“As for you, son of man, your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, ‘Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ 31 And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it....” (Ezek. 33:30-31)
“We so easily substitute the form of religion for the power of radical, life-changing obedience to the demands of the kingdom of God.” I’m doing a study of Ezekiel this summer and using a commenetary entitled, “The Message of Ezekiel” written by Christopher J.H. Wright. That sentence is highlighted and has a star beside it in the margin, as does this one: “...enthusiasm has always been easier than obedience.”
I wonder if James had this passage from Ezekiel in mind when he referred to the “implanted word” (James 1:21) that saves our souls, empowers us to be not just hearers but doers of the word. The word becomes implanted in us when we immerse ourselves in that word: regular reading and study of the scriptures, sitting under the teaching and preaching of anointed truth-proclaiming pastors, prayer and fellowship with brothers and sisters in the faith.
I had a conversation with a delightful young woman yesterday who was expressing her thankfulness for her pastor who unashamedly preaches the Gospel, not backing away from making his congregtion feel uncomfortable if his words touch something a little too “close to home”. Unlike those referred to in the passage from Ezekiel, this young woman not only delights in the word of the Lord but takes it to heart and is seeking to live a life of obedience to the Lord - a life that is being modeled by her pastor as he stands boldly in front of his congregation each Sunday morning.
I highlighted and starred those sentences in my commentary because I know how easy it is to be caught up in the aspects of our faith that we love and hold dear - the traditions in our services, the fellowship of believers on Sunday mornings, the hymns and songs we sing and all the rest - and allow those things to become too important, so much of our focus that we can miss the point of it all. Do we ever pay so much attention to the worship team and their talents that we forget the one we're supposed to be singing to and about? Do we walk into a beautiful sanctuary and become so absorbed in the beauty around us that we forget to become absorbed in the beauty of the holiness of God? The people that sat with Ezekiel and heard his words from the Lord were so taken by being in the presence of a true prophet, so caught up in their enthusiasm, that they were paying attention to the prophet and not the prophetic words.
As a lifelong member of the Anglican church, I love the way we celebrate the Eucharist; but there was a time in my life when our “way” become so important to me that I couldn’t imagine experiencing it any other way. There were other aspects of our worship time that became like idols to me and, thanks be to God, the Lord would have none of that! He led me through a long season where I was sort of homeless with regards to a home church. As I visited other churches in other denominations for those many months, I noticed that I was beginning to re-prioritise. My worship shifted from the “form of religion” to the worship of the Lord. I allowed the Lord to take his rightful place as the one I chose to worship and when I returned to my Anglican tradition, I received the Eucharist with a thankful and open heart, focusing on the true meaning and purpose - on the Lord Jesus himself, not just the beauty of our liturgy. Receiving the bread and wine became a privilege and a gift. All these years later, I’m still so thankful that the Lord convicted me of my wrong-thinking and taught me that valuable lesson.
As we serve the Lord, he may lead us through difficult seasons. We may find ourselves serving in ways or in places that are outside our preferences or comfort zones. But those difficult or uncomfortable places might be precisely where the Lord is asking us to serve him. In the familiar story of Ezekiel and the dry bones, I recently noticed something I'd missed on my many other readings:The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them.... (Ezek. 37:1-2). In your valley of dry bones, the Lord has very likely brought you, set you down and led you around for his purposes. In what areas is he asking for your obedience? In what ways is he planning to use you to bring glory to his name, to speak life and truth, to be his faithful witness? Step out in faith. Walk among your valley of dry bones in the power of God and know that he is with you, empowering you and blessing you as you carry out his purposes.
"Radical, life-changing obedience to the demands of the kingdom of God" --- let's read those words as an invitation into the adventure of life in Christ - living witnesses to the power of Christ in this broken world that so desperately needs the love and power of Jesus!
Sunday, July 1, 2018
Saturday, May 12, 2018
What Would I Have Done?
On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.”And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17:11-19
There’s one thing about this story that has always piqued my curiosity. When Jesus asks about the other nine and why they didn’t return to praise God, what if one or more of them didn’t return because they were doing what Jesus had told them to do?
