Morning food for body & soul

'Nuf said...

Christians Don't vs. Christians Do

I used to believe that being a Christian was all about what I didn't do.  Maybe that's because I was such a screwup in my early years, and needed to lay hold of the discipline of Jesus in order to excise self-destructive thought & behavior patterns from my character.  I worked hard to lean into the Spirit, who "teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age" (Titus 2:12).  As I have now been walking with the Lord for 31 years, I'm reaching the stage where I'm understanding that God's power to repress my carnal passions is only the side-effect of something much larger...much more important and vital...for me, those I love, and the watching world around me.

Indeed, Jesus had much to say against sin, from within and without our own souls.  However, He did & said a lot more about what we should be DOING and BEING in order to OVERCOME AND DESTROY the effect of evil in ourselves and in the world.

So many of the world's people look at followers of Christ with disdain because we are often withdrawn and self-righteous...just like the Pharisees were during Jesus' days in the body.  Of course, they'll talk negatively and riducule anyway, but I'd rather it be because of selfless acts of sacrifice, love for my neighbor, and supernatural stuff they can't explain but desperately need!  That's the kind of legacy I want to leave.

"Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.  He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father." (John 14:12-13)

Why Following Jesus Won't Make You Happy

There are good & bad reasons to follow Jesus…just like there are good & bad reasons to get married.  Marriage is, in fact, a very good analogy for what walking with God is supposed to be about…that’s why it’s used throughout the Bible to describe our relationship with Him.  Strong marriages are marked by the mutual respect of two people who are absolutely committed to sacrificing themselves on behalf of the other.  The more we give to our spouses, and benefit from their service to us in return, the more happy & fulfilled & secure we are in the marriage.  But when we seek happiness & fulfillment & security as ends-unto-themselves….as the goals…then we inexorably start stepping over the sacrifice that’s required to get it, and we start using our spouse for our own benefit.  And it doesn’t work.  This is why over 50% of marriages fail in America today…because people’s focus is on themselves, and they are asking the wrong question.  

Our relationship with Jesus is like this too.  It was never supposed to make us happy.  The invitation of Jesus is to “marry” yourself to Him…to give up everything about the solo-you in order to be completely devoted to Him….but through this self-sacrifice, this death-to-self, you will find LIFE that overcomes the temporary circumstance-based happiness that lures your soul in this life.  In this way of living in Him and for Him, much happiness is found….but only as a by-product.  I’m meditating on these scriptures this morning:

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.” (Philippians 1:21-22)

“Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.”  (Colossians 1:24)

“And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”  (Luke 14:27)

Antidote to Overwhelmtion

Yes, I realize it's not a word...but you get it, right?

Feelings of being overwhelmed, for me, are usually associated with either trying to go too fast for too long (aka-sprinting on a long run) or simply trying to do too many things at once (aka-spinning too many plates).  If you know me well, then you know that being overwhelmed is part of a cycle I go through fairly regularly.  It is in these times that my faith in Christ is exercised to the point of exhaustion...then growth.  Just how muscles regenerate themselves to be stronger than they were to begin with, following rigorous strain to the point of failure.....as long as it is followed by rest and nourishment!

I'm in one of those seasons right now.  Today is Day #6 of Catalyst's Howard volunteer project.  And yes, once again, I am feeling overwhelmed as we're reaching the final stretch.  These words from today's "Jesus Calling" devotional were perfect:

"When things seem to be going all wrong, stop and affirm your trust in Me.  Calmly bring these matters to Me, and leave them in My capable hands.  Then, simply do the next thing.  Stay in touch with Me through thankful, trusting prayers, resting in My sovereign control.  Rejoice in Me-exult in the God of your salvation!  As you trust in Me, I make your feet like the feet of a deer.  I enable you to walk and make progress upon your high places of trouble, suffering, or responsibility." (Job 13:15...Psalm 18:33...Habakkuk 3:17-19).

This is how I keep going...

God's Love is Meant to be Seen Before it's Heard

You see these folks surrounding the older couple in the middle?  They're heroes.  They patched-up a leaky roof for this elderly couple, volunteering their time on a Friday and Saturday...and their church (Tigard Christian) covered the cost of materials.  Their cause is not to push a political agenda or force a religious view down anyone's throat.  Their role is to serve, care for, and create common ground; making space for God to work in the hearts of the people they come into contact with...as well as their own.  Allowing people the freedom to come to their own conclusions.  They know the important truth that, as followers of Jesus, it is not our responsibility to convert people, but to love people...and leave the results to God.

