We have all had those moments when life was easy and full of joy. We have also experienced episodes when life brought burdens that seemed more than we could bear. The truth is, we were never meant to bear those burdens alone. In Galatians 6:2, Paul writes, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” During the times when a person’s life become cruel and they begin to stagger under the weight, it is the responsibility of every other member of the body of Christ to swoop down and be used of God to liberate that person from the relentless heaviness that threatens to engulf their soul.
Look around you today. Who do you know that is beginning to bend beneath a load of trouble and anxiety? Who is carrying the burden of a wounded heart? Who is enduring the ache of loss? Who is stumbling as they try to persist in their pursuit of Christ? Who needs words of strength and encouragement?
Answer those questions and then answer the most important one: How can I bear their burden?
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
three words
It’s amazing how powerful three simple words can be. “I love you” provides fertile soil for a lifelong relationship to grow. “I am sorry” can restore a broken relationship. “I was wrong” can open a door for growth and learning. “We are home” can cause an explosion of joy after a long journey. “Don’t give up” can fill a discouraged heart with determination. “I am lost” can cause a man to do the unthinkable and ask for directions. “Dinner is ready” can motivate an inert teenager to suddenly move with the speed and grace of an Olympic athlete.
There is no doubt that words can have an immediate and vigorous impact, but there are three words that carry such force that all other words pale in comparison. These three words change everything. These three words bring an explosion of joy and hope within the soul. These three words give weary people the strength to carry on. These three words carry the weight of eternity. These three words allow peace to settle upon a heart filled with confusion and pain. These three words changed the course of human history. What are these three words?
Jesus…is…alive!
There is no doubt that words can have an immediate and vigorous impact, but there are three words that carry such force that all other words pale in comparison. These three words change everything. These three words bring an explosion of joy and hope within the soul. These three words give weary people the strength to carry on. These three words carry the weight of eternity. These three words allow peace to settle upon a heart filled with confusion and pain. These three words changed the course of human history. What are these three words?
Jesus…is…alive!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
the hug that saved my life
A couple of weeks ago I had an interesting experience. My youth pastor and I were preparing to leave the church office to visit someone in the hospital. As we were exiting the building, we paused briefly to inform the office staff of our anticipated whereabouts. Just then a wonderful young woman of God named Lauren Cribb stepped into the office from a door on the opposite side of the room and greeted Pastor Steve and myself. I almost walked out the door before I realized that she was walking across the office to give each of us a hug before we left. I paused for three or four seconds, collected my hug, and then we were out the door.
We walked out to my car, slid into our seats, fastened our seatbelts, started the car, and we were on our way. As we were driving, we approached an intersection that had stop signs for the cross traffic. As we neared the intersection, a car blew past the stop sign and drove halfway through the intersection before the driver realized what was happening and managed to stop the vehicle.
My first reaction was to remark about how careless the driver was and how he should really slow down on small side streets. (Okay, what I said wasn’t that nice-sounding. I probably made some comment about the driver's level of intelligence, but I have since repented.) As I was speaking, I suddenly realized that being delayed for our hug was what kept us from being in that intersection when that car ran the stop sign. So, I offer my thanks to Lauren for giving me a hug that saved my life.
Alright…I know I'm being overly dramatic. I don’t really know what would have happened to me physically if we had been in a collision with that car. I can’t say that it would have ended my life, but I’m absolutely confident that it wouldn’t have been pretty. If we had been three or four seconds farther along on our trip, he would have plowed into my driver’s side door at a high enough rate of speed that I would have been badly injured in the very least. The collision was avoided because of the time it took to receive a hug.
That got me to thinking (which in and of itself is a dangerous proposition). I began to wonder how many times God has spared me from something that would have brought me pain – whether physical or emotional – by sending someone or allowing some circumstance into my path that in one way or another helped me avoid disaster. I wonder if there have been times when my car wouldn’t start and I chalked it up to aggravating happenstance, but it was actually the mercy of God keeping me out of harm’s way. I wonder if there have times when I was frustrated by another person’s “slowness” when it was actually the hand of God steering me toward safety. I wonder if there has ever been a moment when someone cut me off in traffic and I responded with a barrage of anger directed at the driver, when it was actually God impeding my progress to keep me away from danger. I may never know, but it causes me to stop and give Him thanks for His mercy, even if there are times I am desperately unaware of it.
The flip side of the coin is this: God can use each of us to cause another person to veer out of the path of danger – whether it’s physical, emotional, or spiritual danger. What if God wants me to give someone a hug because He knows it will help remind that person that they are loved by their Creator? What if one of your friends is about to give up and God sends you with a word of encouragement to derail the locomotive of discouragement? What if someone is hurting and God sends you to be a salve of healing as you embrace them with your heart?
This is why it’s so important for us to cultivate sensitivity to the whisper of the Spirit. Listen for His voice and offer what you have to Him. It may seem small and insignificant to you, but He delights in taking things that are small and insignificant and doing marvelous miracles with them. He can use something as simple as a smile, a card, a handshake, a word of encouragement, or a hug. Whatever it is, don’t hesitate to give it away in Christ’s name. You never know…your hug might just save someone’s life.
We walked out to my car, slid into our seats, fastened our seatbelts, started the car, and we were on our way. As we were driving, we approached an intersection that had stop signs for the cross traffic. As we neared the intersection, a car blew past the stop sign and drove halfway through the intersection before the driver realized what was happening and managed to stop the vehicle.
