There are a lot of cycles that are popular these days...ever notice that? The Nitrogen cycle, the rinse cycle, the spin cycle, the breeding cycle (thanks National Geographic), icicles, bicycles, motorcycles, tricycles, motorcycles that look like tricycles...bunches of cycles! You know which cycle seems to get me in the most trouble though? The "Me-cycle." Oftentimes it's easy to get stuck on me - what I want for today, what decisions I want to make, what place I want to go, which people I want to see, when it's convenient for me. It's the "Me-cycle" taking me for a spin. When I land, though, I realize how self-absorbed I can be and how it's not very productive in the end.
That's where I turn my attention away from "me" and focus on the "we." Whether it be my wife, my co-workers, or the strangers that surround my everyday life, all us "we's" in the human race function at our most productive, God-intended best when we harmonize. You know, a 7 billion-part harmony. Social symbiosis. Yeah, world peace would be great, but that won't happen until God's good and ready to bring heaven to the scene. I'm not necessarily talking about world peace, I'm talking about you and me. I'm talking about you and that co-worker that you've felt compassion for. I'm talking about you and whoever else God places in your path. Here's an experiment you can try as homework: don't pray for yourself for a week. Yup, you heard me. I'm tellin' ya, you may not think that's a good idea, but you'll see what I'm talking about with this whole "we" thing. And trust me, God doesn't need you to pray for your finances, your job, your health to keep your little world glued together - He's not bracing the beams of your life with sweaty palms saying, "What are you doing?! You're not praying for yourself?! Are you crazy?! I can't hold this up much longer, you gotta pray or else this whole thing's comin' down on you!" On the contrary, if you focus all your prayer energy on others, you'll feel...well, just try it and leave a comment below on how you feel :)
When we focus our attention, our resources, our effort - our prayers - on others, God's design called "community" starts to flourish and dance. But how does this design become reality to us? Read a how-to guide? Say a magic incantation? Plant a magic bean? Well, not really. It's simpler than all that. We can see God's hand reaching and care-taking this great garden of humanity through us. Yes! One amazing thing that baffles me about God is that, even though He is more than able to do it Himself, He often chooses to empower us to touch people's hearts in lasting ways. What an honor. So we embrace the honor with excitement, eager to see how God can use our gifts and abilities to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those around us. That's the prayer behind a song I wrote called "Through Me."
Take a few minutes to watch my original worship song "Through Me" on YouTube by clicking HERE. As you reflect on what it means to you, ask God to use you to affect someone's life this week. Then comment below when you see God's hand at work. I promise, you'll see what I'm talking about. And this isn't one of those hokey, chain letter kind of promises - this is real. God is at work all around us, and He wants to use me and you in the greater story that's unfolding - the bigger picture we can't see. So come on back with a comment and let me know what happened when you prayed your "Through Me" prayer.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Sunday, September 22, 2013
The Super in the Natural
Whew! I'm finally getting a chance to sit down and write something in my beloved blog again! Sorry it's been a while, but The 9 Event has had me out straight! (If you didn't catch the link I threw in there just now, scroll over ^The 9 Event ^ up there ^^^, well more ^up and >over there now)
Last time we met I was talking about God, The Plan, and Spiderman and how bad things happen to good people. It's a question many people lose their faith over, and it's probably because people have off-handedly given a myriad of answers that are callous, careless, prejudice, ignorant, or just downright wrong. Should we awaken our hearts to the true character of God, asking for His truth and enlightenment on the questions we wrestle with, we'll know how and why things happen. But that's probably not a specific enough answer to cut your mustard (which is why you shouldn't take it from me, but go directly to the source and ask Him to help you understand).
If God has already given you some insight on this subject though, you are ready to take the next step: action. James 2:26 tells us that faith and understanding of God is meaningless without taking action. It's like the Dead Sea: the Jordan River feeds into the Dead Sea, but there are no outlets, so the water has nowhere to go. It stays where it is - stagnant, too salty for life to flourish...dead. That's what happens in us if we keep the Spirit of God pent up inside us. It's too powerful, and like a raging river of life feeding into a body of water with no outlet, our spirit will die. It's just not healthy to keep God's spirit inactive in our lives, clutching it close to our chest selfishly. Ok, totally off-the-wall analogy, but heck, even something as filthy as excrement needs an outlet. How nasty do you feel when you're constipated? It feels completely unnatural and unhealthy, doesn't it? So of course that begs the question, is your spirit constipated? Are you pooping more often than you're sharing your faith? Yeah, I went there...
And here is the paradox of learning about God: some people think they will attain a higher spirituality if they keep grasping for as much knowledge of God as they can - gorging themselves on Godly resources, reading their Bible like rabid Theologians, squawking the garbled mess of the latest debate topic, jockeying for position in the Kingdom. Sorry, it just doesn't work that way. Being a glutton for God-facts and God-knowledge without putting it to work is like buying a fleet of snow plows and just leaving them in the garage when the blizzard hits. When the snow storms of life drop a pile of cold mess on you, all those facts and all that head-knowledge can't dig you out. It's the heart-knowledge that keeps you sturdy and productive - head-to-heart, remember? Here's the best verse I've found yet that defines what I'm talking about - I ran across it yesterday in my visit with God:
"I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion or our disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love." (Galatians 5:4-6, MSG)
I could stop right there and let that verse speak for itself, but I've got itchy fingers now. In regards to religious striving vs. faith-filled action, it's important to dissect your soul and see your underlying power source. Are you drawing strength, confidence, and your identity as a believer through your encyclopedic knowledge of God, or are you drawing from who Christ is - His sovereign character, and who He says you are? Like our Pastor Steven Furtick was talking about in Part 1 of our current series "I Don't Know What I Believe," it's not necessarily about needing to rely on what I believe - sweating all the small stuff to make sure my theology is flawless - it's depending on whom I believe (2 Timothy 1:12). He will take care of the rest. The wise man built his house on the rock, remember? Hint: the rock is Jesus. The life He offers is sure, steady...proven. But the foolish man built his house on the sand. Hint: the sand is the things that diminish/overtake Jesus' rightful place in our lives, including an obsessive, unhealthy penchant for trying to figure God out, trying to get our understanding of God perfect before trusting Him.
Not to be a downer, but it's just another way we perplexingly complicate things by over-analyzing our relationship with God. There's a guy I work with who's about my age- he's handicapped by Asperger's Syndrome. He actually has an acute sense for details and an astounding memory, so he's always hungry for knowledge. Every time I see him, he spouts a barrage of questions about how God works and if I keep up with Pokemon much and if my hair was messy on purpose and if I have watched the installment of Godzilla that was made the year I was born...whew, it's fun wondering what he'll ask next. Just yesterday, he walked up to me and asked, as he often does, about God because he knows I'm a Christian. "So Shane, how do I keep from, you know, going to the 'bad place'?" I tried prying a bit more specificity out of him. "What do you mean?" He explained, "You know, how do I get on God's good side?" Many people, I would dare say the majority of the world's population, are wrestling with that same question in one way or another, whether they realize it or not. "Is God mad at me?"..."Is God toying with me?"..."There's no way I'm good enough for God to give me a second glance."..."I'm going to hell, I might as well live it up while I'm here." Fear, paranoia, feelings of inadequacy, resignation...all these and more infect the heart of humanity. I say infect because at the heart of humanity is a disease: we know we're fallen in some way or another, and we feel we are unlovable because of that brokenness. We feel like we're too much of a mess to clean up. We feel...undesirable by God.
