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
Sunday, January 30, 2011
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?
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Masterpieces
I know that many people debate over the validity of theories like Evolution and Creation. I, for one, have generally taken the stance that it doesn't matter which theory is correct--ultimately when it comes down to it, I wasn't around when the world or humanity came into existence so I cannot vouch for the validity of one idea over the other. Honestly, in the grand scheme of things, I don't care what method God used--it doesn't matter whether He did it with a big bang, in seven literal days, or if it happened over many weeks or years...no matter how it happened, it is still miraculous. What I believe really matters is one's personal connection to God and a loving interaction with humanity.
What I'm really saying is let's just keep things in a proper perspective--there are just some things that aren't worth making into such a huge deal that they become a source of division between people.
All that being said, I think there is something to be said about the beauty of the Biblical creation story. I'm not going to argue about whether it is a literal or metaphorical account of creation--that's not my battle. But I do want to point out that the Biblical creation grants humanity a dignity, hope, and value that no other theory can come close to touching. Regardless of how many days or years or methods God used to make the world, whether it took seven actual days or if those days are just an allegorical representation of time, one thing stands out: the creation of man was an intimate act of God.
In a previous blog, I talked a little bit about how words carry the power of life in them (Prov. 18:21). According to Genesis, the beginning of all life sparked from the words of God, all life that is except man's. Right away this distinction creates a significance. Human beings are not on the same plane as vegetation, the solar system, or animals.
The words of God set the foundations for Earth, but when it came to humanity, God didn't use words; He didn't just speak man into being. Instead, God got dirty--He put His hands into the dust of the ground and molded every intricate detail of the human body. God took the time and the passion of an artist and shaped man and woman. Picture it, the loving hands of The Creator molding with the most careful precision and eager expectation the bodies of beings He intended to love beyond human comprehension.
Not only did God use His hands to create man, God also implanted within man a vital ingredient to life. Once the body was completed, God bent down, placed His mouth over the mouths of the created and injected breath into the deflated lungs (Gen. 2:7). The first breath of man was directly infused by the breath of God. It was an act too powerful, too personal, too holy for words.
Now don't miss this--not one single living human being continues to breathe without the profound grace of God. Breathing is an act of God. Let that realization take some time to settle...for if this thought has never occurred to you, then you are about to experience a paradigm shift.
There was a time in my life when this very understanding kept me waking up every morning with a determination not to take my life because I figured that if God thought it was worth His effort to keep breath in me, then I had something of value to look forward to.
I know that there is no perfect proof of the existence of God, but I'd say that breath is a pretty good indication of some incredible power that sustains life. Nothing in science can explain the origin of breath, there is no reserve of breath stored somewhere that can be harvested, and man cannot create breath. Without God, breath is a mystery. But if one believes in a loving creator God, then all one must do is look around and see God breathing in humanity everywhere--the presence of God is still observable in His most passionate creation.
God loves life. He IS life. When God made man and woman, He couldn't help but share with them the ability to engage with Him in the ongoing creation of life. How incredible is it that God allowed humanity a role in birth? With every breath each newborn takes, God is interacting by providing the breath for each pair of lungs.
The Bible talks about two births: the birth of life and a spiritual birth--a birth of faith. Not only are humans made intimately, but God also wants humans to freely choose to let Him invade their soul.
Nicodemus was a well-respected, high-ranking religious leader. He was touched by the teachings of Jesus and awed by Jesus' miracles. So one night, he went to talk to Jesus. Nicodemus recognized that Jesus' words and actions were evidence of God's favor. But Jesus wasn't interested in Nicodemus acknowledgment, Jesus wanted to be sure that Nicodemus would latch onto the gift of eternal life--the whole purpose for Jesus being on Earth in the first place. So Jesus cut straight to the chase by stating that no one can obtain eternal life without being born again. This puzzled Nicodemus, and when he questioned Jesus about it, this is what Jesus said:
"The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. So don't be surprised at my statement that you must be born again. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit" (John 3:5-8 NLT).
While human birth is granted by grace, a birth of the Spirit is a birth of faith. This is a beautiful opportunity. Humans can't choose whether or not they are born, but they can choose to accept a spiritual rebirth. God has so much intended for humanity, but it isn't available without faith. Through faith, humans have access to unimaginable gifts--healing, speaking in tongues, prophecy, visions, and a profound ability to love, which trumps all other abilities.
All of the great Biblical heroes experienced a rebirth. Moses was taught by God for years in the wilderness where he worked as a shepherd. It was there that God shaped Moses' character to be ready to return to Egypt a new man--a leader worthy of a nation. Abram and Sarai's rebirth came with new names: Abraham and Sarah. Paul's rebirth came with temporary blindness that led to a vision that has impacted the world.
God is already intimately connected to all humans, but He has designed greater things for humanity--eternal life, a peace that passes all understanding, the opportunity to be the voice, hands, and feet of God--the list goes on and on. But none of these things can happen without faith. Hebrews 11:6 says that "it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him"(NLT).
God could've left humanity to rot in its own failure, but instead God went to the ultimate extreme to make sure that the faith of those such as Abraham and his decedents wouldn't be in vain. Paul writes about this in Ephesians 2:
"But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. It is only by God's special favor (grace) that you have been saved! For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms--all because we are one with Christ Jesus . . . God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago" (verses 4-6, 8-10).
We are God's masterpiece--created by His hands, imbued with His breath, and called to a faith-walk with Him. Favor such as this deserves the greatest loyalty, love, praise, and worship.
What I'm really saying is let's just keep things in a proper perspective--there are just some things that aren't worth making into such a huge deal that they become a source of division between people.
All that being said, I think there is something to be said about the beauty of the Biblical creation story. I'm not going to argue about whether it is a literal or metaphorical account of creation--that's not my battle. But I do want to point out that the Biblical creation grants humanity a dignity, hope, and value that no other theory can come close to touching. Regardless of how many days or years or methods God used to make the world, whether it took seven actual days or if those days are just an allegorical representation of time, one thing stands out: the creation of man was an intimate act of God.
In a previous blog, I talked a little bit about how words carry the power of life in them (Prov. 18:21). According to Genesis, the beginning of all life sparked from the words of God, all life that is except man's. Right away this distinction creates a significance. Human beings are not on the same plane as vegetation, the solar system, or animals.
The words of God set the foundations for Earth, but when it came to humanity, God didn't use words; He didn't just speak man into being. Instead, God got dirty--He put His hands into the dust of the ground and molded every intricate detail of the human body. God took the time and the passion of an artist and shaped man and woman. Picture it, the loving hands of The Creator molding with the most careful precision and eager expectation the bodies of beings He intended to love beyond human comprehension.
Not only did God use His hands to create man, God also implanted within man a vital ingredient to life. Once the body was completed, God bent down, placed His mouth over the mouths of the created and injected breath into the deflated lungs (Gen. 2:7). The first breath of man was directly infused by the breath of God. It was an act too powerful, too personal, too holy for words.
Now don't miss this--not one single living human being continues to breathe without the profound grace of God. Breathing is an act of God. Let that realization take some time to settle...for if this thought has never occurred to you, then you are about to experience a paradigm shift.
There was a time in my life when this very understanding kept me waking up every morning with a determination not to take my life because I figured that if God thought it was worth His effort to keep breath in me, then I had something of value to look forward to.
