First place

“So you want first place? Then take the last place. Be the servant of all.” (Mark 9:45)

First place - so many strive for the top marks, top awards, top positions. "TOP" - dominant, elite, preeminent, primary, leading, and principal. Thinking upon that one, any time we put ourselves as 'preeminent' or the 'primary leader' in our lives, we are bound to know some form of failure. Why? We aren't meant to assume that position - especially when we invite Christ into our lives. That is his position, not ours.

First place - found by taking last place. That seems to be a bit of a conundrum, doesn't it? The one who wants first place is usually negotiating, repositioning, finding that edge. The racer will look for the tiniest of openings and take it. The company climber will look for the edge that makes their skills unique or in demand. The one who wants their way will use all manner of clever manipulation or negotiation to get it. The one who follows Christ is reminded that all these tactics for 'getting ahead' in our spiritual life isn't found by any of these means, but rather by laying down one's own agenda and letting Christ take the lead.

We cannot find what we desire until we are willing to step out of "first place" in our lives. We aren't intended to lead - Christ is the one who knows where to take us, how to help us overcome those hurts and hangups. We might attempt to 'retake' the lead from time to time, but as soon as we recognize that we have slipped into 'first place' again, we might want to take our foot of the gas! We aren't going to do well leading our lives. We will find some way to mess it up - trust me on that one!

Take the last place. Look at those words closely. It is an active choice and decision to move from lead to last place. We choose that position over all others, for in doing so, we allow Christ to move forward into the place he alone should hold. I know for a fact that when he leads, I actually see my life 'moving forward' at a pace I could never have accomplished on my own. How about you? Do you see things differently when he is truly in first place in your life? Perhaps he has never truthfully held that position - today is an excellent day to allow that transition to occur! Just sayin!

Wise Leadership

There is much to be said about the leadership of a nation. It can lead us in one of two directions - toward God or further away from God. It can follow an agenda that brings further compromise into a nation, or bring that nation to a place of insight, wise choices, and true freedom.

When the king of Nineveh heard about this, he left his throne, removed his robe, put on special clothes to show that he was sorry, and sat in ashes. The king wrote a special message and sent it throughout the city: A command from the king and his great rulers: For a short time no person or animal should eat anything. No herd or flock will be allowed in the fields. Nothing living in Nineveh will eat or drink water. But every person and every animal must be covered with a special cloth to show they are sad. People must cry loudly to God. Everyone must change their life and stop doing bad things. Who knows? Maybe God will stop being angry and change his mind, and we will not be punished. God saw what the people did. He saw that they stopped doing evil. So God changed his mind and did not do what he planned. He did not punish the people. (Jonah 3:6-10)

I imagine Jonah didn't look all that 'stellar' after the raging storm, depths of the sea, and three days in the belly of the fish. I suspect he didn't smell all that great. Yet, the people looked beyond his appearance and they heard his message. The message wasn't some mamby-pamby one, either! It was 'after 40 days, Ninevah will be destroyed'. We don't have any other account of him telling them to repent, get their lives right with God, or even to worship the one True God. Plain and simple - the message God gave him.

The people hear and they immediately embrace he message, tear their clothes, turning to a period of fasting. More than than, the King of Ninevah comes off his throne, engages in the same actions of repentance, decrees that all should cry out to God for his deliverance. A true leader isn't afraid to change his ways! When those ways haven't been the best or wisest, to embrace change might be difficult, cost you something, and be a little bit 'out of character', but sometimes God needs to change the 'character' a bit in order to move us in the direction we need to be headed. Just saying!

He walks ahead

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” (John 10:1-5)

Those words "he walks ahead of them" really caught my attention this morning. Jesus goes ahead of us in all aspects of life. He sets the pace, keeps us on track, watches for obstacles in our path, and shelters us from things we may not even notice that could do us harm. So many times, I think we get Jesus' position in our lives a bit out of order. It is as though we think we have this all figured out, things are running smoothly, and we just forget his place is out in front of us, not behind us or off to the side. If you have ever tried finding your way in life without him in the right place, you know just how many things 'came up' that you had no idea you would encounter!

