The Sum Of Who We Are
I’ve been giving some thought lately into what distinguishes one person from another if both people are in the same room, at the same time, listening to the same thing. The lecturer, motivational speaker, or instructor shares the same information with the two people. The content is exemplary and undeniable in its effectiveness. Both of those who have been recipients of the message have no hearing problems that they are aware of, and they are in full command of their faculties and intellect. Both remained awake during the class or event, and both were dutiful in taking notes. Even when opportunity was given at the concluding Q & A, both took advantage of having time to pick their teacher’s brain and showed genuine interest in clearing up any misconceptions they had about the content.
So, why is it that upon leaving the class, one person takes the information given and soars with it, while the other person, who heard the exact same information and at the time of the class showed the exact same enthusiasm for the material shared, finds themselves at home sitting on their hands, their lives unchanged?
I believe Jesus encountered such people. During His time here on earth He travelled from town to town, sharing the message of the Gospel with anyone who would hear. Christians and secular people alike, to this day, continue to quote Jesus and acknowledge His place in history as, at the very least, an incredibly revolutionary and even controversial voice, and at the very most, Prince of Peace and Lord of all.
So there’s no debate about the validity of even studying the content of His sermons. What He shared meant so much on so many levels to so many people. If you didn’t buy into His claims about who He was, you had to at least admire His wit and cunning in dealing with the educated individuals of His day, or you have to respect His treatment of the poor and ostracized, His compassionate turn towards them evident not only in His words but in His deeds. And if neither of those aspects of His life moved you, His popularity and crucifixion at least give you a look into what the world was like during the days that He walked the streets of Jerusalem.
The Bible teaches that Jesus often knew the hearts of those who were listening to Him, as much as He knew the soundness of the words He was sharing. Jesus never doubted His message, but wondered out loud, more than once, if His words would be put into action, or simply heard, met with nods of approval, and catalogued with other ‘great ideas of the day.’ I believe this is why He said the following:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash” (Matthew 7:24 - 27).
What’s Jesus saying? Plainly, hearing is good. Hearing and doing is better.
This also reminds me of one of my favourite parables from Jesus involving two sons:
“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ” ’I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. ”Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. ”Which of the two did what his father wanted?” ”The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him” (Matthew 21:28 - 32).
Both sons heard what they were being asked of, and what they were supposed to do. One of them even said that they would do what was asked of them - gave verbal assent - but never lifted their finger for the task. Even though the other one rejected the entreaty originally, Jesus credits that son as doing and being right because at the end of the day he made a choice to obey.
And this is what it really comes down to: choices and obedience.
I am proud and blessed to belong to a fellowship with a rich history of encouraged expression and active, public submission to God’s Word. It is through this ‘tradition’ that I believe the Lord placed anchors in my life that have me in the faith to this day, due to the times that I can recount being impressed by His Spirit on my heart to make changes, surrender anew, or consider new possibilities. The altar at the front of our churches, as the altar was in days gone by, was and is a place of sacrifice. Our sacrifices today aren’t animals but they are other ‘beasts of burden’ that need to be dispensed: pride, envy, lust…fill in the blanks.
In my life I have seen people respond to what God was saying to them through a message with great emotion. And I’ve been rebuked in my own heart whenever I thought that people were getting ‘carried away.’ If Jesus is Lord of all, then He is also Lord of our emotions, and we should be allowed to express ourselves in that way before Him and in front of others if need be. So I resolved that joy, sorrow, laughing, or weeping, was all healthy as long as it was genuine and not a form.
I have been careful to watch myself when I have had such an encounter with God. I’ve been careful to consider my ways and to apply what I’ve heard so that the encounter, or the altar experience, meant something and was not a waste of time. Of course, I found it easier to follow what God was saying to me when I was around either like minded people who felt God speaking to them as well.
But the trap that we can fall into, especially in this age, is to be more spectators than participators, critics than disciples. We can watch life instead of live it, and allow our opinions to be heard and shared without being moved to do anything about it.
Success in life is ultimately about the choices we make with the material we’ve gathered. We know that smoking is bad. Will we allow that knowledge to move us towards breaking the habit or will we simply say, ‘yes, smoking is bad, and I’m bad for doing it…ha ha..one day I’ll break it…’ We know we need excercise to take care of our bodies. Will we start going for walks and leave the car behind when we can or simply agree with all the studies we have heard and smile to ourselves at how we are on the cutting edge of information?
We have to make right choices. And right choices don’t always come when we feel like it. But feelings don’t make our choices right. Standards, character, consequences - they do.
For the follower of Christ, choices are bound up with obedience. We can go to the best church, with the best worship band, with the latest in multimedia technology, a vibrant drama ministry, tremendous exegetical preaching, amazing opportunities to touch God through prayer - and walk out of such experiences unchanged. Because really, the effectiveness of what has been said doesn’t happen until we are outside of the church building, away from our friends, and on our own, in our moments of reflection and ‘gut check.’ This is where disciples are made when tough decisions that effect destinies are cemented on the heart.
What does this all mean when you sum it up? We are not necessarily what we think or what we feel, but what we decide. That’s who we are. And how we decide…depends who we are listening to.
Temptation of The Ideal
James Chapter One verse thirteen and fourteen say: “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.”
