The Perplexingly Complicated Complexities of Over-Analyzing, Pt. 2

If you're like me, there's a lot going on up in your brain's crawlspaces on any given day, especially when it comes to being more like Jesus. I think about God a lot during my days (can you tell? It's all I write about! haha). With all this soaking in God, sometimes it feels like I'm drowning in the shallow end, all the kids with their Finding Nemo floaties standing in the water around me, staring befuddledly at me. Ok, so I made up a word to get my point across, but I hope you caught the gist. A lot of times, I find myself wandering the rabbit trail of over-anyzation, making spirituality out to be more difficult than worth-it and making God out to be more complicated than He really is. Sound familiar?

Of course it does, you're not perfect either! The good news is, there's good news. Redundant, yeah, but seriously...the good news of the Gospel is that there is life and life abundantly! "How? What kind of spiritual Atkins diet do I need to go on to get that? What kind of Dr. Phil regiment do I need to buy into for that kind of life?" Well, that's part of the good news: there's no complex formula to figure God out. "Huh? Wait, you're telling me it's a free-for-all? Anything goes? I can find God however I want?" That's not how it works, no. I'm not saying there isn't a formula, I'm saying it's not complex. It's actually quite simple, a one-component formula to find sustaining life in God: Jesus Christ.

"Wait a minute, Shane...are you trying to pull a fast one? Aren't God and Jesus, like, the same thing or somethin'? You are being really redundant today, mister!" Ok, so here's what I'm saying - there is a source of life to all living things in creation, one source that is ready to provide real, lasting, sustaining life to our souls. That source is Jesus. Jesus said it Himself, and millions upon millions of Christians throughout the ages can attest: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) If you believe Jesus was God robed in flesh and walked among us to be the connection between God and man, you've got to believe He's the only source of life. If you can't bring yourself to that conclusion, you haven't experienced water from the true well.

Here's why Jesus has a corner on the "true life" market: He is true life. The ingredients list on the true life box says, "Jesus Christ." Artificial sweeteners, preservatives, fillers and dyes are not part of the formula for true life. Just one ingredient is in that formula. Remember in my recent post "Desire" how I talked about the God-shaped hole in each of us? Only God can fill the hole we have inside of us, the need for substantive and sustained fullness in our souls. And that's exactly the formula I'm referring to. We try to fill that hole with pornography, drugs, sex, maybe even good things that can become distractions from God like social media, TV and even relationships. But it's kinda like drinking soda or chocolate milk on a hot day when your mouth is as arid as the Mojave Desert. They just don't cut it. Nothing satisfies the body like a drink of pure water. Likewise, nothing satisfies the soul like Jesus. (John 4:1-14)

Which leads us to where a lot of people get tripped up in their relationship with God. There are so many resources available to those seeking God - the Bible, inspirational books, podcasts, other Christians' wisdom, etc. And all these are great! But the rabbit trail we go down so often is this: we turn to a resource instead of the source. "Ok, string this guy up from the nearest rafter! Now he's hatin' on the Bible!" Far from it. I love God's word, and believe it to be such. It is the inerrant word of God, "useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the servant of God can be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)  I use the Bible as a resource in my walk with God, and I know God has grown me through it; but if I perceive it as something more than what God intended it to be, it is literally an idol. Did you catch that? Them's fightin' words to some Christians - many Christians think the buck stops at the Bible and other resources, like the resource itself is the answer. Some Christians I know talk about the Bible, certain authors and their pastors like the sustenance is originating from those outlets - holding them almost as high, if not just as high, as God Himself. But in doing so, they've set their eyes on the resource instead of the source, missing the forest for the trees. Sounds familiar...hmmm...oh, I know why, check out what Jesus said to the Pharisees about this very issue:

“You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren’t willing to receive from me the life you say you want." (John 5:39-40)

God never intended the Bible (or any life-sustaining resource) to be put on a pedestal as the go-to, end-all-be-all sustenance-giver...He is the Life-Giver! Yes, these resources bring life, but it's because God feeds us through them. Ultimately, He intended life and intimacy to be found through direct communion with Himself! Here's a dose of interpretation, I'll break down some sweet Biblical symbolism for ya - a freebie this time: when Jesus took His last breath on the cross, scripture says the veil of the temple was torn in half (catch up in Luke 23:44-49)  The meaning behind the veil being torn in half was that God, by Jesus' sacrifice, was opening the way to the Holy of Holies, an extremely sacred and exclusive place in the temple where God's presence rested. In doing so, God was making a statement: "no more separation between us, no more song-and-dance to approach me. Come freely to me and find life in my presence, for the way has been paved by The Way." What a radical notion! But it was God's plan all along, foretold by the prophets of old. The Messiah would serve as the final sacrifice, forgiveness and grace as the fulfillment of the law, yet not bound by the law.

