Tag: Christian

Searches that have Lord, Christ, Calling, Evangelism, or Discipleship in the descriptor

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Seeking Faith Rather than Seeking Christ

Are we seeking faith rather than seeking Christ? This quote is a paraphrase from John Wesley concerning the mountaintop experience of many Christians. It was an interesting question. The connotation is that we don’t necessarily fully understand the implication of Christ’s Love for us; we only understand the security of what He does for us.

1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in Love, but perfect Love casts out fear because fear has to do with punishment. Whoever fears is not perfect in Love."

INTRODUCTION

I listened to an interesting Podcast concerning the events at Asbury University this last week. In case you do not know, Asbury University, a private Christian school in Wilmore, Kentucky, had somewhat normal chapel services on March 9, 2023, which led to a non-stop multi-day religious experience. The University does not call it a revival, as they believe only history can determine if it is an actual revival. In the podcast, the commentators paraphrased Wesley, “Are we seeking faith rather than seeking Christ.” The question elicits deeper thinking concerning the emotional impact of the moment as opposed to the eternal impact of Christ’s Love.   

Faith is a misunderstood concept. You can have complete faith that someone is going to lie to you. They have a track record of doing it, and there is no reason to feel they will go against the trend in the given situation. Faith in something is nothing more than confidence that you can predict what will happen. Faith is confidence in the outcome. Christ’s unchanging nature gives us confidence in what He will do.

THE QUESTION

Are we seeking faith rather than seeking Christ? Christian faith should be a byproduct of understanding the depth of God’s Love for us. It is not faith in what God will do but in who God is. If we understand the depth of God’s Love for us, we have no concern for what He does for us. What He does will always be directly related to how much He loves us.

Love is not merely an attribute of God’s character but the essence of his being —

Sunday Adelaja

John Piper, in his book “God Is the Gospel” asked this question, “The critical question for our generation—and every generation—is this: If you could have Heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with Heaven, if Christ was not there?”

Who do you seek? Do you seek the experience of Christianity but not the joy of Christ’s Love? Christ offers us a lot. For those who call Him King, the reward is an eternity like nothing we have ever experienced. But would we still seek Christ without the promise of that experience? Do we crave heaven with or without Christ? Is the fear of losing heaven the driving emotion behind your faith?

But do you feel His Love? When you think of Christ, does it elicit an emotional response? When your prays are not answered as you had desired, do you bask in His Love? Do you really believe that despite who you are, what you continue to do, and how you treat Him, He loves you unconditionally? Do you believe He loves you no matter what you are going through?

John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."

We are not just His creation; we are His friends.

LIVING WITH THE ANSWER

You have to live with your answer. You can lie to yourself but not to God. We live in a material world filled with measurements and agendas. None of us have ever experienced altruistic Love. It is not natural for man to love that way. Everything is up for sale. We barter and trade affection like shares of stock. We judge others feeling toward us by what they are willing to do for us and us for them.

Romans 8:35-37, "Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake, we are killed all day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter." No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."

The God of the universe, who spoke it into existence, sent His son to die for you. He didn’t just die for you; that would have been too simple. Instead, he was humiliated, tortured, and hung alive on a tree with spikes through His hands and feet. He is God; He didn’t need to do any of that. He created us and could have easily destroyed us and started over. But He didn’t. He kept pursuing us.

Romans 5:8, "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Our faith should not be in what God can do but in how much He loves us. In Love, He will do everything possible to ensure you spend eternity with Him. It is not about how perfect heaven is but about who will be there, the only entity in existence that can and will love you the way you desire to be loved.

Do you need the image of eternity in the Garden of Eden with all of your loved ones who have passed before, perfect weather, agile strong bodies, and peace and goodwill to motivate you toward Godliness, or is spending eternity with your creator, worshiping at His feet enough? Is it about what He provides more than who He is?

This verse describes God’s Love toward us that we should try to emulate toward others.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7, "Love is patient and kind; Love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Do not strive to spend eternity in heaven; strive to spend eternity with the God who loves you unconditionally.

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Living a life Worth Living

Are you living a life worth living? Does your existence consist of going through the motion, or does it echo with impact? Have you ever asked yourself why you exist? Were you created out of passion, or was there a purpose? Are you living a life worth living?

Ephesians 5:15-16, “So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of your time because the days are evil.”