Do you know why his position is out ahead of us? It is because he is moving us to a more 'advantageous position'. He knows our lives involve movement and he wants to ensure our movement is toward what he has planned for us. He isn't just 'out there' because he protects us - he is there because he sees what we don't and knows what we are yet to perceive. He is moving us into a more advantageous position - he leads, and we follow. To quote the Mandalorian, "This is the way." If we want more in life, we must be content to follow - for 'more' is not found by accident.

While it is important to remember his sheep recognize his voice, it is also important to realize that knowing his voice comes because we stay close enough to him to actually learn what that voice sounds like. We might spend years making phone calls to a 'pal' we have meet online, getting to know them by what they share in these conversations. Does that mean we will recognize them when they come off a plane at the airport? Not unless they speak to us! When we hear that all too familiar voice, we 'know' it is them. All the people wearing similar colors as our pal said he would wear that day only serve to confuse us, until we hear that voice.

Get to know the voice of Jesus and you will not be led astray by other voices. The one who seeks the more advantageous position in life learns his voice and is watching for his movements so they can stay right there with him out ahead, leading and preparing the way for them. 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!

Seek good and not evil

Seek good and not evil— and live! You talk about God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, being your best friend. Well, live like it, and maybe it will happen. Hate evil and love good, then work it out in the public square. Maybe God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, will notice your remnant and be gracious. (Amos 5:14-15)

I know today's passage was written during Old Testament times, but it bears looking at today. The message doesn't grow old just because of when it was written - those words to seek good and not evil apply to any generation. The hope is that we will not only 'live', but live well. Hating evil and loving good is kind of a moving target for some these days. It is something my college instructors used to call 'situational ethics'. When the 'norms' of society are shifted in one direction or another, the 'ethics' of yesterday may not be the ones we maintain today. I honestly think our world is constantly in a state of flux when it comes to ethics. What society proclaimed to be really wrong may only be 'marginally wrong' today - all because the ethics of society have compromised some value they originally defined as 'right' or 'good'. What God tells us is that there is no compromise in the area of good - it cannot be redefined because he is the absolute definition of goodness!

Not everyone compromises their values, though. There are a great many in society who will adhere to what scripture defines as good and avoid what it declares to be evil. In truth, those who do this make up what is actually a remnant of society. Some see a remnant as some 'leftover' part - such as a small amount of fabric at the end of the bolt. Others would almost say the remnant is just a trace of what once existed. Yet, from the beginning of time, God has used the remnant to change the world they live in. A remnant may not seem like much, but when that remnant places their trust and hope in God alone, there is a mightiness that comes forth! A few in his hands, committed to the good and standing strong against the evil, is an army to be reckoned with indeed!

What does the remnant do in society? It challenges the shift in norms - constantly revealing in both actions and words the path God desires of his children. There is a message to declare, but there is a lifestyle that speaks as loudly, if not louder, than the words we might speak. Doing good and not evil - what a message. Returning good for evil - a stronger message. Leading instead of always following - people need leaders. Leading ethically and with righteous morals - people crave righteous leaders more than they might actually realize. Be the kind of person who seeks good and not evil - be a leader who doesn't compromise morals and values, caving to social norms. In God's hands, who knows where you might lead this world! Just sayin!

So, you lead and I follow?

Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for? (Matthew 16:24-26)

Some of us don't really know the difference between following and leading as evidenced by us attempting to lead all the time! The primary difference is position. The leader is out front - the followers are moving "behind" the leader, but consistently in the same direction as the leader. This may seem a little rudimentary to some, but let me assure you, following is a lot tougher than just "getting in line" and "marching on". If you don't believe me, ask any first grade teacher on the first day of school! They will surely tell you how hard it is to keep those little one all in a neat row, especially if they are "standing still" for any length of time! They will wiggle, move out of line, squat on the ground to explore the potato bug crossing in a crack in the sidewalk, or simply fall out of line to go do something else or talk to a new friend in the back of the line. I think the same may be true with God in our lives - we line up behind him, but if he stands still for too long according to our estimation of how fast he should be moving, we get a little distracted! "Follow the Leader" - a child's game where someone would be "it" and then you would all do what the "leader" was doing. If he jumped, you'd jump. If he walked in a circle, you were close behind. If he sat down, so did you. The idea was for the leader to "catch" someone not doing what the leader did! They were then declared to be "out". The last person "standing" was the new leader. I think we try to live out our "obedience" to God's desires in our lives this way. We line up well, set out to do exactly what he is doing, then at some point, we get distracted. The moment of distraction may make us feel like we are "out" in this "game of life" - because our "distraction" left us feeling defeated and like we would never get this 'life stuff' right. We sit down, watching others go on in their pursuit of the "leader". Sad, but it is true - we sometimes quit because we don't think we "followed" well and we know someone noticed we weren't following very well.