The first answer that popped into my head was just as simple as the answer God intended to present through the Messiah Christ's life on earth: I told my friend, "Well man, it's as simple as this: Jesus said to love God and love other people." (Matthew 22:37-40) That's it? Yes! Isn't that good news?! You say, "It can't be that simple, Shane, what about all the other stuff God outlines in the Bible, the stuff He expects of us, like holiness and righteousness?" Remember, humanity is fallen and not yet restored (heaven), and the only way possible that we can be holy and righteous on this Earth is through the life and person of Christ within us, lived out through our daily lives and actions. Ah yes, back to actions. You didn't think I'd come back to that, did you? See, it all ties in together. Our Savior Jesus offers his righteousness to shine in and through us, therefore making us "righteous before God." Scripture tells us our own striving for righteousness - our striving to get God's approval, our straining to be "the best little Christian I can be" without Christ's righteousness being our soul's compass- that self-driven righteousness is like filthy rags. (Isaiah 64)
"Say what?! So what's the point of trying to be righteous, Shane? I should just do what I feel is right, what's the difference if my righteousness is like filthy rags?" That's not the point. The point is this: no matter how "good" or "perfect" of a God-follower we try to be - no matter how moral or right-standing we are - we will never be perfect in this state of humanity...not until Christ returns again and establishes heaven (reread that Scripture from Galatians I typed out above). Perfection was not meant for this side of eternity. If it were, we would all have a shot at being gods, and some of us actually might achieve that. If that were a level to be attained, we would be chiseled gods - muscular, witty, wise, and at the pinnacle of the universe. Do you know anyone who is even close to this perfection?...even the ones who are closest to God, are they truly perfect? No, everyone sins and falls short of God (Romans 3:21-26) We are not God, and that is GREAT news! Can you imagine a world full of God-posers? Wow, that would be aweful. That's why there is only one God, and Jehovah is His name.
So...actions...here's what I'm getting at: since humanity is broken, as a whole and on an individual level, we are nothing more than...natural. We can't be anything more in and of ourselves. You ever hear that expression, "I'm special...just like everyone else." That always makes me laugh, but it's so true. Each of us has extraordinary ability and capability, but it only goes so far. There's a capacity to humanity. Our capability doesn't reach the stars...on our own. That's where God comes in. It's good news that we're not God, but when God takes His rightful place in our hearts and lives, something amazing happens: our potential is expanded exponentially. There is no limit to what God can do through a willing heart. Gifts and talents reach their full potential. Gutter-lives shift to become productive portraits of God's heart. Down-and-outers flourish into up-and-comers. Even "normal" people awaken to the handprint of God in their lives...and run into their purpose full-steam. It's not a smokescreen I'm throwing up here - I'm serious. It's not pipe-dream talk either. It's real, tangible living - the way God intended for life this side of heaven.
But it's important to note that you have to bring your natural so God can add His super. As my favorite duo Shane & Shane writes in their new album, "Bring your nothing." Remember God is a God of paradox - He can use your humble nothing better than He can use your selfish something. Look at nine out of ten superhero movies/books - when the protagonist is still a mere mortal with little to offer, there's always an event that transforms him into a hero. An oozing meteor that crashed from the depths of space, a radioactive spider that bites him, a nuclear fusion out of control. Something super has to enter the natural for the main character's purpose to hit its stride. So stop trying to bring stuff to God to impress Him - your masquerade of a perfect moral life is not getting His attention. It's the simplicity that makes Him smile - "Love God, love people." Action. God can't add His super if your natural is puffed up and selfish, swollen with your "I've finally arrived" attitude. There's no room for Him to work. The wood has already been whittled, the clay has already been shaped and set. Do yourself a favor and realize, "It can't be done." Super can't be achieved of my own strength - it takes more than me. It takes the only super we were designed to be inhabited by: God's super. Once you get it - really get it - you will realize that having superpowers is possible...just bring your natural to God's super and watch Him transform you.
"I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion or our disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love." (Galatians 5:4-6, MSG)
I could stop right there and let that verse speak for itself, but I've got itchy fingers now. In regards to religious striving vs. faith-filled action, it's important to dissect your soul and see your underlying power source. Are you drawing strength, confidence, and your identity as a believer through your encyclopedic knowledge of God, or are you drawing from who Christ is - His sovereign character, and who He says you are? Like our Pastor Steven Furtick was talking about in Part 1 of our current series "I Don't Know What I Believe," it's not necessarily about needing to rely on what I believe - sweating all the small stuff to make sure my theology is flawless - it's depending on whom I believe (2 Timothy 1:12). He will take care of the rest. The wise man built his house on the rock, remember? Hint: the rock is Jesus. The life He offers is sure, steady...proven. But the foolish man built his house on the sand. Hint: the sand is the things that diminish/overtake Jesus' rightful place in our lives, including an obsessive, unhealthy penchant for trying to figure God out, trying to get our understanding of God perfect before trusting Him.
Not to be a downer, but it's just another way we perplexingly complicate things by over-analyzing our relationship with God. There's a guy I work with who's about my age- he's handicapped by Asperger's Syndrome. He actually has an acute sense for details and an astounding memory, so he's always hungry for knowledge. Every time I see him, he spouts a barrage of questions about how God works and if I keep up with Pokemon much and if my hair was messy on purpose and if I have watched the installment of Godzilla that was made the year I was born...whew, it's fun wondering what he'll ask next. Just yesterday, he walked up to me and asked, as he often does, about God because he knows I'm a Christian. "So Shane, how do I keep from, you know, going to the 'bad place'?" I tried prying a bit more specificity out of him. "What do you mean?" He explained, "You know, how do I get on God's good side?" Many people, I would dare say the majority of the world's population, are wrestling with that same question in one way or another, whether they realize it or not. "Is God mad at me?"..."Is God toying with me?"..."There's no way I'm good enough for God to give me a second glance."..."I'm going to hell, I might as well live it up while I'm here." Fear, paranoia, feelings of inadequacy, resignation...all these and more infect the heart of humanity. I say infect because at the heart of humanity is a disease: we know we're fallen in some way or another, and we feel we are unlovable because of that brokenness. We feel like we're too much of a mess to clean up. We feel...undesirable by God.