That may sound silly, but I was raised to be obedient; in our family, you did what you were told (“Because I said so.”) and that is deeply ingrained in me. As I think about this story and ask myself what I would have done in their place, I honestly don’t know the answer. I can imagine myself thinking that I really needed to go straight to the priest because that was what I was told to do! It wouldn’t necessarily mean that I was any less ovecome with gratitude.
So, that makes me wonder: Can obedience be a stumbling block? Can I get too concerned with doing the expected thing that I don’t turn around and do the right thing? What does authentic obedience look like?
As a child, I obeyed my parents so I wouldn’t get in trouble. To this day, that is behind my motives and decisions - do the right thing and you won’t get in trouble. This familiar verse from 1 John is often quoted, “perfect love casts out fear”. But there’s so much more to that verse! Read 1 John 4:18 in its entirety: There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. Obedience that is motivated by love paints a completely different picture than obedience motivated by fear of punishment. It’s the obedience Jesus modeled on this earth - obedience to the Father, in perfect union and harmony with the Father. Jesus did only what he saw the Father doing and at the same time was completely faithful to the will of the Father: not my will, but yours, be done (Luke 22:42). That kind of obedience is in response to, and, I believe, in the power of, the “perfect love” of God.
So getting back to the nine lepers and picturing myself among them — perhaps the Lord has revealed another area that needs his loving touch - a little spot of “leprosy”, in keeping with my theme. As I look at my Father’s love for me and his will for my life, am I following obediently out of a full response to his love or is there still a remnant of that child who wants to be a good little girl so she doesn’t get in trouble?
My earthly father loved me and was a good father and I didn’t want to disappoint him and I certainly didn’t want to be grounded or sent to my room when I did something wrong. My heavenly Father loves me and is the perfect father and made sure that, when I did something wrong, the punishment for that was taken care of. Rather than being sent away from my Father, he made sure I could always remain in his presence by nailing my sin to the cross. I’m forgiven and loved. Like the lepers, my “uncleanness” has been healed - completely taken away.
This blog is entitled “Through the Eyes of Love” because that is how we are looked upon by our God, through eyes of love - love that is personified in the person of Jesus who lived to show us the love of our Father and died and rose again to bring us into that love. John 15:9 says, As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. Abide in LOVE. Live in LOVE. Dwell in LOVE. Live, move and have our being in LOVE. That is life where there is no fear, where our hearts are quick to respond to our Lord with thanksgiving and praise.
So, as those ten men walked away from Jesus to go to the priest and suddenly realized that they had been healed, had I been among them, I want to imagine myself stopping in my tracks, turning around and running back to Jesus. That is the most obedient response to offer our Lord - thanksgiving and praise for his love, healing, and grace!
There’s one thing about this story that has always piqued my curiosity. When Jesus asks about the other nine and why they didn’t return to praise God, what if one or more of them didn’t return because they were doing what Jesus had told them to do?
That may sound silly, but I was raised to be obedient; in our family, you did what you were told (“Because I said so.”) and that is deeply ingrained in me. As I think about this story and ask myself what I would have done in their place, I honestly don’t know the answer. I can imagine myself thinking that I really needed to go straight to the priest because that was what I was told to do! It wouldn’t necessarily mean that I was any less ovecome with gratitude.
So, that makes me wonder: Can obedience be a stumbling block? Can I get too concerned with doing the expected thing that I don’t turn around and do the right thing? What does authentic obedience look like?
As a child, I obeyed my parents so I wouldn’t get in trouble. To this day, that is behind my motives and decisions - do the right thing and you won’t get in trouble. This familiar verse from 1 John is often quoted, “perfect love casts out fear”. But there’s so much more to that verse! Read 1 John 4:18 in its entirety: There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. Obedience that is motivated by love paints a completely different picture than obedience motivated by fear of punishment. It’s the obedience Jesus modeled on this earth - obedience to the Father, in perfect union and harmony with the Father. Jesus did only what he saw the Father doing and at the same time was completely faithful to the will of the Father: not my will, but yours, be done (Luke 22:42). That kind of obedience is in response to, and, I believe, in the power of, the “perfect love” of God.