The First Tragedy That is Not Ours

Today I was reading about two separate tragedies. The first was Duangpetch Promthep,  Dom to his friends.  He was the most talented of the Thai cave survivors. He had just won a football scholarship in London. The second was in the biographies of the Michigan State University students that died in the shooting last week; three college students were killed senselessly. My heart cries out for the children I don’t know, whose lives were cut short.  I think of the legacy that will never be realized and the wasted raw potential.

Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Years ago, had I not been saved in the Emergency Room, what impact would that have had on the world? Afterward, would my name even be mentioned, except for dear, compassionate, loving friends who would have noticed, six days, six months, or six years afterward? These children and all of us face the same fate. What is our impact? Do we leave a legacy worth remembering?

At the time of my heart failure, I had not thought about who I was or what I was accomplishing. I was headlong into living life, focused on an abstract future created by others around me. I was competing for a prize that was foggy at best and undefined at worse. Yet, I had to have it, whatever it was, because that is what you do. Not for a single moment did I think this could be my last day.

The Second Tragedy That is Ours

These children do not get to achieve their potential. Dom will never get to go on to win a world football championship. Arielle Anderson will never perform pediatric surgery. Did any of these children give a moment’s thought to their eternity? Did any of them think this would be the day they would find out? That may be the biggest tragedy of all.

Matthew 16:26, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

With a heavy emphasis on We, we need to reassess what and who we are. I am concerned about two specific aspects of my life;  the first is who I am and what impact I am achieving, and the second is what I am doing for the young people around me to ensure their impact is both long-lasting and positive.  

I am not concerned about people remembering my name or my deeds, I am concerned that my actions are not creating a future beyond my years. Does my life echo over time? We owe this both to ourselves and to the God that created us. It is through His grace that we breathe. Everything we have to offer is a gift from Him to be shared.

1 Timothy 6:17-19, “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”

The Final Tragedy That We Control

I don’t want any of you to wake up one morning to find out that someone dear to you lost their chance to achieve their potential. Some time ago, a friend of mine had a son, Ryan, who passed while in college. At the Celebration of Life service, a parade of young people spoke of Ryan’s impact on their lives. Many of the young people my friend had never met. My friend had mentored his son well. Today Ryan’s presence echoes, some twenty years later, through an organization called Christ in the Rockies.

Ryan left this quote behind:

And if I go, while you’re still here, know that I live on, vibrating to a different song. Behind a thin veil, you cannot see through. You will not see me, so you must have faith. I wait for the time when we can soar together again, both aware of each other. Until then, live your life to the fullest, and when you need me, just whisper my name in your heart; I will be there.

Colleen Corah Hitchcock

We have to learn to live our lives with urgency. In the end, we will realize we can do no more. What we have done is all there is. There will be no more chances for a kind word or compassionate gesture. That day may signify our end or someone close to us that we hold dear. On that day, will you rejoice? Were you living a life worth living?

Romans 14:8, “for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”
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Faith with Absolute Assurance

Faith is the assurance of things we hope for but have not received. Our faith in Christ is grounded in His promise to us through Abraham. We believe because we can see the impact on our lives today that encourages us about our future. It does not mean today is puppy dogs and unicorns, but it does mean that today is leading to a better tomorrow.

John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Whenever I face a critical issue, I return to a simple truth; “Do I believe what I say I believe?”. Everything is condensed down to this one critical question. When I distill an issue down to the root cause, it always boils down to this; do I trust that Christ is who I say He is, and do I believe He cares the way He says He does?

RELIGIOSITY

Let me give you a real-life example from several years ago. I knew someone who owed me money. They asked me to do some work for them, I did it, they acknowledged that I did it, and their client was satisfied with the work. I asked several times over the next year about getting paid without a resolution. He is a professing Christian. He has plenty of money, so he shouldn’t be concerned. Now I am a huge commitment type of guy. I believe you say what you will do, then you do it. It’s not the money; it is the principle of the matter.

My first thought goes right to righteous indignation:
Proverbs 3:27, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to act.”

I am owed; you, as a Christian, have an obligation to pay me. So, I start to build my argument. I start remembering bible verses that condemn him and justify me. I pray for the right (passive-aggressive) approach to make him feel guilty if he does not pay. It stopped being about money some time ago. It is now religiosity. I own the high ground. God is on my side.

There are a few things I should think about first:
Proverbs 16:2, “All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.”
Proverbs 20:22, “Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.”
Proverbs 27:19, “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.”

What started as a quest to right a wrong has turned into a vendetta. My motivation turned selfish. It is not about getting my wages but proving my religious superiority. It has turned to punish him for not being as good as me. I stopped trying to let God work through this and started dictating the terms.

