Living With Godly Focus In An Unraveling World

I really liked this morning's devotion in "Jesus Calling"...

"Seek to please Me above all else.  Let that goal be your focal point as you go through this day.  Such a mind-set will protect you from scattering your energy to the winds.  The free will I bestowed on you comes with awesome responsibility  Each day presents you with choice after choice.  Many of these decisions you ignore and thus make by default.  Without a focal point to guide you, you can easily lose your way.  That's why it is so important to stay in communication with Me, living in thankful awareness of My Presence.  You inhabit a fallen, disjointed world, where things are constantly unraveling around the edges.  Only a vibrant relationship with Me can keep you from coming unraveled too."  (Matthew 6:33; John 8:29; Colossians 3:23-24)

This resonated with me for a few reasons:

1. I need constant reminders about what is truly important.  According to scripture, the only things that are going to last into eternity are God's Word, His Kingdom, and People.  Holding onto the "please God above all else" mantra gives me a filter through which to judge my motivations & activities.  How are the priorities of my life, and the effects of my character, living-out God's Word or reflecting His Kingdom or influencing the people I am surrounded by in daily life?  THAT is the question.
2. I'm prone to temptation.  Have you ever had a stray, evil from the pit of hell, burst into your consciousness and race through your mind out of nowhere?  me too.  Scripture calls that temptation...."we are dragged away and enticed" (James 1:15) to throw away our allegiances to Jesus and follow the desires of our flesh for a minute, or two, or more.  This is the enemy's sabotage of the Holy Spirit's reign in us...and I need to set my heart & mind constantly on Jesus as my focus.
3. The stability of my spirit, and God's within me, unravels a bit with every choice I make that dishonors Jesus as my first love.  This happens in cycles with me: recognition of sin, repentance, victory, joy, laziness, sin, repentance.....and so on.  

I actually DON'T agree with the devotion's words "only a vibrant relationship with Me can keep you from coming unraveled...."  That implies perfection in our relationship with Jesus as attainable....which I do not believe is possible this side of death.  That's part of why Jesus had to die in the first place!  In my view, the sentence could be better written "only a vibrant relationship with Me can put you back into order each and every time you become unraveled."   When we are weak, He is strong.

Overcoming Evil With Good

I can't think of a better way to respond to the anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks, or to honor the people who senselessly died there, than to share about the good, life-giving projects that Catalyst is involved with.  There always seems to be plenty of bad news in the world; but by sharing & giving away some of the time & energy & resources we've been given, we can overcome it with good...at least in the world within our reach! 

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21)

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

Click this link to learn about the good that 100 volunteers did for a struggling single mom and her family in August 2014 at the HOWARD PROJECT near Portland, OR.

Any act of self-sacrifice done on behalf of another, with no benefit sought for the giver, overcomes evil in this world and becomes a conduit for the overpowering love of God in it.

What Worship Is & Isn't

This morning during my Bible time, I came across Psalm 9.  At first I didn't recognize it, but as I continued reading I realized that parts of this Psalm were the basis for one of my favorite songs from back in my days as a worship leader.  For those of you who've only known me for the past 15 years or so, it's probably hard to imagine me as the guy on a church stage with a guitar and microphone, but that was one of my main roles in several ministries back in the day.
 
Psalm 9 Song Lyrics:
    I will praise You, Oh Lord with all my heart.
    I will tell of Your wonders. I'll be glad and exalt in Thee.
    I will sing praises to Your Name, Oh Most High!

Those days are long behind me now; and if I'm being totally honest, I don't really miss them.  Not because I don't love to sing worship songs to God...I do.  But as the years have gone by, and I've met and sang songs with thousands of worshippers, I have not seen much genuine, lasting transformation happen as a result of it.  I think we've put too much emphasis on it.  Call me disillusioned or skeptical, but it's always bugged me how the word "worship" has come to be defined as "singing worship songs in a religious setting"....and how so many fervent church-goers walk out of the "worship center" and it makes little difference in how Jesus is made manifest in their daily lives.  This is why I'm not nearly as "into it" as I used to be...why I don't sing all the time in those environments.  I'm often looking around wondering how many of the people closing their eyes, raising their hands, and singing with all their hearts actually really truly mean what they're singing and intend on living it out on Monday through Saturday....or....do they think that this is what God wants from us, that these kinds of moments are what He needs to see from us in order to bless us.  Is that what worship means?

The word "worship" in the New Testament is most commonly derived from the Greek word "PROSKUNEO"...which literally means to "kiss towards"...or, figuratively, to "blow a kiss"....and it virtually never refers to singing.  Singing was mentioned a few times in the New Testament, but for the most part it was a function of the Old Testament temple.  So what does "worship" refer to? What it DOES refer to is living.  Worship is not a religious activity...it is living a lifestyle that honors, loves, and blows kisses to God in the midst of daily life.
    Worship is being kind to irritating people.
    Worship is obeying and honoring your parents.
    Worship is sacrificing what you want for the benefit of another.
    Worship is telling the truth even when it hurts.
    Worship is speaking words that build others up in love.
    Worship is being a faithful employee.
Worship is living this kind of God-honoring lifestyle, not because was HAVE TO in order to be accepted by God, but because we WANT TO OUT OF GRATITUDE for what He has done for us out of His IMMEASURABLE GRACE!

My favorite "worship" scripture is Romans 12:1-2 - "I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.  This is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your minds. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is; His good, pleasing, and perfect will."