Keep that verse in mind when you consider the following quote: “The power of temptation is not in its appeal to our baser instincts; if that were the case, it would be natural to be repulsed by it. The power of temptation is in its appeal to our idealism” (Helmut Thielicke).
So I give thought to what these two separate ‘words of wisdom’ are saying to me. Actually, my sojourn to the scripture that is quoted here was prompted from finding Thielicke’s citation while studying for a message recently. His words are a definite ’cause for a pause’ and an opportunity to reflect on the nature of our fallenness; what is behind the crash of our systems, the messes of our inner lives.
For instance, if the objects of our temptations are those things which we see to be perfect, it says a lot about us that we steal: we steal people, we steal relationships, we steal material goods. Why? All of these acts are in an effort to gain the ideals of belonging, support, and wealth, all of which are not wrong in themselves. How about men’s attraction that woman who is outside of their grasp, or women’s attraction to that connection with a man beyond their reach? The search is perhaps for that ideal physique which we can have and hold and enjoy, or for that tenderness and communication which will meet the needs of the heart.
Recall the ‘great sins’ that humanity has suffered in this young century. The 9/11 attacks were allegedly about a pursuit of an ideal of justice (as twisted a pursuit of an ideal as there could be, but a pursuit neverthelss). The Enron scandal was about the pursuit of a lifestyle which ensured financial security and high society living for the duration of existence in this mortal frame. Even Tiger Woods’ transgressions, as glamourized as they have been because of his place in the public imagination, perhaps was a search for significance and worth for the arguably not only the world’s number one (or former number one) golfer but most famous athlete on the planet?
Again, there’s nothing wrong with justice, equity, financial security, or self worth. But these acts - and many others - became sin because they were pursued outside of the will of God.
That’s a pretty sweeping statement, I know. It’s easier to look at the actions mentioned, and anything else that we could add to this list - perhaps here we could insert our own shortcomings - and simply prescribe the latest book, the latest preventative methodology, or believe that the problems could be dealt with by simply changing the subject and the mindset of us, the offenders, the lustful, the drunkards. Like Tylenol or Asparin, we can give ourselves the drugs to deal with the symptoms, allowing ourselves to rest and recuperate so that once our sickness has left us we can get back on our feet and be better people.
Dealing with sin is much more insidious than that. To replace one god (small ‘g’) with another god (small ‘g’) won’t solve the problem. I remember when I first became a Christian and I thought I could compensate for the loss in my life of less beneficial activities with reading the newspaper more - at the age of sixteen!?? Then I started getting on myself for reading the newspaper more than the Bible and feeling sinful for neglecting God’s Word for any other type of media…
I think the first way to deal with our temptation of the ideal is to acknowledge it for what it is. Meaning, trace back to the origins of our struggles. Someone once said that you can’t recover the beginning of hypocrisy, and that’s probably true, but somewhere in our hearts if we ask the right questions and don’t rush through the process, we can discover why we do what we do, both the good things and the bad, and how they eventually make us into what we are and who we are today. We can see what we’re trying to achieve, apprehend, or compensate for.
At this point, this isn’t a foreign prescription that you couldn’t receive from your family doctor or psychologist. Where things differ for the follower of Christ, however, is the involvement of God through the Holy Spirit. I believe we not only need to acknowledge what we’re attempting to grab a hold of, but we also need to acknowledge that God is the only One who can help us to fill in the cracks of our broken lives. In the same book of James, the author identifies God as the Father of lights who is unchanging and who is also the author of every good and perfect thing that comes into our lives. We can find that the majority of things that we are searching for - beauty, love, security, meaning - all come from Him, anyway (the ‘other stuff,’ whatever it may be, isn’t worth the journey). The Spirit, who Jesus said would lead us into all truth (see John 14 & 16) will lead us to the places where we can really discover (and in some cases recover) these very special commodities.
Communication with the Holy Spirit rests on a relationship with Jesus Christ, accepting Him as Lord, Saviour, King, and Friend. To take Jesus as all of these things is to invite the healing of the Holy Spirit to become more than simple theory; His work in our lives becomes actual, emanicipating, and amazing.
Interestingly enough, James says further on in his letter that we don’t receive the answer to our prayers because we ask amiss (James 4:1 - 3). Often this translates in us not achieving our ideals because we want to spend our ideals on ourselves, and they were never meant to be like that. All that we gain, all that we have, is God’s. He gives us what we have - good families, good friends, material possessions - to share with others (we may not think of sharing our families and friends with other people as much as we think of sharing money with others, but anyway). To find real health in our lives, and to escape the temptation of the ideal, is to understand that the most coveted thing in life is relationship with God. Everything else is icing on the cake to be distributed amongst those we love the most, and those who need love the most. What a radical and freeing life that that would be to live!
A Picture Of Grace
Kym stood outside the door of her sister Rachel’s room. She had a pretty rough night - an argument with her mom that turned physical, a drive into the woods that ended traumatically for her car, a knock on the window from a police officer who went on to evaluate Kym’s sobriety - and this morning, outside of her sister’s room in her parents’ house, Kym stood, emotionally broken and physically battered, the morning of her sister’s wedding, Kym stood, the maid of honour.