WE are not the leaders. If we were, whenever someone failed to "follow well", we'd make them sit out the rest of the game just like we did as kids! We are not supposed to be focused on becoming the next "leader", we are to be focused on being the best "follower" possible. Jesus was quite plain - we are not in the driver's seat. He has the honor. Sometimes being in the "passenger's seat" is the most difficult position to be in - especially when we think we know a short-cut to our destination! We want to direct the driver to take all the little "short-cuts" so we arrive at our destination a little quicker than the rest. Problem is, our driver has all the "traffic alerts" - we don't! He knows what lays ahead just around the next turn - we don't. If we demand the short-cut, we may be placing ourselves right in the spot of "delays" and "disaster" without even knowing it. We want to run from what is uncomfortable to us. He wants to lead us through it. To run from it seemingly allows us to avoid the emotional stress of the discomfort. Have you ever tried to run from something you thought was so uncomfortable, only to find your discomfort magnified by your inability to confront the situation? I have! It isn't worth it! I have shied away from tough relationship conversations - only to find the problem just gets bigger and bigger. I have refused to take the first step toward forgiveness and reconciliation - only to find the pathway "back" into relationship is now riddled with lots of messy, hard to weed through stuff! It truly isn't worth it! We need to remember, Jesus would never lead us where he will not keep us! He wants us to "avoid" the "traffic" of this kind of stuff - taking the path he leads helps with truly avoiding the "delays" and "disasters" in life.

He knows we get distracted by the "stuff" in life. "Stuff" is really a term we use for "clutter", isn't it. When we don't really know what is "inside" something, we call it "stuff". Like when we say we have a "junk drawer" in the kitchen. If someone asked you what you kept in there, you'd likely outline a few things and then add, "stuff like that". Why? Simply because you really cannot account for the "stuff" in there! "Stuff" just fills space. It doesn't really need to be there. This is the problem with "stuff" - it fills the spaces meant for something (or someone) else! God knows we are susceptible to "trading away" what is really the most important thing to keep. We "trade away" our time - in search of things which we think will fulfill. We "trade away" our finances - in search of the next great buy or a winning fortune. We "trade away" our health - by holding onto grudges, living with bitterness, or pursuing life-dominating addictions. There are lots of ways we "trade away" the best for something or someone who will really not fill the "space" of our lives as it was intended to be filled. Jesus' objective in speaking to his disciples that day so long ago, and to us today, is to remind us of the importance of not "trading away" the place in our hearts where he is intended to dwell. When we learn to follow the "leader" of our lives, we find "space" is uncluttered, the "stuff" of life is simpler, and his presence with us as we embrace the "tough stuff" is made a little less difficult. Just sayin!

Let it spill over

There are things in life that we all need to 'continue', while there are also things we definitely need to 'discontinue'. I cannot binge watch show after show and feel good about how my day went. I cannot go days on end without some physical exercise to clear my mind, regenerate my body, and get my juices flowing again. Self-quarantine certainly lends itself to the kind of 'isolate in place' kind of activities such as binge watching and incessant eating if we allow it to, but we have to make conscious choices to 'continue' in the things that help us to live strong lives. Experts tell us to rise at the same time we usually would, go to bed at similar times, engage in as close to normal activities as possible, and all should be well. I don't drive to work right now, so I try to make a few laps around the house before I settle in behind the computer monitor. I don't get to socialize with my friends, or give my BFF a big hug right now, but I can SKYPE and see we somehow dressed alike for our day! I have food at my fingertips because I am at home, but I am exercising discretion with how many trips I make to the fridge! Continue in the good stuff, so the journey is actually shaping our lives in the way it should go!

