significance

I’ve noticed, in the last few years, that I have come to the place where I want everything I do to have significance. Specifically, I really want to find ways to add value to the life of every person I meet and every situation that I encounter; probably has something to do with middle age, but I hope there is something spiritual about it as well.

In all seriousness, I do believe that a mark of spiritual enlightenment and maturity is when we learn to view our world with an outward focus rather than inward.

Before I go any further I know that I have a long way to go in this area. I will be the first to admit that I am the son of Father Adam and Mother Eve, and as such, I am prone to self-centered behaviors and perspectives. I’m just glad that I am learning to see the big picture on a more consistent basis. Simply stated, the big picture is learning to see things as God sees them; it is gaining a godly perspective that translates into the understanding that we have a Kingdom responsibility to serve others. That is what Paul had in mind (I think) when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:7, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.” He followed up that thought later in 14:12 in saying, “since you are so eager to have spiritual gifts, ask God for those that will be of real help to the whole church.”

John Maxwell teaches that the level of leadership we should all be striving for is that level at which we are investing in other people’s personal development. Our influence is not based on our position or any other authority other than the value and significance we have added to their lives.

That requires us laying down our spiritual and emotional brokenness that is manifested in self-absorbed behavior and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us to a place of wholeness so that we are free to serve others the way Jesus did.

the cart before the horse

Holiness or God? It is possible to have one without the other? I believe the answer is yes (depending on what you mean by holiness). But the question remains, which one? As Oswald Chambers noted, “Christian workers fail because they place their desire for their own holiness above their desire to know God.” Strange indeed!

However, I do understand what he was referring to. I spent a lot of time early in my walk with the Lord consumed with my pursuit to be like Jesus without any real regard for my relationship with him. Like all of us, I was a product of my environment. It was an environment in which religion was the order of the day and relationship with God was touted, but always buried under the overwhelming burden of works.

Before I go further perhaps I should remind you that holiness is a necessary requirement for us as followers of Christ (Hebrews 12:14), however holiness is always the byproduct of our relationship with God; not the other way around. True holiness can never be attained through the self-flagellation of religious duty. As Paul stated in Galatians 2:21, “If righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” This doesn’t pertain to just the Mosaic Law of the Old Testament, but any set of rules or directives that we try to use to earn favor (i.e. manipulate) with God. That’s really what legalism boils down to – our attempt to control God. To put him into a box of our making and define him by limited terms rather then enjoying him and the relationship he has called us into.

Exodus 34:14 makes it clear that God is “passionate about his relationship with you” (NLT). Are you that passionate about your relationship with him? Or are you consumed with keeping the rules? Trust me, that’s no way to live!

how to use a towel

Oswald Chambers once observed, “The things Jesus did were the most menial of everyday tasks, and this is an indication that it takes all of God’s power in me to accomplish even the most common tasks in His way. Can I use a towel as He did? Towels, dishes, sandals, and all the other ordinary things in our lives reveal what we are made of more quickly than anything else. It takes God Almighty Incarnate in us to do the most menial duty as it ought to be done.”

This is kind of shocking when you truly think about it. Typically, when we think about the ministry of Jesus, we tend to focus on him turning water into wine, walking on water and raising Lazarus from the dead. We can’t get past the really big stuff that makes for great inspirational sermon illustrations. In doing so, we tend to neglect things like washing the disciples feet, speaking words of encouragement to oppressed people, blessing the children who were brought to him, and setting an example of consistency in the way he lived day in and day out.

So what are the implications of Chambers observation? I think they’re huge and the Scriptures have much to say about it. Examples can be found in Ecclesiastes 9:10, which states, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,” and then, turning to the New Testament, the Apostle Paul gives this direction: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

For the Spirit-led believer, everything in, and about, our life should point to the love of God that is being manifested through us. Our life should be lived with the consistency and spiritual maturity that Jesus typified in everything he did. And ultimately, we should serve with the same excellence, even in the most menial task, that marked the ministry of Jesus.

doing church

“Are we doing church the way Jesus intended for us to?”

The voice on the other end of the line was that of a young pastor who was experiencing the frustration, as well as the lack of fulfillment, that comes from trying to maintain the hectic schedule of programs that has come to be known as ministry in our contemporary culture. We have become consumed with a ministry mentality that equates busyness with productivity and coddling immature believers (who refuse to grow up and accept responsibility for their lives) with discipleship.

