It's been a while, I know...and, when it hasn't been a while, posts have been sporadic, at best. Which is one indication of my summer growth, I'm afraid.
See, sometimes in the summers I grow complacent. I mean, it's not like I'm on campus surrounded by other people who are just as crazy as I am--indeed, some are even crazier, believe it or not. In the summertime, I'm at home where it's comfortable and where I've known everyone for pretty much my entire life. There's not much challenge to living at home, and I therefore forget that there should be a challenge at all.
But, if we're not challenged, then we're not changed. Shoot, we're not even motivated to change. And our lives are all the time in need of changing! If you don't need changing, then you're perfect and you're delusional. Congratulations. For the rest of us, if something in our lives doesn't change every so often, we become way too comfortable with where we are, and the desire to change wears off. If it's not broke, don't fix it, right? That's when we get stuck in a dangerous place called complacency. It's something like the walking dead, because you're missing out on so much that God wants to do in your life but you don't even realize it. You're missing the parade as it passes by because you didn't change what needed changing based on a challenge in or on your life.
Perhaps you find yourself in this complacent state; you don't see a need for change, because your life, though dull and/or meaningless, is at least easy. I reckon the best cure for such a disease is to find a challenge. Now, don't rush off just yet, and let me clarify: for real change, not just any challenge will do. I suggest that you search through the Bible for the sorts of challenges that will bring extended, if not lasting, results. It is rich with challenges for the Christian life. Again, I want to plug Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship, because it, besides the Bible, is the most challenging book I have read--because of the Bible. The same man wrote another book which concerns the Christian community called Life Together. Also, a Brit named J. I. Packer has written a book called Knowing God which deals with God's nature and our relationship to Him; and, finally, a smart man named C. S. Lewis wrote several books about Christianity. I've read Mere Christianity and Surprised by Joy and found both to be thought-provoking and, yes, challenging. Finally, Pastor Steven Furtick has written about change and challenge a great deal on his blog, which is always a good read. I mention all of these authors and titles, in fact, because, for one, they use the Scriptures as their basis for arguement and explanation; and, secondly, I have been challenged by them at some point or another--again, simply because of the Bible. I offer them to you as suggestions for a starting point in your journey from complacency to changed life.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Revolutionary
So, here's a revolutionary idea: what if Christians gave up their rights instead of fighting so hard to keep them?
I still have a lot to learn about (and from!) the Bible, but I have made one observation that I think holds true for the whole thing: while God talks a lot about giving up stuff (time, possessions, family, home, and so on) for the sake of one's faith, He doesn't spend much time telling us to keep anything--except faith. And, trust me, this realization staggers me as much as anyone. After all, could God really expect me to live as a doormat?
Before I answer my own question, let me clarify some stuff: God's original plan was a perfect world and sinless people. Unfortunately, sin made that plan impossible, and we now inhabit an imperfect world populated by sinful people--including you and me. But our loving God did not wish to allow us to all perish and suffer the punishment for our wrongdoings, so He sent His Son to the earth to take our place--and, as a perfect person, to serve as an example to His disciples, an added bonus. So, ultimately, we Christians, as Christ's disciples in our times, should also follow His example. This example is, of course, laid out in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the first four books of the New Testament in the Bible), which I encourage you to investigate on your own. We all learn best by our own discovery.
Please do correct me if you discover that I'm wrong, but it seems that the example of Jesus points towards a life fully committed to glorifying and obeying God, no matter what the cost to Himself. He gave up His earthly rights to dignity, a fair trial, and life in order to accomplish His Father's will. That's what surrender looks like: giving up what we like to call even our most basic rights in order that God be glorified--even your "right" to public recognition when you do so.
A smart man named Dietrich Bonhoeffer thought of things like this long before I did and gave a detailed explanation in a book called The Cost of Discipleship. Pick it up, if you get a chance, and enjoy!
I still have a lot to learn about (and from!) the Bible, but I have made one observation that I think holds true for the whole thing: while God talks a lot about giving up stuff (time, possessions, family, home, and so on) for the sake of one's faith, He doesn't spend much time telling us to keep anything--except faith. And, trust me, this realization staggers me as much as anyone. After all, could God really expect me to live as a doormat?
