My "A" List

Character traits of individuals are as varied as are the number of people in this world.  Some of us have tiny button noses, others are larger and have even made people famous, like Jimmy Durante who is most well known for his "schnozzola".  There are those who possess the evenest white teeth, never needing braces to correct overbite, under bite, or even teeth seemingly too tightly crammed into the space they occupy.  Yet, there are character traits we often don't focus on as much as the outward - those which make us up on the "inside".  I would like to call attention to those character traits which God sees - the "inside stuff".  This journey will begin today and may take us several days, but I hope it will unfold some things for us which we might just be overlooking when we are focusing intently on the "image" we portray.  You see, character traits are more than skin deep and those which matter the most are those which are often barely visible, but most often have to be "felt" in order to be appreciated fully.

Let me set this before you as plainly as I can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the gate, you know he’s up to no good—a sheep rustler! The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. They won’t follow a stranger’s voice but will scatter because they aren’t used to the sound of it.  (John 10:1-5 MSG)

As we begin today, I'd like to start with the character traits which make up our "A" list of traits.  No, these are not the "super-important" ones, but simply begin with the letter "a".  All the character traits we will explore over the next several days are important - none of them should be overlooked.  So, what are our "A" list of traits?  Attentiveness, Authenticity, and Alertness.  

- Alertness:  Many of us go through life barely "alert" to our surroundings - seemingly taking up space and passing time in space.  It is kind of like we are asleep on our feet, numb to the world around us, and just "dulled" in some sense or another.  There is more to alertness than being aware of what occupies our space, though.  One who is fully alert is also very agile - able to move quickly.  If you have ever been hit in the side of the head by a frisbie hurled into space by another, what one thing could you have controlled in that moment?  Isn't it your alertness to the surroundings?  You only got hit because you did not duck fast enough!  In our passage above, Jesus presents the illustration of someone climbing over the fence to gain access to the sheep pen compared to another who enters through the gate.  The question posed - how do we recognize who really belongs?  If we never were alert to "how" it is someone entered the pen, we likely have no clue if they truly belong!  Alertness is key to "keeping guard over" our lives.  When we aren't agile, able to make course changes quickly, we get stuck in the muck and mire of life.  We also don't recognize who or what comes to occupy the space in our lives - creating chaos and clutter.  So, our first character trait is alertness - the sense of being fully aware and able to make swift judgment calls in order to avoid danger, stay free of clutter, and avoid the hazards in life.

- Attentiveness:  This trait pretty closely resembles alertness, but with one key difference - you are "present" in the moment.  There is focus - on purpose.  It might be easier for us to understand attentiveness by examining its antonyms - the exact "opposite" traits.  For example, if you are "inattentive", you are likely a little indifferent or apathetic to the circumstances.  You can be alert to the situation without being attentive.  Attentiveness involves being concerned about the circumstances - enough for you to focus yourself and stay on task with what is happening.  Inattentive people don't actually feel the need to stay involved - they lose focus and drift.  One thing presented in our passage which reveals attentiveness is the willingness to listen carefully to the voices we heed.  Jesus said his sheep (you and I) know his voice - but we also are attentive (focused on) distinguishing his voice in the midst of all the other voices we hear!

- Authenticity:  It is not by accident Jesus uses this illustration of sheep and the shepherd.  Sheep are followers - they seem to attach to the "actions" of whatever catches their eye and then follow it, almost without thinking.  This is why Jesus calls attention to the two other traits of the sheep - alertness and attentiveness will keep the sheep safe.  So, what does authenticity have to do with sheep?  Simply put, sheep are true to themselves - they aren't trying to be goats, cows, or chickens.  They are always going to be sheep - in need of a shepherd.  So, learning to not just be a "copy" of the sheep next door, but to be genuine and real in who you were created to be is important.  Our Shepherd wants a flock of sheep which are not just carbon copies of the others in the "flock".  He wants us to be uniquely who we were created to be. This is probably one of the hardest character traits for us to grab hold of because we are always comparing ourselves with the other "sheep" in the flock.  The danger comes in not being true to ourselves - it opens the door to us never really fulfilling the purpose for which we were uniquely created.  How does the shepherd know his sheep?  By name!  Not just by size, fluffiness of fleece, or the bleating of one's voice.  He knows them by name!  This suggests to me that the Shepherd cares enough to have a genuine relationship with us - to reciprocate with anything less would just not be right!  Just sayin!

