June 15, 2018

Jesus Gives Us Hope

For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

– 2 Corinthians 4:5

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

– 2 Corinthians 4:10

It’s all about the ministry. We need volunteers. Everyone needs to pitch in. There are never enough people to do the work. As a Christian, we must participate in Kingdom work.

What exactly does that look like? Does it mean you must serve on two or more committees? Does it mean you must volunteer to pass out bulletins, rock babies in the nursery, be a chaperone on a youth trip? Maybe all of those and maybe none of them.

We can get so caught up in the busyness of serving Christ that we forget it’s not really about us. It’s about Jesus. It’s not about how many hours we volunteer or how much time we spend in Bible study. It’s about how we live our lives as we go about our daily activities.

There are so many people around us living without hope. What do they see when they look at us? Are we part of the chorus condemning them or are we kneeling beside them, offering them a lifeline called Jesus?

Or maybe we’re struggling under the weight of our own burdens. We’re worried about health issues, finances, wayward kids, job insecurities or any number of other things. We forget that it’s not up to us. Surely, we’re to do our part. But it’s the power of Christ within us that makes the seemingly impossible, possible.

We say we believe that, but do we really? We worry and stress about things we can’t control. It’s as though we don’t really trust God to make a way. We’re so busy scrambling that we miss His voice, His outstretched hand, His guiding light.

And we lose hope. We know it isn’t possible to do life on our own. We need something, someone, who can be depended on to help. Jesus. We need Jesus. And we need to share Him with this hurting world.

The message of Jesus, of hope, of light when all around us seems dark, is far bigger than we could ever be. God loves us. Really. Truly. He loves us. So much that He sent His only Son to die for our sins and to be resurrected so that those who believe could live with Him forever. How awesome is that?!

Your life is your ministry. It’s not about committees or church attendance. Those things are great but what matters most is your heart. Do others – your family, co-workers, neighbors, friends – see the light inside of you reflecting outward? Are you sharing your hope?

And do you realize this earth isn’t your home? That’s a big one. Because we act sometimes like we’re going to live forever, like we believe all those things we possess are more important than anything else. Or anyone else. That’s just sad.

Jesus is coming back one day. Those of us who believe in Him will live forever with Him. That’s our hope on dark days. That’s our guarantee no matter what this world brings. Share it. Every day live a life that shows others the light of Jesus. That’s your ministry.

December 28, 2014

Don't Give Up

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

-- 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Her funeral was yesterday. She left behind two children, a husband and many other family members. Cancer didn't claim her life. Nor did a car accident or any other misfortune. She took her own life. She was only 35.

No one saw it coming. At least that's what friends tell me. She was an active parent. A giving person who taught and gave of herself to others. She and her husband were having trouble. She was staying at her brother's house. But she had such a deep faith, they insisted. No on saw this coming.

I didn't know his woman. I don't know her heart or her circumstances. But I do know quite a bit about depression and faith and trying to hang on when it seems the only relief is a one-way ticket to heaven.

First, let me remind everyone that depression is an illness. It's not something you can shake off or just get over. Sometimes depression stems from a traumatic event. Other times it is a physiological condition, a serotonin imbalance. Often, it's a combination of the two that creates a perfect storm. Think of it as a cancer of the soul that eats away at self-worth and hope that tomorrow will dawn a better day.

Next, let's just be clear about depression: It is not about being rational. It's not about punishing someone else. It's a deep emotional suffering that is impossible to explain unless you've been there.

I wish she had known enough to cry out to Jesus. He would have saved her from herself. I wish she had reached out to someone around her. Maybe she did. Depression makes us uncomfortable. Suicide horrifies us to the point that we don't want to talk about it. We brush it aside. We laugh off comments that in hindsight were clear indicators that someone desperately needed help.

Sometimes you can do everything right and the person you love still ends it all. It's devastating. You keep asking yourself what you could have done different, better, more thoroughly. But it's an illness that doesn't always have a cure. Forgive yourself and forgive the one you lost.

Faith doesn't mean we're immune to depression. Look at Elijah. (1 Kings 19) God will minister to us -- if we'll let Him.

So if you know someone who is going through a tough time, pay attention. Listen. Don't try to fix the person. That's for God. Just be there. And don't hesitate to call in professional help. That call could save a life.

This woman gave up. She had so much to live for and in that moment of deep distress, she gave up. She was only 35.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Who Is God To You?

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. -- 2 Corinthians 4:18

Do you believe in God? Crazy question, isn’t it? Of course you believe in God. Overwhelmingly people in the United States believe in God.

So who is God? Do you really know Him or do you have some vague notion of a “higher power”? When you stop and imagine God, who do you see?

Pastor Rob recently quoted a poll that found 96 percent of all Americans believe in God. I was surprised because of the heated debate that goes on about God and where, or if, He belongs in our classrooms and government buildings.

Maybe the real question should be to describe who God is to you. The myriad of answers would probably be too great to formulate any kind of poll results. Because who we think God is frequently depends on our own relationship with our earthly father.

Instead of God remaking us in His image, we end up remaking Him in our own image, Pastor Rob said. We tend to put the characteristics of our earthly fathers onto our Heavenly Father. That might work okay if we had a perfect earthly father. Except the only perfect father is the One in Heaven.

