The Honor Challenge

On our youth group's winter retreat this weekend, I took a challenge to go seven days without saying anything to dishonor anyone, including, for those seven days, even sarcasm and joking.  It didn't sound so hard at the time -- I'm not normally a very cynical person.  But now that I'm conciously working on honoring others, I realize how often flippant words actually slip out.  Yes, I've messed up already, so I have to start over . . . by the time I make it to a week straight, it should be a habit.  It's a habit worth forming, to honor God by honoring those made in His image.  Take the Honor Challenge!

Honor all people.

1 Peter 2:17

Selling Bag End

I read The Lord of the Rings for the first time last year, and have also enjoyed journeyings in Middle Earth by film recently. The epic tale is not a classic without reason -- it is a timeless story, full of timeless truth for whoever will draw it out.

Naturally, I identify with Frodo, the humble hobbit. Just as he comes of age in his obscure corner of the Shire, he is chosen to bear a burden to save his world from certain destruction, and for all he knows, it will cost his life. He throws himself into the quest, selling his beloved home, Bag End, and willingly facing the frightful unknown.

So what does Frodo's story have to do with me? A burden has come to me as well, one I did not ask for. The eternal destiny of souls rests in my hands, and if I accept the task, I cannot expect to return to my familiar little life. I must sell my Bag End, leave my Shire, and take the path marked out for me, one step at a time. Like Frodo, I am a small and very unlikely person with no clue what to do, but I am willing to step forward and take the burden. The far-off goal is all I know, and every step between will require courage I don't know if I have. But I have faithful Help and Hope that will not disappoint. (Romans 5:5) I don't know what lies ahead, and I can't say I'm not afraid. But I can dive in anyway, because I do know the end of the Story!

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with weary feet,

Until it joins some larger way,

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.

~J. R. R. Tolkien

The World of the Soul

What an astounding thing the human mind is – the exercise of reason, memory and imagination set each individual apart in an entire world of his very own. By reason, we justify our beliefs and actions; by memory, we allow the past to shape our lives; by imagination, we create the climate our souls live in. For the little worlds we shape in our minds are in a sense very real – they have existed, we have been in them, we have memories of them, and we even find ourselves beginning to reason according to the standards of them.

This is an intriguing mystery, and to the wise, a frightening one. For since we have ultimate control over the worlds we create, it is here that we find what we are really made of. My mind is my world, no one else can get into it or tell me how to run it. And here is the danger – I can rule my world exactly as I please. Anything I choose can happen in it. Nowhere else is the depravity of man more evident than in the mind. Anyone can bite his tongue and control his behavior for the sake of propriety, but his imagination is his own, subject to no earthly law. The outworkings of fear, lust, hatred, greed, and so forth are unacceptable in good society, but if we just "keep our thoughts to ourselves," no one will think any less of us. We are quite safe there.

But we forget that the worlds in our minds are in fact real. A person's soul, his real self, is perhaps often closer to reality in its own domain, the mind, than when it must work through his body. The soul is as the mind thinks (Proverbs 27:3), and it has done things in its world, even if they have not been enacted in the outer man. So we have memories, and even memories of actual happenings can be manipulated by the imagination, all to create another dimension of our soul's world. And finally, by reason, we act out in the real world the conclusions formed there.

Clearly, this world of the soul can be a dangerous thing. Better not to think at all if it will finally overflow into shameful actions! But no human can help but think – it comes with having a soul. Imagination was meant to be a gift, "the greatest gift God has given us," says Oswald Chambers, "and it ought to be devoted entirely to Him." Our soul is the part of us that can connect with God – in this life, the body does not. Imagination, then, is the vital path by which we meet with our Creator. In the worlds we create, we may meet other humans, but either we have invented them ourselves (and have no power to make them exist), or if they exist, they know nothing of the role we have given them, and cannot actually communicate with us. God, on the other hand, as Creator of our minds, can meet us personally in "our" world of the soul. He knows it completely, and will gladly step in at our invitation, sometimes without it. And when He does, there is no room for anything or anyone else.