Before I answer my own question, let me clarify some stuff: God's original plan was a perfect world and sinless people. Unfortunately, sin made that plan impossible, and we now inhabit an imperfect world populated by sinful people--including you and me. But our loving God did not wish to allow us to all perish and suffer the punishment for our wrongdoings, so He sent His Son to the earth to take our place--and, as a perfect person, to serve as an example to His disciples, an added bonus. So, ultimately, we Christians, as Christ's disciples in our times, should also follow His example. This example is, of course, laid out in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the first four books of the New Testament in the Bible), which I encourage you to investigate on your own. We all learn best by our own discovery.
Please do correct me if you discover that I'm wrong, but it seems that the example of Jesus points towards a life fully committed to glorifying and obeying God, no matter what the cost to Himself. He gave up His earthly rights to dignity, a fair trial, and life in order to accomplish His Father's will. That's what surrender looks like: giving up what we like to call even our most basic rights in order that God be glorified--even your "right" to public recognition when you do so.
A smart man named Dietrich Bonhoeffer thought of things like this long before I did and gave a detailed explanation in a book called The Cost of Discipleship. Pick it up, if you get a chance, and enjoy!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Serve Like You Are Serving a King
It's been a common theme in my blog posts, hasn't it, this idea of serving? I can't explain why except that it has been one of the things that God has been reminding me of over and over again so far this summer...and He did so again just last week in a pretty special way.
A group of us from my church recently served in New York City at a place called "The Bowery" on Bowery Street--right next to Chinatown, not far from Little Italy, and within sight of the Empire State Building. But it's a homeless shelter and soup kitchen. Every day they serve three free meals to the homeless and poor who attend chapel services.
So, in walks our little group (if 20 people is a "little group") to work in The Bowery: to clean, to cook, to serve, and to talk to people we would call "homeless." Some of them live in The Bowery, working through a year-long rehabilitation program in order to emerge with a means of sustaining themselves, while others come in just for chapel services and meals. Our group got to serve the meals; I was fortunate enough to be able to serve breakfast on the very first day of our stay. So, I took my place behind the hard-boiled eggs, pulled on my plastic gloves, and waited for the first few partakers. While I waited, though, I happened to look around--normal behavior for a first day, I think. Well, what to my wandering eyes should appear but a sign, right above the dining hall and facing us servers, that read "Serve like you are serving a King."
I found the same thing posted in the kitchen right above the oven, and someone had written it on one of the bunks in the women volunteers' dorm: "Serve like you are serving a King." I loved it. And, from then on, I tried to remind myself of The Bowery's mantra in everything I did. When I mopped, I tried to mop as if in a palace; when I wiped pews, I tried to do so as if a king would sit in them; when I helped organize a pantry, I did so as if a king would use it; and when I greeted each person in the serving line, I tried to greet each one as if he (or she) were a king (or queen). I didn't always succeed--but I would never have succeeded if I had never tried, you know what I'm saying?
So, here's a little bit of practical advice for those of us who sometimes have trouble implementing the command of Ephesians 6:7-8: make a little sign, or screensaver, or desktop, or whatever else will best remind you, that says "Serve like you are serving a King." See if that doesn't help.
A group of us from my church recently served in New York City at a place called "The Bowery" on Bowery Street--right next to Chinatown, not far from Little Italy, and within sight of the Empire State Building. But it's a homeless shelter and soup kitchen. Every day they serve three free meals to the homeless and poor who attend chapel services.
So, in walks our little group (if 20 people is a "little group") to work in The Bowery: to clean, to cook, to serve, and to talk to people we would call "homeless." Some of them live in The Bowery, working through a year-long rehabilitation program in order to emerge with a means of sustaining themselves, while others come in just for chapel services and meals. Our group got to serve the meals; I was fortunate enough to be able to serve breakfast on the very first day of our stay. So, I took my place behind the hard-boiled eggs, pulled on my plastic gloves, and waited for the first few partakers. While I waited, though, I happened to look around--normal behavior for a first day, I think. Well, what to my wandering eyes should appear but a sign, right above the dining hall and facing us servers, that read "Serve like you are serving a King."