So getting back to the nine lepers and picturing myself among them — perhaps the Lord has revealed another area that needs his loving touch - a little spot of “leprosy”, in keeping with my theme. As I look at my Father’s love for me and his will for my life, am I following obediently out of a full response to his love or is there still a remnant of that child who wants to be a good little girl so she doesn’t get in trouble?
My earthly father loved me and was a good father and I didn’t want to disappoint him and I certainly didn’t want to be grounded or sent to my room when I did something wrong. My heavenly Father loves me and is the perfect father and made sure that, when I did something wrong, the punishment for that was taken care of. Rather than being sent away from my Father, he made sure I could always remain in his presence by nailing my sin to the cross. I’m forgiven and loved. Like the lepers, my “uncleanness” has been healed - completely taken away.
This blog is entitled “Through the Eyes of Love” because that is how we are looked upon by our God, through eyes of love - love that is personified in the person of Jesus who lived to show us the love of our Father and died and rose again to bring us into that love. John 15:9 says, As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. Abide in LOVE. Live in LOVE. Dwell in LOVE. Live, move and have our being in LOVE. That is life where there is no fear, where our hearts are quick to respond to our Lord with thanksgiving and praise.
So, as those ten men walked away from Jesus to go to the priest and suddenly realized that they had been healed, had I been among them, I want to imagine myself stopping in my tracks, turning around and running back to Jesus. That is the most obedient response to offer our Lord - thanksgiving and praise for his love, healing, and grace!
Thursday, May 10, 2018
Waiting and Trusting
“This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29)
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (John 6:35)
So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” (John 6:41)
"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:47-51)
John 6:35-59 is the "I am the bread of life" passage. As I read those verses this morning - such a familiar passage - I experienced it from the perspective of the hearers in the synagogue. What a hard message to understand! Taken at face value, anyone would think the man speaking those words was crazy! I asked myself if I would have been one of the ones that abandoned Jesus, thinking I was doing the right thing because, who in their right mind would believe such a thing!? Obviously, not all of his hearers turned away as a result of this teaching; there was that seed of faith that allowed them to continue walking the road with Jesus, listening, watching and learning from the Lord even though they didn't understand everything they were seeing and hearing.
I thought through the 'rest of the story'. Those that continued to follow Jesus, even after hearing the words that day in the synagogue, walked with him through other teachings and experiences that were hard to understand but were also witnesses to the amazing miracles, to the day to day life of our Lord as he lovingly ministered to his people. I suppose they would have put those hard sayings on the 'back burner' hoping that, one day, they would understand.
Continuing to walk with Jesus led them through his suffering and death on the cross and the myriad of questions and doubts those days must have created in their minds; but it also led them to the glorious truth that Jesus was and is exactly who he claimed to be when he rose from the dead and walked among them again - teaching, eating with them, cooking for them, just being with them - in the flesh! Imagine being the disciples who encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus and their eyes were opened to the true Bread of Life as the Lord blessed the bread he was invited to share with them. Then there were those followers who witnessed his ascension - I can't even imagine what that must have been like. I certainly would have been the one standing there with my mouth hanging open wondering what in the world had just happened!
Prior to his ascension, Jesus' disciples had been instructed to wait for the power from on high. They gathered together to pray and wait not knowing exactly what they were waiting for or how long they would have to wait - more questions without the full understanding of Jesus' words and instructions. But then the Holy Spirit came on that first Pentecost and their minds were opened, their eyes and hearts and ears were opened. They got it! They KNEW deep down in the hearts that what Jesus said was true and their lack of understanding became knowledge. As a friend once said, they knew it down deep in their 'knower'.
