This may be one of the most important questions you ask yourself. It is one I have been wrestling with for a while now. Why do you follow Jesus? Go ahead, take some time to think about it and see if you can come up with an answer. And since we are being honest, let's go ahead and throw those Sunday School answers out the window. Have you given it some thought? Do you have your answer? If so, feel free to read on.
We can all find our reasons for following in one (or more) of the reasons that follow.
A big one for the healthy and wealthy of the United States (which includes just about all of us in comparison to the rest of the world) is for the perks. I believe there is an overwhelming majority of us who follow God for the blessings He bestows upon us. Since we are being honest and all, I think I can tell you this has been my reason on more than one occasion. Sadly, I have bargained with God before. Perhaps you can relate to this prayer, "If only you will __________ (feel free to fill in this blank with any number of things you want God to do), I will __________ (this blank is usually filled in with some sort of "obedient" behavior)."
It's pretty easy to get caught up in this. And it's even easier to follow when the blessings are flowing. But what happens when they dry up? When the foundations we have built our lives upon begin to crumble and erode? Will we still follow?
Maybe you are in it for the less temporal things. There is a good chance you follow him for the salvation he has offered. This seems like a pretty legitimate reason to most of the church, but it doesn't fool God. We can likely chalk this up to following him for our "Get Out of Hell Free" card. But, if this is the motivating factor, I might argue that the force driving our faith is fear.
Has anyone ever asked you "Where would you go if you were to die tonight?" That's a pretty intimidating question. While it may be a legitimate question, I don't feel it breeds true discipleship (just my opinion, feel free to disagree). Or perhaps, like me, you grew up in the church and were taught to fear God (yes, we are called to fear him--Proverbs 9:10--but we may have an unhealthy fear). To many of us, he is this cosmic killjoy waiting to punish us or damn us to hell for the wrongs we have committed. And I can understand how we fall into this pattern of thought when we are told to fear God, fear punishment, fear the world, etc. Let me assure you, this is not a proper view of God (or salvation).
Then again, there are some of us who follow to keep up an appearance. We believe that by doing or not doing certain things, we appear to have our life together. I guess we think it makes us appear more holy to others, ourselves, and to God. However, that is not the case. To God, appearances really don’t amount to much. Look back to the life of David. When Samuel came looking to anoint the next king, David’s father looked over him because of his appearance. Samuel worked his way through each of David’s brothers without anointing a king. It is there, in the midst of that story Scripture tells us: “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height (being 5'4", I really love that part...hooray for us short guys!), for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’” (1 Samuel 16:7)
Sometimes we have a leniency to treat church and faith like a night club. If you don't adhere to the dress code, you aren't getting in. That was never the case with Christ. He made no distinction based upon appearances. As a matter of fact, He was more against “spiritual” appearances as a means of righteousness than He was for them.
Perhaps, it could be that you follow because he has finally given you worth, significance and purpose. This too seems like a great reason to follow him; but unfortunately this misses the point as well. And this is a tough pill to swallow for all of us. Our worth, significance and purpose won't come until we follow, but they are not the reason to follow.
I have a feeling an overwhelming majority of us have ulterior motives most of the time. And, I can't really say I blame us. But the conclusion I have come to is these reasons will all disintegrate at some point with the ebb and flow of life. The realization I have come to is that the only way to follow is with a reckless abandonment, out of love. Any other reason is to miss the point! And to follow this way will lead to a full and abundant life.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
FAMILIARITY
I know you're supposed to start writing with an attention getter. I also know that a dead guy few people know of isn't really an attention getter. But, I'm just going to go with it. Matthew Henry, one of the great Biblical commentators says this, “The first affections of men towards Christ are usually lively and warm. These lively affections will abate and cool if great care be not taken.” This very statement has made me take inventory of my faith. Over the years, I have done a lot to convince myself my affections toward Christ have not taken a back seat. And I can't help but think I'm not the only one in this boat.
Too often we get so caught up in Christianity and Religion that we remove God from the picture altogether. In their song Received, Shane and Shane make this statement, "...heard a rumor I guess, but I wanna know who told me so. Told me serving you replaced me knowing you." Being in full-time ministry, it got easy for me to fall into that mindset. After a while, my relationship with the God of the universe turned into something of a habit. I came to a point where I was no longer doing things out of love for Him, but out of service to him. And let me tell you, there is a vast difference. I fear, more often than we care to admit, that becomes the case for many of us. We have replaced the relationship we once had with him, for a religious encounter a few times a week.
