The image you see

Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you’ll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you’re content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.  (Matthew 23:11-12)

If I use BOLD or red font in my post, I am doing so because I want those particular words to "stand out".  If I were to parade down the sidewalk wearing all black, emblazoned with all kinds of chains and tattoos would you think I might be trying to "stand out" a little from the gal or guy next to me?  When a company wants to gain the market share of business, they spend a whole lot of money on trying to find the "brand" which will make them "stand out" as the one to trust.  The purpose of "standing out" is usually to call attention to, think of first and foremost, be the "go to" in your life.  Jesus tells his disciples something entirely different about being the "go to" in life - "standing out" really being a result of "stepping down". Most of us may not come right out and say it, but we hope our life will count for something when it is all said and done.  We want some type of legacy to leave.  In fact, most of us will say we want to be "known" a certain way right here and now, not just when we are gone from this earth. Sometimes we talk a good talk, but we really do not live as we talk.  You have probably heard the expression, "Walk the talk, and talk the walk".  I think this is the thing Jesus is pointing out - there was a whole lot of talk, but the walk was missing.

These religious leaders were trying to act as some kind of "expert" over the lives of those who were "under" them in the community.  In those days, the scholars were the "elite" - they exercised the authority over the others in the community.  Jesus cautions against allowing any man to rise to this level - as there is really only one who deserves this position in our lives and it is God himself.  I think Jesus was probably going all the way back to the Law of Moses and point out one of those Ten Commandments that referred to us having no other gods but God.  Don't think for a moment that the religious posturing of these leaders didn't capture the notice of Jesus - he was all over their appearance of godliness without the heart evidence to "back up" their claims. In contrast, Jesus tells us if we want to "stand out" we need to actually "step down". We find strength only as we come to a place of admitting our weakness.  See this similar connection between "simplicity and plenty".  When we are willing to live in simplicity (sincerity), we come into a place of plenty (fullness and abundance).  Jesus points out the beauty of being ourselves.  To some, this might seem a little overwhelming at first because we don't really "trust" what we "are" as of worth or value.  So, standing out as our genuine selves is a little overwhelming.

The moment we begin to trust Jesus with who we are (the real us), there is liberty that begins to set us free to come into a place of abundance.  We may not be able to trust others with our "real self" at first, but when we find the ability to get real with Jesus and see he doesn't love us any less for who we really are, the easier it becomes to begin to live as our "real selves" out in the open.  We don't need the "masks" of religious pursuit to hide behind - it is okay to be genuine.  Too many times, people are turned off by the masks of religious people.  They see the pretense, but not the reality of it lived out.  What is talked is not walked.  Jesus says we begin to exercise the greatest influence over others not in the pursuit of the religious "stuff", but in the simplicity of our genuineness of character. Seems contrary to what we see modeled around us, huh?  People "campaign" for the spot of recognition - whether it is a political race, or the attempt of a company to get their brand noticed most as the one this world needs.  All this really does is get a name out there - if the "product" doesn't live up to the expectations of the one "buying into" it, the word on the street soon turns to an account of how disappointing the reality of the "product" was.  The truth is, we learn to trust what is real or genuine.  We learn to distrust what is nothing more than posturing or pretense.  Maybe this is why Jesus focuses so much on the internal character of a man.  He was always pointing to the idea of what is on the inside being evident in what comes out of a man. Wanna stand out - then stand down.  Be genuine.  Get real with yourself, then with God.  In so doing, you will begin to speak volumes beyond whatever posturing you could do to present any other image to the world!  Just sayin!

No cover-up required

God isn't looking for us to have it all together in worship before him - he is just looking for us to be ourselves and to be together in the worship of him! Our worship has to engage our spirit - and it has to be genuine. It is impossible to have a truthfully 'engaged spirit' if we are not truthfully ourselves in spending time with Jesus. Jesus was never looking for the 'polished' and 'perfect' in his ministry - he always engaged with those who were far from perfect and mostly those who were 'dirtied' by their pasts.

“It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.” John 4:24 MSG

If I were to ask you who you 'really are', would you know how to answer that question? Most of us live with some 'made up' image of ourselves and aren't entirely honest about who we are - making it harder for us to be truly ourselves in relationship with others. For some strange reason, we create an image of ourselves as we think others see us rather than accepting the image of ourselves as God sees us. If we were just free to be exactly as God sees us, we wouldn't need to spend so much time maintaining our facade!