I know that there is no perfect proof of the existence of God, but I'd say that breath is a pretty good indication of some incredible power that sustains life. Nothing in science can explain the origin of breath, there is no reserve of breath stored somewhere that can be harvested, and man cannot create breath. Without God, breath is a mystery. But if one believes in a loving creator God, then all one must do is look around and see God breathing in humanity everywhere--the presence of God is still observable in His most passionate creation.
God loves life. He IS life. When God made man and woman, He couldn't help but share with them the ability to engage with Him in the ongoing creation of life. How incredible is it that God allowed humanity a role in birth? With every breath each newborn takes, God is interacting by providing the breath for each pair of lungs.
The Bible talks about two births: the birth of life and a spiritual birth--a birth of faith. Not only are humans made intimately, but God also wants humans to freely choose to let Him invade their soul.
Nicodemus was a well-respected, high-ranking religious leader. He was touched by the teachings of Jesus and awed by Jesus' miracles. So one night, he went to talk to Jesus. Nicodemus recognized that Jesus' words and actions were evidence of God's favor. But Jesus wasn't interested in Nicodemus acknowledgment, Jesus wanted to be sure that Nicodemus would latch onto the gift of eternal life--the whole purpose for Jesus being on Earth in the first place. So Jesus cut straight to the chase by stating that no one can obtain eternal life without being born again. This puzzled Nicodemus, and when he questioned Jesus about it, this is what Jesus said:
"The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. So don't be surprised at my statement that you must be born again. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit" (John 3:5-8 NLT).
While human birth is granted by grace, a birth of the Spirit is a birth of faith. This is a beautiful opportunity. Humans can't choose whether or not they are born, but they can choose to accept a spiritual rebirth. God has so much intended for humanity, but it isn't available without faith. Through faith, humans have access to unimaginable gifts--healing, speaking in tongues, prophecy, visions, and a profound ability to love, which trumps all other abilities.
All of the great Biblical heroes experienced a rebirth. Moses was taught by God for years in the wilderness where he worked as a shepherd. It was there that God shaped Moses' character to be ready to return to Egypt a new man--a leader worthy of a nation. Abram and Sarai's rebirth came with new names: Abraham and Sarah. Paul's rebirth came with temporary blindness that led to a vision that has impacted the world.
God is already intimately connected to all humans, but He has designed greater things for humanity--eternal life, a peace that passes all understanding, the opportunity to be the voice, hands, and feet of God--the list goes on and on. But none of these things can happen without faith. Hebrews 11:6 says that "it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him"(NLT).
God could've left humanity to rot in its own failure, but instead God went to the ultimate extreme to make sure that the faith of those such as Abraham and his decedents wouldn't be in vain. Paul writes about this in Ephesians 2:
"But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. It is only by God's special favor (grace) that you have been saved! For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms--all because we are one with Christ Jesus . . . God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago" (verses 4-6, 8-10).
We are God's masterpiece--created by His hands, imbued with His breath, and called to a faith-walk with Him. Favor such as this deserves the greatest loyalty, love, praise, and worship.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
The Innate Capability
When I embarked on this blogging journey, I had no idea that Faith would become the overarching topic--but it makes sense because faith has become the central focus of the lifestyle decisions I'm making now.
I have always felt a measure of empathy for Jesus' disciple, Thomas. I'm sure I would've been much like him had I been in his situation. I know Thomas gets a bad rap for doubting even when he could see the resurrected Jesus standing before him, but maybe Thomas just had good common sense. Maybe he didn't want to be swept away by emotions or wishful thinking. He wanted to be 100% sure that what he had heard and what he was seeing was valid. Of course, I can see how validating evidence shows a weakness in trust. After spending three years with Jesus and witnessing all sorts of mind-blowing miracles, one might think that it shouldn't have been so difficult for Thomas to believe that Jesus, being God after all, would follow through with His promise to rise from the dead.
But as I've begun to realize, faith cannot be treated or approached in the same way that a detective or journalist approaches the evidence for a crime. For someone like me, faith must be a conscious decision that precedes an emotional surety. It's a change of perspective--a shift in the way one looks at and in what one expects to encounter in the world.
Is it possible for people to manipulate their thought processes in such a way that they would at some point find that they had somehow emerged into a state of faith? I believe so. Practice makes perfect, right? Just like anything that is outside of one's comfort zone, faith isn't something that can just be called up from within oneself, it has to be cultivated.
I'm sure that faith, since it is rooted in one's personal relationship with God, shows up and is worked out differently for each individual. However, I believe that there are some basic principles that are universally applicable.
How does one nurture faith? Where does it come from? How can one reach a place where faith moves from just being a state of the mind to a state of the heart?
If one believes in the Biblical creation story, that humans were made by the hand of God, created through the most intimate actions and thoughts of God, then it shouldn't be too hard to believe that God created human beings with an innate sense of faith. Paul writes in Romans 12:3 that "God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith" (KJV). It is this phenomenal gracious act that makes it possible for sinful human nature to encounter God at all. Knowing that God's love for His creation holds His heart captive to a flawed race moves me in a way that I cannot express in words. There is no other love in the universe that could compare. It's almost as if God has a tragic flaw--love. He cannot help Himself. He wants to love and be loved by his creation so deeply that He chose to plant a measure of faith in the DNA of every human being so that everyone would have access to Him. To God, we are priceless.
Not only did God place the capacity for faith inside each human, but He also gave humanity access to the key that would give a glimpse of His character--a character that would inspire a desire to trust. I expect that's all it takes to begin the germination of the faith seed. In Romans 10:17, Paul explains that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God". Essentially, one becomes like the things he/she is exposed to. Reading and hearing about faith reinforces the synapses in the brain that connect to the concept. Science shows that the more one thinks about a particular thing, the stronger the related synapses become, and if this is done for a long enough period of time, the concept that has been given such attention becomes second nature. So thought processes relating to faith will, in turn, cause a shift in one's worldview, ultimately becoming evidenced in one's words and actions.
I'm incredulous...God designed humanity to engage in faith. He not only automatically placed a measure of faith inside of us, but He designed our minds in such a way that it is possible to make faith our second nature.
So no matter how much I question or doubt, I am innately capable of faith. I can already feel how this understanding is changing me. Bring it on synapses! Let's engage!
I have always felt a measure of empathy for Jesus' disciple, Thomas. I'm sure I would've been much like him had I been in his situation. I know Thomas gets a bad rap for doubting even when he could see the resurrected Jesus standing before him, but maybe Thomas just had good common sense. Maybe he didn't want to be swept away by emotions or wishful thinking. He wanted to be 100% sure that what he had heard and what he was seeing was valid. Of course, I can see how validating evidence shows a weakness in trust. After spending three years with Jesus and witnessing all sorts of mind-blowing miracles, one might think that it shouldn't have been so difficult for Thomas to believe that Jesus, being God after all, would follow through with His promise to rise from the dead.
But as I've begun to realize, faith cannot be treated or approached in the same way that a detective or journalist approaches the evidence for a crime. For someone like me, faith must be a conscious decision that precedes an emotional surety. It's a change of perspective--a shift in the way one looks at and in what one expects to encounter in the world.
Is it possible for people to manipulate their thought processes in such a way that they would at some point find that they had somehow emerged into a state of faith? I believe so. Practice makes perfect, right? Just like anything that is outside of one's comfort zone, faith isn't something that can just be called up from within oneself, it has to be cultivated.
