So, I probably just experienced one of the best times in my prayer life today. I'm not saying that I've got it all figured out, but one thing that has continually crept up to me spiritually is my lack of humility. I'll be the first to admit, I'm pretty sure of myself, and that I don't really struggle with understanding my "place" wherever I'm at. I'm good at what I do. I possess confidence in my abilities and surety of myself. Sometimes...well, maybe a lot of the time it comes across as arrogance to others. Anybody else recognize this in me? Don't answer...
The other day we were reading as a family a little portion from Luke 18 where Jesus is talking about prayer, that famous little parable about the tax collector and Pharisee praying. I read it and always feel better about myself because I definately don't pray like that Pharisee! Who ever liked a Pharisee anways? Jesus even said that he "prayed to himself" instead of to God, even though he addressed God at the beginning of his prayer. I don't recall ever saying to God that I'm better than all those other people and then proceed to give Him a list of all the great things I've done for Him, implying that He should reward me. I do remember asking God to be merciful to me. But I think we get this parable a little confused with what we should pray about instead of recognizing that these two prayers show us how we should come to God.
We do have a tendancy to ask God for a lot of things that we want. We talk with God about ourselves all the time, don't we? We tell Him about our day, we ask Him for stuff and healing, we sometimes even make the prayers ellegant and nice to listen to, feeling like God definately had to hear that one! Let me challenge you real quickly to go to the bottom of the page and type in the reference in the Biblegateway box and read this short parable to get an idea of what I'm talking about. The reference is Luke 18:9-14.
We've got something messed up about prayer. This isn't a time for us to simply tell God all the things we want or need, God already knows it. Prayer isn't all about ME. Prayer is a moment where we can spend some time telling God just how awesome He is. Seriously, we spend so much time during each day making ourselves look great, feel great, and just making ourselves great. Then we come to God and tell Him that we're not great and need more? Does God ever get a chance to talk in the prayer/conversation?
That parable tells me that God expects us to come before Him with an understanding of who He is when we address Him. I mean, we are talking to the Creator of the universe, the One who loved us enough to send His only Son to die for us, the most holy, most righteous One, the One in charge, Who reigns supreme, clothed in glory. It's not like we're just talking to a friend! Sure Jesus calls us "friend" but understand that it's a privilege to be able to talk with the King, to be in the presence of the Creator on a one on one basis. So if God is all this and so much more, if He is so much greater than we are, if He sent His only Son to die for us, is it too much to ask for a little humility when we pray? A little reverence? A tad bit of respect for the Love? Is it really going to kill us to be on our knees? Or stand in His presence like we would if the Judge were to walk in the room? Are we really "good enough" to sit? Have we devalued who God really is when we pray, when we address Him? Just some thoughts...
Prayer is a moment where we can recognize God's GREATNESS over our own...our own puny greatness that disappears as soon as it comes. Let me challenge you, the next time you pray to God, spend the first few moments to recognize Who you're talking with. Mention how great He is. Tell God thank you for being a hiding place in the storm, a rock to hold onto, your salvation. Let God come first this time. And don't pray about your stuff until you really believe you've grasped an understanding of exactly Who it is you're talking with. Let me tell you, when you understand your place in prayer, nothing will be the same for the rest of the day. You get lost...lost in honest praise, in honest worship, in honest repentance, in honest purpose. We've got to understand our place: God is God and I am not.
Leave me a comment.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
My Sweet Evening
Good Morning, Afternoon, or Night. This morning I lay in bed, as I imagine many mothers do, unable to completely fall back to sleep after getting up and down with a child, a bathroom trip, and what I thought was a child getting up only to find they must have been talking in their sleep. I have found that God uses the early mornings for sweet moments with me. So, though a little weary, I was able to have a date with the Creator of the Universe before the sun even peeked its head up.