The first answer that popped into my head was just as simple as the answer God intended to present through the Messiah Christ's life on earth: I told my friend, "Well man, it's as simple as this: Jesus said to love God and love other people." (Matthew 22:37-40) That's it? Yes! Isn't that good news?! You say, "It can't be that simple, Shane, what about all the other stuff God outlines in the Bible, the stuff He expects of us, like holiness and righteousness?" Remember, humanity is fallen and not yet restored (heaven), and the only way possible that we can be holy and righteous on this Earth is through the life and person of Christ within us, lived out through our daily lives and actions. Ah yes, back to actions. You didn't think I'd come back to that, did you? See, it all ties in together. Our Savior Jesus offers his righteousness to shine in and through us, therefore making us "righteous before God." Scripture tells us our own striving for righteousness - our striving to get God's approval, our straining to be "the best little Christian I can be" without Christ's righteousness being our soul's compass- that self-driven righteousness is like filthy rags. (Isaiah 64)
"Say what?! So what's the point of trying to be righteous, Shane? I should just do what I feel is right, what's the difference if my righteousness is like filthy rags?" That's not the point. The point is this: no matter how "good" or "perfect" of a God-follower we try to be - no matter how moral or right-standing we are - we will never be perfect in this state of humanity...not until Christ returns again and establishes heaven (reread that Scripture from Galatians I typed out above). Perfection was not meant for this side of eternity. If it were, we would all have a shot at being gods, and some of us actually might achieve that. If that were a level to be attained, we would be chiseled gods - muscular, witty, wise, and at the pinnacle of the universe. Do you know anyone who is even close to this perfection?...even the ones who are closest to God, are they truly perfect? No, everyone sins and falls short of God (Romans 3:21-26) We are not God, and that is GREAT news! Can you imagine a world full of God-posers? Wow, that would be aweful. That's why there is only one God, and Jehovah is His name.
So...actions...here's what I'm getting at: since humanity is broken, as a whole and on an individual level, we are nothing more than...natural. We can't be anything more in and of ourselves. You ever hear that expression, "I'm special...just like everyone else." That always makes me laugh, but it's so true. Each of us has extraordinary ability and capability, but it only goes so far. There's a capacity to humanity. Our capability doesn't reach the stars...on our own. That's where God comes in. It's good news that we're not God, but when God takes His rightful place in our hearts and lives, something amazing happens: our potential is expanded exponentially. There is no limit to what God can do through a willing heart. Gifts and talents reach their full potential. Gutter-lives shift to become productive portraits of God's heart. Down-and-outers flourish into up-and-comers. Even "normal" people awaken to the handprint of God in their lives...and run into their purpose full-steam. It's not a smokescreen I'm throwing up here - I'm serious. It's not pipe-dream talk either. It's real, tangible living - the way God intended for life this side of heaven.
But it's important to note that you have to bring your natural so God can add His super. As my favorite duo Shane & Shane writes in their new album, "Bring your nothing." Remember God is a God of paradox - He can use your humble nothing better than He can use your selfish something. Look at nine out of ten superhero movies/books - when the protagonist is still a mere mortal with little to offer, there's always an event that transforms him into a hero. An oozing meteor that crashed from the depths of space, a radioactive spider that bites him, a nuclear fusion out of control. Something super has to enter the natural for the main character's purpose to hit its stride. So stop trying to bring stuff to God to impress Him - your masquerade of a perfect moral life is not getting His attention. It's the simplicity that makes Him smile - "Love God, love people." Action. God can't add His super if your natural is puffed up and selfish, swollen with your "I've finally arrived" attitude. There's no room for Him to work. The wood has already been whittled, the clay has already been shaped and set. Do yourself a favor and realize, "It can't be done." Super can't be achieved of my own strength - it takes more than me. It takes the only super we were designed to be inhabited by: God's super. Once you get it - really get it - you will realize that having superpowers is possible...just bring your natural to God's super and watch Him transform you.
Monday, August 26, 2013
God, The Plan & Spiderman
Why
do bad things happen to good people, or to anyone for that matter? Innocent
people, people unable to defend themselves, people who trusted God at one time
only to feel let down by Him in the end. Villages being burned to the ground, women and children being raped and killed for no reason at all, natural disasters that destroy everything and everyone mercilessly—why does God allow such things? If He is an all-powerful, all-seeing God, why does it seem like He is indifferent to the injustices happening all around us. To face one of the hardest
questions of all time, we must turn to dissect God’s character. We must look at God
through a magnifying glass and see Him for who He really is.
Before we come to understand God’s
character, we must first come to realize one simple truth: yes, it’s a shame
that bad things happen to good people, and even that good things happen to bad
people. But remember, it is just as true
that good things happen to good people, and conversely, bad things happen to
bad people. Chew on this for a minute: we question God when terrible things happen, but do
we thank Him when good things happen? If we believe in God enough to be angry
toward Him in the bad times, it should also be within us to be grateful toward
God in the good times. “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on
the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45b) If we blame God for “not
taking action” against all the injustices of the world, and at the same time
fail to contribute all the marvelous things that are happening in the world to
Him, we have a one-legged faith—not in balance. Why? Because on one hand we are
saying God has the power to stop bad things from happening, but on the
other hand, somehow we downplay God’s active hand of blessing upon the Earth. How does that make sense? We believe in His existence enough to demand justice in the face of turmoil, yet we brush off the fact that He's "the giver of all good and perfect gifts," and even dare to attribute those gifts to man's doing or science or evolution, or any other avoidance of the divine in the latest grab bag of human ignorance. This creates an incomplete picture of God's character, leaving the canvas half-empty for us to try to understand a half-God. Of course, this theology is unbalanced, screaming with ignorance, if not bordering atheism. He's not a half-God. He really is fully capable of wiping out evil for good (Great, remember?), and He really is actively pouring His favor on humanity (Good, remember?). But like I said earlier, people most often wrestle with the question of why God doesn't make the wrong in the world right. For the answer, let's look at what's behind the question.
Long ago in a galaxy far far away (actually, it was right here on Earth, but it was pretty long ago), Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and toward the land God promised for them. Remember that story in your kiddy coloring books? If you have no clue what I'm talking about, brush up on Exodus. Let me tell ya, the most frustrating part about the story of the Israelites' redemption is how stinkin' foolish they are! No matter how many times they see the direct, unadulterated hand of God working miracles for them, literally fighting for them, they still somehow meander back into the idol-building business. Even with an over-abundance of exposure to God's helping hand, they still seek to cut their spirituality to the quick and replace God with something tangible, something easy to understand...something ultimately man-made.