FAITHFULNESS

Living by faith requires a different approach. When we decide to follow Christ, we commit to allowing Him to lead. This commitment requires a certain level of trust. I believe Christ does not want us to suffer needlessly or without kingdom impact. Therefore, if we must suffer, there is a purpose in the suffering, and that purpose will positively impact His kingdom here on earth.

The next question that comes to mind is, at what cost? Who wins and who loses, and by how much? Does evil prosper? The ultimate answer to those questions is in Revelations.

Revelation 20:10, “And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

And who does this apply to?

1 John 3:8, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

There is an actual price to be paid by those who reject Christ. We must be assured that God will do what He said He would do.

APPLICATION

When we have been wronged, what should we do? The first thing we should all do when faced with a dilemma is to pray for guidance. It is through prayer that we gain assurance that our faith is rewarded. There are too many permutations of grievances to suggest a one-size-fits-all solution. But, the starting point is always the same. Prayer

It is also essential to determine where our ego is during this time. Is the grievance material or emotional? Is the wrong subjective or objective? Do I believe God has my best interest in mind, even if I don’t get what I want? Am I advancing my kingdom or His? What do I believe about Christ’s dominion over the world? These are the critical questions, not our perception of right and wrong. God will handle right and wrong.

LAST POINT

The last point is that there are times when we must take advantage of the authority God has established over man to help with worldly issues that broken man can not adequately address. We have laws and governing authorities for that purpose. These are tools for Him to use to help us. They are not tools he has created so that we can punish those we dislike or disagree with.

Romans 13:1-2, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”

Trials will come. That is part of being human in a fallen world. How we face those trials will determine our impact on His kingdom for Him. Our assurance of victory comes through our faith in the victor. We can win the battle but lose the war.

James 5:11, “As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”
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Fighting Discouragement

We are all fighting discouragement from time to time. The less fortunate among us face discouragement daily. The verb to discourage means “to deprive of confidence, hope or spirit; dishearten.” The word discourages is synonymous with afflict, beat down, demoralize, depress, dismay, distress, frighten, intimidate, irk, and trouble.

Discouragement comes from the root word courage. The prefix dis- means “the opposite of.” So discouragement is the opposite of courage. When we are discouraged, we lose the motivation to press forward. The battle is too fierce, the river too wide, the hill too tall, or the destination too far, and we lose the courage to continue.

Romans 7 21-23, “It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s obvious that not all of me join in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I’ve tried everything, and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me?” (MSG)

The Discouragement Lie

A lie from Satan is the source of every discouragement. Satan uses our desire to do and be good against us. He knows he cannot overcome our strength in Christ, so he uses our desire against us. He makes sure that we feel we don’t measure up.

John 8:44, “….for he is a liar and the father of lies and half-truths.”

We have talked about this often; we live in a post-modern world designed to make us discontent. We are overwhelmed with influencers who only show us the highlights of their lives. The media paints pictures designed to make us want more, do more, and be more. None of this is from God. Instead, God points us to the exact opposite.

Psalm 27:14, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage”

The person God made you to be, is perfect for what He made you to do. No one else has control over that.

Three primary forms of discouragement

Fleeting:

Fleeting discouragement is when we experience minor problems or pressures that affect our emotions; we quickly become discouraged when we seek rewards or affirmation from those around us. This is something we fight every day. If it is not how we look or how we talk or whom we know, it’s what we don’t know. We are being evaluated against a worldly performance standard that is not tied to whom God made us. These minor issues evaporate like morning dew, but the accumulating effect lasts a long time below the surface.

2 Timothy 1:7, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Mild discouragement can grow into significant discouragement. We relive our shortcomings over and over until it becomes part of us. We lose our sense of reality because it has been replaced with repetitive negative thoughts. Like the erosion of sandstone by dripping water, we become something different than what we were created to be.

Significant:

Discouragement becomes problematic when we face significant problems or pressures that affect our spirits. Some of these pressures are self-inflicted, but many are not. When we let mild discouragement mushroom or set our standards too high, we can create an environment that fosters strong discouragement. This type of discouragement only goes away slowly. You can’t blow it off and move on. You have to face the source of that discouragement and defeat it before it becomes disabling.