I lay there sharing thoughts with the Father of my truly blessed evening last night. The minister’s wife at our “Momma-Church”, Sunnyside Christian Church has all of the other minister’s wives over about every 2 ½ - 3 months, and boy was I ready! Nathan kind of caught on to my excitement as I giddily announced at 5:42 p.m. that I would be leaving in 8 minutes. Then at 5:43, “I will be leaving in 7 minutes!” So off I went at 5:50 to Mrs. Ruth’s house for a sweet time of fellowship, and sweet is was!
There ended up being only 5 of us total, but at the end of the evening I think we could all see how God used our small size to infuse BIG thoughts, feelings, and dreams. As we sat together our conversation quickly turned to mission work and our missionary friends. Mrs. Ruth’s daughter Anne and her family have returned from working in China for many years and are now in the midst of raising support for work in Italy. Carol and her family spent some years in Honduras as missionaries. My friend Sarah and I have both been on short-term mission trips. And so the sharing began. We talked of living situations whether scary, hot, strange, or admirable. We discussed the way people had to live and what determined their futures. We discussed the spiritual states of many we had encountered and others we knew of. We talked of those people that God so blessed us by letting us know them. We talked of the way God worked – because He so does, you know – in the hard and easy economic places and in the hard and harder spiritual places.
We then shared how many times here, in the US, we take forgranted all of our physical blessings. Talk to any of these ladies, my friends, and you will realize this in a few short minutes. Yet, with all of these physical conveniences I think we all came to agree that it seemed so much easier to stay focused on our purpose, to “Go make disciples of all nations…” (Matt 28:19), when we were in the other countries; for, when there, we no longer had the distractions that we are surrounded by, and sometimes surround ourselves with, here in America.
Through these thoughts I was reminded of an email a friend of mine sent out when she returned from a short trip to Africa. While there she began wondering what she had truly given up to know and serve Christ here in our country. In other countries people give up there livelihoods, their acceptance with their families, their freedom, and/or their lives. So what have we had to really give up besides maybe some bad habits? (I’m not down-sizing our salvation stories; we are truly saved from so much!) God helped her come to this conclusion: Those of us who are choosing day in and day out to lay down our lives, take up our crosses, and follow Him (Luke 9:23) here have in every way given up the “American Dream”. That dream that says go do what every you want. Go satisfy your every dream and desire, no matter what it takes. As a mom those childhood dreams can pop in your mind when you are exhausted at the end of the day and you’ve changed the last diaper and you think everyone’s in bed for the night and then a child awakens sick. Or when you, a single mom or dad, have worked all day, come home to a messy house and children who need the rest of you that’s left. Or when you, a dad, who is working one, two, three jobs to support your family and you get home and they all want to see Dad, hang on Dad, talk to Dad and though you want the same things, all you have the energy for is to sit.
These dreams are not unwarranted. Quite frankly having these dreams got me through some tough times and situations when I was growing up. As I have grown in my faith, though, and matured in the knowledge of Christ and what He was and is about, I see so very clearly how there is a lot to be given up in His name where I’m at. It may not be nice, convenient facilities. It may not be food I can get down without cringing. It may not be living in fear of rats scurrying around in my house. It may not be that I can’t openly express my faith and what I believe. But what it may be, and I believe is, is the dreams that make me number one. For His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than ours (Isa 55:9). Whatever we may dream or scheme to accomplish, it will never compare to the greatness of our God’s.
I don’t know if there is any great lesson to be learned from these thoughts but maybe some questions we can think about are: Where/With Whom do our dreams lie? What have you given up for the sake of Christ, to be called children of God? Have you ever thought about missions…about being a missionary? Do you realize that as often as God has called us to “Go Out” He has also called us to “Go Among” (go among those we currently live with)? Do you realize how great our futures are in the sight of the God who has planned them? Are you following His plan?
Needless to say I have been refreshed, Friends, and I do pray that some of what I’ve shared has done the same for you.
I lay there sharing thoughts with the Father of my truly blessed evening last night. The minister’s wife at our “Momma-Church”, Sunnyside Christian Church has all of the other minister’s wives over about every 2 ½ - 3 months, and boy was I ready! Nathan kind of caught on to my excitement as I giddily announced at 5:42 p.m. that I would be leaving in 8 minutes. Then at 5:43, “I will be leaving in 7 minutes!” So off I went at 5:50 to Mrs. Ruth’s house for a sweet time of fellowship, and sweet is was!
