If you've been reading my blog, then you've probably figured out by now that I am constantly processing and pondering things in my head and heart. Having an active mind isn't necessarily a bad thing; in many ways, my analytical skills have been some of my best assets. However, there are times when the activity in my mind is overwhelming, especially if I'm dwelling on things that promote anxiety.
I have a strong tendency to worry--I'd like to think that maybe it's an inherited family trait, but I'm aware that it it's more likely evidence of my wavering faith. My worries are evidence of my weaknesses, the cracks in my spiritual character, and that I am very much a picture of grace--a work in progress.
God does not want us to be discouraged, in fact He desires to empower us. In a letter to his spiritual son, Timothy, Paul reminds him that "God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT).
I've spent a lot of time over the past few weeks faced with some hurdles that require some difficult decision-making. There was a time when such difficulties would have worn my spirit down, and I would've been most likely to despond. But I've learned a lot this year about how God comes through. When I didn't have food, God fed me, when I didn't have clothing, God clothed me, when I needed emotional support, God sent friends my way, when I needed to develop self-confidence, God provided ways to help me grow, when I needed money, God provided it...honestly, I can attest to God's providence in a way that I never could before. It's a life lesson that I hope I never forget.
But the greatest thing that has been making itself known to me lately is the concept of stillness. I can remember being faced with the concept of stillness in my early teens and being incredibly frustrated because I could not wrap my mind around it. What did it mean to be still? How in the world did being still help my mind to calm down? If anything, being still allowed all the various thoughts in my head to start clambering for attention--a process that could be more unsettling than the stress of keeping busy. Because I could not understand how to be still, I ignored the concept. But God is gracious, and recently He decided to penetrate through my thick skull and awaken in me some comprehension of stillness.
One evening, a few weeks ago, as I was desperately struggling not to let my fears and worries about my future overwhelm me, I was surprised to recognize God gently speaking to me. He said, "You've heard this before, but let me remind you again. All you need to do is be still and know that I am God". Something about that moment cleared my oppressed mind like the wind blows storm clouds away.
Many people in the Bible struggled with stillness. King David's mind was a constant, bi-polar torrent of thoughts and feelings. It is no wonder that God's words to David, "Be still and know that I am God" (Ps 46:10 NLT) appear in one of his songs. David struggled with stillness, and maybe that's why he wrote so often. Maybe that was one way he got his fears and worries out of his system.
Like David, Elijah, the prophet, was no stranger to fear, worry, and doubt. 1 Kings 18 tells the story of how Elijah held a contest on top of Mount Carmel between himself and the priests of Baal to see who served the true God. Elijah was confident in the contest, he even mocked the priests of Baal, and in the grand finale, his prayer to God resulted in a miraculous fire from heaven that burnt up a soaking wet offering. This sign from God humiliated the priests of Baal, who were all slaughtered by Elijah. But after such a grand victory, 1 Kings 19 finds Elijah fleeing the country in fear because of the evil Queen Jezebel who demands his life for humiliating her and killing her priests. What irony! After seeing God validate his prayers and work wonders on Mount Carmel, why in the world would an angry Queen's threat cause such fear?
By this time, Elijah was no longer thinking rationally. His fear kept him running until he reached the wilderness where he collapsed beneath a tree and begged God to let him die. Seriously, what happened to the man who defied Baal and his followers? What happened to the man who's prayer was blessed by a visible and miraculous response from God? And after running so long, what possessed Elijah to just want to give up and die? But that's how fear works isn't it? Fear preys on our sanity and amplifies our humanity.
God is ever patient, and He looked at Elijah and decided to tend to his physical needs first. He sent an Angel to wake Elijah and feed him. Then, once Elijah had some nourishment in him, God compelled him to journey to Mount Sinai, the place where God had spent much time growing Moses' faith.
When Elijah reached Sinai, he found a cave and promptly fell asleep. But God woke him up saying "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:13 NLT). Elijah must've realized by this point that his fear of Jezebel was a bit over the top, because when he attempts to appeal to God's pity, he says that the people of Israel are hunting him down to kill him. And since he's the last surviving prophet of God, he has run to preserve himself as a zealous fighter for the faith.
God must've been somewhat amused by Elijah's pitiful attempt to make his flight seem valid. Jezebel was hardly a whole nation, and not too long before, Elijah had just brought the people of Israel back to the realization that God was still alive and wanted to be a part of their lives--if anything, those people were eager to reconnect with a personal God. Killing Elijah probably wasn't even on their agenda. Not only that, but Elijah was hardly exhibiting the qualities of a zealous faith warrior by hiding hundreds of miles away, in a cave, on a mountain. God decided to give Elijah a bit of a wake up call. He commanded Elijah to step outside of the cave and stand in His presence. Then God assuaged Elijah's senses with the force of his power.
"And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak" (1 Kings 19:11-12 NLT).
Just like God had to remind Job of his greatness and power, God reminded Elijah who was in control of the elements and how simple it was for God to shake things up--such power made Jezebel miniscule! But this was not how God wanted Elijah to relate to His power. This was not the way that God wanted Elijah to trust Him. It was in the whisper, the gentle stillness, that God wanted Elijah to rest. God wanted Elijah to simply pause and calmly reflect on the wonders of God's infinite greatness. And when Elijah recognized the whisper, he worshiped God in humility.
It was no mistake that God brought Elijah to the very place where He called Moses to free the Israelites from bondage in Egypt (Exodus 3:1). Mount Sinai is where God turned a stuttering shepherd into a leader. Mount Sinai is also where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments--the guidelines for true happiness. God wrote His greatest hopes for those He loved on stone and placed those stone tablets in Moses hands. Those guidelines were a gift that Moses was privileged to share with a nation that was destined for greatness.
But God had to prepare Moses for such an important role. When God first called Moses out of the wilderness, Moses balked because of his fear too. Moses had run away from Egypt after accidentally killing a man. He was so afraid that he wound up hundreds of miles away in the wilderness of Midian where he was adopted into a tribe of tent dwellers. Moses meekly reinvented himself in Midian. He went from being a great prince to a simple shepherd. He married, had sons, and settled comfortably into a steady routine. But then God spoke.
The story of the burning bush has always intrigued me. I have often wished to have a burning bush experience. How incredible would it be to stand in God's presence as He unfolds His profound plans for your future and then not only comforts you with His love, but shows you, first-hand, how to perform His miracles? It was a defining moment for Moses, an experience he could not return from. It compelled him to move forward into his new destiny.
Yet, Moses destiny was fraught with his own doubts and worries. In the presence of God, de-sandaled, and with his face covered, Moses wrestled with God's words:
"“I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land . . . Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.” But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.” (Exodus 3:7-12 NLT).
The film, The Prince of Egypt, portrays a powerful interpretation of the burning bush event. The scene where God speaks to Moses never ceases to move me. In their take on Moses' calling, the writers of the script echo the words that God spoke to Job and Joshua when He called them to their destinies. While those words of comfort and the reminders of God's power are soothing, the thing in that scene that always jumps out and grabs me is Moses's humanity--his fears and protests--because they are the same as my own.
Like Elijah and Moses, I tend to let my fears overwhelm me, to see how small I am compared to a problem, and forget about the greatness and majesty of God. I forget to be still and to just let myself marvel at the immensity, the unfettered creativity, the phenomenal beauty, the incomprehensible mystery, and incomparable love of God. It is those times, when like Job, I waver, doubt, and question, God's reminder to Job of who is in control never ceases to awe me:
"And have you ever ordered Morning, 'Get up!' told Dawn, 'Get to work!'. . ."Have you ever gotten to the true bottom of things explored the labyrinthine caves of deep ocean?. . .Do you know where Light comes from and where Darkness lives so you can take them by the hand and lead them home when they get lost?. . .Have you ever traveled to where snow is made, seen the vault where hail is stockpiled, The arsenals of hail and snow that I keep in readiness for times of trouble and battle and war? Can you find your way to where lightning is launched, or to the place from which the wind blows? Who do you suppose carves canyons for the downpours of rain, and charts the route of thunderstorms that bring water to unvisited fields, deserts no one ever lays eyes on, drenching the useless wastelands so they're carpeted with wildflowers and grass? And who do you think is the father of rain and dew, the mother of ice and frost? You don't for a minute imagine these marvels of weather just happen, do you?" (Job 38:12,16,19,22-30 The Message).
I don't need to experience an earthquake, forceful wind, or burning bush to stop and be still, to simply dwell on the wonders of God and to let all my worries, doubts, and fears just simply fall to the side and fade away...
I do need to make more time to be still and let myself become aware that He is God. I need to make it a point to rest in that comfort more often.
Being still doesn't have to be a forced effort to not think about what bothers you. Often, trying not to think about something causes you to obsess about it, and that just intensifies your struggle. However, there is a beautiful stillness in just letting your mind think about the wonders of the universe and how God is the initiator and sustainer of them all. And somehow, in that stillness you just might feel your mind and heart brush against God's.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Mistakes are Expected
Ever done something that was so entirely against your principals that you couldn't believe that you did it? Today this is me. I'm puzzled with myself. Disappointed but not entirely surprised. And above all else, sad. In a recent series of decisions, I compromised my character and behaved in a way that drastically opposes some of my most valued moral beliefs. Why?
In one of his more personal moments, Paul wrote the following lament: "So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?" (Romans 7:14-24 NLT).
My soul is in agony with itself--like Paul I feel as if I'm in a huge war against myself. But even worse than that is the new set of fears that are building up inside of me. What happens if my friends find out? What about my church or my pastor? What about my family? Who will still love me when they see that I'm a broken mess--a failure to myself, my faith, and God?
Consequences--whether we mean to or not, sin has a price. But I grasp with all I am onto the hope that God will continue to shower me with grace. I am a blind man, and like the one who called out to Jesus in desperation, my heart humbly echoes the blind man's cry, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Luke 18:38).
As I seek some solace for my bruised soul, I find my mind continually coming to rest on the great characters in the Bible who warred against their flesh and fought for complete enlightenment. King Solomon was a perfect victim of his own sorry decisions--and even with all his wisdom, he failed himself. He was way beyond knowing better, but he gave into his weaknesses and with a sense of regret and a desire to save others from similar fates, Solomon wrote:
"I, the Teacher, was king of Israel, and I lived in Jerusalem. I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under heaven. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race. I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.
What is wrong cannot be made right.
What is missing cannot be recovered.
I said to myself, “Look, I am wiser than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. I have greater wisdom and knowledge than any of them.” So I set out to learn everything from wisdom to madness and folly. But I learned firsthand that pursuing all this is like chasing the wind.
The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief.
To increase knowledge only increases sorrow" (Ecc. 1:12-18 NLT).
Solomon had a great heart for God and a strong capacity for love, but he got sidetracked by his lust. Solomon had more women than probably any other man in the world, and was blessed with great wealth, but in the end worldly admiration, sex, and money were meaningless--like chasing the wind...
One can sense the pain and earnestness in Solomon's final words in Ecclesiastes: "The words of the wise prod us to live well. They're like nails hammered home, holding life together. They are given by God, the one Shepherd. But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There's no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you're no good for anything else. The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you. And that's it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it's good or evil (Ecc. 12:11-14 The Message Remix).
Like Solomon, many others in the Bible failed themselves and God, but through grace, were able to still be used by God. King David lusted, committed adultery and murdered, yet, he is still known as "a man after god's own heart"--a man who hungered and sought after God even in the midst of his failure! Abraham questioned God's methods and promises and allowed Sarah to convince him to take Hagar as a concubine to produce an heir--this only served to create a great rivalry that continues even today. But even so, Abraham is the father of faith, and the man through whom God chose to pass on the greatest of blessings to all future generations. Moses was a stuttering murderer who doubted himself, and still God used him to lead the Israelites out of captivity to a land of promise. Rahab was a prostitue, but God used her to protect Israelite spies, and it was through her bloodline that Jesus was born. Mary Magdalene had seven demons cast out of her, but she became one of Jesus best friends--so much so that she was the first person that Jesus chose to appear to after his resurrection. Paul was a strong advocate for the genocide of early Christians, but God changed his heart and sent him as a missionary all over Europe.
All of these great Bible characters are my ancestors--men and women who, despite their flaws, managed to hang onto their faith and passed it on.
As I ponder my poor decisions and deal with the consequences, I find myself tearfully repeating the broken words of King David: "Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. . . Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me (Psalm 51:1-3, 7-11 NLT).
Oh how I long for a faith that will override my human weaknesses--how I pray to be strong in my principals. And as I wade through this filth, I keep picturing in my mind's eye Jesus as He spoke love to the woman who was brought to Him to be stoned for adultery: "Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you? “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”" (John 8:10-11 NLT).
It is Jesus' profound, unconditional, compelling love that won Paul's heart and caused him to desire a soul rebirth. And what a rebirth it was! From genocide mastermind to missionary. As Paul says, "What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:31-39 NLT).
I believe that it is God's perfect love for me that is changing me, making me new, and restoring me. It is this love that causes me to kneel in repentance, to raise my hands and heart in submission, and to hope for greater things yet to come.
My precious Father in Heaven, I'm sorry for my failure, but I trust in your restorative power!
In one of his more personal moments, Paul wrote the following lament: "So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?" (Romans 7:14-24 NLT).
My soul is in agony with itself--like Paul I feel as if I'm in a huge war against myself. But even worse than that is the new set of fears that are building up inside of me. What happens if my friends find out? What about my church or my pastor? What about my family? Who will still love me when they see that I'm a broken mess--a failure to myself, my faith, and God?
Consequences--whether we mean to or not, sin has a price. But I grasp with all I am onto the hope that God will continue to shower me with grace. I am a blind man, and like the one who called out to Jesus in desperation, my heart humbly echoes the blind man's cry, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Luke 18:38).
As I seek some solace for my bruised soul, I find my mind continually coming to rest on the great characters in the Bible who warred against their flesh and fought for complete enlightenment. King Solomon was a perfect victim of his own sorry decisions--and even with all his wisdom, he failed himself. He was way beyond knowing better, but he gave into his weaknesses and with a sense of regret and a desire to save others from similar fates, Solomon wrote:
"I, the Teacher, was king of Israel, and I lived in Jerusalem. I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under heaven. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race. I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.