Ephesians 4:24, “and put on the new self, created in God’s image, in the righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

The second source of strong discouragement produces the same result. This discouragement is the creation of those around you. Sometimes it is meant to be motivating, but mostly it is a passive-aggressive approach to making someone else feel better about themselves. Sometimes a well-meaning friend or parent wants you to become who they think you should be. Other times, someone uses you as a punching bag for their shortcomings.

Deuteronomy 20:4, “for Jehovah your God is He that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”

None of this is from God. All of it is Evil trying to distract you from your real purpose in life. Go back to scripture and reaffirm who you are. Distance yourself from the desires of others and concentrate on the desire of God. Don’t allow others to define who you are.

Disabling:

This happens when our hearts “melt” within us, and we have no desire, energy, or ability to fight on. I’ve been there. You know you have arrived when getting up in the morning doesn’t seem worthwhile. If God has a plan for your life, you are so far off course that there is no way to correct it. You blew it; there is no “do-over” in life. This is the biggest lie of all.

Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

You can never get so far off course that God cannot bring you back where He wants you. You can give up on God, but he will never give up on you. It may take time and effort, but it is achievable. Seek professional help if required. Make sure that help is scripture based. You don’t need another person to point you in the wrong direction.

God is there. He is always there. He knows what you are going through. His timing is not always our timing, but believe me, he loves you unconditionally and will not let you go.

Isaiah 40:31, “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

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Impact

Does your life have the impact that you want it to have? Of course, everyone has an impact, but is yours what you expect?

According to the ancient Greeks, there are three components to a lasting impact. They are 1) logos; what you say; 2) Pathos; how you make the other person feel; and 3) ethos; the way you live. If we are going to have a positive impact on the world, we need to do it with a sense of completeness. We can not approach change with duplicity. We can not want others to be what we are not prepared to be. To impact the world for Christ, we must present a total package. The latest social issue, media sensations, or worldly crises cannot influence us.

That is a big ask. We live in a post-modern world where sensation and bias rule. The next shiny object influences us. Trendsetters and newsmakers surround us. Truth is subjective. Honesty is overrated. Much of the ground we stand on is quicksand, ever-moving, ever-changing, and ever-morphing into a new reality. Values etched in stone a few years ago seem outdated and anti-social today.

Ephesians 4:14, “So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”

How can we be light in a dark world? Follow the Greeks.

Logos

Ephesians 4:25 “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.”

Remember that each of us is a part of something bigger than all of us. Like wavelets expanding out across the pond, what each of us does influences others. This is true not only of our actions but the actions of those around us. We are all on the same blue orb spinning through space. The more people are driven to please Christ, the better we all are.

That is the short-term incentive to speak the truth. If nothing else, we make this place more livable. The eternal impact is far greater, but for non-believers, hard to imagine. We can not shy away from the truth because it dramatically impacts us, individually and corporately.

The credibility in our words is demonstrated through consistency. We can not speak the Gospel in some aspects of our lives while retreating from the Gospel in other aspects. We can not only demonstrate the truth of our words by applying them to others, especially in situations in which we will not find ourselves. At the same time, we ignore the application of the Gospel to our shortcomings. Hypocrisy is contagious.  

2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

Courage is an act of overcoming, not overpowering.

Pathos

Ephesians 4:15 “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.”

Compassion, what a powerful word and act. The ability to show compassion starts with confidence in who we are. We are children of God. And being such, we have overcome the world. We know it is not us who overcame the world, but Christ in us. We can afford compassion. Compassion is not from us but through us. The same God that showed compassion in us would use us to show compassion to others if we let Him.

One of my favorite quotes:

“At the end of the day, people won’t remember what you said or did; they will remember how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou

I remind myself of this often. I can have the best intentions in the world but deliver them with arrogance or disparagement, and I have lost. My message will be buried in ill feelings and resentment. I have to reflect the love of Christ to present the love of Christ.

Ethos

1 John 3:18 “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

Living out the Word in your daily life is the most challenging and effective evangelism you will engage in. Living your life according to Scripture adds credibility to your words and impacts people you will never talk with. If you proclaim to be a Christian, people will watch how you live your life to see if it is different. They will want to know if that difference produces positive results.

The pinnacle of sarcasm when parenting is telling your child, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Your friend, co-workers, and family are not children and shouldn’t be treated as children. Don’t hide behind the Christian badge of forgiveness unless you are prepared to extend it to others. Follow the adage – be the change you want to see.

1 Peter 3:10, “For Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.”

Impact

You must add ingredients, stir them thoroughly, and bake them when making a cake. It doesn’t matter what type of cake; the steps are the same. The same is true for sharing the Gospel. It doesn’t make any difference whom you will engage with or their condition; the steps are the same. So, study the Bible, pray for direction, and persevere. In all of this, walk the talk with compassion.

