wisdom, hope, peace, joy, and direction floods down over you. Every second of every day, our souls are longing to be with Jesus, it’s just that most of us don’t accurately identify that ache we feel as the distance between earth and our heavenly home. Prayer bridges that gap. Prayer puts us in the throne room. Any time. Anywhere. Why not go there throughout the day and take with you the needs of those God has called you to love? Sure, it will change their lives, but it will impact yours even more.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts below! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

Five-Day Devotional Guide for Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week. Before you begin reading the passage for each day, spend some time asking God to open your heart to His truth and hearing His voice.
Day 1 - Read John 15:12-17. In what ways has Jesus exhibited friendship toward you? Which qualities of a good friendship do you wish you could experience more with Jesus? Why do you think those specific qualities came to your mind? Write them down and then present them back to Jesus in prayer, asking Him to show you what changes you need to make to grow closer to Him in that way.
Day 2 - Earthly relationships are incredibly important to our spiritual health. Read Matthew 5:24 and ask God to speak to your heart about any relationships in your life in need of repair. How might they be interfering with your growth in Jesus or your obedience to His Word?
Day 3 - Read James 5:16. In what ways are believers called to support each other in prayer when it comes to sin? How do you know when there is sin in your life that needs to be confided in another believer (who is not weak in the same area) and when you should keep it to yourself?
Day 4 - ReadJames 1:5. In what areas of your life or relationships are you in need of wisdom right now? Pray the verse from James back to God and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in paths of wisdom and teach you to obey His direction.
Day 5 - Read Ephesians 6:18. Praying continuously can sound like a daunting task, but with a little creativity and planning, there are many ways to incorporate simple “breath” prayers into your daily routine. Spend time with God in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you on ways to pray more often. If you’re looking for even more inspiration in this area, the short 78-page book The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence is packed with examples of how to incorporate prayer into everyday habits.

Jesus wants participants. Supercharge your faith with intercessory prayer.

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Too Much of a Good Thing = Not Enough Jesus

6/12/2019

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Too Much of A Good Thing Equals Not Enough Jesus

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Human history is filled with powerful stories about what happens when an individual or a group of people hit their “enough is enough” moment. Usually, it happens after a long time of enduring the consequences of too much of a good thing. In other words, something that was once perceived as a good thing — whether it actually was or not — goes really south and eventually reaches the boiling point. It is that point at which change is sparked…when the powder keg of freedom is finally lit. While there are things, habits, or relationships that may not be good for us from the start, the self-induced chains that sneak up on us most often are those things that once had harmless or even beneficial beginnings.

I often marvel at how many times I’ve had to reach the enough-is-enough point with issues in life. I used to believe that I would eventually be savvy enough to recognize the encroachment or overrun of anything long before I would have to begin the hard work of making corrections and recovering from the consequences of having or doing too much. But now I have come to understand that as long as there are things to be enjoyed and productivity to be pursued, Satan will always try to lure me to pursue something good until it spoils. I may learn how to draw impenetrable boundaries with one specific thing, but as long as I’m living on this earth, new things will keep appearing. God will continue to provide tremendous blessings, but the temptations to overuse them will keep coming. After all, that’s Satan’s self-assigned job. He’s passionate about twisting anything good into something bad. But my God-assigned job is even more powerful. I’m called to be passionate about relying on Jesus to help me both enjoy the blessings and endure the trials for His glory. Neither the pursuit of good things or the struggle over bad things should ever eclipse my love for —and trust in — God.

Sometimes we know that a good thing has turned sour long before we do anything about it. I’ve been waiting on my enough-is-enough moment regarding a particular issue for a long time. I’ve seen it coming for months now, and I’ve even longed for it, but have been unable to make it arrive any sooner. I’ve also simultaneously dreaded reaching that point, because when it arrives, it brings with it the discomfort of change, the difficulty of discipline, and the limitations of new boundary lines. But my life is crying out for it after a prolonged season of excess and counterfeit freedom. For me, reaching the point of being fed up enough to make a change is kind of like insomnia. The more I try to make myself fall asleep, the more elusive it becomes. Whatever this mental hurdle is called — I’m sure there must be a name for it — I have encountered it in almost every area of my life at one time or another. Whether it’s insomnia, an over-committed schedule, overeating, or even relationships, the motivation to finally draw the line in the sand and return to balance can be one of the most difficult things in life to find. And since there is no aspect of life that is not vulnerable to being overrun or overindulged, we can often find ourselves craving the motivation to make a change in multiple areas.

Two people in the Bible who articulated what it’s like to deal with having too much of a good thing are King Solomon and the Apostle Paul. While there is much to glean from their writings on the subject, they each handled the problem very differently. Solomon allowed the blessings of God to become his god until it was too late, finally seeking redemption at the end of His life. The gifts of marriage, financial comfort, and physical indulgence completely engulfed his every waking hour, eventually making him numb to anything meaningful, including the Lord’s presence. In Ecclesiastes 1:14, he gives us the theme of the book: “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Time and time again, he reminds us that the pleasures of life, the knowledge of the world, and even the work we perform, all have bottomless pits. There is no point at which we can experience complete satisfaction in anything other than God. Ecclesiastes 1:8 says, “All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.” And we read in chapter 6 verse 7: “Everyone's toil is for the mouth, yet the appetite is never satisfied.” Ecclesiastes is a cautionary lament from an old man who allowed himself to become so ensnared by good things that many years of his life were wasted wallowing in regret and feeling the pain of self-induced consequences.

Solomon is a great example of a mistake we often make when we reach our breaking point. As you read Ecclesiastes it becomes clear that he took everything to the extreme. When he reached the bottom of trying one thing, he’d push another thing to the brink. Just as his ancestors did in the desert when they gathered too much manna (see Exodus 16:13-20), Solomon ignored God’s boundaries and ran after excess of blessings. The result was the same: a beautiful thing became spoiled and unsatisfactory to consume any longer.

Sometimes when we finally declare, “Enough is enough,” and design our action plan for change, we only turn around and fall into a different pit of extremes. Rather than embracing the much-needed adjustment with a healthy intensity of change, we take drastic measures, somehow trading one obsession for another. Like rebounding from a bad relationship into an opposite — but equally detrimental — one, we feel compelled to wipe away everything associated with the thing we had too much of. And, so yet again, we often to respond to an imbalance in our lives with another imbalance. For example, the person who couldn’t say no and becomes so burned out on volunteering that she pulls out of serving altogether. Or another common case is the dieter who swears off an entire food group, versus learning the valuable discipline of eating in moderation. It doesn’t matter what the issue is, we can all relate to the mistake of going to extremes in an act of desperation. That’s because when we let anything reach a severe level and feel the gravity of the choices that got us there, our human nature tells us to counteract it with equal force. Ever since the Garden of Eden, humankind has felt the need to punish itself once exposed to the light of conviction. Yet the only One who could adequately punish us for our sins instead offers us forgiveness and wholeness forevermore.

And this is where the example of Paul’s life gives us the very hope which Solomon was struggling to find until the end of his life. Although he wasn’t a king like Solomon with limitless power and money, Paul had tasted what it was like to go to extremes and come up empty. As a paid mercenary for the Jewish leadership council in Jerusalem, Paul had a blank check when it came to persecuting Christians. And he was passionate about it too. He also earned plenty of cash doing what he loved. But then Jesus stepped into the picture and everything changed. After Paul’s conversion experience with the risen Christ, I’m sure he was tempted to punish himself, but instead, he was saturated with the grace and mercy poured out upon him by Jesus and then spent the rest of his life sharing the same with others. Rather than endlessly searching for earthly satisfaction as Solomon did, Paul allowed Jesus to bring it to him. Just listen to how differently Paul looks as life compared to Solomon. Philippians 4:11-13 says, “I’m not telling you this because I’m in need, for I have learned to be satisfied in any circumstance. I know what it means to lack, and I know what it means to experience overwhelming abundance. For I’m trained in the secret of overcoming all things, whether in fullness or in hunger. And I find that the strength of Christ’s explosive power infuses me to conquer every difficulty.”

Paul was deeply satisfied through the power of God. Solomon was riddled with emptiness and disappointment after chasing everything but God. Paul knew the secret to see the travails of the earth as meaningful and valuable. Solomon spent his whole life searching for the secret, only to declare that everything was meaningless in the end. Paul figured out that just because something wasn’t necessarily harmful, perhaps even what most people would call good, doesn’t mean it’s beneficial at all times. Solomon viewed the world as his oyster and erroneously believed that God had given it to him to have as much of it as he wanted. When he saw something as good, he fooled himself into believing that it was also beneficial in vast quantities. But here’s how Paul viewed it in 1 Corinthians 10:23-24, 31: “‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

The secret to living life in balance is filtering every choice through the light of the Word and in the power of the Holy Spirit. And when things do get out of balance — when you’ve lost your focus on glorifying God in a particular area and something that once was good has overrun your life — the secret to reaching your enough-is-enough moment is exactly the same. Whether you’re in a state of balance or just beginning to realize how out of balance life has become, clinging to Jesus is the antidote you need. Everything that can be experienced in this world — even the blessings of God — turn to ruin when out of balance… when consumed too much… when they become more important to us than the Gift-Giver Himself. When the thing, relationship, or habit we long for consumes more of our thoughts than Jesus, then it’s moved from being a blessing to being an idol. We’ve moved from a Sabbath margin mentality to a self-fulfillment mindset.

By contrast, we can never overdose on the Bread of Life. We can never exhaust the mercies of our Savior. We will never reach the end of His goodness. We can never max out on the fruits of the Spirit. John 6:57-58 describes the never-ending satisfaction of knowing Jesus more: “Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Every longing of our hearts that threatens to throw us out of balance points to a spiritual deficit. Every. Single. One. We cannot separate any part of ourselves from who we were created to be in Christ.

In most things we long for, we’re actually seeking comfort of some sort. Sheila Walsh said in her book The Longing in Me, “We long for peace, but we often grab control because it makes us feel that we are doing something.” For most of us, that good thing turned bad because we began to seek it not for God's intended purpose, but to fill a need in our lives… a hole in our heart… caused by a wound, a disappointment, or an unmet ambition. But no matter what drives our desires, God desires us to be with Him even more. There is no yearning on earth that can compare with how much He wants us to rely on Him, trust Him, and cling to Him for our deepest needs. Our Father delights in us and He longs for us to do the same by seeking Him first for our longings… by inviting Him into our cravings and desires and letting Him fulfill them through His presence and His means. Not our own. Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” Did you catch that? When we run to God for our longings, He promises us joy. Not only that, but He rejoices in our need for Him. Psalm 147:11 says, “But the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.”

If you are in a place of balance today, take a moment to praise God for the sure footing you’re currently enjoying. But if the Holy Spirit nudged your heart about something that might be a little off-kilter in your life, don’t ignore it or pretend you didn’t hear it. Don’t wait until the problem reaches the boiling point. Declare right now that enough is absolutely enough. And if you’re concerned about whether you’ll have the sufficient motivation and willpower to truly follow through, then I have two suggestions. First, believe and trust in the Holy Spirit to display His power each time you take a step of faith in the right direction. And second, make Paul’s rally cry your very own. Romans 6:12-14: “Sin is a dethroned monarch; so you must no longer give it an opportunity to rule over your life, controlling how you live and compelling you to obey its desires and cravings. So then, refuse to answer its call to surrender your body as a tool for wickedness. Instead, passionately answer God’s call to keep yielding your body to Him as one who has now experienced resurrection life! You live now for His pleasure, ready to be used for His noble purpose. Remember this: sin will not conquer you, for God already has! You are not governed by law but governed by the reign of the grace of God.”

So, go ahead my brother or sister in Christ. Draw your line in the sand and commit to not letting the winds and rains of life wash away every trace of your intention. No matter what comes your way, your victory is already secure if you cling to Jesus.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts below! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

Five-Day Devotional Guide: For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week.

Day 1 - Read Matthew 6:19-24 twice, first in the ESV and then in The Message version. Now, in whichever version you prefer, go back and read it a third time, but instead of money/treasure being the topic, substitute whatever thing, person, or habit you currently have too much of — or desire too much of. After reading, spend time with the Lord in prayer and journaling about the state of your heart. If God whispers anything to you write it down.
Day 2 - Our bodies are gifts from the Lord to be used for His glory. Read Romans 12:1-2 and ask God to speak to your heart about the ways He wants you to serve Him, care for your body, and allow for breathing room in your life to live abundantly in His grace and by His schedule. Write down any adjustments that He wants you to make.
Day 3 - Every waking moment of our lives is designed to glorify Jesus. While that’s impossible to do within our own power, the Holy Spirit enables to grow more and more in that direction with each step of faith and obedience. Read Colossians 3:1-8 and consider any areas of your “old life” that have come back or you have never been able to defeat. What line in the sand do you need to draw today with God’s help? Write down your next baby step in that direction.
Day 4 - Whatever we consider our work, whether it’s a job, raising kids, volunteering, etc., we are to do everything as for the Lord. Read Colossians 3:22-24 and ask the Holy Spirit to whisper to you of any ways in which you are working for something other than for His glory. Write down your next step.
Day 5 - Look back over the last four days of scriptures and the ones mentioned in the blog post. Ask God which one He wants you to revisit and spend more time studying? Memorize it by making flash cards and putting them in your car, on your mirror, or anywhere else frequently visible. Read Deuteronomy 11:18 and then spend some time in prayer.

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How to Hear the Voice of God Part 2

6/5/2019

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How to Hear the Voice of God Part 2: 6 Hallmarks of His Voice

How to Hear the Voice of God Part 2: Six Hallmarks of His Voice

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Last week’s blog post highlighted the four ways we need to prepare our hearts to hear God’s voice and eight of the most common methods He uses to communicate. To get the most out of this week’s message, I would suggest listening or reading to part 1 first.

Have you ever misinterpreted an email from a friend or co-worker? It’s such a common occurrence, I bet every single person on earth who uses email has made inaccurate assumptions or has misinterpreted what the sender was trying to say. Then we all know what happens next. Either we sit and stew on it because we don’t want to call or visit the sender in person to clarify the meaning, or we do the most dreaded thing we all know we shouldn’t do (but we do it anyway)… we hit the reply button and send back a completely inappropriate response based on what we assume we heard. As we have all painfully experienced, mistakes happen when we assume. (And, yes, I think the acronym for assume fits, but I won’t repeat it here. Ahem.)

This is kind of how listening to God can be. When He speaks to us, it’s not like receiving a phone call from your best friend, whose voice you can often recognize just by the way she breathes or the way he clears his throat. With the Almighty’s voice, there’s no audible tone or style to hear. No inflections to indicate humor or anger. In short, most of us have so little familiarity with what He’s saying — either because what He’s asking us to do is so surprising or because we’re simply new or out of practice with hearing His direction — that after He’s spoken, we may spend minutes or hours second-guessing what we’ve heard. We can make some radically wrong assumptions. We can jump to conclusions. Sometimes we miss out on a blessing because we were too unsure to act when He spoke.

As you become more and more familiar with His unique voice in your life, which happens over a long period of time and with frequent practice, you will begin to clearly experience for yourself the signature characteristics, or hallmarks of His voice. These hallmarks are helpful in knowing what God’s voice sounds like and understanding His nature. However, even when you think you’ve heard from God clearly, never skip the step of seeking Scriptural confirmation. As we said last week, God’s Word will never contradict anything He personally lays on your heart. That means the principles and guidance outlined in the Bible must always — without any exceptions ever — must agree with, or support, whatever it is you’ve heard in order for God to even be considered as the source. Here’s an example: If you think God is telling you to go ahead and make a big purchase, but you are currently drowning in debt or struggling to tithe regularly, then the voice you’ve been hearing is either coming from your own desire or Satan’s temptation.