Plenty of light to live in

Have you ever hit your toe on the furniture by stumbling around in the darkness?  You knew full-well the piece of furniture was there - no one moved it after you went to bed!  Yet, in some moment of "altered alertness" you came into full contact with that inanimate object.  Have you ever noticed it is most commonly your little toe that gets all the stubbing???  What this tells me is that we "almost" avoided the contact which left us in so much pain!  Just a margin of error - not a huge deviation from course - just a tiny margin.  Imagine that!  This should give us a moment to pause about some of the other "errors" we experience in life which cause us more than a little pain - it was likely not a "huge" margin of error which brought us full-face with the pain!

“I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.”  (John 8:12 MSG)

Why do we stumble upon the furnishings in the dark?  Most likely, it is because we did not pay attention - we were "altered" in our alertness.  It isn't that we set out to discover just how much pain the nightstand could bring into our lives!  We thought we'd avoid putting on a light, maybe out of "courtesy" to someone else in the room, but we find we often "stumble" where there is no light!  The truth is:  We NEED light!  Nothing dispels darkness other than light. 

Jesus said he is the world's light - no one following him will stumble around in the dark.  There is plenty of light in his pathway.  So, why do we still experience "margins of error" which cause us so much pain in life?  I think it is more likely our level of 'altered alertness' which gives us more concern - not the degree of light we have been given.  If you don't believe this to be true, think back to the last time you ran into some inanimate object in the full daylight!  I used to be playing so intently at some game like hide-and-seek and find myself smack dab on a collision course with the backyard tree!  Trust me, we connected more than once!  It was not because I did not know it was there or because we were playing in the darkness - it was fully daylight and I knew we had thirteen such trees in our yard!

My attention was diverted because I was intent on the game.  I engaged my mind in the game, not on the obstacles in my path.  In trying to focus so intently on the game, I excluded the 'awareness' I had to the very things which would bring me harm.  This is often the case with the things bringing pain into our lives through our 'altered alertness' in relationships, business dealings, finances, spiritual growth, etc.  We likely know the path has these obstacles, but we are so intent on something else, we 'collide' with the obstacle instead of avoiding it!

Did you ever stop to consider what alertness means?  In the simplest terms it means to be "fully aware" and attentive.  We have a similar word in our English language - when we say we are "keenly" aware of our surroundings, we are implying we are "attentive".  One of the very 'telling' signs of our level of alertness is our ability to be agile.  If I had been more alert to the trees in the yard, I'd have avoided a few bloody lips!  My agility would have caused my body to dodge them instead of remaining on a collision course.  Agility of mind helps us choose direction, while the agility of body helps us correct course quickly.  In the same way, when we are "agile" in spirit, we often avoid the collision course with the compromises which will bring us much pain.

We have been given plenty of light, but we also have to exercise a degree of alertness in order to be "agile" - responsive to warning signs and able to make course corrections which will keep us from experiencing the collision course!  Sometimes I think we demand more light when all we really need is a little more attentiveness to the light we have been given.  Just sayin!

The trumpet call

^1-3 God spoke to Moses: "Make two bugles of hammered silver. Use them to call the congregation together and give marching orders to the camps. When you blow them, the whole community will meet you at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting..."

(Numbers 10:1-3)

The instructions to Moses were to make two bugles (or horns) of hammered silver.  These were to be used to communicate with God's people that it was either a time for worship, warfare, or to move on to their next place of occupation.  Whenever the horns were sounded, Israel was to hear clearly the instruction God was giving.  Depending on the sounding of the horns, the people would be "clued into" God's will for their lives at that moment.

Today, we don't have such a "clear" example of "hearing" God's will for our lives, but the three "calls" of the horns still apply to us.  The first "sounding" of the horn was a call to worship - a call to assemble together as a people.  The first thing we need to recognize is that God wanted them to hear and to respond to the horn.  His greatest desire for his kids is that we learn to hear his voice and then respond to it with a submissive and committed heart.

The call to assemble brought God's people together - into proximity with each other.  They were together for a specific purpose - to worship God.  God's hope was that they would come with a kind of expectation in their heart that would serve as his opportunity to meet with them in that time of their assembly - a time when he'd reveal some of who he was to them.  That is still the call to worship today - come with an expectant heart and you will not be disappointed.

The second call was to warfare - to come together for battle against a perceived threat.  Effective warfare is a result of two things - hearing the call to mobilize and listening to the directive of the one giving the orders to.  It is pretty apparent that the use of the trumpet could be one way of God getting the attention of a large group of people, all spread out in various directions.  Today, think of his "trumpet" as being the spiritual leaders he places before us.  They issue clear cries for warfare - attempting to gain the attention of God's people and to get their hearts into a position of alertness.  It is that alertness of heart that makes us ready and responsive for the battle ahead.