I'm sure that faith, since it is rooted in one's personal relationship with God, shows up and is worked out differently for each individual. However, I believe that there are some basic principles that are universally applicable.
How does one nurture faith? Where does it come from? How can one reach a place where faith moves from just being a state of the mind to a state of the heart?
If one believes in the Biblical creation story, that humans were made by the hand of God, created through the most intimate actions and thoughts of God, then it shouldn't be too hard to believe that God created human beings with an innate sense of faith. Paul writes in Romans 12:3 that "God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith" (KJV). It is this phenomenal gracious act that makes it possible for sinful human nature to encounter God at all. Knowing that God's love for His creation holds His heart captive to a flawed race moves me in a way that I cannot express in words. There is no other love in the universe that could compare. It's almost as if God has a tragic flaw--love. He cannot help Himself. He wants to love and be loved by his creation so deeply that He chose to plant a measure of faith in the DNA of every human being so that everyone would have access to Him. To God, we are priceless.
Not only did God place the capacity for faith inside each human, but He also gave humanity access to the key that would give a glimpse of His character--a character that would inspire a desire to trust. I expect that's all it takes to begin the germination of the faith seed. In Romans 10:17, Paul explains that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God". Essentially, one becomes like the things he/she is exposed to. Reading and hearing about faith reinforces the synapses in the brain that connect to the concept. Science shows that the more one thinks about a particular thing, the stronger the related synapses become, and if this is done for a long enough period of time, the concept that has been given such attention becomes second nature. So thought processes relating to faith will, in turn, cause a shift in one's worldview, ultimately becoming evidenced in one's words and actions.
I'm incredulous...God designed humanity to engage in faith. He not only automatically placed a measure of faith inside of us, but He designed our minds in such a way that it is possible to make faith our second nature.
So no matter how much I question or doubt, I am innately capable of faith. I can already feel how this understanding is changing me. Bring it on synapses! Let's engage!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Nonesense and Faith
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” --Brennan Manning
I was around twelve or thirteen years old when I first heard this quote on the introduction to Dc Talk's song "What If I Stumble?". Manning's statement created a bit of a worldview shift for me; it was probably the first time that I began to truly see how detrimental Christians can be to their own faith.
It doesn't really make sense that a body of believers would sabotage the very thing that they claim to profess. Why would soldiers turn around in the midst of a battle and begin to kill their own comrade-in-arms while the opposing force watches with incredulity? The idea is ludicrous, and yet such actions are so common that many people don't even bat an eyelash when they encounter them in their daily lives.
In the U.S., the majority of my generation (20-30 somethings) has a post-modern worldview accompanied by a college education. I believe that post-modernism is doing the world a favor by expanding the melting pot of diversity in thought, race, and cultures. People are afraid of what they don't know, and post-modernism attempts to counteract unnecessary fear by promoting a respect for individuality. But here's the catch: While people with this worldview are remarkably open-minded, they are not very pro-active. Many of those in my generation (myself included) recognize and are upset by world injustices, but have not found a significant way to fight them. I have often pondered this strange phenomenon and wonder if the post-modernist idea that anything-goes-so-long-as-I-am-not-being-hurt has crippled the actions of a generation of great thinkers--thinkers who have recorded a lengthy list of observed injustices, but are so overwhelmed by the magnitude of that list that they choose to burrow under the bed-covers in the hopes of waking to a new world. I've witnessed such thought processes among many of my generation in regards to Christianity. The recognition of the sabotage of Christianity by Christians has made many young adults too ashamed to claim the title "Christian" because of all the negative baggage that is associated with the term. While their intentions might be noble, the reality is that disassociating oneself from a particular title hardly changes anything.
Isn't it a bit unsettling that many people think of Christians with a sense of disgust or indifference? Shouldn't Christianity at least inspire a sense of respectful awe? Instead, much of the world agrees with Mahatma Gandhi's statement: "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
Why has Christianity become so unlike the god it worships? Could it be that at its very core, Christianity has become faithless?
Modernity and education has done a lot to extinguish things like superstitions, old wives tales, and scientific misconceptions; on the other hand, it has also stifled the belief in the supernatural and promoted a largely skeptical worldview. Honestly, when in history has there been a time when the miraculous was as discredited as it is now? People no longer quake in the wake of signs and wonders. Could it be possible that this is one reason why it is no longer common for people to see God's presence in a pillar of fire or a flaming bush--because people wouldn't believe it even if they saw it?
This is the thing about faith: it doesn't make sense.
Pastor Calvin Roberson talks about this vital aspect of faith in a sermon he gave recently at the Restoration Praise Center. In his sermon, Roberson uses Hebrews 11:1 as his anchor verse: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (KJV). Roberson points out the fact that people rely heavily on their primary five senses: sight, touch, smell, taste, and hearing. It is these five senses that people use to determine the reality of something. Let me try and explain. If you go to a buffet and you're very hungry, the first thing you'll do is look to see where the food is and most likely make a bee-line straight to it. But if you're blind, you will rely on your other senses to help you get to the food, find what you want, and make sure it's edible. Roberson uses the example of a chair. Most people don't think twice about sitting on a chair, mostly because they can see it, and if they can't see, then they can touch it, and if they can't do either of those things they can smell and taste it if necessary (mmmm...this chair is made of leather and wood. Yummy!). It doesn't take much for an individual to trust that the chair will hold them if they sit in it because they can use their senses to figure it out. Roberson sums this point up by saying:
"If faith perceives as real fact what is not revealed to the senses, as long as I can see it, touch it, feel it, then I'm not using faith...faith is not saying "only deal with what I can see". Faith is saying "remove everything that I can see, everything that I can hear, everything that I can perceive in my reality because as long as I have something to hold onto in my reality, I cannot trust God."...God says if you really want to have faith, get rid of everything that is real and then start to believe".
I suppose it all comes down to this. Faith is a spiritual, out-of-this-world act. It's not just acknowledging something like God's omnipotence, it's engaging with that omnipotence, without question, when all five of the primary senses are rendered useless. And in order to build that sort of trust, one must establish a personal, spiritual connection to God. By doing this, one will begin to live in a lifestyle of faith like Jesus did. When one uses the word "Christian" it should make people think of one who truly walks in Jesus' footsteps. Such a lifestyle of faith would be full of so much hope and love that it would bring people to their knees in awe.
The majority of the Christian church in America professes faith but does not walk in it (and I am certainly no exception). This is why Brennan Manning stated that Christians play such a large role in promoting Atheism. Who would give any credibility to "Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle"?
The thing that gets to me about this is that so many who profess to be Christian aren't even aware of how dead their faith is. Maybe this is partly due to the fact that modernism doesn't promote the miraculous or expect it to show up. How would people know they were missing out on something they've never been exposed to or taught?
Honestly, faith doesn't make sense...not in the way science or logic makes sense of things. How is there good common sense in using a staff to part a sea, shouting to bring the walls of a well fortified city down, using mud to bring sight to the blind, speaking in tongues, healing by the laying on of hands...
It's all nonsense...
Roberson says, "God has to get you in situations that don't make sense or else you will attribute it to coincidence or your own ingenuity".