So yes, of course, it's a given that the Bible is one way to receive sustenance from God. Inspirational books are one way to receive wisdom from God. Church is one way to receive guidance from God. But the important point I'm getting at is this: none of these are the exclusive way to God - they are solid means to an end. God uses these means to speak to us, to guide us, to direct us, but no resource is the sole component in the "Limitless Life" formula. There is only one way, one truth, one life, and He is Jesus. He's the end to the means. Please, don't misread me - I implore you to find life in the Bible, find encouragement in your friendship with others, find solace in your favorite worship album. They are all very vital components of your Christian walk. But if you turn to these things alone to give you life without turning to the source, you will be parched quickly. Find God through them, yes, but they are not God in and of themselves. These things are healthy means to grasp the foundational premise of salvation: direct communion with the Creator. The intimacy with God through your prayer life, your direct and personal conversations with the Life-Giver, your quiet time marinating in His presence is the well you ultimately need to draw from - straight from the source. Said resources are a way to soak in God's presence and lead us to intimacy with Him, but they are not the Person of Christ...they are the words of Christ, the wisdom of Christ, the guidance of our God, but considering them anything more is holding them too highly, therefore replacing God with something He intended to draw us closer to Him. Here's the best example I can think of:

Scenario 1: One day a young boy realizes he is curious about the life of his father. Sure, he's known his father to be close and supportive his whole life, but the boy is anxious to know more about his father, beyond the short time he's known him and into his younger years. He wants a glimpse of his father's heart, his wisdom, his character, the foundation on which he was built. So the first thing the boy does in ventures up into the attic to retrieve some of his father's earliest journals, way back from childhood and up through the early years of his marriage. The boy was amazed to see all kinds of photo albums and memoirs that pointed to certain events in his father's life. As the child poured over the words and pictures his father had stored in the attic, he found that he was still not quite satisfied. He wanted to know what dad was feeling in those pictures of he and mom's wedding day. He wanted the details of the hard times he and mom pushed through, and what kind of advice they would have for him should that time come in his life. He wanted to know his father's heart. He pondered these things for quite some time, wishing he had the answers he longed for. Finally he packed all his father's things away in their proper place, walked back downstairs to go outside and mull things over. On the way out the door, he passed his father, who knew he was in the attic rustling around the old storage bins full of memories. "Having fun, son?" The boy was so enthralled in deciphering his dad's life through the books and photos he had just soaked in, he didn't even hear his dad's question until the second time he asked. The child looked up and acknowledged his dad with a grin and a sheepish nod as he closed the outside door behind him to stroll and reflect on his dad's life a little more.

Scenario 2: One day a young boy realizes he is curious about the life of his father. Sure, he's known his father to be close and supportive his whole life, but the boy is anxious to know more about his father, beyond the short time he's known him and into his younger years. He wants a glimpse of his father's heart, his wisdom, his character, the foundation on which he was built. So the first thing the boy does in ventures up into the attic to retrieve some of his father's earliest journals, way back from childhood and up through the early years of his marriage. The boy was amazed to see all kinds of photo albums and memoirs that pointed to certain events in his father's life. As the child poured over the words and pictures his father had stored in the attic, he found that he was still not quite satisfied. He wanted to know what dad was feeling in those pictures of he and mom's wedding day. He wanted the details of the hard times he and mom pushed through, and what kind of advice they would have for him should that time come in his life. He wanted to know his father's heart. So he raced down the attic stairs, down the hall and into the living room where his father was reading. He jumped on the chair by his dad's side and spread all the dusty journals and pictures on the coffee table in front of them. He spent hours asking his father all about the memoirs and wedding-day pictures, and what it was like to live without a bunch of stuff, and what he should do when life gets tough in a few years. The dad was overjoyed that the son came and asked all those questions, shared all that joy and curiosity, took the time to sit down and desire to get closer to him. The two of them never forgot the time they shared together that day.

