Small pictures matter

If we are to move forward with Christ, we must realize if we are actually moving, standing still, or falling behind. Until we realize where we are at, there is not much effort we will put into any forward movement. If we are lucky enough to find ourselves moving forward, it could be that Christ wants to put a little more 'pep in our step', so to speak, in getting us to move at a different pace. The sad truth is that many are 'standing still' - allowing movement all around them, but not even realizing how much damage is being done when 'standing still' is our present condition. A flood may come, but the things that survive the flood are the things that can move away from it!

Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven. (Philippians 3:13-14)

In order to move forward, one might need to become discontent with the past. If we are too well attached to the past and the way it makes us feel, we will likely never desire to move forward. Even being too focused on the 'good things' that are happening in our present might not be exactly the right focus for us to have. Perhaps Christ wants us to look at the past with less fondness, be just a little discontent with our present, and yearn for what is just ahead for each of us. Perhaps we hear clearly that it is time to move forward, but have no idea how to accomplish this, or the issues surrounding moving forward make it a huge challenge. When God initiates the movement, we can count on his presence and power to be with us as we take steps forward.

One of the first things we might need to do is realize things can be different in our lives. If we have been so totally attached to our past, it may seem impossible to ever move beyond it. It is though we can see nothing but that part of our lives - it anchors us in stagnation. We might not change the entire world by our forward movement, but we might see OUR world changed. That may not seem significant in the big picture, but every 'big picture' is actually made up of small pictures - take small steps, make incremental changes, and see a 'big God' reveal how your 'small picture' changed the 'big picture' around you. When we move forward, we aren't abandoning the lessons of the past - we are embracing them, having learned something of deep value from them as we lean into the lessons of the present and the preparation for the future ones we are about to learn. Just sayin!

A head on collision course

Someone once said the best time to change is before you actually have to. I would say that is usually the best way to embrace change - when you desire it rather than when it is forced upon you as the only option. Scripture reminds us to allow God to examine us from time to time, knowing full-well that he will observe something within our character that doesn't quite match what he expects to see of one who draws near to him. He will then set out to work on it, but that work goes much easier when we have asked God to begin it rather than waiting for him to point it out once we have already headed down some road of compromise!

"God, examine me and know my mind. Test me and know all my worries. Make sure that I am not going the wrong way. Lead me on the path that has always been right. (Psalm 139:23-24)

We all know there are things within our character that don't quite 'measure up' when we hold them up to the example Christ set for us, or what we see modeled by others who God has used in scripture. We might realize we haven't even hit the target, much less the bullseye! When those times come, the next thing we might do is try to tell God why it was too hard for us to embrace the needed change. It isn't all that easy to argue our way out of change, though! If we don't want to embrace it now, we will embrace it later on because God isn't going to allow it to just go unchanged. He will work in another way, and it may not be as easy to go through as when he first pointed out something within us that required some work.

Now lest you think you are the only one who argues with God when he seeks to change something within you, think again. I am right there in that boat with you. We might even be 'rowing partners' in the excuses boat on occasion. Change isn't easy and it usually deals with something we don't want to face head on. I have to ask - if we saw a car heading down the road at a high speed right there in our lane, would we be inclined to veer away from that oncoming car? Of course! So, why do we resist God's request for us to 'veer' from our course with whatever it is that is about to cause a 'compromise collision' in our lives? We might not realize it, but playing 'chicken' with sin isn't EVER going to end well.

Change before you need to change - that is a lofty goal, but one I think begins with a simple prayer to ask God to show us where we might be compromising in our daily walk. When he begins to reveal those tiny compromises that will eventually lead to the bigger ones, it is the right time to ask him to help us to work on them one by one until we no longer need to deal with them. Just sayin!

Hmmm...seeing things differently now?

Create in me a clean heart, O God; restore within me a sense of being brand new. (Psalm 51:10)

Einstein said, "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."  He was so true in this perception!  The problems we create will never be overcome or changed until we change the way we have been thinking about them!  To change our thought process we often need to change what we are focusing on so often or intensely. If we always see the problem, we will never see the solution standing just beyond it! If all we see is the river in front of us, raging out of control and making it hard to pass over to the other side, we will likely not see the bridge being lowered from the other side!

Restoration is a process of not only being "clean" of the sin in our lives, but of being able to look beyond the sin.  We can ask for forgiveness when we have done something we are not happy we have done, but if all we keep thinking about is that thing we asked forgiveness for, will we never move beyond that thing? It will still be the thing we focus on - anchoring us to the same place we have always been! We want to move beyond it, but we didn't take our eyes off it long enough to see our way beyond it! The drawbridge was being lowered, but we missed it because all we saw was the raging waters of our sin!

Our psalmist reminds us we need a sense of being brand new in order to see what moves us from where we always have been into the place we want to be. I don't know how you "sense" things in your life, but I have to "picture" myself or the object I am trying to move toward in a certain way. If I want to see flowerbeds take shape in my backyard, I have to first walk the space to see how far I want them to extend into the yard, looking carefully at where the sprinkler system could be tied in so I can get water to the beds. In my mind's eye, a picture is being created. I am seeing something which is not yet there, but which I am envisioning will take shape. I am sensing what it will be like to realize the beauty of the bed in that place.

The same is true when we want to move beyond those "problematic" areas in our lives which might plainly be called "sinful areas". If we want to move beyond them, we have to picture something different than what we have been doing, saying, or thinking! We have to allow a new focus to take form within our mind's eye! I don't think we do this in a vacuum, though. It isn't something WE create, but rather it is something which is created within us - in seed form. It is part of being "cleansed" of our sin.  We receive that seed form of what change will look like, but for full restoration to take place, we have to cultivate the seed! We have to believe growth is possible. We must do what we know to do and leave the rest up to God to help with the growth process. We don't "bring forth" the growth - he does!

What we can do is begin to change ou focus. When you focus is on the problem exclusively, all we see is the lack of growth. Restoration begins when we have a new "vision" in our minds of how something will be different. All change begins by seeing things differently than we have always seen them. We don't always control the means by which change will be accomplished, but we can control what we focus on while the change is taking place!  Just sayin!

Is this change right?

All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward. (Ellen Glasgow)

No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people. (Romans 2:29)

The Apostle Paul is dealing with a whole lot of 'we are better than they are' mentality - it is 'better to be a Jew' than a Gentile kind of thing. Isn't it silly to compare ourselves to others by what we see as 'superior' in ourselves compared to what we see as 'inferior' in others? The most profound thing he pointed out to those who opposed Christ as the Messiah was that a changed heart is produced by the Spirit of God, not some 'act' or 'practice' man engages in. A changed heart is God-produced, God-ordained, and God-blessed.