Too often we get so caught up in Christianity and Religion that we remove God from the picture altogether. In their song Received, Shane and Shane make this statement, "...heard a rumor I guess, but I wanna know who told me so. Told me serving you replaced me knowing you." Being in full-time ministry, it got easy for me to fall into that mindset. After a while, my relationship with the God of the universe turned into something of a habit. I came to a point where I was no longer doing things out of love for Him, but out of service to him. And let me tell you, there is a vast difference. I fear, more often than we care to admit, that becomes the case for many of us. We have replaced the relationship we once had with him, for a religious encounter a few times a week.
The love we once had slowly dissipates and something else creeps in and takes its place. Something much less significant. Something much less fulfilling. We have traded the uncontainable, uncontrollable God who created us for a mere idol. Busyness is a big one in our society (thus the "need" for a smart phone where everything is at our fingertips). Along with social status (the house we live in, the car we drive, the clothes we wear). I could spend a while compiling this list with idols I have personally made, but I will spare you. But I feel the most dangerous idol of all is perhaps the "fulfillment" of just playing Church or doing Christianity. The reason this is so dangerous is because more often than not we don't even notice it has taken place. At least, not until someone else points it out. The good news is that none of us really does this intentionally; it just kind of happens. I can't be certain, but I would like to think this was the case for the Pharisees as well.
Take a few minutes and read Jeremiah 2:1-13 and 23-25. That's right, I want you to grab your Bible, open the pages and see what it says for yourself. I can almost guarantee that if you are reading this, you have a Bible laying around somewhere.
Marriage is a great analogy to these verses.
Taking a look at newly-weds may make some of you want to throw up in your mouth a bit; but it is apparent they love one another. All of those constant displays of affection. Let's not forget the sappy notes and letters they write to one another. Of course, there are the sweet nothings they whisper into each others ears. By observing newly-weds for any period of time, it would be downright impossible to think they didn't love each other.
Now take a look at some couples that have been married for quite some time; say 10, 20, or 30+ years. Some people might wonder if these people truly love one another. They seem to be content being apart from each other for extended periods of time. They rarely tell each other how much they love one another, whether through words or other displays of affection. Perhaps they constantly fight or even discuss divorce openly. Maybe it isn’t even this extreme. Maybe they just don’t have that spark that newlyweds have—you’ve all heard that saying: “Oh, to be young and in love.” Or another one you have heard: "Love is blind."
The contrast of these two examples is exactly what this passage is referring to. What happened between the honeymoon and now? Why do they not love each other as they once did?
Now for the spiritual side—what is the difference between someone new in their faith and someone who has been a Christian for a long period of time? The newly converted (I really hate that word, but that's a tangent I will not go off on now) Christian is infatuated with God—everything they do is filtered through him. They can’t wait to get in the Word, spend time in prayer, or hear Sunday’s message. They are simply looking forward to spending some time, alone, with the one they love--God. The individual that’s been a Christian their whole lives may still read their Bible and pray, but often times the love has diminished. All of these disciplines have the tendency to become a thing of ritual or habit. Simply put, they have gotten bored with God and turned away from their first love. The awe for God is no longer there.
Back to the marriage analogy, what happened between the honeymoon of our salvation experience and now? Why do we not love Him as we once did? Why are we not as eager to uninhibitedly follow Him? I think the answer to these questions is that some of us have lost our awe of God.
We all, at some time or another, have become familiar with things. We have become familiar with our family and friends and think we know all there is to know about them. We have become familiar with the songs played on the radio—we even have all of the words memorized. We have become familiar with our home, our job, our schedule, even our life. Many of us have even become familiar with worship, the Bible, and God. We think we know all there is to know. There can’t be any other way to worship; we just repeat the words as if they have no meaning. God will not give us another revelation from a certain passage of Scripture. After a while all these things become routine. They all lose their luster and begin to seem dull. Here’s the good news—if this is you, you aren’t alone. Many in the church and even the church itself struggle with this. However, this isn’t a new problem—big surprise. Read the Bible and you will see that from cover to cover, the Bible is filled with similar stories of people that have become familiar with their environment and with their God.
Now for the spiritual side—what is the difference between someone new in their faith and someone who has been a Christian for a long period of time? The newly converted (I really hate that word, but that's a tangent I will not go off on now) Christian is infatuated with God—everything they do is filtered through him. They can’t wait to get in the Word, spend time in prayer, or hear Sunday’s message. They are simply looking forward to spending some time, alone, with the one they love--God. The individual that’s been a Christian their whole lives may still read their Bible and pray, but often times the love has diminished. All of these disciplines have the tendency to become a thing of ritual or habit. Simply put, they have gotten bored with God and turned away from their first love. The awe for God is no longer there.
