May 3, 2018

What Does Faith Like?

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. – 1 John 2:15-17

It’s possible to talk about loving God without actually loving God. That was the message from the guest pastor at our church. Who can argue with that truth? Surely, we all know someone who says all the right things and then lives his life in all the wrong ways?

And that person is never us. Ever. We love God. We love Jesus. We love the Holy Spirit. Just ask us. We’re good people doing the best we can. Just ask us.

Here’s a basic truth: God has not called us to the American dream. He has called us to do greater works than Jesus did on this earth. Jesus called us to go about the Father’s business. The Father’s business is not the great American dream.

Someone right now is throwing out the words of Jeremiah. Yes, God has good plans for us. Yes, God wants to give us hope and see us prosper. But what, exactly, does that look like?

For many Christians that looks like a big house and new cars. It looks like a nice vacation every year and dinners out at least once a week. It looks like dance lessons and Little League and all the things our children enjoy. It’s that new phone, that boat, that remodeled kitchen.

But does any of that look like our Father’s business? If we’re honest the answer is no. It’s not that God doesn’t want us to have all those things and many, many more. It’s just that those things should never be our priority. And those things, those activities, should never keep us from doing the things and investing in the things God has called us to do.

Ouch.

Satan tells us we deserve everything our hearts desire. He entices us to want more and more, better and better. When is enough really enough? We’re never satisfied because we are seeking to fill ourselves up with stuff rather than the purposes of God.

We think we know what service means. We count the seats that are filled in our sanctuaries rather than by the lives changed through discipleship. We measure our worth by our budgets rather that the lives touched through outreach. Are we fruitful people? Do we really know what that means?

Lives that are devoted to loving God and serving people as Jesus did look different than lives cruising through with barely a glance at His truth. We can say all the right things but do our lives really reflect the faith we claim? Are people changed for having known us, for watching how we live? Or are we just one more example of excess in a world full of hypocrites?

God knows your heart. He knows mine too. What does He see inside? Think about it.

April 16, 2018

We Are Family

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! – 1 John 2:1a

Do you ever think about your church as your family? Yesterday our pastor pointed out that family is exactly what we are. That can be good and not so good.

Because we’re family, we all function differently in relationship to other people. Think about it for a moment. There are likely some people in your church who are like parents or grandparents. Some are like siblings. Still others are like children or grandchildren to you. We may not consciously think about it that way, but it is.

As a family, we sometimes fuss and fight. One member has a bad day and takes it out on the rest of the family. They, in turn, take it out on others. It soon spirals out of control. We end up taking our anger and frustration out on those who love us the most.

It doesn’t take long before we’re more focused on the negative, the wrong, rather than all the things that are right. I wonder how many people have let something small escalate into leading them away from their church.

I also wonder how many people have used anger to justify talking bad about someone else. We are so focused on how we’ve been wronged – or, at least, perceive we’ve been wronged – that we tell everyone about it. We want others to feel the same way we feel. We want others to believe the same things we do. Truth is irrelevant. Our goal is to persuade others to our viewpoint, harming the one we’re angry with in the process.

Another way people get hurt in church is because others don’t listen. We really don’t want to hear anyone else’s problems. We cling to what we once knew about a person rather than looking with fresh eyes onto the person who stands before us. We don’t have a problem receiving grace, Pastor Ryan Martin said. But we sure do have a problem giving grace to others.

A couple recently joined our church. Someone soon noted that they had a past. Don’t we all. I refused to listen to the details. I don’t care. They have changed their lives, become new in Christ. None of us live perfect lives. We all need grace and acceptance and another chance. Church should be where we find it.

We also push people away from church, from Jesus, by not including them. Recently, I was looking for a seat at Wednesday night dinner. A sweet woman called out to me and beckoned me to her table. I was so grateful. Thankful.

You see when I hadn’t been attending that church long, I had something totally opposite happen. It was one of those Sundays when everyone shows up with their families. I was asked to move more than once to make room for a family to sit together. I still remember looking around and thinking that there was no place for me at that church. I was about to leave when someone noticed and called me over to sit with he and his wife. That made all the difference. If I’d left that day, I likely would never have come back.