The 'we are better' mentality comes with prideful attitude of seeking approval from others merely because of what you 'do', not what you really 'are'. We are ALL sinners - but they failed to appreciate that fact. We ALL need a Redeemer - but they failed to recognize that every outward action they performed really didn't change the fact that their hearts were still impure and given to sin. A person with a changed heart seeks praise from God - they don't need to call attention to themselves through religious actions. Their heart shines!

All mankind can do on its own merit is produce more flawed individuals, complete with complex hang-ups and deep hurts. What God can do when a man or woman says yes to him may not seem significant, but that is because the heart is often hidden from view. It becomes evident in the actions produced when his Spirit indwells our spirit, and the true communion begins. A changed heart is what we desire - not just changed actions. Eventually the actions will match the heart, but until they do, trust him to do what he began. All change is not growth, so make sure the change you seek is directed by his Spirit. Just sayin!

Until then...

Thomas Fuller reminds us, "In fair weather prepare for foul." We prepare for a life with Christ in eternity by living a life close to him today. We are preparing for whatever may come our way. In living close to Christ today, we are ensuring whatever storm or battle comes next, we are prepared to face it with his assistance. The closeness we develop with Jesus today is something we can count on to be our firm foundation into every tomorrow. 

So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:16-17)

Way too often we evaluate others by what we observe on the surface, not really knowing what has been going on inside of their hearts and minds. We 'see' one thing but have no idea what preparation has been going on deep beneath the surface. I have come to realize the outward change we might expect to see in someone isn't always the first thing we will observe, though. The inward has to change, then the outward begins to follow suit. 

The new comes as a result of Christ's work IN us, not so much his work ON us. The moment we realize that God is at work IN an individual, we are able to encourage them to continue the work of 'preparing' for whatever comes next in their lives. Newness has come, but the old is often shed slower than we might like. God is not disappointed by the speed at which we allow the outward change - he is still at work drawing our hearts and minds close to him. 

Allow the work of today to prepare you for tomorrow. Invite the presence of God and the insight of his Word to invade every space of your new life in Christ - making ALL things new by his touch. The outward will eventually follow the inward work - we must be patient with ourselves and others until it does. Remember, the battle we face tomorrow is won by drawing closer to Jesus today. Just sayin!

The old new wasn't all that bad, was it?

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. (Isaiah 43:19)

The 'old' may have seemed pretty awesome, but have you ever considered what God may be doing when he is beginning something new in you? There have been times when I have been so comfortable with the 'old new' that God did in me that I resist his moving me on into something 'new' again. I want to look back instead of forward, making it harder for him to keep me focused on what he is about to do. God may be laying out some pretty awesome change right ahead of us, but as long as we are constantly looking back and longing for the 'old new', we aren't going to fully embrace the 'new' he has in store.

I have noticed that God begins something 'new' and then he kind of 'wraps up' the 'old new' for us. It is like he is repainting the walls of our lives. The old was good for a time, but it doesn't quite 'measure up' to what he wants to see displayed in our lives now. So, he prepares us for the new by calling us, challenging us to see what he is doing, and then entering into it. We may not have realized how much of a 'wasteland' our 'old' had become until we see how he is transforming it. Hold onto the wasteland and eventually you will become crusted, dry, and hardened.

We get to the new from the old by following the pathway God provides. He has already made the pathway, but we might not see where it leads yet. His promise is that it is 'through' the wilderness of the 'old' and into the freshness of the new. To be entirely truthful with you, there have been times when I have known God is moving in my life but have had no idea what he was doing. As hard as I tried to understand what he was doing, where he was leading me, or what the need was for the 'move', I just didn't see it. God isn't finished and we need to trust him even when all we see is the wasteland around us. The path is THROUGH it! 

Give God the reins. Let him reveal the path, then set out to see where it leads. The 'old new' was pretty awesome when we came into it, but what God is about to do may be even more awesome. God doesn't want crusty Christians - he wants living, vital ones. Just sayin!

Positive Change

May God who gives patience, steadiness, and encouragement help you to live in complete harmony with each other—each with the attitude of Christ toward the other. And then all of us can praise the Lord together with one voice, giving glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:5-6)

Harmony is not achieved by our own merits, for no set of humans actually 'live in harmony' with another set of humans without some form of conflict from time to time. As long as atoms keep crashing together, there will be some form of conflict, BUT...God can bring patience where conflict seems to abound, steadiness where the foundation has begun to crumble, and tremendous encouragement to keep moving toward agreement and peace. 

How is complete harmony ever going to happen? Those who have embraced Christ as their Lord and Savior will be at the forefront of peaceful actions. They will bring a steadfastness into the most difficult of circumstances - a peace and assurance that stands when all else is crumbling in around them. What will this peace and assurance serve to do when chaos abounds? It brings encouragement that there is a way out of the hardness of the moment.

Where does harmony begin? It begins within our own heart first, then it begins to affect those around us. Are you are harmony with God? What does a heart in harmony with God look like? If you are making choices that are in accord with the truths he lays out in scripture, you are on the right path. If you have a desire to see his will done more than your own, you are on the right course. In other words, our actions begin to reflect less of a 'me, me, me' attitude and more of a 'whatever your will is, Lord' purpose.

Some would believe harmony is the absence of chaos entirely, but we grow best within a certain amount of chaos. Harmony is merely a 'congruence' of the parts - not that all parts are the same, but that they 'fit' and 'work' together. Harmony is going to be the place where we see 'conflict' and 'chaos' leading us onward to what is true and lasting positive change. The challenge is there, but we must not bow to the desire to let it defeat God's desire to see patience, steadiness, and encouragement developed within our hearts. Just sayin!

Open to change

Begin to be now what you will be hereafter. 

(William James)

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. (Galatians 6:14-15)

What will you be when you grow up? Do you remember being asked that question so many times as a kid? I have been asked that question several times as an adult, so I guess I haven't 'grown up' sufficiently for some! I have a different way to ask this question today: What will you be when Christ is fully done with you?

Each and every day is another opportunity for Christ to work within our lives - transforming us into this 'new creation' he has in mind for each of us. As he moves across our lives, we are transformed, renewed, and almost 're-engineered'. We may still see ourselves one way, but God sees us as becoming exactly as we are in his eyes. It is this transformation process that we often resist - not because we don't want to see this new creation, but because all change is hard.

While Mr. James was a philosopher of sorts, his words ring true to each of us. We begin today to be what we will become tomorrow. All of life is about change. As I am now in the sixth decade of my life, I would say change comes rapidly at times. When I was in my second decade of life, I would have told you change didn't happen fast enough. Why is there such a difference? I guess it is because I have become much more 'accustomed' to change.

