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March 3, 2014

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]“You get what you want, but it is never enough.”

I know I have said it more than once, as I addressed a vexing tendency in our children. They are eager to get something (toy, airsoft gun, electronic game – the list seems endless). After frequent requests, they finally receive what they have been demanding. Yet, the joy and satisfaction are fleeting. Soon come the desires for the next version of whatever it is they wanted. They want something new, something just a little bit better.

But this is not just a trait of children. Apple has built an entire business model on the fact that human nature is rarely satisfied. We always want a lighter computer, a smarter phone – something more, something better.

This insatiable hunger flows from our fallen nature, which struggles with discontent. We try to satisfy it with things the world offers (gifts, relationships, addictions to good/bad things), but we always end up wanting more of something.

The discontent of God’s people Israel led to blatant idolatry (ours is more subtle) and spiritual rebellion, which then led to God’s just chastisement as his people suffered defeat and exile.

In mercy, God did not chastise his people forever. He promised full redemption and abundant restoration. In Jeremiah 31, God says through his prophet that he will gather his people like a shepherd keeps his flock (31:10). God will pour out his goodness, and the people will enjoy an abundance of grain, wine, oil, flocks, and herds (material things). His people will be merry and languish no more. God’s people will be content:

“… my people will be satisfied with my goodness, declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 31:14b ESV).

Note that the satisfaction is not in the things, but in the goodness of the LORD. They are content in the character of God from whom the blessings flow. This character, however, is not defined by the circumstances we face.

As redeemed followers of Christ, our calling is to rest in the realignment God gives to our appetites. Though one day, we will enjoy it fully, we can experience a great measure of contentment as our hearts are set on God’s goodness, and not on the things his goodness provides. In our fallen state, such contentment is impossible. But for the believer, life in Christ includes a Spirit-given contentment in the all-sufficient character of God.

The Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs explained it this way, “I find a sufficiency of satisfaction in my own heart, through the grace of Christ that is in me.” (The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment).

As we go through the day, we must watch our appetites. When we sense that we are wanting “just a little bit more,” we must flee again to God in Christ and rest in his character that fully satisfies.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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February 24, 2014

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Back in June I was thinking about the challenges of the day and how to persuade others (I can’t bring myself to say “manipulate,” though that might be closer to the truth) to do what I want them to do so that it makes my life easier and “successful.” Then, I read the following:

“Often, the most worthwhile undertakings are the most difficult. Christians, as people of the Cross, should understand this best.” (Carolyn Arends, Christianity Today, June 2013, p. 64).

At first, I read it quickly, and missed the period after “difficult,” so that I thought it said, “Often, the most worthwhile undertakings are the most difficult Christians.”

What?! Is she crazy?! Difficult Christians are often the problem, not something to be considered worthwhile.

Then I read more closely and saw better the idols of my heart. In my pursuit of personal success and fulfillment, I tend to label people as “difficult.” They are difficult because they stand in the way of what I want to do. They stand in the way of my pursuit of personal comfort. I have to admit that I often do not act like I am one of the “people of the Cross.”

My ministry is about discipleship, which in short means “following Jesus,” and Jesus was very clear: “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:38); “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mt 16:24).

Giving up “agendas” and personal comfort are hard. But the path of following Jesus is most definitely a worthwhile undertaking. The good news of the Cross is that I am no longer in bondage to the idols of my sin nature; I am not a slave to the opinions and actions of those Christians I label “difficult.” By the power of the risen Christ, following him – even in challenging circumstances – is a worthwhile endeavor.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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February 17, 2014

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]How do you respond when you feel inadequate?

In May 2013, Mike Kennison preached a sermon on 1 Cor. 4. His explanation and application challenged me in specific ways. He mentioned that a common response in dealing with inadequacy is to flee. I encounter a tough problem at work, and I procrastinate. Tensions develop with another person, and I begin to avoid them. My wife “nags” me about a problem that I’m not sure how to solve, and I pull away from her emotionally with my short temper or silence.

Our culture does something similar. Athletes no longer produce the way they did in the past. The crowd responds to the athlete’s inadequacy by “roasting” him in the press or marginalizing him on the team.