Now that you have welcomed the Anointed One, Jesus the Lord, into your lives, continue to journey with Him and allow Him to shape your lives. Let your roots grow down deeply in Him, and let Him build you up on a firm foundation. Be strong in the faith, just as you were taught, and always spill over with thankfulness. Make sure no predator makes you his prey through some misleading philosophy and empty deception based on traditions fabricated by mere mortals. These are sourced in the elementary principles originating in this world and not in the Anointed One (so don’t let their talks capture you). (Colossians 2:6-8)

The 'shaping of our lives' is a 'cooperative' thing - we allow God to shape us - we participate actively in the shaping process. We aren't doing the shaping, but we are taking steps to do the things he says will help to 'keep us in shape' spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. First and foremost is the idea of having solid roots. I have referred often to roots in my writings because I know just how important that structure is to our well-being. If we don't maintain the 'rooting', we soon find we have 'slippery footing'. We begin to take steps away from that which gives us stability and 'solidness' in our daily walk. Strong faith isn't accidental - it is 'fashioned' through consistent steps that 'shape' our faith. Look at how strong faith develops - it is through being taught. That means we take time to learn each day - first what God wants us to know, then something new that we can somehow use to benefit ourselves and others. You might learn to make a new 'shoestring budget' recipe, sharing your ideas with others. That doesn't seem like much, but when a family of four is trying to stretch their food budget right now, it could be a godsend to them!

Strong faith 'spills over' into the lives of others. Right now we aren't gathering together in large groups. We aren't able to get out to all the places we usually frequent and we aren't seeing all the people we normally 'hang with'. As hard as that may be, we still need to find ways for our faith to 'spill over' into each other's lives. I am seeing some add new things to their social media feed, like let's show each other one photo from a trip that reveals some beautiful spot God created for us to enjoy. I also am observing some ask if there are things that they can pray for in their friend's lives right now. Still others are just letting others know they are there for them - giving each other a call more frequently, reaching out in non-traditional ways, like gathering in a parking lot six feet apart, and sharing a cup of coffee while catching up on 'home matters'. Our faith needs to continue to spill over - don't discontinue that! Just sayin!

He can't back that up!

I used to watch those old swash-buckler movies where they would sword fight. The musketeers would banish all the bad scoundrels from the land and people would celebrate from being under some oppressor. There are lots of oppressive forces just seeking to keep us under their rule or domain. We are warned to be on guard against those forces. To be on guard signifies the alertness of spirit and mind that immediately recognizes anything that is not truth and rejects it as such. We are surrounded on all sides by that which is untrue - there may be elements of truth, but at the core, that which presents itself as light may not always be light! Satan is a real enemy - but he is limited in his power over the child of God. He may be the tempter, the deceiver, and the accuser of man, but his power is limited by the fact that each child of God is protected by God himself.

We know that none of the God-begotten makes a practice of sin—fatal sin. The God-begotten are also the God-protected. The Evil One can't lay a hand on them. We know that we are held firm by God; it's only the people of the world who continue in the grip of the Evil One. And we know that the Son of God came so we could recognize and understand the truth of God—what a gift!—and we are living in the Truth itself, in God's Son, Jesus Christ. This Jesus is both True God and Real Life. Dear children, be on guard against all clever facsimiles. (I John 5:18-21)

As the tempter of the brethren, Satan works overtime to provide ample distractions that are designed to stimulate desires within us that will get us entwined in activities and pursuits that are not the best for us. Our heart has a way of betraying us - it exposes our real desires and areas where our determination to serve Jesus with obedience is less than fully committed to his authority. As the enemy of our soul sees those weak areas, he uses them for his advantage - to attempt to get us to love those things that are both outside of God's priorities for our life and outside of those things that bring honor to him. Seduction is simply being led away - there is something in front of us that appeals to that which is really at the heart of our being.

Satan is the number one authority on rebellion - but he does not have the market cornered! He has a lot of company in that "rebellious" ring! Every time we choose our own way, we are really choosing who will be in authority in our lives. That is the nature of rebellion - WE want authority! One thing to keep in mind - authority without the power or ability to back it up is really no authority at all. Satan is really without authority when it comes to the child of God. That is because his power has been destroyed by the cross. Sin is, and always has been, a question of which particular authority we will listen to - Self, Satan, or God. Whenever we choose any other authority than God, we are asking that flawed authority to back up that authority with some form of power. 