What is wrong cannot be made right.
What is missing cannot be recovered.
I said to myself, “Look, I am wiser than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. I have greater wisdom and knowledge than any of them.” So I set out to learn everything from wisdom to madness and folly. But I learned firsthand that pursuing all this is like chasing the wind.
The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief.
To increase knowledge only increases sorrow" (Ecc. 1:12-18 NLT).
Solomon had a great heart for God and a strong capacity for love, but he got sidetracked by his lust. Solomon had more women than probably any other man in the world, and was blessed with great wealth, but in the end worldly admiration, sex, and money were meaningless--like chasing the wind...
One can sense the pain and earnestness in Solomon's final words in Ecclesiastes: "The words of the wise prod us to live well. They're like nails hammered home, holding life together. They are given by God, the one Shepherd. But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There's no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you're no good for anything else. The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you. And that's it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it's good or evil (Ecc. 12:11-14 The Message Remix).
Like Solomon, many others in the Bible failed themselves and God, but through grace, were able to still be used by God. King David lusted, committed adultery and murdered, yet, he is still known as "a man after god's own heart"--a man who hungered and sought after God even in the midst of his failure! Abraham questioned God's methods and promises and allowed Sarah to convince him to take Hagar as a concubine to produce an heir--this only served to create a great rivalry that continues even today. But even so, Abraham is the father of faith, and the man through whom God chose to pass on the greatest of blessings to all future generations. Moses was a stuttering murderer who doubted himself, and still God used him to lead the Israelites out of captivity to a land of promise. Rahab was a prostitue, but God used her to protect Israelite spies, and it was through her bloodline that Jesus was born. Mary Magdalene had seven demons cast out of her, but she became one of Jesus best friends--so much so that she was the first person that Jesus chose to appear to after his resurrection. Paul was a strong advocate for the genocide of early Christians, but God changed his heart and sent him as a missionary all over Europe.
All of these great Bible characters are my ancestors--men and women who, despite their flaws, managed to hang onto their faith and passed it on.
As I ponder my poor decisions and deal with the consequences, I find myself tearfully repeating the broken words of King David: "Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. . . Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me (Psalm 51:1-3, 7-11 NLT).
Oh how I long for a faith that will override my human weaknesses--how I pray to be strong in my principals. And as I wade through this filth, I keep picturing in my mind's eye Jesus as He spoke love to the woman who was brought to Him to be stoned for adultery: "Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you? “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”" (John 8:10-11 NLT).
It is Jesus' profound, unconditional, compelling love that won Paul's heart and caused him to desire a soul rebirth. And what a rebirth it was! From genocide mastermind to missionary. As Paul says, "What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:31-39 NLT).
I believe that it is God's perfect love for me that is changing me, making me new, and restoring me. It is this love that causes me to kneel in repentance, to raise my hands and heart in submission, and to hope for greater things yet to come.
My precious Father in Heaven, I'm sorry for my failure, but I trust in your restorative power!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
To Be a Lilly of the Field...
I cannot deny the fact that God has worked miracles for me this year, and that I've learned how to recognize God's hand in my daily life. But in spite of everything God has been doing to help me grow my faith, I still have a long ways to go.
Praise is an important part of faith--it's an act of confidence that precedes the miracle. Praise is something I'm still working on...
But let me start by sharing some of the ways that God has been taking care of me. A couple of weeks ago, my landlord notified me that I still needed to pay the security deposit for the house I'm renting--apparently we both had forgotten about it. This worried me because I just barely make my rent every month--in fact, I knew that I would be making about $30 dollars past my rent for the month of February. I didn't know what to do, so I turned to my pastor for help. And by God's grace, he somehow found a way to give me the money to cover that security deposit! This act of kindness has meant the world to me.
Being able to pay for my rent and security deposit were definitely my largest financial concerns for February, but the last week of the month found me in a different sort of financial dilemma. I needed gas money to get to and from work during the week, I needed groceries, and I needed to pay tithe, but I didn't have enough money to do all three of those things. I briefly thought about holding off on the tithe until the following week after my next paycheck, however, I realized that God was testing my faithfulness, and since God has never done me wrong, I wrote the check. That left me to choose between gas and food. I chose gas. I figured that there would be no food coming at all if I didn't work, plus, if I really had to, I could turn to my church family for help with food. But I hoped I wouldn't have to ask for help from my church again after they had already done so much.
By the time Wednesday came around, I was out of bread, fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables/fruits, and milk. In fact, what food I had left was an odd assortment of things: cheese, eggs, 2 cans of black eyed peas, whipped cream, ketchup, soy sauce, guacamole seasoning, taco seasoning, a box of cereal, and a few other odds and ends. As I stood in the kitchen looking at my sad store of food, I threw up my hands and told myself that I had no reason to panic--I did have some food after all, it's not like I could say I was starving, and I had a paycheck coming in three days, so there wasn't any reason why I couldn't make do. But more importantly than all of that, I knew that God had my back, and everything would be fine.
On Monday, I ate my last banana, and began to psych myself out to settle for being grateful that I had food in my cupboards to eat at all. And while I probably could've gotten by on what I had for the rest of the week, God chose to intervene. Later that day, one of my friends asked me to drive her to the store, so I did. I was happy to hang out with her and her baby girl. She surprised me by sending me home with a Tupperware of fesh cut vegetables and another one with potato soup. I was so excited to have carrots, celery, and cucumbers to eat--the veggies and the soup covered at least two full meals. But by Wednesday morning, I was beginning to wonder what I was going to do for breakfast because I had finally run out of eggs and milk. During my work shift that night, I couldn't help but debate my options for breakfast. I knew I could eat cereal dry, or with water, or I could crack a can of beans, they counted as a good protein source. As my shift came near to its close, I experienced a small rush of customers, and that's when God surprised me. The last customer tipped me $2. I could have cried with joy--immediately my heart went out with gratitude to God. Between the tip and the few coins I had in my car, I was able to buy milk--I was set for breakfast for the rest of the week! But God didn't stop blessing me there, because the next day, I was asked to accompany a church member to a complimentary lunch. The instant I was asked if I would go to lunch, I couldn't keep myself from grinning--I recognized this invitation as yet another way that God was providing vegetables for me! Believe me, I was never so excited to have lettuce and a slice of tomato on a sandwich before! To top it all off, my mother called me Friday morning to see if I would like her to come visit--and I didn't say anything to her about my food troubles, but she offered to buy me some fruit and vegetables at the store. Once again, I found myself in awe of the ways of God. He definitely blessed me above and beyond what I had asked for--I had just asked God to help me manage till payday.
Payday came, and then so did my tax return--a part of which I set aside to return to God as a thank-offering. But just as soon as I began to relax and feel like things were finally really looking up, my car's battery died. I didn't panic, however, instead I thanked God that I was working a shift at Bi Lo when it happened--this gave me access to my manager who was able to jump-start my car, allowing me to make it to my second job on time. But once I arrived at my second job, and turned my car off, I discovered that it wouldn't restart. And yet again, God came through in the form or a co-worker who was able to jump-start my car and then go to Wal-mart with me where I purchased a new battery. My co-worker even installed the new battery for me!
As I was driving home from Wal-mart, breathing a deep sigh of relief and gratitude, I noticed, with some concern, that the red battery light, on my dashboard, was on. It hadn't been on before, so I wondered if something was wrong. I called my dad to see if he had any ideas about what it might mean. When he suggested the possibility that maybe the alternator had gone bad, something in my snapped. I totally flipped--I was so angry. Exercising faith is a beautiful thing, but it is also exhausting! My poor dad had to endure my outburst. "I can't believe this! How am I going to be able to afford to fix the alternator? Seriously, what am I going to do?!!! I HATE this year! I'm so sick of all of this. Every time I feel like I'm about to catch my breath, something else goes wrong!"
Once my little hissy fit was over, I immediately regretted it. I was still upset, but I also felt like I'd cracked under pressure when I should've reminded myself of the ways that God had blessed me and praised Him with the confidence that He would take care of this too. It is moments like these when I feel how very small and human I am. In fact, I was somewhat worried that God might not help me out after such faithless behavior.
The next morning, I prayed that God would help my car, and then I took it into the local auto shop. I explained to the mechanic there that I was poor, and probably couldn't afford to fix the car, but I would at least like to know what was wrong with it, so I knew what I was dealing with. Then I asked if they did any sort of payment plans, but of course, they didn't. As much as I tried to remind myself that God was in control, I couldn't keep myself from worrying. I was too anxious to sit at the body shop and wait, so I walked about ten minutes to a local flower shop where I chose to await my car's destiny. In order to help calm my nerves, I kept reciting Bible verses to myself. One that I kept coming back to was "In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths" (Pr. 3:6 NKJV). A couple of hours later, I got a phone call from the mechanic. It went something like this:
Mechanic:"Hello...Heather?...I've taken a look at your vehicle..."
Me:...ok... (I was so afraid to hear what might come next).
Mechanic: Well, I can fix your car for $42.60.
Me: Really??!! That's wonderful! Yes! (I even raised my fist in the air in celebration at this point) Let's do that! Can you fix it now?
I was elated. After fearing that I would have to find a way to get hundreds of dollars to replace the alternator, I was thrilled to find that I could afford to repair the car with some of the money from my tax return.
I've spent a lot of time over the past few days thinking about all these events and how I've reacted. I'm thankful to see that my faith has grown, but disappointed to also observe that when things got too big for me to see some sort of solution, I panicked. I still act more like the untrusting Israelites in the wilderness. I suppose that one doesn't just suddenly find themselves to possess the kind of faith that Abraham had.
However, I am confident in the grace of God. He still works in my favor even when I don't display my best behavior. Some of the things that I keep meditating on as I pray for a change of heart and praise God for His goodness come from Jesus words to people who were struggling like me:
"I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today" (Matt 6:25-34).
There has never been a time in my life when these words have moved me like they do now. I am stricken by their potency. Jesus words are full of love and encouragement. I pray that I will keep them at the forefront of my mind. For I believe that it is only by keeping God's words in my mind and heart that I will maintain my sanity and a hope for greater things still to come.
Praise is an important part of faith--it's an act of confidence that precedes the miracle. Praise is something I'm still working on...
But let me start by sharing some of the ways that God has been taking care of me. A couple of weeks ago, my landlord notified me that I still needed to pay the security deposit for the house I'm renting--apparently we both had forgotten about it. This worried me because I just barely make my rent every month--in fact, I knew that I would be making about $30 dollars past my rent for the month of February. I didn't know what to do, so I turned to my pastor for help. And by God's grace, he somehow found a way to give me the money to cover that security deposit! This act of kindness has meant the world to me.
Being able to pay for my rent and security deposit were definitely my largest financial concerns for February, but the last week of the month found me in a different sort of financial dilemma. I needed gas money to get to and from work during the week, I needed groceries, and I needed to pay tithe, but I didn't have enough money to do all three of those things. I briefly thought about holding off on the tithe until the following week after my next paycheck, however, I realized that God was testing my faithfulness, and since God has never done me wrong, I wrote the check. That left me to choose between gas and food. I chose gas. I figured that there would be no food coming at all if I didn't work, plus, if I really had to, I could turn to my church family for help with food. But I hoped I wouldn't have to ask for help from my church again after they had already done so much.
By the time Wednesday came around, I was out of bread, fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables/fruits, and milk. In fact, what food I had left was an odd assortment of things: cheese, eggs, 2 cans of black eyed peas, whipped cream, ketchup, soy sauce, guacamole seasoning, taco seasoning, a box of cereal, and a few other odds and ends. As I stood in the kitchen looking at my sad store of food, I threw up my hands and told myself that I had no reason to panic--I did have some food after all, it's not like I could say I was starving, and I had a paycheck coming in three days, so there wasn't any reason why I couldn't make do. But more importantly than all of that, I knew that God had my back, and everything would be fine.
On Monday, I ate my last banana, and began to psych myself out to settle for being grateful that I had food in my cupboards to eat at all. And while I probably could've gotten by on what I had for the rest of the week, God chose to intervene. Later that day, one of my friends asked me to drive her to the store, so I did. I was happy to hang out with her and her baby girl. She surprised me by sending me home with a Tupperware of fesh cut vegetables and another one with potato soup. I was so excited to have carrots, celery, and cucumbers to eat--the veggies and the soup covered at least two full meals. But by Wednesday morning, I was beginning to wonder what I was going to do for breakfast because I had finally run out of eggs and milk. During my work shift that night, I couldn't help but debate my options for breakfast. I knew I could eat cereal dry, or with water, or I could crack a can of beans, they counted as a good protein source. As my shift came near to its close, I experienced a small rush of customers, and that's when God surprised me. The last customer tipped me $2. I could have cried with joy--immediately my heart went out with gratitude to God. Between the tip and the few coins I had in my car, I was able to buy milk--I was set for breakfast for the rest of the week! But God didn't stop blessing me there, because the next day, I was asked to accompany a church member to a complimentary lunch. The instant I was asked if I would go to lunch, I couldn't keep myself from grinning--I recognized this invitation as yet another way that God was providing vegetables for me! Believe me, I was never so excited to have lettuce and a slice of tomato on a sandwich before! To top it all off, my mother called me Friday morning to see if I would like her to come visit--and I didn't say anything to her about my food troubles, but she offered to buy me some fruit and vegetables at the store. Once again, I found myself in awe of the ways of God. He definitely blessed me above and beyond what I had asked for--I had just asked God to help me manage till payday.
Payday came, and then so did my tax return--a part of which I set aside to return to God as a thank-offering. But just as soon as I began to relax and feel like things were finally really looking up, my car's battery died. I didn't panic, however, instead I thanked God that I was working a shift at Bi Lo when it happened--this gave me access to my manager who was able to jump-start my car, allowing me to make it to my second job on time. But once I arrived at my second job, and turned my car off, I discovered that it wouldn't restart. And yet again, God came through in the form or a co-worker who was able to jump-start my car and then go to Wal-mart with me where I purchased a new battery. My co-worker even installed the new battery for me!