Back to the marriage analogy, what happened between the honeymoon of our salvation experience and now? Why do we not love Him as we once did? Why are we not as eager to uninhibitedly follow Him? I think the answer to these questions is that some of us have lost our awe of God.
We all, at some time or another, have become familiar with things. We have become familiar with our family and friends and think we know all there is to know about them. We have become familiar with the songs played on the radio—we even have all of the words memorized. We have become familiar with our home, our job, our schedule, even our life. Many of us have even become familiar with worship, the Bible, and God. We think we know all there is to know. There can’t be any other way to worship; we just repeat the words as if they have no meaning. God will not give us another revelation from a certain passage of Scripture. After a while all these things become routine. They all lose their luster and begin to seem dull. Here’s the good news—if this is you, you aren’t alone. Many in the church and even the church itself struggle with this. However, this isn’t a new problem—big surprise. Read the Bible and you will see that from cover to cover, the Bible is filled with similar stories of people that have become familiar with their environment and with their God.
But, let me show you what it looks like to live in love and in awe of God. In Exodus 3:6 we see Moses by the burning bush afraid to look at the face of God. In Acts 7:56 we see Stephen, proclaiming he sees the Son of Man standing at God’s right hand, right before he is stoned to death. In John 8 we see the woman caught in adultery experience forgiveness when Christ tells her to “Go and sin no more.” He didn’t ask her if she was sorry for what she had done; He didn’t seem too concerned that she might do this same thing again. All He did was showed her love, even when she hadn’t asked for it. Now I can’t even begin to imagine what was going through her mind at that moment, but I guarantee you that she was in complete awe of God and had a new found love for Him. These are examples of people that at that moment were living in awe of their God and loving Him for who He is. They were sinners just like you and me, but they truly found what it means to be loved by God and to love Him in return. I don’t know about you, but that’s where I want to be. I want to, once again, experience the love I had for Christ when we first met.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
HOPE
In L.A. there is a billboard advertising City of Hope, a premier center for cancer research and care. On that billboard you will find these words, "Where there is hope, there is life." Take a minute and think about that statement. Where there is hope, there is life. That very statement, if true, has huge implications for each and every one of us. For most of us, it should result in a paradigm shift. Take a minute to read what follows and perhaps you will agree.
What is hope? Hope is defined as "the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best." I have to admit, that I can only agree with part of that. Hope is a feeling? Hope goes well beyond just a feeling. I can't be certain about where you stand, but for me, my feelings get the best of me from time to time. My feelings have the tendency to take control (no, I'm not the bleeding heart type, but I do wear my heart on my sleeve). On more occasions than I care to recount, my feelings have have let me down. For these reasons, I would have to define hope as believing events will turn out for the best.
I'm sure you have heard the phrase to "hope beyond hope." To me, that is true hope. I can only say this as one who has seen his hell and just about lost hope. Call me naive, but no matter how unbearable or insurmountable the circumstances get, I want to hope for the best. I've lived much of my life as a pessimist and I have to tell you, this optimism thing is far more enjoyable. I'm not to the point where I can see the good in everyone or in every circumstance; but that is where I, one day, hope to be.
Back to that whole feeling thing. Let me present my case why hope is so much more than a feeling. Hope is what allows some of us to get out bed every morning. Hope is what feeds our dreams. Hope is what fuels our passions. Hope allows us to take the next step. Hope allows us to take risks. Hope gives us the courage to try again. Hope has the ability to heal. Hope keeps us wanting (and waiting). Hope is a commitment. Hope is a way of life. Hope is a necessity. We were not created to live without hope. I would argue that where there is no hope, there is no life.
You need only turn on the news to see what a life void of hope looks like. Genocide. War. Terrorism. Scandal. Financial disaster. Suicide. These things are all the result of a loss of hope--or perhaps hope misplaced. Too often we put our hope in the temporal things of this world. Often we put our hope in money, only to become broke. Some put their hope in health, only to become ill. There are others who put their hope in possessions, only to have them lost. And some of us put our hope in relationships, only to see them broken. What is even more disheartening is how many of us put our hope in religion or church, only for them to return void. At the risk of sounding cliche (and if you read that blog, you know how I feel about that), true hope comes from and can only be found in Christ. That is why Paul, in his first letter to Timothy calls Christ our hope. And Peter boldly tells us that the "mercy of God" and "the resurrection of Christ" allows us to "live with great expectation."