We're not that different from those men and women 2000+ years ago. I asked myself this morning: What is it that the Lord is showing me today that I don't fully grasp? What am I being taught that doesn't make sense to me yet? I am walking a path where I don't see clearly where I'm being led. I'm in a season of new directions and new discoveries and even though I don't understand fully, I'm getting glimpses into what the Lord's purposes are and am learning new truths about who he is in my life and in the lives of others. I'm trusting that my time of fuller understanding is coming and in the meantime, I want to be prayerful and waiting - watching for the Holy Spirit as he reveals more of what the Lord has been preparing me for. It's certainly not as momentous an event as that first Pentecost, but I realized this morning that as we grow in our faith and are confronted with things we don't yet understand, we really are like those first disciples. We wonder what in the world is going on but keep on walking and waiting and watching and praying. The time will come when our minds and hearts will be opened to fuller understanding and a refreshed and renewed life in the power of the Spirit.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (John 6:35)
So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” (John 6:41)
"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:47-51)
John 6:35-59 is the "I am the bread of life" passage. As I read those verses this morning - such a familiar passage - I experienced it from the perspective of the hearers in the synagogue. What a hard message to understand! Taken at face value, anyone would think the man speaking those words was crazy! I asked myself if I would have been one of the ones that abandoned Jesus, thinking I was doing the right thing because, who in their right mind would believe such a thing!? Obviously, not all of his hearers turned away as a result of this teaching; there was that seed of faith that allowed them to continue walking the road with Jesus, listening, watching and learning from the Lord even though they didn't understand everything they were seeing and hearing.
I thought through the 'rest of the story'. Those that continued to follow Jesus, even after hearing the words that day in the synagogue, walked with him through other teachings and experiences that were hard to understand but were also witnesses to the amazing miracles, to the day to day life of our Lord as he lovingly ministered to his people. I suppose they would have put those hard sayings on the 'back burner' hoping that, one day, they would understand.
Continuing to walk with Jesus led them through his suffering and death on the cross and the myriad of questions and doubts those days must have created in their minds; but it also led them to the glorious truth that Jesus was and is exactly who he claimed to be when he rose from the dead and walked among them again - teaching, eating with them, cooking for them, just being with them - in the flesh! Imagine being the disciples who encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus and their eyes were opened to the true Bread of Life as the Lord blessed the bread he was invited to share with them. Then there were those followers who witnessed his ascension - I can't even imagine what that must have been like. I certainly would have been the one standing there with my mouth hanging open wondering what in the world had just happened!
Prior to his ascension, Jesus' disciples had been instructed to wait for the power from on high. They gathered together to pray and wait not knowing exactly what they were waiting for or how long they would have to wait - more questions without the full understanding of Jesus' words and instructions. But then the Holy Spirit came on that first Pentecost and their minds were opened, their eyes and hearts and ears were opened. They got it! They KNEW deep down in the hearts that what Jesus said was true and their lack of understanding became knowledge. As a friend once said, they knew it down deep in their 'knower'.
We're not that different from those men and women 2000+ years ago. I asked myself this morning: What is it that the Lord is showing me today that I don't fully grasp? What am I being taught that doesn't make sense to me yet? I am walking a path where I don't see clearly where I'm being led. I'm in a season of new directions and new discoveries and even though I don't understand fully, I'm getting glimpses into what the Lord's purposes are and am learning new truths about who he is in my life and in the lives of others. I'm trusting that my time of fuller understanding is coming and in the meantime, I want to be prayerful and waiting - watching for the Holy Spirit as he reveals more of what the Lord has been preparing me for. It's certainly not as momentous an event as that first Pentecost, but I realized this morning that as we grow in our faith and are confronted with things we don't yet understand, we really are like those first disciples. We wonder what in the world is going on but keep on walking and waiting and watching and praying. The time will come when our minds and hearts will be opened to fuller understanding and a refreshed and renewed life in the power of the Spirit.
Friday, March 30, 2018
Good Friday
The sermon I heard at the Maundy Thursday service last night and the devotional I read this Good Friday morning both painted a picture of the ugliness of sin in the face of the beautiful holiness of our God. The world we live in is the result of our selfish desires having been given full rein; the evil, hatred, violence, disrespect and animosity we see day in and day out are difficult to describe. Just as the prophets had trouble describing the glorious visions of the heavenly throne room, the Lord seated on his throne and the mighty angelic presence surrounding him, there simply are no words to describe the indescribable.