The power of Satan is limited by the hand of God. The power of self-desire is limited by the investment we make into elevating self over any other authority in our lives. At best, that "limiting" will-power or self-effort we have over self-desire is minimal. We need a more powerful authority in our lives - therefore, we need God's authority to rule. Satan works to deceive us. I think this is his greatest weapon in his arsenal. He has many lies. Have you ever noticed how effective he is in the use of those lies? He brings the exact lie that fits the exact circumstance or choice we find ourselves in. We are presented with three choices at every moment of decision in life - Satan only wants us to embrace the choices that don't align us with God's authority or power. We can choose to believe Satan's lie, our own self-deceiving desires that are not placed under God's authority, or the reliable authority of God. There is only one authority that is truly backed with the power to accomplish anything of value - God's.

As Satan came before God in heaven one day, God asked him what he'd been up to. Satan's immediate response was that he'd been out, going to and fro throughout the earth, taking in all the activities of man. God's next question may confuse you a little - he asks Satan if he'd considered the activities of one of his children, Job. Now, I don't know how that makes you feel - but for some, we'd wonder if God actually loved Job! In our minds, we'd think, "If you really loved Job, you'd never want Satan to consider him for one moment!" The question is telling in that Job immediately answers, "Yes, I have!" When you understand that Satan is not concerned with the activities of those that don't serve God, but that he is intently aware of the activities of those that do, you understand God's question! He knows Satan wants nothing more than to deceive, tempt and try his hardest to get Job to compromise his loyalty to God!

At best, Satan is nothing more than our accuser, one who attempts to bring deception, and the opportunities to tempt us into sin. At every opportunity, he is "considering" our actions - hoping to present us with one opportunity that will drive a wedge in between us and God. Little does he know that his authority has no backing! His power has been broken - we are "God-protected" beings! As such, we need fear no evil. No temptation presents itself without a way of escape. No deception is offered without the opposing truth of the Word to contradict its lies. At best, Satan offers "clever facsimiles" of the truth - we have the "original" to counter his facsimile! There is comfort and security in knowing that we have no need to fear one who possesses no power! We will do well to remember the truth that all of Satan's power is bound by the hand of God. He may tempt, bring accusation and offer deceiving alternatives to every truth we embrace from God, but his power is really not there to back up his efforts to dissuade the soul committed to the purposes of God! Just sayin!

I need dance instructions!

I always thought I'd enjoy learning how to ballroom dance. I like to watch the gracefulness of two people being so totally in sync with each other that they can just glide across the floor. If you have ever watched my try to dance, you will know I have absolutely no understanding of the concept of being led in the dance. I struggle with not getting ahead of the one who is leading! I don't know why that is, but maybe it is because I have never really had a dance partner that knew how to ballroom dance themselves! I have never been led by one who knows how to lead. Having the right lead in our lives goes way beyond the ballroom.

Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for? (Matthew 16:24-26)

Jesus has spent endless days answering the accusations of the Pharisees - men who just plain did not accept him as the Messiah. They were so consumed by all their religious rules - Jesus was consumed with the fact that access to God is not with keeping rules, but in knowing Christ. They pushed away from him - he pulled those who were open to his teaching near - because he desired to lead them as the one who knows perfectly well how one is to be led! Jesus has just finished asking his disciples who they REALLY think he is. They answer with the "pat" answers, the easy answers - well, people say you might be John the Baptizer, Elijah or Jeremiah. He asks them to declare who THEY think he is - one lone disciple spoke up - Peter. He declares with a certainty - you are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. He recognized the one he wanted to lead in his life!

To that revelation Jesus adds this teaching we have before us today. Anytime there is a revelation of the person of Christ, hearts are opened - leading is occurring. Anyone receiving that revelation comes into a place of discipleship. Jesus tells them - anyone who intends to come with me must let me lead. This is the stumbling point for many a person - letting Christ lead. We want the controls - we find it difficult to not pursue salvation on our own terms. Jesus reminds us that it is not a self-help pursuit - discipleship is sitting at the feet of the Teacher, learning of him, allowing him to direct our path, and enjoying the privileges of his leading. People of the day in which Jesus was teaching would have understood this concept better than we do today. We are not accustomed to having to wait for the Rabbi to circulate into our townships in order to get the teaching of the Word - to become educated, learned, and wise. Today, we can simply turn on our computers, seek out innumerable teachings online and find ourselves immersed in all that promises the answers to life's woes.