Her relationship with her sister Rachel was as rocky as it was with the rest of her family, and it some ways it was deserved. Kym had spent time in rehab dealing with a history of substance abuse and struggling with a very deep wound to herself and to her family, a wound that she had an active hand inflicting, the drowning death of her little brother. Kym’s personality was abrasive, her words mostly inappropriate, her emotions fluctuating, a contrast against the seemingly happy and civil demeanor of her sister, her dad, and her stepmom.
Through some complaining to her older sister Rachel Kym found herself in the role of maid of honour, usurping that place from Rachel’s friend Emma. As the maid of honour she made an awkward speech at the pre - wedding dinner, apologizing for actions and deeds she had committed in the past and ‘accidentally’ turning the focus on herself and away from the joyous occasion of Rachel’s marriage to Sidney.
Kym had fought some demons to get to her sister’s wedding and despite her rough exterior to an extent she was winning; she had been clean and sober for nine months, free of any influences that drugs or alcohol could impress upon a mind and soul. But a confrontation with her birth mother about the death of her little brother Ethan sent Kym driving the family car straight into the woods, reaching an abrupt stop at the foot of several tree trunks. The black eye that Kym showed up with on her sister’s wedding day was courtesy of the air bag that no doubt saved her life, albeit not leaving her unmarked from the incident.
So, Kym is standing at her sister’s door, knocking, still wanting, in some way shape or form, to be the maid of honour for her sister on her special day. As Rachel opens the door, no one is sure what response Kym is going to receive. It was actually Rachel’s words that had really sent Kym away in a rage, and now Rachel had that power again.
After examining her sister for a few seconds, Rachel invited her into her room.
Let’s stop here for a moment. Put yourself in the situation. It’s your best day. It could be your wedding day, your anniversary, your birthday, your child’s birthday party, a retirement party…it’s a day of celebration which is focused either on you or one of your family members. You’ve made all of the preparations and, being the guest of honour, have to get yourself ready. You’ve invited your sibling, or your friend, or your parent, to be a part of your special day, and they have been almost nothing but belligerent and annoying throughout the preparations. And on the morning of your big party, they show up looking like a wreck because they are a wreck. What would you have done?
Most of us, I believe, would have replaced Kym. We would have said that she had used up her three strikes and that, even though she was family, she was invited to watch the event as a spectator but could not participate due to her appearance, among other things. Some of us would have beaten her emotionally, reminding her that she had messed up again and made her a slave to a penance that maybe, maybe, would assist in absolving her of her sins.
On the flip side, what would you have done if you were Kym? Your problems are known by everyone - the hand that you played in the death of your own brother, the substance abuse, the stay in rehab - and now you wreck the family car and show up to your sister’s wedding with a black eye and a busted lip. How dare you show up to your sister’s big day in that condition! Don’t you have any care for how this will look on your family???
But Kym showed up. And Rachel invited her into her room.
Lovingly and gently, Kym’s older sister bathed her, singing softly into her ear. She iced Kym’s black eye as Kym wept, recovering from the previous night’s events. Rachel noticed on her sister’s shoulder a tatoo design, a heart intertwined with flowers with a name at the centre: Ethan, their deceased little brother.
And as I watched this scene from the movie “Rachel Gets Married”, I saw a picture of grace.
Truth is, if Rachel had closed the door on Kym, no one would have been altogether heartbroken for Kym. Her behaviour had warranted such a response. And, the truth is, if God had turned His back on mankind (as some have believed that He actually has) in our own logic, we would have thought His rejection to be warranted. But that’s not that’s not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is the God who says “Come now, let us reason together”, says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlett they will be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (Isaiah 1:18). He calls us to Himself even in our broken and unattractive state. That’s the message in Paul’s epistle to the Romans in Chapter Five: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
And the truth of the matter as well is that Rachel is a great picture of the Church in many ways. Bruised and broken, still She comes to take her place. Imperfect, sometimes deserving wrath, still she comes to stand at Her position. Struggling and not getting it all right, still she presents Herself not only for service but for love. And because of that, She is accepted by Her Groom. James says “Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you doubleminded” (James 4:8).
You may or may not agree with the picture of grace that I’ve shown you today. But whatever you see when you consider His goodness to you in your life, as a redeemed sinner, I hope it is something that will serve to be as vivid and as moving as the acceptance an older sister had of her wayward younger sibling.
(It should be noted that the film “Rachel Getting Married” has several very strong elements, including language, which will be offensive to some viewers. This article is not meant to condone language or cinematic elements in movies which would cause offense or stumbling amongst the Christian family.)
Friendship Has Its Privileges
You’re probably familiar with the run of American Express commercials and magazine advertisements that showcased a series of celebrities pledging their allegiance to the advantage of being an American Express credit card member. This is done in a way in which the AmEx card is shown as an integral part of their lives, listed alongside their hobbies, tastes in beverages, and favourite memories. The message is clear: don’t leave home without it.
While membership is good - it provides identity and belonging - friendship is better.
But aren’t they the same? They can be in some cases. It depends upon who is extending the invitation, and what the invitation is.
Membership can be an invitation to join a club and reap the monetary rewards. With membership you’re probably given access to places that non - members cannot go to. With membership you can be privy to upcoming specials that the majority of the public has no idea exists. Membership can be an open door to an exclusive and ’special’ group of people.
In some ways, friendship is just the same way. You can reap monetary rewards - if your friend is kind enough to buy you lunch. You can get special access to different places - your friend’s kitchen, or the couch in front of their big screen HDTV. And you can be privy to inside information - who’s going with who, who’s fighting with who, etc.