To have the confident expectation of something miraculous requires one to throw out the five senses and trust against all odds. We are a race of people that is too grounded in the concrete--there are non-Christians all over the world that show the evidence of more faith than the majority of Christians in America, which, ironically is a country that God has blessed with prosperity. It doesn't make any sense that Christians who are so blessed by the hand of God could be so blind to it, defame His name so drastically, and turn seekers away because the Christian faith doesn't get past theory to a lifestyle.
Hebrews 11:6 says "It is impossible to please God without faith" (NLT). This makes sense because faith is the foundation a personal relationship with God. Such a relationship with God is evidenced in through the hope and pure love one offers to others. God's word declares that "Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love" (1 Cor. 13:13 NLT).
It didn't really make sense to me before why Jesus would say that those who believe without seeing are blessed (John 20:29). Could it be that what He means is not so much that those with true faith will receive a future reward but that those who exercise faith will live a lifestyle that doesn't rely on the five senses, but instead exists in a state of the miraculous? Such an interaction with the spiritual realm of the miraculous will bless not only the participant but whomever comes into contact with that participant--Just like the blessings that God promised Abraham are accessible to us because of Abraham's faith and obedience.
The funny thing about Christianity is that even those outside of it know it doesn't make sense to claim a faith that throws out the five primary senses but then not live in that miraculous state of nonsense.
I was around twelve or thirteen years old when I first heard this quote on the introduction to Dc Talk's song "What If I Stumble?". Manning's statement created a bit of a worldview shift for me; it was probably the first time that I began to truly see how detrimental Christians can be to their own faith.
It doesn't really make sense that a body of believers would sabotage the very thing that they claim to profess. Why would soldiers turn around in the midst of a battle and begin to kill their own comrade-in-arms while the opposing force watches with incredulity? The idea is ludicrous, and yet such actions are so common that many people don't even bat an eyelash when they encounter them in their daily lives.
In the U.S., the majority of my generation (20-30 somethings) has a post-modern worldview accompanied by a college education. I believe that post-modernism is doing the world a favor by expanding the melting pot of diversity in thought, race, and cultures. People are afraid of what they don't know, and post-modernism attempts to counteract unnecessary fear by promoting a respect for individuality. But here's the catch: While people with this worldview are remarkably open-minded, they are not very pro-active. Many of those in my generation (myself included) recognize and are upset by world injustices, but have not found a significant way to fight them. I have often pondered this strange phenomenon and wonder if the post-modernist idea that anything-goes-so-long-as-I-am-not-being-hurt has crippled the actions of a generation of great thinkers--thinkers who have recorded a lengthy list of observed injustices, but are so overwhelmed by the magnitude of that list that they choose to burrow under the bed-covers in the hopes of waking to a new world. I've witnessed such thought processes among many of my generation in regards to Christianity. The recognition of the sabotage of Christianity by Christians has made many young adults too ashamed to claim the title "Christian" because of all the negative baggage that is associated with the term. While their intentions might be noble, the reality is that disassociating oneself from a particular title hardly changes anything.
Isn't it a bit unsettling that many people think of Christians with a sense of disgust or indifference? Shouldn't Christianity at least inspire a sense of respectful awe? Instead, much of the world agrees with Mahatma Gandhi's statement: "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
Why has Christianity become so unlike the god it worships? Could it be that at its very core, Christianity has become faithless?
Modernity and education has done a lot to extinguish things like superstitions, old wives tales, and scientific misconceptions; on the other hand, it has also stifled the belief in the supernatural and promoted a largely skeptical worldview. Honestly, when in history has there been a time when the miraculous was as discredited as it is now? People no longer quake in the wake of signs and wonders. Could it be possible that this is one reason why it is no longer common for people to see God's presence in a pillar of fire or a flaming bush--because people wouldn't believe it even if they saw it?
This is the thing about faith: it doesn't make sense.
Pastor Calvin Roberson talks about this vital aspect of faith in a sermon he gave recently at the Restoration Praise Center. In his sermon, Roberson uses Hebrews 11:1 as his anchor verse: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (KJV). Roberson points out the fact that people rely heavily on their primary five senses: sight, touch, smell, taste, and hearing. It is these five senses that people use to determine the reality of something. Let me try and explain. If you go to a buffet and you're very hungry, the first thing you'll do is look to see where the food is and most likely make a bee-line straight to it. But if you're blind, you will rely on your other senses to help you get to the food, find what you want, and make sure it's edible. Roberson uses the example of a chair. Most people don't think twice about sitting on a chair, mostly because they can see it, and if they can't see, then they can touch it, and if they can't do either of those things they can smell and taste it if necessary (mmmm...this chair is made of leather and wood. Yummy!). It doesn't take much for an individual to trust that the chair will hold them if they sit in it because they can use their senses to figure it out. Roberson sums this point up by saying:
"If faith perceives as real fact what is not revealed to the senses, as long as I can see it, touch it, feel it, then I'm not using faith...faith is not saying "only deal with what I can see". Faith is saying "remove everything that I can see, everything that I can hear, everything that I can perceive in my reality because as long as I have something to hold onto in my reality, I cannot trust God."...God says if you really want to have faith, get rid of everything that is real and then start to believe".
I suppose it all comes down to this. Faith is a spiritual, out-of-this-world act. It's not just acknowledging something like God's omnipotence, it's engaging with that omnipotence, without question, when all five of the primary senses are rendered useless. And in order to build that sort of trust, one must establish a personal, spiritual connection to God. By doing this, one will begin to live in a lifestyle of faith like Jesus did. When one uses the word "Christian" it should make people think of one who truly walks in Jesus' footsteps. Such a lifestyle of faith would be full of so much hope and love that it would bring people to their knees in awe.
The majority of the Christian church in America professes faith but does not walk in it (and I am certainly no exception). This is why Brennan Manning stated that Christians play such a large role in promoting Atheism. Who would give any credibility to "Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle"?
The thing that gets to me about this is that so many who profess to be Christian aren't even aware of how dead their faith is. Maybe this is partly due to the fact that modernism doesn't promote the miraculous or expect it to show up. How would people know they were missing out on something they've never been exposed to or taught?
Honestly, faith doesn't make sense...not in the way science or logic makes sense of things. How is there good common sense in using a staff to part a sea, shouting to bring the walls of a well fortified city down, using mud to bring sight to the blind, speaking in tongues, healing by the laying on of hands...
It's all nonsense...
Roberson says, "God has to get you in situations that don't make sense or else you will attribute it to coincidence or your own ingenuity".
To have the confident expectation of something miraculous requires one to throw out the five senses and trust against all odds. We are a race of people that is too grounded in the concrete--there are non-Christians all over the world that show the evidence of more faith than the majority of Christians in America, which, ironically is a country that God has blessed with prosperity. It doesn't make any sense that Christians who are so blessed by the hand of God could be so blind to it, defame His name so drastically, and turn seekers away because the Christian faith doesn't get past theory to a lifestyle.
Hebrews 11:6 says "It is impossible to please God without faith" (NLT). This makes sense because faith is the foundation a personal relationship with God. Such a relationship with God is evidenced in through the hope and pure love one offers to others. God's word declares that "Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love" (1 Cor. 13:13 NLT).