Beyond the principles and guidance, Scripture also gives us clear indications of God’s character, style, and approach. While these are more subjective than a specific command like tithing, these hallmarks of God’s guiding hand can be critical tools in discerning His voice in less obvious and more nuanced situations. While God is too big and simply unfathomable to pin down as a personality type (Romans 11:33, Isaiah 55:9), there are clear indicators of His voice that can be gleaned throughout Scripture. Just as important, the hallmarks of what is NOT His voice also materialize out of the preponderance of evidence in Scripture. Whether it’s your own voice or Satan’s sinister attempt to distract or misdirect you, knowing what the Bible indicates is not His voice is equally important.

Before we get into the six hallmarks, also keep in mind that a secondary confirmation of what He’s saying to you can come through the wise counsel of others. But, seeking input from spiritually mature friends, a Christian counselor, or your pastor, should never carry more weight than — or take the place of — direct Biblical confirmation. If God truly said something to you, then He’ll make sure you get confirmation in His Word in some manner. It may come through a Scriptural suggestion from a friend, in a sermon, or a myriad of other ways. But if you keep your heart open to God’s direction and are willing to surrender any of your own wisdom and desires, He will give you a confirmation in His Word, repeatedly in your prayer time, and secondarily through others and circumstances.

Now on to the six hallmarks. When the many Biblical accounts of God speaking are viewed holistically together, certain patterns, tones and defining characteristics emerge to give us these defining features of what His voice sounds like, as well as what it does not.

1. God pushes us out of our comfort zone, without imparting fear, a sense of foreboding, or worry. Only the wisdom of an omniscient (all-knowing) God who loves you beyond your wildest dreams and knows you better than you know yourself, could simultaneously ask you to step out of your comfort zone while giving you a shot of unexpected motivation and courage. When God asks you to do something, most of the time it will be something that you would not naturally want to do or think to do. Whether it’s a simple command to talk to a stranger or to sell something you value more than you should, when God speaks it goes right to the heart of the matter and the Holy Spirit gently but insistently pushes you to obey. And once you step out on faith — and not a moment before then — strength, courage, and peace flow. Philippians 4:6-7 makes it clear that when we are communicating with God, He gives us peace, even when the task at hand is difficult. Jesus said His peace rests upon us always in John 14:27. He wasn’t ambiguous when He said that. If something is from the Holy Spirit, there will be a sense of peace.

2. He uses repetition to get His message through the noise of life and emphasize His point. It’s a universal truth that human beings need to hear something at least seven times to be able to recall it. Seven! Advertisers know this proven fact, and that’s why you can recall some of the most annoying commercials on television. So if God is trying to get your attention, you better believe He is sending the message multiple times and through various ways. Two or three people might mention the same Bible verse to you. You may then sense His leading in prayer about the same thing and then again in the sermon you hear on Sunday. When you notice that a Bible verse, message, or theme starts popping up repeatedly in your life, immediately begin to pay very close attention. Journal about it and begin praying over it. In the Bible, Jesus repeated things of great importance multiple times. In the book of John alone, the word “believe” is repeated more than 100 times, emphasizing the need to place your trust in God before any of what is promised in His Word can manifest itself in your life. When Jesus explained the path of eternal life to Nicodemus, He began by repeating the word “truly” as a way of indicating the supreme importance of paying attention to what He was about to say. John 3:5 says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

3. His direction can always be confirmed, but not through circumstances alone. A message from God will always line up with Scripture. If it doesn’t fit with the Bible, then dismiss it immediately, no questions asked. Don’t even entertain the thought or search for a different verse or interpretation to justify what you think you’ve heard. Secondary confirmation can also come through wise counsel (Proverbs 11:14 and 12:15), especially if it has to do with a decision that may not be a question of right or wrong, but more of a case of choosing between two paths, such as whether to accept a new job offer or move to a new location. The Word tells us to seek the counsel of mature, grounded believers to pray with us and ask for discernment. But I’ve learned the hard way, as have many others, to never rely on circumstances or the input of others to make the final confirmation of what you think God said. Evaluating the circumstances in your life and using your own assessment to make a decision based on that alone is no better than reading tea leaves or flipping a coin. In other words, no matter how tempting it is to be guided by obvious circumstances, don’t do it. Charting a course for your life based on what’s happening around you is one of Satan’s best deception tools for Christians because he can veil himself in light and never be noticed until it’s too late.

4. God usually delivers immediate instructions with authority, but not in a compulsive, frantic, random or bargaining manner. While God still chooses to anoint some with the gift of prophecy, most of His communication with us is about everyday dependence on Him. Usually, He gives us just enough instruction for the next step ahead (Psalm 119:105). The Holy Spirit will lead us day by day, not reveal the long term plan. We are to live in the present, not focused on the future. He gives us new mercies each morning, just for the day ahead. As we learn to listen for His voice throughout the day, what He asks us to do will become clearer over time. As we obey in the small things, He gradually gives us bigger things. On the other hand, Satan, or sometimes our own sinful desires, will throw random or frantic ideas at you that are compulsive or hyper-urgent. Satan loves to give you this intense feeling of pressure, like a used car salesman making you believe that if you don’t act now you’ll miss out on the best deal of your life. James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” What an excellent verse for testing everything you hear!

5. He speaks to bring conviction and freedom, not guilt. Learning the difference between the conviction of sin versus guilt and shame is crucial in distinguishing God’s voice from the enemy’s. The Holy Spirit will search your heart, especially in prayer, or in a moment immediately following a sinful act, and He will urge you toward repentance. He will push you to ask for forgiveness. Guilt, on the other hand, is a feeling of condemnation, worthlessness, hopelessness, shame, or a sense that you cannot — or shouldn’t — be forgiven. Think of conviction as a revelation that you’ve done wrong with a clear desire to repent and then move forward in freedom. Guilt is a foreboding, heavy feeling that keeps you from forgetting your sin and past mistakes. Guilt will literally rob you of being effective for Jesus, and that’s precisely Satan’s goal. No matter what you’ve done wrong, there is forgiveness in Jesus. Believe it. Ask for it. Receive the gift and move on. Any voice that makes you want to stay in the pit of guilt is coercing you into rejecting God’s best for you. Romans 8:1 gives us this clear, matter of fact pronouncement: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

6. He speaks to draw you closer to Him and to love others more than yourself. He will never give directions that promote human effort, glory, or favoritism. In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment. He replied with, “And He said to him, ‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” So, God is never going to tell you to do anything that would tear down others or elevate yourself above others. And I am finishing up with this Scripture because it is the one you should repeat to yourself the most, especially when you sense the Holy Spirit leading you to do something in the moment, such as “help that elderly lady with her groceries.” According to Jesus’ words, you have all the confirmation you need to proceed. Other times, of course, you need to wait and seek more specific confirmation. But, again, remember that no message from God is too small to ignore. Even the smallest things could be the most significant in either someone else’s life, or even your own spiritual growth. You may think that He’s giving you “junior” level work to do, but He sees it as building blocks to a plan that He may take decades to unfold in your life. Trust Him. Listen to Him. Walk and learn with humility and a teachable spirit (Proverbs 15:31-33).

One of my favorite authors, John Piper, said God speaks to everyone — not just those who believe. He said, “Oh, unbeliever, God is speaking to you in your pain to warn you, and God is speaking to you in your pleasure to woo you.” But for those who believe, the sacrifice of Jesus turns our pain and suffering into instruments of sanctification, which simply means the process of becoming more holy… more like Jesus little by little. As for our moments of pleasure, with Jesus, they become reminders to praise Him and faint glimmers of the eternal joy that awaits us one day. In either case — in suffering or happiness — the Holy Spirit enables us to live supernaturally by displaying characteristics that could only be from God: humility, joy, gratitude, contentment, and hope in all circumstances. Living in this manner is one of the greatest ways we can speak to others about God. When we become vessels, albeit imperfect ones, that show glimpses of Jesus in everything we do, God speaks through us to a world that so desperately needs to hear Him. And what better way to live, than to not only hear His voice, but also become a conduit for His voice to a desperate and dying world around us?

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts below! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

Five-Day Devotional Guide: For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week.
Day 1 - Read Romans 11:33 and Isaiah 55:9. What do these two verse tell you about the nature and character of God? In what ways have you put God in a box? Think of a decision you need to make or wisdom that you need right now in your life. How might your own thoughts or ideas about what should happen or what you should do compare to what God might have in store? Ask God to lead your thoughts and pray for discernment and wisdom that is from Him and not your own.
Day 2 - Recall a time that God has asked you to do something out of your comfort zone. It may be something He whispered to you in the moment or a command in Scripture that makes you nervous or even frustrated. Journal about that experience and then read Mark 10:17-27. Read that passage a second time and substitute your own greatest desire instead of money/possessions. This passage isn’t only about money, it applies to any comfort in life that Jesus asks us to give up to follow Him.
Day 3 - When have you jumped to conclusions about God’s voice or direction in your life based on circumstances? How did things turn out when you did? Based on today’s message, write down and commit to memorizing a Bible verse that spoke to you about seeking confirmation in God’s Word rather than analyzing your situation or listening to other people’s guidance.
Day 4 - Which of the six hallmarks of God’s voice resonated with you the most at this point in your life? How has your obedience to His word impacted your ability to experience God or discern this particular hallmark? Read John 14:23 and James 1:22. Ask the Holy Spirit to convict your heart of any disobedience in your life.
Day 5 - Spend some time meditating on Matthew 22:36-40. Ask the Holy Spirit how He might be calling you to love others more. After spending some time in prayer, in what ways do you sense God leading you to serve others more? How do you think doing so will enable you to hear His voice more clearly? Write them and make an action plan to follow through.

Additional recommended resources for learning to hear God’s voice:
The Art of Listening Prayer, Seth Barnes
Discerning the Voice of God, Priscilla Shirer

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The Surprising Truth about Spiritual Laziness

5/7/2019

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The Surprising Truth About Spiritual Laziness and What You Can Do About It

The Truth About Spiritual Laziness and What to Do About It

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On the surface, spiritual laziness looks like not getting up early enough to pray and read your Bible, but it really goes much, much deeper than that. When I searched the Internet on this topic, the vast majority of articles and blog posts focused on the disciplines of quiet time, going to church, and serving others. And all of those things are critically important. But from my personal experience, those disciplines and commitments are almost impossible to stick with unless the root of spiritual laziness is dug up and destroyed. Not praying regularly, reading the Bible daily, and committing to regular fellowship with other believers are usually symptoms of something buried much deeper in our souls. It’s kind of like trying to losing weight. You won’t stick with a diet until your heart, mind, and soul are aligned and motivated to do so. You may persevere for a while based on sheer willpower and stubbornness, but it won’t become a lifestyle until the spiritual battle is won within the deepest parts of your being.

So what is spiritual laziness if it’s not the failure to regularly implement the classic Christian activities and routines? To discover this answer, we can turn to the Biblical analogy of trees and fruit, which is used more than a hundred times throughout scripture. Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” In this verse, we discover that trust in God — a deep, abiding, unwavering, uncompromising trust — is the key to a fruitful life. That means that not trusting in God for anything and everything — i.e., worrying, trying to control outcomes, not submitting to God’s sovereignty — is at its core true spiritual laziness. Therefore, all of those wonderful and incredibly vital habits I mentioned earlier are the fruit of being spiritually active, but they are not the tree itself. The tree described in Jeremiah is fruitful because it’s rooted in the trust of the Lord, day and night, season after season, storm after storm.

If you feel slapped in the face right now, please know that I am right there with you. If I were to reveal my list of weaknesses, laziness has never been in my top 10. If anything, I am at times too energetic and too driven. A former boss of mine once said to me, “Your level of energy and dedication to your work makes your co-workers nervous.” And she didn’t entirely mean it as a compliment, and now many years later I have come to understand why. I’ve also realized that what shows up in my work habits is just as spiritually-connected as what comes out in my sacred disciplines for the Lord. Outwardly I appear to have it all together. My actions indicate a preponderance of fruitful behaviors and activities, but they only mask a deep, soul-level weakness — an overwhelming need to perform, to do, to achieve — all because I have unrecognized or unacknowledged trust issues with God. This is why being busy with the tasks of proper spirituality or duties of religion has in the past left me feeling drained, empty, and disconnected from God. But until recently I never realized that laziness had anything to do with it.

If this still doesn’t make sense to you, bear with me a moment more. The connection between laziness and mistrust is simply this: striving to trust God for everything takes great effort, put forth on a continual and consistent basis. And not just for a few weeks or months. Trust grows in layers throughout your lifetime. One decision or trial at a time. That means trusting Him even when we walk through long seasons of waiting, difficulties, or disappointments. When we don’t trust the Lord, it bubbles out into our lives in the form of busyness, trying to control situations or others, legalism, worrying, anxiety, escapism, the pursuit of accolades, or wealth, grumbling and complaining, and a whole host of other manifestations. Eugene Peterson, the editor of The Message version of the Bible puts it this way: “Sloth is most often evidenced in busyness … in frantic running around, trying to be everything to everyone, and then having no time to listen or pray, no time to become the person who is doing these things.”

A recent mental health article in the New York Times illustrates Peterson's point beautifully. “Laziness: it isn’t a characteristic usually associated with the anxious. If anything, people tend to view the anxious as more active and motivated than normal, because they are more haunted by the specter of failure. And yet long experience has taught me that it is laziness ... that is the foremost enemy of the anxiety sufferer, for laziness prevents him from countering the very patterns of thought that make him anxious in the first place.”

You may not be a worrier. Anxiety may be the last thing you resort to when times get tough. But if you struggle with anger or a need for control, then you also likely struggle with trusting God when difficult people or disturbing situations come into your life. While the article in the NY Times was written without any spiritual connotations or recommendations, it gets to the heart of the matter: every person has a choice to make when confronted with the daily decisions of life. We can make the effort to trust in God, let go of our own desires, and implement His divine recommendations for a healthy, fruitful life, or we can slide down the path of least mental resistance into our comfortable, but usually very detrimental, bad habits. This is why Paul says our faith is like running a race. He doesn’t say it’s like sitting in a meadow on a sunny day having a picnic. Our participation and consistent effort are required. Hebrews 12:1-2a says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder, and perfecter of our faith.”

One of the best parables of the Bible encourages us to risk everything we hold dear in order to walk closely with God. Our reputations, our lifestyles, our fears, and even our bodies are to be placed in His hands willingly. In Matthew 25:14-30 we read about the parable of the talents, which tells the story of a wealthy business owner who gives three employees each a sum of money and asks them to take care of it for him while he is away on a trip. Two of them immediately invested the money so that it would earn interest. The third one was fearful of what would happen if he made a mistake, so he simply buried the money for safekeeping. When the owner returned, this is what happened: “But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?” And then the passage closes with this warning: “For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

In commenting on this parable, Oswald Chambers said, “The person who is lazy naturally is always captious (i.e., sully or a whining). ‘I haven’t had a decent chance,’ and the one who is lazy spiritually is captious with God. Lazy people always strike out on an independent line.” Of course, our definition of independence is different today than it was back then (circa 1900). Today we typically use the word independence in a much more positive fashion than Chambers intended. His implication is that lazy believers chart their course separately from God’s recommended path. Therefore when it comes to spiritual matters, they can all too easily use the excuse of independence — or what they believe to be our unique situation — to justify laziness, rebellion, or fear.

Jesus, on the other hand, calls us to be utterly dependent on Him. As Chambers says in his writings, we should never forget that our ability to trust in God and to serve Him with boldness — despite the risks to ourselves — is not measured by what we are capable of or what we desire to do. Instead, our abilities should be grounded in the promises of God never to fail us, leave us, or ask us to do something that He cannot achieve through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us. In fact, the greatest miracles of life come when we are at our weakest and trust God to perform His work within us for the benefit of others and His glory. 2 Corinthians 4:7-11 says, “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” So this verse implies that the weaker or more fearful you may be of what God has asked you to do, the greater the opportunity for Him to work miracles and display His glory.

