Bring God In

This is God’s Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God: ‘Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.’ (Jeremiah 33:2-3)

Why does God, the one who made all things and knows all things, require us to ask for whatever it is we need or want? To be required to ask when he knows already seems kind of foolish on the surface, but if you stop to consider what "asking" entails, you may come to a revelation of the true purpose of asking. Asking requires us to humble ourselves, not to mention allowing for time to bring a clarification of our wants and needs. Have you ever sought one thing, only to find when you received it the "thing" did not do for you whatever you hoped it would? I realized just how much I didn't really need what I asked for - it was just something to "fill space" in my life, but that "space" really should have been occupied by something else (or someone else).

Asking is a process - not a one-time thing, but a developmental process. To truly understand what is behind our "asking", we have to understand the process. We have a want or a need. The difference is that one of these is sort of like icing on a cake. Cake alone is good but put the icing on it and it is great. A need is like the cake - it provides what will bring satisfaction. The want is like the icing - it provides that little bit of "wow" into our lives which we long for in some way. It involves knowing the difference between the two. As long as we are confused as to the difference between a want and a need, we will constantly be asking for our wants rather than our needs. A steady diet of icing will only put us on sugar-overload!

Although there may be a little "high" from having the want met, it is short-lived and soon we are "let down" by it. What we need is what will sustain us for the long-haul. Asking requires us to be humble enough to actually ask. Some of us will do almost anything in our own effort BEFORE we ask for help! It isn't until we have failed to bring about something that we humble ourselves enough to ask. God wants us to learn to rely upon another, not just ourselves. Too many of us start out thinking we cannot be "dependent" upon anyone for our "success" in life. In time, God will bring all of us to the same conclusion - life lived "independent" of his care and protection is just not life lived to its fullest!

We must put into words whatever it is we need. We often have a hard time articulating what it is we need. We just cannot find the words to express it - or we just plain don't know. Just because we don't know how to put into words what we have need of doesn't mean God doesn't need to hear from us - he provides the Holy Spirit to "utter those inner needs" directly into the ear of our heavenly Father. It calls for us to be open to hearing. It is much easier to speak about what we need and then so very hard to be quiet long enough to actually hear how it is God might plan for us to have that need met! Part of asking is being quiet - putting the need out there and then resting in our position of humble waiting. Waiting is not the strongest suit for many of us - me included. This process of waiting and listening is difficult and requires more of us than the actual "asking" does in the first place! It is the part of the process where we get clarity and begin to see God at work in our lives. Apart from hearing, we have just "us" in the picture! Hearing allows God to be "brought in"! Just sayin!

This pleases me

I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26)

Solomon was known to be one of the wisest men alive, yet he made decision after decision to follow every whim and fancy of his heart, all in the name of looking for 'meaning' in life. Many times, we go through life looking for 'meaning', but it is in the pursuit of wealth, fame, amassed things, relationships, and even our careers. After a while, pursuit after pursuit, all seem meaningless. What gives meaning to life? Could it be that this ONE relationship we have with Christ gives the most 'meaning' to our lives - making every pursuit we undertake 'meaningful' because he has orchestrated it?

Even the pleasures of working hard at what you enjoy the most is something we are granted by the hand of God. We may think we can eat and drink, being merry all the while, but in the end even than doesn't please - unless Christ is in the midst of every moment of every day. God gives all we find to be a blessing in our lives - even the creature comforts of home, family, food, and rest. We might think we are the ones obtaining all these, providing them for ourselves, but in truth, God is the one who makes these things enjoyable to us.

Solomon's words, "Come, let's try pleasure. Let's look for the 'good things' in life," are really the words so many are saying today. Everywhere we look, people are seeking 'pleasure', but at what expense? Pleasure might be there for a moment or two, but it is soon fleeting. What really gives pleasure to a hungry and hurting soul is being brought into right relationship with our Creator, God. Just sayin!

Experience comes through mistakes?

Are you a 'mistake maker'? Oscar Wilde reminds us, "Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes." If you are anything like me, you intend to do something one way, but when push comes to shove, you find yourself taking a few shortcuts here and there. You start well, but somehow end up with the end looking a bit different than you might have imagined - all because you took those shortcuts. God isn't going to send us to hell for our shortcuts, but he also doesn't want us to develop the habit of always seeking the easiest path in life. He wants to ensure we grow - learning as much as we can from those things that didn't end up exactly as we had hoped!

Proverbs 19:2 tells us, "Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes." To make mistakes is part of human nature. We might not want to admit it, but we make mistakes every day. When we repeat them day after day, we might just want to take some time to explore why we continue to make those same mistakes! We are meant to learn from our mistakes. As our passage tells us, mistakes are linked to 'haste'. It is one thing to do something because there is an urgency associated with it, but when the 'urgency' is because of our procrastination to perform the task in the first place, the 'haste' is really a mistake!

Learn from what you find yourself doing in 'haste' - with more urgency than would be warranted had we responded promptly to the need to perform the task. We also need to remember haste leads to careless actions. We make decisions based upon the urgency of the situation, not the well-orchestrated performance of one who has prepared for the moment. Impetuous decisions lead to impetuous actions. Outcomes from those types of decisions oftentimes leave us feeling kind of guilty and foolish. Why? We actually knew better than to make those decisions, but we didn't take the 'learning' from the last time we made a similar mistake and apply it to the present set of circumstances. 

Experience might just be what comes from making mistakes, but growth is what God really desires! We can 'experience' a great many things, but until we 'experience' growth, we will likely continue to make the same silly mistakes time and time again! Just sayin!

A little light makes a huge difference

God loves all who hate evil, and those who love him he keeps safe, snatches them from the grip of the wicked. Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God’s people, joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil. So, God’s people, shout praise to God, give thanks to our Holy God! (Psalm 97:10-12)

What a joy it must be when God's people love him so much, they just cannot help but hating everything that is evil! When we draw so close to light, we cannot stand to live in darkness any longer. In love deeply with Jesus, or kind of on the sidelines of just not wanting to have much to do with him - the same fact remains: God's love is reaching out for you! When we respond to his reaching love, we are brought into places of communion with him never before imagined possible. Communion is really "common union" - it is the sharing in "common" of what each brings into the relationship. If you haven't figured this out yet - we don't bring much into this relationship with Jesus, but he has more than enough to make up for what we lack!

In communion with Jesus, we are kept safe. We are "snatched from the grip of the wicked". Apart from this "common-union" with Christ, we are subjects to the forces of wickedness, simply because we lack the ability to dispel darkness by our own efforts. It is like having a birthday candle in a huge, totally darkened arena. We could light the candle, but would the light of that one small candle really dispel all the darkness in that huge space? No! It gives an "impression" of light, but true light only comes when Christ flings the door of the arena open wide and lets in his light from outside! The darkness inside our lives is dispelled because of the "vastness" and "limitlessness" of his light entering in! In dispelling darkness, he is leaving no room for wickedness to take up hiding within!

We begin to develop some new 'living' crops. I did this science experiment with the kids once. The idea was to show the need for plant life to have light in order to grow. We planted beans in some small cups of soil and watered. Then we did the best we could to limit the light they received by keeping them at the back of my closet. In about 5 days, we had sprouts above the surface of the soil. Then a few days later, some signs of "leaves" were visible. The entire sprout took on life after that in pretty quick order, but with some obvious differences from those we were growing in the kitchen next to the window. The ones sprouting in the dark place were pale and stunted in their growth. They were almost white - and their leaves never did develop that green color. When we brought them out into the light, guess what happened? They began to "green up". This is the effect of light - it brings transformation. Mind, will, and emotions begin to be transformed by the effects of "light" - changing harmful thought patterns, transforming stubborn habits, and bringing peace into otherwise uneasy emotions. Light changes things - newness comes because light just has that power!