Let me take all of this one step further, sum up everything I wrote, and frustrate you that you had to read through all my ramblings. To live without God is to live without hope. "Why?" you ask. Because if there is no God (I'm talking about the one, true, triune God), then what you see is what you get. And let's be totally honest, if what you see is what you get, that sucks!
What is hope? Hope is defined as "the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best." I have to admit, that I can only agree with part of that. Hope is a feeling? Hope goes well beyond just a feeling. I can't be certain about where you stand, but for me, my feelings get the best of me from time to time. My feelings have the tendency to take control (no, I'm not the bleeding heart type, but I do wear my heart on my sleeve). On more occasions than I care to recount, my feelings have have let me down. For these reasons, I would have to define hope as believing events will turn out for the best.
I'm sure you have heard the phrase to "hope beyond hope." To me, that is true hope. I can only say this as one who has seen his hell and just about lost hope. Call me naive, but no matter how unbearable or insurmountable the circumstances get, I want to hope for the best. I've lived much of my life as a pessimist and I have to tell you, this optimism thing is far more enjoyable. I'm not to the point where I can see the good in everyone or in every circumstance; but that is where I, one day, hope to be.
Back to that whole feeling thing. Let me present my case why hope is so much more than a feeling. Hope is what allows some of us to get out bed every morning. Hope is what feeds our dreams. Hope is what fuels our passions. Hope allows us to take the next step. Hope allows us to take risks. Hope gives us the courage to try again. Hope has the ability to heal. Hope keeps us wanting (and waiting). Hope is a commitment. Hope is a way of life. Hope is a necessity. We were not created to live without hope. I would argue that where there is no hope, there is no life.
You need only turn on the news to see what a life void of hope looks like. Genocide. War. Terrorism. Scandal. Financial disaster. Suicide. These things are all the result of a loss of hope--or perhaps hope misplaced. Too often we put our hope in the temporal things of this world. Often we put our hope in money, only to become broke. Some put their hope in health, only to become ill. There are others who put their hope in possessions, only to have them lost. And some of us put our hope in relationships, only to see them broken. What is even more disheartening is how many of us put our hope in religion or church, only for them to return void. At the risk of sounding cliche (and if you read that blog, you know how I feel about that), true hope comes from and can only be found in Christ. That is why Paul, in his first letter to Timothy calls Christ our hope. And Peter boldly tells us that the "mercy of God" and "the resurrection of Christ" allows us to "live with great expectation."
Let me take all of this one step further, sum up everything I wrote, and frustrate you that you had to read through all my ramblings. To live without God is to live without hope. "Why?" you ask. Because if there is no God (I'm talking about the one, true, triune God), then what you see is what you get. And let's be totally honest, if what you see is what you get, that sucks!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
WAITING
Waiting! Don't you just love waiting? I know I sure do. I am so good at waiting. I can wait for day, weeks, and even months on end. Really, if I could do just one thing with my life it would have to be waiting. Waiting on the restaurant to bring my food. Waiting for the person parked in front of me at the green light. Waiting for the person checking out ahead of me with 12 items in the 10 items or less lane (yes, I counted them myself and there were 12). Waiting for my paycheck to come every two weeks. Man, I just love to wait. It gives me so much pleasure and joy.
In case you weren't able to tell by reading, that previous paragraph was not dripping, it was sopping wet, with sarcasm. In all honesty, I hate--scratch that, despise--waiting. There are only so many hours in a day and I intend to make the most out of all of them. Waiting is not helping my agenda. Let's not forget the fact that I am an important person and I have important things to do. Life would be much more simple if everyone else just realized this. I am Jordan Davis and everyone should know who I am! To be honest, when I have to wait, sometimes I wonder why everyone hasn't realized this yet.
I'm sure you already figured out this isn't how life works. We have to wait everywhere we go. And I'm probably preaching to the choir (I have never really understood that saying, apparently the choir already knows everything) if I bring up waiting on God. I'm sure you already know is timing isn't always the most optimal for someone who likes to have their ducks in a row. It seems to me he likes to wait until the last minute. There was the time I ran out of money for college and he came through when I started packing to leave. The letter of encouragement when I was ready to call it quits on ministry. The book placed in my hands in the middle of a hurricane of my own making. The roommate when I was on the brink of having to sell my house. Or the much needed phone call from a friend.