Theologically, all of this may sound like solid truth to you, but if you’re still wondering what it all means for the day-to-day living and walking with Jesus, perhaps the following words will help you turn these spiritual implications into daily actions. As with most Biblical truth, there is great irony in God’s command to trust Him in Proverbs 3:5-6, which says simply: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” This verse contains two actions for us to follow: trust and submit. We must participate in the process. To bear fruit like the tree, we must remain planted by the streams of living water. Yet to keep ourselves out of spiritual laziness and make the efforts required of this command, we must simultaneously learn to simply rest. Yes, you read that right. To overcome laziness, we have to learn to be still. When we build Sabbath margin into our daily lives — not just on Sunday — we will have the time to breathe, think clearly, and engage our complete being — mind, body, and soul — in the pursuit of Jesus. The tree grows because it is beside the river of life. We will only grow in Christ when we take the time to drink of His strength and learn of His wisdom. So while I said at the beginning of this message that prayer, Bible study, meditation, and worship are the fruits of trust, they also become the building blocks of greater and greater trust as we faithfully apply them. But we’ll never see them appear as long as we allow busyness to proliferate in our lives and numb us to the real laziness of our hearts.

When we allow laziness to dominate our decisions and motivations, we only end up serving a false god, and not the true King of Glory. Laziness, or not trusting God, like any other sin feels good for a season. Other than busyness, it often shows up in the forms of escapism, like mindless TV watching, endless social media surfing, or a myriad of physical indulgences and coping mechanisms, but when we look it square in the eye and call it for what it is, we realize it’s all about trusting the unseen God to do what He says He will do. Today, I would ask you, fellow traveler, where are you planted? Are you putting only a few roots down near the river of life, while allowing others to seek comfort in the tainted soils of self-reliance or personal comfort? If so, ask God to help you find them again, dig them up, and transplant them into His unending goodness and strength. It won’t happen overnight, but when you wake each morning, His mercies will be new and waiting to sustain you through the process.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts below! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week.
Day 1 - Describe in your own the words the difference between striving to perform for God (i.e. doing something out of duty or to achieve) and participating in God’s work in your life. Read Ephesians 2:8-9 and James 2:14-26. Why do you think you are sometimes motivated toward busyness or performance? What is God leading you to change? How? Write them out as a prayer to Him.
Day 2 - Read Lamentations 3:22-23. In what ways are you experiencing God’s mercies today or have in the past? How are they new or different to you now than they were yesterday? If you’re in a place of struggle right now, ask God to help you recognize and receive His mercies.
Day 3 - Read the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. How are you similar to the good servants? In what ways are you like the fearful servant? Journal about why you think that is, and what the Holy Spirit is revealing in your heart.
Day 4 - Take some time to be still before the Lord today. Begin by reading Proverbs 3:5-6 and then meditating on it. Ask God to interrupt you at any moment with what He wants to whisper to your heart. For more about practicing stillness and what it means, check out this blog post.
Day 5 - Spend some time reflecting on your schedule and your commitments at work, home, church, in your community, and other volunteering roles. Read Luke 10:38-42. Go to God in prayer and ask Him to reveal areas where you are too busy. If you have time, read this short blog post “Busyness is Not a Badge of Honor.”

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Why you Need Church

4/24/2019

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Why Church is Still Relevant and You Need It

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It’s almost here. It comes every year on the same day, just like Christmas and Independence Day. Although it’s not an official holiday or even marked on our calendars, millions of people practice the same activity on this day in almost every culture around the world. What is it that people around the world do? Actually, it’s more about what they don’t do. On the Sunday following every Easter, millions of people choose to stay home, sleep in, go to breakfast, play golf, or any other leisure activity they can think of, rather than doing what they were undeniably dedicated to doing last Sunday at the same time of day: go to church. Catholics even have a traditional name for it: Low Sunday, although the Pope officially renamed the day back in 2000 to “Divine Mercy Sunday.” But despite the rebranding attempt, Low Sunday continues to live up to its original name for both Protestant and Catholic churches alike. Statistically speaking, congregations on the Sunday following Easter are approximately 50 percent smaller than they were just seven days prior. Seats and pews that were once teeming with smiling faces dressed in their best pastel colors become hollow vessels echoing the music and words from disappointed worship leaders and pastors everywhere.

Whether you’re planning to be in church on Low Sunday or not, every believer has experienced that familiar longing to just go back to sleep or lounge around all morning rather than making the effort associated with going to church. At one time or another, every single believer wrestles with the desire to either quit going or to avoid making a commitment altogether. After all, there isn’t a church on earth without people… and at least a few of those people — if not many more — drive us crazy, let us down, act like hypocrites, or exhaust us to no end. But if you’re contemplating not going back this Sunday or you don’t think you need to attend regularly to have a strong faith or walk with God, then I invite you to consider it from a fresh point of view for just a few minutes. There may not be anything I can do to change your mind, but I can pray that these words will be carried into the deepest parts of your heart by the Holy Spirit. And if you are a devoted churchgoer and would never think of skipping out, I encourage you to keep reading, because I know from personal experience, that even the most seasoned churchgoers become weary at some point.

First, let’s just acknowledge the things about going to church that aren’t super appealing… to anyone. Here are just a few of the most common ones:

Giving up outdoor fun when the weather is beautiful.
Leaving a warm snuggly bed or couch when the weather is lousy.
Saying no to the early morning workout, kids game, or sporting event.
Listening to the tone-deaf man sing behind you… loudly
Being asked to volunteer.
Being asked to give money.
Not feeling accepted based on your income, looks, age, clothes, social circle, etc.
Getting trapped in a conversation with someone too conservative, liberal, or just downright opinionated.
Seeing the same person that lifted his arm to flip you off on the highway lift his hands in worship in front of you.
Being reminded that you might not be living right.

Oh and I’m sure you can think of many more potentially uncomfortable or annoying scenarios. Why subject yourself to any of that? I get it. But there’s something that supersedes all of those awkward and uneasy situations. There’s something worth more than our fears or feelings… something more valuable than our time… and far, far more important than our money or our reputation. And it has been true since the day the Holy Spirit rushed into the Upper Room to fill the waiting followers of Jesus (Acts 2:1-13). At that moment, the very presence of God began abiding within every believer. Jesus’ followers became His new body on earth. Take a moment and really contemplate what that means. Regardless of anyone’s weaknesses, flaws, mistakes, demeanor, or behaviors, if they are followers of Jesus, they are set apart to be instruments of His will, love, compassion, mercy, and grace. And here’s the kicker — like it or not — God most often appears, comforts, serves, and blesses us through His instruments.

Yes, we do have personal interactions with the Holy Spirit all by ourselves, but God’s design is for us to experience the most tangible and visible expressions of His love through His body serving each other. So despite the very human and very frustrating ways other people can seem more like obstacles who tarnish His love, we are called to do life with the rest of the body, not visit it occasionally on special holidays or reaching out during times of hardship. Just like a marriage, life with others in the body requires a mutual commitment and hard work. But, as any long-term happy couple can attest, the effort is well-worth the abundant rewards of a deep, abiding love that stands by you in any storm, supports you in times of need, holds you accountable when change would be helpful, and takes you to the pinnacle of friendship. Like it or not, God created us to need each other and science proves that people with strong support networks heal faster, feel happier, and live longer. If that’s not reason enough here are a few more of the many benefits that come from committing to a church family.

Church recharges your soul batteries. Chances are, none of us gets enough encouragement from our spouse, our families, or our jobs. When we are regularly in the habit of meeting with others specifically to pursue God and serve each other, our souls are refreshed as we fan the flames of faith, hope, and trust on a consistent basis. And being together breeds familiarity, which helps us be more comfortable to share our true feelings, ask for help, and receive much-needed hugs. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” If you want to experience God’s touch like never before, commit to being a part of a small group within your church.

Church opens up the mysteries of God and spurs us to maturity. Sure, we can study the Bible on our own, but hearing, talking about, and sharing the Word together opens your heart and mind up to discovering more about God and ignites a hunger to learn more and more. Also, studying the Bible in isolation can lead you to misinterpretation or circular reasoning. When His body meets together, the Holy Spirit moves among His people to provide collective wisdom and sound teaching. Ephesians 4:11-16 makes it clear that God’s design for our walk with Him includes pastoral care, wise instruction, and spiritual oversight. “And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God… Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

Church holds you accountable and helps you be a better person. Let’s face it, human nature makes us lazy about self-improvement. Our brains and our bodies like to maintain the status quo, but the Holy Spirit’s job is to transform us more into the likeness of Christ continually. Being a part of a church and especially a small group or Bible class, helps us establish powerful mentoring and peer accountable relationships. Galatians 6:1-3 says, “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.”

Church provides personal fulfillment. God created every person to worship and serve Him whether he or she recognizes it or not. And until we are serving within the body of Christ according to His calling on our lives, we will never feel completely fulfilled. The age-old question “What on earth am I here for,” is very often answered by a role God has for us in our local church. Of course, He also calls many to serve Him in other ways, both secular and ministerial in nature, but if you haven’t yet found fulfillment, then there’s a good chance you’re not using your gifts and talents in the optimum way. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” Central to the accomplishment of “good things He planned for us,” is the role of the church in our lives. Take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 12, and you’ll see God’s beautiful design for a healthy church body. In verse 7, the passage says, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” When we have a gift that we’re not using for God’s kingdom, we will always feel as if there is a dull ache or slight emptiness within our souls. “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it,” says Paul in verse 27.

Church is where God wants you to be. Regardless of how we feel about church and what our options are where we live, the Bible makes it clear that God wants each one of us to be an active, contributing member of His body. What that calling looks like and where it plays out varies widely, from small home churches to crowded megachurches, but if you don’t have a church home where you feel comfortable, loved, fed, and inspired to serve, then pray. Pray with a passion for it because you’re missing out on some of the most visible and palatable aspects of God’s love for you. And if you’ve been hurt by a church experience, please know my heart goes out to you. I’ve been there too, and it can be hard to remember that just because people hurt you, it doesn’t mean God wants you to be alone in your walk with Him. There is no perfect church, just as there are no perfect people. In fact, a healthy church can help you heal from a bad experience and move forward. If you’re willing to forgive and trust God to lead you to a local body, He will restore you and your heart in time. Not only that, He will redeem your hurt according to 2 Corinthians 1:3-5. He will use it, alongside your spiritual gifts, to help others who have been hurt too. Colossians 3:13 says, “Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

While trusting in Jesus is the only thing needed to save us from our sins and secure our eternal place in God’s presence, being a part of a church body through fellowship, worship, study, and meaningful service is an integral part of a believer’s path to knowing and growing in his or her faith. That’s why it’s so ironic that one of the lowest attended Sundays of the year is the one immediately following such a grand celebration of the most pivotal act of God throughout human history. As this Low Sunday approaches, why not commit to making it a high point in your relationship with God? You were designed for your local body, and it was designed for you. Together, you make a perfect match.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts below! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week. This is a new offering for Glimmers in the Fog, so if you like having the questions and readings offered in this format, please let me know by commenting below or in social media.
Day 1 - In John 17:20-23 Jesus prays for unity among all those who will follow Him throughout the ages. Read His plea to the Father and search your heart for how you are and how you are not living out in obedience to Jesus’ heart cry for those He loves. Write down your thoughts and prayers to God about your love for His body and your willingness to encourage unity among your fellow believers.
Day 2 - Take a moment to read the first half of 1 Corinthians 12 (verses 1-11). Pray and ask God what your spiritual gifts are (if you are not aware) or which ones you may not be using to the fullest for His kingdom. Write down what He whispers to your spirit. If you want to know more about spiritual gifts and take a free online assessment, visit this page.
Day 3 - Read the second half of 1 Corinthians 12 (verses 12-31). Which verse jumps out at you the most in this passage? Journal about why you think it stands out. How do you think you may have not performed the role in the body of Christ the way He expects you to? Is there some way He is calling you to serve? Is there a way you are serving that you shouldn’t be so that you can focus on His primary calling for your life?
Day 4 - Read Ephesians 5:22-33 and pick one verse to meditate on in prayer before the Lord. Praise Him that Jesus is the bridegroom for the church and that He loves us more than you can love your spouse or your closest loved one. What is God whispering to you about His love for you and how He wants you to love Him?
Day 5 - Read Matthew 25:1-13 where Jesus gives the parable of the 10 bridesmaids. How do you see this passage as being instructional for the church? Pray about the two types of bridesmaids and ask God to reveal to you what characteristics you have of each type. What is He asking you to do?

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When God's Love and Our Pain Collide

4/3/2019

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God's Love Heals and Gives Purpose to our Pain

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There is a visually striking ocean phenomenon called “cross sea” that happens when two widespread wave systems intersect with each other at nearly perpendicular angles. Strangely, however, the distinct checkerboard pattern that is formed on the ocean’s surface is not caused by anything you can see in the immediate viewing area. The deceptively mesmerizing, but potentially dangerous spectacle is caused by two distant and incredibly strong storm systems colliding hundreds or thousands of miles away. The swells radiating from the forces of these opposing storms eventually intersect, putting people and boats in the crosshairs. And even though you would think that such a pattern would be rare, it’s fairly common. It just seems rare because you have to be positioned high above the water’s surface on a mostly windless day to see it clearly. Since days at the beach or on the water are often accompanied by at least a breeze, the opportunity to observe a cross sea is highly unlikely.

Seeing God at work in our daily lives can often feel as rare as cross sea sighting. Yet the Bible makes it as clear as the Caribbean ocean that He not only cares about the details and struggles of our lives, He is actively involved in the minutia of our days. Like an invisible pattern on a vast ocean, His hand stretches out over the span of our years from birth to death, orchestrating our steps and encouraging us to simply follow His lead and trust His oversight. The concept is simple, but the execution is hard.

Many of us may be familiar with the John Lennon lyric that says, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” While that sentiment sounds highly agnostic and coldly cynical it’s not that far off from the real — but thankfully more comforting — truth. Proverbs 16:9 says, "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” In other words as Emily P. Freeman recently said in her Next Right Thing podcast, “God will not let you miss your own future.” Now that’s not to say that we can’t do things that will put us far off course. Just re-read the story of Jonah and you’ll see exactly how God deals with us when we wander from — or purposefully rebel — to His calling on our lives. God used the power of the sea and a mighty whale to give Jonah a much-needed course correction. In that story, we vividly witness the force of God’s love colliding with Jonah’s self-induced pain to generate staggering results among a hurting and lost people.

While it’s highly unlikely that God will use a whale to give you a course correction, the pattern of scriptures — which ironically can only be seen through the vantage point of the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment — makes it clear that God uses the events, trials, and sufferings of our lives to either adjust our direction or use our pain to administer His love to others. And the vast majority of the time, He is allowing the pain in order to accomplish both. That’s because God most often reveals and administers His love through His people. That is His pattern. And it is our assurance in times of questioning, wondering, waiting, and worrying. Though often mysterious, we can count on His ways to be consistent (James 1:17). And the only way to really see them is through the power of the Holy Spirit, which happens over time as we actively learn to trust in God’s sovereignty, spend time with Him, read and meditate on His Word, worship Him, and give thanks for all things and for all situations.

This is not what we want to hear of course. This is not the pattern we want to see. We prefer to receive guidance without the struggle. We desire the blessings without the pain. That’s the nature of being human. It is why we all revert back to our five-year-old selves and cry out, “But that’s not fair. I deserve to be happy.” But Jesus whispers to us tenderly, “I know, my love. Believe me, I get it. Discomfort doesn’t feel good. Discipline is hard. Pain is heartbreaking. But when you learn to walk so close to Me that you can hear my thoughts and feel my ever-constant presence, everything in your life will be worthwhile. Everything will be redeemed for my glory. The nearness of Me in times of trial is sweeter, richer, and more pleasurable than even your happiest of days. But you’ll never discover that as long as mistrust dominates your heart and blinds your eyes to see the pattern of my hand at work in your life.”