We are family. We are. All the good and the bad, all the laughter and the tears. We come together to celebrate and to grieve. It’s not a perfect relationship because we aren’t perfect people. Still we try. We extend grace and receive it. We speak truth when it hurts and we embrace it when we need to. Family. God’s family. That is who we are.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Stop Giving Direction and Do It Yourself

I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit -- just as it has taught you, remain in him.

-- 1 John 2:26-27

No matter what you do or how you do it, there is always someone standing on the sidelines waiting to tell you what you should do and how you should do it. It is one of my biggest frustrations, especially since none of those issuing directions are ever willing to step up and do whatever it is themselves.

Most of the time I just let all those comments fly right over my head. I do what I know God has called me to do and trust Him to deal with the rest. But every now and then I get beyond tired of it all. It seems that almost every area of my life has someone in it telling me exactly what to do.

So I’m about to make some folks really unhappy and probably a little mad. And they can deal with it because I’m done with living my life to satisfy other people. I’m accountable to God. I want to please Him. Period.

Years ago I used to attend baseball games at Dodger Stadium. Occasionally someone would sneak in a beach ball, blow it up, and it would bounce around the stands from one fan to another until a security guard could grab it. I’ve begun to feel like that beach ball, battered and bruised by too many people pulling me in too many different directions.

I know. It’s all good. Everything people want from me is good. For them. For other people. And it appears that I’m doing God’s work and carrying His message to a needy and hurting world. But I’m not the only one called. I’m simply the one who stepped up. Now it’s somebody else’s turn.

Service to God should never, ever feel like a burden. But when you’re doing your part and somebody else’s part then that’s exactly what it becomes. And sometimes you simply have to say “no” and draw that line. Otherwise some people will never do their part.

God didn’t intend for only a few people to do all the work. His intention was and is that the body of Christ, the church, you and me, would draw together to accomplish great things for His Glory. So you don’t get a pass when it comes to service.

I know. You’re busy. Well, news flash, so am I. Too busy, with too many needs and too little time. And I resent your words of direction and, even more, I resent that you freely take and take and take without giving back. At this point, it’s not about me but about what you’re NOT doing for the Lord.

So stop telling me what and how I should do what I do. My direction comes from God. Instead, spend all that time you’ve directed at me on yourself and ask God what He wants YOU to do.

Friday, June 25, 2010

God Won't Let You Down

"The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."

-- 1 John 2:17

What would it take to make you happy? Would a million dollars do it? How about $10 million or even $20 million? Oh, your needs aren't that great. A new house or a new SUV would make you happy. That's good to know.

That guy over there disagrees. He says good health for he and his family would make him happy. The woman at the back of the room just wants a job. The grandmother on the second row wants to see her grandchildren more often. There's always something we "need" to make us happy.

Well, I bet if you had all that money you'd still be unhappy. You'd just have a different set of problems, such as greedy friends and family and bad investment advice. That new house or SUV would grow old fairly quickly and you'd just want another one.

Good health is awesome but does anyone have good health all the time? Our bodies are forever changing. I wish I could do a few things I used to do without all the aches and pains. Not happening, at least not while I'm still on this earth. The woman who wants a job would find the job she gets wouldn't pay enough. And the grandmother would soon complain that the grandchildren got on her nerves.

Are you thoroughly depressed yet? Don't be. My point here is that we will never find contentment with things. When we look outward and to others to meet our needs, we'll be left wanting every time. Because we can never have enough stuff and people will always fail us because they're human too. Think I'm kidding? Just look at all the unhappy rich people in this world.

God has promised to meet all our needs. We just don't trust Him to do what He says. So we want, want, want instead of looking around and seeing all that He has already given us. The Apostle Paul said that he had learned to be content in all circumstances. I want to be like that. Don't you?

One of the happiest people I ever met is a woman with MS. She spends most of her time in a wheelchair, trying to get on with her life. Her laughter is wonderful and her trust in God's goodness is inspiring. She enjoys each day as it unfolds, holding her husband, children and friends close. She is content in circumstances that might destroy someone else.

Embracing faith, living it, believing it -- these things all lead to contentment. Taking that first step is scary but the reward is awesome. Trust God. He won't let you down.