My first reaction was to remark about how careless the driver was and how he should really slow down on small side streets. (Okay, what I said wasn’t that nice-sounding. I probably made some comment about the driver's level of intelligence, but I have since repented.) As I was speaking, I suddenly realized that being delayed for our hug was what kept us from being in that intersection when that car ran the stop sign. So, I offer my thanks to Lauren for giving me a hug that saved my life.
Alright…I know I'm being overly dramatic. I don’t really know what would have happened to me physically if we had been in a collision with that car. I can’t say that it would have ended my life, but I’m absolutely confident that it wouldn’t have been pretty. If we had been three or four seconds farther along on our trip, he would have plowed into my driver’s side door at a high enough rate of speed that I would have been badly injured in the very least. The collision was avoided because of the time it took to receive a hug.
That got me to thinking (which in and of itself is a dangerous proposition). I began to wonder how many times God has spared me from something that would have brought me pain – whether physical or emotional – by sending someone or allowing some circumstance into my path that in one way or another helped me avoid disaster. I wonder if there have been times when my car wouldn’t start and I chalked it up to aggravating happenstance, but it was actually the mercy of God keeping me out of harm’s way. I wonder if there have times when I was frustrated by another person’s “slowness” when it was actually the hand of God steering me toward safety. I wonder if there has ever been a moment when someone cut me off in traffic and I responded with a barrage of anger directed at the driver, when it was actually God impeding my progress to keep me away from danger. I may never know, but it causes me to stop and give Him thanks for His mercy, even if there are times I am desperately unaware of it.
The flip side of the coin is this: God can use each of us to cause another person to veer out of the path of danger – whether it’s physical, emotional, or spiritual danger. What if God wants me to give someone a hug because He knows it will help remind that person that they are loved by their Creator? What if one of your friends is about to give up and God sends you with a word of encouragement to derail the locomotive of discouragement? What if someone is hurting and God sends you to be a salve of healing as you embrace them with your heart?
This is why it’s so important for us to cultivate sensitivity to the whisper of the Spirit. Listen for His voice and offer what you have to Him. It may seem small and insignificant to you, but He delights in taking things that are small and insignificant and doing marvelous miracles with them. He can use something as simple as a smile, a card, a handshake, a word of encouragement, or a hug. Whatever it is, don’t hesitate to give it away in Christ’s name. You never know…your hug might just save someone’s life.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
aren't you tired?
Aren't you tired of the status quo? Aren’t you tired of just going through the motions? Aren’t you tired of hearing about the depths of God’s love, mercy, grace, and power, without ever experiencing any of those things in your life? Aren’t you tired of having your soul stirred by the Spirit of God without seeing any life-change? Aren’t you tired of chasing after the things of this world as if they will bring satisfaction to your soul? Aren’t you tired of pursuing things that wear out, get broken, or are lost or stolen? Aren’t you tired of talking about Jesus, but never talking with Him? Aren’t you tired of wearing your mask every time you come to church in order to make sure that no one sees how broken you really are inside? Aren’t you tired of carrying your burdens alone? Aren’t you tired of bearing the guilt of hearing truth, but never putting it into action? Aren’t you tired of living with that nagging feeling that your life isn’t having any eternal impact? Aren’t you tired of playing church?
I am. I’m pressing in. There’s more than this.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
the most dangerous prayer in the world
Jesus made our mission clear to us when He told us to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you” (Matthew 28:19–20, NLT). There is no doubt that we have been called by God and commissioned by Him to carry the message of the cross of Christ to the entire world.
That idea, however, can be a bit overwhelming. How can we possibly do that? There are so many people in the world, so how can we possibly hope to even make a dent in the task of making disciples of all nations? Jesus answered that question in Acts 1:8 when He told His disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8 (NLT).
When Jesus said this to his followers, they were in Jerusalem. He was saying, “I want you to start at home.” God wants us to start with the people closest to you, right here in your own community. Then he said to go to Judea and Samaria. He broadens the scope to a larger area geographically, but the Samaritans were different culturally and racially. God wants us to go to people who are different from us. Then he said, “I want you to go to the ends of the earth.”
God is building a family of people who love and trust Him that are going to spend eternity with Him. He wants family members from every nation. One day all believers are going to be gathered together in heaven. This is not mission impossible; this is mission inevitable. It’s going to happen. That has been God’s plan all along.
Here’s the amazing part: God has chosen us to complete the mission. God wants us to finish the mission that Jesus Christ started when He came to earth. Being on this mission is the greatest privilege we’ll ever be given. We have the privilege to be in on making history, that’s what it is all about.
Love demands I move beyond my comfort zone to people with different background, different education, different language, and different economics. Our mission has such eternal consequences, heaven and hell, that we must be willing to risk anything to get the message out. If I had the cure for cancer, I can tell you for certain that I would be shouting it on the street. I would do whatever was necessary to make sure that everyone knew. It would be criminal to keep it a secret. The truth is that I have something even more important than that – the way to eternal life. Somebody cared enough to tell me; I’ve got to be caring enough to tell others.
The question for us is: Is anybody going to be in heaven because of me? When you get to heaven, is anyone going to say thank you for telling me the Good News? In the next 365 days, 2.4 million Americans will die, and most of them will go into eternity without Jesus Christ. In the next 365 days, 54 million people in the world will die, and most of them will go into eternity without Jesus Christ. If we care, we must share.