One of the most soul-satisfying and joyful experiences you will ever receive on earth is seeing the fruit of your pain become life-altering nourishment for someone else engulfed by the same pain that previously dominated your life. Jesus said in John 16:33, "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” When we stop fighting or denying the fact that we will encounter problems, and instead invite God to use whatever hardships we encounter for His glory, we become empowered to receive Jesus' promise to overcome. The problems still happen. The pain still causes hurt for a season. But we handle it like heavenly champions, rather than earthly spectators beaten down and going through the motions. We become vessels for the love of God. The dry and parched places of pain become well-springs of living water for others to come and find hope, healing, comfort, and hear the truth for themselves. Like the cross sea pattern, God’s love gushes out from us and collides with their pain, revealing the hand of a Creator compassionate enough to walk through the suffering before us just so we can see how it’s done and marvel at what waits on the other side.

No matter what you’ve been through, what’s happening right now, or what the future may bring, a divine calling rests upon your life. It is your true identity. You are not merely a human. You are not just a faceless sufferer tossed about in an unfair world. What happens to you is not random. You have a destiny intricately designed to change or impact someone else’s trajectory. Every experience, every pain, every moment has a purpose. Each day holds a promise and is covered by mercies rolling over you like the swells of the sea. That is the truth. The problem is most of us cannot see that reality because we’re only looking at the height of the waves or what other people are experiencing around us. So the problems and the frustrating people around us fill our vision and blind us to seeing our lives through God’s vantage point. Opportunities roll by over and over because we only see them as obstacles. When all along, each one could carry us closer to Jesus and more equipped to minister to others.

Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” While none of us would probably dare to say this verse isn’t true, we often live like it’s a bald-faced lie. How? By spending way too much time doubting, worrying, and questioning every single moment of discomfort, unhappiness, waiting, disappointment, irritation, or suffering. It’s not that God can’t handle our anger or answer our questions. It’s that we’d rather dwell on the fact that things aren’t going exactly as we’d prefer them, rather than welcoming them and then growing through whatever He allows or causes. Jesus doesn’t ask us to deny or squelch our feelings, He just doesn’t want us to dominated and led by them. When we trust that His ways are higher than ours and are willing to receive whatever He brings through them, only then does the fog clear from our eyes and His tender peace settles on our hearts. And the higher we climb toward Him, the more the winds die down, enabling us to hear His still, small voice. For every season of suffering… for every peak of pain… there is a vista of hope that awaits us. Take heart, my fellow traveler, and simply believe He knows the way ahead. Love does always win in the end… we only have to stay the course set forth by the Captain of lives.

For Further Reflection & Deeper Study

Read Jonah 1-3 and ask God to reveal Himself to you through the story of this prophet who ran from the Lord’s calling. How do you see yourself in Jonah’s behavior? Which times of pain in your life do you think God intended as a course correction? Recall what happened and ask the Lord to fill your heart with gratitude and vision for how He provided for you during that time.
Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 and then take some time to think of the greatest struggles and times of pain in your life. Journal about your reactions, frustrations, and feelings surrounding those times. Thank Jesus for carrying you through and ask Him to reveal to you any lingering bitterness or things you can do better next time with His help. Then ask God to reveal to you how — and to whom — He wants to use your pain to administer His love and comfort. You may want to find more encouragement by reading thisshort blog post on suffering or reading the book Where is God When it Hurts by Philip Yancey.
The core of our doubt or unbelief is usually tethered to a denial or rejection of God’s sovereignty. We want control of our own lives and the outcomes. We want to be arbiters of what’s fair and when things occur. Take a deep look in your heart and if you suspect that doubt, denial, or bitterness exists regarding God’s rightful control over your life, I encourage you to read or watch this sermon by John Piper. Packed full of powerful verses and no-nonsense truth, it will challenge your growth and comfort your heart.
If you struggle with anxiety, worry, and stress, I encourage you to check out this blog post, which includes some great resources (books, a video, and a free audio workshop) to help you find lasting peace in your heart and more calm in your life.
Please share your comments on today's post (see comment option below) and encourage others!

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How to Be Flavorful for Jesus

3/20/2019

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How to be Flavorful for Jesus as Salt of the Earth

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There are some foods that just don’t taste good to me without salt. Take eggs for example, I think I would consider forgoing them entirely if I had to eat them without a little salt and pepper. And popcorn without salt? Forget it. Even though this basic seasoning will enhance the flavor of so many dishes, I didn’t realize how essential and versatile salt can be until recently. As an acid reflux sufferer, my husband decided he’d had enough of his symptoms and wanted to experiment with some dietary changes to see if he could effectively eliminate his problem without any medication. So everyone who’s married knows what that means… we both had to change how we eat. Drastically. And because I am overly fond of acid-triggering spices and herbs in just about everything I cook, suddenly I didn’t know how to prepare any of my signature meals. I was like a fish out of water flailing around on my kitchen countertops.

Thankfully, however, there are few acid-fearing chefs out there who have written cookbooks on the art of flavor for the heartburn weary. And as I fumbled my way through recipe and after recipe, some of which completely flopped, I came to a newfound appreciation for the power of plain old salt. Fortunately neither one of us battles high blood pressure, so instead of adding my usual chili powder to fajitas, I created a close facsimile of Mexican food by using only salt and cumin. Instead of adding tomatoes and cilantro to the avocado, we found it to be quite delicious with a pinch of sea salt and olive oil. And so it went… our culinary adventure into the brave new world of life without tomatoes, vinegars, citrus, and so much more.

Fast forward several months later, and my hubby is enjoying life without chronic acid symptoms for the first time in many years. For him, the reward has far exceeded the effort required and his esophagus is probably much healthier as well. But our persistence in this new diet has taught me so much more than a few eating and cooking habits, it’s really highlighted the value of sacrifice for the sake of serving others. Salt has become so much more than an essential seasoning, it has become symbolic of spiritual and emotional flavoring, making my walk with God more robust and helping me experience a more distinctive understanding of sacrificial love.

Just as salt makes a bland recipe more palatable, allowing the Holy Spirit to season our speech, attitudes, and actions will make us more effective for God and more loving toward each other.

Jesus encouraged His followers to be like salt in several of the Gospels, but I particularly like the way Mark put it: “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” (Mark 9:50b) Ever the master of brevity, Mark’s wording implies both a state of being and a command requiring action. This duality echoes the longer version of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.” Both of the passages make it clear: if you truly believe in Jesus you will be different. You will stand out. But in order to make a difference… in order to be valuable for Kingdom work, you must take action and practice the art of being salt, or flavoring, in a world desperately wanting to taste real nourishment and find soul-satisfying truth.

But how does that play in out in real life? How does our satisfaction with Jesus help other people? How can our daily yielding to the Holy Spirit be experienced by others? I am sure there are more, but the Holy Spirit reminds me of frequently of these four flavor-enhancing examples.

Season our speech with grace to bring out the best in others through conversation. Colossians 4:5-7 says, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” When we engage others with an extra measure of grace, listen more than we speak, and show genuine interest in their lives, we give the Holy Spirit more time and space to work in our relationships. Every interaction is an opportunity to help someone else draw one step closer to God.

Stand out in a spiritually flavorless and malnourished world. Ephesians 5:8-9 says, “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true).” John Piper said, “To be the salt of the earth and the light of the world means that at root Christians are so profoundly satisfied by Christ as our eternal reward, we are freed from fear and greed for the sacrifices of love, and are able to rejoice at persecution. When the world sees this, they see the glory of Christ and taste the satisfying pleasure of who He is.”

Sprinkle alluring bits of joy on parched hearts. John 15:11 says, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." Another translation says that our joy in Christ will be like “a river overflowing its banks.” In my personal experience, real, infectious joy isn’t possible until I’ve learned to trust God. Once I completely trust God in a specific area, then I am positioned to receive His peace over it. With peace in our hearts, I am less stressed and worried, opening the door for joy to supernaturally bubble up in any situation. When others experience this entirely other-worldly joy, they will want to experience it for themselves.

Be a tasty reflection of what’s to come. Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Living in a world that bombards us daily with scary news, crazy weather events, and unfair tragedies is enough to make even the most positive individual fearful, depressed, and frustrated. When we live like this world is not our home people want to know why. And when they catch a glimpse of what heaven-minded living looks like, they are amazed. C.S. Lewis said, “The Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.”

Like with any other flavoring, there is always the risk of over-salting a recipe and rendering any food inedible. But the secret to a great outcome every time is allowing the Holy Spirit to guide your attitude, words, and actions. Even though we are far from perfect, Jesus makes up for our weaknesses, lack of skill, low appeal, and mistakes in the kitchen of life. Regardless of our inexperience or lack of creativity, if we stay faithful to the recipe He’s set forth in the Word, somehow in the end, Romans 8:28 assures us that He works everything together for the good. John Stott, the great theologian, once said, “The truth is powerful when it’s argued, but it’s more powerful when it’s exhibited.” When we get up each day willing to be a simple vessel in which the Holy Spirit can deposit flavorful truth and joyful refreshment, everyone we encounter will see Jesus on display. And that vision is far more appetizing than anything we can dish up on our own.

For Further Reflection and Deeper Study

As you contemplate Jesus’ statement that we are to be salt of the earth, spend some time in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any ways in which you might be either over-salting or skipping the flavoring all together in your interactions with others. Take out a notebook and write about the ways God is leading you to adjust your expectations, actions, or attitudes.
Re-read the four “flavoring” examples mentioned in the blog post. For which ones are you following the Holy Spirit’s leading and which ones do you want to work on?
Read the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5:1-14 and ask God to speak to you of His truth and direction for your life based on Jesus’ words. Imagine yourself on the hillside listening to Him speak. How do you think you would’ve reacted? Write down any thoughts that come to your mind.

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The 5 Lies of Social Media

3/6/2019

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The 5 Lies of Social Media Can Keep You from Living Out Your Faith Authentically

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If social media is like a road — useful for connecting us with others and offering interesting things to see along the way — then the deeply veiled lies lurking within it are like black ice. If you live in a cold climate then you probably caught my meaning immediately. If you don’t, then let me quickly explain. Black ice is formed when rain or melted snow flash freeze as the temperature drops. This invisible, dangerous glaze is virtually undetectable in low light or under cloudy skies, making it almost impossible to avoid slipping or skidding over it. Black ice is a leading culprit in cold weather accidents of all kinds, from falls to crashes. And the worst part is that you can’t see it coming. You’re just walking or driving along, and then boom! You’re down for the count or seriously sidetracked.

As I have been pondering God’s direction in my life for accessing and using social media, He kept bringing this concept of black ice to my mind. Like our everyday use of roadways, social media has become a universal, frequent communications conduit for most of the world’s population. In the United States alone, almost 80% of adults have created a social media profile. Since you aren’t likely to avoid the use of roads and banish yourself to a hermit’s life because of the risks associated with black ice, it’s also highly unlikely that you are going to spend your life avoiding social media. But similar to the hidden dangers of black ice, there are sneaky, pervasive lies woven throughout social media, changed and altered as needed by the master of deceit to target every person online regardless of age, gender, lifestyle, or spiritual conviction.

Perhaps the greatest danger of all is how savvy and smart we think we are, which only creates a false sense of security and makes us even more susceptible to any of these common lies. Like a skilled driver, we can all become overconfident, erroneously believing that we will not only see the black ice ahead of time, but that we will also be wise enough to avoid being duped and skidding off into dangerous territory. But the reality is that these chameleon-like lies are so versatile, so universally appealing, that Satan can tailor them to fit perfectly with any weakness we have, no matter how mature we are.

I’m sure there are more, but here are five lies that I have been encountering over and over as I’ve ramped up my own use of the social media freeway. Capable of cutting through the noise to reach us in the most surreptitious of manners, you may recognize some of these yourself, even in the most benign, encouraging, or seemingly “spiritual” aspects of social media. Of course, you’ll also notice that these lies have been around since the dawn of time. And Satan just gets better and better at using them with each passing generation and with each new technology or fad.

Lie #1: We deserve a certain level of success or achievement in order to have a strong identity.
Scriptural Truth: We are not entitled to any recognition and everything is a gift from God. The only identity we should seek to cultivate, approval we should hope to gain, or praise we should long for is that of Jesus. 1 Peter 5:6 says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.”
Oh, how this one snares even the most clever among us because it goes right to the emotion of our work ethic, desire for achievement, and pride of a job well done. Social media lures us into viewing our success — of any kind — in the light of others’ triumphs. Something as simple as seeing a friend’s apparently endless level of productivity and energy can make us feel less than adequate when it comes to our own perceived busyness. And this lie seeps across all forms of success and achievement, from the obvious ones like financial prosperity and career positions to the more subtle forms of recognition, like healthy relationships, thriving families, and volunteer leadership roles. Only God knows when we’re ready for a certain level of success or notoriety, if ever. So the only identity we need to focus on is whether we’re becoming more like Jesus or not. There is no comparison to anyone else.

Lie #2: We deserve to be rewarded and spoiled once in a while.
Scriptural Truth: The only rewards we should be motivated by are those encouraged by the Holy Spirit. Mark 8:35-36 says, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”
Everything about our modern age seeks to convince us that we deserve to spoil ourselves in some way. Whether it’s rewarding ourselves for losing 20 pounds by indulging in a decadent greasy cheeseburger or telling ourselves we deserve an unbudgeted trip to the Mall because of a promotion at work, social media can tempt us to concoct, sometimes self-defeating excuses to make ourselves happy. We have trained ourselves to be reward-driven so that we might resemble all the happy people in the social media feeds. Yet, God is calling us to desire His kind of rewards, not the world’s. Our best life comes through forgoing our earthly desires and instead of longing for heaven-minded ones. When we do this, we are rewarded with the fruits of the spirit, which are far better to obtain than any temporary pleasure.

Lie #3: We deserve to be the center of attention… at least every now and then.
Scriptural Truth: We are not worthy to be the center of attention for anything we’ve done, for our talents, or just because we’ve endured a trial or hardship. Romans 12:3 says, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”
Being the center of attention is highly addictive. Even the most humble and well-meaning of people can fall in love with the idea or feeling of being adored by others. While it’s obvious how social media can feed our desire to be widely admired and valued, there’s a deeper deceit lying underneath the surface. Many of us would never overtly plaster social media with images of ourselves on a daily basis, yet we can ever-so-gradually get caught up in the lie that tells us we need to amass a huge legion of followers and a mountain of likes on our posts in order to make a positive difference for God. But our almighty Father won’t let a thing like social media stand in His way if it’s His will. Ever. God will never ask us to elevate ourselves above Him in order to achieve His plans for us. His accomplishments never require our works or our compromise. They simply require us to be a vessel.

Lie #4: We only have one life to live so we better take full advantage of it.
Scriptural Truth: We should be living each day knowing that the greatest portion of our existence will be in eternity. Matthew 6:21 reminds us, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Our time on earth is brief. So the age-old lie that we need to grab hold of all that we can while we’re able to do so is as energetic and appealing as it ever was. And social networks can feed our appetites for self indulgence if we let them. Every time we log on, we see friends with a new gadget, new fashion, traveling to cool places, or indulging in a lavish meal. While there’s likely nothing wrong with any of those things for a particular individual, when we are bombarded all at once by endless images of people doing countless enticing things, it can make occasional splurges seem like the everyday norm.

Lie #5: We need to be relevant at the sacrifice of holiness.
Scriptural Truth: Jesus never compromised God’s standards for the sake of reaching people or fitting in with the crowds that followed Him. Even among his own followers, Jesus never bowed to peer pressure or the need to feel accepted. John 6:65-66 says, “And He said, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.’ After this many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.”
God’s truth has stood the test of time and cultural shifts without the help of humans. The Bible remains the most read book in the world for a reason — no matter what’s popular in society, people will always be inexplicably drawn to truth delivered with love. The reason many Christians are tempted to water down God’s truth when living out their lives online is because we’re afraid of offending someone in today’s politically correct culture. But there’s a time, a place, and a style for delivering truth — and it all needs to be orchestrated by the Holy Spirit’s leading. If we allow the Holy Spirit to fully and completely govern our social media usage and interactions, we will never need to worry about the outcome. Jesus wasn’t always well-received by every person, but He always accomplished God’s mission.