Sound familiar? It should, we all do it. We're no better than the Israelites - which, when I realized this, knocked me down a couple pegs. And this is the crucial truth we can learn from the struggle of the Israelites: even if God were to personally escort us to the promised land with a pillar of fire and a huge cloud, feed us with the bread of heaven, and route nearly every enemy along the way against insurmountable odds, humanity - in its deep-rooted state of brokenness - would still eventually shake its angry fist at the Heavenly Father. Humanity's story is the spiritual equivalent of a rebellious teenager and a loving father - no matter how gracious, giving and good the father is to the teenager, the unruly teen will view his dad as the most awful person on the planet...until the teenager grows out of his hormone-clouded rebellion and comes to the truth of his father's character. If this analogy didn't work for ya, surely a superhero analogy will...what superhero analogy doesn't work?!
Sound familiar? It should, we all do it. We're no better than the Israelites - which, when I realized this, knocked me down a couple pegs. And this is the crucial truth we can learn from the struggle of the Israelites: even if God were to personally escort us to the promised land with a pillar of fire and a huge cloud, feed us with the bread of heaven, and route nearly every enemy along the way against insurmountable odds, humanity - in its deep-rooted state of brokenness - would still eventually shake its angry fist at the Heavenly Father. Humanity's story is the spiritual equivalent of a rebellious teenager and a loving father - no matter how gracious, giving and good the father is to the teenager, the unruly teen will view his dad as the most awful person on the planet...until the teenager grows out of his hormone-clouded rebellion and comes to the truth of his father's character. If this analogy didn't work for ya, surely a superhero analogy will...what superhero analogy doesn't work?!
In movies
like Spiderman, Hellboy, and the Dark Knight, the main superhero characters are always misunderstood by the civilians. Here’s how it goes down every time, never fails: the hero
performs one or several acts of bravery but stays behind the scenes, out of the lime-light; but
eventually, the hero is confronted/discovered by the public and rumors circulate—people start wanting to
spot the superhero, start daring him to make himself known by publicly
speculating his existence, basically prodding him to reveal himself. Finally
the hero is caught in the act of servitude, and for a while, the people cheer. "We love you Superman!" "We love you Batman!" Kiss the baby for the front page, keys to the city, the whole nine yards. But after awhile, the hero shows up at the scene to those same people throwing
seditious, false accusations at the superhero, often construing the righteous
acts of the hero as questionable and suspicious. I always find myself yelling
at the TV…like, full-throttle, fist in the air toward the townspeople because
I’m blown away at how clueless they must be to make ludicrous accusations
against the savior of the city. “What are you doing to my baby, you sick
freak?! “—that’s the first thing one woman says after Hellboy saves her baby
from the path of a giant monster’s destruction. “Get away from that baby!” cry
the men as they surround Hellboy threateningly. Same thing with Batman. The
Gothamites, especially the police, always want to catch the “vigilante,” even
to the point where Batman’s enemies start using the Gothamites’ spite to their
advantage. That would preach. You see, townspeople always scream for the blood of the savior, and
I never understood why. But now I finally know why: the townspeople don’t trust
the hero and his power; they are blinded by their mistrust to the point where
they don’t realize the hero only wants what’s best for them.
Humanity's expectancy of divine
action, in a way, marginalizes God’s master plan of redemption. It’s true, and I'm about to drop a Truth-bomb on ya: we have had a “superhero” view of God for
far too long. We are always waiting for God to step in and save the day, to
keep all bad things from happening. First of all, who do we think we are to
claim that we know better than God, that we know what’s best for the future of
human kind? (especially in light of a God who knows the future anyway). Second
of all, believe it or not, God stepped in and saved the day a long time ago.
The only hope for humanity’s destructive nature—for the people who cause all these
terrible things to happen—is Jesus Christ, the God-given, supreme sacrifice (as
understood by Jewish law). He is Hope incarnate, even right now. Sure we can’t physically see God, see Jesus, but if
we give Jesus a chance, He will take that opportunity to transform our
destructive humanity so we can “bear His fruit” (or in other words, develop His
character in ourselves and others through our daily lives).
So as a Christian, or a person striving for Christ’s likeness, it is our calling to awaken this realization within the hearts of mankind that humanity’s destructive nature will be vanquished by Christ’s hope one heart at a time. In light of all this, I dare say it almost seems selfish to question God’s “lack of action” toward injustice because we are only focusing on a very false and narrow view of God, one that sees Him only as a God of wrath and indifference. This selfish view squeezes God into a box we create with who we think God should be/what He should do with His power. There's a plan in place, and it's the kind of saving we really need.
So as a Christian, or a person striving for Christ’s likeness, it is our calling to awaken this realization within the hearts of mankind that humanity’s destructive nature will be vanquished by Christ’s hope one heart at a time. In light of all this, I dare say it almost seems selfish to question God’s “lack of action” toward injustice because we are only focusing on a very false and narrow view of God, one that sees Him only as a God of wrath and indifference. This selfish view squeezes God into a box we create with who we think God should be/what He should do with His power. There's a plan in place, and it's the kind of saving we really need.
God planned it all out
through the Redemptive Messiah Jesus long ago, and there would be no point to
redemption and the final judgment of mankind if God physically interceded in every situation, “saving the day” as I
called it. No, Jesus’ redemption and Day of Judgment would have no purpose
because God would have been housekeeping every bit of evil the whole time! You
see? God’s plan for redemption is much more meaningful, much more “final” than
stopping every injustice. If He did that, we would yawn at God’s power, seeing
His acts of heroism as ordinary, therefore shattering the significance of faith
in the first place...and we would maybe even come to despise God as a push-over to our every whim (then we would be the gods, right?) Even the Gothamites took Batman for granted and came to
hate him, despite his good intentions.
At the same time, I do believe God is very active in every situation of
injustice in the world. “Wait, what? Didn’t you just say…?” You see, even if
God doesn’t save the day in each situation of calamity in the world,
He does intervene…through
us! This is what I touched on earlier—we are to be Christ’s love to a broken
world. That’s why He came, and that’s why He modeled that love to us: so we
could do the same for others who suffer injustice. As cold a statement as it
may seem, good can come from evil. The village that was burned to the ground?
True Christ followers would come to their aid. The women and children that were
abused? True disciples of Christ’s heart would seek to mend their spirits. The
earthquake in Haiti? True Christ-like people would race to help the broken-hearted.
Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not saying God is some kind of sick-o who makes bad
things happen so His minions can look good doing His bidding. That’s pretty
much the opposite of reality. God weeps over injustice.
As recorded by Matthew (chapter 23, verse
37), Jesus said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone
those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as
a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” Jesus
wants to gather mankind under his warm wing, but all we do is hate Him through
our misguided philosophy that He smugly overlooks these catastrophes that
plague the Earth. If we only gave Him a chance to gather us in, we would
realize He is on our side—God is on our side! How amazing is that?! I hope we
can all grasp this concept and answer that question that has been transmitted
through society, “why do bad things happen to good people?” Like Romans 8 says, the world God made is good, but it's fallen from glory and riddled with bad things. In the end God will redeem creation and set everything back into perfect order (heaven); but until then, evil is allowed. Some people turn to God because of it, some people walk away from Him in bitterness and confusion. But I will say this: we wouldn't need cleaning if they weren't a mess. We wouldn't need saving if there were no fallenness, no injustice, no disease.