Instead of resisting what God is doing, might you choose to embrace it? It could just be the door that opens to becoming what we will be. We are 'made right' through Christ, but each day presents opportunities for us to begin to 'be right' (live right). We cannot ignore that all of life presents change - we must be open to God's leading when 'what we are becoming' is his main focus for us today. Just sayin!

Plucked or Refreshed?

Are you a 'radical' when it comes to change? Radical: of or going to the root or origin of something. If you haven't really thought about what "radical change" is, you might be a little surprised to find out it is change which goes after the "root" or "origin" of something in order to so totally change what has become "traditional" or "normal" in one's life. If a business wants to "re-invent" themselves because they have been losing customers to some other big-name chain with a newer look, what do they do? They go through some "radical change" to make us believe this is the store we want to be shopping at instead of the other guys. J.C. Penney did just that - they changed up the lines they carried, took out a whole bunch of their stock, remodeled the interiors of the stores to be more "hip", but they lost business! Most of us who shopped at Penney's did so for a reason - the consistency of finding the lines we liked, that fit us well, at a reasonable price range. They thought they had to "change" their "core" in order to draw business back into their store. In reality, their "core" was pretty good, they probably just needed to make some subtle changes to attract the crowd of shoppers they were aiming to draw in, but without sacrificing the loyalty of those who looked to them for their "core" purchases. Sometimes I think we do the same thing when God asks us to begin to change in a particular area. We think he wants some big "revamp" of everything, so we set about to go through a major "redo", all the while forgetting about the "core values" he has already worked out in our lives.

You didn’t think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he’s such a nice God, he’d let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he’s not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change. (Romans 2:3-4)

When God goes after the "root" in our lives, it isn't always to "pluck it up"! In fact, sometimes he just needs to "stimulate" it a little in order to get it on track with healthy growth. We cannot sacrifice those "core values" he has already worked into our lives - in other words, we don't throw the baby out with the bath water! Sure, God wants us to be affected deeply, changing where change is needed, and developing a keener awareness of what it is he desires of us, but he doesn't want us to neglect or forget the values he has already worked into our lives. I think this is a common issue for many of us - we see there is a a slightly newer focus God is asking of us, and we forget about the "old" in order to pay attention to the "new". What happens to the old? It gets neglected. What happens when something is neglected? It begins to no longer be the "practiced" behavior. Some roots need a little "plucking". It is like when a store might realize a particular line of clothing or household goods is no longer selling. They might want to either consider "restyling" those clothes to stay in fashion, or just drop the line totally. Sometimes a simple "restyle" is all that is needed - because the "basics" are there - they just need a little attention. At other times, the styles have moved on and it is time to retire the line - like polyester jumpsuits! The basic black dress or skirt will never go out of style, but they may "restyle" it with a different hem line, or perhaps a new cut to the neckline in order to keep it "new". One gets at the root in order to eliminate the line, while the other simply allows the root to be stimulated to produce a new line.

God wants radical life change, not just a 'restyle' of our lives. As he makes change in our lives, he doesn't go about plucking up the previous change and then growing another. He keeps the changes we have made and then "adds" changes by stimulating us at the "root" of our being (the core) in order to bring about even more growth. We have to be aware of which one of these God is doing - plucking up or stimulating the roots. When we know he is after the removal of something from the "roots up", then we let go of it. When we see he is just "digging around those roots" a little, we can be assured what he sees is good at the core, we just need a little help to bring the best growth forth. Core change (radical change) often requires an expertise we don't possess on our own. We need God taking us by the hand and "leading" us into this change, otherwise our "best" change may just be a flop. The ideas we have for change aren't "bad", they just aren't God's ideal for our lives - we need his "ideal", not just our "best". It is heartwarming to me to realize God is leading us through this change. He doesn't expect us to dig around those roots on our own - nor does he expect us to know which ones need to be totally plucked up. He takes us by the hand, suggesting a certain degree of intimacy and caring, doesn't it? He is going to get "deep into" our core and he wants us to know how much he cares about what it is he is doing.

When we take the hand of another, we are usually doing it because we want to express something in that connection, isn't it? We don't do it with everyone. If we just walked up to every stranger we saw and reached out to take their hand, we'd soon see some pretty radical behavior from them, wouldn't we? They'd pull back, even scream in surprise. Why? We don't have relationship with them, and we have no right to hold their hands! If they were drowning in the lake, they might just crave that connection, but not when they are minding their own business window shopping at the mall! God doesn't just march right up to us and take us by the hand, telling us he is taking us to the place of change. He establishes relationship with us, then he begins to connect with us frequently enough to allow us to develop a trust relationship with him. Taking the hand of one we trust is much easier, isn't it? We might just crave these times of "hand leading", because they show how much we are really loved. When God takes us by the hand, it isn't because he is angry with us, it is because he cares so much for us that he doesn't want to see us continue to embrace stuff in our lives that is doing us harm. His handholding is not just casual - it is purposeful. He leads, we follow. He squeezes tight, we know he is at work. He pulls back, we know it is time to stop. His touch is our means for radical life change. Just sayin!

Is change possible?

But let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I’ll probably never fully understand. We’re not all going to die—but we are all going to be changed. You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes—it’s over. On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again. At the same moment and in the same way, we’ll all be changed. In the resurrection scheme of things, this has to happen: everything perishable taken off the shelves and replaced by the imperishable, this mortal replaced by the immortal. Then the saying will come true: Death swallowed by triumphant Life! Who got the last word, oh, Death? Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now? It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God! (I Corinthians 15:55-57)

Long passage, I know, but there are tons of exciting things within those three verses! What's more, Paul gives us the important message that we don't need to understand all that God does in this gift of eternal life, we just need to accept it! If he would not fully understand it, I guess I shouldn't be too hard on myself for 'not getting' some of the things God has done on our behalf and continues to do throughout the ages. 

We are changed. The beginning of the change happens the moment we say 'yes' to Jesus, but the change is never done until the final trumpet sound. Some will go to their grave, still not 'changed' fully, but they get the last word over death through resurrection! Changed from perished to imperishable - imagine that - no more worries, aches, pains, creaking bones, or arthritic joints. Changed - in the blink of an eye. We all want that type of change right now in our lives, but change is gradual for a reason - it builds our faith. 

Nothing can hold us back. Not the present troubles or trial. Not the grave, nor the fiery chamber. If nothing can hold us back, why do we bemoan our present troubles? I think we get so focused on the trouble we forget who has the trouble already worked out fully. As Paul said, we may not understand this stuff fully yet, but just wait for to see what God will do in the end!

Rules don't bring us into victorious living. They bind us more than they set us free. Rules are good because they emphasize a certain way of living. We follow the rule to brush our teeth because we don't want to gum our food. We follow the rule to wear clothing in public because we value the gift of our bodies. Rules can be excessively binding at times - especially when they are focused on us doing the work of breaking free of our sin nature. One action accomplished that - abolishing the need for all that 'self-help' work we may be inclined to engage in. 