As I was driving home from Wal-mart, breathing a deep sigh of relief and gratitude, I noticed, with some concern, that the red battery light, on my dashboard, was on. It hadn't been on before, so I wondered if something was wrong. I called my dad to see if he had any ideas about what it might mean. When he suggested the possibility that maybe the alternator had gone bad, something in my snapped. I totally flipped--I was so angry. Exercising faith is a beautiful thing, but it is also exhausting! My poor dad had to endure my outburst. "I can't believe this! How am I going to be able to afford to fix the alternator? Seriously, what am I going to do?!!! I HATE this year! I'm so sick of all of this. Every time I feel like I'm about to catch my breath, something else goes wrong!"
Once my little hissy fit was over, I immediately regretted it. I was still upset, but I also felt like I'd cracked under pressure when I should've reminded myself of the ways that God had blessed me and praised Him with the confidence that He would take care of this too. It is moments like these when I feel how very small and human I am. In fact, I was somewhat worried that God might not help me out after such faithless behavior.
The next morning, I prayed that God would help my car, and then I took it into the local auto shop. I explained to the mechanic there that I was poor, and probably couldn't afford to fix the car, but I would at least like to know what was wrong with it, so I knew what I was dealing with. Then I asked if they did any sort of payment plans, but of course, they didn't. As much as I tried to remind myself that God was in control, I couldn't keep myself from worrying. I was too anxious to sit at the body shop and wait, so I walked about ten minutes to a local flower shop where I chose to await my car's destiny. In order to help calm my nerves, I kept reciting Bible verses to myself. One that I kept coming back to was "In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths" (Pr. 3:6 NKJV). A couple of hours later, I got a phone call from the mechanic. It went something like this:
Mechanic:"Hello...Heather?...I've taken a look at your vehicle..."
Me:...ok... (I was so afraid to hear what might come next).
Mechanic: Well, I can fix your car for $42.60.
Me: Really??!! That's wonderful! Yes! (I even raised my fist in the air in celebration at this point) Let's do that! Can you fix it now?
I was elated. After fearing that I would have to find a way to get hundreds of dollars to replace the alternator, I was thrilled to find that I could afford to repair the car with some of the money from my tax return.
I've spent a lot of time over the past few days thinking about all these events and how I've reacted. I'm thankful to see that my faith has grown, but disappointed to also observe that when things got too big for me to see some sort of solution, I panicked. I still act more like the untrusting Israelites in the wilderness. I suppose that one doesn't just suddenly find themselves to possess the kind of faith that Abraham had.
However, I am confident in the grace of God. He still works in my favor even when I don't display my best behavior. Some of the things that I keep meditating on as I pray for a change of heart and praise God for His goodness come from Jesus words to people who were struggling like me:
"I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today" (Matt 6:25-34).
There has never been a time in my life when these words have moved me like they do now. I am stricken by their potency. Jesus words are full of love and encouragement. I pray that I will keep them at the forefront of my mind. For I believe that it is only by keeping God's words in my mind and heart that I will maintain my sanity and a hope for greater things still to come.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Validation
To some people, words are significant. And for most people, the best kind of words are those that build them up. Compliments, words of love, encouragement, and even reprimands given with gentle wisdom can have positive, life-altering results.
The wisest man that ever lived writes in Proverbs 18:21 that "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (ESV). This is a fact that Jesus knew well. Many of Jesus' miracles are surrounded by significant words--in fact for some of the people that interacted with Jesus, the words were more important than the physical healing.
Luke, Paul's personal physician, recorded the story of a particular paralyzed man in Luke 5. For whatever reason, this paralyzed man was plagued by a very deep guilt. This man was also blessed with some friends who wanted to help him move past his pain. So when his friends found out that Jesus was nearby, they put the paralyzed man on a stretcher and carried him to where Jesus was teaching--it's not like the paralyzed man could resist them anyways. When they got to the house that Jesus was in, they were unable to get inside because of the crowds, so in a moment of desperate genius, the friends managed to carry the paralyzed man up onto the roof of the house where they removed some of the roof tiles and lowered their friend down through the opening until he hung before Jesus. Such an act required a strong faith on the part of the paralyzed man's friends--they realized that Jesus was the only one who could heal the man. This is why they went to such incredible lengths to get him to Jesus. Taking all of this into account, Jesus recognized their belief in him. But when He looked at the paralyzed man before Him, He recognized not only his physical brokenness, but He saw the wreckage of the man's spirit. The man's real problem wasn't that he could no longer move, it was the fact that he was being eaten alive by his inner pain. It probably isn't a stretch to say that if the man had been able to move, he probably would've taken measures to end his own life. Jesus saw the deep sorrow in the paralyzed man's eyes and so this is why His next words were the ones that saved the man's life: "Young man, your sins are forgiven" (Luke 5:20 NLT). The religious leaders threw a fit because of Jesus' words--they were blasphemous, only God could forgive sins, after all. Jesus turned to look at these religious leaders and simply asked this question: "Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’?" (Luke 5:23 NLT). Then to prove that He did have the right to heal the man's spirit, Jesus healed the man physically as well--a double miracle! But when it really comes down to it, which miracle do you think mattered more to that man?
In another case, the religious leaders framed a woman for adultery, arrested her, and brought her before Jesus to be judged for her crime. There are many things that Jesus could have done in this situation, but He chose to use words to defend her--perhaps this is because He knew that saying something that would plague the accusers would be much more powerful than any physical thing He could do to them. When they threw the woman at Jesus and demanded His permission to stone her according to the laws of Moses, Jesus said "All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!" (John 8:7 NLT) The irony in this statement is that the only person there without sins was Jesus, but He didn't even do so much as pick up a pebble. Before long, all of the accusers had left and the exchange that then takes place between Jesus and the woman never ceases to give me goose bumps: "Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more”" (John 8:10-11 NLT). Again, Jesus shows the incredible power of words.
In both of these cases, Jesus validated the feelings of the person brought to Him. He saw their pain and their true needs, and simply by recognizing this through what He said to them, He brought incredible healing into their lives.
God is in the business of validating all of us. He has chosen to claim all of us has His blood family--consider this: We are the only beings in ALL of creation that are connect to God through blood. Jesus came down and was born of Mary, so somewhere in all of our genealogies we connect to Him in our DNA, but not only that, Jesus died so we could all be returned to our true status as princes and princesses of Heaven. I don't think there is a more incredible blood tie in the universe!
As far as I'm concerned, there is no greater validation than God's love for humanity. Take a moment and indulge in the profundity of God's validation of you:
"No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you" (John 14:18 NLT). "No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you" (Josh 1:5 NLT). "I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand" (Is 41:10 NLT). "See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands" (Is 49:16 NLT)"Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come" (Jeremiah 33:3 NLT). "For I know the plans I have for you,... plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jer 29:11 NLT). "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest" (Matt 11:30 NLT). "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you" (Is 43:1-2,4 NLT).
God says to us: "You are great! You are beautiful! I love to see you smile, you have such a fantastic smile! You are significant. I see how hard you work,and I know that you aren't always shown the proper recognition, but I appreciate all you do! I am so proud of your accomplishments, and I know that you will make a difference!"
Feel validated yet???
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Things that the Angels Long to Understand...
When I consider the fact that I am one single human being in an entire universe, I begin to sense the humility of how small I am. When I think about time and eternity, I am, again, humbled by my itty bitty little "bleep" in the existence of life. Initially, this causes me to feel insignificant and maybe even puny. What are my hopes and dreams compared to the combined hopes and dreams of all of humanity? How is it possible for a "bleep" to truly make a difference or even matter?
But then history is full of "bleeps" who have changed the world--Plato, Socrates, Cleopatra, Alexander the Great, Galileo Galilei, Leonardo da Vinci, Amerigo Vespucci, Francis Bacon, Queen Elizabeth I, Martin Luther, St. Fancis of Assisi, Mother Teresa, Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., and the list goes on...
God grants different gifts and abilities to different people, but when He created humans, he implanted a common ingredient that would be passed on through generations--"God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" (Gen 1:27 NIV).
Made in the image of God--what exactly does that entail? I'm sure it involves many things, but a significant aspect of being made in the image of God involves free will. The ability to choose is sacred--humans can choose to believe, reject, abuse, abstain, pursue, doubt, hate, love, work, build, break, create, kill, judge, reconcile, etc. No other created thing that lives on Earth can do all these things. Humans can reason, weigh options, and make decisions entirely on their own. The kind of decisions that one makes determines their legacy or "bleep".
To choose is a power of the gods--a profound gift given to humanity. Humans have the power to choose their attitudes, they can command their atmosphere, and they can choose how they want to impact others. The sorts of decisions that one makes determines the level of authority they will exercise. So it is sobering to realize how often the power of choice is taken for granted.
Taking free will for granted is not a new problem. In John 10:34, Jesus berates the people for refusing to believe in His divinity and scolds them for acting like a mob instead of exercising their right to make their own decisions. Jesus directs the people to recall the words of King David (in Ps 82:6) when He asks,"Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’?" (John 10:34 NKJV). Jesus essentially asks the people why they, who have been given the ability to discern truth, to judge the validity of information, and make their own choices,could look at His fruits and call Him a liar.
The Hebrew word translated as "gods" in Psalms 82:6 and John 10:34 is Elohim. This word is not always used to represent the one true God; it can also be a reference to something that has strength, might, power, and the right to judge (Web 1&2).
Put all this into perspective. Not only did God grant humans existence, but He allowed humans free control over their own minds--no dictator has ever done that! This ability, when one chooses to give control over to God, results in a profound transformation. Often the legacies that are most honored are the ones left by those who freely chose to let God change their hearts and minds.
A person cannot be guilted or forced into choosing to truly follow God. A person who believes out of fear cannot evolve into a person with a strong, beautiful character and steadfast faith. Such a change is supernatural and cannot take place without willing compliance.
Supernatural change is a difficult process. Maybe it is so difficult because it requires one to go against what most people perceive as normal. This change also demands risk, but not without the promise of transformation. And get this, God took a great risk in granting humanity free will. In fact, God took the greatest risk of all by placing Jesus at the mercy of humanity with the explicit desire of providing a way to give humans a chance at perfect and holy immortality. I have to admit that it blows my mind that God allowed the gift of free will to continue beyond Eden. But it is this fact that reveals the nature of God's love and the beauty of His creativity. God loves to take what is broken and restore it. God wants to turn all people into beings of strength, power, with the ability to judge or discern between good and evil--gods--elohim. Ultimately, God will erase all the side-effects of sin from those who choose Him.
This gift of transformation is a beautiful mystery--one that even the Angels are in awe of. Peter, one of Jesus' disciples, writes about this phenomenon in 1 Peter 1:
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy
he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or
fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are
shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be
revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a
little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These
have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than
gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory
and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you
love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are
filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end
result of your faith, the salvation of your souls . . . Even angels long to
look into these things (verses 1-9,12 NIV).
If God's incomprehensible, unconditional love for a damaged race, if the change that serving God brings to a soul, if the ability for humanity to exercise supernatural abilities stirs up a desire in angels to understand--to get a grasp on the profound beauty of something that words simply fail to express adequately, how can it not overwhelm us with gratitude, praise, and a desire to willingly let God shepherd us? For it is only when one freely commits to God that they can develop something more precious than gold--genuine faith. Such a faith will be so transforming that God will rename you, just as He renamed Abram, Sarai, Jacob, and Saul of Tarsus.
In his sermon, The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis makes this profound observation about humanity's potential:
"It is a serious thing,to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no 'ordinary' people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilisations -- these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whome we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit -- immortal horrors or everlasting splendours" (1942).
God has called us to greater works (John 14:12)--to become beings with the splendor, courage, justice, power, and love that is attributed to gods and goddesses. No one who embarks on this journey with God will be insignificant.
Web 1: http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/di.htm
Web 2: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05393a.htm
But then history is full of "bleeps" who have changed the world--Plato, Socrates, Cleopatra, Alexander the Great, Galileo Galilei, Leonardo da Vinci, Amerigo Vespucci, Francis Bacon, Queen Elizabeth I, Martin Luther, St. Fancis of Assisi, Mother Teresa, Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., and the list goes on...
God grants different gifts and abilities to different people, but when He created humans, he implanted a common ingredient that would be passed on through generations--"God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" (Gen 1:27 NIV).
Made in the image of God--what exactly does that entail? I'm sure it involves many things, but a significant aspect of being made in the image of God involves free will. The ability to choose is sacred--humans can choose to believe, reject, abuse, abstain, pursue, doubt, hate, love, work, build, break, create, kill, judge, reconcile, etc. No other created thing that lives on Earth can do all these things. Humans can reason, weigh options, and make decisions entirely on their own. The kind of decisions that one makes determines their legacy or "bleep".
To choose is a power of the gods--a profound gift given to humanity. Humans have the power to choose their attitudes, they can command their atmosphere, and they can choose how they want to impact others. The sorts of decisions that one makes determines the level of authority they will exercise. So it is sobering to realize how often the power of choice is taken for granted.
Taking free will for granted is not a new problem. In John 10:34, Jesus berates the people for refusing to believe in His divinity and scolds them for acting like a mob instead of exercising their right to make their own decisions. Jesus directs the people to recall the words of King David (in Ps 82:6) when He asks,"Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’?" (John 10:34 NKJV). Jesus essentially asks the people why they, who have been given the ability to discern truth, to judge the validity of information, and make their own choices,could look at His fruits and call Him a liar.
The Hebrew word translated as "gods" in Psalms 82:6 and John 10:34 is Elohim. This word is not always used to represent the one true God; it can also be a reference to something that has strength, might, power, and the right to judge (Web 1&2).
Put all this into perspective. Not only did God grant humans existence, but He allowed humans free control over their own minds--no dictator has ever done that! This ability, when one chooses to give control over to God, results in a profound transformation. Often the legacies that are most honored are the ones left by those who freely chose to let God change their hearts and minds.