We will have a world of the soul in our minds, and there are only two options for its management. Since “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells” (Romans 7:18), then the only way to avoid imagining up a dreadfully twisted world is to give the shaping of it over to the One who is only good. We try our hand at being little creators, but in the end, we can never create a world of truth – that only comes from the real Creator. Let us direct our imaginations to Him, let Him step in and fill our minds with sweet memories of His presence, and use reason based on His truth to guide our lives in the world He imagined!

Lessons From a Funeral

I haven't been to very many funerals, but I always find it interesting to hear what people say about the departed.  Of course, most of the time it makes you wish you'd known the person better and enjoyed them more while they were alive, and rightly so -- there's never enough time in this world to get to know someone as well as you want to.  Thank God we have eternity!  But I think we ought to learn from the completed lives of others and seek to live in a way that will give others something to say about us when our own lives are finished.  Will I be known for loving God above all?  Will people remember me not just as a nice person, but as a genuine friend?  How many lives will I impact for eternity?  And most importantly, how do I need to live now to build a legacy worth leaving?

The passing of a child of God should always be a glorious celebration of a race well run, and a challenge to those still running -- "Keep on, and finish well!"

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses . . . let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 12:1

Better to go to the house of mourning . . . for that is the end of all men; and the living will take it to heart.

Ecclesiastes 7:2

Settled Plans

Commit your works to the LORD,

and your thoughts will be established.

Proverbs 16:3

 

What an encouraging verse!  Turn over what you are doing to God, and your plans, projects, and ideas will all be settled, securely arranged by Him.  If the present is in His hands, He will see to the future.  I know that's what I want!  Of course, no discussion on these lines is complete without the classic . . .

 

Delight yourself in the LORD,

and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

 

Profoundly simple.  Same idea, but this takes it just a little deeper, not just to the proposed agenda in our minds, but all the way to the roots -- what we really want to see happen.  What a way to live!  No worries . . . just make God your greatest joy and do everything with Him in mind, and He will plan out your path to be exactly what you were looking for all along.

Fault Letters

Over the years, a few dear friends have requested what I term a "fault letter" -- in short, a summary of what I perceive to be their flaws.  While I consider this a great honor, it is almost certainly the most difficult writing project I have undertaken.  To begin with, the request has come from people with lives I respect (it takes character to want to know one's shortcomings, after all).  And it's always hard to view those I love with a critical attitude, even when invited.  But a true friend must hold his companions to The Standard and be willing to be held to it himself, otherwise the relationship will fall apart when a flaw that can't be ignored appears.  True love cannot be blind.

So, where to begin?  Not being in the habit of looking for the bad in people, I only tend to come up with a pathetic list of potential annoyances.  But I've come to realize that perhaps the easiest way to find weaknesses is in fact to find strengths, for our greatest strengths can become our greatest weaknesses.  Our Enemy attacks with greatest force the greatest threats to his rule.  As we have all observed, a strong leader can be too controlling, a compassionate soul can become a meddler, and so forth.  Is not all evil simply a perversion of good?

Let us all be wary of our own good points, humbly challenge others to evaluate us, and lovingly see our friends as the fallible humans they are.  This is true and profitable friendship.

Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

Wounds from a friend can be trusted,

but an enemy multiplies kisses.

Proverbs 27:5-6

Have You Ever Seen God Cry?

"Hey, God!"

That beautiful voice -- it's you!

"Gorgeous day, isn't it?"

I made it just for you.  Can we enjoy it together?

"Sure.  What's up with You these days?"

I've been working on a really big project -- did you get My message about joining Me on it?

"What message?"

You know, that letter I sent you.

"Oh, yeah, thanks for the letter!  That was nice."

Nice?  I put My heart into that.

"I've actually been working on a lot of projects, too, so I've been really busy."

You're not listening to Me.

"Sorry . . . what were You saying?"

I really want to spend time with you.

 

"Yeah, we should get together sometime."

How are you?

"I'm fine."

Are you?

"Well . . . I was kind of feeling like nobody cared . . ."

I noticed.  I really wished you would talk to Me about it.  Because I do care.

"I know."

Do you know how much I love you?

"A lot, I guess."

I want you to be with Me always.