Whenever this sounding of the trumpet was heard, the people knew two things:  

1. They were to be "on alert".  This was a time to tune into the battle plan, to understand the enemy and to be aware of the dangers around them.  
2. The time of conflict was upon them.  There is strength in numbers.  When the call went out, the people gathered.  Imagine the strength that came to them when facing the conflict when they realized that they were not in the battle alone.

The last call was that of movement - getting up from where they were camped and marching on to the next place God would have them partake of.  This is certainly an unusual call of the trumpet, but necessary nonetheless.  It is often with great fear, and many times, with great resistance that we finally get up and move on to the next phase of development God has for us.  When we are "camped" in one spot, we are often comfortable with what we have come to accept as our "surroundings".  Spiritually, this type of "comfort zone" is dangerous - because it keeps us from growing.

So, regardless of the "call" we hear today, we need to be ready for the sounding of God's trumpet calls in our lives.  Hearing ears, readied hearts, and willing spirits are needed in order to respond.  One last thing....Israel relied upon the sound of the trumpet to know what came next for them.  We'd do very well to listen intently for the sound of God's voice before we make any move in our lives!  

Embracing Arms

^32-36 "So, my dear friends, listen carefully;
   those who embrace these my ways are most blessed.
Mark a life of discipline and live wisely;
   don't squander your precious life.
Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me,
   awake and ready for me each morning,
   alert and responsive as I start my day's work.
When you find me, you find life, real life,
   to say nothing of God's good pleasure.
But if you wrong me, you damage your very soul;
   when you reject me, you're flirting with death."

(Proverbs 8:32-36)

Wisdom, in the book of Proverbs, represents not only a characteristic we develop, but a person - the person of Jesus Christ.  The very life of Christ was a display of wisdom by which we can pattern our daily walk.  Our writer spent the first eight chapters of this book reminding us of the importance of choosing wisdom over any other action.  If something is repeated that many times in Scripture, it is pretty important that we put on our spiritual "ears" to hear what is being said.

When you find me, you find life, real life - these words point us directly to Jesus.  In him, we find all the things in life we label as "good" and "real".  There is nothing as fulfilling as coming into relationship with Jesus.  Yet, so many of us live far below what we would call a "fulfilled" life - we just don't "feel" fulfilled.  Why is that?  Well, we can turn to the passage today to find some advice with this question.  Those who embrace my ways - this is key to experiencing God's fullness every day of our lives.  

The concept of embracing is involves the idea that we take something with eagerness, excitement, and anticipation.  There is a gladness in accepting what is offered and a willingness to allow ourselves to come close to what we are embracing - almost like taking it to ourselves in such a way that we become one with it.  God's promise to us is that if we embrace him, he embraces us back - and his embrace carries with it more than just physical comfort.  God's embrace carries with it "blessing" - the sense of knowing that we are safe, secure, and sheltered.

When we understand that God values a daily "embrace" as much as we do, we find ourselves eager to run to him.  Our writer indicates that when we come to him with listening ears, awake and ready for him each morning, we find real life and his good pleasure.  There is nothing more that God desires of us than to be alert and responsive.  

Alertness involves being ready and prepared for action.  Responsiveness involves responding readily to what God shows us.  Think about an embrace.  When we reach out to another human being in embrace, aren't we hoping to find that person as responsive to our embrace - ready, prepared for the embrace?  God is no different - he is waiting each morning - arms outstretched.  His hope:  That we will respond readily to him - prepared for the action he will call us to be involved in that day.

Today, the willingness to embrace God in a responsive and alert way may not come as easily as it will two or three week's down the road - but do it anyway.  Yield some of yourself to him today and ask him to show you how to live a life of discipline and learning.  Then faithfully return each day - reaching out with an "embracing" heart - open to what God has for you each new day.  In turn, God's embrace begins to become a thing we cannot live without.  It may be a little uncomfortable at first, but a thing of blessing as we practice his embrace more and more.

We can squander away our time on all the "agenda items" we have lined up for our day - things we have labeled as "important", "urgent", or "requires attention".  God is not an agenda item - he is a relationship.  At first, you may have to "pencil him in" - but, in time, he will become your first priority even before you step out to "check off" the things of your day.  

I have a friend who reminded me this week of how much God loves her.  You see, she loves to cuddle - as a single woman, she doesn't have the privilege of another human being to share that with at this time.  So, God in his faithfulness, gave her a pet that enjoys "cuddling" each morning.  She gets to enjoy a few minutes just "cuddling" with her furry friend, enjoying the display of pleasure that her pet experiences in the tender pats, the scratch behind the ear, or the stroking of its fur.  God knows that we have a need to experience affection - even when we find it in a furry friend, it is a very good thing!

Think of how much more God wants to fill us up with the good things we can enjoy as a matter of being embraced by him!  His arms are waiting - are you ready to be embraced today?