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So I've been thinking lately about giving and it seems the more I think, the more questions I end up with. So I think I'll just wite for a bit and share some of my thoughts and the questions I have been left with and if you feel inspired after reading it, you can comment and tell me what you think. Maybe you can answer my questions. That'd be awesome. Maybe you just quit reading this because I have already bored you - who knows.But if you are still reading this, I'll try not to bore you with the rest.
As I said I've been thinking about giving and what it is. I know you are probably thinking I am a moron because giving really isn't that hard to define. Simply put it is when you give something. It could be time, money, emotions, etc. We all give. It is impossible to live and not give. Some give more, some give less. Some give generously with their time while others give generously with their money. But we all give.
But why do we give? For many of us we see a need and we want to do our part to help. We sponsor a child through World Vision, we teach Sunday School at our church, we tithe, we give a burger to the homeless guy on the corner, whatever it is we give, we give to help.
Or do we? Do we really give because our goal is to help or is that simply what we tell ourselves so we can feel better? When I give the homeless guy a #5 value meal from Burger King is my goal really to help or is my true goal simply to do something so I can tell myself I helped and did my part. Did that meal really help him? Is he really in need of a burger and fries or does he have a deeper, bigger need? And if he has a deeper, bigger need why do I not try to help meet that need? Could it be that any attempt to meet his real need would take more than I am willing to give? So the burger and fries are my way of telling myself I did something good and allowing me to feel good about myself while ignoring the fact that I am not willing to really take the time and effort to truly help.
This thinking led me to the word sacrifice. Now sacrifice is a much bigger word than giving. Sacrifice carries a bigger cost to us. The burger and fries was giving. But what would it look like if I were willing to sacrifice? Dictionary.com defines sacrifice as "the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim."That is a big, powerful word. Jesus sacrificed for me. He considered the restoration of our relationship to have a higher or more pressing claim than His equality with God. That is sacrifice.
Two songs I have been listening to lately have caused me to think even more. My Jesus by Todd Agnew has a line that says "I want to be like my Jesus, but I'm not sure what that means. To be like you Jesus. Cause you said to live like you love like you, and then you died for me" And the song The Motions by Matthew West says "I don't want to spend my whole life asking, what if I had given everything instead of going through the motions."But what does that mean to give everything? To love like Jesus? That takes way more than simply giving. That takes sacrifice. And I think my problem is that I am willing to give, but I am not willing to sacrifice and even if I were willing to sacrifice where does it stop? I mean I could sacrifice everything I have and every minute of every day to help, but there would still be more problems than my money or my time could solve. So does sacrfice mean living in a tiny run down house and eating PB & J everyday or is it less extreme than that? And if it is less extreme than that then where is the line? When can I say I have sacrificed enough and I can enjoy some of my time and money? When can I say "I know this $10 could be spent to buy a net to prevent malaria and save a child's life but tonight this movie is more important than a child I don't know, in a country I know nothing about?" Or what about saying "I know the homeless shelter needs help on Saturdays, but today is me time"? Or when can I say "I know this $60 could sponsor two more kids but it is more important that I get 300 channels to choose from in all digital format"? Something about that doesn't sit well with me, but it doesn't stop. I can ask that about every dollar I spend and about every minute of time I spend doing meaningless stuff.
So I'm not really sure where that line is or if there really is a line. Maybe it is different for everyone and maybe where the line is isn't even the right question. Maybe when you start living a life of sacrifice, you just know. But what I do know is I have become good at giving, but poor at sacrificing and I think loving like Jesus is a love that sacrifices.
I was watching Extreme Home Makeover the other night and they were talking to the woman whose house they were rebuilding. Her husband had died shortly after buying a fixer upper of a house and now that house was falling down around her and was a wreck. She was left to raise her kids on a teacher's salary so you can guess they were just barely getting by. One thing really struck me though. She was sleeping on her couch and when they asked her why she was on her couch she said she had a waterbed but the neighbor down the road had a mattress that popped so she gave her her mattress. So now she sleeps on the couch.That's sacrifice! I thought about what I would have done. Maybe I would have tried to give some money to help buy a new mattress, maybe I would have even asked people I know to go together and buy a new mattress but giving up mine and sleeping on the couch? Not a chance.
I would have given. The lady on the show sacrificed. The lady on the show, Christian or not, loved like Jesus. How about you?
Friday, July 17, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Favorite Quotes
I've been reading this amazing book called "Hole In Our Gospel" written by the CEO of World Vision and read a quote the other night I just had to share.