There are four possible responses to the call of God to fulfill his purpose in your time. You can respond like Moses and say, “Who me?” You can respond like Jonah and say, “Not me.” You can respond like Habakkuk and say, “Why me?” Or you can respond like Isaiah and say, “Send me.” Acts 13:38 says that “David served God’s purposes in his own time.” My prayer is that we will serve God’s purpose in our time. I can’t think of a better thing to have on your tombstone. Here’s the test to know if you have completed your mission or not: Are you still alive? If you’re still alive, your mission is not completed. There is nothing more important than doing what God put us on earth to do.
The most dangerous prayer you can pray is “I surrender to you, God…use me.” I dare you to say it. It will change your life. Place your life in his hand, even if you think you have nothing to offer. Little becomes much when you place it in the Master’s hand.
That idea, however, can be a bit overwhelming. How can we possibly do that? There are so many people in the world, so how can we possibly hope to even make a dent in the task of making disciples of all nations? Jesus answered that question in Acts 1:8 when He told His disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8 (NLT).
When Jesus said this to his followers, they were in Jerusalem. He was saying, “I want you to start at home.” God wants us to start with the people closest to you, right here in your own community. Then he said to go to Judea and Samaria. He broadens the scope to a larger area geographically, but the Samaritans were different culturally and racially. God wants us to go to people who are different from us. Then he said, “I want you to go to the ends of the earth.”
God is building a family of people who love and trust Him that are going to spend eternity with Him. He wants family members from every nation. One day all believers are going to be gathered together in heaven. This is not mission impossible; this is mission inevitable. It’s going to happen. That has been God’s plan all along.
Here’s the amazing part: God has chosen us to complete the mission. God wants us to finish the mission that Jesus Christ started when He came to earth. Being on this mission is the greatest privilege we’ll ever be given. We have the privilege to be in on making history, that’s what it is all about.
Love demands I move beyond my comfort zone to people with different background, different education, different language, and different economics. Our mission has such eternal consequences, heaven and hell, that we must be willing to risk anything to get the message out. If I had the cure for cancer, I can tell you for certain that I would be shouting it on the street. I would do whatever was necessary to make sure that everyone knew. It would be criminal to keep it a secret. The truth is that I have something even more important than that – the way to eternal life. Somebody cared enough to tell me; I’ve got to be caring enough to tell others.
The question for us is: Is anybody going to be in heaven because of me? When you get to heaven, is anyone going to say thank you for telling me the Good News? In the next 365 days, 2.4 million Americans will die, and most of them will go into eternity without Jesus Christ. In the next 365 days, 54 million people in the world will die, and most of them will go into eternity without Jesus Christ. If we care, we must share.
There are four possible responses to the call of God to fulfill his purpose in your time. You can respond like Moses and say, “Who me?” You can respond like Jonah and say, “Not me.” You can respond like Habakkuk and say, “Why me?” Or you can respond like Isaiah and say, “Send me.” Acts 13:38 says that “David served God’s purposes in his own time.” My prayer is that we will serve God’s purpose in our time. I can’t think of a better thing to have on your tombstone. Here’s the test to know if you have completed your mission or not: Are you still alive? If you’re still alive, your mission is not completed. There is nothing more important than doing what God put us on earth to do.
The most dangerous prayer you can pray is “I surrender to you, God…use me.” I dare you to say it. It will change your life. Place your life in his hand, even if you think you have nothing to offer. Little becomes much when you place it in the Master’s hand.
Monday, January 3, 2011
pressing forward
We are living in an amazing day! As we stand on the verge of another new year and look back even at the past two hundred years, we realize that we have been witness to some of the greatest (and fastest) changes in the history of the world. One hundred years ago it was unthinkable that we could travel at the speed of sound, put a man on the moon, make popcorn in seconds, and carry a library full of books on your phone. Seeing how things have changed, it’s actually comical to look back at what some people were saying about “new” technologies that have become commonplace today. Listen to what some were saying.
While the people who said these things were most assuredly intelligent, well educated men, they were not visionaries. They had a small view of the future. Too often, the church falls under the same spell as these men. We have a small view of the future. Our past can easily cloud our view of the future and make it difficult to believe that there are greater things on the horizon. The words of Paul speak directly to us about this.
Philippians 3:13–14 (NLT) - I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Paul had a laser-like focus. His goal was to forget the past and press on toward the future. Paul had made plenty of mistakes in his past. He was well acquainted with sin. In fact, at one point in time he declared that he was the chief of sinners. He was full of arrogance. He had actively hunted down and persecuted Christians. He had even gone so far as participating in the brutal murder of Stephen. Paul, however, was not going to let that stand in the way of God’s plan for his life. He had found the grace of God that was greater than all of his sins and he was determined to walk in that grace instead of any sort of self-imposed penance.
But that’s not all Paul was leaving behind. The interesting thing about Paul is that there were parts of his past that would make any man proud. He had a wonderful family lineage that would capture the respect and admiration of any first century Hebrew. He was a very learned man. He had chosen early on in life to make every effort to follow the God of Israel and observed Jewish religious laws astutely. Paul knew that all of his past accomplishments actually stood in the way of becoming all that God wanted him to be. He laid aside all of his past successes so they wouldn’t blind him to his great need for Jesus and to the future God had planned for his life.
Paul wasted no time dwelling on the past. Instead, he focused all of his attention on the greater blessings that were yet to come. He wasn’t imprisoned by the sins of his past, nor was he satisfied with the accomplishments and accolades of days gone by. He knew that as long has he drew breath on this planet that God had something more for him and he was single-minded in his pursuit of Christ.