Now, let me ask you, which of the two approaches made the most sense: the boy learning about his father solely through the resources he had found, or the boy learning about his father through the resources, which lead him to go to the source itself. Herein lies the point I'm trying to make.

Here's an amazing song from one of my favorite artists talking about exactly what I've written today. As always, feel free to comment. I'd love to hear what you think! I hope this song stirs your soul toward the source...

The Perplexingly Complicated Complexities of Over-Analyzing, Pt. 1

Man, it's been a while since my last post - sheesh! Things have been busy, in a good way. Time with my wife, leading worship, gigs here and there - it's been a productive summer thus far. Nonetheless, my blog can't suffer the consequences! So here we go, let me share a recent daydream of mine with you...

One of the most visited daydream topics I have in my little noggin is this: the various ways I go about over-analyzing my relationship with God. Oh yeah, don't pretend to be so innocent, you've over-complicated God plenty-o-times, even if you're not a Christian...especially if you're not a Christian.

It seems the entire world, at one point or another, has gotten God all wrong. We stress and strain to understand how to please Him, what His will is, how to "be good." All with good intentions, mind you. We don't mean to make it complicated, but it does get pretty...hairy...doesn't it? Next thing you know, you're more anxious about God-stuff than you were when God was on the back-burner. Predicament? Yes. But is it meant to be?

...Nope.

You think God's plan in drawing you to Himself was to confuse the dickens out of you? To wear you down? To make you stressed about spirituality? What the heck kind of God are you imagining? I say imagining because that's not Jehovah God. He's not a gear-grinding, bait-and-switch kind of God, wringing His hands with sadistic delight as he cackles fiendishly in a dark alley somewhere. Alas, so many of us see Him as this villain, whether we realize it or not. Oh that He would open our eyes to the ways we undercut His character and sell Him short.

Contrary to popular opinion, He's a loving God - greater than all our fears and worries, He's biting at the bit to draw close to us, even when we over-analyze this roller coaster ride called life. We huff and puff and get all worked up on how we should live, what God "expects" of us, what we should and should not do, and all the while God is offering life...REAL LIFE. And all we have to do is draw close to Him (James 4:8). The Jews in the time of Jesus thought they had God all figured out - look up the Talmud. They added to Moses' book of the law God gave him, thinking they could attain righteousness by following all these crazy laws that no human could ever live up to. Really? How's that workin' for ya? All the moral strivings, all the wasted effort, all the spiritual hernias...they wouldn't accept the fact that Jesus came to fulfill the law, as He said, meaning that the law God gave to Moses on the mountain all those years ago was complete in Jesus (Mt. 5:17-18). It's a fragile concept, so let me delicately unpack it a bit:

Have you ever taken a good look at the law of the Old Testament? I'm not just talking about the 10 Commandments, I'm talking about Leviticus kind of stuff here, the ridiculous stuff! Check it out. And hey, many people have walked away from Christianity because they thought the law of Moses was something to live up to. Given, the basics of God's heart are obvious in the law - things like murder and stealing and such are not up for debate as going against God's grain. But the other, like, 76% of the law passed down to the Israelites in the wilderness sounded downright silly! I mean, all the offerings, the very specific preparations for the sacrifices, the ceremonies, the do's and don'ts...some are understandable and for the good of the people's spirits, but most just sound petty and demanding! Kinda has the same feel as when a band sends a rider to an upcoming venue's event coordinator, listing all these ridiculous demands (only green M&M's, cases of water at room temperature, etc.)  Was God trying to be a narcissistic rock star? Far from it.