"Our Christian habit is to bewail the world's deteriorating standards with an air of rather self righteous dismay. We criticize its violence, dishonesty, immorality, disregard for human life, and materialistic greed. "The world is going down the drain," we say with a shrug. But whose fault is it? Who is to blame? Let me put it like this. If the house is dark when nightfall comes, there is no sense in blaming the house; that is what happens when the sun goes down. The question to ask is "Where is the light?" Similarly, if the meat goes bad and becomes inedible, there is no sense in blaming the meat; that is what happens when bacteria are left alone to breed. The question to ask is "Where is the salt?" Just so, if society deteriorates and its standards decline until it becomes like a dark night or a stinking fish, there is no sense in blaming society; that is what happens when fallen men and women are left to themselves, and human selfishness is unchecked. The question to ask is "Where is the Church? Why are the salt and light of Jesus Christ not permeating and changing society?" It is sheer hypocrisy on our part to raise our eyebrows, shrug our shoulders, or wring our hands. The Lord Jesus told us to be the world's salt and light. If therefore darkness and rottenness abound, it is largely our fault and we must accept the blame" - John Stott
What an amazing quote. He hits it right on. If the Church, if the people who call themselves followers of Jesus Christ would spend as much time being salt and light as they do complaining about society maybe society woudn't be so dark or so rotten.
So you decide. You can sit around in the cupboard with the rest of the salt and complain about the stinky meat or you can sit on the shelf with the other light bulbs complaining about how dark it is or you can actually let the salt out of the salt shaker and the light out of the box and watch the world change for the better.
Your choice.
Oh and one more short quote from Martin Luther King Jr."a Church that has lost its voice for justice is a Church that has lost its relevance in the world."
"Our Christian habit is to bewail the world's deteriorating standards with an air of rather self righteous dismay. We criticize its violence, dishonesty, immorality, disregard for human life, and materialistic greed. "The world is going down the drain," we say with a shrug. But whose fault is it? Who is to blame? Let me put it like this. If the house is dark when nightfall comes, there is no sense in blaming the house; that is what happens when the sun goes down. The question to ask is "Where is the light?" Similarly, if the meat goes bad and becomes inedible, there is no sense in blaming the meat; that is what happens when bacteria are left alone to breed. The question to ask is "Where is the salt?" Just so, if society deteriorates and its standards decline until it becomes like a dark night or a stinking fish, there is no sense in blaming society; that is what happens when fallen men and women are left to themselves, and human selfishness is unchecked. The question to ask is "Where is the Church? Why are the salt and light of Jesus Christ not permeating and changing society?" It is sheer hypocrisy on our part to raise our eyebrows, shrug our shoulders, or wring our hands. The Lord Jesus told us to be the world's salt and light. If therefore darkness and rottenness abound, it is largely our fault and we must accept the blame" - John Stott
What an amazing quote. He hits it right on. If the Church, if the people who call themselves followers of Jesus Christ would spend as much time being salt and light as they do complaining about society maybe society woudn't be so dark or so rotten.
So you decide. You can sit around in the cupboard with the rest of the salt and complain about the stinky meat or you can sit on the shelf with the other light bulbs complaining about how dark it is or you can actually let the salt out of the salt shaker and the light out of the box and watch the world change for the better.
Your choice.
Oh and one more short quote from Martin Luther King Jr."a Church that has lost its voice for justice is a Church that has lost its relevance in the world."
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Most important meal?
It has been too long since I have written a "make no sense, ramble about nothing blog" so here I go.
So we hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I understand this and why it is called that. A good breakfast gets your metabolism going and aids in weight loss if that is what you are going for. It also gets your body going and helps you mentally as you go through your day. So it is really hard to argue about the importance of breakfast.
But if breakfast is number one, who wins between lunch and dinner? Lunch seems to always come at an important time. The time when breakfast is wearing off and you are beginning to get hungry again. And especially if you are at work, it is hard to concentrate when your stomach is rumbling. Not only is that distracting, but it is also embarassing. So lunch helps control that and gets you through until dinner. But then after lunch you crash. You want to take a nap and just be done for the day. So production goes down after lunch. So that is not such a good thing.
But then there is dinner. Dinner tends to be the yummiest meal so it gets big points for that. If you are like me breakfast is maybe a breakfast bar or cereal or something basic and bland. Lunch may be a sandwich or salad. Usually a little better tasting than breakfast but still not something delicious. But then there is dinner. Things like steak and potatoes are reserved for dinner. Casseroles are reserved for dinner. Ever go to a restaraunt? The lunch menu is smaller portions. Why? Because we eat more at dinner. That is also a good thing. At dinner the salad that was your main course for lunch becomes the introduction to the main course. Dinner is also the one meal where if you are lucky, the family is all together and you can talk about everyone's day.
So with that all being considered I am ready to give the title of 2nd most important meal of the day to dinner.
But then Taco Bell comes along and invents the 4th meal and the title is stripped for dinner and given to this 4th meal simply because, well it is Taco Bell and meals just don't get any better!!
So we hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I understand this and why it is called that. A good breakfast gets your metabolism going and aids in weight loss if that is what you are going for. It also gets your body going and helps you mentally as you go through your day. So it is really hard to argue about the importance of breakfast.