There is a transformation in our general "attitude" when light comes into our souls. Remember me saying on occasion that "attitude determines altitude"? It is an aeronautical term indicating the direction of the plane's nose determining the direction the plane will travel. When we come into communion with Christ, we learn to rely upon him to help keep our "attitude" correctly positioned - we allow him to affect our "attitude" because it will ensure an evenness in our "altitude". It is not that we don't get into places of darkness once in a while, but when we do, he is right there it guide us into the place of safety once again. We may not be able to affect the darkness by ourselves, but we aren't expected to! We are to become vessels of his light, allowing his light to dispel the darkness within us first, and then to begin to bring light into the world about us. When we begin to allow new "living" crops to develop, we will see the effect of light upon our "affect". His light changes us from the inside out - we "absorb" his light and his light radiates from us through our changed life. Just sayin!

No generalized movement

We cannot seek or attain health, wealth, learning, justice or kindness in general. Action is always specific, concrete, individualized, unique. (Benjamin Jowett)

What "action" is God asking you to take right now? Chances are you could be struggling a bit with something God is asking, not really wanting to go the direction he has revealed, or just wanting a little more time before you do as he asks. It is not uncommon to have this reaction to God's request when that request seems harder than we imagined, but it doesn't make the request any less important for us to act upon. 

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? ... faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” (James 2:14, 17-18)

God's actions are always specific. He might ask for one action from you and another from me, but the end result is just about the same. How can that be? God knows the uniqueness of our personalities and he knows which 'form' of action will best suit each of them. Acting upon what God asks is really faith put into action. As scripture reminds us, faith without action is useless. God asks, we step out, he asks again, we take the next step. This is his plan - forward progress, unwavering obedience, and no stagnancy in our lives.

Specific actions - not generalized movement. I know I can be guilty of generalized movement from time to time - attempting to show God I am 'being obedient', but all the while really struggling with whatever it is he is asking me to do. Concrete actions are kind of 'detail-oriented' actions. In other words, you take each step one by one, each building upon the other, until you see the finished product. These steps are 'accurate' - to the point, no matter how difficult they may be to 'follow' in order.

God isn't going to ask more of us than we are capable of handling, but he may ask more of us than we are desirous of giving right at that moment. If he never challenged us with what seemed difficult, we'd always be infants in Christ. Just sayin!

Unscathed and Safe

So watch your step, friends. Make sure there’s no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God. For as long as it’s still God’s Today, keep each other on your toes so sin doesn’t slow down your reflexes. If we can only keep our grip on the sure thing we started out with, we’re in this with Christ for the long haul. (Hebrews 3:12-14)

If someone were to tell me to "watch my step" I suddenly become very cautious about where I find my footing. Some things are just harder than others; some might catch us a little unaware. Sometimes we might get a little bunged up along the way - but trust me, it usually is not because we lacked the warnings! We likely just didn't heed them! God's plan is not to trip us up or wear us out on the journey, but to bring us to our next destination "unscathed" and "safe"! Satan doesn't want heaven filled - he wants hell filled! He wants companions in his eternal misery and doom - not a one of us escapes his attempts to trip us up or bring discouragement in our journey. "Misery loves company" - no one wants to really endure doom and gloom all by themselves! If we know there might just be some "unevenness" meant to trip us up - giving all manner of a lack of predictability to our journey - we might just prepare for the journey, be on alert as we travel this path, and be sensitive to the warnings posted!

God doesn't put obstacles in our way - he removes them! When we face obstacles in our path, it is either because we have put them there ourselves, or we are being challenged by the hosts of hell to not make the journey successfully. How do we put obstacles in our own path? It really isn't all that hard. We might not prepare for the journey ahead, thinking we can just launch out into the unknown. Preparation means we align our hearts and minds with the heart and mind of Christ - we get with him on the matter at hand, allowing him to point us in the right direction. There is a difference between asking for advice and then asking for direction. One is optional, the other gets us to the destination! Sometimes I think we treat God's warnings as "advice" rather than as imperatives in our lives - but whenever we do, we usually encounter some issue within the path!

The whole purpose of the challenge is to divert us from God - it is a detour. The detour he plans is designed to get us so off track we are basically lost in the process. The whole purpose of pathway challenges (according to God) is to grow us up in our dependence upon him to protect, provide, and promote us. He points out the hazards, reminding us to "watch our steps" - allowing him to "order" them - in order to protect us. He also desires to provide for us - keeping us well in the journey and focused on what is best for us in the process. All in all, he desires to "promote" us to a higher level of both dependence upon him and closeness to his heart. In turn, we become stronger men and women, exemplifying the character of Christ more and more with each step.

Sin's little compromises are the small pebbles we stumble upon - but we almost always are looking for the huge rocks in our path. The smallest pebble can turn the most unsuspecting ankle, causing unnecessary pain and suffering! We don't want to focus only on the big stuff in our path. We want to be aware of both. Most importantly, we want to help each other out with this "alertness" to the hazards in our path. This is what some refer to as holding each other accountable. In the most literal sense, it is one watching the steps of another, being alert to the smallest hazards, as well as the glaring boulders! We often don't see the little hazards - for we focus too far ahead in the path. One walking alongside can see the place we are about to walk better than we sometimes can - heeding their warning is often the very thing we need the most!

We all start out this Christian walk with the same "stuff" for the journey. God doesn't "slight" any of us and then "embellish" someone else. He loves all equally and unconditionally. He provides for all equally and abundantly. He responds to all equally and with absolute authority. The path may be different - but our provision and source are the same. I cannot overlook the importance of "companions" in this journey. No man or woman is truly an island unto themselves. We might think we can walk alone but trust me on this - I have tried it and it doesn't work. I need the one next to me in this journey! I need their constant reminders and their warnings. In fact, God put them there just for this purpose - so why not embrace their presence as a provision directly from the hand of God? Just sayin!

If walls could speak...

Has anyone ever launched into the same cycle of events that landed them in the same exact spot they already occupied? We hear sin's call, and it is like we answer "do it again" - time and time again. Then we stand there scratching our heads wondering how we got the same results to a what we believed to be a new set of circumstances! Well, the answer is pretty obvious - we are "doomed" to repeat what we don't actually allow to be changed in our lives - not by our own effort, but by the grace and love of God!

God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating. (Colossians 1:13-14)

As long as we are living by the "do it again" methodology, we are really doing nothing more than walking around a dead-end alley. What is at the end of an alley which "dead-ends"? A blockade of some sorts? What are the characteristics of an alley? An alley is not a very "pretty" place. It is riddled with all manner of garbage, back-doors into places which appear much "prettier" on the "store-front" side of the street, and stray this and that.

The illusion created on the "store-front" side isn't actually maintained in the alley! Why? The alley is not for "show" - it is for the unloading of what nobody wants to see on display in the store itself. It is the place of refuse! As long as we continue in the alley, all we will see is the place of refuse and the potential of dead-ended attempts! Zig Zigler is quoted as saying, "Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street." I think many folks may actually not believe this, though. 

Too many of us see only the "wall" at the end of the alley of sin - looking around hopelessly at the predicament we are in and telling ourselves we have no way out. Even a dead-end alley has a way out. We have to turn away from the wall and head toward the opening of the alleyway. The same is true of sin in our lives - we have to turn away from it, begin walking in the opposite direction of that place of "refuse". We will only be discouraged and "held captive" by the dead-end alleys of sin when we keep our focus on the wall at the end of the alley. As soon as we take our eyes off the wall which tells us there is "no way out", we will be able to see the glimmer of hope at the opposite end!