Because these lies can lurk anywhere and sneak up on us at any time, using social media in any capacity needs to be filtered through the moment-by-moment guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says not to grieve the Spirit, but every time we avoid His gentle nudging, we are doing just that. He might whisper to you, “That’s enough. Time to move on now,” when you’re looking at a friend’s vacation pictures and wondering why your spouse doesn’t take you to places like that. Instead, Paul calls us to put on the armor of God and wear it 24 hours a day, whether you are physically going somewhere or only traveling down the road of social influence. In Paul’s era, physical danger and persecution lurked around every corner, so the word picture he paints in Ephesians 6:10-18 of the tailor-made holy armor was especially reassuring. Today, it is highly unlikely any of us will encounter Roman dungeons or swords, but the realm of social media is no less a battlefield. The real enemy is unseen, but the wounds he wants to inflict can be life altering and gospel squelching. Satan’s number one goal is to make us less effective for God, so that means any of his well-rehearsed lies can be effective at discouraging us, distracting us, or diminishing our energy for the Gospel. But armed with God’s word and saturated with the Holy Spirit, we can march into the cultural arena with confidence knowing that no attempt to stop us can ever take away what matters most. When we seek to lose ourselves in Jesus, we find all that we need and abundantly more, no matter how many likes we get, what the latest hashtags promote, or the trendiest guru proclaims.
(Note: This was Part 2 of "Finding Spiritual Authenticity in the Selfie Age." You can read Part 1 here.)

Questions for Further Reflection

Read and spend some time meditating on the passage in Ephesians about the armor of God. Now go through each description of God’s armor and apply it to how you interact online, whether it be in social media, email, texting, watching entertainment videos, or surfing the web.
How is God calling you to alter your approach, opinion, or use of the internet and/or social media? If you don’t participate online at all, is that a decision you made or God directed you to make? Take some to pray about your involvement and seek His confirmation of your decision or His prodding to change it.
What are some ways God might be calling you to be more interactive and relationship-oriented through online communication methods? How can you carry the truth in love to others who are seeking answers online? What are some ways you can support those who are delivering the good news and love of Jesus to the online world?

The 5 Lies of Social Media that Can Prevent You from Living Out Your Faith Online

The 5 Sinful Traps of Social Media and How You Can Avoid Them to Live Out Your Faith Online

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Finding Spiritual Authenticity in the Selfie Age

2/27/2019

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Finding Spiritual Authenticity in the Selfie Age

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The last century brought us many dramatic philosophical shifts that forever changed how our modern culture functions and collectively thinks. And while none of us likes to acknowledge that marketing and advertising slogans can wield the kind of power to change society, the reality is that they do. Take for example the tagline, “Because I’m worth it,” which was coined in 1973 to help L’Oréal sell more hair color. What started as a simple, but highly emotive benefit statement turned into a societal stake in the ground by women of all backgrounds, ethnicities and socioeconomic status.

And just so the men don’t feel left out of this nondiscriminatory wave called advertising, recall the beer campaign featuring “the most interesting man in the world,” who is portrayed as being the ultimate “man’s man” — brave, unconventional, and adored by women half his age from all over the world. In both of these campaigns, we are invited to see ourselves in their eyes. We are encouraged to imagine ourselves as strong, confident, attractive, and so successful that no one can resist wanting to be around us or become us. The ideal specimens of men and women are presented with the implied promise that any one of us can aspire to be equally ideal as they are and therefore as widely admired.

Today more than ever, we are bombarded on a daily basis by images of “ideal” people living enviable lives doing exciting things with beautiful companions in the most exotic of locations. The difference is they are not models or actors hawking hair color, beer, or some other packaged good. They are promoting themselves. And while there’s certainly money as a reward for the elite few who stumble upon viral success, most are displaying themselves simply for the attention. If yesterday’s status symbols were luxury watches and high-priced cars, today’s symbol is the number of social media followers. And the lure of “fame” is also nondiscriminatory. All types, backgrounds, and ages are sucked into this overwhelming tidal wave of self-promotion. But unlike pricey status symbols of the past, the path to social media prestige is financially accessible, making it all the more pervasive… and addictive.

Perhaps the most disheartening is the way this addiction has not only seeped into the Christian culture, it’s also been welcomed and even encouraged — perhaps unintentionally — by many of its perceived leaders and key influencers. Of course, it’s packaged and presented differently, but it’s still pushing the same promise in the name of Christ: obtain followers in order to widen your sphere of influence for the Kingdom of God. Maybe another way to put it is, “Share your joyful life so that others may see Jesus and want what He offers too.” It sounds good, right?

Now before anyone thinks I’m advocating for an abandonment of social media entirely or that I’m a hypocrite because I’m trying to build a social media following for this blog, it’s important for me to be clear with what the Holy Spirit has been drumming into my thick head and stubborn heart over the last few months. It’s critically important because I’m not in this alone. If you’re listening or reading right now, then you, my friend, are a vital part of this too. You’re not just a reader or a listener, you’re an accountability partner. You are my fellow traveler on this faith journey.

God made it clear to me almost two years ago that I should leave my corporate career and take a leap of faith to serve Him full time... with or without compensation. Gulp. “Ok, Lord, here goes,” I essentially said back. And as it is with learning anything new, from making a new recipe to forging a new ministry, I sought wisdom and practical guidance from just about anyone with integrity that seemed to have the credibility, experience, and values that aligned with the direction I thought God was calling me. I prayed and sought the Word for wisdom. I was being highly selective with who I listened to, and despite all of that, I kept hearing the same stomach-turning advice over and over: if you want to write in service to God, you must — as in, there is no other path — build a platform in social media. You must collect followers. Without followers, you will not have an audience. Without an audience, you will never get a publisher. Without followers, you won’t even be able to self-publish. In short, nothing will happen and very few people will be impacted as a result of your work. Oh, and by the way, you also can’t make a living that way.

Now aware of that disheartening pronouncement on my entire future as a writer, I put my novel development on hold for a while, committed to praying even more, and started learning how to professionally manage and optimize my social media efforts about four months ago. I can’t even tell you how many articles I’ve read or workshops, podcasts, and trainings I’ve listened to. It feels like a thousand, but I know it’s not quite that high.

And what are the results, you might ask? The answer: very few followers, but a tremendous amount of confirmation of what I don’t want to become. Prior to my self-induced training period, I used social media very rarely. I shared blog posts and an occasional personal update, but that was about it. I never used Pinterest to search for anything. I couldn’t find time to browse Instagram. But once I actually had to become familiar with them and what works to be “successful” on them as an author, the Holy Spirit began to whisper to me, “Where is my glory?” And as I discovered Christian blogger after blogger posting more photos of themselves than anything else and allowing their devotional content to be fragmented by gaudy and distracting external advertisers, the louder God’s voice became in my heart. “This platform isn’t focused on Me. There’s more noise here than my Word.”

The crazy thing is that most of the content on these sites was fairly good or useful information. Some of it was theologically sound and encouraging. But the Truth was being drowned out by an attempt to sell the author’s own brand, their enviable lifestyle, their various products, or ads and links to other people’s products. At this point, the Holy Spirit reminded me of John 2:13-16 where Jesus throws the money changers out of the temple. Of course, none of these Christian websites is a literal temple, but they are all promising people who access them an encounter with the Living God, are they not? Another verse came to my mind at this point. James 3:1 says, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” Yet in perusing hundreds of faith-based blogs, I found that more than 80 percent of the hyper-successful sites with thousands of followers also promoted their lifestyle and their own proprietary training modules for blogging success in addition to their Christian content, such as Bible studies, devotionals, etc. I’m not talking about authors promoting their own faith-focused books and spiritual growth workshops. No, the vast majority of them were enticing people to pay money to learn how to become a successful blogger just like them.

Now I understand that people have to earn a living. As someone who’s not on anyone’s payroll right now, I am painfully aware of that need. But what God is wrestling out with my soul is how should Christians consume and contribute to the social media machine? This is not just about my choice or the other faith writers and speakers out there. This is also about our readers and listeners. The wider Christian audience has a responsibility for helping to feed this machine. Yes, Paul admonishes us to be all things to all people and to be relevant to the cultures in which we are sharing Christ (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). But where is the line between cultural relevancy for the sake of the Gospel and pure self-promotion for the sake of ourselves? Jesus calls us to be authentically His (Luke 10:27) and genuine in our glorification of Him in every area of our lives (Isaiah 43:7). Every area. Period.

I’m not declaring that all the Christian bloggers who allow external ads on their sites or sell secular training products are in the wrong. What God has led them to do is between them and Him. And I personally love some of their content. What I do know is that God doesn’t want me doing it. Microscopic, small, or large, whatever community God places me in or whatever following comes for my blog will have to be sparked by people’s attraction to Jesus and the life He offers, not because someone thought I was cool or my life is charming (which it is not anyway).

On the other hand, I am unequivocally concerned about the social media influencers out there who claim to be trumpeting Jesus but fill their social media feeds and websites with images and products that put themselves front and center. And I think all of us as readers and followers need to think about that as well. No one should be on a pedestal but Jesus, and I don’t want to be a part of putting them there.

Next week, mainly because I didn’t have enough space this week, I will share more about having authenticity in this selfie, social media-driven age. As long as it doesn’t spark addiction or compromise the Holy Spirit’s guidance, I believe Christians should participate at some level in social media because, sadly, that is where people are searching for truth and hope. And if people are looking for truth, then we have a responsibility to share Him with them where they are. Over the last four months, I noticed five bold lies that Satan seems to be using over and over through social media to corrode the perspectives of both Christians and non-believers alike. So please come back next week and continue this journey with me. In the meantime, I would love to hear your thoughts about social media and how Christians should interact online. Comment on my website or take it to social media. After all, that’s what it’s for! Either way, I’d love to hear from you on this subject and what you’ve discovered in your own times of soul wrestling.

Questions for Further Reflection

Matthew 23:12 says, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” How should this verse guide anything we do in social media, whether it be posting something ourselves or looking at content others have shared?
Social media is a lot like food. There are healthy options and then there’s junk food. What might God be leading you to do with your social media habits to both glorify Him and to help others encounter Him?
Read 2 Corinthians 3:18. How can you cultivate an appetite for glorifying God more than focusing on those in leadership or popular influencers? If you use social media in your job or for your business, what might God be calling you to adjust or change about your approach? If you want to read more, take a look at a new book called Influence: Building a Platform that Elevates Jesus (Not Me), by Kate Motaung and Shannon Popkin.

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The 5 Hallmarks of Satisfying Love

2/13/2019

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5 Hallmarks of Satisfying Love According to Johnny Cash Letter

5 Hallmarks of Satisfying Love According to Johnny Cash Love Letter

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Love letters have long been revered as one of the most romantic ways of communicating feelings to the one held most dear. There is something so charming and enduring about setting ink to paper in order to pour out the strongest longings of the heart that virtually all cultures throughout history have practiced it in one form or another. From the first surreptitious note we pass to the cute classmate to the constant and often obtrusive texting of today’s modern romances, communicating in writing about love can be one of the most satisfying experiences the human heart can conceive.

In 1994 Johnny Cash sent a birthday letter to his wife June that has since been voted the greatest love letter of all time. Here is part of the short letter: We get old and get used to each other. We think alike. We read each other’s minds. We know what the other wants without asking. Sometimes we irritate each other a little bit. Maybe sometimes take each other for granted. But once in a while, like today, I meditate on it and realize how lucky I am to share my life with the greatest woman I ever met. You still fascinate and inspire me. You influence me for the better. You’re the object of my desire, the #1 Earthly reason for my existence. I love you very much.

Clearly, he was very satisfied with their relationship, finding much of life’s greatest meaning in their identity as a couple. In just a few sentences, Johnny manages to encapsulate five hallmarks of satisfying love. He begins by expressing undying gratitude and adoration, followed by an expression of inexhaustible interest, a willing submission to her influence, an unquenchable romantic desire, and finally, a closing declaration that she was his very reason for living. It’s that last one I find the most haunting, as Johnny did indeed quickly followed June — within just four months — when she passed away in May 2003. She was the center of his world, and while it’s medically debatable whether or not he died of a broken heart, it’s perhaps the heart-touching irony of his declaration that edged out other famous contenders in the love letter poll. The words he penned to his beloved, even beat out the literary heavyweights like Keats and Hemmingway.

As I thought about the way Johnny gave his whole heart to June despite their differences and shortcomings, I was once again reminded of a quote from Tim Keller about marriage and how God designed it to be a picture of His union with us and His sacrificial love for us. “To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.”

Like marriage is analogous to God’s commitment and love for us, when we look at the five hallmarks of satisfying love expressed in Johnny’s letter, we can also see parallels of them in Scripture, which is God’s love letter to humankind. In God's Word, we can find the most satisfying love on earth and also be assured of unending, perfect love throughout eternity.

A mutually adoring love. While we can never equal the greatness of God’s love within the bounds of our flawed humanity, a relationship with our Heavenly Father is all about mutual adoration. Zephaniah 3:17 says that God sings or rejoices over us. Over and over Scripture tells us that God loves us more than we can fathom (Ephesians 3:14-19) and that we were created to have a loving, intensely personal relationship with Him (John 14:23, 1 John 1:1-3). Jesus stated in Matthew 22:37 that the greatest commandment of all is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul.

An inexhaustible interest in each other. We are made in God’s image, so it should be no surprise that our relationship with Him should mirror those we have with each other. When two people no longer find each other fascinating, then the relationship usually dies. But God is keenly interested in us, to the point where He knows the number of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:30-31) and exactly what we need in every area of our lives (Matthew 6:8). He has plans us for us since before we born (Jeremiah 29:11) and will stay intensely involved with us until He brings them to fruition (Philippians 1:6). As such, God asks us to seek Him, using all of our hearts, minds, and souls to know Him better. As long as we earnestly ask Him to reveal Himself to us, He will (Deuteronomy 4:29).

A willing submission to influence. In any earthly relationship, both people need to be open to the influence of the other. In his book The Meaning of Marriage, Tim Keller explains that marriage is God’s design for two people to help each other progress toward who they are meant to be in Christ. “Friends become wiser together through a healthy clash of viewpoints. Like a surgeon, friends cut you in order to heal you.” In the same manner, the bride of Christ is to joyfully and fully surrender to God’s leading as He shapes us into our best for Him. Isaiah 64:8 says, “But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Sometimes the molding is achieved through trials and other times change might be sparked by others close to us. But no matter what, we must be willing to let God guide, change, and mold us for His glory.

An unquenchable desire. God will go to any length to bring us closer to Him. In the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15, Jesus said, “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?” Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” When we seek our greatest pleasure in Jesus, He will replace the desires of our heart with His.

A reason for living. Although Johnny declared that June was his reason for existence in the letter, he was very transparent about his faith in Jesus in the media and to his fans. In the early 1970s he and June began a close, enduring friendship with Billy and Ruth Graham. According to Mike Garrett, Johnny’s nephew, he began prioritizing his service to Billy’s crusades over his music career and concert tour, which is the number one way a musician earns a living. Jesus said in Luke 9:24, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” It is only when we find our primary meaning in life in Jesus that we will be truly satisfied. Psalm 119:57-58 tells us that God should be our portion, which means the totality of what is good in life. The Matthew Henry commentary says portion means felicity, or our very happiness.

Valentine’s Day is certainly a reminder to check the allegiance of our hearts. And while most people only think of its romantic connotations, the Word of God reminds us that our earthly attachments should be not only reflections of His love, but the instruments through which we serve and glorify Him. It is only then that we can truly find the kind of love that both satisfies and heals. As CS Lewis said in his book The Four Loves, “You have not chosen one another, but I have chosen you for one another. In God there is no hunger that needs to be filled, only plenteousness [e.g. overwhelming abundance] that desires to give.”