There's no pretending humanity isn't broken. There's no getting around the fact that we're in need of restoration from something outside our own means (does that drink or that porn website or that hobby take the pain away or just numb your heart to it?). We may not see the superhero in the sky, but ultimately, God is not uninvolved - He just longs to be involved through us instead of taking the cheap and easy way out by “saving the day” every time. We wouldn't need faith if He did that...we'd be spoiled rotten, just like the Israelites in the wilderness. What a privilege it is to know God decided to use us to bring hope to the hopeless instead of just taking care of every situation Himself, like some kind of cheap magic show. Did you hear what I just said? He decided to use us...we are His superheroes. More on our super powers next time...
There's no pretending humanity isn't broken. There's no getting around the fact that we're in need of restoration from something outside our own means (does that drink or that porn website or that hobby take the pain away or just numb your heart to it?). We may not see the superhero in the sky, but ultimately, God is not uninvolved - He just longs to be involved through us instead of taking the cheap and easy way out by “saving the day” every time. We wouldn't need faith if He did that...we'd be spoiled rotten, just like the Israelites in the wilderness. What a privilege it is to know God decided to use us to bring hope to the hopeless instead of just taking care of every situation Himself, like some kind of cheap magic show. Did you hear what I just said? He decided to use us...we are His superheroes. More on our super powers next time...
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Rainfall
I'm sitting here on the porch of my favorite coffee shop, my personal getaway for serenity, and it's raining. Not the pouring kind of rain, not the harsh sloppy kind. Just the light gentle kind. The kind of shower that reminds me of how rain is a pleasant thing, not just a taxing thing that makes our driveway muddy and keeps our puppies stinky. Nope, this rain is slow, cascading...it's beautiful, it's full of life. Not pressing, not forcing itself. Just...present.
As I sit here on the covered porch, I was daydreaming about the rain, all while my gaze was fixed on the shrubbery at the base of the porch. When I woke from my daydream, I realized I was staring at the shrubbery (sometimes this incognizance is embarrassing - ever wake up from a daydream and realize you've been unintentionally staring at something completely inappropriate, like someone's butt or something? Alas, thus is price of daydreaming I guess). But as I wakened to the sight of the shrubbery, I noticed something profound: the rain was affecting the shrubs. Most of the time, humans don't like the effect rain has on us - dodging puddles in our suede shoes, hoisting umbrellas so as not to look and smell like a drowned rat all day. I remember my gram used to rig a plastic bag over her freshly permed hair before venturing into the wet weather. I thought it looked funny.
We've all dodged the dewy droplets from the sky, but as I sit and watch how the shrub is affected by the rain, I'm overcome with inspiration. This is what I learned from the shrubs today:
1. The wetness may be inconvenient for us, but for them, it is essential. It is crucial. They don't mind sitting it in the least bit. In fact, they seem to enjoy it. Which leads me to the second thing I learned...
2. The shrubs' posture is affected by the water. The misty rain is too fine today to stir the plant life, but the droplets from the overhead gutter create quite the stir in the posture of the shrubbery. As each giant water drop falls onto the leaves of the bushes, they bend. They are roused. They come alive. The leaves are no longer arid, but clean. They are being shaken from their sleep to drink and be nourished. They are dancing to the feel of the drops on their skin. They are not hurt by the rain, as it may seem by their bending. For the rain brings a healthy movement, and like all creatures of our God and King, we all need a good stirring to sift out the complacencies we struggle with in this wounded world.
Now, you can imagine what daydreaming this stirred in me! This is such a direct and brazen image of our ever-unfolding life God intended for us: the rain is good, it is crucial, and it stirs us with life. Look over the course of your week, your month perhaps, and tell me: what has been your rain? What has stirred you to life? What has made your soul dance with nourishment? Leave a comment and share!
As I sit here on the covered porch, I was daydreaming about the rain, all while my gaze was fixed on the shrubbery at the base of the porch. When I woke from my daydream, I realized I was staring at the shrubbery (sometimes this incognizance is embarrassing - ever wake up from a daydream and realize you've been unintentionally staring at something completely inappropriate, like someone's butt or something? Alas, thus is price of daydreaming I guess). But as I wakened to the sight of the shrubbery, I noticed something profound: the rain was affecting the shrubs. Most of the time, humans don't like the effect rain has on us - dodging puddles in our suede shoes, hoisting umbrellas so as not to look and smell like a drowned rat all day. I remember my gram used to rig a plastic bag over her freshly permed hair before venturing into the wet weather. I thought it looked funny.
We've all dodged the dewy droplets from the sky, but as I sit and watch how the shrub is affected by the rain, I'm overcome with inspiration. This is what I learned from the shrubs today:
1. The wetness may be inconvenient for us, but for them, it is essential. It is crucial. They don't mind sitting it in the least bit. In fact, they seem to enjoy it. Which leads me to the second thing I learned...
2. The shrubs' posture is affected by the water. The misty rain is too fine today to stir the plant life, but the droplets from the overhead gutter create quite the stir in the posture of the shrubbery. As each giant water drop falls onto the leaves of the bushes, they bend. They are roused. They come alive. The leaves are no longer arid, but clean. They are being shaken from their sleep to drink and be nourished. They are dancing to the feel of the drops on their skin. They are not hurt by the rain, as it may seem by their bending. For the rain brings a healthy movement, and like all creatures of our God and King, we all need a good stirring to sift out the complacencies we struggle with in this wounded world.
Now, you can imagine what daydreaming this stirred in me! This is such a direct and brazen image of our ever-unfolding life God intended for us: the rain is good, it is crucial, and it stirs us with life. Look over the course of your week, your month perhaps, and tell me: what has been your rain? What has stirred you to life? What has made your soul dance with nourishment? Leave a comment and share!
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Ride Hard
A couple months ago, Jodi and I decided to venture through the various trilogies pop culture had embraced over the past few years. We plowed through all the epic trilogies in like a month - Lord of the Rings (extended editions, box sets...don't judge), The Matrix, Spiderman (I still think Tobey Maguire is the best), Batman (of course, Christopher Nolan's adaptation stands alone - Christian Bale is Batman)...pretty much all the superhero series' from the past 20 years. And let me tell ya, there's a lot to daydream about in watching all that. As many times as I've watched those movies, there's always something inspiring to take away from them. I'm tellin' ya, there is real substantive inspiration to be found in these epic tales, though fiction they are. Just recently, I was struck by the recollection of a certain scene in one of these movies, as it related to what my wife and I have been experiencing lately. So here's where I'll begin...