I found the same thing posted in the kitchen right above the oven, and someone had written it on one of the bunks in the women volunteers' dorm: "Serve like you are serving a King." I loved it. And, from then on, I tried to remind myself of The Bowery's mantra in everything I did. When I mopped, I tried to mop as if in a palace; when I wiped pews, I tried to do so as if a king would sit in them; when I helped organize a pantry, I did so as if a king would use it; and when I greeted each person in the serving line, I tried to greet each one as if he (or she) were a king (or queen). I didn't always succeed--but I would never have succeeded if I had never tried, you know what I'm saying?
So, here's a little bit of practical advice for those of us who sometimes have trouble implementing the command of Ephesians 6:7-8: make a little sign, or screensaver, or desktop, or whatever else will best remind you, that says "Serve like you are serving a King." See if that doesn't help.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Less Self
I just experienced perhaps the most challenging week of my life. It was awesome.
Has anyone heard of Crossroads Summer Camp? Well, if you haven't, let me school you: it's a week-long youth camp on the campus of Gardner-Webb University that includes a workshop and activities on campus during the day and a wicked-awesome worship service at night.
I went as a chaperone this year, for the first time (officially) ever! Which made me nervous. Because, though I am CPR and First-Aid certified, I was pretty sure that wasn't all that it took to be a youth helper.
Turns out I was right. I had to practice being selfless, too, and the lesson couldn't have come at a better time!
To be selfless means that you don't concern yourself with what you want to do (or "your own interests," as the Bible puts it), but consider, instead, what would be best for those around you. This may have meant, for me, going to activities with my girls that overlapped with the activity that I would most have enjoyed. Or, maybe it meant that I needed to give someone else the last dessert on the dessert bar and settle for something less exciting. And, the biggest challenge for me: instead of talking only about myself and always guiding the conversation into a direction that I wanted to go into, I've discovered that sometimes selflessness means asking genuine questions about my conversation partner, listening to their answers, and letting them say more than I do. It's not all about me.
If that were all I had to learn, though, the lesson would have been easy. But it wasn't; the best is yet to come! Selflessness is not only in our actions, but in our motivations as well. If I go to an activity for the sake of my girls in order to show off my deep spirituality or to brag about how I'd far rather be somewhere else--well, what's the point of that? To show off, of course, so that people will notice me and my "selfless" action. The focus, in other words, becomes myself again. If I surrender the dessert I really wanted so that some handsome, godly guy will notice and think that I'm a selfless, godly girl, then I've ruined the effect and brought the focus to myself again and taken it away from God, and my earthly reward (the attention I've received for it) is the only reward I can expect for it. Do we get the picture? We can even make our "selfless" activities selfish if we're doing them for our own benefit or praise. Remember 1 Corinthians 10:31?
Finally, you may wonder why we would ever want to be selfless anyway, if not so that others will notice. There are a few answers:
1. When we became Christians, we were made completely new so that the old way of looking at things (i.e. "It's all about me") was transformed by Christ
2. As Christians, we're not living for ourselves, but for the glory of God (as 1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds us)
3. Jesus gave the ultimate example of selflessness when He surrendered His very life so that we could live through Him.
Remember that it's not about us and what we can do, because we are nothing without Christ; it's all about God, and only He deserves praise, honor, or glory. Don't try to take what is rightfully His.
Has anyone heard of Crossroads Summer Camp? Well, if you haven't, let me school you: it's a week-long youth camp on the campus of Gardner-Webb University that includes a workshop and activities on campus during the day and a wicked-awesome worship service at night.
I went as a chaperone this year, for the first time (officially) ever! Which made me nervous. Because, though I am CPR and First-Aid certified, I was pretty sure that wasn't all that it took to be a youth helper.
Turns out I was right. I had to practice being selfless, too, and the lesson couldn't have come at a better time!