Questions for Further Reflection

How do your relationships reflect God’s love or not? As you pray over the ones who are closest to you, ask Him to reveal to you any ways in which your relationships need to be healthier. How can you help those that you care about on their journey to/with Jesus and to be more like Him?
God asks for our whole heart. Read Romans 5:5, 2 Corinthians 5:14, Psalm 9:1, and Psalm 119:2 and Psalm 138. As you read these scriptures, ask Him if there are any corners of your heart that you are holding back from His sovereignty, healing, and love.
If today’s message encouraged you in some way, please pause and ask God what He would have you do based on what you just read (or listened to). In addition to some action step or change on your part, ask Him who He’d like you to reach out today with this same message of hope. Whomever He lays on your heart, please don’t hesitate to begin praying for them immediately. You could also send them this blog post with a personal note encouraging them.

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5 Hallmarks of Satisfying Love Only in God

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The Optical Illusion of Ownership

1/30/2019

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Ownership Illusion God Control Bowl of Keys

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Many people who come into our house notice that we have a large bowl full of keys on a bench by the front door. The amount and varied array of them looks kind of ridiculous at first glance. So most people laugh at the jumbled pile and ask with a wry smile, “Do you really know what each of them goes to?” They expect us to shrug our shoulders and confess that we don’t have any idea, so they usually look at us in surprise when we tell them that we actually do know. And, of course, we don’t just have one set of keys for most things. We have the extra valet keys for our cars, the spare house keys for occasional neighbor access, and a silly pile of luggage lock keys that probably needs to go. Regardless of their attached value, each one of those keys is a symbol of ownership ranging from the fairly unimportant and rarely used ones, like the small bike lock keys, to the most valuable things we possess, like our house, cars, and safe deposit box. In the world’s eyes, those keys mean that we own a lot of stuff. In God’s eyes, however, we don’t own a thing. Ownership of any kind in this life is only an optical illusion.

The word ownership is kind of like a chameleon. It can have a positive or negative connotation in just about any conversation. And that makes it especially hard to pin down when it comes to honoring God. Clearly, the Bible commands us to take ownership of our behavior and how we treat others. We are also supposed to work diligently, taking seriously our responsibility to honor God with the quality and excellence of what we do, whether it’s in our jobs, volunteering, or in ministry. But like so many other good character traits, our sense of ownership can become overblown if we’re not careful, fueling our pride and dragging us deep into religious legalism, worry, jealousy, or greed.

In the Bible’s vocabulary, the word ownership always refers to God as the landlord, the king, the master, or the vintner. While many believers understand that we belong to Christ and that everything we have is a blessing “on loan” from Him (1 Chronicles 29:11-12), it’s not uncommon for us to miss the deeper levels of what divine ownership really means. Because we are so visually driven, it’s easy to focus on what we physically have as gifts of God, such as our material possessions, health, careers, and even family members. But when we give Jesus the keys to our heart, He takes ownership lock, stock, and barrel… heart, mind, body, and soul. Most of us expect the heart and soul part, but we struggle more with the mind and body part.

As the landlord of our lives, Jesus also has ownership rights to every aspect of our mental and physical existence. While that fact can seem overwhelming, God’s intention for ownership is to bring us peace, joy, and hope, not restrictions, rules, or a rigorous sense of duty. Ownership for God isn’t just about having control, as we would think of it in human terms, but far more about loving provision, protection, and guidance.

This past week, God has been reminding me that He owns far more than my current existence, He also owns my future and everything that is to come. Therefore, anything I am working towards now — the projects I want to complete, any goals I’ve set, and the dreams I am chasing — those are all His to manage as well. Though I am called to work hard to achieve them, I do not have the ownership of — or even the responsibility for — the potential outcomes of them. In other words, if I am working on what God has asked me to do, then I am a servant following His direction. I am not the owner. God alone bears the burden of failure or success.

This is a radical nuance to God’s ownership with huge ramifications for anyone who leads, teaches, or manages anything — whether it be people, projects, or households. No matter what our tax filings indicate we own on this earth, God has the ultimate responsibility for growing and protecting what’s important. And all the planning, strategizing, contemplating, and preparation in the world won’t change the outcomes or produce success if it’s not His desire. So while He expects us to use our brains, talents, and skills to the fullest and with excellence (Colossians 3:23-24), He also asks us to do so with complete surrender and trust to His careful management. Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

So how does this Biblical truth impact us in everyday life? Simply put, it means we must stop thinking like an owner… in everything. It means we should allow ourselves to rest, relax, and be still when we’re not supposed to be working or volunteering. Our minds can be at peace in the off hours because the Owner of all things is still at work. He’s minding the store when we’re not there. Practically speaking, if our thoughts are constantly embroiled in our responsibilities and to do lists, then we are not trusting God or obeying His command to rest. Psalm 127:2 says, “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to His loved ones.”

This truth became especially real to me the other night. I was awake yet again around 2 a.m. with my mind whirring. Rather than being obviously worried about something, my mind was filled instead with all kinds of new ideas and new tasks related to a project. The problem didn’t seem to be the subject matter — it was the timing. So as I began praying for my mind to be still, God seemed to whisper to me, “Try asking Me why your mind is racing in the first place.” When I did, His answer surprised me. “You can’t sleep because you’re thinking like an owner. I am the Owner. Trust me with it all and sleep will come.” And it did.

As I was doing research for this post, I came across a fascinating article in Inc. magazine about a Christian-owned company in Colorado living out the principles of divine ownership. Bob Walker, the president of the company, said, “The first question that has to be settled is,'Who owns the business?’… Whatever He has given, He wants us to multiply.” The article then goes into great detail about the family’s faith in God to run their operations, including the startling decision to halt layoffs, risk further financial damage, and use staff downtime to give back to the community during one of their toughest years in business.

That’s real-world trust in the trenches and a shining example of what it really means to yield to the yoke of Christ in Matthew 11:28-30. Jesus said when we come to Him and let Him lead, we will find rest. Furthermore, according to Proverbs 3:24, Psalm 4:8, we can go to bed without fear and sleep soundly. But I think most of us view those pleasant-sounding verses as optional, rather than a requirement. We delude ourselves into believing that midnight hours spent thinking about our business, our ministries, our relationships, our parenting, etc., is productive. We cheat ourselves out of the abundant life Jesus promised us — and gave His own life for us to have — by convincing ourselves that excessive amounts of industriousness will honor God, ensure success, and prevent us from letting anyone down. But the Bible’s response to that is an indictment of lack. A lack of trust that God will take care of any details we miss or make up for any talents we don’t have. A lack of confidence that the plans of God are better than ours. A lack of humility that our worth and our level of success is only found in what God decides we should have. A lack of surrender to the life He wants us to have, versus the one we envision for ourselves.

When I arose the morning following my sleepless night, the Holy Spirit brought 2 Timothy 2:5 forward in my quiet time. “An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.” Through that verse, it was clear God was telling me that the race He’s asked me to run has some rules, and they’re all based on trusting Him. When I allow God to be in control of my race, providing the gear I need, managing the conditions, and giving me the endurance, I am free to run the race without fear of failure. But if I insist on thinking like I’m the owner of my own race, I won’t even make it to the finish line.

Questions for Further Reflection

Read the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-28. As you think about the three servants in the passage, imagine yourself in each of their shoes. What evidence of worry and misplaced thinking do you see in the third servant’s words and actions? How do the first two honor the Master as the clear owner?
Christians are heirs with Christ. What is the difference between heirs and owners? What kind of inheritance will all believers receive according to 1 Peter 1:3-12?
Evaluate how much time you spend thinking about work in some way, whether it’s work you are compensated for, volunteering, or managing tasks around the house. Pray and ask God to reveal to you the ways in which you are not trusting him to compensate for your weaknesses or lacking. In what ways is He challenging you to take more time to relax with your friends and family, spend time with Him, or just get more sleep?

***
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Steadfastness in Times of Change

1/9/2019

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Steadfastness in Times of Change God is a Fortress

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Sometimes it takes a radical event to open our eyes to the obvious… to see what has been in front of us all along. Like a tree that blends into a summer landscape until it explodes with color in the autumn… or a small white candle that goes unnoticed on a windowsill until the power goes out and it becomes the only light in the house… some lessons from God only become visible to us when He allows something unexpected or life-altering to reshape our perspective or shift our focus. It might be the sudden absence of someone or the removal of something we depended on, but in any season of change, there will always be an element of surprise. No matter how much we attempt to plan, prepare, or anticipate, the one factor we can always count on is being surprised as a result of a change in our relationships, environment, or resources.

While most of us — given the choice — would decline the option to be surprised as a result of life changes, virtually every lesson in life is sparked by some element of surprise. After all, why would we ever be prompted to learn or pushed to grow if we aren’t jolted in some way out of the current status quo? Somehow we get this as kids. Just as we’re getting comfortable with our third-grade material, we are pushed awkwardly into the brave new world of fourth grade. But as adults, we’re often shocked when life pushes us into that next phase, the new job, the empty nest, the smaller home, or the funeral procession. We may have sensed it coming, but we’re blindsided regardless.

And when it arrives — whatever the change is — it brings with it a life lesson. It creates a series of defining moments and always presents us with a choice: we can pivot in trust toward hope or turn in fear toward bitterness. Trust will teach us the lesson and usher us into a new level of strength. Fear will blind us to the truth and force us to repeat the lesson again and again.

This past week, my family has been enduring the hardest change of them all — the passing of a loved one. And while our struggles, grief, and pain in the loss of my father have not come as a surprise, some of the lessons we are learning from his quiet, well-lived life have been unexpected. There was no doubt in any of our minds that he was a caring and tender man of integrity with a big heart. But the nature and extent of his consistent character and positive impact on so many came as a surprise in the kind of way that forces anyone who knew him to take stock of their own lives.

While I could fill pages and pages with good things about Dad, one overarching lesson from his life keeps coming to my mind over and over as I ponder all the things that were said by people who attended either the visitation or the funeral service: he had a dramatic impact on many lives without creating any fanfare, ruffling others’ feathers, or receiving grandiose notoriety. Yet everything he stood for in his quiet manner of living, loving, and serving was counter-cultural because it was all clothed in humility, delivered with a joyful spirit, and done out of love for others.

Here are just a few of the many lessons emerging from Dad’s life, most of which fly in the face of how we live today in modern society. And I think I’m just seeing the tip of the iceberg of all that he will be continuing to teach me for years to come.

Companionship is a means of healing and restoration. My Dad loved a good conversation, but he also knew that taking the time to just be with someone could often heal deep wounds far better than words. I heard stories from people of how my father invited them to go to a baseball game or play cribbage at their greatest time of need or pain. Even with people he didn’t know that well. He didn’t try to tell them how to heal, recommend any self-help books, or encourage them to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Instead, he simply spent time with them, and gently walked alongside them over weeks or months, knowing that sometimes the best way to progress through the healing process is with a friend who has no agenda, no artificial limits, and no ulterior motives.
Everything. Is. Personal. In Dad’s world, every conversation and interaction with someone was personal, even in business. He talked with someone like he or she was the only person in the room, even at a crowded party. He asked meaningful questions that revealed people’s passions for life, happiest moments, or most cherished relationships. He was never the life of the party, but he was always the guy you’d end up talking to all night because he made you feel so good about yourself. A note written with intention on a carefully chosen greeting card was very important to him to provide encouragement at just the right time or commemorate a special moment. Dad had a special way of giving people his full attention, even when his schedule or stress load was already full.
A contented heart focuses on others; a complaining heart erodes the soul. To the final end, Dad never complained about anything. Really. No matter how he felt or what he was going through, he squeezed out joy in every opportunity he had with others by focusing on them and what was going on in their lives, versus himself. No discomfort he had or disappointment he faced seemed to deter him from receiving all the good that life had to offer in that moment, no matter how small or inconsequential it would seem to you or me. He simply didn’t see any value in complaining. To fall back on one of my favorite childhood stories that he used to read to me at bedtime, in a world of Eeyores, Dad remained steadfastly a Winnie the Pooh. As a result, he created great joy for everyone who spent time with him. Even toward the end when he couldn’t say much at all, he somehow emanated joy. His caregivers wanted to serve him, his friends continued to be drawn to him, and his family looked forward to seeing the undaunted twinkle in his eyes.

In a world that is becoming more and more time-starved, high-pressured, and completely impersonal, Dad embodied a steadfast, but gentle resistance against the cultural grain. Our society usually puts people on pedestals who stand up for what they believe in with booming voices, shocking behavior, or attention-getting stunts. But Dad’s unwavering and consistent behavior was proof that true heroes don’t have to be seen on a grand stage to be known and loved deeply in the heart. His memorial service had standing room only on a dreary, cold day. Friends of mine who had never met him told me over and over, “Wow. After all I’ve heard, I really wish I could’ve met him. What an incredible person he must’ve been.” Yes, many lives will be different now, but Dad would’ve wanted us all to continue bravely, squeezing out any possibility of joy in every moment that is to come. I have no doubt that changes shook my Dad, and he was certainly known to worry about them coming. But once changes arrived, he rode them out like a champ.

Changes of any kind can come like an earthquake turning everything upside down at once. Or, they can come in like waves before a storm, rising and rising until one day we feel engulfed. The biggest struggle for most people with the changes of life is the worrisome belief that the surprises will all be negative, scary, or damaging in nature. When in reality, God has known about them all along and has established a plan before we were even born to walk with us in times of change and hardship, strengthening our faith, and eventually correcting our vision so that we see life’s events through the eyes of faith and not by sight. Little by little, as we lean into Him, He whispers to our souls and encourages us to look beyond our immediate human perspective through the lens of trust. As we learn to see life this way, the path before us may not always be obvious, but our next step will always be illuminated by hope and not fear. That’s because we can place our trust in a God who does not change (Malachi 3:6, James 1:17). Scripture describes Him as a rock, a fortress, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Trusting this way takes time to cultivate, but as Dad’s life demonstrated, each change we endure offers ample opportunities to rehearse this principle over and over. Like players on the field of life, we get better every time we swing the bat and run the bases. And while he wasn’t perfect, Dad’s life clearly demonstrates that he never missed a practice.

Questions for Further Reflection

What kinds of changes do you fear the most? Why do you suppose that is? Do you find yourself assuming that surprises will always be negative?
In what areas of your life are you most likely to experience discontentment or worry? Is there a link between those areas and the kinds of changes you fear?
Explore the roots of your fears and lack of contentment with God in prayer and search the Scriptures for a passage that specifically addresses it. Once you find a verse that speaks to you, commit to memorizing it and praying it back to God.
To explore more about cultivating a contented heart, you may be interested in this blog post: 10 Rules to Live By for a Contented Heart.

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The Day After Greatness

12/20/2018

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The Day After Greatness New Year with Jesus

The Day After Greatness Begins with Renewal in Jesus to Start the New Year

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So here we are… the day after Christmas. Sigh. Thankfully the frantic preparation is over, but so is the joyous anticipation and celebration. All that work and build-up, yet for all the effort it seems to fly by so quickly and the New Year is just around the corner, beckoning us with its own set of expectations. But before we just move on to the next thing, it’s always good to appreciate where we’ve been. And as I’ve done for so many years, when the rush passes and the stillness of night closes in, I take a few minutes alone to relive the best moments, thank God for the gifts that can’t be bought at any price, and ponder what it must’ve been like to worship the great I AM in the form of an innocent babe.

In addition to such lofty thoughts, I almost always wonder about something else as Christmas comes to a close and I start thinking about putting away decorations. This year, however, one of the greatest mysteries I have always puzzled over during the holidays has been solved. What is this great enigma? I have always wondered why Christmas became the gargantuan month-long and widely celebrated holiday that it is. While Easter, which is theologically much more significant, gets such little attention in comparison. Certainly church congregations all over the world offer special Easter services, but the recognition and celebration of the most important moment in human history — the defeat of death itself through the resurrection of Jesus — gets relatively minor attention, even from ardent believers, when viewed in light of the effort, preparation, and hugely visible displays of joy associated with Christmas.