What keeps a prisoner of war alive is his sheer refusal to "forget" the hope of release! He focuses on "getting out", not the abject torture of where he is at the moment. He remembers family, friends, projects he dreams of, and the "outside world". Why? So, the enemy doesn't dupe him into believing it is all over for him! The enemy of our souls wants us to think freedom from sin is "all over" for us. He wants us to believe it just isn't ever going to happen. We may travel the same alleyways time and time again, but here is the truth as God puts it: You have ALREADY been delivered from that "dead-end". He has already "set you up in his kingdom" - you may not be focused on that yet, but if you will hear his voice calling, you will find it is coming from the opening into that alleyway, not the brick wall in front of you! Just sayin!

I dunno...

Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. (Proverbs 12:25)

How are encouraging words best used? In what circumstances do they matter the most? Who is best to bring those encouraging words into our lives? Is it possible the words of encouragement you are hearing are not always genuine? If you are worrying about those words, you are likely weighed down, feeling like you don't 'deserve' those words. Words of encouragement aren't to be given out so freely that someone doesn't think them genuine, but when they are needed most, they should be spoken the loudest!

Encouragement might be to receive a boost that actually brings us back to life a bit, being bolstered by the words we hear, or to be spurred on in a certain direction. Regardless of the circumstances, there are times when we just need a bit of encouragement - either to continue on the course we are on, or to keep doing what we have been doing because it is 'working' to accomplish something we desire. Encouraging words can also help us get a little clarity in a matter - such as when someone brings words of encouragement that we are on the right track, or our way of thinking something through is spot-on.

If worry weighs us down, what does encouragement do? It removes the weight of doubt, fear, or insecurity. Doubt can stifle us, making us feel 'stuck' in the place we are - either in our thinking, or in our actions. Whenever we hear encouraging words, we are either 'unstuck' or we realize we are stuck because we are some place we shouldn't be right now. We all need to listen to God's voice - being the very best at bringing words of encouragement into our lives - but he also uses others to be his voice. If we doubt or feel insecure over certain steps we are taking, it might not be bad to consult a trusted friend. It is quite possible they will help us get a little 'unstuck' by the clarity we receive in their words.

It isn't as though they know better than us - it is that they can see things 'outside' of the muddle we are experiencing at the moment. That differing perspective can be instrumental in helping us see clearly what had been masked by all the doubt, fear, or insecurity we felt while 'going through' the circumstances at hand. God isn't going to leave us 'unsettled' and 'burdened' for long. He will send the right words of encouragement we need to hear - through is Word and by the confirmation of others he uses to speak into our lives. Just sayin!

Teetering just a bit?

All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on. (Havelock Ellis)

We all must learn how to let go and hold on at almost the same time. If you have ever seen a baby learning to walk, you know the tiny fingers hold tightly to the edge of the couch with one hand, while the other is reaching out so desperate to take that first step toward something they desire. It is kind of like that for us as we follow Christ - we long for something different, just out of reach, but we are holding onto something so desperately that we won't let go in order to achieve that end. 

Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. (Ephesians 4:21-24)

We 'hear' truth, want to really reach out and take hold of it, but we are holding tightly to what we have come to trust in already. Right or wrong, we won't let go of the thing we believe will give us the security and safety we have come to know. God's plan has always been for us to learn to 'let go' of those things that hold us back and 'take hold' of the things that will help us propel forward (grow). Letting go isn't done in a vacuum because there is always something in sight (just out of reach) that we want to take hold of in turn.

As Ellis said, it is the mingling of the two that actually helps us grow - letting go and holding on. The baby only holds on as long as he sees the thing he desires is finally in reach, then he lets go and takes those steps toward the object of his desire. God may be asking some of us to let go of something that has made us feel 'secure' and reach out to something just a bit out of our comfort zone. Putting off one thing and taking hold of another. When he does, he is prepared to help us take those 'first steps', always there to encourage us and help us should we teeter a bit in our faith. Just sayin!

No regrets

 Jesus said to all of them, “If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing to give up their lives daily to follow me. Those who want to save their lives will give up true life. But those who give up their lives for me will have true life." (Luke 9:23-24)

I think this verse frightens some people because they think this 'giving up things' is going to be way harder than it actually is. When Jesus tells us that we must be willing to give up our daily lives to follow him he isn't saying we never have fun again. He isn't implying there is no joy in living for him. In fact, he really brings more joy into our lives than anything we 'give up' could ever provide.

There is a choice here - people 'want to follow' - they are actively choosing his will over theirs. What are some of the things we 'give up' when following Jesus? Some will automatically answer things like partying every Saturday with the homies, swearing like a sailor, or going to the football games on Sunday instead of church. While these choices may be part of the outcome of laying it all down for Jesus, they aren't the things he's seeking.

The 'giving up' part is really a willingness to seek his will first in our lives. That means we don't just 'willy-nilly' go about living, hot one moment, cold the next. We choose each and every day to submit our daily activities to him, allowing him to use us as he wills. That may look a little like gathering with our friends and family around a great big potluck meal and just celebrating being together. It could look like us offering a ride to a stranger stranded by the side of the road, taking us just a bit out of our way or delaying our progress toward our destination a bit.

Living "for Christ" doesn't have to be giving up all the things we enjoy. I go fishing on some Sundays - but I also take time in his Word before I do - because it builds me up and gives me 'spiritual sustenance' for my day. If you have been putting off choosing Christ because you thought you'd have too much to give up, think of it this way. The 'giving of our lives' never comes with regret. Christ never asks us to give up anything he isn't willing to replace with something we will actually come to appreciate more than whatever it is we lay at his feet. Just sayin!

One for all

Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross so we would stop living for sin and start living for what is right. And you are healed because of his wounds. (I Peter 2:24)

We may not understand fully how one man can carry the sins of all mankind, but we can trust that Christ did just that. How can one do so much for so many? We know God's ways are not man's ways, so 'how' he did it isn't as important as 'why' he did it and 'who' he did it for. He took on the sins of all mankind because of his tremendous love for his creation - all mankind. Do we fully understand his love - no, but we can see what his love can do when a life is submitted to his care!

He took our sins IN HIS BODY to the cross and he hung there in our place - affording a means by which judgment for each and every one of those sins could be dealt with once and for all. Our responsibility is to lay down our old selfish ways of thinking and acting, taking on a new way of living. That new way of living means we stop living for sin (obeying the pull and demands of sin) and start living according to his plan and purpose. How do we get to know his plan and purpose for us? We ask, seek, ask again, and continue to seek.

What I believed God's plan for me to be twenty or even forty years ago has evolved today in so many ways. As I have sought his wisdom and walked in that wisdom, I have seen the 'little' plans I thought he had for me become 'bigger' plans. How about you? Have you experienced something similar? Think back to your first days walking with Christ. You were probably pretty 'high on life' at that point. 

Now, think back to those first really challenging trials that came after you said 'yes' to Jesus. You might have wondered if he cared about what you were going through or questioned if this 'salvation thing' was really worth it. How do you face similar challenges, or even greater ones today? Chances are those smaller challenges seemed so big back in the day, but as time has gone on, one challenge builds the way for another. 

The means by which you navigate those challenges and the grace with which you 'go through' them is the same, but you are not! You are wiser, your faith is deeper, and your peace is not so easily disturbed. Why? Your life has become meshed with the life of Christ within you - you are "IN HIM". It is not just your sins that were placed in him at the cross, but your heart, will, emotions, thoughts, and actions. All of us is affected by his sacrifice. The next time you struggle with how ONE could never do so much for ALL mankind, consider the change in your life since you said 'yes' to him. We don't have to fully understand the 'how' as much as we need to know the 'why' and 'who' of his actions. Just sayin!