A lot of the first 5 books of the Old Testament feels like God's giving the Israelites a rider, but in reality, God's main purposes were two-fold: 1) The Israelites were fresh out of slavery for over 400 years, so they were pretty unfamiliar with all that's involved in being a free nation, especially when it came to governing standards and spiritual standards. They were like a newborn in a big scary world, and God was Fathering them, so He laid down healthy parameters so they wouldn't wander any more than they needed (they did plenty of wandering as it were, trust me). Just as a good parent has disciplines for the family, God saw that His chosen nation needed a system of order to keep them from falling apart at the seems. 2) Here's where we come in: for both the Jews and the Gentiles (non-Jews), the law is ultimately one thing - a list of impossible demands. Ahem...what?! Shane, you're going to hell for that one. Nope, hear me out. That was God's plan all along. Sure, a good bit of those laws were for the people's spiritual formations, but He knew all those other silly rules and regulations were burdensome. That's the point: God's plan was to make the Israelites realize that after all those years of trying to live up to the law, straining to follow every detail of every last rule to gain God's approval, it cannot be humanly done. It's an impossible undertaking, and those who try end up killing their heart. Why would God put such a plate before them? To make them realize their need for a Savior, a divine substitute for all their sacrificing and striving and straining to grow close to God. That's where Jesus comes on the scene, and that was God's plan all along.

"Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: 'Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.' Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly...'Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.'"(Matthew 11:25-27a, 28-30)

Make sense? We can't make it on our own, and it gets so burdensome when we make Christianity about "living right" or "being good" or "being everything God commands us to be." Wow, how legalistic is all of that? Sounds like the law to me, and thank God He sent His son to represent and redeem what I could not live up to. Accepting Jesus is basically saying, "God, it's pretty obvious I can't live up to any standard of perfection...no one can...it's impossible. I need a solution. I need Your solution." Remember the Scripture I quoted a while back? "God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." He's the solution. He's come to bring life, and life to the full, remember? That's the gospel, the good news for all - we can't live good enough to appease a holy God, but Jesus' perfect life and sacrifice stood in the place of our frailty and made a way to God the Father. No more sacrifices, no more song-and-dance for God's approval. He's as close as the breath in your lungs right now, and He's waiting for you to give it up and come to Him. More on this soon to come in part 2...

Desire

Just the other day, I started reading one of the first books published by one of my favorite authors, John Eldridge. It's called "Desire," and it's been exactly what I expected - amazing. I'm only on chapter 3, but the insight has been jump-starting me already in ways that I've been looking for. God's good at that, trust me - which kinda leads me into my point.

Eldrige pointed out something about desire that I've never really caught in this way before, but totally supplements the view of God as the Good Father that I've been seeking and embracing the past couple years. He pointed out (in a much more profound and concise way, to be sure) that Jesus' encounters with people all through His time physically on earth hold one strange thing in common: Jesus asks people what they want all the time. The lame man by the pool at Bethesda, the blind men by the side of the road, the woman at the well, they all have one thing in common: Jesus addresses their obvious need with a direct question or tone that seems to have an obvious answer. It's not that Jesus, God in the flesh, doesn't know what's up. He wasn't ignorant to their needs..."Oh, you're blind and you want sight?! Oh my! Shocker!" Please. What Jesus was getting at by asking such obvious questions was the underlying desire, dormant in so many of us. Yes we're hurt. Yes we're in need of a miracle, in need of a personal touch from God in our lives, and God knows that...but are we aware of the desire that's feeding that need?

What Jesus was doing by asking "what do you want" is quite simple - He was trying to awaken their desires. They already knew their brokenness...more than familiar with that, thank you very much...but Jesus knew that they were unaware of true life, true healing, true hope. He was awakening them to the very real truth that their desires were rooted not only in the need to be healed (physically, spiritually, emotionally), but in the need for a healed view of God and the intimacy that ensues. This is the awakening, the fundamental joy of life, the obvious yet illusive truth that haunts humanity: He is life, He is healing, He is hope. "Oh that's nice, Shane, sounds great. A silly ideal, maybe, one I've heard in some form or another most of my life. Thanks for the sermon, here's a nickel for your trouble." Sure, brush it off, no biggie. But if you'd rather chew on it a while, let's dig into this concept for a minute.

Here it is, I'm going to make a daring proposition, one that may ruffle some feathers (not that I mind, a good feather-ruffling is healthy when it comes to the truth). I propose that humanity as a whole, every human being who ever existed, has one profound thing in common on the heart level, at our very core: we all yearn for completion, for purpose, for life to its fullest and most dazzling extent...we all desire wholeness. Here's where my proposition gets ruffly: whether you've realized this or not, whether you agree or not, God sent Himself in flesh (Jesus) to give us that wholeness. Everybody knows John 3:16, right? "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." Sunday school stuff, you know. But not many people know the next verse, John 3:17 - and in it lies the key to unlock many a heart with the freedom only God has for us. "For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved." Many people don't realize the freedom in this verse...Jesus came to give life, to gift humanity with the wholeness its always wanted but never knew it needed, or at least never knew how to ask for it.