Sin, guilt, and death have been abolished. We need not fear any of these. This is something we forget from time to time. We get focused on the 'bad choice' we have made and think we will never be free of our sin. The guilt haunts us like a dark shadow. We feel as though we will go to the grave bound by it. Clearly, we haven't heard or believed the message contained in these verses! Sin cannot hold us. Guilt cannot plague us. Death will not have the last word. So, let's get our focus right. There is nothing that stands in the way of our total change - nothing! Just sayin!

A few 'truth-rumors' we need to share

Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart. (Proverbs 26:22)

 A rumor is something put into general circulation without confirmation of the facts behind the message. Considering this, do you ever wonder how so much stuff gets into general circulation without someone taking the time or effort to confirm it? I think it is probably more than we realize. Everyone wants to "out-scoop" the next guy. Someone has to be "first" with the "big story" - not just on TV news, but also in real life day-to-day interactions. People just want to be "in the know" about the other guy, the latest event, or the way-out-there thing that just happened. Mom always used to teach, "If you don't have anything nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all." Sound advice, but I think many folks operate more on the "If you don't have anything nice to say about someone, I am all ears"! Did you ever stop to consider that almost no one gossips or spreads rumors about someone's good virtues? They almost always pick the "bad stuff" - because it is "juicier"! Don't you wish people would spread truth-rumors about all the character CHANGE God has worked into your heart as freely as they would latch onto the one thing about your character God is still working on right now?

Alice Duer Miller reminds us: "If it is very painful for you to criticize your friends - you're safe in doing it. But...if you take the slightest pleasure in it, that's the time to hold your tongue." If the words we are about to share touch upon the character trait still "under construction" in another's life, judge how much it concerns you to be sharing those words. It is not as much a focus on the words shared, but on who it is you are sharing those words with - someone who probably doesn't need to know that 'truth' about that individual! If you find it hard to criticize a friend - you are safe doing it - as long as you are doing it to their face, in love, and with God's leading! If you are about to criticize them behind their backs, you are really just spreading dainty morsels that eventually will sink deeply into your heart and become a deeply rooted critical bent toward that individual.

Someone once said, "The easiest way to keep a secret is when you don't have any help doing it." Share something and you run the risk of it no longer being a secret. If you have a trusted friend, it is likely you share things with this individual which you might consider "knowledge" about you that you'd rather others not know - like those "under construction" areas of your character. It stands to reason we need to be cautious about what we share and to whom we reveal the secrets of our heart, right? I don't think just anyone has a right to know the inner workings of my heart - but I can trust God with them and a few others he has placed in my life as accountability partners. God doesn't bless who you pretend to be - he blesses who are not afraid to be. I think we need to evaluate the words we are speaking a little closer some times. If we find ourselves frequently gravitating toward pointing out the "under construction" areas of another's life, we probably need to evaluate the "why" behind that urge. Maybe it is time we shift to pointing out the virtues of another - even if we have to look pretty deep to find them. God isn't looking for pretenders - he is looking for truthful witnesses. Just sayin! 

Change things, God!

Most of us would think of a "circumstance" as something which modifies or influences what will happen next - what the outcome will be. When we have the right one in charge of the "circumstances", there is no "modifier" beyond our ability to deal! Do you know what a drought is? It the simplest sense, it is a period of "dryness". Most "dry spells" are not a matter of our doing. They are the result of some "circumstances" beyond our control. In the times of "dryness" there is much at work attempting to modify our responses - perhaps even shaping our outcome. In the time of dryness we have a couple of options: 1) scheme our way through it, figuring and refiguring a way to bring life back ourselves; 2) bolt, looking for refreshment in any other place than where we are at; or 3) hunker down, trusting God for the refreshing rains just around the corner. I don't know about you, but I don't want to the varied circumstances to modify my life by driving me away from what God will do "in" those circumstances! I want God to drive me "into" the circumstances deep enough to allow HIM to modify me, not the circumstances!

Lord, change our circumstances for the better, like dry streams in the desert waste! Let those who plant with tears reap the harvest with joyful shouts. Let those who go out, crying and carrying their seed, come home with joyful shouts, carrying bales of grain! (Psalm 126:4-6)

One thing I have come to recognize - God often changes US before he changes our circumstances. So, in respect to the "modifying" effect of circumstances - it is really not the circumstances which "modify" us, but finding God in the midst of them which does! Explore the character traits of one who is not modified by the circumstances, but is met in the midst of the circumstances by the "modifier" of our hearts. First, they are not just hunkered down, hoping for the best. They are planting, carrying seed, going about their regular tasks. They don't cease to do what they know to do! Too many times, we face circumstances which seem to be beyond our control with the attitude of just standing still - not even doing what we know to do. God's advice to us - do what you can, then let him take care of the rest. If I am capable of putting my hand to the plow, I need to plow. If I have seed, I need to sow it. The principle is quite plain here - do what we know to do, then trust God!

Be honest with your emotions. Most don't plant with tears, but it may be these very tears which are the first "moisture" to touch those tiny seeds. Did you ever stop to consider the tears you shed as being the very thing which waters the very seed you are planting? It may not be a significant amount of moisture, but perhaps it is enough to begin to breakdown the tough outer coating of the seed and cause it to begin to germinate! I don't think God ever expects us to mask our emotions - if we are honest with him in our emotions, he can deal with them! Go out - you will return. Our return is not empty-handed, but with much more than we ever imagined. This is the principle of sowing and reaping. In due season, there is a harvest. When we trust God with our "circumstances", we also trust him with the "outcome". It was not the circumstances which modified us - it was the great "MODIFIER" of the circumstances who modified us. The harvest may not have been possible without us first going out - doing what we knew to do. The seed spread in drought is there when the rains come. Think about it - if the seed is never planted, no amount of rain will produce a crop! Instead of allowing the circumstances to modify us, allow the modifying to come from the one who hold the circumstances squarely in his hand! Just sayin!

Gonna meddle a little...

Application being the basis of all change - without application, there is no advantage to knowledge - most of us would probably 'cop' to the plea that we aren't all that good at applying what we know. I have lots of cookbooks and recipes around the house, but that doesn't mean I am a gourmet chef. I can cut a piece of wood on my table saw, but that doesn't make me a master carpenter. I can clean my house so you don't see too many dust bunnies, but that doesn't make me an expert on cleaning. It is only when spiritual and emotional knowledge is applied that we can say we are truly developing "wisdom". I think this may be what Jesus was trying to tell these religious leaders that day when he told them they only sought what would 'titillate' their curiosity rather than really develop an understanding of the One True God.