A person cannot be guilted or forced into choosing to truly follow God. A person who believes out of fear cannot evolve into a person with a strong, beautiful character and steadfast faith. Such a change is supernatural and cannot take place without willing compliance.
Supernatural change is a difficult process. Maybe it is so difficult because it requires one to go against what most people perceive as normal. This change also demands risk, but not without the promise of transformation. And get this, God took a great risk in granting humanity free will. In fact, God took the greatest risk of all by placing Jesus at the mercy of humanity with the explicit desire of providing a way to give humans a chance at perfect and holy immortality. I have to admit that it blows my mind that God allowed the gift of free will to continue beyond Eden. But it is this fact that reveals the nature of God's love and the beauty of His creativity. God loves to take what is broken and restore it. God wants to turn all people into beings of strength, power, with the ability to judge or discern between good and evil--gods--elohim. Ultimately, God will erase all the side-effects of sin from those who choose Him.
This gift of transformation is a beautiful mystery--one that even the Angels are in awe of. Peter, one of Jesus' disciples, writes about this phenomenon in 1 Peter 1:
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy
he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or
fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are
shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be
revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a
little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These
have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than
gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory
and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you
love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are
filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end
result of your faith, the salvation of your souls . . . Even angels long to
look into these things (verses 1-9,12 NIV).
If God's incomprehensible, unconditional love for a damaged race, if the change that serving God brings to a soul, if the ability for humanity to exercise supernatural abilities stirs up a desire in angels to understand--to get a grasp on the profound beauty of something that words simply fail to express adequately, how can it not overwhelm us with gratitude, praise, and a desire to willingly let God shepherd us? For it is only when one freely commits to God that they can develop something more precious than gold--genuine faith. Such a faith will be so transforming that God will rename you, just as He renamed Abram, Sarai, Jacob, and Saul of Tarsus.
In his sermon, The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis makes this profound observation about humanity's potential:
"It is a serious thing,to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no 'ordinary' people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilisations -- these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whome we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit -- immortal horrors or everlasting splendours" (1942).
God has called us to greater works (John 14:12)--to become beings with the splendor, courage, justice, power, and love that is attributed to gods and goddesses. No one who embarks on this journey with God will be insignificant.
Web 1: http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/di.htm
Web 2: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05393a.htm
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Chi and Christ
I woke up angry this morning. Very angry. In fact, I'd spent the majority of the night dreaming about various situations in which I lost my temper and spouted obscenities. Honestly, I hadn't realized that I was quite so angry. But I guess that's just what happens when you don't allow yourself to process and truly give your feelings validity during your waking hours--you end up confronting your feelings in your dreams.
Upon waking, I had subconsciously worked myself into such a low place that I didn't want to go to church as planned. I moped around my room and inside my head. I felt discouraged even though I knew that God is in control and that what I'm going through now is just a stepping stone in the process of my destiny. Yet I was in no mood to psych myself out. Sometimes it takes a severely incredible amount of energy to pull yourself out of negativity.
Half of the early morning service had already passed by when I finally forced myself out of the house. I knew that the last thing I wanted to do was to spend the rest of my day in such a foul spirit, and past experience in my current home church told me that some time focused on praising God with my church family would most likely bring solace to my soul and probably some vitality as well.
See, thoughts can have such a strong power over attitude and behavior. Ever noticed how someone else's sadness or rage entangled you in such a way that you began to mirror similar feelings? I don't know how it is with everyone else, but my spirit is fairly sensitive to strong emotions, and if I don't guard it, I am liable to become prey to those emotions. Being aware of this, I chose to place myself in an environment where the sorts of emotions that I would fall "prey" to would be uplifting.
And so, making it to church blessed me. I didn't leave the same person I was when I had entered. I believe that the change had a lot to do with the collective spirit of those that were at the service. Being among people whose hearts seek God's heart and who display a love and hospitality in their smiles, hugs, and kind words made it impossible to stay angry for very long. Halfway into my pastor's message, I found myself genuinely laughing with delight and tearfully praising God. It wasn't that my problems had been solved, or that I could suddenly see some new path to follow, but just as negativity is catching, so is joy.
This is part of the beauty in sharing a faith walk with others. It is also one of the reasons God made us to be social beings--to encourage one another. And the ability to connect with each others' emotions and make such drastic changes is a power that shouldn't be ignored or abused.
In 2 Cor. 10:3-5, Paul writes, "For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (ESV). I believe that an aspect of spiritual warfare involves thoughts and emotions, for if they aren't kept in proper check and used for building others up, they become destructive forces to be reckoned with.
It's not easy to keep tabs on emotions. Most people learn to place feelings on hold in order to function with the daily demands of life. In some cases, this is good because it allows non-related issues to be kept separate, but in other cases, it just turns people into emotional time bombs. So learning to make every thought captive to Christ is something that has to be consciously done.
Growing up, my mother often recited Paul's advice in a letter to the believers in Philippi: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Phillipians 4:8 KJV). As a child, I saw this advice as a sort of rebuke--another thing in the long list of things telling me what not to do or that I wasn't measuring up to some sort of standard again. However, now I understand that we become like the things we think about, and what we think about is affected by the things we do and the people we are around.
This concept is prominent in Chinese philosophy. Chinese culture and medicine believes that one's Chi (Qi), or energy flow, affects all life at molecular, atomic, and subatomic levels (Web 1). Because of this, those who espouse this philosophy seek to maintain the appropriate balance in their emotions, thoughts, and health. This philosophy has maintained a strong foothold in Asia.
Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese author and entrepreneur, did a series of experiments with water. His experiments show that meditation on specific thoughts/feelings affects the shapes of water crystals. When I first was exposed to the results of Emoto's experiements a few years ago, I was spell-bound.
If it's true that thoughts and emotions affects water, then just imagine how much we affect each other! Based on age, body size, and health, humans' bodies are made up of 55-78% water (Web 2). This adds a whole new meaning to the idea that you had better be careful of who you sit next to!
Let's take these concepts a bit further. In John 14:12, Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father" (NLT). How is it possible for people to do greater works than Jesus did? Well, take into consideration the fact that everything Jesus did, he did with human limitations and full reliance on God. He was an example for all humanity to follow. But consider this as well, what Jesus did, he did more or less individually because he was teaching and showing people how to act out their faith. So, imagine the power that active communities of believers could have! If even just five people in one church fully relied on God as Jesus did, than God's glorious works would be multiplied five times! Just take a moment to consider this on a grander scale--what if entire churches, neighborhoods, governments, states, countries relied fully on God?
So how does all this connect to the water?
If our thoughts change the properties of water, and a large percentage of the human body is made up of water, then is it so far fetched to believe that faith can be catching? That just by trusting in God and being near others, one person's positive water energy could start changing the water energy of somebody else? Is it possible that by "greater works", Jesus meant further reaching? That maybe those who house the Spirit of God in their souls would pass on the Spirit just by being near to other people, and as the numbers grew, so would the spiritual power and magnitude of those in a faith walk? Knowing this, how much more crucial is it that those of faith interact with non-believers! But check this out! Interaction doesn't necessarily involve preaching or evangelistic meetings--it could be nothing more than just being still in a crowd and projecting thoughts that are captive to Christ out into your atmosphere. It could be nothing more than simply sitting next to someone who is grieving and keeping your thoughts focused on those things that are lovely and pure. You don't even have to speak!
I cannot even fathom all the ways in which the world could change if bodies of believers made a conscious point of taking time to think and feel Christ into the atmospheres around them, but I'm sure it would bring a peace unlike anything we've seen yet.
So I challenge you to consider the things that you are speaking into your atmosphere. Changing the world might not be nearly as impossible as you think!
Web 1: http://taoism.about.com/od/qi/a/Qi.htm
Web 2: http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2000-05/958588306.An.r.html
Upon waking, I had subconsciously worked myself into such a low place that I didn't want to go to church as planned. I moped around my room and inside my head. I felt discouraged even though I knew that God is in control and that what I'm going through now is just a stepping stone in the process of my destiny. Yet I was in no mood to psych myself out. Sometimes it takes a severely incredible amount of energy to pull yourself out of negativity.
Half of the early morning service had already passed by when I finally forced myself out of the house. I knew that the last thing I wanted to do was to spend the rest of my day in such a foul spirit, and past experience in my current home church told me that some time focused on praising God with my church family would most likely bring solace to my soul and probably some vitality as well.
See, thoughts can have such a strong power over attitude and behavior. Ever noticed how someone else's sadness or rage entangled you in such a way that you began to mirror similar feelings? I don't know how it is with everyone else, but my spirit is fairly sensitive to strong emotions, and if I don't guard it, I am liable to become prey to those emotions. Being aware of this, I chose to place myself in an environment where the sorts of emotions that I would fall "prey" to would be uplifting.
And so, making it to church blessed me. I didn't leave the same person I was when I had entered. I believe that the change had a lot to do with the collective spirit of those that were at the service. Being among people whose hearts seek God's heart and who display a love and hospitality in their smiles, hugs, and kind words made it impossible to stay angry for very long. Halfway into my pastor's message, I found myself genuinely laughing with delight and tearfully praising God. It wasn't that my problems had been solved, or that I could suddenly see some new path to follow, but just as negativity is catching, so is joy.
This is part of the beauty in sharing a faith walk with others. It is also one of the reasons God made us to be social beings--to encourage one another. And the ability to connect with each others' emotions and make such drastic changes is a power that shouldn't be ignored or abused.
In 2 Cor. 10:3-5, Paul writes, "For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (ESV). I believe that an aspect of spiritual warfare involves thoughts and emotions, for if they aren't kept in proper check and used for building others up, they become destructive forces to be reckoned with.
It's not easy to keep tabs on emotions. Most people learn to place feelings on hold in order to function with the daily demands of life. In some cases, this is good because it allows non-related issues to be kept separate, but in other cases, it just turns people into emotional time bombs. So learning to make every thought captive to Christ is something that has to be consciously done.
Growing up, my mother often recited Paul's advice in a letter to the believers in Philippi: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Phillipians 4:8 KJV). As a child, I saw this advice as a sort of rebuke--another thing in the long list of things telling me what not to do or that I wasn't measuring up to some sort of standard again. However, now I understand that we become like the things we think about, and what we think about is affected by the things we do and the people we are around.
This concept is prominent in Chinese philosophy. Chinese culture and medicine believes that one's Chi (Qi), or energy flow, affects all life at molecular, atomic, and subatomic levels (Web 1). Because of this, those who espouse this philosophy seek to maintain the appropriate balance in their emotions, thoughts, and health. This philosophy has maintained a strong foothold in Asia.
Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese author and entrepreneur, did a series of experiments with water. His experiments show that meditation on specific thoughts/feelings affects the shapes of water crystals. When I first was exposed to the results of Emoto's experiements a few years ago, I was spell-bound.
If it's true that thoughts and emotions affects water, then just imagine how much we affect each other! Based on age, body size, and health, humans' bodies are made up of 55-78% water (Web 2). This adds a whole new meaning to the idea that you had better be careful of who you sit next to!
Let's take these concepts a bit further. In John 14:12, Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father" (NLT). How is it possible for people to do greater works than Jesus did? Well, take into consideration the fact that everything Jesus did, he did with human limitations and full reliance on God. He was an example for all humanity to follow. But consider this as well, what Jesus did, he did more or less individually because he was teaching and showing people how to act out their faith. So, imagine the power that active communities of believers could have! If even just five people in one church fully relied on God as Jesus did, than God's glorious works would be multiplied five times! Just take a moment to consider this on a grander scale--what if entire churches, neighborhoods, governments, states, countries relied fully on God?
So how does all this connect to the water?
If our thoughts change the properties of water, and a large percentage of the human body is made up of water, then is it so far fetched to believe that faith can be catching? That just by trusting in God and being near others, one person's positive water energy could start changing the water energy of somebody else? Is it possible that by "greater works", Jesus meant further reaching? That maybe those who house the Spirit of God in their souls would pass on the Spirit just by being near to other people, and as the numbers grew, so would the spiritual power and magnitude of those in a faith walk? Knowing this, how much more crucial is it that those of faith interact with non-believers! But check this out! Interaction doesn't necessarily involve preaching or evangelistic meetings--it could be nothing more than just being still in a crowd and projecting thoughts that are captive to Christ out into your atmosphere. It could be nothing more than simply sitting next to someone who is grieving and keeping your thoughts focused on those things that are lovely and pure. You don't even have to speak!
I cannot even fathom all the ways in which the world could change if bodies of believers made a conscious point of taking time to think and feel Christ into the atmospheres around them, but I'm sure it would bring a peace unlike anything we've seen yet.
So I challenge you to consider the things that you are speaking into your atmosphere. Changing the world might not be nearly as impossible as you think!
Web 1: http://taoism.about.com/od/qi/a/Qi.htm
Web 2: http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2000-05/958588306.An.r.html
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Manna and Toothaches
I have always been fascinated by the old testament stories that tell about how God gave the Israelites manna. To me, manna is mysterious, and as such, it arouses my curiosity. I've often wondered what it was like, how it was cooked, how many ways it could be eaten, what sorts of flavors complimented it, etc. But even more mysterious than its physical or sensual particulars is the fact that such a beautiful provision from God could become something that the people saw as a plague.
The story of the great exodus out of Egypt is full of miracles and people with great faith as well as those who lacked it. In many ways, the story of the Israelites' freedom from bondage in Egypt parallels our own stories.
At some point, everyone realizes that they live in a state of bondage to something--it could be financial difficulties, physical limitations, loneliness, abusive family members, sex, money, whatever gives a high... Some people never manage to break free from these things, but many who give them over to God discover that He is not only capable, but eager to provide an escape and a new home.