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Does God think I’m a fool?

Does God think I’m a fool? On the one hand, that question seems arrogant because being a fool is no small matter. Being called a fool is more than saying I’m uneducated or uninformed; it is saying I lack common sense. It is saying that more information would not save me from my folly. On the other hand, is it possible that God may think of me as a fool? How did I get here? A couple of weeks ago, I referenced a parable in Luke (Luke 12:13-21) to make a point concerning storing up treasures here on earth. I couldn’t get the parable out of my mind because it made several points that haunted me.

Setting the Stage

Let’s set the stage for this spiritual dilemma. I am on the far-right side of the bell-shaped curve of life expectancy. Up to this point, I have beat the odds of average life expectancy. On top of that, for the most part, I am still healthy. God has blessed me with provisions that are meeting my needs for now. But I know my needs will change; how much and how soon is a guess. All of us are in the same dilemma today. No matter what age we find ourselves, God is meeting our essential needs today, but life is subject to change. What that change will entail is different for all of us. God is meeting your essential needs today because you are reading this. Being able to read this online connotates a certain level of prosperity; you are above the basic level on the Maslow hierarchy of needs.

Luke 12:27-30, “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon, in all his splendor, was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. The pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows you need them.”

Back to the rich guy.

For the sake of time, I will paraphrase the parable. If you choose, you can follow the link above and read it. Jesus spoke to a crowd of people, probably in Judea, about a year before His crucifixion. He told the story of a rich man that had a great harvest. The harvest was so big that the man didn’t have room to store it all. So he decided to tear down his barns and build bigger ones to have security in the coming years. Then, he could “Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”

God rebukes the rich man by saying, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” God says, “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

On the surface, this seems relatively straightforward, do not rely on material possessions for your salvation and future security. But we live in a material world. All of us need a certain level of materialism to survive. I believe that God is not opposed to wealth. I say this because people of every social standing need to hear the Gospel and who is better equipped to spread the Good News than peers? No matter our status in life, each of us has a specific target market for spreading the Gospel. So, we need the entire spectrum of humanity to reach the entire spectrum of humanity.

Lessons from a Fool

Two key phrases clarify this passage for me. The first is at the beginning. Jesus starts the parable by saying, “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.” Notice that Jesus didn’t credit the rich man for the harvest. He credits the ground. The first key to foolishness is to whom you give credit. The rich man was a fool because he treated the abundant harvest as his. Just as all other things like knowledge, experience, and talent are gifts from God, so was the harvest. Everything the rich man had was not of his effort but through grace from God.

Luke 12:15, “Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

The second key phrase is when the rich man explains what he will do with the harvest proceeds. He said, “Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” The harvest was of God and should be used for God. So the second key to foolishness is what do you do with what God provides? Whatever position you find yourself in, it is God’s providence that it should be used for God.

Back to my Dilemma

My dilemma is your dilemma. Years ago, when I was with the prison ministry, I talked with a man on death row. I asked him what it was like to know the specific time and place of his death. His answer surprised me. Again, I will paraphrase it; the state will not allow me to die before the court-appointed time. It would be seen as escaping justice. So I can plan my last days. But, on the other hand, you do not know if you will live long enough to cross the parking lot today.

We are all rich men. Our harvest is different for each of us. It is not what we have but how we use it that will determine if we are seen as fools. Does God think I am a fool? I should hope not, but the opportunity is there. If I do not give Him credit for the good in my life and I do not use that good for His kingdom, then I am.

My future is uncertain, but my path is clear. Just as the ground yielded an abundant harvest for the rich man, so will it yield the same for me.

Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.”

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Winning in a Meritocracy

What does winning in a meritocracy mean? First, winning in a meritocracy is almost impossible. Meritocracies are like vermicular designs or mazes; they spawn out in every direction with dead ends and false trails. Every country has a version of meritocracy created over time to reflect cultural norms. In some Asian countries testing in school can set the path for the rest of your life. In western cultures, whom you know and what you know determines where you stand in the social rankings.

Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

MERITOCRACY

Meritocracy: (noun) A system in which advancement is based on individual ability or achievement.

Winning in a meritocracy is about playing the game when some rules are hidden. Some rules are open and easy to understand. A high grade in school moves you up the ranking, and a low grade moves you down. Social structures can be subjective. Being a doctor can move you up the ranking, but being a doctor of what? Does a Surgeon, a General Practitioner, a Chiropractor, and a History Professor have the same status? It’s according to who else is in the room.