Later a few religion scholars and Pharisees got on him. "Teacher, we want to see your credentials. Give us some hard evidence that God is in this. How about a miracle?" Jesus said, "You're looking for proof, but you're looking for the wrong kind. All you want is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles."  (Matthew 12:38-40)

Day after day, Jesus has been healing the sick, setting the demon-possessed free from their torturous existence, and teaching the truths of the Word. Even after all these "signs and wonders", the religious scholars "get on" Jesus' case, looking for his "credentials" - because they believed being called 'Rabbi' was a position only obtained after years and years of 'scholarly study' of the Old Testament! If I had been there, my response would have been something like, "Wake up dudes!" - they missed the point of all he was doing and didn't have a clue that here was the Messiah they had been studying about for all those years! So blinded by their own 'determination' of what should be 'proof' of being able to do God's work, they missed that it was being done all around them.

They came with the demand for "hard evidence". If opening the eyes of the blind from birth, or unraveling the shriveled hand of a man born with a birth defect is not "hard evidence", I am not exactly sure what they were looking for! They ask for a miracle! What on earth had they been seeing over these past several weeks? In fact, they had seen more miracles in one day than most of us see in a lifetime and they were still looking for "hard evidence"!  Jesus hits the nail squarely on the head - all they wanted was something to "titillate" their curiosity. It is amazing to me how many times we fall into this same trap. We wander off to church each Sunday or watch it online these days, go to our small groups one night a week, attend a revival meeting or watch some video to inspire us, all in search of something to "titillate" our senses. What we miss in our "wandering" is the touch God specifically designed for our spirit, not so much for our senses!

Did you know the root of the word "titillate" is "tickle"? We are often looking for God to "tickle" our fancy - give us just a little sense of his presence, assurance, or direction. We aren't really looking for life change - we want "sensationalism". God gave us the awesome functional capacity to be curious - he also gave us the often unrecognized spiritual capacity to be in sync with his movement. When our focus is only on the "feeling" of being "tickled" by God's grace, we often miss the evidence of his grace right in the midst of our most desperate need for it! Jesus did not back down - he called it what it was - sensation seeking! Whenever we want the "sensation" of God's presence apart from the change his presence desires to bring within us, we miss it! Those who received their miracles came expectantly - not looking for the sensation of healing, but for the ACTUAL healing touch of God! This is what God honors - expectant faith, hungering hope, and a seeking heart. I wonder how many times we have missed what we so desperately needed for our deliverance from some life struggle simply because we came to Jesus hoping he'd tickle our fancies with some "feelings" of deliverance? I have come to realize Jesus does more in one moment of yielded obedience than he ever does in the hours we spend in church! If we were honest here, it is in the quiet of alone time with him where we are most frequently touched by his grace! Maybe we need to open our eyes afresh to the "hard evidence" of daily consistent obedience in our lives - this seems to be the real "evidence" which produces change! Just sayin!

A tool is meant to be used

I was standing outside our hospital pharmacy waiting to drop off some information the other day. Through the window I observed a series of 'apothecary' items, one of which is the old fashioned mortar and pestle. It reminded me there is always a little bit of a crushing process in life. The purpose of the pestle apparatus is to crush, grind, or mix whatever is in the bowl (mortar). Something is placed within the mortar, then through the action of the repeated blows and grinding of the pestle, the object in the mortar begins to change form. If it is corn, eventually the hardened pellet of corn will become like fine flour. When leaves are put in the mortar, the pounding begins to release the oils contained in the leaves, allowing a fragrance to be released. The bowl portion of the device is nothing without the "tool of action" (the pestle). It is the pestle which accomplishes the "transition" of substance from one form to another. One without the other is nice, but both are needed to bring change.

You cannot separate fools from their foolishness, even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle. (Proverbs 27:22)

Fools are not easily "changed" in their "form"! Even in the up and downs moments we might refer to as the "mortar and pestle" of life - no amount of "pounding, crushing, or grinding" is going to change the folly of a fool! If you have ever tried to change the foolishness of another person's ways, you might just realize this fact is spot on! If you have ever asked God to deal with the foolishness of your own heart, you have probably come to the place you realized you also struggle to resist his "pestle" working to bring change in your life from time to time! Yet, as he brings down the "pestle", it is with grace - he is never crushing us to hurt us, but to make us into something that no longer resembles the original form of what we were before he began - he sees something in us he desires to bring out with the action of the "pestle".

The most common symbol of a pharmacy is the mortar and pestle. It came to be known as the method of "compounding" the various substances we use in medicines today. Yet, as you may well imagine, if the mortar is not cleaned well between uses, what goes into the mortar to be "mixed" the next time will be contaminated by the trace elements that remain from the last time it was used. God takes great care to never allow the impurities of our lives to "contaminate" the final product he is after in his "mixing" process. To our talents, he adds his grace - refining them through the actions of the pestle against the mortar until they become one. To our resistance, he adds tender tugs - wearing away at our resistance until we become supple and yielding in his hands.

In some cultures, a large device is used, made of a hollowed log or large stone and a large piece of wood or another smooth stone which has been transformed into a pestle of sorts. The purpose of the device is to remove the husk of the grain that is being pounded upon that large log or stone. It is not so much to grind it into fine flour, but to get it to the point of being "penetrable" - something not possible until the hardened husk has been removed from the grain. Sometimes, God needs to do some "husk removing" in our lives before we are ready to be "penetrated" with his grace. In my case, the husk can be thicker than the grain inside! Thank goodness God is not giving up on removing the husks in our lives - because I am thinking the 'grain' he desires to use is something that will benefit us all.

Try as "we" might (and I daresay we all have tried), we cannot separate a fool from his folly. Try as "we" might, we cannot separate ourselves from our own foolishness (something we also have tried without great success). Then why do we get so "down" on ourselves when we "try to live right" and find ourselves failing? God has designed us to be "separated" from our foolishness (husks removed) through the actions of his repeated "passage" of grace in our lives. Think of it this way: His mortar is the present trial. His pestle bring the repeated "passage" of the thing that will "break through" our resistance to change. In the end - the substance that is produced has greater value - and a more pleasant "aroma"! If we really want to be separated from our folly, then we need to embrace the grace ever so present in the trial. The trial is a separating process - making us "penetrable" to God's touch. The process is difficult, but the end result is awesome. Just sayin!

Move that...there

Beauty: the adjustment of all parts proportionately so that one cannot add or subtract or change without impairing the harmony of the whole. 