In order to take the Israelites to Canaan, the promised land, God had to lead them to the desert. It was there that God hoped they would learn to rely on Him for their most basic needs including food and water. But the ever-human Israelites panicked when food provisions became low and they vented their fears about having enough to eat to Moses. The part of this that seems so ridiculous is the fact that God had delivered them from countless crisis and they still freaked out and went to Moses for help. Never-mind that God had sent plagues on the Egyptians to help induce them to release the Israelites, or that God had made a way through the Red Sea and killed off some of Pharaoh's army in the process, or that God's presence was made visible to the Israelites in the form of a pillar that looked like a cloud during the day but glowed like fire at night. After all God had done, how could they be so immature? How could they forget how God's mighty hand had stretched out to them in favor?
Moses, who often found himself to be the mediator between the people and God, talked to God about the problem, and God decided to "rain down bread from heaven" (Exodus 16:4 NIV). The miraculous food appeared with the dew on the ground every morning except for the Sabbath. God gave the people exactly as much as they needed.
Over time, this miracle became stale to the people, and they craved meat. They started complaining and saying that it would've been better that they had stayed slaves in Egypt because at least they had been able to eat meat there. Such talk spread, and before long, Moses was dealing with a nation of disgruntled people again. Of course, God felt insulted too...how could these people have such short and selective memories? How was it possible for them to think that it would be BETTER to be slaves again just to have more food variety? Seriously???
But God, knowing that often people learn best when they get a taste of their own medicine told the Israelites this: "The LORD heard you when you wailed, “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat it. You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”" (Numbers 11:18-20 NIV).
God sent the Israelites droves of quail. The Israelites went crazy. They slaughtered the birds in excess and gorged themselves on the meat. God rewarded their gluttony with a sickness that was caused by over-consumption of the meat--some people died.
It wouldn't surprise anyone if God had given up on the Israelites altogether. But God is gracious, and when they repented, God returned to them the blessing of manna.
It's so easy to look at stories like these and cluck our disapproval at such silly and faithless behavior. But, in reality, we are no better. I have been so convicted of this lately because God has done miracles in my life over the past three weeks, but I've ignored them or complained about them because the results weren't what I'd wanted or because I was too focused on my troubles to properly thank God for what He had taken care of.
A couple of weeks ago, my two remaining wisdom teeth began to bother me. My gums the back of my mouth got so swollen that my teeth were digging into them uncomfortably. I was so worried that I would have to get my teeth pulled, and I didn't know where in the world I would get the money for such a procedure. I tried to maintain a proper focus, and reminded myself that God is in control, and He knows what I need. So I prayed specifically for healing. And then promptly began searching for clinics that pull teeth for people who are homeless or have low incomes. I found one and went in really early in the morning with the hopes that I'd be able to get my teeth pulled and still make it to class. Well, I waited at the clinic for 3 hours before finding out that walk-in patients could spend a good half of the day there before ever getting to see a dentist, and since I couldn't miss classes, I had to cancel with the clinic and rush to school. The whole way there, I told God about my distress and prayed for healing.
In-between classes at Chatt State, I dropped by the financial aid office to see when I would be getting my next check from the loan I had taken out, only to learn that the Government had revoked the loan, and for the next week, I spent the majority of my efforts trying to find a way to stay in school, begging God for a financial miracle that would allow me to finish out the semester and cover the costs of rent. I was in and out of the financial aid office daily for about three days, before I realized that there was nothing that could be done. I even tried to get a back up loan through a bank, but couldn't because my monthly income is too low. I was frustrated and angry, and in the midst of this, the fact that my wisdom teeth no longer bothered me and that my gums were no longer swollen or painful, took a big back seat to my new crisis.
Later on, I felt guilty for not praising God in the midst of the storm, especially when I had such a powerful reason to do so!
No miracle happened when it came down to loans, and I was forced to drop out of school. However, God did grant me some different kinds of miracles--ones that I didn't quite appreciate in the beginning. God made a way for me to be able to cover January's rent, He made it so that my managers at both jobs were willing to give me extra hours at work, and therefore, has made it possible for me to continue to cover the cost of rent and be able to make loan payments.
But because I wasn't in school, because God didn't answer my demands exactly as I had wanted, I didn't see these miracles--not until God smacked me upside the head with a few observations from my pastor that caused me to see everything in a different light.
I am so blessed to have a God who knows the beginning from the end and who provides a way even when I forget to thank Him. God gave me manna, and I wanted meat. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm no better than my ancestors. But I'm encouraged to know that God still chose those whiny, ungrateful people to give birth to Jesus who made a way for unworthy people like me.
And Heck Yeah! My teeth/gums are healed, I am able to work enough to pay for my financial requirements, and I even have enough time left over to sleep, work-out, and get involved in some community service projects! I'm so grateful that God is obligated to stick to His promises. He said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5 NIV). As I continue to seek growth in my faith, I cling to this promise with gratitude.
The story of the great exodus out of Egypt is full of miracles and people with great faith as well as those who lacked it. In many ways, the story of the Israelites' freedom from bondage in Egypt parallels our own stories.
At some point, everyone realizes that they live in a state of bondage to something--it could be financial difficulties, physical limitations, loneliness, abusive family members, sex, money, whatever gives a high... Some people never manage to break free from these things, but many who give them over to God discover that He is not only capable, but eager to provide an escape and a new home.
In order to take the Israelites to Canaan, the promised land, God had to lead them to the desert. It was there that God hoped they would learn to rely on Him for their most basic needs including food and water. But the ever-human Israelites panicked when food provisions became low and they vented their fears about having enough to eat to Moses. The part of this that seems so ridiculous is the fact that God had delivered them from countless crisis and they still freaked out and went to Moses for help. Never-mind that God had sent plagues on the Egyptians to help induce them to release the Israelites, or that God had made a way through the Red Sea and killed off some of Pharaoh's army in the process, or that God's presence was made visible to the Israelites in the form of a pillar that looked like a cloud during the day but glowed like fire at night. After all God had done, how could they be so immature? How could they forget how God's mighty hand had stretched out to them in favor?
Moses, who often found himself to be the mediator between the people and God, talked to God about the problem, and God decided to "rain down bread from heaven" (Exodus 16:4 NIV). The miraculous food appeared with the dew on the ground every morning except for the Sabbath. God gave the people exactly as much as they needed.
Over time, this miracle became stale to the people, and they craved meat. They started complaining and saying that it would've been better that they had stayed slaves in Egypt because at least they had been able to eat meat there. Such talk spread, and before long, Moses was dealing with a nation of disgruntled people again. Of course, God felt insulted too...how could these people have such short and selective memories? How was it possible for them to think that it would be BETTER to be slaves again just to have more food variety? Seriously???
But God, knowing that often people learn best when they get a taste of their own medicine told the Israelites this: "The LORD heard you when you wailed, “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat it. You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”" (Numbers 11:18-20 NIV).
God sent the Israelites droves of quail. The Israelites went crazy. They slaughtered the birds in excess and gorged themselves on the meat. God rewarded their gluttony with a sickness that was caused by over-consumption of the meat--some people died.
It wouldn't surprise anyone if God had given up on the Israelites altogether. But God is gracious, and when they repented, God returned to them the blessing of manna.
It's so easy to look at stories like these and cluck our disapproval at such silly and faithless behavior. But, in reality, we are no better. I have been so convicted of this lately because God has done miracles in my life over the past three weeks, but I've ignored them or complained about them because the results weren't what I'd wanted or because I was too focused on my troubles to properly thank God for what He had taken care of.
A couple of weeks ago, my two remaining wisdom teeth began to bother me. My gums the back of my mouth got so swollen that my teeth were digging into them uncomfortably. I was so worried that I would have to get my teeth pulled, and I didn't know where in the world I would get the money for such a procedure. I tried to maintain a proper focus, and reminded myself that God is in control, and He knows what I need. So I prayed specifically for healing. And then promptly began searching for clinics that pull teeth for people who are homeless or have low incomes. I found one and went in really early in the morning with the hopes that I'd be able to get my teeth pulled and still make it to class. Well, I waited at the clinic for 3 hours before finding out that walk-in patients could spend a good half of the day there before ever getting to see a dentist, and since I couldn't miss classes, I had to cancel with the clinic and rush to school. The whole way there, I told God about my distress and prayed for healing.
In-between classes at Chatt State, I dropped by the financial aid office to see when I would be getting my next check from the loan I had taken out, only to learn that the Government had revoked the loan, and for the next week, I spent the majority of my efforts trying to find a way to stay in school, begging God for a financial miracle that would allow me to finish out the semester and cover the costs of rent. I was in and out of the financial aid office daily for about three days, before I realized that there was nothing that could be done. I even tried to get a back up loan through a bank, but couldn't because my monthly income is too low. I was frustrated and angry, and in the midst of this, the fact that my wisdom teeth no longer bothered me and that my gums were no longer swollen or painful, took a big back seat to my new crisis.
Later on, I felt guilty for not praising God in the midst of the storm, especially when I had such a powerful reason to do so!
No miracle happened when it came down to loans, and I was forced to drop out of school. However, God did grant me some different kinds of miracles--ones that I didn't quite appreciate in the beginning. God made a way for me to be able to cover January's rent, He made it so that my managers at both jobs were willing to give me extra hours at work, and therefore, has made it possible for me to continue to cover the cost of rent and be able to make loan payments.
But because I wasn't in school, because God didn't answer my demands exactly as I had wanted, I didn't see these miracles--not until God smacked me upside the head with a few observations from my pastor that caused me to see everything in a different light.
I am so blessed to have a God who knows the beginning from the end and who provides a way even when I forget to thank Him. God gave me manna, and I wanted meat. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm no better than my ancestors. But I'm encouraged to know that God still chose those whiny, ungrateful people to give birth to Jesus who made a way for unworthy people like me.
And Heck Yeah! My teeth/gums are healed, I am able to work enough to pay for my financial requirements, and I even have enough time left over to sleep, work-out, and get involved in some community service projects! I'm so grateful that God is obligated to stick to His promises. He said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5 NIV). As I continue to seek growth in my faith, I cling to this promise with gratitude.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Growing Pains
This week has been a giant trial. I would've loved to have blogged over the past seven days, but events did not allow me the opportunity.
On Tuesday, I learned that the Government has revoked my loan for school, leaving me with no choice but to drop out of school and start working minimum wage jobs full-time so that I can pay rent and make loan payments. It's way more complicated than it sounds and extremely disappointing. My future has becoming even murkier than it was before. The most frustrating thing about this situation is that my life was just beginning to feel like it was coming together. I was psyched to be blessed with a good church family, good health, successful grades in my A&P II and Physics classes...in fact, it seemed like I was well on my way to pursuing a career in exercise science. And then, just when I began to relax, my feet were pulled out from under me. In some ways I feel like my world has fallen to pieces all around me.
Is this an act of God?
Probably. Sometimes the things God allows for our greater good just simply suck.
The Bible tells the story of Job, a man of great integrity who was well-loved and greatly blessed by God. In fact, God was so proud of Job that He even bragged about Job's faithfulness when Satan stopped in to pick on God (Job 1:8). Satan dared God to challenge Job's faith by taking away his blessings. Satan was pretty confident that Job's faith wouldn't survive the loss of wealth, family, and health. God has no need of conditional faith and is not afraid of human weakness, so He gave Satan permission to test Job's character (Job 1:12).
Job's reaction to the loss of his wealth and children is somewhat shocking, but it also shows the depth of his faith-walk. In the midst of his grief, Job shaved his head and knelt down to worship God, saying:
“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!” (Job 1:21 NLT).
In his heart wrenching sorrow, Job praises God! He worships! He doesn't even blame God. He simply acknowledges that God is great, as if to make the point that when it really comes down to it, that's all that matters.
As calamity is piled upon calamity, Job's spirit becomes heavier. Finally he is brought to the point where his illness has him sitting in the town dump scraping the puss from boils. He is deserted by his wife, and his friends accuse him of sinning against God. In fact, Job's friends feel that his continual insistence of innocence is just denial of some awful crime against God. Finally, Job breaks down and questions God, he even challenges God's justice and begs God to prove to his friends that he is not lying.
God's response to Job never ceases to leave me with goosebumps:
"Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:
“Who is this that questions my wisdom
with such ignorant words?
Brace yourself like a man,
because I have some questions for you,
and you must answer them.
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?" (Job 38:1-4 NLT).
The power and mind-blowing enormity and beauty of the questions that followed left Job speechless. Job responded to God's greatness with humility:
“I know that you can do anything,
and no one can stop you.
You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’
It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,
things far too wonderful for me.
You said, ‘Listen and I will speak!
I have some questions for you,
and you must answer them.’
I had only heard about you before,
but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
I take back everything I said,
and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance” (Job 42:26 NLT).
In the end, God blesses Job with more children, wealth, and greater health than he had before his great trial. And God won the bet with Satan--Job's faith and loyalty were remarkable.
Job is hardly the only character in the Bible who lost everything in a faith walk. Look at Abraham? He lost his hometown, left behind his extended family, friends, culture, family inheritance, and did the insane--he followed the voice of God into the unknown. But he was rewarded with miracles and a nation that is blessed because of the faith he clung to.
And then there is Joseph, Abraham's great-grandson. A child born into wealth and favor. He was despised by his brothers who were jealous of his father's love. His own brothers threw him in a pit and then sold him into slavery. Joseph wound up in Egypt working for a high-ranking government official, Potipher. Joseph proved himself reliable and efficient as a servant and received Potipher's utmost trust and respect. But just when Joseph's life seemed to settle into a good place, he is framed by Potipher's wife for rape. Joseph is thrown into prison. But Joseph even managed to prosper in jail, and he also wound up becoming a trusted and efficient caretaker of the prison. While there, Joseph thought he might have found his way out when he correctly interpreted a dream for the Pharaoh's cup bearer. But the cup bearer forgot his promise to plead Joseph's case to the Pharaoh until two years later when the Pharoah had a dream of his own.
Joseph could have done many things. He could have despaired, turned his back on God, thrown aside his moral character, sought vengeance, or become hard-hearted. Instead, Joseph kept his faith and God rewarded him by making him the second man in charge of all of Egypt--he had the Pharaoh's unwavering trust and loyalty.
As a result, Joseph managed to save Egypt from starvation during a seven-year famine, and God even reunited him with his family when they came to Egypt for grain for their starving families in Canaan.
