The longer I walk with Jesus the more interesting, and at times perplexing, I find this life of faith. Why is it that there are clear ‘God moments’ and then extended periods of time can go by without any visible ‘God moments’? Why is the next step clearly seen sometimes and at other times it feels like stumbling in the light of dusk? Why is it easy at times to trust and at other times worry seems to overtake us and jump on us?
Why can’t everything be clear? Why can’t there be ‘God moments’ every day? Why can’t the next step be clearly marked out and outlined with fancy lighting? Why can’t every situation be met with an obvious void of worry?
I’ve had a handful of instances in the last few weeks where the moments were clearly guided and aided by God. Some of the situations turned out in the way that I think God wanted them to turn out. A couple situations didn’t turn out so good. It is always strange how situations can clearly have Jesus’ hand upon them and yet not turn out in a way that seems like they should.
I wish that I could figure out why some of life’s steps are so clear and other steps are not easily seen. I wish I could figure out why certain moments clearly have the visible hand of God on them and other moments things are not that clear.
I bet you are the same way. I bet there are times that you have been able to clearly see the visible work of God and other times that you’ve wondered, at least to yourself, where in the world is God. I bet there have been times when you’ve known exactly what the next step was and other times where you too have sensed that you were stumbling without clear direction.
One of the conclusions I’ve come to is that if I always knew, if the path was always clear, if the voice was always clearly discernible and if life’s steps were always filled with peace, life wouldn’t be called a journey of faith. But a journey of faith is what life is. Sometimes the journey has dark and endless valleys. Other times there are incredible vistas. Unfortunately, or maybe not, we aren’t the ones who control the valleys or the vistas.
We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Friday, June 14, 2013
Jesus, Change the default charge of my heart
God revealed to the prophets of the Old Testament and the writers of the New Testament letters that the condition of the heart of man is bent towards selfishness. The propensity to be selfish is referred to as ‘sin nature.’ In Paul’s letter to the church in the city of Galatia he wrote: “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature …”
I have been thinking about this idea and the picture that came to my mind was magnets. Magnets have two poles. One pole has a ‘+’ (positive) charge and the other pole has a ‘-‘ (negative) charge. The poles of a magnet are referred to as either ‘north’ or ‘south.’
When two magnets are brought into close proximity, the magnets are either attracted to each other or repelled against each other. This depends on which charge the side of each magnet is facing. Opposite poles attract. Similar poles repel.
I imagine that my heart is like a magnet that is ‘attracted’ to the giant magnet of selfishness. By default, my heart is attracted to selfish thinking, selfish feeling and selfish prioritizing. When my heart is left without any external restraint or pressure, it will always turn towards and be attracted to ‘selfishness.’ That is a deadly condition. Paul said that my default attraction to sin and selfishness leads to death. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God … (Romans 3:23 TNIV)
This is where Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures come into play. Jesus came so that over time the default mode of my heart would cease to be ‘attracted’ to selfishness. Jesus came so that over time the default mode of my heart would be to ‘repel’ against selfishness and instead be ‘attracted’ to selflessness. Surrendering my life initially and then regularly does a work to change my default ‘charge.’
The Holy Spirit and reading, studying, memorizing and meditating on the Scripture is the means by which the default charge is changed and pressure is put upon my heart, so that I am ‘attracted’ to selflessness and ‘repelled’ against selfishness. This is why I continually talk about Jesus, about continual surrender to Him, about the work of the Holy Spirit and the need for the discipline of spending time in the Scriptures. The only hope for our condition is Jesus, the work of the Spirit and the work of the Scriptures in our heart.
What is your heart ‘attracted’ to and ‘repelled’ against? Jesus’ plan and purpose is that your heart would be repelled against selfishness and attracted to selflessness.
Jesus, change the default charge of my heart. Cause me to repel against selfishness and be attracted to selflessness. Amen!
I have been thinking about this idea and the picture that came to my mind was magnets. Magnets have two poles. One pole has a ‘+’ (positive) charge and the other pole has a ‘-‘ (negative) charge. The poles of a magnet are referred to as either ‘north’ or ‘south.’
When two magnets are brought into close proximity, the magnets are either attracted to each other or repelled against each other. This depends on which charge the side of each magnet is facing. Opposite poles attract. Similar poles repel.
I imagine that my heart is like a magnet that is ‘attracted’ to the giant magnet of selfishness. By default, my heart is attracted to selfish thinking, selfish feeling and selfish prioritizing. When my heart is left without any external restraint or pressure, it will always turn towards and be attracted to ‘selfishness.’ That is a deadly condition. Paul said that my default attraction to sin and selfishness leads to death. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God … (Romans 3:23 TNIV)
This is where Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures come into play. Jesus came so that over time the default mode of my heart would cease to be ‘attracted’ to selfishness. Jesus came so that over time the default mode of my heart would be to ‘repel’ against selfishness and instead be ‘attracted’ to selflessness. Surrendering my life initially and then regularly does a work to change my default ‘charge.’