The big difference between membership and friendship, however, is formality, and to be honest this is why many people within the Church balk at becoming a member but welcome the opportunity to become a friend. Membership sounds like there is a rather thick and uncomfortable link between a person and an organization. And because of that link, the person feels obligated and responsible to the organization as would any member who is in good standing. And honestly, some church memberships are like that; for example, signing on the dotted line means that you will financially support your church and must keep to your word! Or, signing on the dotted line means you will never, ever exhibit any sort of Non - Christian behaviour while in public and naming yourself as a member of Church So and So!
But does friendship mean that we can enter a relationship which is void of responsibility, patience, and selflessness? Not at all. Some people may call that a friendship but the true name for it is codependency.
The word friendship, however, denotes more of a personal level of connection than membership does. You can be a member of an organization as long as you follow their rules. You can be a friend as long as you open your heart.
If there is someone in the Bible who illustrates the difference between membership and friendship, it is Abraham. His walk with God is not what we would call perfect or spotless - and if Abraham were a member of the “Law Club”, he would have been kicked out for lying about his wife in order to save his own skin - but it’s God who says that Abraham was His friend (Isaiah 41:8) and that God counted Abraham’s faith as righteousness (Romans 4).
Go figure. Abraham achieves right standing before God not because he does everything right, but because he believes the right thing. He believes that God is able to do something that he cannot do on his own: produce purity.
In Genesis 26:5 Abraham is spoken of as a man who took God at His word and believed God, even when the words were contradictory to his situations. But because of this faith, Abraham was given insight into the heart of God, and God was able to trust Abraham with a dream - to be the father of many, many nations.
Was this dream to be fulfilled only on a physical level? No. Abraham would have many, many descendants, from his time all the way up to today. But I don’t believe God was limiting his promise to ‘the fruit of his loins’ (though the miracle of a hundred year old man fathering a child from a barren woman cannot be understated!). As the Apostle Paul spells out for us in Romans 4, Abraham would be the father of many, many nations of faith.
Consider all of the saints of God who have come and gone since the time of Abraham. In some way, his life was a lynchpin for impacting the walk of untold numbers of people. His name will forever be associated with reverence and greatness. And what’s the reason?
Because Abraham learned that friendship had its privileges.
Things haven’t changed in our relationship with God today. Those of us who are task oriented (my hand is up!) try to satisfy ourselves and our God by doing all the right things. We perform our own personal penance when we believe we have missed the mark and struggle to get back on the horse, thinking our struggling to be pious when it is an ultimate waste of time.
God is not concerned with our efforts to remain a member of His ‘perfect club’ because really we don’t have a good understanding of what His ‘perfect club’ is anyway. God wants to be our friend. And believe it or not, friendship actually demands more than membership.
In what way? Well, friendship demands vulnerability, honesty, transparency, and effort. You have to be open about your weaknesses, clear about your feelings, have strength of character, and the willingness to work at maintaining the relationship. In other words, while membership may require a part of you, friendship requires the real you.
Abraham…Moses…David…Paul…were all remarkable people of God because they believed God despite themselves. They drew close to Him despite their obvious acquaintance with their own fallibility. And God counted them not only as friends, but as righteous people who He could entrust with His secrets.
Do you want to be a friend of God? Some are content to know His ways while others want to go deeper and know Him. To these others He offers a depth and scope of who He is that cannot be attained as a spectator. Only those who are brave enough to submit their hearts to His on a regular basis can know what He has in store for those who love Him.
I struggle to be someone like that, because this is the All Powerful God that we’re talking about here; He is not like us, even though we share similarities, for His thoughts are greater than mine. There’s a certain amount of mystery that He carries and a seeming limitlessness to what roads He could have us walk. But, as someone once wrote, and I’ll paraphrase, ‘if you can’t know His ways, trust His heart.’
Friendship has its privileges. God waits for us to explore what they are!
The Lives Of Kings
From the beginning of time until now authority figures have risen - and fallen - to the bewilderment of many; sometimes it’s hard to accept how an all powerful God could sit back and allow some of the most evil men and women to rise to positions of power. Adolf Hitler and Idi Amin come to my mind, and I’m sure there are others of which you could think of.
In Israel’s history, we see similar dilemmas: the oppressiveness of Pharoah, the influence of Jezebel being among the examples. These people, and others, were definitive stumblingblocks in the lives of God’s chosen people, the Israelites.
Of course, we also understand that God raised up leaders after His own heart - Moses, Deborah, Esther, David; though not infallible, their passion for God and desire to see His will be done allowed for Israel to experience great times of blessing.
It’s much the same today, in any facet of society, be it politics, science, or faith. God allows various people of various backgrounds to occupy places of leadership. Sometimes we are elated at the voices we hear that promise to lead us to moral change, and other times, again, we are confused as to how those who, in our estimation, reflect only incompetence or low levels of integrity, still retain their post of authority.
Going through books in the Bible like Judges or 1 and 2 Kings we are given snapshots of those who are allowed to ascend to places of prominence - even if there predestined end is disaster. I’ve been reading about these people in the last few weeks, particularly the kings of Israel and Judah. Some were old, and some were very young. Some reigned for long periods of time, and others for brief instances. Some followed God with all of their hearts while others departed from Him completely.