There are two things to keep in mind about dealing with inadequacy:

1. Inadequacy is part of life in this era of redemptive history – we still wrestle with the effects of the Fall. (1 Cor. 4:9, 11-13) We are weak because 1) we are opposed by a powerful enemy; 2) we are kept in a state where we must rely on God rather than self, 3) we are continually reminded that the current state is not worthy of being our final home.
2. Though others may pull away, God is still present to strengthen. In 1 Cor 3:16, Paul reminds them that they are God’s Temple in whom the Holy Spirit dwells. In 2 Cor 4, we refers to believers as jars of clay in whom is a great treasure – to show that the power to work comes not from ourselves, but from God. In Php 4, Paul refers to living in adequate circumstances when he says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

When feeling inadequate, we pull away because we see the bankruptcy of our strength. We must turn our eyes to God who leads “fools” in parade, and uses them for his purposes.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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February 10, 2014

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Thoughts based on a sermon by Brian Habig (6/23/13) on Joshua 6 – The Fall of Jericho

The battle plan that God gave to Joshua in Joshua 6:1-5 defies human convention: march once a day for six days with only the noise of rams’ horns – blown by priests rather than armed men. The key “weapons” were rams’ horns and the shouts of the people on the 7^th day. There would be no massing of force; rather, each person would go up straight ahead after the walls fell. According to this “plan,” the walls fell, and Jericho was conquered. The key to victory was that the ark was present in the middle of the crowd, and the Lord had decided to glorify his name by giving Jericho (with its king and mighty men of valor [v. 2]) to his people. Victory was all about God and not about well-executed human convention.

As I listened to Pastor Brian Habig preach on this text (these thoughts are based on that sermon), I was challenged: Unless you are doing something that a “moral person” (i.e., one whose life is shaped only by human convention) would consider “crazy” or “weird,” you need to make sure you are living by faith and not by your own resources.

That challenge sticks with me. Are my actions defined more by prayer or by planning? Is my hope based on what God can do or what I can accomplish? In short, do others think I am “weird” so that God receives greater glory when amazing things happen?

The life of faith is weird because it defies human convention. Self-denial is not normal. Intentionally showing love, patience, kindness, and self-control can only come as the Spirit of Christ manifests his presence in my life. May that Spirit make me “weird” today – all for the glory of God.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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February 3, 2014

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Mondays can be tough. Though the predictability of a schedule gives security, the daily grind can make you wonder if the work you do means anything. In a sermon on the parable of the laborers (Mt 20)[1], Bryan Chapell notes that the gospel releases believers from the bondage of idleness (i.e., uselessness). The Spirit of Christ works through the mundane details of the day to further God’s great plan of redemption. Every jot and tittle of life has a purpose that rests in the work of God. This idea moves Paul to exhort the Corinthians: Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV)

This command is on the heels of his great doxology on the victory believers have over sin and death. The Day of Resurrection gives meaning to the mundane. The “work of the Lord” is more than just spiritual activities; it involves every aspect of living faithfully in whatever God has called you to do.

The daily grind can derail us into thinking our effort is in vain. We are just cogs in the machine, or hamsters running on the wheel. God says, “No, I’ve redeemed you for more than that.” We must abound in the “work of the Lord” (i.e., what he is doing to overturn sin and death). When our effort is made with that purpose in mind, we can trust that our labor is not in vain.

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January 26, 2014

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]I don’t drink much, and I don’t abuse drugs, but I’m not so good at sober living. A sober life spends the day secure in faith, love, and hope, mindful that the Lord Jesus Christ has rescued me from the wrath of God (1 Thessalonians 5:8-9). Instead, what I experience is a life filled with distractions, and I have spiritual ADD. I begin to pray, but then run down a “rabbit trail” triggered by one of the petitions. Petty distractions and daydreams consume too much time. At the end of the day, I may feel tired, but I have failed to live soberly. I tend to float in a spiritual drowsiness rather than be diligent in the power of the Resurrected Christ. Yet, therein is my hope. The salvation secured by Christ includes his indwelling resurrection power to cleanse me of the vestiges of sin that dull my senses and empower me to live – moment by moment – in a life that is eager and ready for His return.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]