(Leon Battista Alberti)

Is there anyone else out there that is constantly adjusting the parts? My sister has this tendency to put down a cup, plate, or even a napkin - then she returns to it repeatedly moving it a little here or there, never really just allowing it just to be 'okay'. Now, I just set the table and enjoy the meal - the position of the 'stuff' doesn't really matter all that much to me. I wonder how many of us go through life trying to 'adjust the parts', not really sure what is 'proportionately correct' in them? We are fine as long as none of the pieces seem to get lost, or someone upsets our apple cart. The moment we find the pieces falling apart, we panic! We adjust and readjust, sometimes in an attempt to get them all back in the 'regular order' we have established, and at others we are simply trying to hold onto whatever we can! Truth be told, some of the parts just need to go!

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. (I Peter 3:3-4)

The moment we try to replace the pieces, we might find our perfect plans just falling part - making it impossible to hold all of them in 'perfect alignment' to what we believe is the 'right order of things' in our lives. In terms of holding on let me offer this advice - God may be asking us to let go of those pieces because they are doing nothing to add beauty to our lives! They are not ever going to be 'proportionately adjusted' so as to not impair the 'perfect harmony' only he can provide in our lives. They need to go! While we are working so hard to 'adjust the parts', he is working exponentially harder to get us to just let go!

The inner beauty of our lives is where God works, making 'adjustments' that only serve to adorn us perfectly with evidence of his grace and love. We find ourselves forgetting what he is after 'within' us because we are so focused on keeping all the pieces aligned so nobody sees where the adjustments actually need to be made inside us! His desire is to affect our spirit - the desires created within us are to be directly impacted by his Spirit within us. Anytime we find God is 'upsetting the apple cart' of our lives, he isn't doing it out of meanness - he is arranging the parts, removing some that don't belong, and replacing them with the ones that will only adorn us with even greater beauty. Just sayin!

A little change in direction may be helpful

Mom had a saying when she couldn't find something. She'd say she "put it away so carefully, so as to find it the next time," only to find it was nowhere to be found when she needed it! Have you ever been looking so diligently for something only to find that what you sought with such great earnestness was right there in front of you all the time? When you finally realize that the object of your search was just within your reach, didn't you feel a little silly having spent all that time and energy in the seeking? It's kind of like you just have to say, "Duh! Here it is!" and give yourself a little knock on the head!

Somehow, though he moves right in front of me, I don't see him; quietly but surely he's active, and I miss it. (Job 9:11)

A process in the business world known as "building shared vision" is usually facilitated by bringing a group of people together for a period of time to tap into what it is that they imagine for the success of the group. Get the right people at the table and this can be a very good exercise. Get a mixed group at the table and you might find it a little more of a challenge. Get the wrong group at the table and who knows what you will get. It is all about getting the people in the group to bring their thoughts and ideas into play as they "vision" the work they do as a group, or what they see as the outcome of their work. It opens communication, gets people on the same page, identifies some barriers to "being on the same page", and can help a group see the steps necessary to move forward in a full "team approach".

In the end, the group will be asked the telling question: "How do we get there from here?" I think this is a question that we often ask God in our daily walk. We see ourselves in some present circumstance, imagine what we'd like to see come out of that circumstance, and then we stand there wondering what steps we will have to take to realize the end that it is we are hopeful of achieving. We stand at an intersection - one path leads to one outcome, the other to quite a different one. At the moment of decision, we stand there asking "WHY" do we choose one or the other - often deliberating to the point that we don't move at all. The goal of a good group "facilitator" is to give people the chance to talk things out. In other words, the "facilitator" asks the "who", "what", "where", "when", and "how" questions with skillful tact. The ones in the group answer while the facilitator "pulls out" common themes. I think Jesus does this with us. We stand at that decision point in our lives, he spends a little time with us "pulling out" the common themes of past choices we have made that got us in our present circumstance (and others like it), then allows us to figure out that choosing the path in that direction will just lead us into the same muddle again!

I often hear believers say, "I just don't know what God wants me to do!" To that I simply answer, "He has probably facilitated this conversation with you multiple times already - you just did not recognize it was him facilitating that discussion!" We've probably uttered the words, "Somehow, though he moves right in front of me, I don't see him; quietly but surely he's active, and I miss it." We are so focused on the intersection of familiar choice vs. best choice that we don't see him moving down the path of best choice ahead of us. The path of best choice is often the one we have never been on before! I have a pastor friend that says it this way: "If we always do what we've always done, we will always get what we've always gotten!" So, think that through today. Ask yourself this question: "What path have I settled into a little bit of a comfort-zone while traveling?" It may very well be that God will bring you to an "intersection" moment soon. In that moment, let God "facilitate" that discussion that "pulls out" the common themes of past choices that may not have been all that helpful to you. In that "discussion with God", stop long enough to realize his movements - then ask yourself, "Can I get THERE from where I am traveling today?" If the the answer is "probably not", then perhaps it is time for a change of course! Just sayin!

This is taking SO long!

If you have ever lived with anticipation of an upcoming event, such as a much needed vacation, you may have engaged in some type of "countdown" activity such as keeping track of the days until you leave. Why do you do this? Isn't because of the building anticipation of how much you will get to relax, enjoy sights you haven't seen before, or experience some renewal in relationship with those you want to be closest to in life? There is no harm in anticipation as long as it is realistic and you aren't 'putting all your hope' in being a very specific way. I have gone on vacations only to find we have more than one rainy day in a row, significantly impacting the amount of outdoor time I may have desired. I have taken cruises and been unable to get of at a designated port because of choppy seas not making it safe to tender in to the dock. Anticipation is good, but we cannot be so rigid in our expectations that we cannot 'flex' when the outcome isn't exactly as we had imagined!

Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory. (I Peter 1:7)

We have expectation not because we live in some fantasy world where all things are good and life is without troubles - but because we know who it is we are walking with through this life. Indeed, God has promised a pretty awesome inheritance to his kids - a priceless inheritance. The promise of inheritance involves being kept pure and what some preachers refer to as being "un-defile" - living beyond the reach of change and decay. Oh sure, our bodies are subject to decay - we still age (some more gracefully than others)! Yet there is a promise for the exchange of this mortal body for an immortal one - that means what may be subject to decay now will one day be above that limitation.

The test of our faith is really a necessary part of our life with God - not because God doesn't love us enough to keep us safe and free of some hard stuff, but because he loves us so much that he wants us to grow through the hard stuff. A test of faith really does two things - it reveals the strength of that faith and it reveals the purity of that commitment we have made to serve God. Our walk with Christ requires faith - not a stagnant faith, but a vital and growing faith. The 'fire' in the furnace is what will bring change to those affected by the furnace. The heat emitted warms the room, taking away the chill of winter some may experience. The intensity of the fire's heat may be elevated to the point of bringing water to a boil, making it possible to steep the tea that would otherwise not be enjoyed. The furnace changes whatever it touches - the trial isn't about pain - it is about change!