I am fairly confident that this is not what Jesus had in mind for his church. According to the historical account, found in the book of Acts, the church of the first century was marked by transformation. Transformed lives. Transformed communities. Transformed systems. And ultimately, transformed cultures. If Jesus came to give abundant life (John 10:10) it seems to me that his body, the church, should be doing the same. The church of this century should be engaged in the same life-giving activities that our predecessors gave attention to and, when we do, we will once again experience the vibrancy that characterized the believers of that time.

I think Pastor Bill Hybels got it exactly right when he wrote…

“There is nothing like the local church when it’s working right. Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited. It comforts the grieving and heals the broken in the context of community. It builds bridges to the seekers and offers truth to the confused. It provides resources for those in need and opens its arms to the forgotten, the downtrodden, the disillusioned. It breaks the chains of addictions, frees the oppressed, and offers belonging to the marginalized of this world, Whatever the capacity for human suffering, the church has a greater capacity for healing and wholeness. The local church is the hope of the world.”

passion

What gets you fired up? I’m not talking about angry. I’m talking about so excited that it feels like you are going to come unglued inside. What I’m asking is this: what are you passionate about?

I know there are probably a few ways you can answer the question. I know there are for me. I could answer in the context of my marriage, my family or my hobbies. But when I really get down to the thing I am most passionate about, it is the transformation that has taken place in my life through Jesus Christ and sharing the message of transformation with other people. I have concluded that if I am not excited about my experience with Jesus, and therefore willing to tell everyone I can about it, there must be something different about my encounter with him than that of those I read about in Scripture. Those individuals did some very demonstrative things to express the great joy they had because of what Jesus had done for them, and they wanted to tell everyone about it.

Another reason I may not be as effective as I would like to be in sharing my faith is because I’ve just forgotten how awesome God’s grace is. More often then not, this is due to the fact I have become preoccupied with carnal pursuits.

I don’t think the answer for the lack of evangelism results in America today has anything to do with too little funding, the need for more Christian education or insufficient time. I think it all has to do with passion. The Bible says that in the last days people would not know how to properly express their affections (2 Timothy 3:3) and that their passion would lose its intensity (Matthew 24:12) all because of the effect of sin. Our attention has become so divided, our emotions so skewed, and our minds so saturated by unnatural desires that we have lost sight of the reality that Jesus really can, and will, fill all the empty spots in our lives. He not only fills those spots, he gives us abundant, satisfying and everlasting life. When we have experienced that life-giving transformation in a fresh way we will want to share it with everyone we come in contact with.

toothpaste

I was reading a book on prayer not too long ago and the author asked the question, “If you believed beyond any doubt that God would answer your prayer what would you ask for?” Lately, I have been challenged by questions like that – questions that have to do with God’s willingness to hear and answer my prayers.

As I was thinking about that question I was reminded of a recent occurrence in my life. My son and daughter-in-law had come for a visit and realized they had forgotten their toothpaste. I heard my son call out to my wife, “Mom, do you have some toothpaste we can use?” Immediately my wife responded by taking him a spare tube we had in the bathroom. As I listened to the exchange I thought about how much I enjoy meeting even the smallest needs in my children’s lives. At that moment the Spirit spoke into my life and said, “You take such great joy and pleasure in meeting your children’s needs, and you’re human. Don’t you believe that I enjoy meeting my children’s needs as well?” (That almost sounds biblical {See Matthew 7:11}).

I was floored! To think that God loves me, at a bare minimum, as much as I love my children. And, that he takes as much pleasure in meeting my needs as I do in meeting my children’s needs is absolutely astounding. I know it shouldn’t be. It’s Sunday school 101, I get that. But it is amazing how often we have to relearn the basic principles of our faith. God is always loving, gracious and patient as he leads us through the process… again and again. I’m also amazed at how instead of using something really profound, God often uses something as simple as toothpaste to get his point across.

it’s the holiday season

I’m not sure if I am highly entertained by the lady in the Target commercials or if I’m completely weirded out by her. Truth be told, I think it’s a little of both! It seems that she is quickly becoming a cultural icon that represents the holiday season for a lot of us who get caught up in, what can be, the overwhelming busyness of the holidays. Parties, family get-togethers, travel, decorating, shopping and musicals, all intended to add to the joy and celebration of the season, can quickly become an evil and burdensome taskmaster that sucks all of the joy and fun out of the holidays for us.

And speaking of weirded out, what about those relatives that we look forward to spending time with. Then after two hours with them we’re trying to plan our escape because they have, in record time, gotten on our very last nerve!