Jesus is always bringing it up, bringing up the obvious in our lives. But no matter how much we may hear how much we need Jesus, it seems to resonate in a different way when Jesus poses the proposition. You see, He doesn't wave picket signs of hateful, offensive words to get His point across. He doesn't thump you to death with a Bible. He doesn't make you feel like garbage to pressure you into His salvation. He's none of the above. And if you think He is, you better go back to the drawing board. He is life to the fullest, not condemnation. He didn't come to condemn the world, but to open its eyes...like a blind man seeing for the first time. And so He asks, even now, to you right where you're at - "what do you want?"

Blaise Pascal, a famous author from the 1600's, once wrote, "There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person, and it can never be filled by any created thing. It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ." There is a distinct hunger inside each of us, but so many have no idea what it truly is. Honestly, it's God, and the fullness of life He's made available through Jesus. All we need to do is believe that Jesus truly is that solution for the world, that He paid the ultimate price through His sacrifice and that He truly is God's Redeemer for this world. That's pretty much the gist of it. Can you take that step? Are you tired of wondering how to attain life? Go to Jesus...He already attained it for you, and it's waiting in His arms.

The Rain Train

I'm telling you, I've never seen so much rain in my life. It's been raining where we live every day for literally like three weeks. It's like a rain forest or something, or Seattle at least. Our place is on a bit of a slope, so the water from the neighbor's yard keeps draining into ours every day, which has turned our yard and driveway into a mud pit...and not the fun kind. Rainboots every time we go outside, several puppy baths, more than several harness washings. So, needless to say, Jodi and I are verrrrry tired of the world of wetness around us. In light of this, recently I've been trying to find the silver lining in the proverbial rain cloud and take this whole rain thing with a grain of salt. Frustrating as it is, there's gotta be a bright side. Then it dawned on me - a daydream! All this frustrating rain made me ponder the flip side of the coin and remember all my good memories that have come on rainy days:

1. When Jodi and I went to the Dominican Republic for our honeymoon, it was rainy season. It rained every day we were there, but the storms came and passed so quickly, not one long-lasting shower. Right outside our door was a beautiful view of the very nearby mountain, and I would watch as the huge rain clouds would migrate down from the colossal mountain, as if they were waking from their sleep inside the massive piece of earth. It was breath-taking. The everyday rain was romantic in a sense, keeping the cobblestones shiny and the air fresh, nothing like the so-called "mountain fresh" scent in laundry detergent. What a hoax. Yes, the rain from that week of paradise with my bride added that certain charm that no room service or all-inclusive access could ever replicate - and as a component of our first days together as one, it will always be a part of us.

2. I remember one of the closest I've even been to God was during a rainstorm. It was a college retreat sophomore year at some retreat center in the woods, and most of the retreat was not too far above average for me. The guys I was hanging with the whole trip were pretty apathetic to the functions going on as part of the retreat, so we spent a good bit of the time in our room goofing off. It was wet and muddy the entire trip, but after a couple days of mostly staying inside, card games got old pretty fast. I felt boxed in, and I had to break out somehow. That's when I felt God's Spirit calling me outside...don't get creeped out, it was beautiful. And no, I'm not crazy. It was absolutely pouring outside, and no one wanted any part of it. But I felt a strong urge to spend time with God, and everybody was inside, so I couldn't get alone. So I put two and two together and realized the only way I'd be able to get alone with God was if I went outside. The Spirit was tugging me. I had a strong pull, almost as if God were telling me straight up, "let's take a walk together." It was amazing. I took a walk with God through the wilderness, laughing with Him, crying with Him, asking Him real, hard questions...and you know what? I got some real, tangible answers. I got a lot of peace from that walk in the pouring rain, soaking wet but loving every step.

So that leads me to the end of my daydream, which was this: I wanted to ask you, what's your favorite rainy memory? Comment and tell me!