We are so immersed in the disturbing images and news of this world that, probably to save our sanity, we are becoming sort of numb to it all. How do we grasp the seriousness of our sin, the level of darkness we’re living in? What drives us to our Savior and his glorious light that delivers us from all the darkness and sin? One of my (many) favorite verses in John’s gospel is verse 5: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Darkness cannot overcome the light - it’s simply impossible; light a candle in a dark room if you need a quick reminder. When we get overwhelmed with how bad things are in this world, when it seems that the darkness is winning, read John 1:5 again. And again.
But the root of the problem, the source of the darkness, is sin. How can we truly turn from sin and turn to God without realizing the ugliness of our sin? How do we turn to God without seeing the beauty of his holiness and the power of his love? How do we walk out of the darkness into the light without seeing the light inviting us? Sin blinds us to the truth of who Jesus is and it blinds us to the truth of what sin is. Human beings are masters at justifying wrong choices! We can so easily make excuses for the choices we make until we become so embroiled in the lies that we can’t see the truth. What a mess we are!
But Jesus came into this world - this mess - to show us what love looks like, to show us the Father’s heart for this fallen world. He lived, he breathed, he walked among us, he laughed, he cried, he celebrated, he mourned and every day showed us the Father’s love for each one of us. My devotional this morning referred to Jesus’ “embarrassing choice of companions”. That would be us. But, he loves us, he really wants to be with us and he never gives up on us.
The season of Lent and maybe especially Holy Week, allow us opportunities to see what sin looks like - to see the cost of our sin. It cost the life of our Lord and Savior. God chose to die because of his unending love for his “embarrassing choice of companions”. He who created us, knows us inside and out, calls us each by name, and sees every dark corner of sin in our hearts, loves us beyond measure - even to the point of dying for us.
I can’t bear to watch scenes from movies that depict the hours leading up to and including the crucifixion of Jesus. I can’t bear to watch the re-enactment, yet Jesus endured the reality of all that horror. Just for me. And you. And all the rest of this world full of “embarrassing companions”. Truly the most amazing love we can ever know.
We are so immersed in the disturbing images and news of this world that, probably to save our sanity, we are becoming sort of numb to it all. How do we grasp the seriousness of our sin, the level of darkness we’re living in? What drives us to our Savior and his glorious light that delivers us from all the darkness and sin? One of my (many) favorite verses in John’s gospel is verse 5: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Darkness cannot overcome the light - it’s simply impossible; light a candle in a dark room if you need a quick reminder. When we get overwhelmed with how bad things are in this world, when it seems that the darkness is winning, read John 1:5 again. And again.
But the root of the problem, the source of the darkness, is sin. How can we truly turn from sin and turn to God without realizing the ugliness of our sin? How do we turn to God without seeing the beauty of his holiness and the power of his love? How do we walk out of the darkness into the light without seeing the light inviting us? Sin blinds us to the truth of who Jesus is and it blinds us to the truth of what sin is. Human beings are masters at justifying wrong choices! We can so easily make excuses for the choices we make until we become so embroiled in the lies that we can’t see the truth. What a mess we are!
But Jesus came into this world - this mess - to show us what love looks like, to show us the Father’s heart for this fallen world. He lived, he breathed, he walked among us, he laughed, he cried, he celebrated, he mourned and every day showed us the Father’s love for each one of us. My devotional this morning referred to Jesus’ “embarrassing choice of companions”. That would be us. But, he loves us, he really wants to be with us and he never gives up on us.
The season of Lent and maybe especially Holy Week, allow us opportunities to see what sin looks like - to see the cost of our sin. It cost the life of our Lord and Savior. God chose to die because of his unending love for his “embarrassing choice of companions”. He who created us, knows us inside and out, calls us each by name, and sees every dark corner of sin in our hearts, loves us beyond measure - even to the point of dying for us.