It didn't really make sense to me before why Jesus would say that those who believe without seeing are blessed (John 20:29). Could it be that what He means is not so much that those with true faith will receive a future reward but that those who exercise faith will live a lifestyle that doesn't rely on the five senses, but instead exists in a state of the miraculous? Such an interaction with the spiritual realm of the miraculous will bless not only the participant but whomever comes into contact with that participant--Just like the blessings that God promised Abraham are accessible to us because of Abraham's faith and obedience.
The funny thing about Christianity is that even those outside of it know it doesn't make sense to claim a faith that throws out the five primary senses but then not live in that miraculous state of nonsense.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
An Introduction to Psychology and Faith in Action
Anyone who takes a basic intro to psychology class in university is likely to be exposed to the concept that a change in one's way of thinking is often preceded by speaking certain ideas over and over until one comes to believe them. I can attest to the truth of this. When I took my intro to psych class during my freshman year, I was struggling with severe depression and low self-esteem, but my psych professor talked about how big changes begin with small steps. He explained how, in theory, a person could develop a healthy and confident self-esteem by looking in the mirror first thing every morning, smiling, and saying something positive about him/herself. Something about this concept seemed so incredibly simple and relatively painless that I decided to take it upon myself to test the theory. For me, it worked wonders. I began smiling more often, I started seeing the world in a more positive light, and before long, I was making worthwhile friends. Isn't it crazy how much change a person can speak into their own life?
Proverbs 18:21 says that "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (ESV). I'm sure everyone can remember a time when something someone said had a significant impact on their life--especially if that particular thing was said repeatedly.
I'm not gifted when it comes to the spoken word. I often say the wrong thing, or manage to say the right thing in the wrong way. If you need lessons on how to apologize, I'm your person! It is this quality in myself that has made me skeptical of the words that other people say. It is so easy to say one thing but behave differently. This is why I tend to watch a person's actions for a while before I choose whether or not to give their word any credibility.
Abraham probably did something similar when it came to his relationship with God. I'm sure Abraham tested God's actions to see if they would back up His promises--and this process is probably how Abraham's faith grew to be so strong. Decades later, David acknowledged what his forefather came to know: God says, "I will not break my covenant; I will not take back a single word I said" (Ps. 89:34 NLT). Abraham and David found God's actions to be faithful to His word. In fact, the testimony of hundreds in the Bible lend further credibility to God's promises. One need not just take Abraham's word for it.
Interestingly, God invites people to test Him. In a letter to early Christians, Paul advises that people "test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good" (1 Thess. 5:21 NLT). Paul warns that a failure to test God's word could cause the Holy Spirit to be stifled.
So here's the crux of the issue: ultimately, words without action are dead. Someone who doesn't follow through with what they say is untrustworthy--and over time, no one will take that person seriously. In fact, that person's word may be permanently in jeopardy; it is likely that their word will never be trusted.
For those who have experienced God's faithfulness, trust shouldn't come with such difficulty. As decedents of Abraham, we come from a long lineage of people who learned to trust God and act on their faith. So why do I struggle with behaving in a manner that shows I truly have faith in what I profess to believe? Shouldn't this quality have been passed down through the generations?
There are many reasons why I hesitate when it comes to faith, and maybe some of those reasons are more valid than others--but I'm beginning to suspect that what I learned in my intro to psych class can be applied to faith. Maybe in my case, the actions of faith must precede the state of mind. In other words, wouldn't it makes sense that by taking the small steps, I will ultimately achieve the larger goal?
What if I laid hands on people and prayed in the action of faith, what if I spoke aloud of a confidence in faith, what if I practiced living my life as if I already had more faith than I knew what to do with? Wouldn't it follow that at some point I'd have myself convinced that I am a person of faith?
I realize that the fundamental reason why I struggle with faith is fear...the fear that my faith will fail me, that my prayers won't make any difference for anyone, or that my faith won't align with God's will. But I also realize that it is this fear that stands in the way of allowing me to be blessed and to bless others. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said "the only thing to fear is fear itself" (First Inaugural Address 1933). Why am I not surprised to find myself standing in my own way yet again?
So now I'm challenging myself to behave in a way that will leave God no choice but to reward my faith. I aspire to learn the obedience and trust of Abraham so that I will be able to partake of and pass on God's promises to Abraham's decedents. And if all else fails, I will cling, like Paul, to the understanding that, through grace, God's power is best revealed in my weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).
There is power in words--check it out: Jesus spoke the world into existence, raised the dead to life with words, calmed violent storms with words, and spoke forgiveness and wholeness into peoples' lives. Before His ascension, Jesus made this remarkable promise to His followers: “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. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" (John 12-14 NLT). Jesus said it, in theory, I believe it, so isn't it about time I start acting like it? My words, by the grace of Jesus Christ, hold the power of life in them. Maybe it's time I start speaking blessings into my life and the lives of others.
Proverbs 18:21 says that "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (ESV). I'm sure everyone can remember a time when something someone said had a significant impact on their life--especially if that particular thing was said repeatedly.
I'm not gifted when it comes to the spoken word. I often say the wrong thing, or manage to say the right thing in the wrong way. If you need lessons on how to apologize, I'm your person! It is this quality in myself that has made me skeptical of the words that other people say. It is so easy to say one thing but behave differently. This is why I tend to watch a person's actions for a while before I choose whether or not to give their word any credibility.
Abraham probably did something similar when it came to his relationship with God. I'm sure Abraham tested God's actions to see if they would back up His promises--and this process is probably how Abraham's faith grew to be so strong. Decades later, David acknowledged what his forefather came to know: God says, "I will not break my covenant; I will not take back a single word I said" (Ps. 89:34 NLT). Abraham and David found God's actions to be faithful to His word. In fact, the testimony of hundreds in the Bible lend further credibility to God's promises. One need not just take Abraham's word for it.
Interestingly, God invites people to test Him. In a letter to early Christians, Paul advises that people "test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good" (1 Thess. 5:21 NLT). Paul warns that a failure to test God's word could cause the Holy Spirit to be stifled.
So here's the crux of the issue: ultimately, words without action are dead. Someone who doesn't follow through with what they say is untrustworthy--and over time, no one will take that person seriously. In fact, that person's word may be permanently in jeopardy; it is likely that their word will never be trusted.
For those who have experienced God's faithfulness, trust shouldn't come with such difficulty. As decedents of Abraham, we come from a long lineage of people who learned to trust God and act on their faith. So why do I struggle with behaving in a manner that shows I truly have faith in what I profess to believe? Shouldn't this quality have been passed down through the generations?
There are many reasons why I hesitate when it comes to faith, and maybe some of those reasons are more valid than others--but I'm beginning to suspect that what I learned in my intro to psych class can be applied to faith. Maybe in my case, the actions of faith must precede the state of mind. In other words, wouldn't it makes sense that by taking the small steps, I will ultimately achieve the larger goal?
What if I laid hands on people and prayed in the action of faith, what if I spoke aloud of a confidence in faith, what if I practiced living my life as if I already had more faith than I knew what to do with? Wouldn't it follow that at some point I'd have myself convinced that I am a person of faith?
I realize that the fundamental reason why I struggle with faith is fear...the fear that my faith will fail me, that my prayers won't make any difference for anyone, or that my faith won't align with God's will. But I also realize that it is this fear that stands in the way of allowing me to be blessed and to bless others. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said "the only thing to fear is fear itself" (First Inaugural Address 1933). Why am I not surprised to find myself standing in my own way yet again?