Recently one king in particular caught my eye: Azariah, king of Judah. In 2 Kings Chapter 15, the Bible says that Azariah began to rule Judah at the age of sixteen (while this shows the potential for leadership at a young age, I personally wouldn’t intentionally foster a philosophy of sixteen year olds running countries, dynasties, etc., especially in today’s day and age; I have a feeling sixteen year olds at that time, accompanied by different societal practices, were different people in a different setting then today’s North American teen). The Bible tells us that his reign over Judah was long and ended when he was seventy one years old. The Bible also tells us that he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord HOWEVER “the high places…were not removed; people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there” (2 Kings 15:4).
The “high places” were centers of idol worship which had been set up by heathen nations and where the children of Israel would partake, much to God’s chagrin. The “high places” also served as the nation’s constant ‘thorn in the side’ as you will see when you read the other accounts of the kings.
Azariah is an interesting character because even though the Bible said that he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, his service to God was incomplete because he did not bring down these idolatrous shrines which was causing his people to sin. It would appear as a result of this “the Lord afflicted the king with leprosy until the day he died” (2 Kings 15:5a).
Azariah is like Moses and David. He is commended in the scriptures but he is also disciplined by His God.
Let that thought sink in. And then think about your own life.
God commends us and loves us incredibly, as much as anyone could love someone else. His love for us goes beyond the best of our love for ourselves and for each other because His love is beyond conditions or even emotion. I believe God’s love is based on longing; a longing to be ‘reattached’ and to enjoy His creation. Maybe in some small way, it is like the love we have for enjoying our children, to see them reproduce something good which we’ve taught them, to be able to enjoy their spiritual, intellectual, and personal development. I know one of the true wonders of my life right now is to see the emerging personalities of my young daughter and son.
And yet…as much as this familial love within God exists in earnest, it is tempered by firm discipline. And I believe God’s discipline exists for two reasons.
One, to right our ship. To ensure that if we are doing something which will ultimately hurt us, that we are corrected before it leads to more - and untold - heartache.
Secondly, to honour His name. God is not a fair God if He allows unrighteousness to go undealt with. It would make Him a mockery and a laughingstock, a Being not to be taken seriously.
With the stories that not only exist in the Bible, but really throughout the history of man from Adam and Eve to now, His fingerprints of righteous judgment are evident. Some would disagree, but I believe if we knew the inner details and turmoil of those in power who we think ‘got away with it’ we would understand that God is still God and that He is not blind, deaf, and definitely not dumb.
I believe everyone will have to give an account for their lives, regardless of what level of power they held in this life, whether it was over their immediate family or whether it was over a much larger group, perhaps in a corporation or even a platoon of the army. We are all leaders in some way. I believe we can use Azariah’s life as a lesson to do one thing: FINISH THE JOB. Be thorough in our responsibility to lead others. And where we find ourselves weak - and we will find ourselves weak - pray hard for God’s strength and wisdom to make us what He wants us to be.
Finally Right
Very recently the life and career of celebrity Lindsay Lohan took a sharper detour than usual - and that might be saying a lot. Lohan, at the fairly young age of twenty four, has already starred in a multitude of movies and also has a number of incidents of bizarre behaviour on her resume as well. Her partying activities have been well documented as well as her legal problems stemming from drunk driving.
In a very siginificant way everything came to a head when she was charged and sentenced to serve ninety days in jail. The judge who was reading her sentence cited that Lohan was treating the conditions of her probation too lightly and had violated some of the rules which she was to be adhering to. On hearing her sentence, Lohan broke down and burst into tears, a sad picture of someone who had been hit with the gravity of the consequences of her actions.
When I heard about this, I scoured the internet for actual footage of the courtroom precedings. I’m not a sadist, and I don’t enjoy seeing others in pain. It hurt to watch this beautiful girl have her life derailed because of her recklessness. But, I thought, for all that I heard, it seems she did deserve it; it might even be for her own good.
To me, this is a picture of our state, mankind’s state, before the law of God: guilty and convicted, deserving of wrath and punishment. We’ve been unrighteous - out of control - and according to the law, we should be incarcerated as well, our freedoms taken away from us, our hearts carrying the weight of our sin. As a matter of fact, it’d be good for us to realize this and have a moment or five of emotional breakdown as we consider the havoc we’ve made of our lives.
The Apostle Paul is well aware of this as he writes to the Roman believers in Romans chapter three. Up to this point, in explicit detail he has spelt out the depravity of man and taken out every support that we may lean on in regards to promoting any sort of self righteousness. However, almost half way through the chapter, everything changes.
“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.” Romans 3:21
The wonderful thing about this is that God Himself is the One who brings the reprieve to mankind; He initiated the means by which you and I would finally be right. Or, righteous.
Do you remember the commercial that Scotiabank put out a few months ago, with the man and his wife who go to see an investment consultant? The consultant ultimately lets the couple know that the man’s thinking was correct, and in absolute joy he rips open his jacket to reveal a white shirt emblazened with the big red letters that says “I’m Right!” followed by a yell that breaks the silence of the bank branch.
Well, this same joy - actually, moreso - is what we can experience to know that we are finally right. We are no longer broken, forsaken, waiting for wrath, but according to Paul we can enjoy right - standing with God through belief in His Son Jesus Christ: “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:22).