There is a concept taught in scripture - it is referred to as "walking worthy". So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. (I Peter 1:14-15) There is a clarity of thought - not simply moving through life trying to rationalize everything we are facing, but a true seeking to understand and then the ability to remain unhindered in our thinking. This ability to walk worthy is hinged on one important concept - the ability to exercise a little self-control. This is much more than will-power that I am referring to here. It is the ability (which always begins with the willingness) to be in control of our own appetites and desires. We cannot walk worthy if we are always living as we want in the moment. When we are always living for the moment, we miss the plan for the future, for those around us, for those who are affected by our "living". Obedience is foundational to this walk - it is perhaps the most important aspect of "walking worthy" that we struggle with. We might be "willing" to be in control of our appetites and desires, but it quite a challenge to be continually exercising the "ability" to be so!

Obedience is really incremental. I am not saying it can be parceled out into moments when you choose to obey and others when you live as you want. What I am referring to is "baby steps" toward incremental change until our belief and character aligns. We make little steps in the right direction until we are found completely obedient. We sometimes struggle the most with this idea of obedience because we see the finished picture without seeing the process of how that picture was developed! A photographer will be able to tell about the slow process of developing a picture - it goes through several different processes until finally it resembles the finished product. The same is true with us in this walk with Christ - we are in the process of change all through our lives! We have to go through the processes before we can be a finished product! Even in this day and age of "instant everything", there is still a process from point A to point B. We still must put the food on a microwavable plate, endure the two minutes for the product to cook, and then serve it up! We can get "quick" development in our lives, but it may not completely resemble the "finished product" that God really intends for us.  Sometimes, the long process of preparation produces the closest example of the image of God in our lives! Just sayin!

Wrapped, settled, and at ease

Times of transition can be both upsetting and thrilling at the exact same time. We get scared because of what we are seeing an end to something we have held dear or worked with for quite some time, but we are awesomely excited about what may be forthcoming as we take on the new venture. The moment we commit to take those steps forward, we are lambasted with all manner of doubt, anxiety, and maybe even a little bit too much adrenaline! The emotions evoked in transition can be undeniably hard to maneuver through, but when we move from one thing to another, there will always be a little bit of emotional 'build up' experienced in making that transition. Transition is a time of unrest for all of us. We like the familiarity of what we have come to know as "constant" and "secure" in our lives. When transition is called for, we often feel like our "legs are being pulled out from under us". This might be why we are as apprehensive in transition as we appear to be. We allow fear to guide our thoughts and influence our actions instead of taking the things we fear to God for his guidance in those times of transition.

Complain if you must, but don't lash out. Keep your mouth shut, and let your heart do the talking. Build your case before God and wait for his verdict. (Psalm 4:4-5)

Transition by definition is simply a period or season of change - changing from one position to another, a state of what some have come to call "stability" into a state of the "unknown". We also see that it is characterized by times of transformation. Transition brings with it transformation opportunities. We only enjoy the butterfly because the caterpillar underwent the transition - it prepared for and submitted to the transformation! There is a process in transition whereby a metamorphosis from one state or stage into another is underway. The end result is to make us more beautiful, stronger, and different from what we were when we entered into that transition.

Complaint is inherent in transition. It is human nature to complain 'about' or 'against' whatever it is that is seeking transition. Why? We may not even like the present process or way things are, but to change means there will be this encounter with the unknown, so we resist it. We don't seem to understand the process, or even want to participate in the process change, so we lash out against it. We can approach transition with a degree of maturity that will assist us in making it through the transition in a positive manner, but we don't come by this 'maturity' all on our own - we need God's help. The first thing he expects of us is that we will limit the complaining. It is the easiest thing to enter into the "whining" stage of complaint when we don't understand something, we don't feel it is fair, or we don't interpret the transition as something we can endure. Complaint is often an expression of our uneasiness over the situation at hand. It is quite easy for complaint to go the other direction into becoming an expression of our resentment toward the transition that is occurring. How we face the transition is directly impacted by both our "self-talk" and our "outward talk" about that transition. 

 
Some find they let their heart do all the talking, but when our heart does all the talking, we might just find that what is expressed is really so much of the grief we are experiencing with the transition at hand. As we let go of something we have developed a certain comfort level with (even when we don't really 'like' the present way things are), we often experience a deep sense of grief over the loss (because our comfort is impacted). We want to hold onto what "feels secure" to us, while God may have a different plan for our "security". Grief is often best understood in the midst of transition - we are parting with the old and embracing the new - bringing to light just how much we have been holding onto something within the old that we needed to let go of in the first place.

When compliant is done well, we actually build our case before God, finding there is no other resource as readily available, or as totally reliable to assist with the fear associated with change, the grief associated with letting go of the old, and the sense of unease created when transformation must occur. We often gravitate toward building our case before man - but it is time for us to truly consider that God is in control, so we need to build our case before him, not others. It can be hard to wait for his verdict - once we have laid it all out before God (our fear, disappointment, grief, unease, etc.), we are told to wait. Not the easiest instruction to follow, huh? I know for a fact that I am not the best at "waiting" to see what will unfold. It is in the "wait" that we often receive the greatest revelation of what the future holds - and how to let go of what has been an ineffective process in our lives. 

Think about that caterpillar for a moment again - in the moments of transition, he is going about his daily life until one day he is somehow moved to create a new form of existence. He goes into the safety of a cocoon - a place for his transformation to occur. That is kind of like us building our case before God - we take time to envelop ourselves in his watchful care, and then we wait for the rest to occur according to his plan. In the end, the cocoon produces the beauty of the butterfly - sometimes it is a Monarch, other times a simply little butterfly with golden wings. So, whatever transition we face today, perhaps we'd do well to consider the instruction of our psalmist. God can deal very well with our complaints - but we need to take them to him, not others who have no control over the transition. God is about to work in the midst of the transition - to produce what he believes will produce the greatest beauty in us. We need to find what we need for the transition in the safety of the "enveloping" covering of his care. Just sayin!

The same or different?

Do you ever feel like the only thing that remains constant in your life is change? You are probably not alone in this impression because change is all around us. We are expected to change sometimes at the drop of a hat, while other change is gradual and kind of creeps up on us without us really noticing the change has been occurring. Change comes in all shapes and sizes - ranging from crazy, radical change to the subtle changes of age. Change is merely the process of making something that was one way to no longer have the same form. I have to ask a question here - if that 'something' was left alone, would it truly not change? Even things 'left alone' in life will change over time. There will always be influencing factors that lead to change of some sort - maybe not immediately perceptible to the naked eye, but there has been change nonetheless. What would the content of our life be like if Jesus was not an active part of the change we experience in our life? What would the course of our life include if we were 'left alone' to be influenced only by our own desires and actions?