As we head into a new year, let’s take our cue from Paul. Let’s refuse to give the past our time, attention, and energy. God has great plans for the future, but if we’re living in the past we’ll never experience the glories of His future. Let’s press forward and grab hold of everything He has set before us. As we do, all I can say is, “Look out 2011! Here we come!”
“What can be more palpably absurd than the prospect held out of locomotives traveling twice as fast as stagecoaches?”
(The Quarterly Review, 1825)
“While theoretically and technically television may be feasible, commercially and financially, I consider it an impossibility, a development of which we need not waste time dreaming.”
(Lee Deforest, scientist and inventor, 1926)
“As a means of rapid transit, aerial navigation could not
“As a means of rapid transit, aerial navigation could not
begin to compete with the railroad.”
(William Baxter, Jr., Popular Science, 1901)
“The ordinary ‘horseless carriage’ is at present a luxury for the wealthy; and although its price will probably fall in the near future, it will never, of course, come into as common use as the bicycle.”
“The ordinary ‘horseless carriage’ is at present a luxury for the wealthy; and although its price will probably fall in the near future, it will never, of course, come into as common use as the bicycle.”
(The Literary Digest, 1889)
While the people who said these things were most assuredly intelligent, well educated men, they were not visionaries. They had a small view of the future. Too often, the church falls under the same spell as these men. We have a small view of the future. Our past can easily cloud our view of the future and make it difficult to believe that there are greater things on the horizon. The words of Paul speak directly to us about this.
Philippians 3:13–14 (NLT) - I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Paul had a laser-like focus. His goal was to forget the past and press on toward the future. Paul had made plenty of mistakes in his past. He was well acquainted with sin. In fact, at one point in time he declared that he was the chief of sinners. He was full of arrogance. He had actively hunted down and persecuted Christians. He had even gone so far as participating in the brutal murder of Stephen. Paul, however, was not going to let that stand in the way of God’s plan for his life. He had found the grace of God that was greater than all of his sins and he was determined to walk in that grace instead of any sort of self-imposed penance.
But that’s not all Paul was leaving behind. The interesting thing about Paul is that there were parts of his past that would make any man proud. He had a wonderful family lineage that would capture the respect and admiration of any first century Hebrew. He was a very learned man. He had chosen early on in life to make every effort to follow the God of Israel and observed Jewish religious laws astutely. Paul knew that all of his past accomplishments actually stood in the way of becoming all that God wanted him to be. He laid aside all of his past successes so they wouldn’t blind him to his great need for Jesus and to the future God had planned for his life.
Paul wasted no time dwelling on the past. Instead, he focused all of his attention on the greater blessings that were yet to come. He wasn’t imprisoned by the sins of his past, nor was he satisfied with the accomplishments and accolades of days gone by. He knew that as long has he drew breath on this planet that God had something more for him and he was single-minded in his pursuit of Christ.
As we head into a new year, let’s take our cue from Paul. Let’s refuse to give the past our time, attention, and energy. God has great plans for the future, but if we’re living in the past we’ll never experience the glories of His future. Let’s press forward and grab hold of everything He has set before us. As we do, all I can say is, “Look out 2011! Here we come!”
Friday, December 31, 2010
the perfect gift
What is your favorite Christmas memory? No doubt that question causes a flood of memories from days gone by to fill your mind. Most of us recall the simpler days of youth when Christmas meant you got a vacation from school and Christmas presents (hopefully lots of them). Those were the days when your greatest worry was that the package you were excitedly tearing into would contain something horribly unsatisfying like underwear. I mean, really, who gives underwear for Christmas? (Yes, I did receive underwear for Christmas…more than once…but I’m getting counseling.)
In spite of the seemingly irresistible urge by some family members to inundate me with undergarments, I have many wonderful memories of Christmas past. I remember the year that I found my parent’s stash of gifts that they had hidden in their closet. I went back several times trying to figure out which gifts belonged to me. (By the way, I did an excellent job of acting surprised when I opened the gifts on Christmas day.) I recall the many sleepless Christmas Eve nights listening to the radio as they “tracked” Santa flying around the globe. It was so hard to sleep knowing that in a few hours I was going to open the gifts that had relentlessly taunted me with their existence for weeks. I remember waking up ridiculously early every Christmas morning and doing all that I could to wake my parents gently so as not to start the day by incurring the wrath of sleep-deprived progenitors. I remember the torture of our family’s tradition of taking turns to open gifts so that everyone could see what everyone else got. Let me be honest, I didn’t much care about what my brothers and sister got for Christmas. I only wanted to know what was in my Christmas packages. It was agony waiting for my turn to come around again, but it was good for me.
I’ll never forget the year our family Christmas tree had become a bit dilapidated and needed a little help to stand up straight. My dad, being the resourceful man that he is, grabbed a present and put it between the wall and the tree to force it into a fully upright position. The thing is, nobody knew what he had done and on Christmas morning he forgot it was there. A few days later, we kids noticed the resplendent radiance of another Christmas present shimmering through the sparse branches of the decrepit tree. We pulled it out and, low and behold, it had my name on it. I was honestly afraid that my parents were going to make me wait until the next Christmas to open it. I mean, it’s against the law to open Christmas gifts on any other day than Christmas, right? But, to my pleasant surprise and immense relief, my parents let me open it. It was like Christmas all over again…at least for me. That was a great year.