To be selfless means that you don't concern yourself with what you want to do (or "your own interests," as the Bible puts it), but consider, instead, what would be best for those around you. This may have meant, for me, going to activities with my girls that overlapped with the activity that I would most have enjoyed. Or, maybe it meant that I needed to give someone else the last dessert on the dessert bar and settle for something less exciting. And, the biggest challenge for me: instead of talking only about myself and always guiding the conversation into a direction that I wanted to go into, I've discovered that sometimes selflessness means asking genuine questions about my conversation partner, listening to their answers, and letting them say more than I do. It's not all about me.
If that were all I had to learn, though, the lesson would have been easy. But it wasn't; the best is yet to come! Selflessness is not only in our actions, but in our motivations as well. If I go to an activity for the sake of my girls in order to show off my deep spirituality or to brag about how I'd far rather be somewhere else--well, what's the point of that? To show off, of course, so that people will notice me and my "selfless" action. The focus, in other words, becomes myself again. If I surrender the dessert I really wanted so that some handsome, godly guy will notice and think that I'm a selfless, godly girl, then I've ruined the effect and brought the focus to myself again and taken it away from God, and my earthly reward (the attention I've received for it) is the only reward I can expect for it. Do we get the picture? We can even make our "selfless" activities selfish if we're doing them for our own benefit or praise. Remember 1 Corinthians 10:31?
Finally, you may wonder why we would ever want to be selfless anyway, if not so that others will notice. There are a few answers:
1. When we became Christians, we were made completely new so that the old way of looking at things (i.e. "It's all about me") was transformed by Christ
2. As Christians, we're not living for ourselves, but for the glory of God (as 1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds us)
3. Jesus gave the ultimate example of selflessness when He surrendered His very life so that we could live through Him.
Remember that it's not about us and what we can do, because we are nothing without Christ; it's all about God, and only He deserves praise, honor, or glory. Don't try to take what is rightfully His.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Payback
Perhaps you have, at some point in your life, really wanted to pay someone back for something they did to you that you felt you didn't deserve. I have.
Last week, my Sunday School class at church had a talk about revenge--and, since we knew what the topic was going to be a week ahead of time, I decided to do a little research. I visited BibleGateway.com and did a few searches on revenge and its synonyms to see what might be deduced from Scripture. You want a summary of the results? Well, "revenge" (in the context for which I was searching) came up 11 times; "avenge" appeared 46 times; "vengeance" came up in 25 different verses; and "repay" was found 29 times throughout the Bible. Totally, the topic seems to have appeared 91 times (but check my math).
I don't know how that compares to other topics. It's actually pretty irrelevant to my point.
Do you know what interested me most? The people in the Bible who exact revenge are not usually the most savory characters. Let's see, we have Samson (Judges 15:7), King Saul (1 Samuel 18:25), someone's enemy (Psalm 44:16), a jealous husband (Proverbs 6:34), and Philistia (long-time enemies of Israel--Ezekiel 25:15), among others (like "evil men" and "treacherous friends"). Now, remember with me that no one in the Bible is perfect except for Jesus Christ--but, really, is this a list of names that we'd like to join? Didn't think so.
Instead, God says several times that "It is mine to avenge; I will repay" (quoted in both Romans 12:19 and Hebrews 10:30). It's just that, somehow, we don't feel that this is quite adequate. For one thing, as one of my Sunday School classmates mentioned, we like to see their punishment, just to know they're getting it. One of the best ways to see it, though is to give it, so we exact our revenge.
But, have you considered the implications of our attitudes, in this case? God has already claimed vengeance as His area of expertise; so, when we decide to take matters into our own hands, we are putting ourselves into God's place--making ourselves gods. Ouch.
And that's not all! God doesn't take it upon himself to avenge for that momentary fulfillment like we do--you know, that fleeting feeling of having given our enemies their just desserts. God is not like us, no matter how much we try to pretend that He is. God is just--completely. This means that he does not accidentally send the innocent to jail while letting the guilty go free. He knows everything--including the exact reward for every action. It's when we don't quite believe this truth that we decide to repay others according to what we think they deserve; in other words, we don't trust God to be what He says He is.
God has reserved vengeance for Himself because He alone is just and can repay according to deeds. He uses people and nations, sometimes, but when people or nations take vengeance into their own hands, it's as if they're taking God's place in His seat of judgment and don't trust that He is just.