If you’ve always been curious about this cosmic conundrum and haven’t heard the reason why, I am thrilled to shed some light on the subject. But let me warn you, after many decades of speculation about this, I am not sure the real answer to the question will live up to your expectations. I certainly imagined a much grander, less prosaic reason than this… Are you ready? A writer did it. That’s right, a novelist changed how all of humankind celebrates the two biggest religious holidays of the year. Charles Dickens single-handedly tilted the world with a few strokes of a pen when he published A Christmas Carol back in 1844. Prior to that time, recorded history shows that Christmas and Easter were celebrated at almost the same level among the general populations of the Western World. But when Dickens crafted one of the most compelling and universally appealing stories of transformative hope and redemption and then wrapped it up with a Christmas bow, people everywhere were hooked. Almost overnight everyone envisioned a crescendo of miracles taking place in the coldest of human hearts on one of the coldest days of the year. And that was it. The world needed some warmth during the darkest days. So the magical formula was born — a combination of faith, folklore, celebration, generosity, moral goodness, traditions, and a little bit of magic all came together to enrapture the hearts and minds of Victorian-period Brits, who pretty much dominated or influenced a good chunk of the world at that time.

So, there you have it. But don’t despair if the explanation — or the day after Christmas — is a letdown. There’s something more about Dickens’ story that makes it so much bigger and grander than we often realize. In the same way that the Christmas holiday eclipses Easter in terms of scale and notoriety, the after-effects of Scrooge’s transformation are often just as overlooked. A Christmas Carol may end with old Ebenezer partying it up with his estranged friends and family, but Dickens brilliantly reminds us that the real story is just beginning. “He became as good a friend, as good a master, as good a man as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough in the good old world,” Dickens wrote at the end.

In many ways, like the Christmas story, Dickens’ bestselling novel is more like a backstory or a prequel to the greatest narrative ever told — the rewriting of the human heart. Lives are changed when sacrificial love enters the scene. The real story happens when Scrooge forever impacts the lives of Tiny Tim, his nephew Fred, and the countless others who would now benefit from a transformed and generous heart. The day after the greatness of the miraculous birth of Jesus is likewise just the beginning. From the moment Jesus enters the scene, the world as people knew it started shifting and His love hasn’t stopped changing humanity throughout the ages.

Every time I’ve read or watched A Christmas Carol, I hear and feel God’s truth about the human condition, our depravity, and the miraculous power of love to transform even the coldest heart. But the difference between Dickens’ classic and the truth is that the human soul doesn’t need a frightening visit by three ghosts to change its ways and then change the world. It just needs to offer permanent residence to one Spirit — the Spirit of Jesus. And I think Dickens’ believed that as well because Scrooge visits a church the morning after his transformation, indicating not only his gratitude but also his acknowledgment that he needed the help of God to follow through on his sudden desire to care about something other than himself. If Scrooge had been a real guy, he must have been thinking to himself that morning after, “Now what? How do I act on these newfound convictions and my change of heart?”

And so, we sit here on the day after greatness. We’ve celebrated the coming of the King, but now what? What will we act on? How are we changed? And perhaps you’re wondering how something we celebrate every year could still seem fresh? How can something so familiar still have a new impact? I think the answer depends entirely on your perspective. Tomorrow will not be the same as today. If you’re really willing to see the differences, each day brings new opportunities to love God and serve others. Scrooge spent most of his life never really seeing the hurt and pain in the lives of others, yet it was still there. His life changed when his eyes were opened. When we realize that the Christmas we’ve just experienced cannot be repeated ever again, we’ll cherish the memories more. When we realize each day contains new mercies and new opportunities from God if we’re looking for them, we’ll impact the lives of others more.

2 Corinthians 5:17 promises us a fresh start every single day, which makes the idea of New Year’s resolutions seem a bit silly. The verse says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” When that verse is taken in context with the rest of the Bible, it means we are a work in progress. We are being continually made new. The problem is that we don’t often live like a new creation. We live as though we’re trapped in old tradition, familiar ways, and bound by the decisions of our past. Yet, Jesus makes it clear that we are to live like Scrooge on the first morning after his transformation — grateful, renewed, and highly motivated. He tells us in John 10:10b: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Following the harrowing visit from the final ghost, one of the most obvious features of Scrooge’s transformation is his breakthrough laughter after he realizes he is alive and has a second chance. He then resolved to “keep Christmas in his heart” the whole year through. And through the power of Jesus, we can do the same. Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

As 2018 comes to close, those who know the King of Christmas in their hearts will carry Him beyond the lights, the decorations, and the manger. There’s no question that His spirit dwells with us in any season, during any situation. What is a question, however, is if we’ll see Him in the monotony of long work days or hear Him whisper in the darkness of difficult trials. We cannot exhaust His newness anymore than we can reach the end of His love for us. The resolution we should keep has nothing to do with a new year but has everything to do with the daily renewal of love for Jesus in our hearts. When we’re committed to that, every day has the potential for greatness.

Glimmers in the Fog will be on vacation next week! I wish you a healthy, happy New Year and hope that you join me for the next blog post on January 9th, 2019!

Questions for Further Reflection

As you think about the new year, what are some ways you would like to shift your perspective or attitude toward either people or tasks? Jot down any names or things you sense God leading you to approach differently and make a point to start praying over them before you have to deal with them again.
When you approach God in prayer, do you find that certain things you say are repetitive? What aspects of worshipping the Lord have become routine? Commit those to Him in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how to approach the throne with renewed vigor and wonder every day. Ask Him to reveal to you how His mercies are new every morning and uniquely tailored to only you.
If you haven’t watched A Christmas Carol yet this season, make time to watch it again and specifically look for glimpses of God’s truth woven into the story.

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LESSONS FROM A BED OF STRAW Part 3: Joyous Love

12/19/2018

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One of my favorite Christmas movies is The Family Man with Nicholas Cage and Téa Leoni. For those of you who aren’t familiar with it or haven’t seen it in a long time, here’s the basic premise of the film. A very successful and wealthy Wall Street executive (named Jack) goes to sleep one night in his own bed but mysteriously wakes up the next morning as himself but in a different house with a dramatically different life. He goes from being a single, career-driven city-dweller with so much wealth that he can buy whatever he wants to a married father of two living very modestly in the suburbs. One minute Jack is the CEO over a huge company with sweeping international influence and the next moment he is a salesman in his father-in-law’s tire store. At first, he is terrified and hates leaving behind his lavish lifestyle, but once he experiences what true love feels like from a devoted wife and two adoring kids, he realizes that his priorities and desires have been all wrong.

Every time I watch this movie, which admittedly is almost every year, I’m always freshly fascinated by what Jack is willing to give up at the end of the film. Spoiler alert: Unlike many Christmas “fantasy” movies, Jack doesn’t miraculously get what he wants at the end of the film. The real miracle of the story is the transformation of Jack’s heart to the point where he desperately desires sacrificial love over power, prestige, and all the money he could ever want. Giving up himself for the benefit of others becomes more appealing to him than receiving all that his old lifestyle had to offer.

I’m sure the Hollywood writers didn’t set out to illustrate Psalm 37:4 when they crafted The Family Man script, but the truth of that verse swirls in my mind over and over when I think about Jack’s choices. “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Jack’s self-centered, self-pleasing choices were transformed by receiving sacrificial love. What a perfect Christmas message to ponder when thinking of what Jesus offers us, starting with the manger in a dank, dirty stable. While there is no movie, novel, or analogy that could truly help us grasp the kind of love that would compel a king to give up his splendor in order to wrap himself in the rags of common humanity, this story comes pretty close. In his wealthy life, Jack only let the finest Italian suits touch his exceedingly toned and pampered body. In the glimpse he was given as a father, Jack was rapidly developing a “dad bod” and wore a cotton-poly blend sales shirt with his name embroidered on the left pocket. I’m sure you get the picture. The dad version of Jack working at the tire store couldn’t afford a tailored suit (there’s a poignant scene about that in the movie), nor a gym membership, much less have the time for it.

But now try to imagine what Jack gave up on a much, much grander scale… a heavenly scale. One minute Jesus was walking on streets of gold and the next he was beginning a long journey on a dusty road to a destination called Calvary. Since before time began, He had been dwelling in endless perfection and unfathomable beauty, and He chose to subject Himself to abject poverty in unrelentingly harsh conditions. Most shockingly, He chose sacrificial love to the point of death over inexhaustible pleasure in the presence of God the Father. As Hebrews 12:2 puts it, He chose to suffer beyond anything you and I could possibly fathom for the “joy that was set before Him.”

But that’s because the joy that Jesus was focused on, is vastly more than we can possibly fathom. And what’s even more astounding is the faith, belief and trust in His Father that Jesus demonstrated while He was enduring the difficulty of his time — and eventually His brutal death — here on earth. Jesus knew the joy that waited on the other side of the cross and triumphant resurrection — was us. You and me. We are His joy. He lived and died solely that our union of joy might be complete in the Father. Being with us forever and abiding with us here in our hearts was worth everything He had to give for us. In John 15:10-11 Jesus said, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” This concept is repeated in 1 John 1:3-5 where it says that the message of Jesus was given so that our joy may be complete.

As a king on Wall Street, Jack could’ve never imagined changing a stinky diaper in the wee hours of the morning, yet he eventually came to realize that all the sacrifices and discomfort of being a father were worth it for the joy of loving his children. Even more so, imagine the love our Heavenly Father lavishes upon us, His children, through the birth and eventual sacrifice of Jesus. The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 3:15-21 that when we offer Jesus a home in our hearts and learn to trust Him, He empowers us to not only grasp how long, how high, and how deep God’s love is, but to also share that love with others at a level that will exceed our wildest dreams and expectations. When we allow the Spirit of Christ to complete His work in us, we become Christmas miracles ourselves.

A week from today Christmas will be over. But after the torn wrapping paper is wadded up and tossed in the recycle bin… after the last bit of ham is eaten… and after the last house guest goes home, will you and I remain unchanged? Will there be anything different about us other than a few additional pounds that need to be run off on the treadmill after New Years? My blog post for next week is already written and it’s entitled “The Day After Greatness,” and ironically, God laid it on my heart to write it before today’s post. I think that’s because He wanted to remind me that the big events, the holidays, the mile markers of our lives, are not destinations in themselves. They are steps on a journey with Him and none of them is without purpose. None of them is a carbon copy of the last one that requires us to only go through the motions. Absolutely none of them is ordinary unless we allow them to be. When we take the time to honor, celebrate, and meditate upon the birth of sacrificial love, we cannot help but to be changed — no matter how many times we think we’ve done it before. John 1 tells us that the Word became flesh in a manger so that the Word could one day live in us. The Word is God. The Word is Jesus full of grace and truth. Scripture is the God-breathed Word that gives us life. The Word is alive in us. If you haven’t already, read John 1:1-17 again several times. Read it aloud. Read it in several different versions, like The Message. Ask the Word to fall fresh upon you this Christmas and then rest. Really rest. Breathe and let yourself receive the joy, awe, and wonder of what only Jesus can bring.

Questions for Further Reflection

In what ways do you think happiness differs from the kind of joy Jesus came to make complete in us? What do you think God might be prompting you to change in order to experience this kind of joy?
How have you seen God change the desires of someone’s heart in miraculous ways? What desires in your heart do you wish He would change? Are there any that you are not willing to release if He asked you to give them up? In what ways can you delight in Him this holiday season?
Ponder how John 1 defines what the Word is. What aspects of its description confuses you? Encourages you? Make a few notes about your reaction to reading that passage and spend time in prayer asking God to help you grasp how long, how high, and how deep His love is for you.

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Lessons from a Bed of Straw Part 2: Obedience

12/12/2018

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For some reason, a strange and almost impulsive desire to rebel comes over me when people other than those with clear and specific authority attempt to tell me what to do. I used the word “almost” because after many years of practice, I am usually able to pause long enough to reasonably assess the situation, filter what’s being said, and restrain myself from reacting too quickly or blurting out something that I will definitely regret later.

But that hasn’t always been the case, especially when it comes to God’s direction in my life. While there is no one with a clearer or more specific authority than God, like so many other believers, I still struggle with obeying a being I can’t literally see, touch, or physically hear. Even worse, my own strong need to be in control seems to overwhelm any earnest desire to trust Him in uncertain times and fearful situations. And the icing on this crazy cake of doubt is the nagging feeling, driven by pride, that makes me think that I just might be the exception to the rule. That if I could talk to God in person — really converse with Him face to face — He would see how special my situation is, how important it is that I know His plans ahead of time, and how critical it is that He gives me the desires of my heart.

Thankfully, however, He is sovereign and just, which means that He cannot be influenced to do anything that is not completely right. So, no matter how much I plead in prayer for relief or answers, my Heavenly Father won’t give me something that is not best for me and for His glory. Of course, His definition of what is “best” is usually different from mine, which is based entirely on my earthly experience and limited grasp of the bigger picture. When I am floating in the middle of an endless ocean of the unknown, it is impossible to see the shores of resolution He is guiding me toward. In this predicament, I have a choice. I can flail about to the point of exhaustion, which I have done countless times, making myself ill, both physically and emotionally. Or, I can trust in the God I can’t see, believing that He is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He can do, and that He not only knows where the shore is, but can also command the sea to bring me to shore whenever the time is right. If I love the God I claim to believe in, then I will trust Him enough to receive the peace He offers in the middle of an endless, and often apparently senseless, storm.

Once Mary announced her news from the angel, Joseph was immediately hurled into the middle of an endless, senseless storm. In a split second, he went from an ordinary, predictable life to complete and baffling chaos. To say that Joseph’s whole world changed is an understatement. Imagine the routine he had prior to the angel’s news. Life in the hamlet of Nazareth was probably fairly quiet and small compared to Jerusalem, which was teeming with political intrigue, bustling marketplaces, and religious activities at the temple. Joseph likely did what his father did, waking up every morning and walking into his carpentry shop. Day after day, he’d quietly work the wood, shaping it into a chair, a side table, or a cradle. But the day after the angel came was unlike anything he’d ever experienced.

I can’t even fathom what went through his mind. Mary’s story would be the equivalent of today’s science fiction or religious fantasy. Everyone in Nazareth probably knew each other, which meant hiding anything would be next to impossible. The weight that settled on Joseph’s shoulders must have felt unbearable. The sweet, seemingly innocent girl he had fallen in love with, had concocted some crazy story to cover up a grave sin punishable by death. As his mind flew between the hurt of utter betrayal and all-consuming anger toward the man who violated his bride, it is a wonder that he was able to sleep at all following the angel’s news.

At the end of Matthew 1, we read: “And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called His name Jesus.”

Somehow I think many of us read that and think, “If an angel appeared to me in a dream and spoke that clearly, of course I would obey, just as Joseph did. Oh, if only God would be so clear with me, I could go through anything if I knew all the details.” But I think most of us make a mistake with that assumption for two reasons. First, I think we erroneously believe that it was easy for Joseph after the dream and that he became miraculously comfortable with the whole outlandish scenario playing out before him. We must remember that he was just as ordinary… just as human as you and me. And secondly, we always underestimate what we think we need to feel comfortable or at peace. No reasons, explanations, or revealed plans will ever satisfy like we believe they will. That’s because our desire to know something is driven by our need for self-preservation and self-protection, both of which are the antithesis to trusting and loving God without reservation or dependence on self in any way.

In his classic book Trusting God, Jerry Bridges says, “Trust is not a passive state of mind. It is a vigorous act of the soul by which we choose to lay hold of the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that at times seeks to overwhelm us.” It comes down to this: if we love God, then we will trust God, and in order to trust, we must continually choose to obey. I don’t think the angel gave Joseph a magical injection of trust serum when he delivered his message. The angel’s message to Joseph didn’t end the chaos, it only signified the beginning, and Joseph loved God enough to obey without question.