There ended up being only 5 of us total, but at the end of the evening I think we could all see how God used our small size to infuse BIG thoughts, feelings, and dreams. As we sat together our conversation quickly turned to mission work and our missionary friends. Mrs. Ruth’s daughter Anne and her family have returned from working in China for many years and are now in the midst of raising support for work in Italy. Carol and her family spent some years in Honduras as missionaries. My friend Sarah and I have both been on short-term mission trips. And so the sharing began. We talked of living situations whether scary, hot, strange, or admirable. We discussed the way people had to live and what determined their futures. We discussed the spiritual states of many we had encountered and others we knew of. We talked of those people that God so blessed us by letting us know them. We talked of the way God worked – because He so does, you know – in the hard and easy economic places and in the hard and harder spiritual places.
We then shared how many times here, in the US, we take forgranted all of our physical blessings. Talk to any of these ladies, my friends, and you will realize this in a few short minutes. Yet, with all of these physical conveniences I think we all came to agree that it seemed so much easier to stay focused on our purpose, to “Go make disciples of all nations…” (Matt 28:19), when we were in the other countries; for, when there, we no longer had the distractions that we are surrounded by, and sometimes surround ourselves with, here in America.
Through these thoughts I was reminded of an email a friend of mine sent out when she returned from a short trip to Africa. While there she began wondering what she had truly given up to know and serve Christ here in our country. In other countries people give up there livelihoods, their acceptance with their families, their freedom, and/or their lives. So what have we had to really give up besides maybe some bad habits? (I’m not down-sizing our salvation stories; we are truly saved from so much!) God helped her come to this conclusion: Those of us who are choosing day in and day out to lay down our lives, take up our crosses, and follow Him (Luke 9:23) here have in every way given up the “American Dream”. That dream that says go do what every you want. Go satisfy your every dream and desire, no matter what it takes. As a mom those childhood dreams can pop in your mind when you are exhausted at the end of the day and you’ve changed the last diaper and you think everyone’s in bed for the night and then a child awakens sick. Or when you, a single mom or dad, have worked all day, come home to a messy house and children who need the rest of you that’s left. Or when you, a dad, who is working one, two, three jobs to support your family and you get home and they all want to see Dad, hang on Dad, talk to Dad and though you want the same things, all you have the energy for is to sit.
These dreams are not unwarranted. Quite frankly having these dreams got me through some tough times and situations when I was growing up. As I have grown in my faith, though, and matured in the knowledge of Christ and what He was and is about, I see so very clearly how there is a lot to be given up in His name where I’m at. It may not be nice, convenient facilities. It may not be food I can get down without cringing. It may not be living in fear of rats scurrying around in my house. It may not be that I can’t openly express my faith and what I believe. But what it may be, and I believe is, is the dreams that make me number one. For His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than ours (Isa 55:9). Whatever we may dream or scheme to accomplish, it will never compare to the greatness of our God’s.
I don’t know if there is any great lesson to be learned from these thoughts but maybe some questions we can think about are: Where/With Whom do our dreams lie? What have you given up for the sake of Christ, to be called children of God? Have you ever thought about missions…about being a missionary? Do you realize that as often as God has called us to “Go Out” He has also called us to “Go Among” (go among those we currently live with)? Do you realize how great our futures are in the sight of the God who has planned them? Are you following His plan?
Needless to say I have been refreshed, Friends, and I do pray that some of what I’ve shared has done the same for you.