I can’t bear to watch scenes from movies that depict the hours leading up to and including the crucifixion of Jesus. I can’t bear to watch the re-enactment, yet Jesus endured the reality of all that horror. Just for me. And you. And all the rest of this world full of “embarrassing companions”. Truly the most amazing love we can ever know.
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
A New Focus
I read an Oswald Chambers devotional this morning that referenced Luke 14:28: For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? The devotional goes on to explain that the cost is not ours to count but has already been counted and paid by Jesus in his life, ministry and death on the cross.
A lot of us who are Christians (myself included) talk a lot about counting the cost of discipleship, about taking up our cross, or referring to something as our cross to bear; but I don’t know that I think of all this in the terms described by Oswald Chambers in this morning’s reading. I don’t know the theology behind this, but perhaps taking up our cross has more to do with being crucified with Christ: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal. 2:20)
My life - the life I live as a believer and follower of Jesus - is, or should be, all about responding to what Jesus did, once for all. I need to retrain my thoughts! Instead of feeling the burden of “counting the cost”, I should remember that a present difficulty or trial has been dealt with on the cross. Then, instead of focusing on that current situation, turn my eyes to Jesus and thank him for what he has done and for what he is doing and will do in and through those circumstances. That’s his promise - he will never leave me or forsake me. He has promised that in all things he works for the good in my life. If I think in terms of the self-sacrifice being made in the name of discipleship, I’m missing the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made. My focus is on me and not on the Lord.
Even as I write this, I’m realizing how easily I’ve been fooled into accepting as truth something that is actually a very wrong way of thinking. It’s just like the serpent in the garden with Eve, twisting the words of the Lord. The test for right or wrong thinking in regards to Christian living, is to ask who’s getting the glory. At the heart of my “old” thinking, was self: MY cross to bear, MY sacrifice.
We do make sacrifices of our time and convenience and other things as we serve the Lord; but are those sacrifices pointing to Jesus or to me? Who’s getting the glory? Am I, as Paul wrote to the Galatians, living my life in the flesh or by faith in Jesus? Am I making those sacrifices as an offering of thanks and love in response to the Lord? Do you see the subtle shift, the difference in focus?
We are in the last days of Lent - Holy Week - remembering and re-visiting the days leading up to and including Jesus’ crucifixion, death and resurrection. What a perfect time to sit with and pray the words from Psalm 139:
Guard my thoughts, Lord. Reveal the subtle ways my thoughts go astray and keep my eyes turned to you, looking to you as my all in all, the sufficiency for all my needs. Thank you Lord that you and you alone are worthy of all glory and honor.
A lot of us who are Christians (myself included) talk a lot about counting the cost of discipleship, about taking up our cross, or referring to something as our cross to bear; but I don’t know that I think of all this in the terms described by Oswald Chambers in this morning’s reading. I don’t know the theology behind this, but perhaps taking up our cross has more to do with being crucified with Christ: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal. 2:20)
My life - the life I live as a believer and follower of Jesus - is, or should be, all about responding to what Jesus did, once for all. I need to retrain my thoughts! Instead of feeling the burden of “counting the cost”, I should remember that a present difficulty or trial has been dealt with on the cross. Then, instead of focusing on that current situation, turn my eyes to Jesus and thank him for what he has done and for what he is doing and will do in and through those circumstances. That’s his promise - he will never leave me or forsake me. He has promised that in all things he works for the good in my life. If I think in terms of the self-sacrifice being made in the name of discipleship, I’m missing the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made. My focus is on me and not on the Lord.
Even as I write this, I’m realizing how easily I’ve been fooled into accepting as truth something that is actually a very wrong way of thinking. It’s just like the serpent in the garden with Eve, twisting the words of the Lord. The test for right or wrong thinking in regards to Christian living, is to ask who’s getting the glory. At the heart of my “old” thinking, was self: MY cross to bear, MY sacrifice.