But if breakfast is number one, who wins between lunch and dinner? Lunch seems to always come at an important time. The time when breakfast is wearing off and you are beginning to get hungry again. And especially if you are at work, it is hard to concentrate when your stomach is rumbling. Not only is that distracting, but it is also embarassing. So lunch helps control that and gets you through until dinner. But then after lunch you crash. You want to take a nap and just be done for the day. So production goes down after lunch. So that is not such a good thing.
But then there is dinner. Dinner tends to be the yummiest meal so it gets big points for that. If you are like me breakfast is maybe a breakfast bar or cereal or something basic and bland. Lunch may be a sandwich or salad. Usually a little better tasting than breakfast but still not something delicious. But then there is dinner. Things like steak and potatoes are reserved for dinner. Casseroles are reserved for dinner. Ever go to a restaraunt? The lunch menu is smaller portions. Why? Because we eat more at dinner. That is also a good thing. At dinner the salad that was your main course for lunch becomes the introduction to the main course. Dinner is also the one meal where if you are lucky, the family is all together and you can talk about everyone's day.
So with that all being considered I am ready to give the title of 2nd most important meal of the day to dinner.
But then Taco Bell comes along and invents the 4th meal and the title is stripped for dinner and given to this 4th meal simply because, well it is Taco Bell and meals just don't get any better!!
What I Learned While Freezing My Butt Off in San Francisco!
Well let me just jump right into this. The first thing I learned was that as a Christian I just didn't have the right vocabulary to describe just how cold I was while sleeping outside in San Francisco the other night. All the "OK" words just didn't seem to quite capture the depth of my coldness. But that is beside the point.
You may be wondering now why I would be sleeping outside in San Francisco. I won't go into all the details but if you want more than I provide just go to www.invisiblechildren.com and check out all the info about the Rescue event. That is what I was at. In brief, the Rescue was an event in 100 cities across the world in an attempt to end the longest running war in Africa and rescue the over 30,000 abducted children who have been forced by Joseph Kony into the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). Nearly 100,000 people chose to abduct ourselves and wait to be rescued. In order to be rescued, we needed the media to show up and cover the event and we needed a mogul (someone of power and influence) to show up and pledge to lend his or her voice to rescuing these kids and ending the war.
So what did I learn while I was there? Well I'm not sure yet. I am still processing it all since I am only about 12 hours removed from it. But here are some observations.
I observed that I was out of place. I was old (37). There were a few of us old people out there, but in a crowd of approximately 2000 people we were by far the minority. This was both sad and encouraging to me.
It was encouraging to see the younger generation willing to give up their time and comfort to support an issue that isn't about them. Whether this war ends or these kids are freed won't make a single difference directly in any of the lives of these kids who were there. But yet they still care. They care because it isn't about them but it is about justice. And the abduction of innocent kids is unjust anywhere and anytime and injustice is always worth fighting for even if it doesn't affect us. An ocean may separate us from this war but kids are kids and people are people and distance should never be a reason for indifference.
I was sad because why were there not more old people, and by old I mean over 30, out there? What happens when we get older? Do we lose what some call the naivete that allows us to believe that change can happen and that we can be a part of it? Do we get too wrapped up in our own lives and our jobs and our families to be concerned about anything that doesn't affect us directly? I saw a lot on TV these past couple of weeks about the Tea Parties and I am all in favor of them. The governement is way too involved in my paycheck. But what I noticed was that the Tea Parties were my generation. So why is it that we can get out and believe we can have an impact on taxes but we aren't willing to do something about abducted children forced into a war? Is it really as simple as taxes affecting us and a war thousands of miles away not? I don't know. I don't have an answer for that.
I also must confess that if it weren't for a friend in this younger generation inviting me and sharing the story with me I would have never been there. I would have continued going about my life knowing about the "invisible children" but never caring enough to really know about them and get involved. I would have spent the day sleeping in and playing with my kids and I most definately would have been a lot warmer and more comfortable in my bed on Saturday night.
But one thing I did learn was that this younger generation really cares about issues of injustice. When something is wrong it is wrong. Whether next door or across the ocean. These kids may have been enjoying their time out there but if it was about enjoyment they could have been at any one of their houses staying warm and having just as much fun hangin out. It wasn't about the hangin with friends it was about the issue. And they truly did care.
What else I learned was that they long for someone to provide them a voice. The group at Invisible Children did this. They provided an outlet for these kids to get involved and do something about an issue they care about. And maybe that is where us old people can get involved. Maybe we could find ways to give this younger generation a voice. But first we have to care.
We have to believe again that we can make a difference. We have to believe that injustice is injustice no matter where it happens or who it happens to. We have to believe that injustice anywhere is worth fighting against. We have to be willing to take a stand for justice even if it takes us out of our comfort zone.