As I grew older, Christmas started to change for me. After I got my first job working at Sonic Drive-In (love the onion rings), I had the resources to actually buy gifts for people, so my older brother and I decided that we would purchase a microwave together for our mom. Today, microwave ovens are cheap and considered to be an indispensable tool in the kitchen, but in those days they were a bit of a luxury item and, due to the fact that it was a relatively new technology, they were very expensive. My brother and I bought our mom a top-of-the-line microwave that cost us nearly $450. On Christmas morning, we covered it with a blanket, carried it into the living room, and, after a short speech, we unveiled it for her. I remember it as if it happened yesterday. My mom looked at the gift and started crying. She couldn’t believe it. That year changed everything for me. That was the year that I discovered the truth in the words attributed to Jesus in Acts 20:35 when He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” That was the year that I discovered that the joy of Christmas is found in giving, not receiving.
Christmas is a celebration of the fact that God, out of His heart of love, gave His Son, Jesus, to redeem us from the clutches of sin. Christmas is a celebration of the fact that the Father gives us life instead of the death that we so richly deserve. Christmas is a time for us to respond to God’s generosity by being generous with others. Christmas is a time for us to give because we have received. But most of all, Christmas is a time for us to respond to God’s great gift in the only way that makes any sense – by giving ourselves to Him. Paul said it like this:
Romans 12:1 (NLT) - And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
So, as you “hustle and bustle” your way through this Christmas season searching for the perfect gifts to give to the people you love, don’t forget the One who has been supernaturally generous with you. You have within your power to give Him the perfect gift. The one thing Jesus really wants for Christmas is you. As far as He is concerned, that’s the perfect gift.
In spite of the seemingly irresistible urge by some family members to inundate me with undergarments, I have many wonderful memories of Christmas past. I remember the year that I found my parent’s stash of gifts that they had hidden in their closet. I went back several times trying to figure out which gifts belonged to me. (By the way, I did an excellent job of acting surprised when I opened the gifts on Christmas day.) I recall the many sleepless Christmas Eve nights listening to the radio as they “tracked” Santa flying around the globe. It was so hard to sleep knowing that in a few hours I was going to open the gifts that had relentlessly taunted me with their existence for weeks. I remember waking up ridiculously early every Christmas morning and doing all that I could to wake my parents gently so as not to start the day by incurring the wrath of sleep-deprived progenitors. I remember the torture of our family’s tradition of taking turns to open gifts so that everyone could see what everyone else got. Let me be honest, I didn’t much care about what my brothers and sister got for Christmas. I only wanted to know what was in my Christmas packages. It was agony waiting for my turn to come around again, but it was good for me.
I’ll never forget the year our family Christmas tree had become a bit dilapidated and needed a little help to stand up straight. My dad, being the resourceful man that he is, grabbed a present and put it between the wall and the tree to force it into a fully upright position. The thing is, nobody knew what he had done and on Christmas morning he forgot it was there. A few days later, we kids noticed the resplendent radiance of another Christmas present shimmering through the sparse branches of the decrepit tree. We pulled it out and, low and behold, it had my name on it. I was honestly afraid that my parents were going to make me wait until the next Christmas to open it. I mean, it’s against the law to open Christmas gifts on any other day than Christmas, right? But, to my pleasant surprise and immense relief, my parents let me open it. It was like Christmas all over again…at least for me. That was a great year.
As I grew older, Christmas started to change for me. After I got my first job working at Sonic Drive-In (love the onion rings), I had the resources to actually buy gifts for people, so my older brother and I decided that we would purchase a microwave together for our mom. Today, microwave ovens are cheap and considered to be an indispensable tool in the kitchen, but in those days they were a bit of a luxury item and, due to the fact that it was a relatively new technology, they were very expensive. My brother and I bought our mom a top-of-the-line microwave that cost us nearly $450. On Christmas morning, we covered it with a blanket, carried it into the living room, and, after a short speech, we unveiled it for her. I remember it as if it happened yesterday. My mom looked at the gift and started crying. She couldn’t believe it. That year changed everything for me. That was the year that I discovered the truth in the words attributed to Jesus in Acts 20:35 when He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” That was the year that I discovered that the joy of Christmas is found in giving, not receiving.
Christmas is a celebration of the fact that God, out of His heart of love, gave His Son, Jesus, to redeem us from the clutches of sin. Christmas is a celebration of the fact that the Father gives us life instead of the death that we so richly deserve. Christmas is a time for us to respond to God’s generosity by being generous with others. Christmas is a time for us to give because we have received. But most of all, Christmas is a time for us to respond to God’s great gift in the only way that makes any sense – by giving ourselves to Him. Paul said it like this:
Romans 12:1 (NLT) - And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
So, as you “hustle and bustle” your way through this Christmas season searching for the perfect gifts to give to the people you love, don’t forget the One who has been supernaturally generous with you. You have within your power to give Him the perfect gift. The one thing Jesus really wants for Christmas is you. As far as He is concerned, that’s the perfect gift.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
dive in
A couple of weeks ago my family and I went to the beach. It was a hot day and the idea of playing in the water was quite appealing, so we loaded up the car and headed out for some sun and surf. After we arrived at the beach and transported enough equipment and survival supplies to set up a base camp that could serve a small army, it was finally time to get down to the business of having some fun. We excitedly waded out into the waves and proceeded to have one of the most fun-filled, joy-saturated times that we have had as a family in a long time. (The only drawback came within the next 24 hours as I discovered that there is an excellent reason why they invented sunscreen.)