Monday, February 18, 2008
God Sight
“I in them, and Thou in Me…Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me…that the love wherewith Thou didst love Me may be in them, and I in them.” -John 17:23b, 26b
This past Sunday during communion I went searching in John (probably my favorite gospel, if you’re allowed to have a favorite) for a Word that would ready my heart for “remembrance”. I couldn’t help but wind my way back to the Vine and Branch speech; I love reading about how we are connected to Jesus and the ways in which He ensures our growth in Him! I then moved on to Jesus’ prayer time, and I couldn’t wait to get to the part where I am included. “I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in me through their word…” (John 17:20)
In my devotional time this past week I have been responding to questions about my “early years” (those of you who know that I’m 25 will get a kick out of that statement – well, now all of you know!). These questions have had me remember back and try and recognize GodSpots during that time. Well, I love doing this because I am always amazed at how my God, and yours, gets His hands dirty on our behalf. I lived in a mess of danger and chaos the first 5 years, and a few plus, of my life, but as I look back I see where God put His pure, holy, strong right hand right in the midst of a “fear factor” kind of situation and grabbed a hold of me. And guess what girls, He hasn’t let go yet! I get chills, tears, and a smile just thinking about it. Ooh, got goin’ on that, back to John chapter 17.
So Sunday, as I scanned that wonderful section of His remembrance of us, God shed light within my heart and mind on two verses, 17:23 and 26. In these verses Jesus speaks the Truth about how God sees us. Yes, God made us each individually unique and special to Him. He made Anastasia, He made ___________ (your name can go there!) and He knows us and our forms – even before we were thought of on this earth! But God also looks upon us with the same love and affection that He has when he gazes at His Son. If we are believers in Christ, we are as Christ is to Him. That means something.
I know for me, when I have watched another parent’s child that though I may love them, teach them, and nurture them in my own way, I do not look at them with the same heart and mind as I do my 3 boys. I tell ya, at night I’m exhausted and waiting for the slightest motion of a yawn from one of them so I can say “Bed time!”, but by the time I lay my head down on my pillow, if I’m coherent enough to have a thought, I’m thinking about seeing them for the first time in the morning. So, it is hard for me to understand how our great God who’s Son is perfect can look at me (us) and see the same image. Amazing! Nothing less than True Love right there!
I continue to meditate on those words now – right now actually. And I’m so thankful I read them on Sunday – a time in which I was able to commune all the more with my God because I caught a glimpse of how He sees me; hence, how He feels about meeting with me over His Son’s “body” and “blood”. I’m also so thankful that I am reading them now because it gives me strength in knowing who I am in Him.
Be blessed my sis’s in Christ, and remember in those times when you’re squinting to see anything good in the spiritual mirror to take a look through God’s lenses. His vision never fails!
This past Sunday during communion I went searching in John (probably my favorite gospel, if you’re allowed to have a favorite) for a Word that would ready my heart for “remembrance”. I couldn’t help but wind my way back to the Vine and Branch speech; I love reading about how we are connected to Jesus and the ways in which He ensures our growth in Him! I then moved on to Jesus’ prayer time, and I couldn’t wait to get to the part where I am included. “I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in me through their word…” (John 17:20)
In my devotional time this past week I have been responding to questions about my “early years” (those of you who know that I’m 25 will get a kick out of that statement – well, now all of you know!). These questions have had me remember back and try and recognize GodSpots during that time. Well, I love doing this because I am always amazed at how my God, and yours, gets His hands dirty on our behalf. I lived in a mess of danger and chaos the first 5 years, and a few plus, of my life, but as I look back I see where God put His pure, holy, strong right hand right in the midst of a “fear factor” kind of situation and grabbed a hold of me. And guess what girls, He hasn’t let go yet! I get chills, tears, and a smile just thinking about it. Ooh, got goin’ on that, back to John chapter 17.
So Sunday, as I scanned that wonderful section of His remembrance of us, God shed light within my heart and mind on two verses, 17:23 and 26. In these verses Jesus speaks the Truth about how God sees us. Yes, God made us each individually unique and special to Him. He made Anastasia, He made ___________ (your name can go there!) and He knows us and our forms – even before we were thought of on this earth! But God also looks upon us with the same love and affection that He has when he gazes at His Son. If we are believers in Christ, we are as Christ is to Him. That means something.