As children, we start with a subconscious understanding of merit. We are rewarded for specific behavior and punished for others. We get awards to commemorate each good occasion. Sometimes the merit system needs to be clarified, as in a participation award. Did that move me up or down? Is the fact that I participated a remarkable thing worth rewarding, or is it wrong because I didn’t distinguish myself?

2 Corinthians 4:4, “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

We face competition in every aspect of life, but one. We compete at work, in extracurricular activities, in relationships, in school, in how we dress, how we talk, whom we know, and what we know. And we compete for our place in this world. We face a pie of limited size, and we compete for our slice.

THEN THERE IS GOD

Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

God wiped out the merit system when He sent His son to die for our sins. That should be embraced as incredibly good news. The constant striving to have meaning is replaced with open arms and purpose. We are not created equal in the sense that the world sees equal. We were created equal because God created us uniquely and ideally for the purpose He had in mind. As a result, not a single person is better qualified to do what God has planned for them.

Winning in a meritocracy has no meaning to God. We are saved through grace, not works. Therefore, we do not compete with each other for God’s love and acceptance. Our place in eternity is assured through His grace.

TAKE A BREAK FROM THE RAT RACE

Colossians 3:2, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

In Luke 12, Jesus tells a parable about a rich man whose crop yielded a great harvest. The rich man decided to tear down his barns and build bigger ones so he could be secure for the rest of his life. In verse 20, God says, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” We are all gifted uniquely, but it is God who makes the plants grow. It is God who determines how long we have to enjoy His gifts.

We still need to do our best in all that we do, but it is not to please others. We don’t have to look over our shoulders to see who’s gaining on us. Instead, we can rest in the knowledge that God has our back. It is hard to shift gears when you have spent your life competing at every level. Uncertainty comes with breaking away from the worldview to embrace an eternal view. But the peace of mind from trusting God will give you the confidence to excel in all He put before you.

Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

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Struggle

I struggle with a great many things when it comes to following Christ. I struggle with my ability to obey, my competence to do God’s will, and my sin. This morning it is my sin. Not a specific sin, just the abundance of sin in my life. The little nagging failures to demonstrate God to others.

Romans 3:10, “As it is written, “Not even one person is righteous.”

Odd things wake me in the middle of the night. Why is it that I struggle with the same things over and over? It started me wondering about the characters in the Bible of their daily struggles. God doesn’t tell us much about that. We know that Moses was a murderer and David dealt with lust, but we don’t know about their daily struggles.

1 John 1:8, “If we say that we do not have any sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and we’re not being truthful to ourselves.”

SIN IS NOT PROGRESSIVE

James 2:10, “And the person who keeps every law of God but makes one little slip is just as guilty as the person who has broken every law there is.”

The place I gravitate to is that sin is not progressive; it doesn’t get better or worse; it just is or isn’t. There is no sliding scale. God doesn’t try to provide a standard other than Himself. We all fall short. Did Solomon write Proverbs because he was constantly irritated at the folly of those around him? Did he feel superior to them at times? Were Proverbs his passive-aggressive vent? Did Moses struggle with the leadership responsibilities and the Israelites’ constant whining? Was He short-tempered and impatient? David loved his son, but did his son also cause him grief? Was he impatient with his demands? It is easy to read between the lines that Paul was not an easy guy to get along with. He saw life as black and white. Although God gave him the gift of compassion, I don’t think he received the gift of patience.

Romans 7:19-20, “When I want to do good, I don’t; and when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. Now, if I am doing what I don’t want to, it is plain where the trouble is: sin still has me in its evil grasp.”

I have no reason to believe that the characters in the Bible didn’t struggle the same as us. So why didn’t God provide us with these examples so that we could feel better about our struggles? I would guess it is because we should never stop struggling; we shouldn’t feel better. There is only one standard, and we all fall short.

SALVATION IS NOT WHITEWASH

When we accept Christ as our savior, do we see it as our get-out-of-jail-free card? The analogy that came to my head was citizenship. Some people study hard for citizenship so they can pass the test. But, once they pass the test and take the oath, do they see citizenship the same way? Do they treasure it, or do they start to feel entitled? Once salvation is ours, does it become a right? Our sins are forgiven yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We are made white as snow. Should that not give us a level of comfort?