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. (Philippians 3:12-14)

The form of our lives - that which manifests what we are, what we hold to be true, and what we count as important in life - it would definitely change. If there is anything that brings quality to our life, creates a good attitude in our minds, or involves us in activities that are honoring and upright, we receive that from God through Jesus. The "form" of our lives is directly impacted by the one we embrace - just as a "mold" gives a certain structure to the content of that which is placed within it - so Jesus gives us content that differs from what was previously occupying that 'mold' of our lives. If we embrace Christ, the change we experience to our "form" is that of being made into his image - we become the manifestation of who he is.

The nature of our lives - the combination of all the qualities that belong to a person that are revealed in the tendencies we exhibit in the conduct of our lives - it would change because Christ adds new qualities that are not really part of our sinful nature (like the quality of grace). We often refer to our "nature" as our temperament - our disposition to certain things in life - the way we act or respond. Many times, we might find that our temperament is defined by our nurturing - if nurtured well, we tend to conduct our lives with a reasonable sense of good judgment; if nurtured poorly, we might not develop the same sense of responsible conduct. Jesus can take the sum total of our nurture (how we have been raised and what has influenced us most in life) and our nature (our internal make-up including our talents, skills, and tendencies) and transform them into that which consistently produces conduct that is fitting of a child of God. Without that transformation, we often struggle with the temperament we have formed over the years.

The content of our lives - content gives us significance - it fills us up and gives us something we can share with others that they will actually desire. When we feel we have little to offer in a situation, we feel "insignificant" - we see ourselves as lacking what will lend to the situation at hand, therefore we see our contribution as "worthless". The content of our lives is made up of what we have experienced, how we have interpreted those experiences, what we have learned, and what we have "unlearned". That said, if we have allowed "content" that is not quite "right" or truthful into our lives, we have probably established patterns of behavior that keep us feeling like we are insignificant. One thing I want us to understand - in Christ, we are made new - there is a 'significance' poured into our lives, but there is also an awareness of the extreme significance of our lives because it is a life Christ values. The old content is replaced with new - we take on Christ, and we put off the old patterns of behavior, the old patterns of thought, the old failures of our past. 

 
The future course of our lives is not always clear to us when we are constantly in a state of flux or change - when we asked Christ into our lives, we opened the door for change. We actually invited change to occur - not once, but consistently - it is a process of movement, not immobility. We asked for the influences of our past to be diminished, and the influences of our present to be affected deeply by the hope that we find in Christ alone. We invited the Holy Spirit into permanent residence within us - to direct the future course of our lives. Paul reminds us that he is fully aware of his imperfections  - he doesn't have it all together. He recognizes that his past had many things that needed to be changed - but he could not change the past, he could only allow his future to be changed. We get all wigged out by our past - because it influences our present form, nature, and even the content of life. BUT...the past is DONE. We now must look toward the future. That is where change really takes hold. Transformation is a work of the present and the future - not the past. Press toward that which will make you whole - don't hold onto that which will diminish you any further. Just sayin!

Anew or Again?

"Do-overs" in life are rare. We 'do' something, get the results we didn't intend, then desire a 'do-over'. If we are fortunate to have an eraser on our pencil, we can erase the failed calculation from the paper, but remember - there will always be a hint of what was once written there. We are incapable of really erasing every aspect of the 'wrong' answer. In life, we are incapable of really erasing the past mistakes - although we may get a 'do-over'. It is only in God's hands that the slate is truly wiped clean. He is the one making the 'do-over' really more of a 'begin anew' instead of a 'begin again' kind of scenario!

Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be— you get a fresh start, your slate's wiped clean. Count yourself lucky—God holds nothing against you and you're holding nothing back from him. (Psalm 32:1-2)

What does a 'do-over' really hope to accomplish? Isn't it a change in the outcome? We hope to improve our outcomes by getting another chance to do it again. We can be very disappointed in life when we realize there are some choices we just have to live with the outcome we have achieved. Since my life has been less than perfect when it comes to the choices I have made, I am relieved to know that God is not a God who refuses to allow "do-overs"! There are times in life when we so desperately need to have a fresh start - we need the slate wiped clean - so that we might "begin anew". 

The goal of "beginning anew" is that we might see a different outcome - it isn't that we just begin again, because that suggests we will take some of the same steps we took the first time. A pastor friend often says, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got." He's indeed a wise man! You cannot expect to repeat things you have failed in (just do-again) and see better outcomes if you always approach the failure with the same attitude, actions, or aptitude. Truth be told, we need a different attitude toward the situation, actions that are not as haphazard or misdirected, and the ability to make different choices where it counts.

With God's help, we can face life's "failures" with a different attitude. Those that have known me for a while have heard me say many times that attitude determines our altitude. It is an aeronautical saying meaning wherever the nose of the plane is facing determines the altitude the plane will assume. If the nose is level, the plane flies level. If the nose is pointed upward, it climbs to new heights. Conversely, pointing the nose downward brings the plane to new "lows" that may not be the safest flying conditions!

God comes alongside to help us embrace new actions (not just doing again) - not repeating the same actions that brought us to the place of failure the first time. To many who have "tried and tried again", this statement seems unbelievable and way too simplistic. Yet, it is true - we have a God who is quite aware of each step that brought us to this point of failure and he stands ready to help us be aware of those steps so that we don't repeat them again. We may not fully embrace his reminders to not "mis-step" along the way, but he is there, nonetheless. It is still a matter of us choosing to make the most of each "do-over" God gives by embracing the help he provides along the way to begin 'anew', not just 'again'.

Sometimes we have failures because we simply lack the aptitude to do what it is we have ventured into. There are times when we can "learn" the skill we need to succeed in that venture - there are others when we simply need to let it go - it wasn't the right venture to be on. If we are able to learn the skill, we usually see better outcomes the next time around. For example, burn the first piece of toast and you will likely not leave the toaster unattended the second time around. You need to develop an aptitude for making toast! If we simply believed that toast was supposed to be a black, charred wafer of wheat that we gag down with a little jam to cut the taste of charcoal, we'd never really learn to enjoy toast as it was meant to be enjoyed.

"Do-overs" are a gift from God. We simply have to ask for them - we call that repentance. In turn, he grants us the opportunities to "do-over" what brought us to the point of repentance in the first place. That does not mean that we "do-over" the same things - but that we learn from the experience, embrace the grace we are given to face similar challenges in the future, and then trust God that we will listen carefully to his "coaching" along the way. In turn, we are blessed. Perhaps you are in a place where you are longing for a "do-over" in your life. We all find ourselves there at one point or another. We need some adjustment in our attitude, crave to pursue new actions, or simply know that we need to learn from the experience we have just walked through. God stands ready to answer that prayer. He is the God of "do-overs"! He holds nothing against us when we hold nothing back from him! Just sayin!