Inevitably, when I look back on how events have unfolded and played out in my life, I see things from a totally different perspective. It makes more sense why God didn't give me what I needed or wanted at that exact moment. Now I am able to see what God was doing and how he was working things out. I was constantly asking God when, only to have him respond with the exact same question. And I see, more often than not, it isn't about when God will come through; rather it's about when I will learn to let go, relinquish control, move on, or trust.
For almost 2 years now I have been waiting on certain things to come to fruition. Dreams that God has given me. Desires he has placed in my life. Although it hasn't been easy, nor am I already there, but after 27 years I have begun to trust that God really does know better than me. That he is working things out even while I am waiting. And in the midst of it, I have come to the realization that sometimes I just need to keep moving forward, until I hear otherwise. Because the "silence" of God isn't an excuse for inaction. It's not time for a pity party, but time to take hold of the promise that God "is able to do more than we can hope or imagine." John Waller says it well: "I will move ahead, bold and confident, taking every step in obedience. I will serve you while I'm waiting. I will worship while I'm waiting." One day I hope that rings true of my life.
In case you weren't able to tell by reading, that previous paragraph was not dripping, it was sopping wet, with sarcasm. In all honesty, I hate--scratch that, despise--waiting. There are only so many hours in a day and I intend to make the most out of all of them. Waiting is not helping my agenda. Let's not forget the fact that I am an important person and I have important things to do. Life would be much more simple if everyone else just realized this. I am Jordan Davis and everyone should know who I am! To be honest, when I have to wait, sometimes I wonder why everyone hasn't realized this yet.
I'm sure you already figured out this isn't how life works. We have to wait everywhere we go. And I'm probably preaching to the choir (I have never really understood that saying, apparently the choir already knows everything) if I bring up waiting on God. I'm sure you already know is timing isn't always the most optimal for someone who likes to have their ducks in a row. It seems to me he likes to wait until the last minute. There was the time I ran out of money for college and he came through when I started packing to leave. The letter of encouragement when I was ready to call it quits on ministry. The book placed in my hands in the middle of a hurricane of my own making. The roommate when I was on the brink of having to sell my house. Or the much needed phone call from a friend.
Inevitably, when I look back on how events have unfolded and played out in my life, I see things from a totally different perspective. It makes more sense why God didn't give me what I needed or wanted at that exact moment. Now I am able to see what God was doing and how he was working things out. I was constantly asking God when, only to have him respond with the exact same question. And I see, more often than not, it isn't about when God will come through; rather it's about when I will learn to let go, relinquish control, move on, or trust.
For almost 2 years now I have been waiting on certain things to come to fruition. Dreams that God has given me. Desires he has placed in my life. Although it hasn't been easy, nor am I already there, but after 27 years I have begun to trust that God really does know better than me. That he is working things out even while I am waiting. And in the midst of it, I have come to the realization that sometimes I just need to keep moving forward, until I hear otherwise. Because the "silence" of God isn't an excuse for inaction. It's not time for a pity party, but time to take hold of the promise that God "is able to do more than we can hope or imagine." John Waller says it well: "I will move ahead, bold and confident, taking every step in obedience. I will serve you while I'm waiting. I will worship while I'm waiting." One day I hope that rings true of my life.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
CLICHE
Sometimes, the things we, as Christians, say baffles me. It is then all I can do is hang my head in shame and wonder if we missed the point. I am curious if we really understand and believe these things, or are we just repeating what we have heard growing up in the church. If you are confused where this is going, keep reading and hopefully I will clear things up.
You see, for the past few weeks I have been wrestling with how we (notice I have included myself in this) sometimes spout off these cliches or flippantly quote Scirpture. When people are struggling we tell them just to trust, followed by a plethora of passages on that very topic. At times we tell people who are hurting that God is in control and "what the Devil has intended for harm, God will use for good." Therefore, in the midst of that, choose to be joyful--which is not the same as happiness. Or perhaps a close friend is living in a world of doubt and we tell them to simply have more faith. There are still others we inform everything is in God's timing, not ours.
There is nothing wrong with any of these answers, is there? Afterall, Jesus told his disciples to have more faith. Time and time again, God has brought good out of the bad. Scripture tells us there is a difference between joy and happiness; and let's not forget joy is a fruit of the spirit. It is important that we trust God, even when it is difficult. God is also sovereign and knows what he is doing, so it seems things really are on his timetable. So if this is all true, what, if anything, is wrong with these answers?