The Holy Spirit and reading, studying, memorizing and meditating on the Scripture is the means by which the default charge is changed and pressure is put upon my heart, so that I am ‘attracted’ to selflessness and ‘repelled’ against selfishness. This is why I continually talk about Jesus, about continual surrender to Him, about the work of the Holy Spirit and the need for the discipline of spending time in the Scriptures. The only hope for our condition is Jesus, the work of the Spirit and the work of the Scriptures in our heart.
What is your heart ‘attracted’ to and ‘repelled’ against? Jesus’ plan and purpose is that your heart would be repelled against selfishness and attracted to selflessness.
Jesus, change the default charge of my heart. Cause me to repel against selfishness and be attracted to selflessness. Amen!
Monday, June 10, 2013
God will always be faithful because He is faithful!
It is not uncommon for me to talk to people who comment in one way or another about the inconsistency in their faith journey. I guess that is to be expected since I am a pastor. People make comments about their inconsistency because they are afraid that their inconsistency will impact whether God will still 'come through for them' in some area of need. The thought is 'I've not been very consistent, so I'm not sure that God will be consistent' or 'Since I've been unfaithful, God will probably also be unfaithful.'
2000 years ago, the Apostle Paul wrote to the pastor of the church in the city of Ephesus about that same fear.
The saying is trustworthy, for:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.
Notice that last line ... If we are faithless, he remains faithful--for he cannot deny himself.
God is faithful, therefore He can't be anything but faithful. When we think that He is not being faithful, it is because we don't understand the situation in the same way that He understands it.
As a parent, I don't base my decision to be faithful or consistent on my kids faithfulness. I'm not going to leave them at school at the end of the day just because they didn't finish cleaning their room. I'm not going to make them miss dinner because they didn't eat their dinner the night before. I'm not going to fail to take them to the doctor if needed because they didn't wear their coat. As a parent, those actions would be unnatural.
There may be times when, as a parent, I say 'no' to them for something they want or for something they want me to do for them. My response of 'no' may even be hinged on their behavior or misbehavior, but this would only be in the area of their wants not in the area of needs.
God may say ‘no’ to us in the area of wants, but He doesn't say ‘no’ in the area of needs. This doesn't make Him unfaithful. This reveals His wisdom.
Jesus walked on water, raised dead people, changed water into wine, calmed the storm, healed the blind and paralyzed, yet He didn't stop bad from happening, even when the bad to be stopped was against Him. He could have stopped Judas from betraying Him. He could have stopped Pilate from sentencing Him to death. He could have 'crucified' the soldiers who crucified Him.
His failure to stop 'bad' didn't make Him unfaithful. His failure to stop bad that was happening doesn't diminish the reality of His power or love. Instead, it reveals there are things He knows that we don't know. He can and does stop 'bad', but He does it when it is best.
When God acts or doesn't act, it is because He 'knows' and not because He is capriciously choosing to be faithful or not.
God will always be faithful because He is faithful!
2000 years ago, the Apostle Paul wrote to the pastor of the church in the city of Ephesus about that same fear.
The saying is trustworthy, for:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.
Notice that last line ... If we are faithless, he remains faithful--for he cannot deny himself.
God is faithful, therefore He can't be anything but faithful. When we think that He is not being faithful, it is because we don't understand the situation in the same way that He understands it.
As a parent, I don't base my decision to be faithful or consistent on my kids faithfulness. I'm not going to leave them at school at the end of the day just because they didn't finish cleaning their room. I'm not going to make them miss dinner because they didn't eat their dinner the night before. I'm not going to fail to take them to the doctor if needed because they didn't wear their coat. As a parent, those actions would be unnatural.
There may be times when, as a parent, I say 'no' to them for something they want or for something they want me to do for them. My response of 'no' may even be hinged on their behavior or misbehavior, but this would only be in the area of their wants not in the area of needs.
God may say ‘no’ to us in the area of wants, but He doesn't say ‘no’ in the area of needs. This doesn't make Him unfaithful. This reveals His wisdom.
Jesus walked on water, raised dead people, changed water into wine, calmed the storm, healed the blind and paralyzed, yet He didn't stop bad from happening, even when the bad to be stopped was against Him. He could have stopped Judas from betraying Him. He could have stopped Pilate from sentencing Him to death. He could have 'crucified' the soldiers who crucified Him.
His failure to stop 'bad' didn't make Him unfaithful. His failure to stop bad that was happening doesn't diminish the reality of His power or love. Instead, it reveals there are things He knows that we don't know. He can and does stop 'bad', but He does it when it is best.
When God acts or doesn't act, it is because He 'knows' and not because He is capriciously choosing to be faithful or not.
God will always be faithful because He is faithful!
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