It is this same faith that brings us back to our courtroom scenario. The sentence has been read, we know that we’re guilty as charged, and as the gavel is about to come down on our judgement, Jesus steps in. Why? Because we have admitted our sinfulness and our need of His salvation. As a result, He pays our sentence and we’re set free.
The God of the Bible, though He is the God of righteous wrath, is also the God of compassionate grace, which He loves to pour out on those who are serving Him with all of their hearts.
As you follow Christ today, take time to rejoice in the fact that you are finally right - made right by the intervention of the God who has created you for great things and loves you with a lover everlasting!
Eaten Alive
I’m about to conclude a short series on money this Sunday. We had taken a survey from our congregation regarding the subjects which they would most want to hear spoken about. Materialism was the number one answer by a two to one ratio versus tithing.
With this in mind, I began to prepare my message. While this subject is vast, I believe it’s also vital to touch upon, especially here in our culture. I was ready to ‘load my guns’ so to speak, aim, and fire at will at this ’spirit’ which I saw so prevalent around me, and even in my own life, as a North American. The statistics that I had read in the past echoed in my mind and it made this subject easier to approach because it was something that saint and sinner were familiar with; whether you are in the Church or not, you have a great awareness that a) North Americans have been incredibly blessed, and b) we apparently are in love more with our blessings than with the Blesser.
Then I watched a video of a lady names Avis Cardella. Avis is the author of a book called “Spent: Memoirs of A Shopping Addict.” In the video, Cardella explained that her own addiction with conspicuous consumption began after the death of her mother and it was her way of trying to deal with the pain she was feeling from this loss.
When I heard her words, I realized that I had forgotten to consider the ‘why’ in this crisis that we find ourselves in.
Adding further to this revelation was my fortunate channel surfing in which I saw that Oprah Winfrey would be addressing a family and the polarizing effect that electronics and other gadgets in the home were having on their relationships. I’ve watched the first twenty minutes of the show and can tell you that an expert had intervened and had stored all of the family’s ‘distractions’ - everything from cell phones and iPODs to computers - in a glass case, of which they would not have access to these items for seven days (they were also given five rules that they must follow during those seven days in order to rekindle the relationships that have gone cold between not only husband and wife, but parents and children). I have to say, though, that as much as I understand the ‘what’ in this situation, I am curious to discover the ‘why.’
And there is a reason that materialism is alive and well in our society. It does have something to do with our fallen nature, but more accurately, it has to do with our lack of healing, our brokenness.
As Cardella would suggest, grief can lead to diving into shopping malls and other material pursuits. Insecurity, fear, and poor self esteem can also contribute to the same thing. Sadly, in the end the stuff gets us (or as Cardella puts it, we are no longer consuming but have become consumed), and we’re not any better for it.
A rich man spoke to Jesus in Luke 18. From the initial part of his conversation with Christ, we find that not only is he wealthy but he’s done quite well in keeping the commandments (though, strangely enough, even as he himself replies to Christ about his piousness, he still senses that something is missing in regards to inheriting eternal life). Jesus says that he lacks one thing to be a true disciple. It is at this point that Jesus tells him to release all of his wealth to the poor, and then he can be a follower.
The story goes that the rich man left Christ, and the Bible does not record that he ever returned. For all of the blessings that he had received, his heart had become too attached and he was unable to relinquish them to God.
I think a lot of people mirror the rich man today. We’ve been blessed materially but we don’t want to be accountable for our blessings. We want to use our blessings to soothe our souls and to mend our brokenness, when they never can and never will.
The danger that anyone, anywhere could face (but especially here in Canada because of the plethora of ‘things to get’) is the dreadful assumption that things can take the place of people, and that ’stuff’ can give us the same joys as relationships. I believe this is the reason why the rich man kept his riches even though he professed to wanting to follow Christ. He couldn’t trust Jesus to see to his needs. We can be the same way.
Jesus is looking for people who would trust Him enough to allow Him to have rule over every aspect of their life, including their stewardship of goods. He doesn’t teach that being wealthy is wrong, but He does teach about the place that wealth should have in our lives and about the responsibility that it brings.
It would be wise for us, in this day and age, to really evaluate our priorities. Are we putting things before people or are things being used as a means of loving others?
Counting The Cost
In Luke 14:25 - 35, the Bible records that Jesus was enjoying great popularity among the people that He was ministering to. The crowds that were following Him and hanging off His every word and deed were increasing. If Jesus were around today and if we were witnessing this phenomenon, we no doubt would brand Him a success and a force to be reckoned with on the cultural landscape.
I don’t know if Jesus had any of this on His mind when He turned to this large throng of people and began to set in motion a sifting process which would see His followers decrease and dwindle. He would say words that would make people stand up and take notice, and make other people stand up and leave Him altogether.
First He spoke to the crowd about the level of love required to be a disciple. It was a level of love so high that the love His disciples would have for their own families would pale in comparison. Furthermore, He said that anyone who would be His disciple must love Him more than they love their own lives. And what would be the true earmark of a disciple? According to Jesus, it would be he or she who would carry the symbol of shame at the time - a cross.
Jesus would later go on to reason with His audience by using two everyday examples to communicate what it meant to be one of His followers. First He talked about the wisdom one needs in calculating the cost of building a tower and likens this to calculating the cost of being a Christian.