Small ways, but big memories

Cherish all your happy moments; they make a fine cushion for old age. (Booth Tarkington) 

We all have those moments that have just made an impact on us - times we will never forget. How many of us can say we have 'been' the moment? Good people - going about doing good actions - will be remembered as a blessing in this lifetime and in the long term. Why? Their lives made a positive impact. We want to be the kind of people who make a positive impact on those we are around.

Good people will be remembered as a blessing, but evil people will soon be forgotten. (Proverbs 10:7)

We might want all our actions to add up to making a positive impact, but we would be fooling ourselves to think ALL our actions actually will be remembered. Unfortunately, many times what gets remembered are the 'big' ones - those overt, out-there, bigger than life actions. God's plan isn't for the 'big' ones to be our hallmark, though. It is for the consistency of the small ones all added up that create the impact in ways we may not even see. 

At mom's funeral, I recall the words of the visitation pastor who frequently came to see mom over the last year of her life. His words reflected how 'gracious', 'generous', and 'kind' my mom actually was - in small, very consistent ways. He reflected upon how she always made anyone feel welcomed, how easily she'd talk with others and how she always made their visit special. He commented about how he came to be a blessing to her, but how he always felt blessed in some way by her.

We might think it takes 'big actions' to make a 'big impact' on others, but I think God wants us to challenge that perception today. Small, consistent actions that stem from a loving heart mean way more than those 'big ones'. As we align our heart with God's heart, we will find our actions become more consistent with his. We begin to act graciously, give generously, and respond in kindness one toward another. Small, consistent steps - that is God's plan. We need to be a blessing - in the small ways that all add up to 'big memories'. Just sayin!

So, that's why I am here!

One day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus intervened: “Let the children alone, don’t prevent them from coming to me. God’s kingdom is made up of people like these.” After laying hands on them, he left. (Matthew 19:13-15)

Those who came to Jesus for his help sometimes had quite a difficult 'approach' to him. Whether we look at the heart of the parent toward the child who desperately needed healing, the people of status humbling themselves to seek the help they cannot find anywhere else, or the tenacity of friends willing to lay it all on the line for a friend, we see one common theme - they came without concern for the distance for the challenge of reaching him, called out to him for help, and cared enough about the need of the one they petitioned him to meet that they were willing to lay it all on the line. We need this kind of faith in approaching Jesus, my friends!

The children likely came with the intent of the "great teacher" touching and praying over them - for their anointing. Perhaps the parents or grandparents brought these children because they hoped for some miracle power, or maybe even the anointing which would make their child the next great "prophet" for the nation. Those who sought anointing were hopeful for the call of God - to be used by him to save Israel - to bring a fresh word to them from God - or to be the one God used as a "redeemer" from those who persecuted them down through the ages. Perhaps the parents were merely looking for Jesus to pray a blessing over these children and to see their lives prosper in every regard. Either way, they were brought to Jesus.

What would be our reaction to their parents' faith? Would we send the kids away without their "blessing" or "anointing"? Perhaps we might see this as a little bit of an intrusion into the "important work" of the "great teacher". After all, he was a wise teacher, healing those who came to him, and setting his world on fire all around him with the gospel message - would it make sense for children to interrupt this important work? The other reaction we might have been to become a little concerned about the "enthusiasm" of the kids and attempt to intervene to get them to "settle down" because after all, they ARE in the presence of greatness (much like we think kids have to hold still, sit quietly, and listen intently to the sermon in church). Don't get me wrong, the sermon is important. What is more important is that the child gets to see how the parents interact with others who know, serve, and follow Jesus. They get to see how they worship and lift praises in reverent awe of his presence. 

The kids come and bound in with enthusiastic energies most of us adults only remember from our youth. Their interests are peaked by this or that, but soon wane in search of the next thing which will captivate their attention for just a little while. Isn't it awesome how a child's mind works? To be so carefree and uninhibited is certainly a blessing. Why is it we feel we must "curb" this joy, "settle" this enthusiasm down, or "restrict" this intentional interaction with Jesus? To the disciples, the children didn't "fit" what they saw as the "mission" of Jesus. To me, the children "fit" perfectly the mission! They were enthusiastic, uninhibited, innocent, and eager to crawl right up into his lap. They were attentive to his words, not afraid to ask questions, and creative in their own special ways. Perhaps we need a little more enthusiasm - something which has been curbed by the "norms" of "church-goers" down through the ages, demanding we worship only this way or that. Perhaps we need a little more innocence in our approach to Jesus - willing to be vulnerable and open to asking questions that will help us understand Jesus and his plan for our lives better.

I have been the "stuffy" church-goer, demanding the right amount of "reverence" in church service, almost frowning on those who come with such innocence and enthusiasm. I have come around to seeing life from a different perspective - that of the child. I think the most liberating place to be in life is that of the child - the enthusiastic innocence and exuberant thrill of just coming into the presence of the one who makes "connection" with those who come. If we look at those who came, or were brought to Jesus, they all came with a purpose - they all came for this "connection" with Jesus. They wanted to just touch the hem of his garment, to have him lay hands on them, to have him focus his attention for even a little while upon their needs. This is what Jesus wants of us more than anything else - the deep desire to connect with him. This is what the children exemplify. We can learn no greater lesson than to become like a child in the presence of Jesus. Just sayin!

In and At Peace

It was Eisenhower who said, "We are going to have peace even if we have to fight for it." How ironic is it that we pursue peace, yet find it amid the battle? Some believe peace comes in the absence of 'warfare' or 'turmoil', but let's challenge that belief a little today. God's peace is available at all times - peace with mankind may take a bit of work on all our parts. Inner peace is amazing but living at peace with one another is pretty doggone awesome, too! How does this type of peace come about? By listening to God!

I will listen to God the Lord. He has ordered peace for those who worship him. Love and truth belong to God’s people; goodness and peace will be theirs. (Psalm 85:8-10)

How do we listen? Isn't listening done with more than our ears? Some may not think so, but we listen with our eyes, hearts, and minds. We see and we respond. We 'feel' and we reach out. We think upon and we act. Listening requires we 'hear' employ a great deal of our spiritual senses, as well as our natural senses. Is part of listening actually responding? At times, this is true. We hear a call, and we respond with a corresponding action. God's ask of us is to be obedient to whatever he asks - responding with the corresponding action he leads us to take.

Realizing peace comes at a cost is really what Eisenhower was saying - it takes a fight on the battlefield to get to the place where peace can exist. The cost may be high - so in the pursuit of peace we might just want to be paying attention to what our 'Commander-in-Chief' says! We don't want to just foolishly linger where we can realize unnecessary loss, nor do we want to be out on our own where we can be a sitting duck for our enemies. We want to be 'in God's presence' - through worship, time in the Word, and in fellowship with other believers. 

Peace isn't optional for God's kids. He "orders" peace for those who worship him. How is peace 'felt'? Love, truth, goodness - these are hallmarks of real peace. Where love abounds, wars cease. Where truth prevails, all deception will fall away. Where goodness is the norm, foolishness falls by the wayside. We need God's wisdom to live 'in peace' and 'at peace' with one another. We live 'in peace' because we have his presence within. We live 'at peace' because we pursue his direction for our lives. Just sayin!

Is this the right thing for me?

Form your purpose by asking for counsel, then carry it out using all the help you can get. (Proverbs 20:18)

Most of us don't get up in the morning and set out aimlessly on our day. Even that cup of coffee you are drinking is made with purpose - you wanted it! Purpose can also be described as determination - being directed toward a certain point and then doggedly making every effort to get to that point. Our "purpose" is to be found in Christ - his life within us is to give meaning to our steps and a sense of determination to our actions. Some of us don't feel like we understand our purpose in life - having been shot down a few times when we tried to step out to do something or having believed for way too long that our actions don't matter or make a difference. We can come to Christ with our feelings of being "aimless" and "purposeless" - asking him to bring clarity, give us direction, and to bolster us for the journey ahead.