We have to look to this younger generation and learn a thing or two. Let them remind us what it is like to believe that our life can make a difference. Let them remind us that life is about more than our 9-5 jobs and our to-do lists around the house.
Let them remind us that as humam beings who have been given much, much is required.
You may be wondering now why I would be sleeping outside in San Francisco. I won't go into all the details but if you want more than I provide just go to www.invisiblechildren.com and check out all the info about the Rescue event. That is what I was at. In brief, the Rescue was an event in 100 cities across the world in an attempt to end the longest running war in Africa and rescue the over 30,000 abducted children who have been forced by Joseph Kony into the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). Nearly 100,000 people chose to abduct ourselves and wait to be rescued. In order to be rescued, we needed the media to show up and cover the event and we needed a mogul (someone of power and influence) to show up and pledge to lend his or her voice to rescuing these kids and ending the war.
So what did I learn while I was there? Well I'm not sure yet. I am still processing it all since I am only about 12 hours removed from it. But here are some observations.
I observed that I was out of place. I was old (37). There were a few of us old people out there, but in a crowd of approximately 2000 people we were by far the minority. This was both sad and encouraging to me.
It was encouraging to see the younger generation willing to give up their time and comfort to support an issue that isn't about them. Whether this war ends or these kids are freed won't make a single difference directly in any of the lives of these kids who were there. But yet they still care. They care because it isn't about them but it is about justice. And the abduction of innocent kids is unjust anywhere and anytime and injustice is always worth fighting for even if it doesn't affect us. An ocean may separate us from this war but kids are kids and people are people and distance should never be a reason for indifference.
I was sad because why were there not more old people, and by old I mean over 30, out there? What happens when we get older? Do we lose what some call the naivete that allows us to believe that change can happen and that we can be a part of it? Do we get too wrapped up in our own lives and our jobs and our families to be concerned about anything that doesn't affect us directly? I saw a lot on TV these past couple of weeks about the Tea Parties and I am all in favor of them. The governement is way too involved in my paycheck. But what I noticed was that the Tea Parties were my generation. So why is it that we can get out and believe we can have an impact on taxes but we aren't willing to do something about abducted children forced into a war? Is it really as simple as taxes affecting us and a war thousands of miles away not? I don't know. I don't have an answer for that.
I also must confess that if it weren't for a friend in this younger generation inviting me and sharing the story with me I would have never been there. I would have continued going about my life knowing about the "invisible children" but never caring enough to really know about them and get involved. I would have spent the day sleeping in and playing with my kids and I most definately would have been a lot warmer and more comfortable in my bed on Saturday night.
But one thing I did learn was that this younger generation really cares about issues of injustice. When something is wrong it is wrong. Whether next door or across the ocean. These kids may have been enjoying their time out there but if it was about enjoyment they could have been at any one of their houses staying warm and having just as much fun hangin out. It wasn't about the hangin with friends it was about the issue. And they truly did care.
What else I learned was that they long for someone to provide them a voice. The group at Invisible Children did this. They provided an outlet for these kids to get involved and do something about an issue they care about. And maybe that is where us old people can get involved. Maybe we could find ways to give this younger generation a voice. But first we have to care.
We have to believe again that we can make a difference. We have to believe that injustice is injustice no matter where it happens or who it happens to. We have to believe that injustice anywhere is worth fighting against. We have to be willing to take a stand for justice even if it takes us out of our comfort zone.
We have to look to this younger generation and learn a thing or two. Let them remind us what it is like to believe that our life can make a difference. Let them remind us that life is about more than our 9-5 jobs and our to-do lists around the house.
Let them remind us that as humam beings who have been given much, much is required.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Sometimes You Just Have to Do Something
Sometimes you just have to do something. Salt doesn’t do any good in the cupboard and a light is useless until you flip the switch. So if we want to allow God to use us and to be salt and light sometimes you just have to start doing something and let God guide you.
For awhile God had put a burden on my heart for the homeless. But how do you help? My 6 year old son said we should just buy them a house. If only we could really help like that. But really what can one family do? It was easy to get overwhelmed at how big the problem is and allow that overwhelming feeling to paralyze us into inaction. Then one night during family devotions, God laid it on our heart to do something. To start.
So our family has begun fixing a meal and taking it to the Walmart parking lot every Tuesday night. During the week we stop by and say hi and introduce ourselves to any homeless people we see and invite them to the Tuesday night dinner. What I have learned is that one dinner and a couple hours a week isn’t much, but it’s a start and I’m excited to see where God takes it. I don’t share in an attempt to say, “Look at us,” because like I said we really aren’t doing much.
I share to say, “Do something.” Whatever the burden God has placed on your heart for ministry, find a way to start and get involved. Maybe you like the idea God has given us and want to do the same thing on another night of the week. That’d be awesome. Maybe you can’t do that, but you can come down on Tuesdays and bring some clothes. Or maybe you have something completely different that God is calling you to. Whatever it is… do something.