He follows this up by saying that following Him is like acknowledging that you are submitting to a Higher Power than yourself - in this particular scripture, the ‘King with the superior numbers’ is God - and that ‘giving up’ is the best solution in following Christ versus trying to contend with Him.
These scriptures teach us that God wants us to do two things: a) really consider what it means to be a disciple, and b) take into consideration that being a disciple means giving up everything and submitting to God.
If you have been a Christian or have attended an evangelical church for any stretch of time, you probably are familiar with some of the terms that I have used in this article, particularly the term ‘disciple.’ This term has been thrown around so much that it can easily be taken for granted to the point where we lose the weight of the word and what Jesus was trying to get across. There are those in other faiths who are well aware of the gravity and commitment which comes when you call yourself a disciple. It is a dedication to be wholly devoted, at whatever cost, to be a living imitation of your master; he or she has total reign and leadership in and over your life.
Jesus loved those who He addressed, but His love was not without truth. And the truth of the matter was that He needed to let them know that to continue following Him meant to pay a high price, a price which would include alteration of lifestyle.
I say all of this to say that this price is still being asked of those of us who would follow Jesus today, those who do not simply want to be spectators but want to be an active part of His plan. He is asking us to give Him everything.
Giving everything is not easy for anyone (and those who say it is are lying). There are areas of our lives which we have no problem giving to Jesus, perhaps because we have made such a mess of them after successive tries at self rehabilitation that we are so exasperated and have come to our mortal end in trying to change. There are other areas, though, that have seemed ‘right in our eyes’ and which we’ve gotten along well enough without Jesus’ help. We don’t really see why these areas need His touch or His change at all because they have been doing fine, as far as we’re concerned. Or because we are scared if we give them over to Him because at least they are currently familiar to us; what will happen, and what will He do, if He gets a hold of them??
To contrast (and hopefully clarify) what I mean, I look at two examples in all of our lives which we deal with on a regular basis: for many, their sexuality is an area of frustration and confusion. The media is not helping and the trends in society are such that if your look or behaviour is not a certain way you find yourself fast tracked into thinking things and doing things that are less than ideal for your own emotional and physical well being. As sensitive an area as this is, I have found in my years of working as a pastor that people seem more willing to receive help and counsel because of the devastating consequences that they find themselves living through (and trapped in).
Money, however, can be a totally different story. I believe, just as people want separation of church and state, people also want separation of church and wallet; fewer than more people want the Church, and it would appear God, to stay out of their spending habits and lifestyle choices. We don’t necessarily want to be told that a portion of our income should go to God’s work for a myriad of reasons, most of all that we simply don’t trust where the money is going. Abuses of this message in the past haven’t helped matters much. And yet several people (yay, many) are living in ignorance of an area of their lives where God wants to show Himself in an incredible and miraculous way.
Yet as I reflect on scripture, as I think about the teachings of Jesus, I am reminded of an oft repeated axiom: Jesus Christ is either Lord of all or He’s not Lord at all.
Jesus has to reign in all areas of my life, and of your life, if we are going to be His disciples. He must reign in the areas of my mind, heart, and body. He must have preeminence over my use of power, sexuality, and money.
Struggling with this Christian demand is ok. Jesus struggled with the demand of His Father when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane. Struggling is never the issue or the sin. But absolute rebellion or a determination to hold on to things and not allow God to have His way in those areas of our lives is a sure fire way to invite disaster and at the very least miss out on God’s blessing and favour in our lives.
In Isaiah, God calls out to His people and says “Come, let us reason together.” He is reaching out to a people who are far from Him with compassion and with the desire to at least gain an audience. There are many Christians today who are very desirous in serving God but are simply scared to give Him absolute leadership in their lives, especially over the area of money. But His call is to those people today.
In the book of Malachi, the Lord says through the prophet, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” Some people get hung up on the amount, on whether it is biblical, on whether it is mandatory or voluntary. I say, and I believe the Bible teaches, a) move by faith - trust God with your money and contributions, and b) be very sensitive to what He asks you to give.
Jesus asks all because He gave all. Bottom line: we should do the same - give all. That’s the earmark of a true disciple. And that’s what makes counting the cost of the Christian life all the more important.
Inspiration Comes From The Strangest Places
Last Monday my daughter had a day off from school. Don’t worry, so did all of her friends. Everyone was off except for the teachers who took a day to work without the ebbs and flows of dealing with manic young energy. These days are referred to as Professional Development Days (but don’t quote me on this, because I could be wrong. Just this past Sunday I was telling our kids in our church that quail are fish, so I am given to mistakes!).
Spring has been kind to us and we have had plenty of sun thus far, as well as above seasonal temperatures. But I think sometimes we fall into the ‘blahs.’ It’s not that anything horrific is going on in our lives, but it’s not like anything incredible is happening either. We just find ourselves in the middle, in the daily routine, in maintenance mode.
I think I was in maintenance mode when I asked my daughter if she wanted to go see “How To Train Your Dragon.” This was one of the few days that she and I would have to ourselves without her little brother being around (he was at daycare hanging out with his pals and teachers) and I heard that “How To Train Your Dragon” was a great movie to watch and wouldn’t include content which would make me embarrassed, and I’m a lover of theatre popcorn, so why not?