When we are transparent with each other, we don't have spend a whole lot of time trying to connect the dots between who we are and the way we live - it just flows naturally. We aren't one way in public, another in private, and still another 'in church'. Some of you will get my meaning there - for many of us put forward our 'very best' in church, because we think that is what others in church demand to see from us. The truth is that the others in church are just as messed up as us and would love it if we could all just be ourselves instead!

Simply and honestly ourselves - these are the individuals God finds very engaging - because in our genuineness he is free to really begin to help us face up to what needs to change in our lives so that we won't need those facades any longer. It takes a lot to let down our guard before God - it takes even more, it seems, to let down our guard before others. Why is that? It is likely because we know there are those who will judge us based on what they see. I found it quite frightening to realize the things I find I am most critical of in others are usually the things I have to deal with in my own life, as well.

While it may not always be comfortable being our real selves, there is a connection made that is genuine - there are no layers of complex 'cover-ups' that get in the way of our relationship. This is the way it should be in our relationship with Jesus - no cover-ups required. If that genuineness begins there, it is sure to begin to spill out into the other relationships we have with each other. Instead of hiding behind cover-ups, we will finally begin to make 'direct connection' with each other. Nothing is more rewarding than being your real self with someone else who is also their real self. Just sayin!

Now, that's the 'real deal'

Today you will hear someone exclaim - that's the real deal - referring to something that is genuine, not fake, the real thing. Back in the day, Coca-Cola used "real-thing" to describe their soda. They were trying to establish that their 'cola' was the genuine cola - none comparing to the taste you'd find in opening a bottle of Coca-Cola. Let me just say, there is ONE "real deal" in this lifetime - it is Jesus. He is the "real thing" - the genuine article. He is not just another "thing" to be worshiped, but the only way into true and everlasting life - the 'real-deal' that connects us to God the Father. Try as some might, there is no 'counterfeit religion' that will do the same thing!

The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering life he brings into Light. He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn't even notice. He came to his own people, but they didn't want him. But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, he made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves. These are the God-begotten, not blood-begotten, not flesh-begotten, not sex-begotten. (John 1:9-13)

It is Jesus who brings us into light. Let me acknowledge that no one who has truly experienced light wants to willingly settle for darkness - there is something liberating about the light. Darkness has very little appeal after we have experienced the wonder of all light exposes - color, hue, form, etc. It is important to note that we don't somehow get into the light ourselves - he brings us into the light. The challenge of being blind is that we must trust another to guide us in our darkness - mom takes my arm in order to navigate a place she is uncertain about. A blind person must learn to place their faith in another - coming into step with the one who is "in the light" in order to move through the darkness. So it is with us - we need to trust in the one capable of bringing us into light - coming into step with him.

The world did not even notice him while he was here among them. It amazes me that the creator of the world, the one who sustains everything in this world, was actually in the world, right there living and breathing alongside human beings, and our fellow humans failed to notice him. Each of us has had a point when what has previously been a lack of focus for us suddenly comes into view and we wonder how long that object or solution has been right there in front of us. Most of our "revelation" of Christ in our lives is really just a discovery of what is already there. We just didn't notice it before - either because we were too busy, self-focused, or distracted.

If anyone wanted him, he made them comfortable to be their true selves around him. At best, we walk around trying to be what we think we should be. We have an "image" of what we want to achieve, how we want to be perceived by others, or what we present as the goals of our lives - something we put forward for all to see. No one knows us better than the one who created us. The 'real deal' himself is well-acquainted with the 'real deal' in us.  When take our car to the dealership, telling them it is making a certain noise, they are likely to know very well what to consider as the cause of that noise. Why? They made it!  Others mechanics not associated with the dealership may be "trained" to look for certain things - but at best, they can "guess" at the cause - they aren't as acquainted with the 'real deal' as the ones who actually make and sell those automobiles. The one who made the automobile "knows" - because he is the one that formed every part, placed every part into its particular use, etc. Jesus is the one who knows how we were formed - and he knows the purpose for each one of us. 

We are "God-begotten" - sure, we were all born the typical way - a sperm made its way into an egg and conception occurred. Most of us were born from a mother's womb, but today this 'connection process' between egg and sperm can occur in a test-tube in a laboratory. The fact still remains, the sperm and egg must come together and then the action of physical life begins - the 'real-deal' begins to take form. In a spiritual sense, the same must occur. The Spirit of God enters into our spirit, and spiritual life begins. We sometimes refer to this as the "new birth" experience. The "replication" of Christ's character begins to take place - until we are completely formed into his image, reflective of his character.