My guess is no, it should not. On the contrary, I believe it makes us struggle more because we now know that our sin is unacceptable to God. We now know that things normalized in the world are unacceptable to God. This is a good thing.  Even with our salvation, we will stand before the Judgement Throne of Christ to account for how we lived our lives once we accepted Christ as our savior. God will want an accounting for the rants on social media, our discussion concerning politics, and our impatience with others who think differently than ourselves. This is about something other than being right; it is about doing right.

Lamentations 3:22, “his compassion never ends. It is only the Lord’s mercies that have kept us from complete destruction.”

REDEMPTION IS REAL

I would suspect that the day you stop struggling with sin is that day you need to start worrying. Sin is always with us; it never takes a holiday. No matter how hard we try, there will be something. That nagging sin is a constant reminder that we need Christ. It is a portal to God’s love, compassion, and understanding of our condition. So, as we fight sin, we cling to Christ.

Romans 8:1, “So there is now no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus.”

I want comfort and to know it is all right, but it isn’t. That is good news. The more I struggle with my shortcomings, the more I talk to God. The more I am disgusted with my behavior, the more I demonstrate that I care. The only standard is God Himself, and we will not achieve that this side of Heaven. To struggle is to gain.

I remember that the God of the universe that has forgiven all my sins is the same God that reminds me of His love through the ultimate sacrifice of His son. A God that would do that for a man as undeserving as myself is a God of infinite compassion.

Isaiah 30:18, “Yet the Lord still waits for you to come to him so he can show you his love; he will conquer you to bless you, just as he said, for the Lord is faithful to his promises. Blessed are all those who wait for him to help them.”

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Enter the New Year

Enter the New Year. It is the Chinese year of the rabbit, which is appropriate. As we enter the new year, time is fleeting. We must make the most of this new year before it’s gone.

So, as we enter this new year, I wanted to tell you a story that might help you set your objectives. It’s my story. Like David, Moses, and many other characters in the Bible, my life has had its bumps and bruises. But also it has a lesson. It starts with the first question I had to answer; “who am I?”. That was a tough question for me to answer. A lot of clichés’ came to mind. I also gravitated toward things that sounded grandiose but weren’t true. My true mission in life wasn’t admirable, but finding it and articulating it opened my eyes to what has happened. Writing this is cathartic.

Proverbs 1:8-9, “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.”

THE STORY

Who am I? I am the only son of a high-achieving “greatest generation” father. My mission in life was to be like him but better. I tried to achieve my mission by outworking everyone around me. My dad had one college degree; I have three. He worked full-time through college, and so did I, three times. I studied for every meeting and every engagement like it was a final exam. I had to be the smartest guy in the room. No one could be on my team if they didn’t have my work ethic.

THE JOURNEY

I tried to be this person by emulating my father. My father was a successful engineer; He was President of the City Council in my city and President of the School Board when I graduated from High School; his signature is on my High School Diploma.

He was well-liked, had a good sense of humor, and was a man of high character, brilliant and unassuming He could multiply two eight-digit numbers in his head to entertain my friends. I loved and idolized my father.

Romans 4:4, “Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.”

I was driven to succeed in everything I tried. I was raised to believe that you didn’t appreciate anything you didn’t work for. This drive manifested itself in anger and frustration. I didn’t feel I ever measured up. My father seemed so natural at it, and it seemed so unnatural to me. I was constantly pressing. Although it did drive me to a high level of success, it didn’t provide any satisfaction in that success. It created relationship problems in almost every aspect of my life.  My life and ambition controlled me. I was a slave to whom I thought I must be. My ego and pride painted over all my insecurities.

“To love yourself is to know that your past does not change your worth.”

THE AWAKENING

I was divorced at a young age. I was running 10 miles every day to help deal with the stress. By the age of 30, I had to have a pacemaker. Caffeine and stress short-circuited my heart’s electrical system. Success was killing me; I knew I couldn’t keep this up; I either had to abandon my mission in life or find a better way.  

I couldn’t abandon who I thought I was, so I turned to the Bible for advice. I turned to the Bible because I remember it from my childhood days attending church. Going to church still wasn’t in the plan; I was a self-made man. The Bible proved to be an owner’s manual on how to live—changing my approach to working with people significantly reduced my stress. Knowing that I was part of a plan that could not fail gave me confidence, even when things didn’t go well. I started to relax but still lacked purpose.

Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

I decided I needed help from people who understood the Bible better than me, so I started attending church.