That’s especially true for those who suffered physical, sexual and/or emotional abuse from their earthly fathers. Or the ones who watched their fathers get drunk or high day after day. Or the ones with workaholic fathers who never had time for them. Or the ones only concerned about themselves and their own pride. I could go on and on.

We unfairly put those characteristics on God and decide we don’t want any part of Him. Oh, we know He exists. We just don’t like Him -- because we don’t know Him.

Do you want to know what God is really like? Look at Jesus and how He lived His life on this earth. Because Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God, Pastor Rob explained.

And who is Jesus? Love comes immediately to mind. Jesus loves us. He cares for us. He comforts and strengthens us. He laughs with us. He always has time for us. Jesus died for us so that we could be reunited with God and have eternal life with Him.

We know God exists. We’re just not sure He loves us -- really and truly loves us -- so we want to keep Him at a distance. But when we look at Jesus, when we see Him beckon the little children to come closer, when we watch His kindness and compassion in dealing with prostitutes and tax collectors, then it becomes easier to stumble forward and fall to the ground before Him.

God loves you. Really and truly. He loves you. He wants to know you and build a relationship with you. What are you waiting for? He’s right there. Reach out to Him and embrace the unconditional, unfailing love of your Heavenly Father.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Denial Leads to Disaster

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. -- 2 Corinthians 4:16

What are you in denial about? If you’re like most of us, your first answer is “nothing.” Think again.

Many of us are in denial about something. Maybe we’re telling ourselves that everything is going to be better even though we aren’t doing anything to change our circumstances and the future looks bleak. We call it optimism. Others call it denial.

Maybe you’re a social drinker. Oh, you have a few too many sometimes. And, yeah, some mornings you wake up and you can’t remember what you did the night before. But you know you can handle your alcohol and can quit anytime you choose. Others say you’re an alcoholic in denial.

Some people have anger issues. It’s never their fault. If the rest of the world would behave as it should, they wouldn’t have any reason to get angry. It’s never their fault. Denial is what everyone else says.

We’d rather pretend that nothing is wrong rather than face the issue head on. That’s just too scary and what if we can’t ever recover from whatever it is we’ve been denying? We keep going down that path until one day we can’t anymore.

Maybe our spouse and children have walked out the door for the last time. Maybe your boss has finally stopped warning you and fired you instead. Maybe that “indigestion” you’ve been ignoring has gotten so frequent and so painful that you’re headed for the nearest emergency room.

Whatever the circumstances, the fear of change has become less than the fear of facing whatever it is that you’re denying. Pastor Rob calls that hitting bottom.

It’s often a necessary step before you can begin the climb upward toward an abundant life. Of course, the bottom doesn’t mean you’re healed. Just the opposite, in fact. The bottom means you’ve finally stopped denying the problem and are ready to face it.

Sometimes it works. Sometimes the pain is so intense that we fall back into denial. And the process begins again.

How do we survive and climb out? By depending on God’s strength, not our own. Because, honestly, there are just too many things in our lives that are too painful, too destructive, for us to handle on our own. So we rely on God to carry us when we can’t carry ourselves. For some of us, that’s just about all the time.

So take a good look in the mirror. Ask God to show you what you’re denying today. Then ask Him to help you, to strengthen you, to heal you, so you can move past the denial and start living an abundant life with Him.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Reflect Light Outward in the Storm

Through suffering these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. -- 2 Corinthians 4:10

We don’t like to suffer. We don’t want to do without. Or to be sick. Or to have hurt feelings. We simply want to live a happy life and then go to heaven when we’re done.

Life doesn’t work that way.

That’s no surprise to many of us. We’ve lived long enough to understand that wonderful people get sick. We’ve experienced the devastating loss unexpected death brings. We’ve been laid off, told no, passed over for a promotion and suffered through a down economy. We know that life is not all good. It doesn’t stop us from wanting it to be.

Or expecting it to be. There are few things sadder than a Christian who secretly believes that bad things only happen to people who somehow deserve them. Because that foundation the Christian always thought was there, never really was. They didn’t understand and their faith is shaken to the core.

One of two things happen at this point: They either come to understand that faith isn’t based on good things or they let bad circumstances destroy the shallow faith they once claimed. If they cling to what they know, they’ll come through the crisis stronger than ever. Their faith will grow deep roots that are unshakeable.

Life is not always fun or fair. A friend was arrested for what turned out to be a clerical error at the drug store. Another friend lives with a chronic disease that likely will one day claim her life. We face unexpected divorces, illnesses and death. We are human and we make mistakes we never intended and circumstances we never planned for.

How we react to these circumstances shows others more than who we are. It shows others who Jesus is as He lives inside of us. We can exhibit grace and compassion. We can show strength and peace. We can continue to care for others no matter our circumstances.

The Apostle Paul gave us a wonderful example of grace under trying circumstances. Prison. Beatings. A shipwreck. A trial. And death. Jesus had 12 disciples. Judas committed suicide after he betrayed Jesus. Of the 11 remaining, 10 died violently. Only John survived to old age. Yet we think we should somehow be immune, protected, shielded, from the tragedies of this world?

We will all face trials in this lifetime. God’s strength will carry us through and allow us to reflect His light outward even as we weather