Over the past year or so, I've been applying to a lot of churches, trying to get back into vocational ministry as a worship leader. It's been disheartening. Every application, every interview has come up empty, and not for lack of ability or leadership. Jodi and I were talking about all this the other day, and we noticed something strange: recently, in the past 5 months or so, the opportunities presented to me have turned from shoo-in's to slaps in the face. Churches that seemed to be sure-thing no-brainers ended up not only deciding to walk away from me as a candidate, but also hit me with the door on my way out. The first slap in the face was Florida. There was one church there that sent the worship pastor and associate worship pastor to observe me leading at a friend's church close by. It was a tantalizing prospect - moving to the oasis of Florida, with good friends nearby. The shoreline sweet life. I thought, "This would be nice, God." So I went to lead at my friend's church, and at the same time, I would kill two birds with one stone by giving the chaps from this prospect church a taste of my leadership style. After the gathering was over, I scanned the crowded room, only to find they had left right away without even speaking to me. I had gone all that way, and they didn't give me the decency of even a good-bye - needless to say, I never heard a peep from that church again.
Then a position opened up here in Charlotte at the sister church of the one I had lead part-time in for a year. Big church, nice area, people we knew, good salary. I thought, "This would be nice, God." I was scheduled for an observation leading at their Saturday night service about 3 months in advance. It was a long three months, waiting to interview like that. Each week was filled with anticipation to get off the bench and play. Finally the week came, all the preparation and anticipation was about to climax. Then the night before, that Friday night, I received an email through the church's worship team email list that they had decided on a candidate for their new worship leader. I think the email wasn't meant to include me, but my heart simultaneously exploded with anger and sank with depletion. Battleship sunk. What an unprofessional move. After much heart-aligning and peace-seeking that Saturday morning, I ended up leading that night. They handed me a check afterward, like they never really even considered me a candidate, just a fill-in leader while they were looking.
Then there was the local church plant I got connected to through a good friend from the last church I lead part-time. It was a solid connection, and connections are half the battle in paid ministry. And that part-time experience was a church plant as well, so I would fit comfortably in this new prospect. Comfortably, but honestly, not preferably. But it was something, so I thought, "This would be nice, God." The first ten minutes of my practice with the team, there was conflict. I was like, "Really?" I lead two weeks there, and I haven't heard a word from them since - that was over a month ago.
My face is cut from all the slaps I've been dealt. But as Jodi and I were talking, something became more and more clear: God doesn't want to give us nice. You may think He's a table-scraps God, but He's not. He's a God of feast, not famine. So often, we feel like we don't deserve any more than scraps. But that's not how God rolls. You may have been burned in the past, and this concept of a good God may sting; but like so many of us, your view of God is skewed. He's a God of open arms, not clenched fists...no matter what the culture around us tells you. I would have been miserable with "nice" opportunities, and God knows that. He wants to give me, and you, more than "nice."
So I thought, "What does 'more than nice' mean for me?" And then something came to mind that I've been pushing off as impossible for a while now. We've been going to a church we absolutely love for a while now - Elevation. A friend of mine told me a long time ago that the best way to get into vocational ministry is to find a church you love first, then seek a deeper involvement from there. For so long, I've been trying to tread water by finding a church that is hiring first, then hopefully grow to love it. But it doesn't work like that, your heart will shrivel up and die first. So I did something to take a step in the Elevation direction last week - I applied to their apprenticeship program, the "Prodigy Program." Now, Elevation isn't one of those churches where it's easy to get involved on a deep level. Elevation is a church of over 12,000 people, with 8 campuses and an extremely guarded inner-core of paid involvement...and rightly so. It's a huge battle to even get positioned to where your gifts are considered for paid employment. And the apprenticeship doesn't mean you'll get hired, but it's the best stepping stone. So I applied, knowing it's an intense screening process. I know God wants to use my gifts of leadership and songwriting, but I don't know how that's all going to play out. I hope it starts at the church my wife and I love, and if I don't get accepted into the program, I honestly don't know what I'm going to do for employment...especially with a baby girl on the way.
So here's where the whole trilogy thing comes back into focus (that wasn't just a random thought to open my blog entry with). I'd been marinating on what all this means for quite some time, dressing the wounds inflicted on my face, when randomly one day recently, a moving scene from Lord of the Rings came to mind. Remember the scene where Arwen is rushing Frodo to the Elf Kingdom before he turns into a Ringwraith? Frodo had been stabbed by a Wraith, and he was fading fast. He needed the healing powers of the Elfs. Hero Aragorn charged his love, Arwen, to race him to her home Kingdom on her fastest horse, but the Ringwraiths were in chase right on her heels. I'll never forget that epic scene, Arwen flying through the pines in a race against time for Frodo's life, with death biting at her back. At one point, a stray branch from one of the pines strikes her face as she speeds past it. It leaves an instant laceration on her cheek, but her focus is so strong she hardly even reacts. That's the kind of faith I want. The extreme focus on the goal, on the promises of God that speak life to the full - in spite of the branches that cut my face on the way by.
Branch after branch has struck me right in the face as I've raced forward, but I will not lose my eye on God's purpose for my life. I will not lose heart. I will not lose aim of the hope I charge towards.
If you've not seen the movie, check out this clip and ask God to make clear what you need to focus on with such intensity as this. And I'll charge you the words Aragorn gave Arwen before she set off: "Ride hard - don't look back..."
Over the past year or so, I've been applying to a lot of churches, trying to get back into vocational ministry as a worship leader. It's been disheartening. Every application, every interview has come up empty, and not for lack of ability or leadership. Jodi and I were talking about all this the other day, and we noticed something strange: recently, in the past 5 months or so, the opportunities presented to me have turned from shoo-in's to slaps in the face. Churches that seemed to be sure-thing no-brainers ended up not only deciding to walk away from me as a candidate, but also hit me with the door on my way out. The first slap in the face was Florida. There was one church there that sent the worship pastor and associate worship pastor to observe me leading at a friend's church close by. It was a tantalizing prospect - moving to the oasis of Florida, with good friends nearby. The shoreline sweet life. I thought, "This would be nice, God." So I went to lead at my friend's church, and at the same time, I would kill two birds with one stone by giving the chaps from this prospect church a taste of my leadership style. After the gathering was over, I scanned the crowded room, only to find they had left right away without even speaking to me. I had gone all that way, and they didn't give me the decency of even a good-bye - needless to say, I never heard a peep from that church again.
Then a position opened up here in Charlotte at the sister church of the one I had lead part-time in for a year. Big church, nice area, people we knew, good salary. I thought, "This would be nice, God." I was scheduled for an observation leading at their Saturday night service about 3 months in advance. It was a long three months, waiting to interview like that. Each week was filled with anticipation to get off the bench and play. Finally the week came, all the preparation and anticipation was about to climax. Then the night before, that Friday night, I received an email through the church's worship team email list that they had decided on a candidate for their new worship leader. I think the email wasn't meant to include me, but my heart simultaneously exploded with anger and sank with depletion. Battleship sunk. What an unprofessional move. After much heart-aligning and peace-seeking that Saturday morning, I ended up leading that night. They handed me a check afterward, like they never really even considered me a candidate, just a fill-in leader while they were looking.