Someone told me this past week that it’s like a car. We give God control of the steering wheel, but if the car isn’t moving it's hard to steer the car. You want God to steer your life? Get the car moving and allow Him to steer you. Even if you are going in the wrong direction, it is easier for God to turn you around if you are at least moving. I know the analogy isn’t perfect. No analogy is, but it makes a good point.
So get the salt out of the cupboard and flip on the light switch and just watch how God changes lives through you.
For awhile God had put a burden on my heart for the homeless. But how do you help? My 6 year old son said we should just buy them a house. If only we could really help like that. But really what can one family do? It was easy to get overwhelmed at how big the problem is and allow that overwhelming feeling to paralyze us into inaction. Then one night during family devotions, God laid it on our heart to do something. To start.
So our family has begun fixing a meal and taking it to the Walmart parking lot every Tuesday night. During the week we stop by and say hi and introduce ourselves to any homeless people we see and invite them to the Tuesday night dinner. What I have learned is that one dinner and a couple hours a week isn’t much, but it’s a start and I’m excited to see where God takes it. I don’t share in an attempt to say, “Look at us,” because like I said we really aren’t doing much.
I share to say, “Do something.” Whatever the burden God has placed on your heart for ministry, find a way to start and get involved. Maybe you like the idea God has given us and want to do the same thing on another night of the week. That’d be awesome. Maybe you can’t do that, but you can come down on Tuesdays and bring some clothes. Or maybe you have something completely different that God is calling you to. Whatever it is… do something.
Someone told me this past week that it’s like a car. We give God control of the steering wheel, but if the car isn’t moving it's hard to steer the car. You want God to steer your life? Get the car moving and allow Him to steer you. Even if you are going in the wrong direction, it is easier for God to turn you around if you are at least moving. I know the analogy isn’t perfect. No analogy is, but it makes a good point.
So get the salt out of the cupboard and flip on the light switch and just watch how God changes lives through you.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Easter Lip Lickin'
Easter Lip Lickin. I am sure you are wondering what the heck that even means.Well when the ham comes out of the oven and the twice baked potatoes are on my plate and I remember that it is Sunday and I can ignore my diet for this day my mouth starts watering and I start licking my lips in anticipation of the amazing meal I am about to devour.
But, that is not what I am talking about but it does set the tone. What I mean is that Easter is the one Sunday of the year that it seems churches and Christians everywhere start licking their lips. After all just think about all those people who will come into our church services on this day. Attendance will shoot up and the numbers of non-Christians entering our doors will be amazing.
This is our chance. So we take extra care in making sure the worship team is well rehersed and that the sermon is just right with the perfect mix of jokes and illustrations in order to present the Gospel as best we can and save as many as possible on this special day.
My problem is, I hate it all. It actually disgust me that we get this way. Because I think we have missed the point. I think it starts with a complete misunderstanding of the purpose of the church gathering. (typically the church gathering is reffered to as the church but the church is actually the people so I will refer to it as the church gathering) For some reason we have decided that the church gathering is the place people come to be saved. But how can that be? If the church is saved people then who are we trying to save when saved people gather? hmmm Did you follow that?
You want to know my opinion on why evangelism is so weak and failing in America? Well if not then you shouldn't be wasting your time reading my blog. I think the biggest problem we have is that most Christians feel that their role in evangelism is to invite someone to a church gathering. Once we get our neighbor or co-worker in the doors of a church gathering then we have done our job and the rest is up to the pastor.
That's just stupid. You don't invite someone to a church gathering to get them saved you invite them because you have done life with that person and they have seen the love of Christ in you and come to know Christ through you and now they need that fellowship with other believers.
That isn't to say that we can't or shouldn't invite non-Christians to a church gathering. I just think that the church gathering should be for Christians. It should be a place where the body of Christ comes together and each person can share what God has done in and through them during the week. A place where we can use the gifts God has given each of us to encourage and bless each other. A place where we can hold each other accountable and be honest with each other about what is going on in our lives. And this is a whole other blog, but I'm guessing not too many church gatherings actually do that.
So instead of licking our lips because the attendance will be up tomorrow and doing everything we can to "get them" on this one day of the year, maybe just maybe we should be training up each other to actually do evangelism every day. And it isn't some difficult formula. If we just went about our day with the intent of loving others the way Christ loves them, evangelism would happen without us even thinking about it. And then we would see people coming to know Christ 365 days of the year instead of waiting for Easter.
Just my thoughts. Happy Easter
But, that is not what I am talking about but it does set the tone. What I mean is that Easter is the one Sunday of the year that it seems churches and Christians everywhere start licking their lips. After all just think about all those people who will come into our church services on this day. Attendance will shoot up and the numbers of non-Christians entering our doors will be amazing.