Just as we did last week, I encourage you to use your imagination to put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. The storms of your life are no less important to our loving Father, and He is faithful to send you messages of direction, hope, and peace if you are open to receiving His often unexpected words. Joseph needed an angel to appear in a dream because he didn’t have the Holy Spirit residing within him. For those who have invited the Messiah into their hearts, we have the Spirit of the living God whispering to us, singing over us, and comforting us 24 hours a day. The problem is we’re often blinded to God’s messages because we’re looking for angels. Maybe not literally, but in a way, we childishly want God to make us the exception to the rule… we want Him to give us the immediate solution… we want Him to appear or talk in such an obvious way, that we miss His whispers from the Word on a daily basis. We don’t have the patience to cultivate a habit of prayer, meditation, and stillness before His throne.

As you continue through this Holiday season, take a few moments to evaluate your willingness to love God enough to obey as Joseph did. Take a few moments to be alone with Him and prayerfully listen to the song “Strange Way to Save the World” by Mark Harris. (Play on Spotify or YouTube) As your heart swells with appreciation, ask God to give you Joseph’s heart this Christmas. A heart like his anticipates the coming King. A heart that perseveres even among the unknowns. A heart like Joseph’s will do anything it takes — sacrifice anything — to serve His God and love others even when it’s uncomfortable. An obedient heart like his is willing to walk through darkness for the sake of the light that is to come.

For Further Reflection
For those of you who use these weekly posts as devotional content, here are three reflection questions to ponder.

Before we can truly love we must truly believe. Do you really believe God is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do? What areas of belief do you struggle with? Why? Using an online topical search, look up verses that address your doubt and commit to memorizing at least one them.
Read Matthew 25:21. What kind of “angels” have you been waiting for instead of turning to Scriptures and prayer to find your answers and direction? What are some of the “little things” from the Bible that you have not been faithful to obey? (i.e. tithing, forgiving someone, purity, etc.)
Read Lamentations 3:22-23. How does this change your perspective on your current circumstances or a problem you are facing? What kind of “mercies” do you think God gave Joseph and Mary on the day the news broke across Nazareth?

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Lessons from a Bed of Straw Part 1: Humility

12/5/2018

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Lessons from a bed of straw humility Mary

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This is part one of a three-part series for Advent.

Quite a few years ago, I went on a trip to visit a long-time friend of mine who has what many people call the “It” factor. Having first met her in the business world, I had always known she could’ve charmed even Ebenezer Scrooge given the opportunity, but when she took me to the airport I experienced the effect of her magnetic presence in a way that took even me by surprise.

Being the gracious host she was, she insisted on waiting in the check-in line with me rather than just dropping me off at the curb. My departure time was early in the morning, so she had on sweats and was wearing no makeup at all. I tell you this because it’s important. As we stood there chatting in line two guys near us joined our conversation. Before I knew it, they were offering both of us some of their points to upgrade to first class. They were corporate road warriors and had so many points they could never hope to use them all. My friend smiled, thanked them, and then informed them that she wasn’t traveling today. I smiled at them and shrugged. Rather than confirming that their interest solely lied in meeting her, they awkwardly followed through on their offer and conferred the necessary points to me anyway. Once my friend left me at security, they didn’t say another word to me the rest of the trip.

Now I bet you’re thinking that she must be gorgeous. Then prepare yourself to be as baffled as I was with the strength of her “It” factor. Her charming appeal to virtually everyone she encounters — men, women, kids, pets (I’m not kidding!) — doesn’t really have to do with any single, specific characteristic. After much pondering about the airport incident, I’ve come to the conclusion that the “it” of my friend’s seemingly universal appeal is the magical combination of what she possesses — not a standalone trait or capability. She has just enough physical appeal to elicit a pleasurable reaction when you see her. But she is not so beautiful that anyone would feel intimidated or jealous. She’s been successful enough to wear trendy sweats to the airport that look like they came from the Athleta catalog and not the Walmart bargain bin. And she is a fantastic listener with a sparkling wit. Oh, and did I mention that she’s a savvy entrepreneur?
If I stopped there with my description of her, you might conclude that she sounds perfect and too good to be true. But here is what I came to realize. It is her flaws and weakness, and how she’s handled them, that really gives her that special spark. The hard experiences of her life have shaped her in a way that others are drawn to her like moths to a flame. I know enough about what she’s been through, how hard she’s had to work, the rejections she’s been dealt, the heartbreaks she’s endured, and the disappointments she’s experienced, to realize that hardship has tenderized a person who would otherwise likely be perceived as arrogant, intimidating, and unapproachable. In a word, my friend’s combination of incredible qualities is powerful because of the most important trait of all — humility. To embody all that she does with humility makes her simply enchanting.

During the Advent season, many people have only a superficial understanding of one of the most pivotal characters in the Christmas story — Mary. In the centuries and millennia that passed after the birth of Jesus, she has been elevated and revered to the point where most people forget, or never realize, who she really was. We often overlook her humanity. And it is such a mistake, because like my friend, it is Mary’s weaknesses, including the dire circumstances into which she was born, that truly make her story remarkable and a lesson for us all.

We certainly don’t know if Mary had the “It” factor, but it is highly unlikely since not many of the Biblical heroes God raised up and used for His glory had it either. In fact, many of them were not respected, accepted, or even noticed. Mary wasn’t some superhuman with angelic powers (or a halo). She probably wasn’t the most beautiful girl in town, and she certainly didn’t come from a wealthy family. She was betrothed to a common carpenter and lived in a place with a bad reputation. And in that time period and culture, women were not offered any formal education. Any knowledge or skills they gleaned would be only through the instruction of their parents.

But Mary had the most important ingredient for God to use her to usher in the greatest event in human history — humility. Like yeast added to dough, humility is the ingredient that triggers spiritual greatness for God’s glory. All the raw ingredients can be inside a person, but without humility, even the best combination of traits will fall short of God’s plan.

We can glean the greatest insight into Mary’s true nature in her exchange with the angel and subsequent reaction in Luke 1:26-56. Due to the length of the passage, I won’t include it here, but I encourage you to stop and ask God to open your heart as you read it. Keep in mind that the news the angel gave Mary was practically a death sentence. In that era, a woman becoming pregnant outside of marriage could cause the Jewish leaders to stone her. Put yourself in her shoes and imagine an angel telling you that God has favored you, and as a result, something will soon happen to you that normally would mean death. Yet Mary’s reaction in verse 38 was, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” She was humble enough to care more for God’s desires than her own, and that level of humility always triggers something else remarkable — an unwavering, odds-defying sense of trust. She was humble enough to believe that God would do what He said He would do and that she didn’t need to worry about her circumstances or try to control the situation by concealing the coming miracle. She was not ashamed of what was likely to be perceived as the most shameful thing that could happen to her. The approval of her Heavenly Father was more important than the approval of her parents because Mary found her self-worth and identity in God, not in her own capabilities. The angel had told her in verse 37, “For nothing will be impossible with God,” and she simply believed it.

After visiting her cousin Elizabeth, who was also miraculously pregnant with John the Baptist, Mary was overwhelmed with wonderment for God’s love, presence, and unfolding plan. The rest of the passage contains her joyful song of thanksgiving back to God. Just as Mary was preparing her heart for the coming Christ child, her response is the perfect model for us to prepare in the same way this Christmas season. In just 10 verses, Mary’s words outline the beautiful outcome of a humbled heart submitted to God’s glorious power. In her description, we witness the incredible splendor of what God can do with a life joyfully yielded to Him.

Finding the time to be still with God during this time of year is difficult. But if you want to encounter God in fresh ways during the holidays, I invite you to carve out a few moments to sit at the manger in Bethlehem. If you can’t do it now, try the following in your next quiet time with God.

Envision that rough bed of straw on the cold cave floor. Try to feel the scratchiness as it pokes through the fabric of your clothes, reminding you of the real bed you can’t afford. Imagine the place not only where the Christ child laid His head, but also where Mary’s surrender to God brought forth the salvation of the world. What the angel foretold was rife with difficulty from beginning to end. Now read Mary’s response to God in Luke and then listen to her ballad brought to life by Todd Agnew and Christy Nockels in this beautiful rendition of the song Magnificat. (Listen on YouTube or Spotify for free) The words are almost verbatim from Scripture. As you sit there on the scratchy hay and adore the One who came to give you life forever, sing it back to Him in your heart. Make Mary’s words your own and mean them. Then wait in the stillness for your Savior to come.

Not unlike the rough, inhospitable hay, our hearts were destined to contain a King. We may not have the “It” factor, nor the money for a warm bed in a fancy inn, but if we have humility, our Savior will show up and do exactly as the angel said. The impossible will become possible as He uses us for His glory and changes the world again and again.

For Further Reflection
For those of you who use these weekly posts as devotional content, here are three reflection questions.

How do Mary’s response to the angel and her song back to God speak into your life? Does it bring comfort? Joy? Conviction? Wonderment?
In the full passage from Luke, which verse jumped out at you the most? What do you think God is trying to tell you through this verse? How could it change your perspective or priorities this advent season?
In what ways do you think God is challenging you to release pride, surrender your plans, or trust in Him more?

Consider writing your answers down in a notebook or journal so that you can capture your experiences with God. Recording your prayers, praises, and progress is not only an effective way of preventing spiritual drift and capturing deeper meaning, but it will also encourage you during hard times.

***
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The Path to Joy is Blazed by Thankfulness

11/21/2018

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Thanksgiving Lessons from Christmas Movies

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Thanksgiving Precedes Joy Christmas Movies

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As the last of the autumn leaves fall and Thanksgiving fast approaches I start thinking about Christmas movies. There is about a dozen I watch almost every year without fail. Just as holiday music warms up the chilly days, I can’t imagine December evenings without these timeless stories. As I pondered which one I would watch first after Thanksgiving, I realized they all seemed to have a common theme, and it wasn’t what I expected. It wasn’t believing in magic or miracles, finding true love, having a cheerful spirit, or even learning to be kind to others. All of those important reminders are present in many of the movies, but one truth spoke loudly and clearly above all else — a transformative surge of thankfulness always precedes an explosion of Christmas joy.

Regardless of the genre — from musicals to comedies — or the era in which the movie was produced, the main character’s problem is always solved once he or she comes to an intensely humbling realization of gratitude. Just take a look at these famous storylines:

The Grinch hates the inhabitants of Whoville, their noisy traditions, and their festive spirits. But when the entire village bursts into a joyous celebration fueled by an infectious gratitude for each other despite losing everything else, the Grinch’s cold attitude is melted forever and he is flooded by thankfulness himself.
George Bailey has had a hard life. He gave up his dreams to sacrifice for everyone else and now he’s having a pity party. When an angel gives him a glimpse of what the world would be like without him, George is overwhelmed with gratitude for the life he’s been given, his friends, and his family.
Ebenezer Scrooge is a self-centered, bitter, and greedy businessman. When three ghosts show him that his life has no life in it at all, he is brought to his knees with appreciation and begins living abundantly by serving others.
When eight-year-old Kevin has had enough of his large family and being picked on, he wishes that they would all go away and leave him alone. He gets his wish, but in the process learns to be thankful for his big, imperfect family after all.
Clark Griswold just wants a pool in the backyard. But when his boss destroys his dreams by withholding Clark's Christmas bonus, desperation pushes him to the brink of stupidity. On the verge of losing everything he thought mattered most, Clark is overcome with gratitude when he realizes all the blessings that truly matter.

Discovering gratitude is the key that unlocks the door to joy because of what is required by its transformative work. Being truly thankful for something or someone requires the humility to acknowledge that we don’t deserve the amazing blessing of whatever it is. Genuine thankfulness also requires self-forgetfulness. We cannot fully appreciate a blessing without letting go of our own self-interest and self-absorption. As long as we are more interested in ourselves, our personal welfare, and our own problems, we will never be able to even see the blessings that flood our lives every second of the day.

Authentic, deeply felt gratitude also requires vulnerability and meaningful connection. And while these factors are closely related to self-centeredness, they often elude us because of pride. No one likes to appear weak, needy, or less than perfect, so our pride prevents us from seeing the value in being vulnerable with the people who love us the most. Sometimes it even prevents us from forming relationships at all. We don’t want to risk getting hurt or rejected, so we don’t reach out or take the time to have a conversation with a stranger. And to numb the gaping void in our hearts, we tell ourselves that we don’t need someone or that they don’t care about us anyway.

Sure, movies are generally unrealistic and our inner cynics might be tempted to utter, “Bah-humbug,” under the weight of holiday chores, pushy crowds of shoppers, commercialism, and whatever other problems are going on in our lives. But the fact that gratitude paves the way to joy is undeniable, and I believe God specifically designed it that way. While the plot lines I mentioned don’t lead any of the characters to God directly, they all point to truth. They all pave a path in the heart to be humbled, thankful, and more open to receiving the ultimate gift at Christmastime — the Christ child. Having a spirit of thankfulness is a prerequisite for realizing that we all need the gift of Jesus. Gratitude generates warmth, pliability, and tenderness. Without it, a heart can grow colder and more cynical with each passing year of trials, rejection, and disappointments. Eventually, it can become as frigid and impenetrable as an icy windowpane, forever seeing life through a cold lens of hopelessness, bitterness, isolation, and no longer able to warm to the touch of another or feel the movement of the Spirit.

The sense of urgency that infuses most Christmas stories makes their storylines even more powerful. The main character needs to be saved by gratitude, a.k.a. the Christmas spirit, before it’s too late. Time and time again, a rush of gratitude at the last moment pulls him or her from the brink of disaster and reveals a new way forward. As believers in Jesus, the holiday season presents us with that same urgent reminder. And Thanksgiving is the first step in tenderizing the heart for the days ahead and announcing to the world that the clock has begun ticking down toward the greatest gift we will ever receive. If Thanksgiving were a person, I think it would be John the Baptist. He would stand on the doorsteps of our hearts and proclaim at the top of his lungs, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.” (Matthew 3:1-11) In other words, “Take the time to prepare your hearts for Jesus. Start right now by being thankful for the abundant blessings of God that flood your life on a daily basis. Open your eyes to see God’s goodness so that you will be able to see the Truth when He arrives.”

Randy Alcorn says in his book God’s Promises of Happiness, “God isn’t just in life’s monumental moments. He’s present in raindrops, in the artistry of spiderwebs, the sound of an acoustic guitar… a child’s laugh … a dog’s wagging tail… If we disregard these and thousands of other gifts, we don’t just fail to notice them, we fail to notice God.”

As Bing Crosby so famously crooned in White Christmas,
“When I'm worried and I can't sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings.
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep counting my blessings.”

It’s as timely of a reminder today as it was when the movie debuted in 1954 — no matter what the holiday season brings this year or what state you find yourself in, your heart will find joy and peace in the act of being thankful. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Philippians 4:6 also makes it clear that thanksgiving to God precedes the gift of peace. Everyone talks about peace during the holidays, but few people practice what is needed to truly experience it.

Memorializing Thanksgiving Day by expressing gratitude to those sitting around the table is common, and formally thanking God before diving into the endless food is generally accepted even in families that don’t regularly pray together. But this holiday is capable of being so much more than a fleeting moment of appreciation or a ritualistic prayer. It offers us a spiritual doorway to the Advent season, not so unlike the magical portal in the movie The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. It beckons us to warm our cynical minds and weary souls by the fire of gratitude and make our hearts a ready home for the coming King.

Wishing you and yours a beautiful and soul-stirring Thanksgiving!
***
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Glimmers in the Fog

The Importance of Love-Infused Criticism

Are You Being Real?

Does God Want you to Be a Minimalist?

Are you a Distant Observer?

Too Much of a Good Thing = Not Enough Jesus

How to Hear the Voice of God Part 2

The Surprising Truth about Spiritual Laziness

Why you Need Church

When God's Love and Our Pain Collide

How to Be Flavorful for Jesus

The 5 Lies of Social Media

Finding Spiritual Authenticity in the Selfie Age

The 5 Hallmarks of Satisfying Love

The Optical Illusion of Ownership

Steadfastness in Times of Change

The Day After Greatness

LESSONS FROM A BED OF STRAW Part 3: Joyous Love

Lessons from a Bed of Straw Part 2: Obedience

Lessons from a Bed of Straw Part 1: Humility

The Path to Joy is Blazed by Thankfulness

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