2017: The Year of Commitment

As I reflect on 2017, I think I could best sum it up in the word commitment. Over the recent months, long-term commitments in my life, like living in the same house, working at the same job, going to the same church, and keeping up with the same friends have become increasingly valuable to me. I've realized more and more how vital commitment is in so many aspects of life, especially in the midst of a generation of non-committal drifters.

To our individualistic society, commitment is a thing to be avoided as long as possible. It stifles our freedom and ruins our fun -- we need to keep our options open, be careful not to get too tied down. Something better might come along, you never know, and it would be a shame if you had to pass it up because you were already stuck with something else. Even advertisements win our business with enticing claims of "no commitments!" Commitment is a nice sentiment for marriage, but most would prefer to keep it there...and not take it too seriously even then. Many people are forever in search of something better so they can move on from whatever they already have in a quest for novelty.

But we don't need a new place, position, or person in order to find novelty and excitement -- there is plenty to be found within our commitments. Commitment is not to be feared as a boring cage to keep us from enjoyment, but welcomed for the security and freedom it brings. Jesus asked for commitment from His followers, not to restrict them, but to open to them a new, abundant life. He showed us what commitment looks like by becoming one of us and giving Himself for our sake so that we could have an eternal relationship with Him. Our earthly commitments matter to Him as well -- should we not give them our all?

Including God

Christians have an understandable, but dangerous, tendency to live in two worlds: the secular and the sacred, the "spiritual" and the "ordinary." Some places, people, things and activities are "Christian" and some are not, and really spiritual people are the ones who have more of their lives invested in these things instead of those. Missionaries, pastors, and people who only listen to K-LOVE are model Christians, and the rest of us -- well, we just haven't got to that level yet. It's subtle, but true; we have a Christian class system based our ideas of spiritual prowess. But what if spiritual status is not measured by the kind of job you have, the hobbies you enjoy, or the music you listen to?

Of course spiritual disciplines are essential, but the real test of a spiritual life is whether you go about your ordinary human day hand in hand with God, or leave Him sitting in the corner after you finish your morning Bible reading. Many Christians, even those most highly respected in the church, are so busy doing things for God that they forget to do things with Him. Such "Christian" activities may in fact be far more spiritually empty than the mundane, everyday moments. What God wants most from us is not a list of spiritual accomplishments as long as a Pharisee's robe, but a life that simply delights to include Him in every aspect, however small.

Anything, even the most admirable ministry, if not done from a heart of love for God and aim for His glory is worthless, even sinful (see Romans 14:23). Likewise, even the most "ordinary" and "secular" activities may be acts of worship if He is acknowledged in them. If you cannot possibly include God in what you do, you should not be doing it at all. Anything else should be done from a heart of thankful worship, with open eyes to God's hand and character, for including Him in all is where a full spiritual life is truly found.

Therefore, whether you eat or drink,

or whatever you do,

do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31

Reformation Day

I like centennials. There's something special and worth celebrating about them, especially since they only happen once every hundred years. Today marks five hundred years -- half a millennium -- since Martin Luther nailed his legendary ninety-five theses to the church door, and the world has never been the same since. Did Luther have any idea his iconic act would start a movement that would impact millions, perhaps billions, and be remembered the world over in history to come? His boldness remains a challenge to us today, not only to strive for theological purity, but to stand alone against the tide. If you want to change your world, you must dare to be different, you must dare to make your voice heard . . . even if it will get you a Diet of Worms. History will thank you!

Render to God

And He said to them,

"Render therefore to Caesar

the things that are Caesar's,

and to God the things that are God's."

Matthew 22:21

If I had to choose one favorite quote from Jesus, this would probably be it. I am always impressed by how He so deftly meets His enemies' attempts to trip Him up with this simple statement, so rich with spiritual truth. As the coinage of a kingdom bears the image of its ultimate owner and master, so Jesus infers that the image we bear tells to whom we belong: God, our Maker. The true issue, He says, is one of not human taxes and politics, but of whether we are giving our full allegiance -- our very selves -- to God, who is far greater than any earthly ruler. To hold back what rightfully belongs to Him is treason above all else. Are you giving God His due?

Do What it Takes

Last week at Camp Risen Son, one of the leaders reminded us of something that I used to practice: "No Bible, no breakfast." It sounded like a good challenge the first time I heard it, so I did it for a while -- and it definitely worked. I read my Bible every day, or sometimes I didn't have breakfast until two o'clock. (Ironically, it generally got me out of bed in a somewhat more timely manner, too.) But then things came up, and for one reason or another (I don't know which) I stopped reading my Bible before breakfast. Pretty soon, I stopped reading my Bible before lunch...or dinner...or bed. And I've realized that it's led me to a rather unhealthy state. So, I've decided it's time to start again.