So, next time, instead of trying to give someone else what you feel they deserve, follow God's example: "He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities" (Psalm 103:10 NIV). Surprise them by turning the other cheek.
Last week, my Sunday School class at church had a talk about revenge--and, since we knew what the topic was going to be a week ahead of time, I decided to do a little research. I visited BibleGateway.com and did a few searches on revenge and its synonyms to see what might be deduced from Scripture. You want a summary of the results? Well, "revenge" (in the context for which I was searching) came up 11 times; "avenge" appeared 46 times; "vengeance" came up in 25 different verses; and "repay" was found 29 times throughout the Bible. Totally, the topic seems to have appeared 91 times (but check my math).
I don't know how that compares to other topics. It's actually pretty irrelevant to my point.
Do you know what interested me most? The people in the Bible who exact revenge are not usually the most savory characters. Let's see, we have Samson (Judges 15:7), King Saul (1 Samuel 18:25), someone's enemy (Psalm 44:16), a jealous husband (Proverbs 6:34), and Philistia (long-time enemies of Israel--Ezekiel 25:15), among others (like "evil men" and "treacherous friends"). Now, remember with me that no one in the Bible is perfect except for Jesus Christ--but, really, is this a list of names that we'd like to join? Didn't think so.
Instead, God says several times that "It is mine to avenge; I will repay" (quoted in both Romans 12:19 and Hebrews 10:30). It's just that, somehow, we don't feel that this is quite adequate. For one thing, as one of my Sunday School classmates mentioned, we like to see their punishment, just to know they're getting it. One of the best ways to see it, though is to give it, so we exact our revenge.
But, have you considered the implications of our attitudes, in this case? God has already claimed vengeance as His area of expertise; so, when we decide to take matters into our own hands, we are putting ourselves into God's place--making ourselves gods. Ouch.
And that's not all! God doesn't take it upon himself to avenge for that momentary fulfillment like we do--you know, that fleeting feeling of having given our enemies their just desserts. God is not like us, no matter how much we try to pretend that He is. God is just--completely. This means that he does not accidentally send the innocent to jail while letting the guilty go free. He knows everything--including the exact reward for every action. It's when we don't quite believe this truth that we decide to repay others according to what we think they deserve; in other words, we don't trust God to be what He says He is.
God has reserved vengeance for Himself because He alone is just and can repay according to deeds. He uses people and nations, sometimes, but when people or nations take vengeance into their own hands, it's as if they're taking God's place in His seat of judgment and don't trust that He is just.
So, next time, instead of trying to give someone else what you feel they deserve, follow God's example: "He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities" (Psalm 103:10 NIV). Surprise them by turning the other cheek.
Monday, June 8, 2009
What I've Learned in College
You hear a lot about the two kinds of people these days, so I won't claim that there are just two kinds. But I do think that the kids who graduate from college can be lumped into two broad categories: those who emerge from college having learned everything, and those who have learned how much they don't know.
The first group is easy to explain: they know it all, and to tell them any differently is futile.
I want to be in the second group, really, and I think I'm well on my way.
Don't get me wrong: you can learn a lot in college--and I have. Lots of good stuff about literature, and authors, and anthropology, and education, and psychology--some good stuff.
But I thank God that what I've learned most in college is just how much I don't know.
I wasn't always on this path, however; I have myself been on the way to becoming the know-it-all. One Sunday on Production Team at Elevation, the producer was trying to explain to me how to complete a task I had never done before--hooking up VGA (video) cables or something like that. To me, the task seemed fairly self-explanatory, so I ended up finishing her sentences, rather presumptiously. Here's an example of how the conversation would go:
Producer: Once you've plugged this end into the output box, the other end goes to the--
Me: TV!
That sort of thing happened a few times that same day, and at first I felt pretty good about myself. Then, the more I thought about it, the less of a good thing it seemed. After all, there is really so much I could learn about VGA cables if I were more teachable and less precocious.
Honestly, there's a lot more for all of us to learn; if we knew it all, we would be God. But, don't let anyone fool you: you're not God. So don't presume to know everything. Instead, find an older, wiser person to teach you, to be a mentor. Parents tend to be fairly wise, no kidding; teachers also may be, and pastors, and churches tend to be pretty well stocked with people older and wiser than us teenagers/young adults.