This is our chance. So we take extra care in making sure the worship team is well rehersed and that the sermon is just right with the perfect mix of jokes and illustrations in order to present the Gospel as best we can and save as many as possible on this special day.
My problem is, I hate it all. It actually disgust me that we get this way. Because I think we have missed the point. I think it starts with a complete misunderstanding of the purpose of the church gathering. (typically the church gathering is reffered to as the church but the church is actually the people so I will refer to it as the church gathering) For some reason we have decided that the church gathering is the place people come to be saved. But how can that be? If the church is saved people then who are we trying to save when saved people gather? hmmm Did you follow that?
You want to know my opinion on why evangelism is so weak and failing in America? Well if not then you shouldn't be wasting your time reading my blog. I think the biggest problem we have is that most Christians feel that their role in evangelism is to invite someone to a church gathering. Once we get our neighbor or co-worker in the doors of a church gathering then we have done our job and the rest is up to the pastor.
That's just stupid. You don't invite someone to a church gathering to get them saved you invite them because you have done life with that person and they have seen the love of Christ in you and come to know Christ through you and now they need that fellowship with other believers.
That isn't to say that we can't or shouldn't invite non-Christians to a church gathering. I just think that the church gathering should be for Christians. It should be a place where the body of Christ comes together and each person can share what God has done in and through them during the week. A place where we can use the gifts God has given each of us to encourage and bless each other. A place where we can hold each other accountable and be honest with each other about what is going on in our lives. And this is a whole other blog, but I'm guessing not too many church gatherings actually do that.
So instead of licking our lips because the attendance will be up tomorrow and doing everything we can to "get them" on this one day of the year, maybe just maybe we should be training up each other to actually do evangelism every day. And it isn't some difficult formula. If we just went about our day with the intent of loving others the way Christ loves them, evangelism would happen without us even thinking about it. And then we would see people coming to know Christ 365 days of the year instead of waiting for Easter.
Just my thoughts. Happy Easter
Friday, January 23, 2009
Where'd the Joy go?
Let me start with a warning - This blog will be long and most likely not a lot of humor. So if you are just looking for something funny to make you laugh this isn't the blog for you.
But if you feel like life is hard and you feel like you are always in some weird funk that you just can't get out of then this is the blog to read. If you are wondering why you can't find joy then this is the blog to read. If you feel like you are missing something because as a follower of Christ you are supposed to have joy but you just don't, then this is the blog for you.
So if this is the blog for you then get a drink (I prefer Mt. Dew) and sit down and take a few minutes to read it. Not because I think I have all the answers but I hope I have some of the questions. Some of the questions to ask yourself. Some of the questions to get you thinking about why joy seems so distant in your life.
So what is joy? Well it isn't happiness. Happiness is great but happiness is because of circumstances. When I get on the scale and see I am another pound down that is happiness. But that happiness is gone the next day when I am up a pound. When you get a new car that is happiness. When someone scratches your new car - not happiness. Get the point?
Joy is above your circumstances. Joy is still there when the pants are tighter. Joy is still there when the car is scratched. Joy is still there when your dreams are crushed. Joy is still there when a friend betrays you. Joy is still there when a boyfriend or girlfriend dumps you. Joy is still there when the worst thing that you could imagine happening to you happens. Joy is from God period.
So if joy is from God why don't we feel it? Why is it so illusive? Why doesn't God just give it to us?
We've all heard that joy comes from God. I'm sure everything I just said wasn't anything new to you. But we think that means we just sit here, go to church, say we love God and by some kind of magic God is just going to give us joy. Well it just doesn't work that way. If you wonder why you don't have joy read John 15:1-17 (I've copied it below for you in case your Bible is lost or too dusty to pick up - ouch I know)
John 15
Jesus, the True Vine
“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.
9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
Did you catch verse 11? -I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!
What things? What things did Jesus tell us so that our joy will overflow? Well everything above verse 11. Go read it again.
Have you ever seen a vase filled with a beautiful arrangement of cut flowers? They look amazing! All the colors and shapes and the smell! But what happens? They die. No matter how hard you try you can not keep them alive. Why? Because they have been cut off from the root. Some people even hang them upside down and dry them and they look cool but the truth is they are still dead. How many people in church on Sunday are just like those flowers? They still look good but the reality is they are dead or dying because they have been cut off from the root.
You want joy? Remain in Christ. You want joy? Remain in His love. And how did He say we do that? vs 10 - obey His commands.
(Quick explanation - when He says if we obey His commands we remain in His love He isn't saying that God only loves us when we obey Him. But if we are being disobedient. If we are living in rebellion to Him then we will no longer experience His love. You can't feel His love when you aren't obeying His commands. Instead you feel guilt and shame. The love is still there - you left it. You want to remain in it? Obey His commands.