Linda is a friend of mine, she's in the picture with her arms around the other lady.  She was the advocate on this job, and did a fantastic job.  After it was all completed, she said this:

"I was able to visit with the Lowries during rest breaks and discovered that they are a nice couple.  They expressed their gratitude to Catalyst many times, and told me all of the workers were in their prayers.  The next door neighbor was also grateful as he was usually the one called to go up on the roof when yet another place leaked!  I was also able to meet another neighbor out walking her dogs.  She stated that i didn't live there, and asked what i was doing and why was I doing it.  I explained about how God was using me as His hands to prune the roses to show the Lowries how much He loves them.  She brightened up and asked a bunch more questions."

1 Peter 3:15: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."

Rest As A Discipline

REST is becoming much more important to me.  Not just because I'm getting older, but because I am more keenly aware of my prone-ness to error without it.  This weekend proved to be good for me.  I say it like that because I was very fitful in my resting...There's a lot going on in my world right now, many things that I'm responsible for and worried about.  It was a real effort to let my hands "release the plow", and I fretted for a while about what I wasn't doing, and what was waiting for me when I got back to work.  But as time went on, and I continued to pray for God's peace and love and grace to soak into my soul, I gradually let down and started feeling the effects of His perspective and comfort.  I slept well last night and woke up refreshed...ready to roll, but with less anxiety and more connection with my Master.

This morning I was reading a blog from 3DM, a ministry blog I subscribe to...it said:

"But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray." (Luke 5.15-16)

"Jesus lived a regular rhythm: crowds/solitude, preaching/prayer, healing/rest. He was well acquainted with the deserted places in and around Galilee. Regularly he would return to the desert, the place of his 40 day fast, to reconnect with the Father. To listen. To be filled with all the fullness of God."

"Why would the God-made-flesh spend such a large portion of his 3 years of active ministry ‘taking a break’? Wouldn’t he want to get all he could out of those 36 months? Preach as many sermons, heal as many lepers, perform as many signs as he could? Yes he did, but the man who had such a short time to bless the world also knew that his productivity for the kingdom was directly proportional to his connectivity to the King."

"If God-made-flesh needed to abide in the midst of 3 years of ministry it would follow that his disciples (those who are ‘with Jesus to learn from Jesus how to live like Jesus’) would need seasons of abiding in the midst of their ministry. Unless, of course, we think we need to be less dependent on God the Father than Jesus."

The "Make My Life Count" Error

I've always been hyper-focused and hyper-active - like my whole life - so I consider my dad to be an expert in understanding my ways - both the strengths and the shortfalls.  It's really important for all of us to have at least one person (if not more) who knows us deeply and truly cares for us anyway, for the long-haul.  I'm very privileged and thankful to have such a great relationship with my dad.

Anyway, I was expressing frustration about some goals I'm working toward that don't seem to be getting closer...and how it makes me feel alarmed & panicky inside.  He said:

     "Few of us have the patience to let things develop naturally, because we want to make things happen."

For me this comes back to a deep-seated driver in me that's good....but it often ends-up taking the reins out of God's Hands and it becomes an inner slave-master.  Western individualistic society has created the notion that much of our worth as humans comes from our accomplishments.  "I want to make my life count," and "I want to make a big difference" are mantras I've been telling myself since I was doing lame skateboard tricks in my parent's driveway.  I believed that if I could "do great things" in my future as a man, then that would make me great.  Although my spirit and mind and body have come a long way since those childhood dreams, I think my heart still believes them.  Don't get me wrong, we were made to be productive and innovative; but not as a means to attain worth.  Rather, our identity is to be found in our relationship with God primarily, and with others in His world   But it's hard to get away from the barrage of other self-worth messages all around us, which are most-often designed to make us feel like we need to buy something.  We would do well to keep our focus on Master Jesus, set our hearts on faithfulness rather than results, and releasing our grasp on things we cling to in order to feel good about ourselves.

Micah 6:8 says:
     "He has showed you, O man, what is good. 
     And what does the Lord require of you? 
     To act justly and to love mercy 
     and to walk humbly with your God."

Thanks, dad, for the reminder.