Be teachable, or you may end up laughable. Or worse.
The first group is easy to explain: they know it all, and to tell them any differently is futile.
I want to be in the second group, really, and I think I'm well on my way.
Don't get me wrong: you can learn a lot in college--and I have. Lots of good stuff about literature, and authors, and anthropology, and education, and psychology--some good stuff.
But I thank God that what I've learned most in college is just how much I don't know.
I wasn't always on this path, however; I have myself been on the way to becoming the know-it-all. One Sunday on Production Team at Elevation, the producer was trying to explain to me how to complete a task I had never done before--hooking up VGA (video) cables or something like that. To me, the task seemed fairly self-explanatory, so I ended up finishing her sentences, rather presumptiously. Here's an example of how the conversation would go:
Producer: Once you've plugged this end into the output box, the other end goes to the--
Me: TV!
That sort of thing happened a few times that same day, and at first I felt pretty good about myself. Then, the more I thought about it, the less of a good thing it seemed. After all, there is really so much I could learn about VGA cables if I were more teachable and less precocious.
Honestly, there's a lot more for all of us to learn; if we knew it all, we would be God. But, don't let anyone fool you: you're not God. So don't presume to know everything. Instead, find an older, wiser person to teach you, to be a mentor. Parents tend to be fairly wise, no kidding; teachers also may be, and pastors, and churches tend to be pretty well stocked with people older and wiser than us teenagers/young adults.
Be teachable, or you may end up laughable. Or worse.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Boundaries
Towards the end of the book of Numbers, while God is explaining the boundaries of Israel’s inheritance and how the people should divide the land, He introduces an intriguing concept: Cities of Refuge. These, He explains, are places that people can go if they have accidentally killed someone, and within its limits they have immunity from avengers. Outside the city limits, though, they’re free game. (This is all laid out in Numbers 35, if you want to check it out.)
I think it’s safe to say that most of us don’t like limits. We want freedom; we have rules. At home, it may be a curfew; in schools, it’s the dress code; in your community, it’s the speed limit.
God has an established game-plan, almost like a personalized set of rules, for us Christians; it’s a little something we usually call His will. And His will is like a City of Refuge: if you remain inside of it, He will protect you—but if you should wander off into the Great Unknown (aka rebel), He won’t. It’s dangerous out there, because Satan lurks “like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV), and Jesus said “the thief [that’s Satan again] comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10 NIV). The devil’s the avenger, and we’re the prey he wants. But, within the boundaries God has established for each of us—His will for our lives—we have His protection. Not an easy life, mind, and probably not even a painless one. Remember the apostles? A lot of them were killed because they remained in God’s will, spreading the Gospel to areas that weren’t exactly user-friendly. Sounds like a tough gig, doesn’t it? And where was their protection? Their eternity is sure.
And maybe they’d read Psalm 5:11: “let all who take refuge in you [God] be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you” (NIV).
Remain in God’s City of Refuge. It's safer there; God guarantees it.
I think it’s safe to say that most of us don’t like limits. We want freedom; we have rules. At home, it may be a curfew; in schools, it’s the dress code; in your community, it’s the speed limit.
God has an established game-plan, almost like a personalized set of rules, for us Christians; it’s a little something we usually call His will. And His will is like a City of Refuge: if you remain inside of it, He will protect you—but if you should wander off into the Great Unknown (aka rebel), He won’t. It’s dangerous out there, because Satan lurks “like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV), and Jesus said “the thief [that’s Satan again] comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10 NIV). The devil’s the avenger, and we’re the prey he wants. But, within the boundaries God has established for each of us—His will for our lives—we have His protection. Not an easy life, mind, and probably not even a painless one. Remember the apostles? A lot of them were killed because they remained in God’s will, spreading the Gospel to areas that weren’t exactly user-friendly. Sounds like a tough gig, doesn’t it? And where was their protection? Their eternity is sure.
And maybe they’d read Psalm 5:11: “let all who take refuge in you [God] be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you” (NIV).
Remain in God’s City of Refuge. It's safer there; God guarantees it.
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