You want joy? How are you living? Is your life centered on Christ? Are you living the way Christ calls you to?
Oh yeah and do you want to know what it is Christ commands you to do? Did you read verse 17? "Love one another"
So here's the formula - You want joy? Remain in Christ. Remain in His love. You want to remain in His love, obey His commands.
When we are living the life Christ calls us to we remain in His love. We experience His love everyday. We wake up knowing we are loved by the Creator. We know that no matter what happens in our lives we have a Father who loves us with a love that never fails. And I don't know about you, but when I really know that, when I am truly experiencing that kind of love nothing can take my joy away.
So quit waiting for God to magically bestow you with joy and instead start loving others. Really loving them. Not just the "of course I love others" church answer but really loving them the way Christ loves you. Yep that's a high standard and its incredibly hard to do but hey no one ever said joy was easy.
And one last thing - Read those verses some more. There is some incredibly powerful stuff in that passage.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoyed your Mt. Dew.
But if you feel like life is hard and you feel like you are always in some weird funk that you just can't get out of then this is the blog to read. If you are wondering why you can't find joy then this is the blog to read. If you feel like you are missing something because as a follower of Christ you are supposed to have joy but you just don't, then this is the blog for you.
So if this is the blog for you then get a drink (I prefer Mt. Dew) and sit down and take a few minutes to read it. Not because I think I have all the answers but I hope I have some of the questions. Some of the questions to ask yourself. Some of the questions to get you thinking about why joy seems so distant in your life.
So what is joy? Well it isn't happiness. Happiness is great but happiness is because of circumstances. When I get on the scale and see I am another pound down that is happiness. But that happiness is gone the next day when I am up a pound. When you get a new car that is happiness. When someone scratches your new car - not happiness. Get the point?
Joy is above your circumstances. Joy is still there when the pants are tighter. Joy is still there when the car is scratched. Joy is still there when your dreams are crushed. Joy is still there when a friend betrays you. Joy is still there when a boyfriend or girlfriend dumps you. Joy is still there when the worst thing that you could imagine happening to you happens. Joy is from God period.
So if joy is from God why don't we feel it? Why is it so illusive? Why doesn't God just give it to us?
We've all heard that joy comes from God. I'm sure everything I just said wasn't anything new to you. But we think that means we just sit here, go to church, say we love God and by some kind of magic God is just going to give us joy. Well it just doesn't work that way. If you wonder why you don't have joy read John 15:1-17 (I've copied it below for you in case your Bible is lost or too dusty to pick up - ouch I know)
John 15
Jesus, the True Vine
“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.
9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
Did you catch verse 11? -I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!
What things? What things did Jesus tell us so that our joy will overflow? Well everything above verse 11. Go read it again.
Have you ever seen a vase filled with a beautiful arrangement of cut flowers? They look amazing! All the colors and shapes and the smell! But what happens? They die. No matter how hard you try you can not keep them alive. Why? Because they have been cut off from the root. Some people even hang them upside down and dry them and they look cool but the truth is they are still dead. How many people in church on Sunday are just like those flowers? They still look good but the reality is they are dead or dying because they have been cut off from the root.
You want joy? Remain in Christ. You want joy? Remain in His love. And how did He say we do that? vs 10 - obey His commands.
(Quick explanation - when He says if we obey His commands we remain in His love He isn't saying that God only loves us when we obey Him. But if we are being disobedient. If we are living in rebellion to Him then we will no longer experience His love. You can't feel His love when you aren't obeying His commands. Instead you feel guilt and shame. The love is still there - you left it. You want to remain in it? Obey His commands.
You want joy? How are you living? Is your life centered on Christ? Are you living the way Christ calls you to?
Oh yeah and do you want to know what it is Christ commands you to do? Did you read verse 17? "Love one another"
So here's the formula - You want joy? Remain in Christ. Remain in His love. You want to remain in His love, obey His commands.
When we are living the life Christ calls us to we remain in His love. We experience His love everyday. We wake up knowing we are loved by the Creator. We know that no matter what happens in our lives we have a Father who loves us with a love that never fails. And I don't know about you, but when I really know that, when I am truly experiencing that kind of love nothing can take my joy away.
So quit waiting for God to magically bestow you with joy and instead start loving others. Really loving them. Not just the "of course I love others" church answer but really loving them the way Christ loves you. Yep that's a high standard and its incredibly hard to do but hey no one ever said joy was easy.
And one last thing - Read those verses some more. There is some incredibly powerful stuff in that passage.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoyed your Mt. Dew.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Selfish Christianity
When did Christianity become so selfish? Am I the only one who has noticed this? It just seems to me that Christianity has become all about what you can get out of it for yourself. So long as things are going well and God is "blessing" us everyone is happy and Christianity is great. But as soon as life gets hard we get angry at God. Why is that even though Jesus said things like "take up your cross daily and follow me" and "when you have troubles" etc we still seem to think that being a Christian means that we have a big God on our side who is going to make our life happy and better and we will be more succesful and have a nicer car and bigger house because God loves us.