We come to a place of understanding our purpose knowing how purpose is 'formed' within us. You might liken it to what someone who does ceramics uses in creating the item they desire. They use "molds" or "forms" into which they pour the "raw, runny clay". It cannot hold any form apart from being placed into the mold and fired. The "mold" is a way of bringing the "raw stuff" into a particular "form" which once subjected to the heat will become hardened and able to be painted and glazed, in order to be fired once again. This might just give us a little hint as to how our purpose is "formed" - not all at once, but with repeated steps which make it clearer and clearer until we see the finished purpose come to pass within our lives.

We form our purpose by asking for counsel. Asking might make us appear as though we don't think for ourselves, or that we are "weak" in some particular character trait. This may not always be clear to us - so wise counsel is important to assist us in knowing how it is our purpose is 'formed' within us. We have to beware though of those who might want to make us fit into a mold which we were never intended to fill. This is where we also need the confirmation of the scripture and Holy Spirit to help us "clarify" any counsel we might receive. The important part of this is that we "ask" for help when we don't actually know what next steps to take.

Sometimes our aim in life doesn't come out as we would have liked - but it doesn't make those steps we took toward fulfilling that purpose any less special to our heavenly Father. He will put on display every faithful step, even when it turns out less than we might have imagined! Purpose doesn't end with knowing it - it is something which never ends because we are perpetually clarifying and acting upon what we discover. I have "acted upon" some things I thought God may have been directing me toward. I sought counsel from wise friends, read the scriptures, and felt I was moving in the right direction for my life. In the end, I found I wasn't finding much fulfillment in those pursuits, so I abandoned them. They weren't the right "fit" for my life. Was God "mad at me" for having pursued them? Not at all. In fact, he used even those "flops" as opportunities to clarify my purpose in life. This is what we do in life - step out, sometimes stumbling a little in the process - then get up again and step on.

I used to do this all alone - thinking I had it all together. Now, I recognize how much my "all together" was really nothing more than pride and arrogance. We cannot be too caught up in wanting to do things all on our own to actually ask another for help. When we are, we might "fit a mold", but we might be too blind to know it wasn't the right "mold" for us in the first place. Just sayin!

God's plan is you

Mother Teresa reminds us, "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." Who is your 'one'? You might not realize it, but that 'one' could be sitting right next to you today. When our hearts are open to hear what God wants us to hear and see what he wants us to see, we might just realize there are more 'needs' unmet in that person's life than there are met. Could we be the one to meet even one of those needs? If we are willing to put our own life on hold for just a moment or two, I believe we can become the hands and feet of Christ in a world that is hurting, lost, and oftentimes feeling like the battle has left them our on their own. 

Does your life in Christ give you strength? Does his love comfort you? Do we share together in the spirit? Do you have mercy and kindness? If so, make me very happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and having one mind and purpose. When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves. Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others. (Philippians 2:1-4)

How can we develop this 'interest in the lives of others' that Paul is speaking of in this passage? I think it begins by us asking God to make us 'open' to really seeing and hearing each other - not through our own senses as much as through his eyes and ears. As we begin to fall into step with what it is he prompts us to do, we'll see lives changed. Meeting the needs of another may be as simple as that good morning hug, or a shared cup of coffee. It doesn't have to be a huge investment of our time, finances, or talents - it just has to be an obedient response to God's promptings.

We almost always 'hold back' some part of ourselves when around others - it is kind of like a protective mechanism for us. We don't want to be entirely vulnerable with everyone else, so we reserve part of ourselves in order to avoid getting hurt. If we realize this about others, we might just begin to look beyond the surface a bit by observing what it is they aren't really saying. Have you ever been around someone who uses a lot of sarcasm? They could be masking some pretty low feelings about themselves by doing so. Build them up and see how they respond. If they pull away immediately, their need may be to have someone love them for who they really are. God's plan may just be to use you to love them right into the safety and security of his arms. Just sayin!

I want out...I think...

I don't know of anyone who starts out in family life having figured out how to make a relationship work, let alone how to raise kiddos that are emotionally healthy and well-adjusted. Somehow, we bumble through this 'family life', making the best of the relationship woes we are challenged with and doing the best we can with what we have right in front of us. The knowledge about how to build a solid family is something that God gives as we 'walk through' the various challenges we face. 

It takes wisdom to have a good family, and it takes understanding to make it strong. It takes knowledge to fill a home with rare and beautiful treasures. Wise people have great power, and those with knowledge have great strength. (Proverbs 24:3-5)

Those with knowledge - isn't that what we are lacking? We face a bump in the road within the relationship and then all of a sudden, we realize just how 'inept' we are at handling it. We wonder how we got where we are, not realizing that a bump here or there got us off-course totally, and now we are facing relationship woe after woe, wondering if there is any way 'out' without actually leaving the relationship. Kids bring a new level of challenge, placing tremendous pressure on parents just trying to do their best getting through figuring out their own relationship hiccups. Now what?

We take those 'woes' and 'challenges' to God. We might not realize it, but he cares so much about each one of those bumps in the road and he doesn't want us to give into the idea of needing to 'get out' of the relationship in order to get beyond the bumps. The bumps may be of our own doing, but there are a great many we face because of all the interacting challenges. The ones he faces are added to by the ones she faces, then the kiddos add even more, until we are spiraling out of control as a family. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you - this is what family life can be like!

God's advice is to ask for his advice! Get the issue before God - in prayer, in time in the Word, in conversations with other Christians with a solid foundation in their own relationships. You aren't going to just figure it out on your own. You need his help. Wisdom is applied knowledge - the more you ask for his help, take what he tells you in prayer, his Word, and solid advice, the more you will develop the wisdom to navigate the challenges. Will it be easy? Never! Will it be worth it? Yes! Family life is complicated, but his wisdom applied within it makes for a much stronger outcome! Just sayin!

Incremental Changes Expected

The love of Christ controls us, because we know that One died for all, so all have died. Christ died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves. He died for them and was raised from the dead so that they would live for him. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

The love of Christ is supposed to compel us to live right - to make good choices and respond well to life's challenges. The truth about how most of us live is somewhere between that point and doing things on our own without much thought as to what Christ would want or do. We aren't living quite as close to sin's pull as we once were, but we haven't quite figured out how to get to the point where we are consistently seeking Christ's best for our lives. Don't be down on yourself - you are not alone in this struggle! You have many a traveling companion on that journey!

Christ asks for us to lean into his love, but do we know what that really looks like? I think it means that we see incremental changes in our lives that all add up to us living a little bit less for ourselves and living for him - pursuing his purposes, seeing the needs of others and working to meet them. Hopes and dreams may change a little as we begin to see these changes happening within us. Why? There will be some that don't really matter anymore, others will be clarified a little, and new ones will begin to be formed within us. Priorities will change, almost imperceptibly at first. Before you even realize it, you are making different choices, listening more to hear his voice, and responding out of a 'different place' in your life. That place? His heart beating within you.

Don't underestimate the changes occurring within your heart, mind, and soul. They are there, even though they may not be easily perceived on the surface. Christ's first mission is to get us comfortable with his love - that limitless grace he gives, his unending power displayed on our behalf, and that sense of freedom that lifts the weight of sin off our shoulders. Slowly, but surely, he leads us into new places of joy, peace, and security until one day we are living a new life completely - a life of grace and love. Just sayin!