So now I'm challenging myself to behave in a way that will leave God no choice but to reward my faith. I aspire to learn the obedience and trust of Abraham so that I will be able to partake of and pass on God's promises to Abraham's decedents. And if all else fails, I will cling, like Paul, to the understanding that, through grace, God's power is best revealed in my weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).
There is power in words--check it out: Jesus spoke the world into existence, raised the dead to life with words, calmed violent storms with words, and spoke forgiveness and wholeness into peoples' lives. Before His ascension, Jesus made this remarkable promise to His followers: “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. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" (John 12-14 NLT). Jesus said it, in theory, I believe it, so isn't it about time I start acting like it? My words, by the grace of Jesus Christ, hold the power of life in them. Maybe it's time I start speaking blessings into my life and the lives of others.
Monday, January 17, 2011
So That They Would Not Reach Perfection Without Us...
When I think about faith, a giant mill stone sinks to the pit of my stomach, and I become slightly nauseous. For some people, a child-like faith comes naturally, but maybe I'm too rooted in the practicality of life on Earth. I expect failure, disappointment, pain, and best-intentions gone awry. To be realistic about human nature is wise if one is to thrive in this world. But that's the irony of it because we were created to thrive in a different universe and state of being. This is why we can recognize and accept things that are foreign to our sinful natures--profoundly beautiful and good things like grace, love, and peace in the midst of chaos. I recognize that I am created with a great capacity for faith, and as a daughter of Abraham, I must rise to the occasion and follow in his footsteps.
When people ask me about my religious views, I usually tell them that I'm growing in a faith-walk. I recognize that God has taken me through many paths and that where I am is unlikely to be the same place where He will be leading me tomorrow. I'm in a continuous journey, and it is this experience that has shown me God's goodness in my life in such a way that I cling to Him in desperation. I understand that a state of desperation is often what leads people to a faith foundation, and so I suppose this might be why God is challenging me in this area now.
But can I call up the blood of Abraham in me? Can I trust in the kinship with God that Abraham's blood has granted humanity? Can I allow myself to seize the opportunity to be bold in blindness?
The author of Hebrews wrote, "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see" (Heb. 11:1 NLT). To be confident and absolutely sure about things I cannot visibly witness in some fashion is difficult for me. I think I have a good handle on hope--I am willing and even eager to see possibility in all kinds of situations, but to be confident and sure...that I don't know about...
The Message Bible puts it this way: "The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see" (Heb. 11:1).
There it is--faith is the fundamental foundation of making life worth living. Since faith originates outside of this world, it prepares the faithful to exist outside of this world as well. That is why the testimony of those who endured all sorts of trials is so compelling; they were confident that they were not only made for better things but that they would miraculously see their faith come to fruition.
I have often found myself trapped in the seeming unlikeliness of the fairy-tale-like promises of God and the story of a God who loved with such profundity that He chose to die for a corrupted race. It's just too good to be true! But then that's part of what makes it so convincing--how could a corrupt mind conceive such beauty? Is it possible that such goodness could be invented by humanity in its current state?
I believe that fairy tales are rooted in the story of salvation--that happy endings or good overcoming evil are remnants of humanity's desire to hang onto hope--to believe that the promises of all wrongs being made right will come true. J.R.R. Tolkien expressed this concept in his essay "On Fairy Stories". He called the resolution of wrongs "eucatastrophe" (22). Tolkien believed that it is the element of joy that appears in the happy ending of fairy stories that made them good because they mirrored the truth of God.
"The consolation of fairy-stories, the joy of the happy ending: or more
correctly of the good catastrophe, the sudden joyous “turn” (for there is no
true end to any fairy-tale): this joy,which is one of the things which fairy-
stories can produce supremely well, is not essentially “escapist,” nor
fugitive.” In its fairy-tale—or otherworld—setting, it is a sudden and
miraculous grace: never to be counted on to recur. It does not deny the
existence of dyscatastrophe, of sorrow and failure: the possibility of these is
necessary to the joy of deliverance; it denies (in the face of much evidence,
if you will) universal final defeat and in so far is evangelium, giving a
fleeting glimpse of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world,poignant as grief"
(Tolkien 22).
Tolkien also explains that the beauty of fairy stories comes from the ability they give the reader to see things from a different perspective. Is it possible that this is one way God has chosen to keep His promises alive in our imperfect world? Tolkien makes a powerful statement about this in "On Fairy Stories":
"I would venture to say that approaching the Christian Story from this
direction, it has long been my feeling (a joyous feeling) that God redeemed the
corrupt making-creatures, men, in a way fitting to this aspect, as to others,
of their strange nature. The Gospels contain a fairystory,or a story of a
larger kind which embraces all the essence of fairy-stories [...] among the
marvels is the greatest and most complete conceivable eucatastrophe. But this
story has entered History and the primary world; the desire and aspiration of
sub-creation has been raised to the fulfillment of Creation. The Birth of Christ
is the eucatastrophe of Man's history. The Resurrection is the eucatastrophe of
the story of the Incarnation. This story begins and ends in joy. It has
pre-eminently the “inner consistency of reality.” There is no tale ever told
that men would rather find was true" (23).
Tolkien is right in comparing the salvation story to fairy tales--to believe that a pumpkin can become a gorgeous carriage, that the beast can become a handsome prince, that rags can be turned to silk--such things are out of this world! But how much harder is it to explain away miracles that defy science? If one is to believe in the Biblical God, then paths can be made through seas, fire doesn't burn those who stand in the midst of it, food is provided out of thin air, and the dead are raised to life!
God forbid that I banish the miraculous to the realm of magic. I pray for a faith like Abraham's and for the courage to pick up his blessing and pass it on. For, in Hebrews, God reveals the beauty of His promise to Abraham for all generations of the faithful. Isn't it just a bit phenomenal that the Bible is filled with the stories of those who died having no doubt that God would fulfill His promises even though they didn't get to see it in their life-time? That's a trust that is bigger than evidence. Beyond that trust, though, is a glimpse of God's incomprehensible love. God isn't content to just settle with Abraham's faith and reward just Abraham for it. God wants an entire race of people who have faith that God's love and goodness will hold Him accountable. God didn't just want one human...He hopes to bless all humans, and it is this inclusiveness that makes the following passage in Hebrews so powerful: "Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours" (Heb. 11:39-40 The Message). "For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us" (Heb. 11:40 NLT).
When God first spoke to Abraham, He also spoke to us.
When people ask me about my religious views, I usually tell them that I'm growing in a faith-walk. I recognize that God has taken me through many paths and that where I am is unlikely to be the same place where He will be leading me tomorrow. I'm in a continuous journey, and it is this experience that has shown me God's goodness in my life in such a way that I cling to Him in desperation. I understand that a state of desperation is often what leads people to a faith foundation, and so I suppose this might be why God is challenging me in this area now.
But can I call up the blood of Abraham in me? Can I trust in the kinship with God that Abraham's blood has granted humanity? Can I allow myself to seize the opportunity to be bold in blindness?
The author of Hebrews wrote, "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see" (Heb. 11:1 NLT). To be confident and absolutely sure about things I cannot visibly witness in some fashion is difficult for me. I think I have a good handle on hope--I am willing and even eager to see possibility in all kinds of situations, but to be confident and sure...that I don't know about...