I know for me, when I have watched another parent’s child that though I may love them, teach them, and nurture them in my own way, I do not look at them with the same heart and mind as I do my 3 boys. I tell ya, at night I’m exhausted and waiting for the slightest motion of a yawn from one of them so I can say “Bed time!”, but by the time I lay my head down on my pillow, if I’m coherent enough to have a thought, I’m thinking about seeing them for the first time in the morning. So, it is hard for me to understand how our great God who’s Son is perfect can look at me (us) and see the same image. Amazing! Nothing less than True Love right there!
I continue to meditate on those words now – right now actually. And I’m so thankful I read them on Sunday – a time in which I was able to commune all the more with my God because I caught a glimpse of how He sees me; hence, how He feels about meeting with me over His Son’s “body” and “blood”. I’m also so thankful that I am reading them now because it gives me strength in knowing who I am in Him.
Be blessed my sis’s in Christ, and remember in those times when you’re squinting to see anything good in the spiritual mirror to take a look through God’s lenses. His vision never fails!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
A Fool
Do people think you're a fool? Sometimes I wonder if I'm viewed that way. We're really defined by our actions. Our actions are brought about by our thought process and how we handle situations. We consider our choices based on our wisdom or maturity.
I was reading in 1 Corinthians 1:18 and following about foolishness and wisdom. This is what I think. The Bible has things to say that really don't make a whole lot of sense to us. Most of what God says in it the world considers foolishness. I mean, come on...who would ever look out for someone else instead of ourselves? Advertisements sell to me what I think I need. We're considered a consumer driven society. We go so far as to forget about people who don't have anything and distance ourselves from them so we won't feel guilty about having more. We even relieve ourselves from our guilt by saying we're "blessed" so we won't have to lift a finger to help people who have less, the poor, hungry, homeless, and naked. We give to charity to ease our consciences so we won't have to personally meet the needy. God says to take care of the poor...in a parable in Matthew Jesus says that when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and meet the needs of the least we do it unto Him.
The world doesn't take care of the poor but feels sorry for them. In Acts the early church had no poor people among them...that's a new concept...sharing...foolishness. For us to even consider doing anything like the early church did is foolishness, right? We keep to ourselves and there are poor among us. Wait a minute...no there isn't! The poor aren't among us but are somewhere else on the other side of town. We've even distanced our church buildings from them! Does that mean something's wrong with what we're doing with God's church? Does that mean we're missing something?
Does this sound foolish to you? If it does, then most likely we have been corrupted with the world's wisdom. You see, the stuff that God wants the church to do and become, God's wisdom is foolish to the world. The world would never do something like that. God would. On the other hand, the world's idea of wisdom is foolishness to God. We have to ask ourselves a very important question: who considers me a fool? God or the world?
I was reading in 1 Corinthians 1:18 and following about foolishness and wisdom. This is what I think. The Bible has things to say that really don't make a whole lot of sense to us. Most of what God says in it the world considers foolishness. I mean, come on...who would ever look out for someone else instead of ourselves? Advertisements sell to me what I think I need. We're considered a consumer driven society. We go so far as to forget about people who don't have anything and distance ourselves from them so we won't feel guilty about having more. We even relieve ourselves from our guilt by saying we're "blessed" so we won't have to lift a finger to help people who have less, the poor, hungry, homeless, and naked. We give to charity to ease our consciences so we won't have to personally meet the needy. God says to take care of the poor...in a parable in Matthew Jesus says that when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and meet the needs of the least we do it unto Him.
The world doesn't take care of the poor but feels sorry for them. In Acts the early church had no poor people among them...that's a new concept...sharing...foolishness. For us to even consider doing anything like the early church did is foolishness, right? We keep to ourselves and there are poor among us. Wait a minute...no there isn't! The poor aren't among us but are somewhere else on the other side of town. We've even distanced our church buildings from them! Does that mean something's wrong with what we're doing with God's church? Does that mean we're missing something?