I have come to the realization that more often than not, people don't just want answers. And if we are honest, we all realize these are rarely the answers to life's problems. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that a vast majority of people believe the Bible has credible historical significance. For many, the hang up is whether or not the contents of its pages is still true today, 2000 years later. In a perfect world, I could tell everyone it is and they would listen; but the world in which we live is far from perfect. They have doubts and the burden of proof lies with me.
We live in a world that needs proof; real-life, rubber meets the road kind of proof. And this is where you and I come into the picture. We are the proof people need. I know this may come as a shock, but as followers of Christ, the world believes we will actually act out what the Bible teaches us and what Christ has shown us.
Now let me turn a corner and throw some statistics your way:
You see, for the past few weeks I have been wrestling with how we (notice I have included myself in this) sometimes spout off these cliches or flippantly quote Scirpture. When people are struggling we tell them just to trust, followed by a plethora of passages on that very topic. At times we tell people who are hurting that God is in control and "what the Devil has intended for harm, God will use for good." Therefore, in the midst of that, choose to be joyful--which is not the same as happiness. Or perhaps a close friend is living in a world of doubt and we tell them to simply have more faith. There are still others we inform everything is in God's timing, not ours.
There is nothing wrong with any of these answers, is there? Afterall, Jesus told his disciples to have more faith. Time and time again, God has brought good out of the bad. Scripture tells us there is a difference between joy and happiness; and let's not forget joy is a fruit of the spirit. It is important that we trust God, even when it is difficult. God is also sovereign and knows what he is doing, so it seems things really are on his timetable. So if this is all true, what, if anything, is wrong with these answers?
I have come to the realization that more often than not, people don't just want answers. And if we are honest, we all realize these are rarely the answers to life's problems. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that a vast majority of people believe the Bible has credible historical significance. For many, the hang up is whether or not the contents of its pages is still true today, 2000 years later. In a perfect world, I could tell everyone it is and they would listen; but the world in which we live is far from perfect. They have doubts and the burden of proof lies with me.
We live in a world that needs proof; real-life, rubber meets the road kind of proof. And this is where you and I come into the picture. We are the proof people need. I know this may come as a shock, but as followers of Christ, the world believes we will actually act out what the Bible teaches us and what Christ has shown us.
Now let me turn a corner and throw some statistics your way:
1 in 10 lines of the Bible is about generosity.
1 in 6 lines of Luke is about generosity.
(Generosity means that we take care of those around us.)
Every time the Bible talks about church, it talks about helping those in need.
Every time the Bible mentions compassion, it is followed by action.
What is compassion? Is it expansion of government or religious programs? Is it a synonym for leniency, as when lawyers ask a jury to have compassion for an accused murderer by letting him off? Compassion is defined by dictionary.com as "a deep awareness of and sympathy for another’s suffering; the human quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it." "Wanting to do something about it?" True compassion goes beyond wanting to do something about it. Compassion without action is only sympathy.
This seems to be our societal problem. We are always looking for the easy way out. We have done such injustice to the word. The emphasis, as the word itself shows—"com" (with), and "passion" from the Latin pati (to suffer)—is on personal involvement with the needy, suffering with them, not just giving to them. "Suffering together" means helping the unemployed-but willing-to-work, adopting hard-to-place babies, providing shelter to women undergoing crisis pregnancies, tutoring the determined illiterate, and so on.
If we return to the Bible, we will find that the true meaning of compassion becomes quite clear; afterall, the Hebrew and Greek words commonly translated as "compassion" are used over 80 times in the Bible. Their most frequent use is not as an isolated noun rather it is used to show the culmination of a process. And this is what I have found to be the answer to ALL of life's questions and problems. This is the example we find in Christ. To live a life of compassion. To walk with others through the twists and turns of life, no matter where they find themselves.
Monday, May 16, 2011
DREAM, Part 2
Our dreams are God given. And it is God who will bring those dreams to fruition. What kind of God would place deep within each of us dreams that are unattainable? To operate that way wouldn't make him very loving or gracious now would it? Which is exactly why I do not believe that is how God works. Unfortunately, I sense that many in the church would disagree with me here. To be honest, in some ways I can understand their point of view. Many well intended Christians have taught us that whatever we want for our lives, God wants the exact opposite for us. This is why so many of us struggle with fully giving our lives over to God. We fear that if we do, he will take away our hopes and dreams.
Let me give you some examples.
Perhaps your dream is to serve God in full-time ministry, but are afraid to do so because He might send you to some remote village on the other side of the planet (or in my case you might wind up pastoring a church in a town of 15 people--not that there is anything wrong with that, I just like the city life). While the dream of ministry may be fulfilled, the fact that friends and family are important to you just went out the window.