The Message Bible puts it this way: "The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see" (Heb. 11:1).
There it is--faith is the fundamental foundation of making life worth living. Since faith originates outside of this world, it prepares the faithful to exist outside of this world as well. That is why the testimony of those who endured all sorts of trials is so compelling; they were confident that they were not only made for better things but that they would miraculously see their faith come to fruition.
I have often found myself trapped in the seeming unlikeliness of the fairy-tale-like promises of God and the story of a God who loved with such profundity that He chose to die for a corrupted race. It's just too good to be true! But then that's part of what makes it so convincing--how could a corrupt mind conceive such beauty? Is it possible that such goodness could be invented by humanity in its current state?
I believe that fairy tales are rooted in the story of salvation--that happy endings or good overcoming evil are remnants of humanity's desire to hang onto hope--to believe that the promises of all wrongs being made right will come true. J.R.R. Tolkien expressed this concept in his essay "On Fairy Stories". He called the resolution of wrongs "eucatastrophe" (22). Tolkien believed that it is the element of joy that appears in the happy ending of fairy stories that made them good because they mirrored the truth of God.
"The consolation of fairy-stories, the joy of the happy ending: or more
correctly of the good catastrophe, the sudden joyous “turn” (for there is no
true end to any fairy-tale): this joy,which is one of the things which fairy-
stories can produce supremely well, is not essentially “escapist,” nor
fugitive.” In its fairy-tale—or otherworld—setting, it is a sudden and
miraculous grace: never to be counted on to recur. It does not deny the
existence of dyscatastrophe, of sorrow and failure: the possibility of these is
necessary to the joy of deliverance; it denies (in the face of much evidence,
if you will) universal final defeat and in so far is evangelium, giving a
fleeting glimpse of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world,poignant as grief"
(Tolkien 22).
Tolkien also explains that the beauty of fairy stories comes from the ability they give the reader to see things from a different perspective. Is it possible that this is one way God has chosen to keep His promises alive in our imperfect world? Tolkien makes a powerful statement about this in "On Fairy Stories":
"I would venture to say that approaching the Christian Story from this
direction, it has long been my feeling (a joyous feeling) that God redeemed the
corrupt making-creatures, men, in a way fitting to this aspect, as to others,
of their strange nature. The Gospels contain a fairystory,or a story of a
larger kind which embraces all the essence of fairy-stories [...] among the
marvels is the greatest and most complete conceivable eucatastrophe. But this
story has entered History and the primary world; the desire and aspiration of
sub-creation has been raised to the fulfillment of Creation. The Birth of Christ
is the eucatastrophe of Man's history. The Resurrection is the eucatastrophe of
the story of the Incarnation. This story begins and ends in joy. It has
pre-eminently the “inner consistency of reality.” There is no tale ever told
that men would rather find was true" (23).
Tolkien is right in comparing the salvation story to fairy tales--to believe that a pumpkin can become a gorgeous carriage, that the beast can become a handsome prince, that rags can be turned to silk--such things are out of this world! But how much harder is it to explain away miracles that defy science? If one is to believe in the Biblical God, then paths can be made through seas, fire doesn't burn those who stand in the midst of it, food is provided out of thin air, and the dead are raised to life!
God forbid that I banish the miraculous to the realm of magic. I pray for a faith like Abraham's and for the courage to pick up his blessing and pass it on. For, in Hebrews, God reveals the beauty of His promise to Abraham for all generations of the faithful. Isn't it just a bit phenomenal that the Bible is filled with the stories of those who died having no doubt that God would fulfill His promises even though they didn't get to see it in their life-time? That's a trust that is bigger than evidence. Beyond that trust, though, is a glimpse of God's incomprehensible love. God isn't content to just settle with Abraham's faith and reward just Abraham for it. God wants an entire race of people who have faith that God's love and goodness will hold Him accountable. God didn't just want one human...He hopes to bless all humans, and it is this inclusiveness that makes the following passage in Hebrews so powerful: "Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours" (Heb. 11:39-40 The Message). "For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us" (Heb. 11:40 NLT).
When God first spoke to Abraham, He also spoke to us.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Ishmael before Isaac
I have often questioned God...in fact, I question Him on a daily basis. It's entirely healthy, I'm sure. It's most likely what makes our relationship work. But there's a catch--when questioning God, one mustn't expect to arrive at satisfactory answers or any answers for that matter. And that's part of the point, isn't it? Honestly, to understand God would be to make Him un-god-like.
I'm hardly the first person to shake my head in puzzlement or my finger in accusation at the ways of the Divine. The world's best-selling book of all time is full of personal accounts of those who have wrestled with God.
Imagine the heartache and pain Hagar must've felt when Abraham sent her away because God told him to do so (Genesis 21). And talk about daddy issues--what kind of emotions, thoughts, and questions must've clambered for resolution in Ishmael's head? Sure, Hagar and Ishmael were not part of God's original blessing intended for Abraham, who being human succumbed to his own doubts about God. But didn't Abraham deserve to take ownership of his own decisions and actions? Shouldn't Abraham have been required to deal with the natural consequences? Where is the justice in this case? Why does it seem like God chose to punish the woman who was her mistress's pawn? Why does God sanction Abraham's banishment of his first-born son?
I've never been truly comfortable with the idea of sacrificing something for "the greater good". This is a concept often explored in stories involving intelligence agencies, espionage, and deception. Believing that sacrificing something for the greater good is honestly the best thing to do requires a strong faith in the good character of the decision maker--especially when the sacrifice is a life.
When looking at the stories of Abraham in the Bible, one must remember that God sees the bigger picture--a picture of which we can only get the tiniest glimpse. As sinful mortals, we are incapable of comprehending pure, all-loving divinity; we are blessed to even be allowed the chance to sense it at all! But those who do reach out to God, and begin to walk with Him, can attest to His goodness.
Abraham most certainly could testify of God's faithfulness and goodness. The fact that God wanted to speak to Abraham at all is amazing--but what's even more incredible about this is that by speaking to Abraham, God wasn't just trying to talk with one particular human, God was seeking a man through whom He could bless all people. A man to father a nation, people, world that would give birth to greatness--to divinity! This is why God tested Abraham.
Nobody likes to face tests that involve life and death. But once Abraham embarked on his friendship with God, he also began a life where the tests and temptations that he faced were vitally important to the development of his character. Only a man who was strong in faith and obedience would be able to receive God's intended blessings and pass them on. Ironically, we are often our own worst enemies; we miss out on God's blessings because we stand in our own way.
Some tests Abraham passed--he left his hometown for an unknown promised land when God called him, and others he failed--he lied about his marriage to Sarah when he sought refuge in Egypt (Genesis 12). Yet, God's grace abounded in Abraham's weakness. Unconditional love is like that though, it never gives up and always seeks for new opportunities.
By the time Isaac was born, Abraham was a great man of faith. He had questioned and tested God enough to be confident in God's good-will, obligation to His promises, and love. So when God told Abraham, who was distressed over the conflict between his two wives and their sons, to send Hagar and Ishmael away, Abraham knew that only goodness could come from obedience. And while it must've been an incredibly painful experience for Hagar and Ishmael, it couldn't have been easy for Abraham to do. Yet this was a test that Abraham passed, and it was a test that prepared him for the next one. For it wasn't until Ishmael was out of the way that God could test the extent of Abraham's obedience and faith.