Does this sound foolish to you? If it does, then most likely we have been corrupted with the world's wisdom. You see, the stuff that God wants the church to do and become, God's wisdom is foolish to the world. The world would never do something like that. God would. On the other hand, the world's idea of wisdom is foolishness to God. We have to ask ourselves a very important question: who considers me a fool? God or the world?
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Something Disturbing
So something came up this past week that kind of threw me. It was amazing and disturbing all at the same time. The other night I was invited to work at the Casting Crowns concert in town (which was really neat) and got a free t-shirt and ticket to the show. The band really did a great job. Have you ever noticed how serious their songs are? To be honest, I'm not their biggest fan and it's because their songs always seem so serious. Nothing is fun or exciting. They're good musicians and good vocalists, right on every time. But for some reason their stuff hasn't really been all that attractive to me. I do like some of their songs though. When they came out with their first album a couple of them were very convicting and challenging. But all their songs were that way. They write songs about God's Word and what it tells us to do. They even make application in the song...and it's scary.
Have you ever thought about the Bible before? We go to church and listen to messages, attend classes, and worship and don't even realize what we're there for. I read in "The Irresistable Revolution" a line Shane entered that Rich Mullins said at a chapel service. Rich said that we tend to hi-light the passages we like and ignore what we don't. The same man, Jesus, who said to one guy that you must be born again also said to one guy that you need to sell everything you have and give to the poor. The unsettling thing is that the early church listened to both those sayings and followed them. An example is in Acts when a couple named Ananias and Saphira lied about selling it all and God struck them and they died. Does that scare you? We put so much emphasis on being born again and no emphasis on what to do next, the change that's supposed to take place. And you say, "Am I supposed to sell everything and give to the poor?" I think you know the answer to that question yourself. God calls us all to do different things. But if he's calling us to do that then we shouldn't ignore it because we think that the rich young ruler just had an issue with money. The whole early church sold everything so they could all take care of each other and there was no one poor among them.
God's Word tells us to do all kinds of things that have a tendancy to mess up everything we've worked so hard for. We want nice things and desire good relationships, we have a dream of what our life should look like. We work hard to reach our own personal goals and ask God to help us. We read His Word wanting to become a better person but like what we're doing so we don't change. We go to church all excited to be there with other Christians, have a great time at the altar and then walk out the door. Our excitment about Christ and the convicting experience we just had disappears on our way home. You know why? Because it's unsettling to change.
The fact is that God's Word should be disturbing and unsettling. It says in Hebrews 4:12 that His Word is living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword, penetrates to dividing even the soul and the spirit, joints and marrow. You see, God spells things out for us, His guidelines for life which is right and what's not in His guidelines is wrong. Things are written as black and white. God drew a line in the sand, the line is Jesus and to get to God we go through Jesus.
What is wrong with us? The Christians? No wonder people don't like us! No wonder people say we're hypocrites! WE are the ones who erase the line, make a gray area out of the black and white, and stop God's word from breathing, from being living and active! People take a look at us and pity us because we don't believe what we read in His Word. There is no change! We make little compromises with our faith that eventually have us running away from God to do other "things". We believe we're missing out on the sin, or that maybe just one time it won't hurt. We rationalize why we should do it. We give up meeting together, we give up encouraging one another, we give praying, we give up on faith, we give up on God's faithfulness, and even on the Holy Spirit to help us change. We end up changing God and His Word, neither of which can change. Yet for us there is no change! Come to God as you are and leave the same?
GOD'S WORD IS DISTURBING AND UNSETTLING. It changes us. It changes our thought process. It changes our lives. It never changes. We try and change it. God tells us to give up lying, cheating, selfishness, immorality, and to love our enemies, turn the cheek, to serve, to give...and here's some biggies, to stop sinning, to be baptized, to confess our sins, to pray, to hold each other accountable, to love the unlovely, to bless those who curse us, even to sell all we have and give to the poor... I didn't say this stuff, God did.