"Someday . . . but I have a lot of urgent business right now.  Thanks for the chat, I'll talk to You later!"

I'll be here, waiting for you.

Oh, My love, if only you understood how important this is, how My heart aches to have you near Me!  If only you really knew how much I love you!  I long to share My heart with you, and have you share everything with Me.  Please, My love, won't you come to Me?

"How often I have longed . . .

but you were not willing!"

Matthew 23:37

Mission Connexion 2013

I attended Mission Connexion for the first time on Saturday, and was instantly impressed by . . . the biggest crowd I've ever been a part of!  Taking part in worship along with such a multitude was like a little taste of heaven, as well as making me feel rather small.  But aside from that, I came away from that long day with a few valuable thoughts . . .

1. Listen!

It seemed I heard this word in every session and workshop, and it became clear to me that listening well takes a lot of work.  To listen to other people without interrupting with my thoughts, my advice, my story, to listen to God without being distracted by my ideas, my interpretations, my plans -- it's hard!  I need practice to just shut up and pay close attention in order to learn from what I hear.  Along with that . . .

2. Be Humble

In one small group I was a part of, I happened to be the only one with personal experience pertaining to the subject at hand, and I ended up dominating the conversation -- a rarity for me!  I had plenty of applicable stories, illustrations, and knowledge to share, but I realized that I felt somehow above my fellows, as if my superior learning was my own doing.  That was a shocker, but a good reminder -- all of the circumstances that make up my unique experience were orchestrated by God.  I have to be careful that even bragging on Him is truly meant for His glory!

3. Joy Motivates

One of the keynote speakers shared very inspiring stories of how God used her through intense inner and outer conflict, and what struck me most about her was her radiant joy, even when speaking of her crushing loss.  In a conversation later, I was reminded that ultimately, our motive for everything we do is that we believe it will bring us joy, either now or in the future.  Even Jesus had this motive (Hebrews 12:2).  The Christian life may be difficult, missions may cost us everything, but the joy to come will be worth it all!

I wasn't expecting to come away with these thoughts -- in fact, I hadn't predetermined what I wanted to learn at all.  (It sounds silly, and maybe I'm the only one, but I do it sometimes.)  I think that when we're willing to learn whatever God has to teach us, we pay more attention to His little reminders.  I'm listening!

Missing Out

Back to the subject of beauty, I am a committed lover of the sort found in forests, particularly coastal mountain forests (think Drift Creek Camp).  I've been pining for a good solo "Narrows" hike, or something along those lines. But being denied such luxury, I've found myself . . . discontent.  I tell myself I have every right to wish for it, I never get good alone time with God, etc.  But I think that while my mind was up in the hills where I wasn't, I missed out on the beauty close to home (remember that transformational frost?).

Perhaps "good alone time with God" doesn't just go with the territory of a glorious location, for all its benefits.  To put myself there would not guarantee thrilling fellowship, and I know full well my true desire can be perfectly met in the barnyard, or a dilapidated car, for that matter.  I limit God by equating Him with my greatest experiences of Him.  Yes, I do believe in holy ground, and yes, God speaks through His creation in unique and magnificent ways, but it is only one of the ways that He speaks.  He is not confined to any place, thank God!  And He is greater than the very best that I know of Him.  To expect Him to meet even my loftiest standard is missing out!

Beautiful moments with my Creator will come again, but it is not for me to decide when and where.  If He takes me to a coastal mountain forest to be alone with Him, I'm all for that, but if not, I must look for Him to meet me in all His beauty . . . right where I am.

O God, You are more awesome

than Your holy places . . .

Blessed be God!

Psalm 68:35

I . . . But You!

I am quiet.

My soul is lonely.

I feel invisible.

I fear the bold and confident ones.

I see my selfishness.

I understand so little, perhaps nothing.

I hear voices I love, yet none seeks me.

Would I be missed?

But You, You are so patient with me.

You are never far away.

You see me better than I ever will.

You are personal and caring.

You gave Yourself for me.

You understand all perfectly.

You hear voices You love, yet none seeks You.

Oh, Father, I need You desperately!

May truth prevail!

(Written September 15, 2012)