Then there was the local church plant I got connected to through a good friend from the last church I lead part-time. It was a solid connection, and connections are half the battle in paid ministry. And that part-time experience was a church plant as well, so I would fit comfortably in this new prospect. Comfortably, but honestly, not preferably. But it was something, so I thought, "This would be nice, God." The first ten minutes of my practice with the team, there was conflict. I was like, "Really?" I lead two weeks there, and I haven't heard a word from them since - that was over a month ago.
My face is cut from all the slaps I've been dealt. But as Jodi and I were talking, something became more and more clear: God doesn't want to give us nice. You may think He's a table-scraps God, but He's not. He's a God of feast, not famine. So often, we feel like we don't deserve any more than scraps. But that's not how God rolls. You may have been burned in the past, and this concept of a good God may sting; but like so many of us, your view of God is skewed. He's a God of open arms, not clenched fists...no matter what the culture around us tells you. I would have been miserable with "nice" opportunities, and God knows that. He wants to give me, and you, more than "nice."
So I thought, "What does 'more than nice' mean for me?" And then something came to mind that I've been pushing off as impossible for a while now. We've been going to a church we absolutely love for a while now - Elevation. A friend of mine told me a long time ago that the best way to get into vocational ministry is to find a church you love first, then seek a deeper involvement from there. For so long, I've been trying to tread water by finding a church that is hiring first, then hopefully grow to love it. But it doesn't work like that, your heart will shrivel up and die first. So I did something to take a step in the Elevation direction last week - I applied to their apprenticeship program, the "Prodigy Program." Now, Elevation isn't one of those churches where it's easy to get involved on a deep level. Elevation is a church of over 12,000 people, with 8 campuses and an extremely guarded inner-core of paid involvement...and rightly so. It's a huge battle to even get positioned to where your gifts are considered for paid employment. And the apprenticeship doesn't mean you'll get hired, but it's the best stepping stone. So I applied, knowing it's an intense screening process. I know God wants to use my gifts of leadership and songwriting, but I don't know how that's all going to play out. I hope it starts at the church my wife and I love, and if I don't get accepted into the program, I honestly don't know what I'm going to do for employment...especially with a baby girl on the way.
So here's where the whole trilogy thing comes back into focus (that wasn't just a random thought to open my blog entry with). I'd been marinating on what all this means for quite some time, dressing the wounds inflicted on my face, when randomly one day recently, a moving scene from Lord of the Rings came to mind. Remember the scene where Arwen is rushing Frodo to the Elf Kingdom before he turns into a Ringwraith? Frodo had been stabbed by a Wraith, and he was fading fast. He needed the healing powers of the Elfs. Hero Aragorn charged his love, Arwen, to race him to her home Kingdom on her fastest horse, but the Ringwraiths were in chase right on her heels. I'll never forget that epic scene, Arwen flying through the pines in a race against time for Frodo's life, with death biting at her back. At one point, a stray branch from one of the pines strikes her face as she speeds past it. It leaves an instant laceration on her cheek, but her focus is so strong she hardly even reacts. That's the kind of faith I want. The extreme focus on the goal, on the promises of God that speak life to the full - in spite of the branches that cut my face on the way by.
Branch after branch has struck me right in the face as I've raced forward, but I will not lose my eye on God's purpose for my life. I will not lose heart. I will not lose aim of the hope I charge towards.
If you've not seen the movie, check out this clip and ask God to make clear what you need to focus on with such intensity as this. And I'll charge you the words Aragorn gave Arwen before she set off: "Ride hard - don't look back..."
Saturday, August 3, 2013
The Perplexingly Complicated Complexities of Over-Analyzing, Pt. 3
So here we arrive, our hands full of Part 1 and Part 2 as we approach the precipice of the final mile of our journey...Part 3. And yet, this entry is what I intended to outline from the very beginning. In case you haven't noticed, I get caught up in my daydreams pretty easily and branch off into many and varied worth-while tangents ;)
One thing I realized a few years ago is that I was over-analyzing my spiritual walk with God. "Am I praying the right way? Is there something I missed on my do-gooder checklist, and is it keeping me from God? Have I prayed enough or thought about God enough today to be considered a good Christian?" At the bottom of my good intentions, these questions oftentimes lay in wait, and they jump at the first chance to deceive me.
In the end, the questions at the bottom of my good intentions end up leading me to resent being a Christian in the first place. "It's too hard," I'll conclude. "I end up being more anxious than anything - the 'at-peace' feeling Christianity advertises is overshadowed by its extremely weighty expectations." Deep confessions of a long-time Christian. And you know what? After years of struggling with this, one thing this heart can't shake is the feeling that this can't be the way God intended true life to taste.
The good news is, it's not.
All the straining, all the wrestling to live up to expectations I assumed God had on me, and I realized my strivings were offset by one irony: God never publicized true life as something so illusive, so impossible, yet we as humans, with our finite minds, reduce God's intentions to something we can reason. "God must expect a lot of me because I don't feel like I'm living up to who I should be." Or, "there must be a recipe to full life in Christ, and I haven't gotten it right yet, but it'll hit me someday in a flash of divine revelation." Hmmm, what a quandary...and all the while, God is holding his hand outstretched with the very life we are blind to and stretching for elsewhere.
"What are you trying to get at, Shane? Hurry up, I've got a roast in the oven." Here's the skinny: the way to true life is simple...not complicated, not illusive, not over-bearing. It's extremely and ridiculously simple.
"Well if it's simple, Shane, wouldn't I have figured it out by now?" This kind of simple is one of the only simple's I've encountered that takes going through the complexities of life before reaching the truth. Usually we start with the simple things to get to the richer, deeper things: simple things like eggs, bread and milk can be made into so many yummy recipes, from something as sweet as french toast to something as delightful as bread pudding. A paintbrush and some paint can create the finest work of art, or it can decorate a room into a lavish living space. This is the way life goes in many cases; but the irony of spirituality is that it works in reverse - we boggle our brains and rip our hearts out to understand how to be Godly and why God would love us in the first place, and when the dust settles, we see that something as simple as grace was standing there the whole time.
Jesus addressed the moral strivings of those around him by summing it all up, wrapping the simple truth neatly in an unexpected delivery:
I guess what Jesus was saying to the disciples and Pharisees alike, in a not-so-crass kinda way, was that age-old adage we so easily forget to live by: "Keep it simple, stupid." A child doesn't view their relationship with a good father burdensome or demanding. A child doesn't see their role in life as demanding and depressing. In fact, I doubt a child thinks about these things at all. What a child does focus on is having fun, living as close to their father's heart as possible, crawling onto his lap whenever possible to snuggle and be loved, and in-turn, love others with a love like the father's. (of course, I'm also speaking metaphorically about God the Father). Oh that we would keep it simple and not ruin spirituality with our penchant for complicating things.