It seems like we humans have an incredibly twisted knack for taking things that God designed and intended to produce pleasure and fulfillment in our lives and finding ways to make them excruciatingly unbearable.

After much introspection, I think I have come up with a solution. Let’s do what we are demanding of our culture. Let’s put Christ back in Christmas! In other words, let’s be Christ-like in all we do. Let’s not give in to the lust of consumerism. Let’s remember it’s more blessed to give than receive. Let’s not try to outdo or one-up anybody in our gift giving. Let’s practice patience when we deal with other people, whether it’s the real life Target lady that cuts in front of us at the mall or obnoxious Uncle Ned who always has to one up us with his stories! Let’s serve those who probably don’t deserve it remembering that we didn’t deserve what Jesus did for us either. Let’s be the body of Christ we have been called to be so that those who don’t know him can be drawn to him.

kingdoms

Have you ever noticed how fascinated we are with kingdoms? We witness the fascination whimsically in children’s movies that depict the stories of princes, princesses and evil sorcerers that end with “happily ever after”.

Although I believe that there is a glimpse of the eternal in these stories (Ecclesiastes 3:11 “God…has also set eternity in the human heart”), there is also a reminder of the human condition.

In Matthew 6:10, Jesus instructs us to pray for God’s Kingdom to come. Later, in verse 33 of the same chapter, he tells us to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Here’s the thing – Ever since Adam and Eve succumbed to the lie of Satan that they could “be like God”, you and I have been busy seeking to build our own kingdoms! I know we don’t want to admit to that – I know I don’t. We prefer to think about those who are building their own kingdoms as the wealthy, the powerful and the influential. However I have come to the realization that I have devoted a large part of my energy to establishing a kingdom of my own. As I already mentioned, I have never owned up to that because I defined “kingdom” in a way that excluded my own example of pride (as we all tend to do). I have come to realize that the kingdom I was trying to establish was one of comfort and familiarity. The thing was, those things never produced any lasting joy or contentment in my life.

Paul reminds us that we have been “qualified…to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light” (Colossians 1:12). I like that! I have been “qualified” by what Jesus did for me, and this Kingdom, “the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17), the very things that my soul craves.

discernment

I once read somewhere that being ok with not having all the answers was a mark of maturity. I agree with that statement wholeheartedly. There are some things in this life that we are just never going to figure out. There are other things that, with time, we will understand better. Then, there are the things, given enough time, effort and learning, we will master.

The problem, of course, is when we confuse these categories. We try to understand what is beyond our ability to comprehend. We stress and worry about things that are beyond our control. We waste valuable time and energy trying to force untamable issues into our designated boxes.

While we are attempting these impossible feats, we neglect that knowledge that is ours to master. We spend so much time, energy and emotion on the impossible that we have none left over for the feasible. As a result, we live our lives in, what one writer called, “quiet desperation” – never sure of anything – always wondering what we are missing out on. As a result, we live unfulfilled lives, generally marked by a critical spirit, fueled by jealousy caused by the realization that we are not living up to our God-ordained potential.

Is there hope? Absolutely!

Ephesians 5:17 tells us: “Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do.” NLT

James 1:5 gives us this instruction: “If you need wisdom– if you want to know what God wants you to do– ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.” NLT

Finally, Romans 12:2 gives insight into how all this comes about: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.” NLT

enjoy the trip!

Recently, my wife and I were working on the details for our 30th wedding anniversary trip. We will be traveling to some places we have never been before and we have a couple of hectic connections to make. Although I love an adventure, there is a part of my personality that wants to have all the details worked out in my mind, or at least have a familiarity with schedules, customs and directions so that I can get to where I need to be. However, when you travel to new places, that’s not always possible. Often you just have to wait until you are at your destination and then go with the flow. Not always comfortable to think about, but I’ve found that some of the best adventures of my life – and certainly some of the best memories – come about as a result.

The same is true spiritually speaking. We like everything to be neat, understandable and keeping with our schedule. We do not like it when our plans are diverted in any way, forgetting that Proverbs 16:9 tells us: “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.” NLT

We stress over unforeseen challenges as if the words of Isaiah 41:10 had never been written – “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” NASB

We worry about how to respond to situations that catch us off guard, ignoring the promise of Jesus in Matthew 10:19: “Don’t worry about what to say in your defense, because you will be given the right words at the right time.” NLT

We conjure up the perfect storm of financial catastrophe, all the while forgetting what Jesus told his followers in Matthew 6:25, 26: “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” NASB

Hebrews 11:13 tells us that we are just tourists passing through this world so trust God and…

Enjoy the trip!