I have a friend who wants to get married and have a family. It is something he hopes for, even though he is currently single. Periodically, he calls me up for relationship advice. Don’t ask me why? I may have been married, but I definitely don't have the market on dating or relationships (granted, having been through a marriage and a divorce, I might have a little better grasp than before). But, to be totally honest, I haven’t a clue when it comes to relationships (I kinda make it up as I go). Regardless, the questions come and I give the best input I can give him. Come to think of it, this could be part of the problem. Anyway, he tells me how he wishes God would just take this desire away, because he doesn’t see it happening. From these conversations, we inevitably get on this topic that our dreams are God given. Again, I don’t believe God is so cruel that He would place within us these hopes, dreams, and desires that He will not legitimately fill.
Now, we must take into consideration that part of the Christian life is learning to relinquish control to God. But our dreams are not necessarily part of that (if they are not selfish and in agreement with Biblical teaching). On numerous occasions in Scripture, we find that God speaks to individuals through dreams, i.e. Joseph (son of Jacob), Joseph (husband of Mary), Solomon, and Paul to name a few. God, being omniscient, desires that we learn to legitimately fulfill the dreams he has given us. The key word here being legitimately. There are no shortcuts with God. If we are following God, Scripture plainly tells us that He will shape and mold our dreams...not take them away. He will refine them and make them better than we had originally imagined. Afterall, God is able to do more than we could ever ask or imagine.
We must also take into account the timing here. Patience, which I don't have a lot of most of the time, seems to be a big thing with God for some reason. It may take years or even decades for these God ordained dreams to come to fruition. Personally, some of the dreams I have are just coming into view; even though I have had them for years. The story that always comes to mind for me is Joseph, the guy with the technicolor dreamcoat. From the time he was given his dream to the time he saw it fulfilled was somewhere around the 20 year mark. This guy had to endure to see his dream fulfilled. From the very beginning it seemed he was doomed for failure, but time and time again, what the devil intended for harm, God used for good.
Let me give you some examples.
Perhaps your dream is to serve God in full-time ministry, but are afraid to do so because He might send you to some remote village on the other side of the planet (or in my case you might wind up pastoring a church in a town of 15 people--not that there is anything wrong with that, I just like the city life). While the dream of ministry may be fulfilled, the fact that friends and family are important to you just went out the window.
I have a friend who wants to get married and have a family. It is something he hopes for, even though he is currently single. Periodically, he calls me up for relationship advice. Don’t ask me why? I may have been married, but I definitely don't have the market on dating or relationships (granted, having been through a marriage and a divorce, I might have a little better grasp than before). But, to be totally honest, I haven’t a clue when it comes to relationships (I kinda make it up as I go). Regardless, the questions come and I give the best input I can give him. Come to think of it, this could be part of the problem. Anyway, he tells me how he wishes God would just take this desire away, because he doesn’t see it happening. From these conversations, we inevitably get on this topic that our dreams are God given. Again, I don’t believe God is so cruel that He would place within us these hopes, dreams, and desires that He will not legitimately fill.
Now, we must take into consideration that part of the Christian life is learning to relinquish control to God. But our dreams are not necessarily part of that (if they are not selfish and in agreement with Biblical teaching). On numerous occasions in Scripture, we find that God speaks to individuals through dreams, i.e. Joseph (son of Jacob), Joseph (husband of Mary), Solomon, and Paul to name a few. God, being omniscient, desires that we learn to legitimately fulfill the dreams he has given us. The key word here being legitimately. There are no shortcuts with God. If we are following God, Scripture plainly tells us that He will shape and mold our dreams...not take them away. He will refine them and make them better than we had originally imagined. Afterall, God is able to do more than we could ever ask or imagine.
We must also take into account the timing here. Patience, which I don't have a lot of most of the time, seems to be a big thing with God for some reason. It may take years or even decades for these God ordained dreams to come to fruition. Personally, some of the dreams I have are just coming into view; even though I have had them for years. The story that always comes to mind for me is Joseph, the guy with the technicolor dreamcoat. From the time he was given his dream to the time he saw it fulfilled was somewhere around the 20 year mark. This guy had to endure to see his dream fulfilled. From the very beginning it seemed he was doomed for failure, but time and time again, what the devil intended for harm, God used for good.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
DREAM, Part 1
It is our dreams that perpetuate us. And that is why none of us ever dreams of living a life of mediocrity. Nobody dreams of working their way to middle management or having a dead-end job. Nobody's dreams consist of struggling with debt or just getting by. I have never heard of anyone dreaming their marriage would end in divorce. Our dreams don't involve addiction or pain and suffering. We all have dreams of grandeur. And for most of us, our dreams are unattainable in and of ourselves (if they aren't, I'd have to say they really aren't worth pursuing).