I didn’t expect too much from the movie. I find that the visual standards that are reached today can almost make one so easily take for granted what they’re seeing, and really, without a solid story special effects today can seem so run of the mill, ‘been there and seen that already.’
Anyway, we went to see the 3D version of the film - folks, mark my words, audiences will soon be in the movies before you know it - and, like “Avatar”, I found it incredibly striking. The attention to detail and the amount of work that no doubt went into producing this film is absolutely wondrous!
I actually left the theatre feeling inspired. I felt the breath come back into my chest and my eyes didn’t seem to meet the ground as much. It was good to get ‘whisked away’ for awhile with a spectacle that doesn’t pretend to be anything else than a life lesson wrapped in computerized animation. I guess I just needed that ‘breeze’ to blow my way, to brush across my mind and heart and revive me.
So are so many things in this life that work to strangle us, and so many more when you are following Jesus, because this world, by its current nature, is against the Creator. Righteousness, justice, and integrity all take a beating from the ‘broad path’ which is laid out before us, which many take, and which proves to be easier. Before you know it, despite the amount of ‘comedy’ which is available and which one can gain access, your joy can be sucked right out of you. You have more ’smileless’ and ‘laughless’ days than you don’t.
The Christian’s inspiration comes from Christ, and I’ve learned - and believe - that Christ expresses and manifests Himself through different means in our lives. I believe He speaks to us in different arenas, and all of His speaking is meant to bring us to Him to get that freshness which we need so desperately.
Your source of inspiration may be more traditional and conservative or it may come from the most unexpected of places and maybe from the least expected of people or events. Whatever it may be, let it remind you that there is a God in Heaven who is looking out for you, and that He has sent His Son so that you may not die, but live.
Determined To Get It Right
I try to find TV shows that my entire family will enjoy and of which I will not have to suffer too much embarrassment due to any content which I’d deem unsuitable for children or simply too brainless for adults. I can’t honestly say that Dancing With The Stars is the wisest choice, but I think it’s a show that we’re all able to take some enjoyment from. If you disagree with me, I wouldn’t be surprised and I respect your opinion.
Nevertheless, we watch DWTS until my son gets restless and starts whizzing around the room with his hockey stick, or until I decide that my other child is talking too much while the judges are critiquing the celebrities. And in all honesty, DWTS would not be on my list of shows to engage myself in on my own (I am more of a fan of 24, Heroes, and the Office).
We’ve watched two seasons of DWTS before this one, their tenth anniversary extravaganza, lined up with people that you may have heard of or who have had their time in the spotlight and are looking for it again. And then you have the ‘heavy hitters’ and ‘viewer magnets.’ I mean, there must be some curiosity as to whether or not Pamela Anderson has some rhythm, or whether Chad Ochocino can do as well on the dance floor as he does on the football field.
And then there’s Kate Gosselin, the mom of eight who is under the microscope of the media for more reasons that I would like to go into right now (Google can help you with an informative and informal tour of her life and struggles, no doubt detailed on various websites). Whether you like her or don’t like her, you have to wonder if there’s a talent that she’s been hiding under all of her drama, if there’s a graceful dove just below all of that stress.
Well, more than four weeks in, it sure doesn’t look like it. She has turned in performances that have been painful to watch, and also painful to perform. If you want to see what I mean, just go on Youtube and watch her dance to “Paparazzi” and tell me that you wouldn’t want that three minutes of your life back.
Yes, her dancing has been cringe worthy. But if you can get through that, or over that, take a look at her eyes during her practices and renditions. Particularly in the last two weeks, I’ve noticed something which I think is praiseworthy. The judges even mentioned it themselves.
Determination.
Clearly out of her element, her dependence on her instructor and partner is obvious. She is like the little toddler girl who is learning to walk and entirely unsure whether her next step will be her last before she finds herself flat on the ground, having to pick herself up and try again. But it can’t be argued that the level of her concentration is at its best, and her willingness to compete in such a competition and therefore subject herself to possible humiliation has to be commended.
Of course, there are many people who would simply plant other labels on Ms. Gosselin, and they would be very derogatory. They would question her level of intellect and pride, wonder out loud about any recognition of self dignity or shame, and in as many ways as could be thought of lambhast her for taking time to be on yet another show when her domestic responsibilities are surely enough to keep her busy.
Regardless of all of that, and probably more for herself than anyone else, Kate Gosselin has chosen to compete on DWTS. And thus far has outlasted at least three other contestants. If her decision on the show is so reviled by the public, it must be the public that’s not watching the show.
Anyway, I say all that to say this: that you may not be the most talented or the most skilled. You may have tremendous pressures in your life. You may not even possess a healthy level of self confidence. But sometimes, for your own sake, you have to do something that you’ve never done before, and you have to do it for yourself, and not anyone else. You have to experience the hurt it causes you, the awkwardness you battle with, and the sorrow it can elicit. You have to do all of these things to remind yourself that only people who are alive and want to take advantage of the time and opportunity that they are given in this life are the people that experience the euphoria of victory because they have felt the sting of defeat. And it sure beats living a stoic life.
So, if you happen to be channel surfing next Monday and happen to see Kate Gosselin dancing, linger for a bit. Do your best to ignore the whining. Just watch her dance. At least she’s determined to get it right.
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