The interesting thing is that I almost missed out on all of it. When the time came to actually go into the water I was faced with the decision to dive in with my girls or sit on the shore and watch everyone else have fun. The reason I hesitated was because I knew that the time had come to take my shirt off. Now, my struggle wasn’t moral. I’m not a prude and I seriously don’t think that taking my shirt off would cause anyone to struggle with lustful thoughts (insert joke here). My struggle was with pride. You see, the unfortunate side effect of working in an office was that my back and chest hadn’t seen the sun since the days when the Dead Sea was only sick. The beach was extremely crowded that day and I knew that I would probably burn a few retinas or possibly cause the creation of a new cult as people witnessed the “glowing entity” that came up out of the water. I knew that there would be people making snide comments about the man with paste-colored skin who showed up at the beach. Ultimately, I decided that diving in and making a memory with my family was worth a lot more than the opinions of people that I don’t know and will likely never see again. I’m glad I did.
Later, as I thought about that day, it occurred to me that there are similar moments that we face as followers of Christ. Think about it…we stand on the shore looking out over our Father’s vast ocean of grace, mercy, love, and power. We are faced with a decision as to whether or not we are going to stand on the shore as a spectator, or dive in and discover the fullness of joy that is found in Him. I think what keeps us from diving into His ocean is usually the same thing that nearly kept me from enjoying our day at the beach – pride. If we want to dive into to the sea of His love and grace, we have to take off the mask that’s hiding what’s underneath. We have to expose the parts of us that we spend so much time and effort trying to hide from everyone else.
For example, maybe you go to church and you’re dying inside – maybe some sin has eaten your lunch the past week, maybe you’re emotionally spent and battling depression, maybe your marriage is falling apart and no one knows, maybe you just feel far from God and you don’t even know why. You know that you need to dive into Jesus and find strength in the Holy Spirit, but in order to avoid embarrassment you don’t enter into worship, you don’t ask for prayer, and you don’t respond to the voice of God as He beckons you to come close to Him during the altar call.
Maybe it’s time to stop thinking about what everyone else thinks and just dive in. Maybe it’s time to stop worrying about what people will say and throw yourself onto His altar in absolute surrender. Maybe it’s time to stop swimming in the “kiddie” pool and jump into the deep waters of God. Maybe it’s time to discover the healing that only He can bring to the broken soul that relentlessly pursues intimacy with Christ. Maybe it’s time to stop playing church and start being the church. Maybe it’s time to experience the unspeakable joy of reckless abandonment to God.
On the day of our family’s trip to the beach, it only took about three seconds before I forgot about what others may have been thinking or saying. The joy I experienced assured me that I had made the right choice. If you’ve been standing on the shore in your relationship with Jesus, all I can say is, “Dive in!” You won’t be sorry.
The interesting thing is that I almost missed out on all of it. When the time came to actually go into the water I was faced with the decision to dive in with my girls or sit on the shore and watch everyone else have fun. The reason I hesitated was because I knew that the time had come to take my shirt off. Now, my struggle wasn’t moral. I’m not a prude and I seriously don’t think that taking my shirt off would cause anyone to struggle with lustful thoughts (insert joke here). My struggle was with pride. You see, the unfortunate side effect of working in an office was that my back and chest hadn’t seen the sun since the days when the Dead Sea was only sick. The beach was extremely crowded that day and I knew that I would probably burn a few retinas or possibly cause the creation of a new cult as people witnessed the “glowing entity” that came up out of the water. I knew that there would be people making snide comments about the man with paste-colored skin who showed up at the beach. Ultimately, I decided that diving in and making a memory with my family was worth a lot more than the opinions of people that I don’t know and will likely never see again. I’m glad I did.
Later, as I thought about that day, it occurred to me that there are similar moments that we face as followers of Christ. Think about it…we stand on the shore looking out over our Father’s vast ocean of grace, mercy, love, and power. We are faced with a decision as to whether or not we are going to stand on the shore as a spectator, or dive in and discover the fullness of joy that is found in Him. I think what keeps us from diving into His ocean is usually the same thing that nearly kept me from enjoying our day at the beach – pride. If we want to dive into to the sea of His love and grace, we have to take off the mask that’s hiding what’s underneath. We have to expose the parts of us that we spend so much time and effort trying to hide from everyone else.
For example, maybe you go to church and you’re dying inside – maybe some sin has eaten your lunch the past week, maybe you’re emotionally spent and battling depression, maybe your marriage is falling apart and no one knows, maybe you just feel far from God and you don’t even know why. You know that you need to dive into Jesus and find strength in the Holy Spirit, but in order to avoid embarrassment you don’t enter into worship, you don’t ask for prayer, and you don’t respond to the voice of God as He beckons you to come close to Him during the altar call.
Maybe it’s time to stop thinking about what everyone else thinks and just dive in. Maybe it’s time to stop worrying about what people will say and throw yourself onto His altar in absolute surrender. Maybe it’s time to stop swimming in the “kiddie” pool and jump into the deep waters of God. Maybe it’s time to discover the healing that only He can bring to the broken soul that relentlessly pursues intimacy with Christ. Maybe it’s time to stop playing church and start being the church. Maybe it’s time to experience the unspeakable joy of reckless abandonment to God.