Think back to your childhood and try to recall some of the things you dreamed about. When I think back to those early years, it seems the sky was the limit; I mean that, seriously, not metaphorically. I had dreams of being a super-hero, like Superman. When I was younger, I was so convinced I could fly that I rode my big wheels right off our front deck. Needless to say, the only "flying" that took place was the drive to the emergency room to have gravel removed from my face. That may very well have been the day my dreams began to fade and I allowed them to get hijacked. Inevitably, that day comes looking for us all. For the vast majority of us, we succumb to the pressures of life and relinquish our dreams for the status quo. The discouragement sets in and gets the best of us. We can only hear: get your head out of the clouds, come back to reality, you are living on fantasy island, so many times. But, there are a few who will never give up and vigorously pursue those dreams with wreckless abandon.
It is God's design that we live life as the latter, because he has engrained deep in each of us the desire and the need to dream. How do I know this? The fact that we are created in the image of God leads me to this conclusion. God is a dreamer. If you don’t believe me, look around and take note of everything you see. The mountains, the trees, the animals, and of course humanity--all the work of a dreamer. The Bible tells us God desires that all men would be saved; that no man would turn away from repentance. If that doesn’t sound like a dream, then I don’t know what does. Now, let's throw into the mix the fact that God left everything he created in the hands of you and me. Broken, self-centered, over-indulgent humanity. All in hopes that we would learn to get along, love one another, and fulfill our purpose. That sounds like nothing short of fantasy to me.
All of this leads me to the conclusion that God has dreams of grandeur for each of us. More often than not, he wants bigger things for us than we want for ourselves. Unfortunately our dreams have been hijacked by society, media, and any number of "isms." The result is that we spend a good majority of our time and energy fighting God for control of our lives because, for some odd reason, we think we can do better without him. The key is to release control (or the false sense of control) of our lives and turn our hopes and dreams over to God. It is then and only then he will shape and mold both us and our dreams into something great.
That, my friends, is why it is essential we pursue our dreams. Well, that and because when we stop dreaming we stop living.
Think back to your childhood and try to recall some of the things you dreamed about. When I think back to those early years, it seems the sky was the limit; I mean that, seriously, not metaphorically. I had dreams of being a super-hero, like Superman. When I was younger, I was so convinced I could fly that I rode my big wheels right off our front deck. Needless to say, the only "flying" that took place was the drive to the emergency room to have gravel removed from my face. That may very well have been the day my dreams began to fade and I allowed them to get hijacked. Inevitably, that day comes looking for us all. For the vast majority of us, we succumb to the pressures of life and relinquish our dreams for the status quo. The discouragement sets in and gets the best of us. We can only hear: get your head out of the clouds, come back to reality, you are living on fantasy island, so many times. But, there are a few who will never give up and vigorously pursue those dreams with wreckless abandon.
It is God's design that we live life as the latter, because he has engrained deep in each of us the desire and the need to dream. How do I know this? The fact that we are created in the image of God leads me to this conclusion. God is a dreamer. If you don’t believe me, look around and take note of everything you see. The mountains, the trees, the animals, and of course humanity--all the work of a dreamer. The Bible tells us God desires that all men would be saved; that no man would turn away from repentance. If that doesn’t sound like a dream, then I don’t know what does. Now, let's throw into the mix the fact that God left everything he created in the hands of you and me. Broken, self-centered, over-indulgent humanity. All in hopes that we would learn to get along, love one another, and fulfill our purpose. That sounds like nothing short of fantasy to me.
All of this leads me to the conclusion that God has dreams of grandeur for each of us. More often than not, he wants bigger things for us than we want for ourselves. Unfortunately our dreams have been hijacked by society, media, and any number of "isms." The result is that we spend a good majority of our time and energy fighting God for control of our lives because, for some odd reason, we think we can do better without him. The key is to release control (or the false sense of control) of our lives and turn our hopes and dreams over to God. It is then and only then he will shape and mold both us and our dreams into something great.
That, my friends, is why it is essential we pursue our dreams. Well, that and because when we stop dreaming we stop living.
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