When Joseph looked back on the series of calamities that he endured, he could see his trials through the results of his blessings and he said this to his brothers: "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today" (Genesis 50:20 ESV).
Sometimes in this imperfect world, God's plans require a time of pain, a time where faith is tested, and character is refined. This is the reason we respect the people the Bible tells us about--we identify with their struggles, but we are also encouraged by their determination to cling to God even when they didn't understand.
As I ponder the lives of the faithful, I go back to God's response to Job and find myself feeling small--not in a condemning or belittling way, but in a sense of awe of the kind of God who sees the whole picture and knows why struggles are necessary.
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?" (Job 38:1-4 NLT).
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light (Genesis 1:1-3)"
"In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it" (John 1:1-5).
Maybe one of the greatest things that questioning God can do is remind us of why we aren't the ones with all the answers.
I may feel like my life is lying in fragments at my feet, but I've never felt stronger and more sure of anything before. Don't get me wrong, I have no idea what will happen next or what I'm going to do, but I have no doubt that God, the Creator, the Breath-giver is all over this. I've never found myself in a situation where all the possible paths I could take were so closed, where options were shut down with such finality. I could choose to be angry and wallow in disappointment and despair. But, instead, I choose to believe that just like Abraham and Joseph, God is leading me to something greater, to a land full of blessing and promise. I am a daughter of Abraham after-all, and I am still breathing. I look forward to being able to look back on my struggles with elation, to being able to pin-point the hand of God at every turn, and to claiming my growing pains as a birth to a greater and strong faith.
So for now, I choose to praise God like Paul and Silas because I know that what Satan means for evil in my life, God means for good.
On Tuesday, I learned that the Government has revoked my loan for school, leaving me with no choice but to drop out of school and start working minimum wage jobs full-time so that I can pay rent and make loan payments. It's way more complicated than it sounds and extremely disappointing. My future has becoming even murkier than it was before. The most frustrating thing about this situation is that my life was just beginning to feel like it was coming together. I was psyched to be blessed with a good church family, good health, successful grades in my A&P II and Physics classes...in fact, it seemed like I was well on my way to pursuing a career in exercise science. And then, just when I began to relax, my feet were pulled out from under me. In some ways I feel like my world has fallen to pieces all around me.
Is this an act of God?
Probably. Sometimes the things God allows for our greater good just simply suck.
The Bible tells the story of Job, a man of great integrity who was well-loved and greatly blessed by God. In fact, God was so proud of Job that He even bragged about Job's faithfulness when Satan stopped in to pick on God (Job 1:8). Satan dared God to challenge Job's faith by taking away his blessings. Satan was pretty confident that Job's faith wouldn't survive the loss of wealth, family, and health. God has no need of conditional faith and is not afraid of human weakness, so He gave Satan permission to test Job's character (Job 1:12).
Job's reaction to the loss of his wealth and children is somewhat shocking, but it also shows the depth of his faith-walk. In the midst of his grief, Job shaved his head and knelt down to worship God, saying:
“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!” (Job 1:21 NLT).
In his heart wrenching sorrow, Job praises God! He worships! He doesn't even blame God. He simply acknowledges that God is great, as if to make the point that when it really comes down to it, that's all that matters.
As calamity is piled upon calamity, Job's spirit becomes heavier. Finally he is brought to the point where his illness has him sitting in the town dump scraping the puss from boils. He is deserted by his wife, and his friends accuse him of sinning against God. In fact, Job's friends feel that his continual insistence of innocence is just denial of some awful crime against God. Finally, Job breaks down and questions God, he even challenges God's justice and begs God to prove to his friends that he is not lying.
God's response to Job never ceases to leave me with goosebumps:
"Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:
“Who is this that questions my wisdom
with such ignorant words?
Brace yourself like a man,
because I have some questions for you,
and you must answer them.
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?" (Job 38:1-4 NLT).
The power and mind-blowing enormity and beauty of the questions that followed left Job speechless. Job responded to God's greatness with humility:
“I know that you can do anything,
and no one can stop you.
You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’
It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,
things far too wonderful for me.
You said, ‘Listen and I will speak!
I have some questions for you,
and you must answer them.’
I had only heard about you before,
but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
I take back everything I said,
and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance” (Job 42:26 NLT).
In the end, God blesses Job with more children, wealth, and greater health than he had before his great trial. And God won the bet with Satan--Job's faith and loyalty were remarkable.
Job is hardly the only character in the Bible who lost everything in a faith walk. Look at Abraham? He lost his hometown, left behind his extended family, friends, culture, family inheritance, and did the insane--he followed the voice of God into the unknown. But he was rewarded with miracles and a nation that is blessed because of the faith he clung to.
And then there is Joseph, Abraham's great-grandson. A child born into wealth and favor. He was despised by his brothers who were jealous of his father's love. His own brothers threw him in a pit and then sold him into slavery. Joseph wound up in Egypt working for a high-ranking government official, Potipher. Joseph proved himself reliable and efficient as a servant and received Potipher's utmost trust and respect. But just when Joseph's life seemed to settle into a good place, he is framed by Potipher's wife for rape. Joseph is thrown into prison. But Joseph even managed to prosper in jail, and he also wound up becoming a trusted and efficient caretaker of the prison. While there, Joseph thought he might have found his way out when he correctly interpreted a dream for the Pharaoh's cup bearer. But the cup bearer forgot his promise to plead Joseph's case to the Pharaoh until two years later when the Pharoah had a dream of his own.
Joseph could have done many things. He could have despaired, turned his back on God, thrown aside his moral character, sought vengeance, or become hard-hearted. Instead, Joseph kept his faith and God rewarded him by making him the second man in charge of all of Egypt--he had the Pharaoh's unwavering trust and loyalty.
As a result, Joseph managed to save Egypt from starvation during a seven-year famine, and God even reunited him with his family when they came to Egypt for grain for their starving families in Canaan.
When Joseph looked back on the series of calamities that he endured, he could see his trials through the results of his blessings and he said this to his brothers: "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today" (Genesis 50:20 ESV).
Sometimes in this imperfect world, God's plans require a time of pain, a time where faith is tested, and character is refined. This is the reason we respect the people the Bible tells us about--we identify with their struggles, but we are also encouraged by their determination to cling to God even when they didn't understand.
As I ponder the lives of the faithful, I go back to God's response to Job and find myself feeling small--not in a condemning or belittling way, but in a sense of awe of the kind of God who sees the whole picture and knows why struggles are necessary.
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?" (Job 38:1-4 NLT).
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light (Genesis 1:1-3)"
"In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it" (John 1:1-5).
Maybe one of the greatest things that questioning God can do is remind us of why we aren't the ones with all the answers.
I may feel like my life is lying in fragments at my feet, but I've never felt stronger and more sure of anything before. Don't get me wrong, I have no idea what will happen next or what I'm going to do, but I have no doubt that God, the Creator, the Breath-giver is all over this. I've never found myself in a situation where all the possible paths I could take were so closed, where options were shut down with such finality. I could choose to be angry and wallow in disappointment and despair. But, instead, I choose to believe that just like Abraham and Joseph, God is leading me to something greater, to a land full of blessing and promise. I am a daughter of Abraham after-all, and I am still breathing. I look forward to being able to look back on my struggles with elation, to being able to pin-point the hand of God at every turn, and to claiming my growing pains as a birth to a greater and strong faith.
So for now, I choose to praise God like Paul and Silas because I know that what Satan means for evil in my life, God means for good.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Karma, Love, and Destiny
Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
--Unknown
Many Eastern religions and philosophies have strong teachings on the importance of one's behavior and how it can have positive or negative affects on one's quality of life. When comparing Eastern to Western cultures,one can find a distinct difference in their moral character.
I lived in Hong Kong for two years, while it is a very modern society, the belief in honor, good face, and family commitment is still very strong. A family's reputation relies on the behavior of its members. Because of this, the pressure to be upright, successful, and respected can be pretty intense.
No doubt, the moral nature of Eastern cultures is strongly affected by the major religions and philosophies of their ancestors. Buddhism, Confucianism,and Taoism, among others, promote ideas such as compassion, moderation, humility, and honor.
Buddhism specifically hones in on the importance of one's actions and motivations with the teaching of Karma. In his book, Kindness, Clarity, and Insight, the Dalai Lama writes that "The effects of karma (actions) are inevitable...Just as someone witnessed by police in a criminal act will eventually be caught and punished, so we too must face the consequences of faulty actions we have committed...those actions are irreversible; we must eventually undergo their effects" (Web 1). Buddhism also teaches that the things you do will be returned to you in like manner or more simply put, Karma is "You get what you give" (Web 1).
A key concept in Karma is that it isn't so much one's actions that are important but the intentions and thoughts behind those actions. In other words, one's actions are premeditated, and therefore, what one does shows their state of heart (Web 2). This essentially means that what one does in the present is even more important than what one has done in the past. According to Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw, karma "is the result of our own past actions and our own present doings. We ourselves are responsible for our own happiness and misery. We create our own Heaven. We create our own Hell. We are the architects of our own fate" (Web 2). In his book, Path to Bliss, the Dalai Lama points out that karma doesn't mean that one's future is already predetermined. "The very term karma or action is a term of active force, which indicates that future events are within your own hands. Since action is a phenomenon that is committed by a person, a living being, it is within your own hands whether or not you engage in action" (Web 1).
Such ideas mirror teachings in the Bible. In one of his letters, Paul writes, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows" (Gal 6:7 NIV). Jesus also talked about the foundational importance one's behavior: "Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets" (Matt 7:12 NLT).
While the Bible does talk about the importance of one's actions, Jesus adds an important element to the concept of reaping what you sow in one of His parables. Jesus tells the story of a wealthy land-owner who went away on a trip. Before he left, he divided some of his money into three portions and gave it to three different servants with instructions to keep it safe. Upon his return, he called for the servants to give an accounting of the money. The servant who had been given five bags of silver had invested the money and doubled it. Likewise, the servant who had been given two bags of silver had also doubled the money. The land-owner was very pleased and said to these servants "Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’" (Matt 25:23 NLT). But the third servant had fearfully hidden the silver that had been entrusted to him and had made no profit at all. The land owner wasn't happy about this because the least this servant could've done was put the money in the bank where it would've accrued some interest. So the land owner took the money from the third servant and gave it to the one who had doubled the five bags of silver. Jesus ended the parable with these words: "To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away" (Matt 25:29 NLT).
Jesus taught that what we do with our blessings is just as important as how we behave. The way we act towards others is important (Luke 10:25), but it is also important to use the gifts God has bestowed on us to bless others and increase His kingdom.
So what does all of this have to do with faith? Just about everything.
In a previous blog, I talked about the concept of a birth of the spirit and how it is the one birth that humans can choose to partake of. Such a birth comes with many gifts because the Holy Spirit is in the business of manifesting God's power through people. Paul writes the following in a letter to the Corinthians:
"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines" (1 Cor 12:4-11).
Spiritual rebirth requires action and involvement with others. Some people need to receive the blessings that gifts can bestow, others have complimentary gifts that work to God's greatest intention when paired with other gifts. Paul explains it this way:
"Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many (1 Cor 12:12-14).
What does this have to do with the concept of karma?
God gives gifts abundantly and joyfully; He delights in piling blessings upon blessings. God says, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! (Malachi 3:10 NLT). But there's a catch, God blesses so that we may, in turn, bless others, and in so doing, we will be blessed in ways that will increase our ability to bless others even more. What goes around comes around...
The faithfulness of those who profess to believe in God will be called into account. Jesus talks about His second coming and how He will separate those who walked a faith life from those who didn't. To the faithful He will say:
"‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’...‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,you were doing it to me!’(Matt 25:34-36,40 NLT).
So, not only does what one's actions to others benefit or hurt them, it also benefits or hurts God. Remember? God places a high price on life--He breaths for every living human-being, the Holy Spirit lives inside of believers, and Jesus Christ gave up His life to restore the gift of eternal life, joy, perfection, and love.
And this is where it all ties together. Just as Buddhists understand that one's good behavior isn't enough and what really matters is where one's heart is, Jesus teaches that a faith-walk requires action coupled with love. Without love, no blessing or spiritual gift matters. Paul poetically explains this in the famous "Love Chapter":
"If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing...Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor 13:1-3, 13 NLT).
Love...
It is a word that even I can barely comprehend. Sometimes I wonder if I've even truly felt love within myself. At my core I am selfish; I know this because I confront it in myself everyday. Sometimes, when I stop to take a real good look at myself, I'm frightened by the darkness I see. But not all is lost because I crave love unlike anything else in the world. And somehow, I can feel love growing inside of me just barely contained, just waiting to burst and shower upon those in need of it. God is most definitely building up a reservoir of love within me. This places a major challenge in front of me. Will I be like the servants who doubled the money that the land-owner entrusted to their care? Will I remember that the reasons behind my actions are more important than the actions themselves?
It takes twenty-one days to develop a new habit. Habits help to develop character, and ultimately, character shapes one's destiny.
The Dalai Lama explains that karma is in the a hands of the people--that one chooses his behavior and reaps the consequences accordingly, creating his own heaven or hell. In similar way, Christianity teaches that we have free will and control over our actions. We can choose to accept and multiply our gifts, reap and sow blessings, and love like we have nothing to lose. And really, without love, we will lose everything, so why wouldn't we give it our best shot?
As I continue growing in my faith, I am continually reminded of the need for love. Faith and love go hand in hand. I cannot love God if I don't trust Him. I cannot truly love others unless I allow God's love to manifest itself within me. All of this seems overwhelming, but I'm comforted by Paul's words "That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses... For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor 12:10). "For I can do everything through Christ,who gives me strength" (Phil 4:13).
Website references:
Web 1--http://viewonbuddhism.org/karma.html
Web 2--http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/karma.htm
http://www.religioustolerance.org/taoism2.htm
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
--Unknown
Many Eastern religions and philosophies have strong teachings on the importance of one's behavior and how it can have positive or negative affects on one's quality of life. When comparing Eastern to Western cultures,one can find a distinct difference in their moral character.