We do make sacrifices of our time and convenience and other things as we serve the Lord; but are those sacrifices pointing to Jesus or to me? Who’s getting the glory? Am I, as Paul wrote to the Galatians, living my life in the flesh or by faith in Jesus? Am I making those sacrifices as an offering of thanks and love in response to the Lord? Do you see the subtle shift, the difference in focus?
We are in the last days of Lent - Holy Week - remembering and re-visiting the days leading up to and including Jesus’ crucifixion, death and resurrection. What a perfect time to sit with and pray the words from Psalm 139:
Search me, O God, and know my heart.
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting
Guard my thoughts, Lord. Reveal the subtle ways my thoughts go astray and keep my eyes turned to you, looking to you as my all in all, the sufficiency for all my needs. Thank you Lord that you and you alone are worthy of all glory and honor.
Friday, March 16, 2018
What Does Love Look Like?
As I wrote in my previous post, I’m in a new season of my walk with the Lord - a season of rest and restoration. A dear friend gave me the idea of looking at the definition of the word ‘restoration’ through the eyes of faith. A very interesting and worthwhile idea! Here’s what I found:
I know that this new season of my life is a gift - a very precious gift - and I’m so thankful that the Lord is leading me and guiding me as I walk this out and watch him at work restoring my soul (Ps. 23). How amazing is the love of our Lord! This is what that love looks like: that my heavenly Father, knowing my needs before I know them myself, is taking care of me - healing, bringing rest and restoration, attending to the health of my soul. What a loving Father. What a tender Shepherd. What a blessing to be loved like this. And what a powerful and wonderful truth to just live into and experience. I know that as I continue to let this truth, this reality of God’s love, soak into my mind and heart, the promised restoration has begun. Thanks be to God for his amazing love and presence for and with us, his children.
- Bring back into existence, use or the like; reestablish
- Bring back to a former, original or normal condition
- Bring back to a state of health, soundness or vigor
- Put back to a former place, or to a former position / rank
- To give back, make return or restitution of anything taken away or lost
- To reproduce or reconstruct (an ancient building, extinct animal, etc.) in the original state
- Synonyms: mend, replace, reinstate, rebuild
I know that this new season of my life is a gift - a very precious gift - and I’m so thankful that the Lord is leading me and guiding me as I walk this out and watch him at work restoring my soul (Ps. 23). How amazing is the love of our Lord! This is what that love looks like: that my heavenly Father, knowing my needs before I know them myself, is taking care of me - healing, bringing rest and restoration, attending to the health of my soul. What a loving Father. What a tender Shepherd. What a blessing to be loved like this. And what a powerful and wonderful truth to just live into and experience. I know that as I continue to let this truth, this reality of God’s love, soak into my mind and heart, the promised restoration has begun. Thanks be to God for his amazing love and presence for and with us, his children.
Monday, March 5, 2018
Baby Steps
I've been thinking about serving and offerings this morning. We offer our selves, our souls, our bodies, our time, our talents to the Lord. In Exodus, the Israelites were invited to bring what they had to offer to construct the temple and its furnishings. There were offerings of talent and skill as well as materials. These weren't forced offerings, but offerings of the heart. They gave until the supply far exceeded the need. And what about the widow's offering in the temple (Mark 12)? Her act was held up by Jesus because she gave from her heart and, meager though it was, the generosity of her offering was praised and immortalized. Then there are the two accounts of the fishes and the loaves. Another small quantity in the face of a large need but the Lord multiplied the offerings and they far exceeded what was needed.
This all came to mind in response to my sense that the Lord is calling me to a season of rest and restoration. The doubts and questions and guilty thoughts are roaring around in my brain. I catch myself asking if I'm doing enough. What if I'm supposed to be doing more? What if I'm not doing enough? What if I'm not living up to the expectations of my heavenly Father? What if I'm supposed to push through this season of weariness and learn about "perseverance" and "faithfulness in times of trial"? Lord have mercy! I recognize this lie! How many of us live under the need to prove ourselves worthy of God's love and acceptance thinking we have to earn what God has so freely given? That trap of "if I do this, then ...." I thought that old lie was buried a long time ago but it's rearing up it's ugly little head again!