On the day of our family’s trip to the beach, it only took about three seconds before I forgot about what others may have been thinking or saying. The joy I experienced assured me that I had made the right choice. If you’ve been standing on the shore in your relationship with Jesus, all I can say is, “Dive in!” You won’t be sorry.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
first love
Someone once wrote, “Love is a many splendored thing.” Human beings are obsessed with love – rightfully so. Love is completely intangible, yet supremely indispensible. Love is nearly impossible to define, yet most of us can’t imagine an existence devoid of it. It frustrates us and fulfills us at the same time. It fills our stomachs with butterflies and, at times, injects our hearts with pain. Yet, in spite of heartache, we still search for enduring love. We write songs about love, make movies about love, and read books about love. Love truly is vital for us to flourish as people.
Many of us have been found by Christ and have tasted the love of God – a love that quenches a profound yearning for intimacy and purpose deep in our souls. Most of us can remember the moment our eyes were opened to the love that Jesus was offering to us. Maybe you were in church and you heard a message about the love of God that paid for your sins and you were suddenly struck with the realization that you needed the forgiveness that this love offered. Maybe you were at home and the words of a friend or family member finally soaked in and the barriers that you had built suddenly began crumbling under the realization that God loved you in spite of all that you had done. Maybe you were driving in your car and you heard a stranger’s voice declaring the immeasurable love of Jesus through the airwaves and as the Holy Spirit enlightened your heart you surrendered to His unspeakable grace. Wherever you were, you probably remember the immense joy and indescribable love that swamped your soul and engulfed your life.
The funny thing about love, though, is that in spite of the fact that it is vital for our existence, we so easily begin to take it for granted. It happens all the time with married couples. A man pursues, woos, and romances the woman of his dreams until she finally capitulates and agrees to marry him. Most of the time, men don’t do a very good job of keeping that romance going. After a time, the same man that went out of his way to court the woman he married will begin to take her love for granted. Unfortunately, the same is true of us as lovers of Jesus. Most of us experience incredible love and gratitude toward Jesus when we first meet Him, but too often after a few years the fire of that love grows cold. If many of us were to examine our hearts closely, we might find that we have directed our love and our passion away from the things that really matter in life and toward things that are fleeting. In particular, many of us would discover that we have grown to love other things more than we love Jesus…and I hope that discovery would break your heart.
That’s what happened to the church in Ephesus when its members were forced to realize that they had lost their first love. In Revelation 2, Jesus commends them for their works, their endurance, and their doctrine. On the heels of that commendation He says, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” They had done all the right things, but had forgotten why they were doing them. Jesus offered a prescription to them for rediscovering what they had lost. In Revelation 2:5, Jesus said, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.”
The pathway to rediscovering your first love of Jesus starts with remembering. Remember where you used to be. Remember who you used to be. Remember what Christ saved you from. Remember what it was like to know that you had been forgiven. Remember the indescribable emotions that flooded your heart after you met the Savior. Remember all of those things and let those memories give birth to a longing to return to your first love – Jesus. After you remember, the next step is to repent. Repentance literally means “a change of mind.” To repent means that you change your mind about what’s important to you and you change your mind about what you will pursue with your time, energy, and money. You begin to agree with God about where you are as a person and ask Him to change your heart. That change of mind leads to a change of action and you “do the works you did at first.”
There are plenty of things that we need to do as a church, but the most important thing we can do is fall in love with Jesus all over again. Let’s pursue our relationship with Him. Let’s chase after the things that bring joy to His heart. Let’s fall in love with Jesus again.
Many of us have been found by Christ and have tasted the love of God – a love that quenches a profound yearning for intimacy and purpose deep in our souls. Most of us can remember the moment our eyes were opened to the love that Jesus was offering to us. Maybe you were in church and you heard a message about the love of God that paid for your sins and you were suddenly struck with the realization that you needed the forgiveness that this love offered. Maybe you were at home and the words of a friend or family member finally soaked in and the barriers that you had built suddenly began crumbling under the realization that God loved you in spite of all that you had done. Maybe you were driving in your car and you heard a stranger’s voice declaring the immeasurable love of Jesus through the airwaves and as the Holy Spirit enlightened your heart you surrendered to His unspeakable grace. Wherever you were, you probably remember the immense joy and indescribable love that swamped your soul and engulfed your life.
The funny thing about love, though, is that in spite of the fact that it is vital for our existence, we so easily begin to take it for granted. It happens all the time with married couples. A man pursues, woos, and romances the woman of his dreams until she finally capitulates and agrees to marry him. Most of the time, men don’t do a very good job of keeping that romance going. After a time, the same man that went out of his way to court the woman he married will begin to take her love for granted. Unfortunately, the same is true of us as lovers of Jesus. Most of us experience incredible love and gratitude toward Jesus when we first meet Him, but too often after a few years the fire of that love grows cold. If many of us were to examine our hearts closely, we might find that we have directed our love and our passion away from the things that really matter in life and toward things that are fleeting. In particular, many of us would discover that we have grown to love other things more than we love Jesus…and I hope that discovery would break your heart.
That’s what happened to the church in Ephesus when its members were forced to realize that they had lost their first love. In Revelation 2, Jesus commends them for their works, their endurance, and their doctrine. On the heels of that commendation He says, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” They had done all the right things, but had forgotten why they were doing them. Jesus offered a prescription to them for rediscovering what they had lost. In Revelation 2:5, Jesus said, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.”
The pathway to rediscovering your first love of Jesus starts with remembering. Remember where you used to be. Remember who you used to be. Remember what Christ saved you from. Remember what it was like to know that you had been forgiven. Remember the indescribable emotions that flooded your heart after you met the Savior. Remember all of those things and let those memories give birth to a longing to return to your first love – Jesus. After you remember, the next step is to repent. Repentance literally means “a change of mind.” To repent means that you change your mind about what’s important to you and you change your mind about what you will pursue with your time, energy, and money. You begin to agree with God about where you are as a person and ask Him to change your heart. That change of mind leads to a change of action and you “do the works you did at first.”