I lived in Hong Kong for two years, while it is a very modern society, the belief in honor, good face, and family commitment is still very strong. A family's reputation relies on the behavior of its members. Because of this, the pressure to be upright, successful, and respected can be pretty intense.
No doubt, the moral nature of Eastern cultures is strongly affected by the major religions and philosophies of their ancestors. Buddhism, Confucianism,and Taoism, among others, promote ideas such as compassion, moderation, humility, and honor.
Buddhism specifically hones in on the importance of one's actions and motivations with the teaching of Karma. In his book, Kindness, Clarity, and Insight, the Dalai Lama writes that "The effects of karma (actions) are inevitable...Just as someone witnessed by police in a criminal act will eventually be caught and punished, so we too must face the consequences of faulty actions we have committed...those actions are irreversible; we must eventually undergo their effects" (Web 1). Buddhism also teaches that the things you do will be returned to you in like manner or more simply put, Karma is "You get what you give" (Web 1).
A key concept in Karma is that it isn't so much one's actions that are important but the intentions and thoughts behind those actions. In other words, one's actions are premeditated, and therefore, what one does shows their state of heart (Web 2). This essentially means that what one does in the present is even more important than what one has done in the past. According to Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw, karma "is the result of our own past actions and our own present doings. We ourselves are responsible for our own happiness and misery. We create our own Heaven. We create our own Hell. We are the architects of our own fate" (Web 2). In his book, Path to Bliss, the Dalai Lama points out that karma doesn't mean that one's future is already predetermined. "The very term karma or action is a term of active force, which indicates that future events are within your own hands. Since action is a phenomenon that is committed by a person, a living being, it is within your own hands whether or not you engage in action" (Web 1).
Such ideas mirror teachings in the Bible. In one of his letters, Paul writes, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows" (Gal 6:7 NIV). Jesus also talked about the foundational importance one's behavior: "Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets" (Matt 7:12 NLT).
While the Bible does talk about the importance of one's actions, Jesus adds an important element to the concept of reaping what you sow in one of His parables. Jesus tells the story of a wealthy land-owner who went away on a trip. Before he left, he divided some of his money into three portions and gave it to three different servants with instructions to keep it safe. Upon his return, he called for the servants to give an accounting of the money. The servant who had been given five bags of silver had invested the money and doubled it. Likewise, the servant who had been given two bags of silver had also doubled the money. The land-owner was very pleased and said to these servants "Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’" (Matt 25:23 NLT). But the third servant had fearfully hidden the silver that had been entrusted to him and had made no profit at all. The land owner wasn't happy about this because the least this servant could've done was put the money in the bank where it would've accrued some interest. So the land owner took the money from the third servant and gave it to the one who had doubled the five bags of silver. Jesus ended the parable with these words: "To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away" (Matt 25:29 NLT).
Jesus taught that what we do with our blessings is just as important as how we behave. The way we act towards others is important (Luke 10:25), but it is also important to use the gifts God has bestowed on us to bless others and increase His kingdom.
So what does all of this have to do with faith? Just about everything.
In a previous blog, I talked about the concept of a birth of the spirit and how it is the one birth that humans can choose to partake of. Such a birth comes with many gifts because the Holy Spirit is in the business of manifesting God's power through people. Paul writes the following in a letter to the Corinthians:
"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines" (1 Cor 12:4-11).
Spiritual rebirth requires action and involvement with others. Some people need to receive the blessings that gifts can bestow, others have complimentary gifts that work to God's greatest intention when paired with other gifts. Paul explains it this way:
"Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many (1 Cor 12:12-14).
What does this have to do with the concept of karma?
God gives gifts abundantly and joyfully; He delights in piling blessings upon blessings. God says, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! (Malachi 3:10 NLT). But there's a catch, God blesses so that we may, in turn, bless others, and in so doing, we will be blessed in ways that will increase our ability to bless others even more. What goes around comes around...
The faithfulness of those who profess to believe in God will be called into account. Jesus talks about His second coming and how He will separate those who walked a faith life from those who didn't. To the faithful He will say:
"‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’...‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,you were doing it to me!’(Matt 25:34-36,40 NLT).
So, not only does what one's actions to others benefit or hurt them, it also benefits or hurts God. Remember? God places a high price on life--He breaths for every living human-being, the Holy Spirit lives inside of believers, and Jesus Christ gave up His life to restore the gift of eternal life, joy, perfection, and love.
And this is where it all ties together. Just as Buddhists understand that one's good behavior isn't enough and what really matters is where one's heart is, Jesus teaches that a faith-walk requires action coupled with love. Without love, no blessing or spiritual gift matters. Paul poetically explains this in the famous "Love Chapter":
"If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing...Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor 13:1-3, 13 NLT).
Love...
It is a word that even I can barely comprehend. Sometimes I wonder if I've even truly felt love within myself. At my core I am selfish; I know this because I confront it in myself everyday. Sometimes, when I stop to take a real good look at myself, I'm frightened by the darkness I see. But not all is lost because I crave love unlike anything else in the world. And somehow, I can feel love growing inside of me just barely contained, just waiting to burst and shower upon those in need of it. God is most definitely building up a reservoir of love within me. This places a major challenge in front of me. Will I be like the servants who doubled the money that the land-owner entrusted to their care? Will I remember that the reasons behind my actions are more important than the actions themselves?
It takes twenty-one days to develop a new habit. Habits help to develop character, and ultimately, character shapes one's destiny.
The Dalai Lama explains that karma is in the a hands of the people--that one chooses his behavior and reaps the consequences accordingly, creating his own heaven or hell. In similar way, Christianity teaches that we have free will and control over our actions. We can choose to accept and multiply our gifts, reap and sow blessings, and love like we have nothing to lose. And really, without love, we will lose everything, so why wouldn't we give it our best shot?
As I continue growing in my faith, I am continually reminded of the need for love. Faith and love go hand in hand. I cannot love God if I don't trust Him. I cannot truly love others unless I allow God's love to manifest itself within me. All of this seems overwhelming, but I'm comforted by Paul's words "That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses... For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor 12:10). "For I can do everything through Christ,who gives me strength" (Phil 4:13).
Website references:
Web 1--http://viewonbuddhism.org/karma.html
Web 2--http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/karma.htm
http://www.religioustolerance.org/taoism2.htm
Friday, January 28, 2011
Restoring the Image of God
When a little girl looks at her father, for better or for worse, he is her first hero. It's something about the way that girls are wired. A daughter, whether she realizes it or not, looks to her father for protection, love, support, recognition, and value. A father gives a daughter her first impression of self-worth. If a father tells his daughter that he loves her, that she is beautiful, and that he will do everything he can to be there when she needs him, this will help the girl get a sense of her value. When a father tells his daughter that he believes in her potential and encourages her to strive for her best, this will help the girl develop self-confidence. Words are good, but often actions are more important. When a father hugs his daughter or kisses her goodnight on the cheek, a daughter learns that she isn't repulsive. When a father shows a daughter how to shoot a basketball or sits down for her tea party, a daughter learns that she is worth interacting with. When a father is present at a daughter's ball game or recital, a daughter learns that she is worth a man's time and that her father is proud of her. When a father tells his daughter about how a man should treat a woman and then demonstrates it with her mother as well as with herself, a daughter learns that she deserves respect. When a father expresses his continuing support and love even though his daughter fails or gets hurt, a daughter knows she is safe. So when a daughter goes to find her own special man, she will know what kind of man is worth her attention because of what her father's love has taught her.
Psychology has a lot to say about how daughters who have healthy relationships with their fathers are more likely to have successful careers, marriages, and friendships. The opposite is true too. A father's impact on his children is profound. He can either inspire faith and love or distrust and regret.
Abba, Father, Daddy--God.
God was the very first father of all time. He nurtured, loved, and provided for is first children, Adam and Eve. And for a time, they returned God's love with equal affection and without question. Why wouldn't you trust someone who only wants what is best for you and gives you only good things?
God, the Father, did not manipulate the love of Adam and Eve. When they chose to doubt His love and goodness, God did not give up on them. His love was too powerful--instead God chose to personally make a way to restore His children, and their childrens', childrens', children to perfection so that nothing will ever stand in the way of love again.
When God created family, He created something that is meant to be a mirror image of the trinity and a representation of the trinity's love.
God has both masculine and feminine traits--so when He created human beings in His image, He purposefully created Man and Woman (Gen 1:27). Through marriage and secure, confident love, God meant for Man and Woman to be united as one in spirit, purpose, and faith--just like the trinity is three in one. The unity of man and woman's love would be solidified through sex, a gift of God. I believe that God meant for sex to be a profound way of reinforcing pure, unconditional love between a man and woman. It was meant to strengthen their bond and then, if God blesses, that love would produce a child that would be a recipient of his/her parent's overflowing love. In the security of a loving family, God meant for daughters to witness the love that their father's had for their mothers and to learn how to respond to that love by the example of their mothers. Likewise, a son would, ideally, learn how a man shows love and respect to his wife and children and see the pride and joy the comes from the positive results of such actions.
Such ideas are not so far-fetched as they may seem. In the Bible, God often refers to Himself as a husband. Isaiah writes that "For your Maker is your husband,The LORD of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth" (Isaiah 54:5 NKJV). The Bible also refers to the people of God/the Church as the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:21-30 NLT; Revelation 21:9 KJV). Paul understood that marriage was meant to be a representation of the pure love of the Trinity for humanity. Paul writes, "As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one" (Ephesians 5:31 NLT).
God also encourages the images of Himself as both a father and a mother. In one of his many letters, Paul writes, "You received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.Now we call him, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15 NLT). And in another letter, Paul also writes that God says, "I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters" (2 Cor 6:18). John, one of Jesus' disciples also talked about this incredible concept: "See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1). Moses wrote about the mothering instinct of God when he said: "Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them up and carried them safely on his pinions" (Deut 32:11 NLT). On one occasion, while overlooking Jerusalem, Jesus said these words: "How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me" (Matt 23:37 NLT).
In a perfect world, using such images as representations of God would be filled with layers of beauty. Isn't God amazing in the ways that He chooses to reveal and share His character? Unfortunately, sin has corrupted some of God's most beautiful creations: marriage, love, sex, families, and parents.
Here, on Earth, mothers and fathers divorce, violate their marital commitments, beat children, work so much that they don't spend adequate time with their families, and forget to make God the center of their unity. Because of this, sons and daughters, who have not witnessed true love struggle to relate to images of God as a father, mother, or husband. If one doesn't know what love looks like, how can he/she know God?
If a daughter doesn’t get love and value from her father, no wonder she seeks it out in other men and cheap sex. No wonder sexual abuse by a father destroys the spiritual analogy for a daughter. The same thing goes for sons. How will a son learn to honor, value, or respect a woman and sex if his father doesn’t teach and model it to him? And so there you have it. All Satan has to do is destroy the father and husband and he’s destroyed the wife, son, daughter, and the symbolic image of God in all of it.
Faith grows as one's love is affirmed and returned. God wants to be our good Parent--the kind of Father/Mother that holds our hand when we are frightened; kisses our tears away: hugs us with encouragement, pride, and love; listens to our concerns and validates are feelings; and builds us up so that we can become successful. Not only that, God want's to be our pure Husband--the kind of husband that is faithful, that loves unconditionally, and keeps his eyes and heart focused on God so that he can love better and more.
Is it possible that God calls His people to step up and strive to restore the images of God as a father, mother, and husband? For if fathers, mothers,and husbands don't strive to love like God loves, how will anyone learn how to have faith in God? How will He become personal to someone if what He created to be an analogy of Himself holds such negative connotations for someone who has been deeply damaged by a parent or spouse?
See, in all this mess, there is still beauty in God's plan. As Christians, we can rise up and strive to be representations of love in our families and marriages, in this way, God can still become the Father/Mother of the fatherless/motherless.
In the words of Paul, "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us" (2 Cor 1:3-4).
I have no doubt that the restoration of these images of God would result in an outpouring of faith unlike the anything the world has ever seen before.
Psychology has a lot to say about how daughters who have healthy relationships with their fathers are more likely to have successful careers, marriages, and friendships. The opposite is true too. A father's impact on his children is profound. He can either inspire faith and love or distrust and regret.
Abba, Father, Daddy--God.
God was the very first father of all time. He nurtured, loved, and provided for is first children, Adam and Eve. And for a time, they returned God's love with equal affection and without question. Why wouldn't you trust someone who only wants what is best for you and gives you only good things?
God, the Father, did not manipulate the love of Adam and Eve. When they chose to doubt His love and goodness, God did not give up on them. His love was too powerful--instead God chose to personally make a way to restore His children, and their childrens', childrens', children to perfection so that nothing will ever stand in the way of love again.
When God created family, He created something that is meant to be a mirror image of the trinity and a representation of the trinity's love.
God has both masculine and feminine traits--so when He created human beings in His image, He purposefully created Man and Woman (Gen 1:27). Through marriage and secure, confident love, God meant for Man and Woman to be united as one in spirit, purpose, and faith--just like the trinity is three in one. The unity of man and woman's love would be solidified through sex, a gift of God. I believe that God meant for sex to be a profound way of reinforcing pure, unconditional love between a man and woman. It was meant to strengthen their bond and then, if God blesses, that love would produce a child that would be a recipient of his/her parent's overflowing love. In the security of a loving family, God meant for daughters to witness the love that their father's had for their mothers and to learn how to respond to that love by the example of their mothers. Likewise, a son would, ideally, learn how a man shows love and respect to his wife and children and see the pride and joy the comes from the positive results of such actions.
Such ideas are not so far-fetched as they may seem. In the Bible, God often refers to Himself as a husband. Isaiah writes that "For your Maker is your husband,The LORD of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth" (Isaiah 54:5 NKJV). The Bible also refers to the people of God/the Church as the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:21-30 NLT; Revelation 21:9 KJV). Paul understood that marriage was meant to be a representation of the pure love of the Trinity for humanity. Paul writes, "As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one" (Ephesians 5:31 NLT).