As I sat with all these thoughts and questions, the instances above came to mind. Did the Lord refuse to accept the fishes and loaves with a "you can do better than that" response? Or what about the widow? No! He graciously, appreciatively, and lovingly responded to those offerings and blessed them. He multiplied them.
Our Lord invites us to rest in him and with him, to allow him to shoulder our burdens as we are joined with him as a team, working, walking and resting side by side. Rest is so important and a sabbath rest is a commandment. After Jesus sent the disciples out two by two, they returned full of the news of the events of their mission. Did he pat them on the back and say, "Get on back out there and see how many more people you can meet"? Thankfully, no! Jesus' response was to invite them to come away with him to a quiet place and get some rest. We serve him out of the fullness of his presence not out of the draining supplies of our own resources.
I believe I'm entering this season with little baby steps but the sense I have is that this is what's being asked of me. Take the first step. Watch and wait. Trust that the Lord's plans and purposes are, as always, good and right. I think that it's perfectly ok to feel uncertain; I'm taking a baby step away from a very familiar pattern or comfort zone. And if there's one thing I've learned in my years of following Jesus, if I start feeling like I'm pitching my tent in a comfort zone, I can expect to have that situation changed. Comfort zones (for me) imply that I've got everything under control and am doing just fine, thank you very much. Ha!! Look at who thinks she's in control! Thank you, Lord, for booting me out of that place of wrong thinking - the sin of self, of pride. No wonder I'm balking at this new direction; I'm having to let go. Fortunately, I have a long history of seeing the Lord reveal his love, provision and blessing when I just let go and let him do his work. I will trust him on this next new path.
This all came to mind in response to my sense that the Lord is calling me to a season of rest and restoration. The doubts and questions and guilty thoughts are roaring around in my brain. I catch myself asking if I'm doing enough. What if I'm supposed to be doing more? What if I'm not doing enough? What if I'm not living up to the expectations of my heavenly Father? What if I'm supposed to push through this season of weariness and learn about "perseverance" and "faithfulness in times of trial"? Lord have mercy! I recognize this lie! How many of us live under the need to prove ourselves worthy of God's love and acceptance thinking we have to earn what God has so freely given? That trap of "if I do this, then ...." I thought that old lie was buried a long time ago but it's rearing up it's ugly little head again!
As I sat with all these thoughts and questions, the instances above came to mind. Did the Lord refuse to accept the fishes and loaves with a "you can do better than that" response? Or what about the widow? No! He graciously, appreciatively, and lovingly responded to those offerings and blessed them. He multiplied them.
Our Lord invites us to rest in him and with him, to allow him to shoulder our burdens as we are joined with him as a team, working, walking and resting side by side. Rest is so important and a sabbath rest is a commandment. After Jesus sent the disciples out two by two, they returned full of the news of the events of their mission. Did he pat them on the back and say, "Get on back out there and see how many more people you can meet"? Thankfully, no! Jesus' response was to invite them to come away with him to a quiet place and get some rest. We serve him out of the fullness of his presence not out of the draining supplies of our own resources.
I believe I'm entering this season with little baby steps but the sense I have is that this is what's being asked of me. Take the first step. Watch and wait. Trust that the Lord's plans and purposes are, as always, good and right. I think that it's perfectly ok to feel uncertain; I'm taking a baby step away from a very familiar pattern or comfort zone. And if there's one thing I've learned in my years of following Jesus, if I start feeling like I'm pitching my tent in a comfort zone, I can expect to have that situation changed. Comfort zones (for me) imply that I've got everything under control and am doing just fine, thank you very much. Ha!! Look at who thinks she's in control! Thank you, Lord, for booting me out of that place of wrong thinking - the sin of self, of pride. No wonder I'm balking at this new direction; I'm having to let go. Fortunately, I have a long history of seeing the Lord reveal his love, provision and blessing when I just let go and let him do his work. I will trust him on this next new path.
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