There are plenty of things that we need to do as a church, but the most important thing we can do is fall in love with Jesus all over again. Let’s pursue our relationship with Him. Let’s chase after the things that bring joy to His heart. Let’s fall in love with Jesus again.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
sing
I love being a dad. I mean, I absolutely love it. Granted, there are a few parts of parenting that aren’t much fun. When your child is very young, you have to do terribly nasty things like change poopy diapers. (I never imagined that I would ever use the word “poopy” in a blog post…I feel strangely proud.) There are nights when you’re required to get up in the middle of the night to clean up after an upset stomach finds relief…not fun. Neither is it enjoyable to deal with the drama that often follows when you tell a four-year-old, “No.” Doling out discipline is torturous. I now understand what my parents meant when they said absurd things like, “This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you.” When my dad said something like that I always wanted to knowingly nod my head and reply, “I understand. Don’t put yourself through it.” Fortunately, even as a child I had a modicum of wisdom that helped me resist the urge to say something that would surely have caused me even greater pain that I was about to endure. On top of these things, I cringe in fear when I think of the horrors that await me as a future dad of teenage girls, but I digress.
While it’s true that there are difficult, messy, and painful responsibilities that I have to tend to as a dad, the weight of those things is nothing compared to the joy that I find. Nothing this world has to offer can compare to those moments when one of my girls walks up to me and gives me a kiss, not because she wants something from me, but just because she loves me. Deep pleasure wells up inside my heart when I hear my girls laughing and giggling as they play. My soul feels warm when my girls want to cuddle with me on the sofa as the day is winding down. My life as a dad is absolutely filled with joy.
One of the greatest of these joys is when my daughters and I share our love of music. My girls love to sing and dance. In our house, it is not uncommon to be treated to an impromptu dance recital or a spontaneous vocal performance filled with songs, some of which are recognizable and others that are born out of the moment. I love to hear my girls sing. When we are driving in the car, I love to crank up one of our favorite songs and we sing together at the top of our lungs. The notes aren’t always in tune (for you American Idol fans, “That was a little pitchy, dog.”), but I don’t care. When my little girls sing, Daddy’s heart melts.
I believe that when we sing to our God and willingly lavish our love on Him He is pleased. As our Heavenly Father, His love for us knows no bounds and His heart is filled with joy when He hears his children sing. Listen to just a little of what the Bible says about singing to the Lord.
1 Chronicles 16:23–25 (ESV) - Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be held in awe above all gods.
Psalm 13:6 (ESV) - I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Psalm 59:16–17 (ESV) - But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.
Psalm 95:1–3 (ESV) - Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
Isaiah 5:1 (ESV) - Let me sing for my beloved my love song…
Zechariah 2:10 (ESV) - Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord.
This is just a tiny sampling of literally hundreds of verses that tell us to sing to our God. Don’t let it be mere cognitive knowledge. Let it sink into your heart and put it into action. Sing to Him! Let your heart overflow with love! Don’t hold back! Don’t let anything stop you! You’re singing for an audience of one, and He doesn’t care if it’s “pitchy.” Your song of love for Him brings joy beyond measure to His heart. So, open your mouth wide, throw your shoulders back, and sing with all the intensity you can muster! Your Father will love it.
While it’s true that there are difficult, messy, and painful responsibilities that I have to tend to as a dad, the weight of those things is nothing compared to the joy that I find. Nothing this world has to offer can compare to those moments when one of my girls walks up to me and gives me a kiss, not because she wants something from me, but just because she loves me. Deep pleasure wells up inside my heart when I hear my girls laughing and giggling as they play. My soul feels warm when my girls want to cuddle with me on the sofa as the day is winding down. My life as a dad is absolutely filled with joy.
One of the greatest of these joys is when my daughters and I share our love of music. My girls love to sing and dance. In our house, it is not uncommon to be treated to an impromptu dance recital or a spontaneous vocal performance filled with songs, some of which are recognizable and others that are born out of the moment. I love to hear my girls sing. When we are driving in the car, I love to crank up one of our favorite songs and we sing together at the top of our lungs. The notes aren’t always in tune (for you American Idol fans, “That was a little pitchy, dog.”), but I don’t care. When my little girls sing, Daddy’s heart melts.
I believe that when we sing to our God and willingly lavish our love on Him He is pleased. As our Heavenly Father, His love for us knows no bounds and His heart is filled with joy when He hears his children sing. Listen to just a little of what the Bible says about singing to the Lord.
1 Chronicles 16:23–25 (ESV) - Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be held in awe above all gods.
Psalm 13:6 (ESV) - I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Psalm 59:16–17 (ESV) - But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.
Psalm 95:1–3 (ESV) - Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
Isaiah 5:1 (ESV) - Let me sing for my beloved my love song…
Zechariah 2:10 (ESV) - Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord.
This is just a tiny sampling of literally hundreds of verses that tell us to sing to our God. Don’t let it be mere cognitive knowledge. Let it sink into your heart and put it into action. Sing to Him! Let your heart overflow with love! Don’t hold back! Don’t let anything stop you! You’re singing for an audience of one, and He doesn’t care if it’s “pitchy.” Your song of love for Him brings joy beyond measure to His heart. So, open your mouth wide, throw your shoulders back, and sing with all the intensity you can muster! Your Father will love it.
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