Even the law-experts of Jesus' day knew what the simple truth was: "On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. 'Teacher,' he asked, 'what must I do to inherit eternal life?' 'What is written in the Law?' he replied. 'How do you read it?' He answered, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, love your neighbor as yourself.' 'You have answered correctly,' Jesus replied. 'Do this and you will live.' (Luke 10:25-28, emphasis added) Notice that the expert knew the answer, the fundamental purpose of humanity, and yet so many experts like himself chose to view God as a puzzle to solve. Maybe thinking, like so many of us do, "God expects a lot more than a child-like faith, how could the answer be so basic? Doesn't He want us to go 'deeper' in our knowledge of Him?" He does, but the depth of intimacy with Him comes from grasping the most basic, yet strong, roots of our faith - love God, love people. Child-like simplicity, empowered by the strength of an all-consuming God. Hand-in-glove.
So I ask you now, how do you read it? That was the question Jesus posed to the expert, and He's posing it to you this very second. Will you read God like He's unattainable, unreachable, exclusive to the ones who seem to have it all together. Or will you choose to read God like a child, one who enjoys God with your whole heart, loving Him with what you can give as you are now instead of thinking you need to be someone you assume He wants you to be before you can give anything. Stop over-complicating a God that's on your doorstep. Stop over-analyzing a Father who only wants to love on you. Come to the well. Drink fully. Enjoy the water like a child would.
One thing I realized a few years ago is that I was over-analyzing my spiritual walk with God. "Am I praying the right way? Is there something I missed on my do-gooder checklist, and is it keeping me from God? Have I prayed enough or thought about God enough today to be considered a good Christian?" At the bottom of my good intentions, these questions oftentimes lay in wait, and they jump at the first chance to deceive me.
In the end, the questions at the bottom of my good intentions end up leading me to resent being a Christian in the first place. "It's too hard," I'll conclude. "I end up being more anxious than anything - the 'at-peace' feeling Christianity advertises is overshadowed by its extremely weighty expectations." Deep confessions of a long-time Christian. And you know what? After years of struggling with this, one thing this heart can't shake is the feeling that this can't be the way God intended true life to taste.
The good news is, it's not.
All the straining, all the wrestling to live up to expectations I assumed God had on me, and I realized my strivings were offset by one irony: God never publicized true life as something so illusive, so impossible, yet we as humans, with our finite minds, reduce God's intentions to something we can reason. "God must expect a lot of me because I don't feel like I'm living up to who I should be." Or, "there must be a recipe to full life in Christ, and I haven't gotten it right yet, but it'll hit me someday in a flash of divine revelation." Hmmm, what a quandary...and all the while, God is holding his hand outstretched with the very life we are blind to and stretching for elsewhere.
"What are you trying to get at, Shane? Hurry up, I've got a roast in the oven." Here's the skinny: the way to true life is simple...not complicated, not illusive, not over-bearing. It's extremely and ridiculously simple.
"Well if it's simple, Shane, wouldn't I have figured it out by now?" This kind of simple is one of the only simple's I've encountered that takes going through the complexities of life before reaching the truth. Usually we start with the simple things to get to the richer, deeper things: simple things like eggs, bread and milk can be made into so many yummy recipes, from something as sweet as french toast to something as delightful as bread pudding. A paintbrush and some paint can create the finest work of art, or it can decorate a room into a lavish living space. This is the way life goes in many cases; but the irony of spirituality is that it works in reverse - we boggle our brains and rip our hearts out to understand how to be Godly and why God would love us in the first place, and when the dust settles, we see that something as simple as grace was standing there the whole time.
Jesus addressed the moral strivings of those around him by summing it all up, wrapping the simple truth neatly in an unexpected delivery:
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?'"
Once again, the disciples are missing the point, like so many of us often do. They are focused on figuring out how to do this Christ-following thing right, trying to reason out their salvation. Jesus surprises them with his response...
"He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.'"
Jesus totally flips everything on its head; he uses a child as an example of heart-posture. He goes against the grain of culture and uses the simplest, most innocent of things in this world - a child - to serve as a metaphor of what our faith should measure up to. Not complexities, not confusing spiritual jargon, not condemning man-made dogma, not temporary spiritual ecstasy...simple faith, like that of a child. Innocent, doe-eyed awe of God and His gifts. Excitement at the taste of His presence. Active obedience when God's fatherly voice beckons. Unadulterated joy, dancing in the shower of life God rains on us. You may be thinking, "Wow Shane, this all sounds pretty cliche and childish. What kind of maturity is in a spirituality like that?" Yeah, the Pharisees were worried about maturity too, about looking and acting the part...and in doing so, they weighed a lot of people down with false definitions of God's heart. With His next breath, Jesus went on to address those kind of people:
If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!" (Matthew 18:1-7)
I guess what Jesus was saying to the disciples and Pharisees alike, in a not-so-crass kinda way, was that age-old adage we so easily forget to live by: "Keep it simple, stupid." A child doesn't view their relationship with a good father burdensome or demanding. A child doesn't see their role in life as demanding and depressing. In fact, I doubt a child thinks about these things at all. What a child does focus on is having fun, living as close to their father's heart as possible, crawling onto his lap whenever possible to snuggle and be loved, and in-turn, love others with a love like the father's. (of course, I'm also speaking metaphorically about God the Father). Oh that we would keep it simple and not ruin spirituality with our penchant for complicating things.
Even the law-experts of Jesus' day knew what the simple truth was: "On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. 'Teacher,' he asked, 'what must I do to inherit eternal life?' 'What is written in the Law?' he replied. 'How do you read it?' He answered, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, love your neighbor as yourself.' 'You have answered correctly,' Jesus replied. 'Do this and you will live.' (Luke 10:25-28, emphasis added) Notice that the expert knew the answer, the fundamental purpose of humanity, and yet so many experts like himself chose to view God as a puzzle to solve. Maybe thinking, like so many of us do, "God expects a lot more than a child-like faith, how could the answer be so basic? Doesn't He want us to go 'deeper' in our knowledge of Him?" He does, but the depth of intimacy with Him comes from grasping the most basic, yet strong, roots of our faith - love God, love people. Child-like simplicity, empowered by the strength of an all-consuming God. Hand-in-glove.
So I ask you now, how do you read it? That was the question Jesus posed to the expert, and He's posing it to you this very second. Will you read God like He's unattainable, unreachable, exclusive to the ones who seem to have it all together. Or will you choose to read God like a child, one who enjoys God with your whole heart, loving Him with what you can give as you are now instead of thinking you need to be someone you assume He wants you to be before you can give anything. Stop over-complicating a God that's on your doorstep. Stop over-analyzing a Father who only wants to love on you. Come to the well. Drink fully. Enjoy the water like a child would.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
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)
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...
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.
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.
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