Seen through grace

The Lord sees everything you do, and he watches where you go. An evil man will be caught in his wicked ways; the ropes of his sins will tie him up. He will die because he does not control himself, and he will be held captive by his foolishness. (Proverbs 5:21-23)

If we think we are not being 'observed' in our folly, we might want to reconsider that belief because God misses nothing. The moment I said that some of us cringed, thinking about something we said, thought, or did in the past 24-48 hours, having hoped God didn't know about it. We all have those moments - wishing we hadn't acted the way we did, but knowing we somehow received grace and healing even after 'acting badly'. God's grace amazes me each and every time. We don't deserve it, but somehow it is right there for those of who call upon his name for it - not once, but each and every time.

Evil men are indeed 'roped' by their sins - binding them to the guilt and shame of it. Those who have said 'yes' to Jesus know they have done wrong, but also know what it is to be embraced by God's grace in response to our confession of that guilt and shame. If you have trouble 'controlling' yourself, pursuing things you know you should not be, there is a way of escaping those 'ropes'. The way is Jesus. We just need to ask for his help and then accept his grace. Grace isn't given so we can keep on sinning (pursuing our own way), but it is given because he loves us enough to not hold those sins over our heads.

Foolishness has a way of getting all of us from time to time. It is good news indeed that when we aren't wise enough to not pursue that course of action, God is right there, seeing the path we have chosen, and loving us too much to allow us to continue in that path. That is indeed good news. God's love doesn't 'mask' our sins - he still sees them but loves us too much to allow us to continue. We are 'seen', but his love sees something of great worth in each of us. Thank goodness he sees that worth, even when we don't. Just sayin!

What have you been saying?

Careless words stab like a sword, but wise words bring healing. (Proverbs 12:18) 

Tennyson reminds us, "Words, like nature, half reveal and half conceal the soul within." There are words we speak that 'reveal' little bits and pieces of our inner thoughts and dreams. Equally important are those words we never 'reveal' - for they are the truest words that reveal the inner soul of a man, are they not? Most of us have learned to 'weigh' our words - considering if they should be spoken or not. There are times when we should have 'weighed' them a bit but didn't take the time. Those are words that might have revealed a bit more of ourselves than we wanted others to see. When those words have escaped our lips, it leaves us vulnerable - feeling a little 'naked' in the end. 

We have all had those times when our words were just the right ones for the moment, but I daresay we have all had many moments when we 'emptied' a bit of our soul out in expression to another, not really intending to do so. What do your words reveal? What do they conceal? These are two very important 'discussions' to have with yourself - and with God. Words can draw others to us, or they can repel those who wanted to draw near. When we discuss those two questions with God, we must be prepared to hear what he has to say to us about what is uncovered. He may just put his finger on something we would not have really wanted him to know - forgetting that he knows all things!

God isn't concerned with how we 'look' or what others think about us - he is concerned about how we 'are' and what he thinks about us. In turn, he wants us to think about ourselves the same way he does. He may point out something we are trying to hide with our words - like when we put ourselves down because we don't think anyone would appreciate our talents. Many things we tell ourselves are not always true, but we have come to believe them as truth because we have said them so many times. God will never use our words to hurt us, but he may use them to help us know ourselves just a bit better. Just sayin!

Let's not forget

At times we all wonder why we are traveling a particular road. We cannot put our finger on why it is we are facing the challenging, and sometimes a little treacherous road we must cross. In those moments, we wonder if we made a wrong turn somewhere, or if this is the way life is supposed to be - potholes, narrow and sometimes hair-raising switchbacks, and climbs so hard you almost peter out on the way up. I guess I face those roads a little differently than some. Instead of wondering why I am on the road, I just ask! In fact, in time I come to discover something unique about every road I have traveled - I am not traveling it alone! I may have made a wrong turn - but I still don't travel alone. I have Jesus right alongside me no matter what road I am on and this one thing I know - I cannot "bail" - the road will be traveled!

Keep and live out the entire commandment that I’m commanding you today so that you’ll live and prosper and enter and own the land that God promised to your ancestors. Remember every road that God led you on for those forty years in the wilderness, pushing you to your limits, testing you so that he would know what you were made of, whether you would keep his commandments or not. He put you through hard times. He made you go hungry. Then he fed you with manna, something neither you nor your parents knew anything about, so you would learn that men and women don’t live by bread only; we live by every word that comes from God’s mouth. Your clothes didn’t wear out and your feet didn’t blister those forty years. You learned deep in your heart that God disciplines you in the same ways a father disciplines his child. (Deuteronomy 8:1-5)

The toughest part of "traveling" so many roads over the course of a lifetime is the "remembering" part. I don't particularly remember the names of all the places I have travelled, but they are "imprinted" images of some of the most beautiful spots. I see things through the eyes of a photographer sometimes - capturing permanent images of a few blades of grass holding on for dear life from the side of a rocky outcropping, or maybe the mossy covering of a log settle on the shoreline of a lazily flowing creek bed. These are images I recount when I want to remember some of the beauty of my physical travels - not just in photographs, but in "photo quality memories". There are equally memorable "images" of those spiritual places I have traveled, both by taking the right turns and the wrong ones.

There are also a few traveled roads I'd like to put out of my memory - how about you? Those were the toughest roads to travel and took the biggest toll. Those roads seemed to be some of the longest journeys I have taken - and the loneliest! Maybe we all have a tendency to want to block those difficult memories - those times of traversing over those roads of regret we have traveled. I believe even the toughest roads - those riddled with potholes of regret - were never traveled alone and were not without purpose, opportunity, and learning. Israel traveled 40 years in a desert place, sometimes too caught up in themselves to recognize how long they had been traveling the same piece of ground over and over again. We can get so "inward" focused we don't realize we are traveling the same piece of ground repeatedly. It is kind of like not being able to see the tree right in front of us because there is a forest so vast and dense all around us. When we immerse ourselves in the misery of the moment, we cannot see the exit which may be our ultimate deliverance.

Keep in mind what God says - don't forget even one step of the journey! None of those steps were without purpose. In those times of our toughest challenges, God was showing himself strong on our behalf, allowing us to see a little bit of where our focus was too much "me", "me", "me", and maybe even giving us a little taste of what heaven was like in the end. We will remember the "heaven" part, but we have a tendency to forget the parts in-between! Those times when we were pushed to our limits - seemingly tested to the point of breaking - those are the times we want to put behind us, walk away from, and never turn back. I believe there is value in remembering the lessons of the journey - capturing even "snip-its" of the moments where we came face-to-face with either ourselves or God (hopefully both).

Those journeys were the very opportunities God used to show us exactly what we are made of and what he wants to do and be. In recognizing what our "make-up" is, we can take heart in knowing God "makes-up" for what we lack. In learning how he comes to our rescue each and every time we call, we come to appreciate his ever-present guidance in our lives. In discovering the depth of our need, we also discover the depth of his love and mercy. These are indeed "worthy" memories of the journeys we might want to "put behind". Just sayin!

List or no list?

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it. (Philippians 3:12-16)

Dewey reminds us, "Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another." A life lived without goals, a target in mind, is kind of like being set adrift on the open sea - hoping for the best, but totally unprepared for the worst! When I have large projects in mind, I usually write out a 'pick list' of sorts - telling me the supplies I will need to gather, large purchases I will need to make, and certain steps that I must take to ensure the project will go well. When I have something small in mind, like washing the dishes, I don't need a list - I just need to do it! Some of our actions need a bit of structure, like the list, while others are just going to happen because they are part of our habitual practices. We need both - some things being bigger and harder to undertake than others.