I'm not a very disciplined person. I have a lot of good intentions, and I'm good at making lists, but when it comes down to it, laziness wins out a lot more often than I'd like. So if I really want to make something happen, I have to really make it a priority to do it. I've been accused of being rigid, but it's actually because I'm so dreadfully lax -- if something is really important to me, I know I have to set myself some rules and stick by them mercilessly, or it will never become reality. Like writing on this blog at least once a month, for example. You'll notice that I get in about one post a month...usually on the last day of the month. But I've least done that without fail.

I know I'm not the only one muddling through life with long lists of important things buried under piles of urgent stuff that isn't even getting done half the time. People who get up every day with an agenda and go to bed with nothing but check marks are few and far between. For the rest of us, if there's something we want very much to accomplish, like reading our Bibles (which we all know is of utmost value), it may be time to get tough on ourselves. If stiff rules are truly what it takes for you to build and keep a valuable habit, maybe it's time to lock up the fridge and store the key in your Bible. That's not legalism, it's taking control of your own weaknesses. It only becomes legalism when you force your own personally-tailored regimen on others. Only you can decide for yourself what's important enough to take serious action on -- are you ready do what it takes to make it happen?

When Men Forget

When men forget the cause for which Christ bled
Then wilt they repeat those selfsame acts
Which brought the cruel thorns upon His head
And beatings harsh and violent on His back
The nails that pierced His feet and hands
Are commonplace, an old tale too well known
While prideful men with insolent demands
Care not He died in agony alone
The cross engraved in beauty low and high
Is lovely only due to saving grace
That sent our Lord the meanest death to die
The Son of God to mocking and disgrace
Let us think with reverence of that cost
And live not as we did when we were lost

~Written in 2014

Move the Stone

"Did I not say to you that if you would believe

you would see the glory of God?"

John 11:40

Jesus had not come on time. Lazarus was dead and buried. Now, they were standing before his tomb, and Jesus said, to everyone's shock, to move the stone that hid the rotting body. Even Martha, who had just confessed that Jesus was the Son of God, was not prepared to trust His judgment without question. But to see the wonders He would do, she had to be willing to reopen the place of her deepest sorrow.

For God to accomplish great miracles in our lives, we must sometimes allow Him to open the deep wounds, the hard and hidden dead spots in our hearts. We must believe and trust that nothing is too far gone for His power. The glory of God is greatest when we are at our most hopeless point. Will you let Him move the stone?

On Kindness

I used to think kindness was a sort of act of deference, being polite and gracious and willing to lend a hand to someone in need. But now I know it's much more than that. It isn't about being pleasant and charitable to strangers or those less fortunate. It's good to be those things, but true kindness is a lot more difficult and involved than sparing a few minutes to jump start someone's car. To experience true kindness, you must first experience being wronged -- it requires interaction not with a stranger having a rough day, but someone you know giving you a rough day.

True kindness isn't just forgiveness or love or grace, although those things are part of it. It is sacrificing yourself, time, resources, energy and position for the good of one who has hurt you deeply, whether your efforts are ever accepted and appreciated or not. It's not some special favor you do just once, but a persistent, quiet, joyful service that doesn't give up even when there's no return. If you want to follow the pattern of God's kindness, find someone who doesn't care that you exist, or would rather you didn't, and do something really over the top for that person just because you want to. That's what Jesus did.

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,

He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done,

but because of His mercy...

Titus 3:4-5

Christian Catchphrases

They're all over social media: short, inspirational phrases meant to be uplifting and to brighten your day a little as you're scrolling along. You read them, you smile, and then you move on. Contemporary Christian culture seems to have become just a little obsessed with positive slogans like, Pray really big! Believe even bigger! or God has to break you in order to build you. Those bright spots are helpful; we definitely could all use a little positivity sometimes. But is that all there is to it?

Most of these mini pep-talks are true, maybe even directly Biblical. But there's a subtle danger that we may settle for catchy slogans rather than Scripture, getting a spiritual pick-me-up from a statement that may be encouraging, but lacks real substance. In fact, a steady diet of these sweet treats without the real food of God's Word can put you at risk for hollow theology. No quick quote can give you the whole story, and might leave out an important qualifier that is essential to the point. Take the above example: yes, we all experience some kind of brokenness in life, and that is very often the most effective method God uses to conform us to the likeness His Son. But on the other hand, who's to say what God has to do in order to make you what He wants you to be? He might just as well do it some other way, and we certainly don't want to be unconsciously led to think that life without struggle is somehow unspiritual. There's another side to this story that we shouldn't miss.