We become the "real deal" because we are inhabited by the "real deal"! What we once overlooked has become our very existence - every moment, every breath, every step. The absolutely amazing thing about this process of the "new birth" experience is that we come into a place where we are free to be exactly who we were created to be - our unique qualities on display for God's glory and at the ready for his use - the 'real-deal' is revealed. Just being real here!

Content to be myself

There are a whole bunch of ways we can find which make us "stand out" in a crowd, huh?  We could dress in some stunning manner, or in tattered jeans laden with chains - each attracts attention - just for different reasons!  We could sing with lovely melody, never missing a note - or croon out a song which only "resembles" what the writer had in mind!  One gets our applause, the other causes us to cringe and at best, offer a "false" accolade.  Jesus was talking to his disciples one day, using the Pharisees and religious leaders of the time as an example of trying to "stand out" - just for the wrong reasons!

Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty. (Matthew 23:11-12 The Message)

He spent a great deal of time in the first ten verses of this chapter outlining just how much "attention" some seek by their actions and words.  In turn, they "pile" their opinions and multitude of silly requirements upon US!  To put it in today's vernacular - they are like the ones who dress in black tattered jeans laden with chains, have sleeves of tattoos and more metal in their bodies than someone with a joint replacement!  They strut their stuff, then expect others to live up to THEIR idea of "normal" or "right".  Don't get me wrong - I could have chosen the one dressed to the nines in a fancy suit, silk tie and imported Italian shoes - either way, to impose the outward without really looking at the inward is way wrong!

The idea of what we ARE inwardly is much more important to Jesus than what we wear, the church we belong to, or the gaggle of people we say we "belong" with.  He was quite plain - if you want to STAND OUT you have to STEP DOWN.  This is a tough one for us to grasp because of all the influence media has in our lives these days.  We see one story after another of this celebrity, or that politician - all "STAND OUT" for some reason - and the media has a hay-day with whatever that reason may be!  The individual gains notoriety simply because of their actions - not always because of their heart!

Jesus is focusing his attention on our heart - the place of our struggle with pride.  We all want some degree of recognition (and even notoriety), yet when we get it, the response of our heart determines what comes next.  Either we get a little too big for our britches or we honker down and keep up the good work!  I am not often found quoting others, but I could not help but note some of the pretty awesome lessons Mother Teresa had learned in her time in the Calcutta mission fields.  She wrote:  "If you judge people, you have no time to love them."  In her actions, she lived out this principle each and every day!  She loved the unlovely - the homeless, the hungry, and the hurting.  Jesus simply was reminding us of the importance of our words and actions matching!

I would like to leave us with a seed thought or two from Mother Teresa today - may we let her words spark a little introspection and an aligning of our hearts with the heart of Jesus:

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.” 

In the words of Jesus:  "But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty."  Maybe this is what Mother Teresa was saying AND living!  Just sayin....

Authentic Community

¹⁹ Take your stand with God's loyal community and live, 
   or chase after phantoms of evil and die. 

(Proverbs 11:19 The Message)

This past week our Pastor presented three key components of a life that is "growing" - learning from our Life Experiences, Applying God's Word into our lives, and being involved in Authentic Community.  Today, I'd like to build upon the idea of Authentic Community.  As we think about those that we "stand" with on a daily basis, we have to examine the "value" of those relationships in comparison to the other two key components.  In other words, I think that when our associations are regularly into the Word of God and involved in applying that direction to their life experiences, they are a pretty solid group to "stand" with!  When this is not the priority, it may be like we are chasing after phantoms of evil that will result in life experiences we'd rather avoid and no real authenticity because we feel like we must cover up our wrong life choices.

At Bible Study group this week, one of the things we really began to think a little harder about was the authenticity of our associations.  You know me, I had to come home to look that word up!  Simply put, it means that we are the "genuine article!  What we may not realize is that there are expanded definitions to this idea of being "authentic" that we should probably not gloss over.

- The first is the idea of having the origin accepted by unquestionable evidence.  This simply means that our authenticity cannot be called into question because there is so much proof that we are being "real".  There is no contradiction in the evidence that is produced by our life experiences.  My elders would say this is "walking the talk and talking the walk".  What we say matches what we do and vice-versa.