The message of leadership over one's life is found in a person, not in the pursuit of a religion. It is Christ that desires to lead - to be the one helping us gracefully make it across this ballroom called life. It is his GIFT of sacrificial love that we embrace with open arms, allowing ourselves to be led. Jesus asks us to answer one important question today - who do YOU say that I am? If you call him Savior, rejoice! If you have yet to call him Savior, reach out to him today. He is waiting to be invited into your life. Remember this: Jesus not only wants to lead our lives - he came to this earth specifically to make a way for our lives to be led. When we submit to him, we are allowing the fullness of the gift of his sacrificial love to be at work in our lives exactly as he intended. Open up to his leading - control is best when it is submitted to one who knows how to perfectly lead. Just sayin!

Leading or Following - who's on first?

Lead and follow - two directional words, each conveying a little different action from us.  To lead, one is guiding something in a certain direction - the direction already being predetermined and the course understood.  To follow, one moves behind, but in the same direction as the one who leads.  It is most hard to get our ears to be leaders and our tongue followers, isn't it?  Most of the time, we allow our tongues to lead and then surprise our ears with whatever our tongues say!

Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.  (James 1:19-21 MSG)

This passage makes it quite clear why we might just have some of the issues in life we face today.  It is in the "order" in which we conduct ourselves!  Have you really stopped to consider this passage?  James tells us to POST this at all intersections of our lives - simply because the point he is making is valuable in ALL relationships we have!  If we listen first, speak second, and let anger take a seat very far back on the bus, we might just fair a little better!

There are so many passages in the scriptures about our words - if something is spoken about so much, it is important for us to pay attention to what is written for our guidance.  So, let's tear this down a little...

1. Lead with your ears.  I think this is where we get into trouble most of the time.  It isn't the "not listening" which always does us in, but it is also in the "who" or "what" we are listening to.  Yesterday, I focused on having God at the center of our lives - keeping him foremost in our minds, hearts, emotions, and spirit.  As long as self is in the center, sin will get a foothold.  We will be following a fickle leader!  For self is not "stable" in any of its choices - it lives for the whims and fancies of today.  When we finally come to the place of stopping the "self-improvement" campaigns in our lives, we begin to place ourselves in a position of being spoken to by the Spirit of God.  This is the voice we should heed - not our own.  Get under the right authority and the following becomes easier!  I once heard someone say we need to turn our thoughts into a discussion with God.  If we become proficient in this practice, the voices we hear will be trustworthy and fixed on the best for our lives.

2. Follow up with your tongue.  James is focusing on the damage of the reverse - leading with the tongue - speaking before thinking.  If our thoughts become discussions with God, allowing him to lead us down the paths he would have us follow, we will be less likely to make rash statements, promises we never intend to fulfill, or commitments which are just too burdensome to ever complete.  

3. Let anger straggle along in the rear.  Now, look at this - he doesn't say if we hear first, answer second, there will never be any anger in the mix.  He simply says it doesn't even bear a close place within the relationship because there is less likelihood of anger being a strong "contender".  

So, how do we get to this place of leading with our ears, following up with our tongues, and seeing anger actually being in a win, place or show in our lives? The answer is found in the next portion of the passage - we let God landscape us with his Word.  If you are a daily follower of this blog, you probably already have a desire to have your life "landscaped" with his Word.  Do you know what a landscaper sets out to do?  He alters the contour of what he is given, adding to it things of beauty and depth in order to improve not only the appearance, but the general well-being of that which he works with.  God is doing this in our lives with his Word.  He sometimes has to smooth out some rough spots in us - at other times, he has to dig deeper so some things will take solid root.

The Word is a powerful tool in the hands of a skilled landscaper such as the Holy Spirit.  When we listen first, allowing ourselves to be lead in our actions, we find the follow up is quite different than we imagined!  It is like when I go to the subject-matter-expert in a particular industry - if I listen intently to what they are teaching, I get a different perspective on the possibilities of what it is I will do with the tools they give me.  God's Word is merely a tool in the hands of a skilled landscaper.  Isn't it about time we allow a little landscaping in our lives to begin the transformation of barren ground which needs a little altering of its contours?  Just askin!