Have you ever just headed somewhere, but not been too sure where you were going? On occasion, my BFF and I like a day out, just going from hither and yon, in search of treasures. We may not have a specific 'place' in mind, but we 'set out', allowing the yard sale signs to guide us. We could not live all of our lives that way, though. We'd be in chaos if we did. We need some structure and 'pre-planning' to our lives. Focus is what helps us stay on track with our goals. Development of focus is something we must allow in our lives, but we must be cautious about 'what' or 'who' does that development within us. If it is the Holy Spirit, illuminating scripture, prompting us to take certain actions, then we are likely to be aiming at the correct target. If it is the influence of the world, through things we see and hear, then the target may be kind of a wishy-washy one.

The 'right track' is something we need the influence of the Word of God and the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us with. There are lots and lots of tracks we can choose - knowing which one is right for us to take today is not always clear. I have lots of projects in mind - knowing which one will yield the right outcome in the right season of my life is harder. Clear paths are not just 'found' - they are learned because there is a consistency in traveling them. God may ask us to take the same path over and over again until it becomes 'habitually traveled', but there will be times he will set a target out before us that seems a little 'less traveled'. That is where we need the clarity of his still small voice, confirmation of his direction through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and the assurance of the Word of God to guide us. Just sayin!

How do you see me?

Abraham Lincoln once said that 'tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves.' If you are anything like me, the 'brutality' of that honesty can sometimes sting! I don't always see myself through the eyes of Jesus, although I should. There are times when I see myself through the eyes of others - giving into their harsh judgments about the way I am behaving. In school, that got me into a whole lot of trouble! I would do things contrary to what I knew to be right just because I wanted to be 'accepted' by the 'in crowd'. I did things I wasn't comfortable doing. I followed - they led. There is but one leader worth following - Christ. There is but one estimation of our worth and goodness that really matters - Christ's. None of us 'better' or 'worse' than the next person, but we sometimes think we are. It might just be time to see ourselves through the eyes of Jesus just a bit more - seeing ourselves through the eyes of others just a bit less.

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original. (Galatians 5:22-26)

What gets in the way of you seeing yourself the way Jesus sees you? Do the taunting memories of your past keep creeping into your present view of yourself? If so, it is likely that others see those 'memories' being rehashed in our lives, as well. If someone were to tell you that is not the way Jesus sees you, would you believe them? They aren't comparing you - they are wanting you to be free of those past hurts, hang-ups, and halting memories. God's plan is for us to live free - no longer bound by those things that described our 'past life'. Maybe Lincoln was a little off-base because when you describe how Jesus sees me, I am more inclined to walk in that truth!

Gifts are given - fruit is born - attitudes change. This is the pattern God establishes in our lives. As you may very well be aware, our attitude toward ourselves can be a little less than kind at times. The more we listen to what God says about us, the more we will see our attitude about our past change. We don't give it as much 'credence' as we once did. We see it as 'over and done with' - no longer holding us captive. Scripture has a way of opening our minds to the possibilities of a different 'view' of ourselves - but it must be embraced. Each of us is an original, so why do we always want to 'conform' to some pattern set out for us by others? Perhaps we are placing too much emphasis on how others see us and not quite enough on how Christ sees us. Just sayin!

Not feeling it?

Albert Pike reminds us, "We have all the light we need - we just need to put it into practice." There are times we already know what to do, when to do it, or how to do it, but we just stand still, not doing anything. Why is that? It could be we just don't 'feel' it at the moment - causing just a bit of a delay or lag in our 'obedience' response. We have 'light', but light is meant to reveal and reflect. We must remember all steps toward God are good, but when light is given, it is meant to illuminate the steps we are to take - God provides 'plenty of light to live in' both now and in the future.

Jesus once again addressed them: “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.” The Pharisees objected, “All we have is your word on this. We need more than this to go on.” Jesus replied, “You’re right that you only have my word. But you can depend on it being true. I know where I’ve come from and where I go next. You don’t know where I’m from or where I’m headed. You decide according to what you can see and touch. I don’t make judgments like that. But even if I did, my judgment would be true because I wouldn’t make it out of the narrowness of my experience but in the largeness of the One who sent me, the Father. That fulfills the conditions set down in God’s Law: that you can count on the testimony of two witnesses. And that is what you have: You have my word and you have the word of the Father who sent me.” (John 8:12-18)

God's Word acts as a guide for our steps, but when all we do is 'take it in', we are seriously misusing a very important tool God left for us. His Word isn't just 'nice' to read, making us feel good now and again, but it is meant to be used to help us stay motivated, know where we need change, and what actions we need to take both today and in the future. The religious leaders of Jesus' day didn't understand that he spoke the Words of his Father - so they weren't going to embrace them. After all this time, all the evidence of miracle after miracle, and no evidence to the contrary, they still balked at accepting him as the Messiah. They still found it hard to believe he was the one sent from God himself.

We might find it hard to be in God's Word some days, but if we neglect this resource, we can become as narrow-minded and 'religious' as the leaders of Jesus' day. They studied the Law of Moses, the Torah, and the prophets, but they still missed the coming of their deliverer. All the study in the world doesn't do much good if the light we possess is merely 'saved up' and not used. Light is given to illuminate - illumination brings direction - direction is given to get us safely from one place to another. As Jesus said, "You can depend on it being true." His Word will give us direction - we just need to count on it being true and then walking in it to the best of our ability. The next time we aren't 'feeling it', we might just want to challenge ourselves to stop relying upon our feelings so much, and just walk in the light we are given! Just sayin!

One word: Pursue

Life is a journey. When we stop, things don't go right. (Pope Francis)

So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective. (Colossians 3:1-2)

Act like it - a behavior change is required, is it not? When we embrace this life in Christ, there is to be evidence of having a life change. How is this change manifest? We embrace or pursue the things that were once foreign to us. In other words, we stop being so absorbed with the things of this world and we ask God for a change of focus. We want to be open to the things God is doing, but there are times we are so absorbed in the things going on around us in this world, we forget to get his perspective.

All of this life with Christ is really defined by one word: PURSUE. At first, we are pursued by God. As we embrace the life of grace offered through Christ, we begin to pursue him. Our immediate response may be to just follow his path because it is pleasant, and things seem to be changing for the better. After a bit, the challenge to pursue is a little harder - things don't seem to be changing at as rapid of a pace in our lives, so we may get a little bogged down. It was great while that immediate 'thrill' of pursuit was there, but now that it is getting harder, the investment greater, we are challenged a bit in our pursuit.

As Pope Francis reminds us, we cannot stop just because the journey is hard, or it isn't moving at the same pace as before. Growth is sometimes rapid-fire, but at others, it is slow, tedious, and even a bit of a struggle. A plant begins by putting down one main root, then it puts of littler ones. At the same time, a stem begins to struggle to the surface, leaves begin to appear, and then more leaves. The first two leaves soon fall away, no longer needed because the 'permanent growth' is beginning to appear. 

It is oftentimes like than when God asks us to grow in a certain area. We put down one root, let some other smaller ones develop, seeing immediate signs of 'new life', but then it seems to take forever for the other 'leaves' to grow. Life takes time - change is occurring, but the pace has just changed. The plant doesn't just stop growing because it has a few 'first leaves'. It puts down more roots, digging in a bit deeper, and sending all that it receives by those roots to the parts that need growth. God does the same in us - we pursue (send down roots), he nourishes, and we put forth new growth. Don't ever stop the pursuit because you are never going to see the fullness of growth if you do. Just sayin

Lingering a little too long?

Of all possessions, a friend is most precious. (Herodotus)

Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we’re at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah! (Romans 5:9-11)

I would say I am blessed to have a 'best friend', but throughout the years, I have been blessed to have many friends. Some stick closer than others, don't they? You are most fortunate if there is always at least one who is 'just there' through thick and thin. There is one friendship we can never neglect - that which we share with God himself. When we were (and are) at our worst - he is right there to set things right in our lives.