Isn't that disturbing? Does that unsettle you? It's supposed to. God's Word is doing exactly what it's supposed to do. It will divide you. It will cut. It will hurt. It will rip the world you know away from you. It's scary, mortifying, radical, foolish and rediculous.
If you claim to be a Christian, then this is the most important part. God's Word is calling us out and this is the scary thing I've read. The truth is this is the line: God's Word means what it says. This is the question: Are you going to follow it? This is the end: What will Jesus say to you about what you read in His Word?
Isn't it disturbing? Don't worry...I'm just as disturbed as you. So what do we to do now?
Have you ever thought about the Bible before? We go to church and listen to messages, attend classes, and worship and don't even realize what we're there for. I read in "The Irresistable Revolution" a line Shane entered that Rich Mullins said at a chapel service. Rich said that we tend to hi-light the passages we like and ignore what we don't. The same man, Jesus, who said to one guy that you must be born again also said to one guy that you need to sell everything you have and give to the poor. The unsettling thing is that the early church listened to both those sayings and followed them. An example is in Acts when a couple named Ananias and Saphira lied about selling it all and God struck them and they died. Does that scare you? We put so much emphasis on being born again and no emphasis on what to do next, the change that's supposed to take place. And you say, "Am I supposed to sell everything and give to the poor?" I think you know the answer to that question yourself. God calls us all to do different things. But if he's calling us to do that then we shouldn't ignore it because we think that the rich young ruler just had an issue with money. The whole early church sold everything so they could all take care of each other and there was no one poor among them.
God's Word tells us to do all kinds of things that have a tendancy to mess up everything we've worked so hard for. We want nice things and desire good relationships, we have a dream of what our life should look like. We work hard to reach our own personal goals and ask God to help us. We read His Word wanting to become a better person but like what we're doing so we don't change. We go to church all excited to be there with other Christians, have a great time at the altar and then walk out the door. Our excitment about Christ and the convicting experience we just had disappears on our way home. You know why? Because it's unsettling to change.
The fact is that God's Word should be disturbing and unsettling. It says in Hebrews 4:12 that His Word is living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword, penetrates to dividing even the soul and the spirit, joints and marrow. You see, God spells things out for us, His guidelines for life which is right and what's not in His guidelines is wrong. Things are written as black and white. God drew a line in the sand, the line is Jesus and to get to God we go through Jesus.
What is wrong with us? The Christians? No wonder people don't like us! No wonder people say we're hypocrites! WE are the ones who erase the line, make a gray area out of the black and white, and stop God's word from breathing, from being living and active! People take a look at us and pity us because we don't believe what we read in His Word. There is no change! We make little compromises with our faith that eventually have us running away from God to do other "things". We believe we're missing out on the sin, or that maybe just one time it won't hurt. We rationalize why we should do it. We give up meeting together, we give up encouraging one another, we give praying, we give up on faith, we give up on God's faithfulness, and even on the Holy Spirit to help us change. We end up changing God and His Word, neither of which can change. Yet for us there is no change! Come to God as you are and leave the same?
GOD'S WORD IS DISTURBING AND UNSETTLING. It changes us. It changes our thought process. It changes our lives. It never changes. We try and change it. God tells us to give up lying, cheating, selfishness, immorality, and to love our enemies, turn the cheek, to serve, to give...and here's some biggies, to stop sinning, to be baptized, to confess our sins, to pray, to hold each other accountable, to love the unlovely, to bless those who curse us, even to sell all we have and give to the poor... I didn't say this stuff, God did.
Isn't that disturbing? Does that unsettle you? It's supposed to. God's Word is doing exactly what it's supposed to do. It will divide you. It will cut. It will hurt. It will rip the world you know away from you. It's scary, mortifying, radical, foolish and rediculous.
If you claim to be a Christian, then this is the most important part. God's Word is calling us out and this is the scary thing I've read. The truth is this is the line: God's Word means what it says. This is the question: Are you going to follow it? This is the end: What will Jesus say to you about what you read in His Word?
Isn't it disturbing? Don't worry...I'm just as disturbed as you. So what do we to do now?
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