God also encourages the images of Himself as both a father and a mother. In one of his many letters, Paul writes, "You received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.Now we call him, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15 NLT). And in another letter, Paul also writes that God says, "I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters" (2 Cor 6:18). John, one of Jesus' disciples also talked about this incredible concept: "See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1). Moses wrote about the mothering instinct of God when he said: "Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them up and carried them safely on his pinions" (Deut 32:11 NLT). On one occasion, while overlooking Jerusalem, Jesus said these words: "How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me" (Matt 23:37 NLT).
In a perfect world, using such images as representations of God would be filled with layers of beauty. Isn't God amazing in the ways that He chooses to reveal and share His character? Unfortunately, sin has corrupted some of God's most beautiful creations: marriage, love, sex, families, and parents.
Here, on Earth, mothers and fathers divorce, violate their marital commitments, beat children, work so much that they don't spend adequate time with their families, and forget to make God the center of their unity. Because of this, sons and daughters, who have not witnessed true love struggle to relate to images of God as a father, mother, or husband. If one doesn't know what love looks like, how can he/she know God?
If a daughter doesn’t get love and value from her father, no wonder she seeks it out in other men and cheap sex. No wonder sexual abuse by a father destroys the spiritual analogy for a daughter. The same thing goes for sons. How will a son learn to honor, value, or respect a woman and sex if his father doesn’t teach and model it to him? And so there you have it. All Satan has to do is destroy the father and husband and he’s destroyed the wife, son, daughter, and the symbolic image of God in all of it.
Faith grows as one's love is affirmed and returned. God wants to be our good Parent--the kind of Father/Mother that holds our hand when we are frightened; kisses our tears away: hugs us with encouragement, pride, and love; listens to our concerns and validates are feelings; and builds us up so that we can become successful. Not only that, God want's to be our pure Husband--the kind of husband that is faithful, that loves unconditionally, and keeps his eyes and heart focused on God so that he can love better and more.
Is it possible that God calls His people to step up and strive to restore the images of God as a father, mother, and husband? For if fathers, mothers,and husbands don't strive to love like God loves, how will anyone learn how to have faith in God? How will He become personal to someone if what He created to be an analogy of Himself holds such negative connotations for someone who has been deeply damaged by a parent or spouse?
See, in all this mess, there is still beauty in God's plan. As Christians, we can rise up and strive to be representations of love in our families and marriages, in this way, God can still become the Father/Mother of the fatherless/motherless.
In the words of Paul, "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us" (2 Cor 1:3-4).
I have no doubt that the restoration of these images of God would result in an outpouring of faith unlike the anything the world has ever seen before.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Faith: Pain vs. Praise
Faith requires a change in perspective.
Not just a theoretical understanding, but a literal everyday, purposeful, acted out change in perspective. A person of faith is unequivocally different from someone whose faith never moves beyond an idea.
It's easy to be daunted by the task of becoming a person of faith, but all you need to start the process is the faith the size of a mustard seed (Matt 17:20). The great thing about this is that God has already planted that faith inside of us--it's an innate faith, so the real task then is to recognize it and act on it.
I can't say I've met a lot of people whom I would consider to be people of faith, but the ones that had a strong faith walk definitely stand out. They were unique for many reasons, but mainly because they had a sense of humility, peace, and gentleness that made you feel blessed just to be near them. They also used their various spiritual gifts, recognized the gifts in others, and worked to nurture them. Many of these people lived somewhat nomadic lives--which ironically fits in with the great faith leaders in the Bible, but others, who may not have traveled far, seemed to be a healing presence in their local communities. And yet, with all these phenomenal qualities, I can't say that any of the people of faith that I have known were always well appreciated, accepted, or recognized. In fact, now that I think about it, they were often more loved by those outside of the church than those within it. This is how it should be, this is how it was for Jesus during His life on Earth. In fact, Jesus warned His followers that "All nations will hate you because you are my followers . . . Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names!" (Matt 10:22, 24-25 NLT).
Anyone who knows me well, knows that I generally choose to avoid conflict if possible. I also have the tendency to always want to do whatever I can to make everyone happy. So why am I even considering a faith walk that is guaranteed to place me in the middle of all kinds of battle zones and make plenty of people unhappy?
It's all about a change of perspective. In a previous blog, I talked about faith being an other-worldly quality--it's an experience that requires one to engage in the spiritual realm, to step outside of the five primary senses and claim what might logically and scientifically would be nonsense.
Part of building one's faith comes from making a personal connection with God as a father figure (I will address this more in a future blog). As one grows to understand the nature of God's love and grace, one cannot help but be moved to respond with love and gratitude. This is where the perspective begins to change. For if someone does begin to truly see how blessed they are, how intimately involved God is in their past, present, and future, they will most certainly begin to see their lives in a state of thankfulness. So much so that they will begin to see trials as an opportunity to praise because they are confident of God's hand already delivering them.
It is profoundly odd to find someone expressing joy in the midst of dire circumstances. Many might even say that such a person belongs in a mental institution. However, the truth is, that when a person exercises faith he/she immediately embarks on eternal life (Luke 17:21). A soul committed to God is immortal even though the body may die. People of faith live with this knowledge embedded into their minds and hearts. It is this quality that causes people of faith to walk differently--their behavior speaks volumes. As St. Francis of Assisi put it "Preach the gospel always, and when absolutely necessary, use words".
Paul was a unique man of faith. God had to do a real piece of work on him, though. Before Paul accepted Jesus as God, he was a major promoter of genocide against all Christians. Talk about a man who experienced a turn around. But maybe that was why God was able to use Paul so extensively. Maybe it was the profound grace that Paul encountered that compelled him to go to foreign lands and cultures and share that grace.
Living, breathing, walking, and preaching his faith had a high price. Paul was often beaten, imprisoned, disowned, and on the run for his life. Ironically, Paul became the very thing he had once passionately destroyed. Paul was the "mother" of prodigal sons after all.
No one would blame Paul if he complained about being tortured, hungry, or on the run. No one would fault him if he had thrown in the towel after a while and retired to a peaceful life in the country somewhere. But, while Paul probably had his moments, he made it a point to say that such suffering was a privilege. In a letter to the Christians in Corinth, Paul writes of a conversation he had with God about his troubles and how God's response changed Paul's perspective: "he [God] said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong
(2 Cor. 12:9-10).
Paul wasn't the only follower of Jesus to express such ideas. Peter, one of Jesus' closest disciples, writes the following in one of his letters:
"Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world" (1 Peter 1:3b-7 NLT).
James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ who didn't come into a faith walk with Christ until after the crucifixion and resurrection, also writes on this topic:
"Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything (James 1:2-4 NLT).
One of my favorite examples of expressing joy in the midst of trials occurs in Acts 16:11-35. Paul and his traveling companion, Silas, were staying in Philippi. While there, a demon-possessed girl kept following and taunting them. Finally, exasperated, Paul turned and cast the demon out of the girl. Her owners made quite a bit of money off of the girl because the demon prophesied through her, so they were very angry to lose an easy source of income. The girl's owners had Paul and Silas brought before the authorities. While their crime was being explained to the authorities, a voracious mob formed; they stripped Paul and Silas naked and beat them with wooden rods. Afterwards, they were both thrown in jail, and just to make sure that they didn't escape, they were placed in the inner dungeon with their feet in stocks. Paul and Silas must've been incredibly exhausted and in great pain, but instead of sleeping or crying, they began to pray and sing hymns. It was a full-on praise and worship service. The Bible makes a point of stating that the other prisoners were listening. Songs of praise must've been extremely unusual in such a setting. As Paul and Silas prayed and sang, I'm sure that their spirits began to revive, so that before long, they were in such a state of worship that nothing else mattered. God was so pleased by their praise, that He caused an earthquake that made all the chains fall off of every prisoner and every door fling open. When the jailer rushed to see what was going on, he found the doors wide open. Terrified that all the prisoners had fled, he drew his sword to take his own life. He was stopped by Paul's cry announcing that no one had left the prison. Such shocking behavior made such a great impact on the jailer that he and his entire family became Christians.
Such faith requires a practiced change in perspective. Instead of making a mountain out of everything that goes wrong, God's people should open up their treasure chests that are already brimming with blessings, confidently expecting that God will shower them with even more blessings. Such undeserved favor and love from God must inspire praise.
So I'm challenging myself to praise in the midst of the storm. How will I ever expect to walk on water otherwise?
Not just a theoretical understanding, but a literal everyday, purposeful, acted out change in perspective. A person of faith is unequivocally different from someone whose faith never moves beyond an idea.
It's easy to be daunted by the task of becoming a person of faith, but all you need to start the process is the faith the size of a mustard seed (Matt 17:20). The great thing about this is that God has already planted that faith inside of us--it's an innate faith, so the real task then is to recognize it and act on it.
I can't say I've met a lot of people whom I would consider to be people of faith, but the ones that had a strong faith walk definitely stand out. They were unique for many reasons, but mainly because they had a sense of humility, peace, and gentleness that made you feel blessed just to be near them. They also used their various spiritual gifts, recognized the gifts in others, and worked to nurture them. Many of these people lived somewhat nomadic lives--which ironically fits in with the great faith leaders in the Bible, but others, who may not have traveled far, seemed to be a healing presence in their local communities. And yet, with all these phenomenal qualities, I can't say that any of the people of faith that I have known were always well appreciated, accepted, or recognized. In fact, now that I think about it, they were often more loved by those outside of the church than those within it. This is how it should be, this is how it was for Jesus during His life on Earth. In fact, Jesus warned His followers that "All nations will hate you because you are my followers . . . Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names!" (Matt 10:22, 24-25 NLT).
Anyone who knows me well, knows that I generally choose to avoid conflict if possible. I also have the tendency to always want to do whatever I can to make everyone happy. So why am I even considering a faith walk that is guaranteed to place me in the middle of all kinds of battle zones and make plenty of people unhappy?
It's all about a change of perspective. In a previous blog, I talked about faith being an other-worldly quality--it's an experience that requires one to engage in the spiritual realm, to step outside of the five primary senses and claim what might logically and scientifically would be nonsense.
Part of building one's faith comes from making a personal connection with God as a father figure (I will address this more in a future blog). As one grows to understand the nature of God's love and grace, one cannot help but be moved to respond with love and gratitude. This is where the perspective begins to change. For if someone does begin to truly see how blessed they are, how intimately involved God is in their past, present, and future, they will most certainly begin to see their lives in a state of thankfulness. So much so that they will begin to see trials as an opportunity to praise because they are confident of God's hand already delivering them.
It is profoundly odd to find someone expressing joy in the midst of dire circumstances. Many might even say that such a person belongs in a mental institution. However, the truth is, that when a person exercises faith he/she immediately embarks on eternal life (Luke 17:21). A soul committed to God is immortal even though the body may die. People of faith live with this knowledge embedded into their minds and hearts. It is this quality that causes people of faith to walk differently--their behavior speaks volumes. As St. Francis of Assisi put it "Preach the gospel always, and when absolutely necessary, use words".
Paul was a unique man of faith. God had to do a real piece of work on him, though. Before Paul accepted Jesus as God, he was a major promoter of genocide against all Christians. Talk about a man who experienced a turn around. But maybe that was why God was able to use Paul so extensively. Maybe it was the profound grace that Paul encountered that compelled him to go to foreign lands and cultures and share that grace.
Living, breathing, walking, and preaching his faith had a high price. Paul was often beaten, imprisoned, disowned, and on the run for his life. Ironically, Paul became the very thing he had once passionately destroyed. Paul was the "mother" of prodigal sons after all.
No one would blame Paul if he complained about being tortured, hungry, or on the run. No one would fault him if he had thrown in the towel after a while and retired to a peaceful life in the country somewhere. But, while Paul probably had his moments, he made it a point to say that such suffering was a privilege. In a letter to the Christians in Corinth, Paul writes of a conversation he had with God about his troubles and how God's response changed Paul's perspective: "he [God] said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong
(2 Cor. 12:9-10).
Paul wasn't the only follower of Jesus to express such ideas. Peter, one of Jesus' closest disciples, writes the following in one of his letters:
"Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world" (1 Peter 1:3b-7 NLT).
James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ who didn't come into a faith walk with Christ until after the crucifixion and resurrection, also writes on this topic:
"Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything (James 1:2-4 NLT).
One of my favorite examples of expressing joy in the midst of trials occurs in Acts 16:11-35. Paul and his traveling companion, Silas, were staying in Philippi. While there, a demon-possessed girl kept following and taunting them. Finally, exasperated, Paul turned and cast the demon out of the girl. Her owners made quite a bit of money off of the girl because the demon prophesied through her, so they were very angry to lose an easy source of income. The girl's owners had Paul and Silas brought before the authorities. While their crime was being explained to the authorities, a voracious mob formed; they stripped Paul and Silas naked and beat them with wooden rods. Afterwards, they were both thrown in jail, and just to make sure that they didn't escape, they were placed in the inner dungeon with their feet in stocks. Paul and Silas must've been incredibly exhausted and in great pain, but instead of sleeping or crying, they began to pray and sing hymns. It was a full-on praise and worship service. The Bible makes a point of stating that the other prisoners were listening. Songs of praise must've been extremely unusual in such a setting. As Paul and Silas prayed and sang, I'm sure that their spirits began to revive, so that before long, they were in such a state of worship that nothing else mattered. God was so pleased by their praise, that He caused an earthquake that made all the chains fall off of every prisoner and every door fling open. When the jailer rushed to see what was going on, he found the doors wide open. Terrified that all the prisoners had fled, he drew his sword to take his own life. He was stopped by Paul's cry announcing that no one had left the prison. Such shocking behavior made such a great impact on the jailer that he and his entire family became Christians.
Such faith requires a practiced change in perspective. Instead of making a mountain out of everything that goes wrong, God's people should open up their treasure chests that are already brimming with blessings, confidently expecting that God will shower them with even more blessings. Such undeserved favor and love from God must inspire praise.
So I'm challenging myself to praise in the midst of the storm. How will I ever expect to walk on water otherwise?
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