Whether it's a Christian catchphrase, a popular new devotional book, or a powerful message from your pastor, don't swallow it without chewing first! Take the time to think carefully about the smallest thought bites you take in, and pair them with truth directly from God Himself. There's nothing more encouraging, and in the long run truly nourishing, than a good look at His precious Word.

The Nobility of Humility

Humility, says Andrew Murray, is "the glory of the creature." Wherever they are found, those who modestly and joyfully give of themselves for the sake of others are held in high esteem. Those we deem our heroes are not the ones calling attention to themselves -- they are too busy using their gifts to serve others. No one demonstrated this exceptional attitude more wonderfully than our Lord:

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside His outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around His waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. . . . When He had washed their feet and put on His outer garments and resumed His place, He said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet."

John 13:3-5, 12-14

By this startling act of service for His disciples, Jesus, Maker and Master of Heaven and Earth, did not give up an ounce of His eternal greatness; in fact, He affirmed His position of Teacher and Lord. Rather, He demonstrated that true greatness shows itself in willingness to perform even the most menial tasks. He did not think it beneath His dignity to serve those clearly inferior to Him; He remained steady and certain when His worth was doubted; and ultimately, He who was highest stooped the lowest in awesome, matchless humility.

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross! Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name . . .

Philippians 2:6-9

It was not in His intrinsic worth alone, His position as eternal Son of the Almighty God, that Jesus found His glory. It was in cheerfully setting aside His rights for the sake of others, doing what only He could do to restore us to His Father, taking our blame and giving us His credit. This is the secret of our Lord's greatness, just as it is of ours. We have not so far to bend as He did, but the higher our position, the greater our potential for humility. This is the proof of true nobility.

I Am With You...Always

Where in the Bible is God's presence not seen? At every turn, the pages of Scripture bear witness to His active interest in His creation. Even in Esther, the only book of the Bible in which God's name is conspicuously absent, the divine hand may be clearly seen behind every coincidence. God is real and involved in the lives of Bible characters, sometimes more than they would like Him to be! But when it comes to our self-sufficient modern times, God is imagined as a distant Being who dutifully keeps the universe ticking from some zillion light years away while we tend to our own affairs on our own little planet. We don't need His help anymore; we are a technologically advanced species and can send lightning bolts from heaven all by ourselves now, thank you very much.

Even Christians easily adopt this prevailing attitude, theoretically acknowledging that God is omnipresent, faithful, loving, and so forth, while at the same time "living like atheists." Is it any wonder that believers so often struggle in their devotional lives, trying to relate to a God of long ago and far away? All the while, our Lord's promise, "I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20) is still as true as the day He spoke it, and if that's not enough, the promise continues, "I will never leave you" (Hebrews 13:5). He is with us, constantly at work in our lives. Constant companionship is almost unheard of in the world as we know it, so perhaps it's difficult to imagine someone who is always there, always available. But whether you acknowledge Him or not, Jesus is right beside you every moment. You're not alone, so why live like it?

Lead By Encouragement

On frigid days like these, reading about the Antarctic adventures of explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton sure puts the low temperatures in perspective. Shackleton has long been one of my favorite heroes for his remarkable example of leadership, and his personal account has added to my admiration -- not so much for what he said, but what he didn't say. Being stranded in the most inhospitable conditions on earth would have been fair excuse for anyone to complain, but not Sir Ernest. Despite the constant hardships he and his crew endured, he relates them as almost trivial while cheerily telling of the humorous moments in the midst of them.

But perhaps even more striking is Shackleton's portrayal of his men. Though other accounts give the sometimes ugly truth of friction and fights among them, their leader speaks only praise. If he states anything negative, it is only a light-hearted mention along the lines of "one of the men" being too seasick to eat his hoarded food. Instead, he calls out the admirable qualities of his followers by name. The slightest dip in their morale was of greatest concern to him, and he understood the importance of encouragement, not only to ward off depression but ultimately for their survival. Even so he did not ignore the issues that arose, but dealt with them with as much sternness as was required, then did not bring them up again. Such things simply didn't merit repeating.

The responsibility of leadership requires attentiveness to the needs of those we lead -- not only physical needs, but mental, emotional and spiritual. The attitude of the leader will dictate that of the followers, and this is very often expressed in words. If a leader gives in to negative talk about the situation at hand, or worse, his followers themselves, the result can be disastrous. Leadership looks forward and seeks success for everyone involved, and there can be no room for holding grudges, fostering doubts, or allowing divisiveness. A wise leader knows that generous encouragement and praise are vital for success, and when problems must be addressed, will quickly "forgive and forget" in order to move forward together.

Therefore encourage one another

and build each other up,

just as in fact you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11