Today's blessing is that we are constantly being 'expanded' in Christ Jesus. We are never 'stagnant' or 'just existing' when we pursue this friendship with God. Being put on right terms with him means we are free to pursue just have we have been pursued. Tenacious pursuit - that is what God desires of us. As a result of our pursuit, we find our lives are 'deepened' - there is no longer that shallowness of self-control. 

Religious pursuit doesn't bring a change to our lives, but a genuine relationship with God does. When we put our hope and trust in his 'leadership' over our lives, we find there is no reason for 'religion' any longer. Religion kept us bound to our sinful past - doing over and over again the things we thought would help us grow and deepen in our relationship with God but finding it did little to bring us any closer. When we stop trying to be 'made right' and just enter into this relationship with our whole heart, we find the pursuit changes.

We are no longer content to just linger in unproductive practices - we want to experience the depth and breadth of God's love, his plan for us, and his purpose lived out in us. Just sayin!

Love includes some not so happy stuff

Give a little love to a child, and you get a great deal back. (John Ruskin)

Discipline your children while you still have the chance; indulging them destroys them. (Proverbs 19:18)

Proverbs reminds us that disciplining your children is really loving them: "A refusal to correct is a refusal to love; love your children by disciplining them." (Proverbs 13:24) How many parents today struggle with how to discipline their children. Back in my day, the sassy mouth, bad attitude, or occasional wrongdoing was dealt with by either taking away a privilege, getting a couple whacks on the backside, or being grounded. I knew the occasional need to restrict me, and even the occasional swat on the backside didn't mean my parents didn't love me. In fact, it was just the opposite - they cared enough about how I'd turn out that they took the steps to require the right respect for my elders, follow the rules set forth by those in a position of authority, and to always do my best. God is much like my parents were - he cares about me too much to let me continue in any wrongdoing or the pursuit of things that aren't the best for my life.

Did I always appreciate the discipline when it came? No way! In fact, I sometimes wanted to run away from home! I think the idea of 'running away' when discipline comes our way is not a unique thing to me. I imagine a good many of us see discipline coming our way and want to turn and run before it arrives! One thing I always knew about my parents - they loved me. One thing I definitely know about God is that he always loves me - even when I mess up. The same goes for you. Mess up - and we all will - and discipline may just be the outcome. Why? God loves us too much to let us continue in that mess any longer. Discipline isn't the absence of love - it is the evidence of it.

John Ruskin also reminds us, "The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but by what they become by it." It can seem like we are working hard to embrace the discipline God sends our way, but keep in mind there is something happening within us when we allow God to train us through those bad spots. Yes, I said 'train us' - because that is what discipline really is - training and teaching designed to be learned and repeated. Rather than repeating the mess up, we begin to learn how to repeat the right steps. We call that obedience - a learned 'good' or 'right' behavior that corrects a previously learned wrong or bad behavior. Embrace God's love when it comes - it isn't designed to hurt you - it is designed to 'grow' you! Just sayin!

Prettied Up?

What a God! His road stretches straight and smooth. Every God-direction is road-tested. Everyone who runs toward him makes it. (Psalm 18:30)

I think some of us serve God for the "perks", while others of us are less concerned with those "perks". God doesn't want us more focused on the perks than we are on him. What makes the difference to him is that we bring the pieces of our lives to him and then allow him to put them together - sometimes with "perks" and other times just regular life, but secure!

David outlines: God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start. Now I’m alert to God’s ways; I don’t take God for granted. Every day I review the ways he works; I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together, and I’m watching my step. God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes. (vs. 20-24) All the pieces of our lives - and for most of us there are many - placed in his hands affords us the opportunity to finally see the broken ones mended, the displaced ones brought back into the picture, and the difficult to fit ones made to fit perfectly.

Sometimes we think it is us getting our "act together" which results in God being able to go about this work in our lives. We don't even possess the ability to get our "act together" apart from the grace extended by our heavenly Father, so even that action on our part is because he innervates us to respond! Pieces are all we have to bring to God. All of us have somehow made a shamble of some part of our lives - maybe not totally in every respect, but at least in some area. For some of us, we have made a royal mess of things. The good news is that our messed-up lives are really something God embraces with his love and tender care.

They might look a little battered and "used" on the outside, but under his care, they become shiny and new again. God isn't ashamed of the "shell" of our lives. Nothing pleases God more than to see a broken-down life come right up to him and ask to be made new again! When God undertakes the care and tending of our lives, he does so with the end in mind - that we would all resemble the one who gave our lives so we could live again - Christ. In all matters related to "putting our lives together", God is at work not only getting the pieces to fit but getting them to fit so they bring glory to him.

The neat thing about how God works is that he allows us to "feel" this connection with him - knowing and experiencing his tender care in putting our lives back together. God often has to do a "rewrite" of the pages of our lives because we bring him a "text" with missing pages, tattered edges, and unfinished chapters. Every road we travel may not be straight and smooth - in fact, some have destroyed parts of our lives as a result of choosing to travel them. God lays out before us a straight and smooth path. We have to choose to merge our lives into that path, though.

We bring some pretty "road-weary" lives to God. He has a "form" to work with, but all the battered parts of our lives need his touch! We don't realize the missing all the missing parts and big flaws, but our lives look pretty used up and dingy. He sees the frame of our being and upon that frame, he begins the work of reconstructing our lives - for the frame was created in his image and it is that which he uses to set us right again.

God is more than delighted to have us bring our beaten down wrecks of a life to him - no need to doctor it up or make it appear to be something it is not. In genuine and humble fashion, we present our lives to him - complete with the broken, dinged, and messed up parts. In powerful and compassionate fashion, he embraces what we offer to him. God isn't concerned with our appearance - he is concerned with our heart. He wants us to draw near more than he wants us to be "prettied-up"! Just sayin!

I need an example

Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you: love, prayer, and forgiveness. (H. Jackson Brown, Jr.)

“I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends." (John15:13-14)

The very best way to love - love like Christ loves you! Indeed, three powerful resources are available to all who are redeemed by the blood of Christ: Love, Prayer, and Forgiveness. Without prayer, we find it hard to love the unlovely. Without forgiveness, we find it hard to love anyone! What does a life on the line look like? If we were to consider the examples throughout scripture, we could find a few that stand out. We can take a lesson from each of them.

David may not have been the tallest kid in the lot of his brothers, nor was he likely the strongest, most talented, or even the most appreciated. But...he was the most available when the need arose! One way we love is to be there when God asks us to do something. David knew his God well enough to trust him with the biggest and worst of 'giants'. Some of us need to be there to face the 'giants' with those we love - because they are having a dickens of a time facing them all alone!

Ruth was not the 'luckiest' of women, having married a foreigner to her land, but all too soon widowed. A widow was a burden - someone from the immediate family needing to step up to take care of her. The family suffered great tragedy - the loss of the patriarch and both sons, leaving a grieving matriarch, and two widowed daughter-in-laws. The most logical plan - go back home to her own people. The loving choice she made - serve her mother-in-law with all her ability. Some of us need to learn to serve another in love, even when it is not the most 'convenient' thing to do.

The Song of Solomon is filled with reminders of pursuing the one we love - so perhaps the greatest example of love is the Bride depicted in this Song. She gives of herself, sometimes forgetting to pursue, but then realizing how empty life is without that love. God's love is drawing, engulfing us in its grip, and holding us tightly. The Bride served her lover, clung tightly to him, but never forgot that 'pursuit' is necessary in love. Some of us might need to remember there is more to love than just 'being there'. There is investment of time, attention, and our total self within the relationship. Just sayin!