Screwing-up God's Plan For Your Life - Part 2

It seems like my last post struck a nerve!  That's good.  I think that God's Word, and thereby His intentions, are often manipulated to mean things He did not intend.  There are many false teachings and myths that are widely believed, and this ends up eroding the faith of people who are seeking truth.  After reading the last post, my good friend Bruce Ecker emailed me the following:

"Wise and helpful words, Shawn. This "God's will" language was part and parcel of my Christian life for many years. I too consider it a "false...unbiblical" teaching that has created much anxiety and confusion for believers. I finally realized that this language portrays a kind of god that we better "please" or he will somehow punish us for straying from his pre-set path for our lives. The punishment, I suppose, would be intended to get us on the "God's will" path again. This contradicts so many God/human interactions in Scripture because God can use/does use the unintentional negative situations we may find ourselves in or self-destructive behaviors we bring upon ourselves to bring us back to Him. It's not fun to deal with it and often we deny our own involvement in our crises (think Jonah), but God is not limited by our decisions/attitudes or the behavior of others. In the OT, Joseph showed his deep trust in God when he told his brothers, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Joseph understood that God used the evil that was imposed on him by his brothers to save many lives. He had the long perspective. And so should we."

Some scriptures about what God's will IS:

"I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:1-2)

"The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.  (Titus 2:11-14)

Screwing-up God's Plan For Your Life

This morning I met with a younger guy for coffee.  He's about 27, is working in a retail job he hates, and is at a fork in the road regarding his career.  He wanted to ask me questions about construction, non-profit work, and generally making wise decisions according to God's Will in a world full of options.  We had a great conversation, and it was a pleasure for me to share some of the pearls I've picked-up along the winding path of my own life.  I remembered feeling the same way many years ago.  One specific thing I remember from those days is the feeling of absolute DREAD that, if I made a wrong decision, I would totally screw-up God's master plan for my life...and spend the rest of my life hurting because of it.  There is this belief, which is held onto by many but which I consider to be unbiblical/false teaching, that God has pre-written a very detailed script for each of our lives...all our decisions, relationships, circumstances, etc....and that our job is to figure it out so that we can be "in His will."

Now, don't get me wrong here.  Scripture is very clear, often, that God has plans for our lives....and even uses the word "predestination" in some places.  But if we read carefully, we find that God is much more concerned about our characters than our circumstances....in fact, some of God's greatest work in Biblical people and modern people alike is born out of failures, unwise decisions, and outright sin.  God does not condone or promote our frail tendencies toward sin, but we should all be eternally grateful that His Will in our lives is not limited by it!  God's will is about who we are and how we honor Him with our lives...how that plays-out is, I believe, is up to us.  Romans 8:28 is a key in unlocking this.

Here's a closing email I just sent to my friend,

     "Sometimes, when faced with making important decisions in a way that’s consistent with God’s will, we can put undo pressure on ourselves and the Lord by believing that God has pre-ordained a script of all the specific things we’re supposed to choose, decisions we’re supposed to make….and that if we somehow fail to figure each one out just right, then we will screw up God’s plan and be “out of His will.”  In my experience and ministry with many others, I have found this misunderstanding to underlie a lot of anxiety that God never intended.  God’s will is for us to love Him with all we are, love others as we love ourselves, and be about His mission, as we go about our lives.  The details of circumstances will be filled with wise & unwise decisions, but we aren’t going to mess up His will for us….He uses everything toward transforming us into the image of Jesus over time.  So, as you look into different potential paths to follow, it’s good to be wise & patient, etc., but try not to put too much pressure on yourself…God will be with you no matter what, carrying you and leading you and using you no matter which direction you choose."

Indulgence is a trap

Some days it seems that from the moment we wake up until our heads hit the pillow, we are bombarded with lies.  Our media/advertisement addicted society constantly entices us with empty promises....and we often believe them:
   "If only I looked like....
   "If only I had....
   "If only I could eat & drink....
   "If only I could wear....
   "If only I could have sex with....
   "If only I could experience....
   "If only I had more money....
   ....THEN I WOULD BE HAPPY"

I wonder...if an alien from outer space came to America today and formed an opinion about our values by watching TV & movies, reading the news, watching us live...if it might come to the conclusion that we were all addicted to indulging ourselves with things that don't satisfy us.

Ultimately, true fulfillment cannot come from circumstances, things, places, pleasures, experiences, even relationships.  We chase these things because we were made to pursue fulfillment, and we're suckers for counterfeits!  We were created to find fulfillment in active partnership with God. Jesus and His early followers had much to say about this:

"The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age..."  (Paul, in Titus 2:11-13)

"Godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.  People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (Paul, in 1 Timothy 6:6-10)

“So I tell you, don’t worry about the food or drink you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it. And why do you worry about clothes? Look at how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire. So you can be even more sure that God will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith! Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ The people who don’t know God keep trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them. The thing you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you. So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Jesus, in Matthew 6:25-34)

"Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (Jesus, in John 4:14)

Primacy of LOVE

I was in a church service yesterday morning with my wife at Westside-A Jesus Church.  At one point, a guy named Greg was sharing about the great love that Jesus displayed as he hung on the cross, and the example He was setting for those of us who would follow in His steps.  I really appreciated what he said...my favorite was,
      "Let’s not save-up love like we’re going to retire on it, but give love away like we’re made of it."

I loved that!  So often, I think we forget the primacy of love!  It reminded me of several scriptures that challenge and enlighten me today to keep the MAIN THING the main thing:

"If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn’t love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn’t love others, what good would I be? And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever." (1 Co 13:1)

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." (1 Jn 3:16-19)

"There are three things that will endure—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13)