As if it weren't bad enough for God to demand that Abraham give up his first-born son, God, out of the blue one night, tells Abraham to sacrifice his promised son, Isaac, in Moriah (Genesis 22). To someone unfamiliar with God's mysterious ways, such a command is on par with the horrors of cannibalism or mass murder. It seems to be at its very core fundamentally cruel and sadistic. Just take a moment to comprehend this: if Ishmael had still been living with Abraham when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac, the test wouldn't have been nearly as difficult. If both sons were still living with Abraham, it is likely that his love would've been equally divided between the two. But with Ishmael out of the picture, all of Abraham's love, attention, and hopes were pinned on Isaac--the child of promise. So to give up this son, was a request that had the potential to completely undo Abraham.
It would surprise no one if such a request from God would've shaken Abraham to his core and caused him to question if God was going to break His word. But here's the thing, Abraham's faith in God's good character was so strong that he didn't doubt that God would stay true to His promises. Isaac was a promised child through whom God said He would bless all nations. Abraham believed that God, who had given him Isaac in the first place, was plenty able to bring Isaac back to life (Hebrews 11:19). This is evidenced in Abraham's statement to his servants when he asked them to wait while he and Isaac went on ahead: "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." (Genesis 22:5) Notice that Abraham says WE will return. Abraham did not doubt God's faithfulness even when he was given good cause to do so.
So what about Hagar and Ishmael? Because of Abraham's obedience and faith, God blessed them too. God wasn't deaf to their cries. God spoke to Hagar in the wilderness, told her not to fear, and promised her that He would make Ishmael's descendants a great nation too.
In an imperfect world where humans make mistakes, nobody gets away unscathed, but because of Abraham's obedience, we are all blessed. In fact, if we would just step out of the way, God would just keep piling those blessings on.
This is where I come in with all my questions, doubts, fears, and worries. We are all decedents of Abraham, and as such, we have the right to claim the same promises that he did.
The church I attend is doing a 21 day fast...it's a time of prayer and seeking God's favor. But I fear that my lack of faith will get in the way. I realize that this is a time that God may choose to test me. And it all really comes down to this: Am I willing to send away my Ishamels so I can offer up my Isaacs to God?
I'm hardly the first person to shake my head in puzzlement or my finger in accusation at the ways of the Divine. The world's best-selling book of all time is full of personal accounts of those who have wrestled with God.
Imagine the heartache and pain Hagar must've felt when Abraham sent her away because God told him to do so (Genesis 21). And talk about daddy issues--what kind of emotions, thoughts, and questions must've clambered for resolution in Ishmael's head? Sure, Hagar and Ishmael were not part of God's original blessing intended for Abraham, who being human succumbed to his own doubts about God. But didn't Abraham deserve to take ownership of his own decisions and actions? Shouldn't Abraham have been required to deal with the natural consequences? Where is the justice in this case? Why does it seem like God chose to punish the woman who was her mistress's pawn? Why does God sanction Abraham's banishment of his first-born son?
I've never been truly comfortable with the idea of sacrificing something for "the greater good". This is a concept often explored in stories involving intelligence agencies, espionage, and deception. Believing that sacrificing something for the greater good is honestly the best thing to do requires a strong faith in the good character of the decision maker--especially when the sacrifice is a life.
When looking at the stories of Abraham in the Bible, one must remember that God sees the bigger picture--a picture of which we can only get the tiniest glimpse. As sinful mortals, we are incapable of comprehending pure, all-loving divinity; we are blessed to even be allowed the chance to sense it at all! But those who do reach out to God, and begin to walk with Him, can attest to His goodness.
Abraham most certainly could testify of God's faithfulness and goodness. The fact that God wanted to speak to Abraham at all is amazing--but what's even more incredible about this is that by speaking to Abraham, God wasn't just trying to talk with one particular human, God was seeking a man through whom He could bless all people. A man to father a nation, people, world that would give birth to greatness--to divinity! This is why God tested Abraham.
Nobody likes to face tests that involve life and death. But once Abraham embarked on his friendship with God, he also began a life where the tests and temptations that he faced were vitally important to the development of his character. Only a man who was strong in faith and obedience would be able to receive God's intended blessings and pass them on. Ironically, we are often our own worst enemies; we miss out on God's blessings because we stand in our own way.
Some tests Abraham passed--he left his hometown for an unknown promised land when God called him, and others he failed--he lied about his marriage to Sarah when he sought refuge in Egypt (Genesis 12). Yet, God's grace abounded in Abraham's weakness. Unconditional love is like that though, it never gives up and always seeks for new opportunities.
By the time Isaac was born, Abraham was a great man of faith. He had questioned and tested God enough to be confident in God's good-will, obligation to His promises, and love. So when God told Abraham, who was distressed over the conflict between his two wives and their sons, to send Hagar and Ishmael away, Abraham knew that only goodness could come from obedience. And while it must've been an incredibly painful experience for Hagar and Ishmael, it couldn't have been easy for Abraham to do. Yet this was a test that Abraham passed, and it was a test that prepared him for the next one. For it wasn't until Ishmael was out of the way that God could test the extent of Abraham's obedience and faith.
As if it weren't bad enough for God to demand that Abraham give up his first-born son, God, out of the blue one night, tells Abraham to sacrifice his promised son, Isaac, in Moriah (Genesis 22). To someone unfamiliar with God's mysterious ways, such a command is on par with the horrors of cannibalism or mass murder. It seems to be at its very core fundamentally cruel and sadistic. Just take a moment to comprehend this: if Ishmael had still been living with Abraham when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac, the test wouldn't have been nearly as difficult. If both sons were still living with Abraham, it is likely that his love would've been equally divided between the two. But with Ishmael out of the picture, all of Abraham's love, attention, and hopes were pinned on Isaac--the child of promise. So to give up this son, was a request that had the potential to completely undo Abraham.
It would surprise no one if such a request from God would've shaken Abraham to his core and caused him to question if God was going to break His word. But here's the thing, Abraham's faith in God's good character was so strong that he didn't doubt that God would stay true to His promises. Isaac was a promised child through whom God said He would bless all nations. Abraham believed that God, who had given him Isaac in the first place, was plenty able to bring Isaac back to life (Hebrews 11:19). This is evidenced in Abraham's statement to his servants when he asked them to wait while he and Isaac went on ahead: "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." (Genesis 22:5) Notice that Abraham says WE will return. Abraham did not doubt God's faithfulness even when he was given good cause to do so.
So what about Hagar and Ishmael? Because of Abraham's obedience and faith, God blessed them too. God wasn't deaf to their cries. God spoke to Hagar in the wilderness, told her not to fear, and promised her that He would make Ishmael's descendants a great nation too.
In an imperfect world where humans make mistakes, nobody gets away unscathed, but because of Abraham's obedience, we are all blessed. In fact, if we would just step out of the way, God would just keep piling those blessings on.
This is where I come in with all my questions, doubts, fears, and worries. We are all decedents of Abraham, and as such, we have the right to claim the same promises that he did.
The church I attend is doing a 21 day fast...it's a time of prayer and seeking God's favor. But I fear that my lack of faith will get in the way. I realize that this is a time that God may choose to test me. And it all really comes down to this: Am I willing to send away my Ishamels so I can offer up my Isaacs to God?
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