- The second is the idea of being reliable and trustworthy.  When you are genuine in your life, there is a reliability that is produced and that makes it easier for trust to be developed between you and others.  The reliability of our life experiences is only as good as the reliability of our embracing the Word as our direction.  The authenticity of our lives is only as good as the freedom we feel to be "real" in our lives.  

- The last is the idea of being free of falseness or pretense.  I guess this is the hardest for some of us because our life experiences do not always go the way we had hoped.  When they don't, we often don't want to own up to the outcomes of those experiences - yep, sin produces outcomes and those may not always be the easiest to own up to!  Authenticity is the ability of being free from the shame of showing what you are learning from your life experiences.

So, today as you read these words, I want you to consider your authenticity.  Are you giving unquestionable evidence that what you say you are is really what you are when no one is around to see your behavior and choices?  Are you genuine, or do you find that you "cloak" your failures behind some form of mask?  You know, the only time we really begin to grow is when we take those masks off and begin to live out the truth of our choices.  The truth sets us free and opens us to healing.

What are you running toward?  Is it genuine, authentic community?  Or is it some phantom that plagues us in the night?  Oftentimes, the direction we "run" is determined by the runners we choose to run the race with!

Peacocks Beware

¹⁸ First pride, then the crash—the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.

(Proverbs 16:18)

¹² Pride first, then the crash, but humility is precursor to honor.

(Proverbs 18:12)

16 Going through the motions doesn't please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don't for a moment escape God's notice.

(Psalm 51:16)

Ever notice just how many times the Bible speaks about pride?  I put only three passages here, but you get the gist.  God takes our attitude about our self and others quite seriously.  He knows the danger of being too big for our own good!

Pride is pretty much having an opinion of your importance, merit, or superiority that is not always in proportion to our true importance, merit, or superiority!  We think more of ourselves than we do others.  The fact is, we all struggle with pride in one way or another.  It may not be as evident in some circumstances, but it is pretty blatant in others.

When pride is at the center of our decisions, we want things done a certain way because of what we feel is "due".  When someone does not "do" what we expected we were "due", we get our undies in a wad!  So, now to our issue of "pride" we have added the issues of anger, bitterness, selfishness, and the list goes on.  No wonder God wants us to pay attention to our attitude - taking frequent inventory of what we are thinking, feeling, and expecting!

The pastor said something this weekend that stuck with me - people who struggle with pride cannot really love another person.  I had not really thought about pride that way before.  He contrasted love with pride.  He is right!  These two are at opposite ends of the spectrum.  One looks out for self - the other looks out for the needs of the other person.

When I think of pride, I envision the peacock - tail feathers spread in full display.  Why?  Pride likes to "put out" what it thinks should be displayed as signs that you have something no one else does, or should be treated differently because of who you are.  The peacock spreads his back or tail feathers because he wants to put himself out there - hoping to attract the mate of his choosing.  The spreading of feathers comes complete with a strutting dance that is meant to attract the ladies!

Amazingly, the peacock actually molts his feathers every season.  Now, imagine the look of that same male peafowl without any glamorous display of feathers!  Not so appealing, right?  Yet, he only does it AFTER he has used them for his own gain!  That is kind of like what it is to use any attitude of pride in our lives - we put it on display, hoping to get things for our own gain.  So, why are we surprised when we begin to "molt" and have nothing to display in the end???

All the while, the female peafowl remains consistent - she displays what she is in a genuine manner - no show, no strut, no special attention getters.  I am not implying that women have it all together when it comes to pride!  Women have just as much issue with pride as men do.  I am using the two birds as illustrations of genuine character vs. prideful character.  One attracts attention immediately - the other might take a while to realize the beauty of being genuine!

We used to hear a saying a whole lot more in the past - "He/She's the genuine article."  We don't hear that so much anymore.  I wonder if it is because we have lost sight of the fact that authenticity is not a thing that "repels" people, but a thing that actually draws them in.  Think of the female peafowl for a moment.  She is who she is - no fluff, no special features.  The peacock has no problem being attracted to her "genuineness" - it is the genuine article that he is putting himself out there to get!   

So, why not let genuineness be our hallmark today?  Stop "strutting your stuff" and see how attractive God finds the "real thing"!  With our genuineness, he can do so much.  After all, it was our genuine need for a Savior that brought him to us in the first place!