CLARITY OF PURPOSE

That was when I received my aha moment; it was the tangent point that changed the direction of my life. I was given a cassette tape of a one-person play called “The BEMA.” It was about what you have done for Christ since you met Him. I realized that life had never been about me. It had always been about others. My legacy was not in what I achieved to elevate myself in life but in what I was doing to help others elevate themselves. I found purpose with meaning.

The pressure was gone. The drive is still there, but it is focused on results that do not belong to me. Kingdom gain is the measure; material gain may or may not follow. My goal was to be obedient to Christ when He called.

I quit corporate America and started a couple of companies operating on Christian principles. I held Bible Study once a week in my business to show my commitment to Christ and hold myself accountable to my employees for living up to that commitment. In retirement, I now work with several Christian-based missions using the skills and resources developed in me by God through life experiences. Anger is long gone. I am at peace with the person God made me. And, I want for nothing materially that I do not have or can’t obtain. God is good.

THE LESSON

“Don’t let your past dictate who you are. Let it be the lesson that strengthens the person you will become.”

As we enter the New Year, answering the question of who you are, will open your eyes to what drives you. You might find that the wrong standard drives you. I didn’t realize my dad’s impact on my life until my sisters pointed it out. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen until I was over 60. I was driven by an aberration. I know my father would never have wanted that for me. But I didn’t know it was happening. Christ entered my life and fixed a problem I didn’t know I had. I could not have written my story this way ten years ago. Ten years ago, I still saw myself as Don Quixote saving the fair maiden. Like the fictional Don Quixote, I was tilting at windmills.

Psalm 103:13, “Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.”

God has made us incredible creatures capable of amazing things. But when we try to control who we are or want to be, the wheels come off. Sometimes this control is subconscious. Give it to God. Why? God is good all the time.

Psalm 20:4, “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”

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Great Stories

Great Stories

It was once said that all great stories begin in tragedy. I understand that. Great stories need to triumph over adversity. Without adversity, the story losses its punch. We must feel the visceral response to injustice before the exhilarating happiness of victory. The more visceral the injustice, the more satisfying the victory.  

A Great Story

Mohamed El Bachiri, husband of Loubna, 34, a gym teacher at a school in Schaerbeek, father to three small boys under 10. He described his wife as beautiful, always smiling, and an extraordinary mother and wife. In His Book “Een jihad Van Liefde” he made this statement after his wife was murdered during a terrorist attack in Brussels in 2016;

“I need to express a kind of anger – which is legitimate. My anger expresses itself in the struggle of love. Sharing love. That’s my way of violently responding to the terrorist.”

There are so many words in this statement that grab me. He states a “kind of anger that is legitimate” and ties it to love. He goes on to talk about violent love. It builds a vision in my head of a man so driven by love that he holds his enemy in a bear hug and won’t let go until the other relents. That he will fight for the right to love the unlovable. He will sacrifice for those who do not deserve it because it is the only way to win.

This is a story worth remembering.

The Greatest Story

Christmas is upon us. It is not one of the greatest stories, but it is the greatest story ever. A man, God in human form, was born that responded in violent love for us. He came into this world not just to die for us but to suffer for us. He took on the adversity of all our sins over the millenniums. His life of love and sacrifice ended on a cross. He holds us in a bear hug to this day.

I don’t know how many of us have a visceral reaction to the actions of our lives. How much do we hate the injustice of who we were (or still are)? How tall is that tsunami of sin that hangs over our existence? Mine brings me to tears. The harm I have done to others is almost inexhaustible.

I was reading and rereading Romans chapter 7, particularly verses 14 through 23. Paul describes me to a T.

Romans 7:15, I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.”

In his commentary on this chapter, J.D. Greear talks about turning from a battle we cannot win, overcoming sin, to a battle we cannot lose, Christ’s salvation. This is a struggle for me. How do I turn from my past and embrace my future? This is especially difficult when my present sometimes looks like my past. Paul answers that very question later on in Romans.

Our Story Continues

Romans 8:5-6, “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So, letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”

This Christmas, think about things that please the spirit. Cast away thoughts of our sinful nature and celebrate the most violent love man has ever known. Reread many of the great stories in the Bible. Celebrate the God who is.

“Many of us have merely added Christ to our lives as another interest in an already busy and otherwise overcrowded schedule. This sort of thinking has watered down the meaning of a personal relationship with Christ. The problem is that we often seek the God we want, but do not know the God who is.” – Patrick Morley, Walking with Christ in the Details of Life: 75 Devotional Readings.

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