I'm sorry but that is just stupid.
We come to church on Sunday and expect to be entertained. If the music isn't what we like or the sermon is boring or the chairs uncomfortable we complain. The last time I checked it was called a Sunday morning WORSHIP service. And I am pretty sure that worship is about us giving back to God. I believe Paul said that our giving ourselves as living sacrifices was our spiritual act of worship. Last I checked, the sacrifice wasn't on the altar thinking about what it wanted. If we are coming to worship we should be coming to empty ourselves out before God. To lay down all the selfishness and pride that we've been carrying at the feet of an almighty God whose mere presence causes us to fall on our faces in humility.
How can we possibly enter into the presence of God and have the nerve to think it is about us and getting what we want from God!
We have even become selfish with God's blessings. Somehow we have gotten the idea that God blesses us for the sole purpose of making us happier. We say things like "the promotion was such a blessing so we can finally afford that new Lexus we've been wanting. Now I have nothing against Lexuses (I'm not sure if I can add es to Lexus but it's my blog so I'm doing it) but if God blesses you it is so you can do something for Him with that blessing. Maybe God blessed you with that promotion so you could sponsor another child from World Vision or maybe God blessed you to be in a one income family so you could volunteer not so you could sit at home watching Oprah or Sports Center. Maybe God blessed you with another child so that the schools or the city soccer league or the local dance school could have another Christian witness there. I don't know why God blesses us with different things but I do know that it isn't so we can sit back and say thank you God now I'm just going to sit here and enjoy this blessing myself.
I'm tired of selfish Christianity. I'm tired of Christians who think it's all about them. I'm tired of the label hypocrites being accurate. I'm tired of Christians who would rather complain about the homeless driving their property values down instead of getting involved and being Jesus to the world. I'm tired of Christians whining that Bono swore on stage instead of championing the work he is doing to help aids orphans in Africa.
And I'm tired of Christians who have decided that being a Christian simply means putting on a mask every Sunday and looking the part isntead of truly laying down their lives and letting God transform them into the image of Christ. Christ got dirty, Christ hung with some rather ungodly people, Christ was beaten, ridiculed, spit on, whipped and nailed to a cross. Christ didn't come to hang in the church with church people and eat the potluck. He came as a sacrifice and if you claim to be a Christian then it's not about you, it's about what you can sacrifice for Him.
I'm sorry but that is just stupid.
We come to church on Sunday and expect to be entertained. If the music isn't what we like or the sermon is boring or the chairs uncomfortable we complain. The last time I checked it was called a Sunday morning WORSHIP service. And I am pretty sure that worship is about us giving back to God. I believe Paul said that our giving ourselves as living sacrifices was our spiritual act of worship. Last I checked, the sacrifice wasn't on the altar thinking about what it wanted. If we are coming to worship we should be coming to empty ourselves out before God. To lay down all the selfishness and pride that we've been carrying at the feet of an almighty God whose mere presence causes us to fall on our faces in humility.
How can we possibly enter into the presence of God and have the nerve to think it is about us and getting what we want from God!
We have even become selfish with God's blessings. Somehow we have gotten the idea that God blesses us for the sole purpose of making us happier. We say things like "the promotion was such a blessing so we can finally afford that new Lexus we've been wanting. Now I have nothing against Lexuses (I'm not sure if I can add es to Lexus but it's my blog so I'm doing it) but if God blesses you it is so you can do something for Him with that blessing. Maybe God blessed you with that promotion so you could sponsor another child from World Vision or maybe God blessed you to be in a one income family so you could volunteer not so you could sit at home watching Oprah or Sports Center. Maybe God blessed you with another child so that the schools or the city soccer league or the local dance school could have another Christian witness there. I don't know why God blesses us with different things but I do know that it isn't so we can sit back and say thank you God now I'm just going to sit here and enjoy this blessing myself.
I'm tired of selfish Christianity. I'm tired of Christians who think it's all about them. I'm tired of the label hypocrites being accurate. I'm tired of Christians who would rather complain about the homeless driving their property values down instead of getting involved and being Jesus to the world. I'm tired of Christians whining that Bono swore on stage instead of championing the work he is doing to help aids orphans in Africa.
And I'm tired of Christians who have decided that being a Christian simply means putting on a mask every Sunday and looking the part isntead of truly laying down their lives and letting God transform them into the image of Christ. Christ got dirty, Christ hung with some rather ungodly people, Christ was beaten, ridiculed, spit on, whipped and nailed to a cross. Christ didn't come to hang in the church with church people and eat the potluck. He came as a sacrifice and if you claim to be a Christian then it's not about you, it's about what you can sacrifice for Him.
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