It's so easy to see the negative, where our own misperceptions make us believe God fell short or that he somehow forgot us or left us stranded somewhere.
I can almost hear some Christians gasping at the statement I just made, as if they've never had moments of doubting God's faithfulness.
The truth is, if we're honest with ourselves, we all have moments where we doubt God is going to pull through, or that he can handle our situation, or sometimes, even whether or not he exists at all. I don't care who you are. There are always going to be moments that challenge us and force us to choose whether or not we trust God is going to show up before we shut down.
You probably had one today, didn't you?
My sister drives this late-90s red Dodge Neon, and she's had it forever. She's not having any troubles with it right now, praise God, but it's a miracle she isn't. I swear, that car is falling apart in so many ways, I can hardly believe it's still running.
The automatic door locks growl every time she unlocks the car--I don't think she can even use the unlock button anymore without the solenoids in each door screeching until she turns the car off. Frankly, I'm not even sure if that's the current state of the unlock button; for all I know, the problem could've gotten worse since I noticed it.
Heck, her car leaks oil, and according to a mechanic friend of ours, she's got lots of tiny leaks all over the place. Although she had an oil change recently (which incidentally caused another leak that our mechanic friend had to "bless"), I'm pretty sure at least once in the car's lifetime, it's gone a year of driving past when she'd actually needed an oil change. I'm not blaming my sister because she actually does try to do the upkeep on her car, more than almost any woman would normally, but I am commenting on the incredible fact the car is still running.
It's even more amazing when you realize the college she went to was about fifty-six miles away, she came home every weekend for work, and on multiple occasions, she would make the entire trip and realize upon arriving or returning she forgot her uniform in her dorm or her art project at home and then make the trip twice more in the course of a few hours. Moreover, she is prone to impromptu road trips to Northern Virginia, between four and six hours away; mostly, she would pick up a friend she knew in high school who has since moved away, come back home with the friend, and three days later make the trek again. I feel like this happens at least once a month, sometimes more frequently depending on work schedules.
With what little I understand about the inner workings of a car, I recognize her car probably shouldn't be driving as well as it seems to be.
That being said, if I were in her place, I could see myself grumbling about the noisy locks or the masking tape holding the ceiling fabric up, or even about the difficulty in removing the oil nut when it's time to change the oil. The car isn't the greatest on gas, although it's not the worst either, but still, it could be better considering how small the car is. It has had problems before, like when it needed tires so bad it failed inspection or the time it left her stranded on the side of the road at one in the morning. There's certainly a lot to be dissatisfied with, compared to any newer car on the road.
But the car is faithful. Somehow, it's always gotten her where she needed to go, and she's still driving it to this day. She's at work right now, and it's sitting in the parking lot waiting for her shift to end. Even if it doesn't make sense, the car is still reliable, meeting her needs, and going with her on her journey.
I see God's work in that. In fact, I see God's work in all sorts of mundane things. I cannot tell you how many times I see God has provided for, sustained, protected, comforted, guided, or blessed somebody--anybody--myself included--and they responded by complaining. It actually makes me angry to see it.
Recently, a very wise redhead I know spotted me complaining and feeling down when I had no reason to other than that I had lost sight of the big picture and felt God was putting me in a place where I worried about how much I had to trust him. She told me to look back at all the times God had been faithful, and it was exactly what I needed to hear and exactly what I needed to do.
I don't remember the context, but a day or two later, a girl from my small group repeated the message from God as she drove us to the bible study.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, it is the Lord who preserves my life. The moment I start remembering the prayers he's answered, the promises he's fulfilled, the love he's bestowed on my life, I wonder why I ever got so low in the first place. With a God like ours, I can rest assured that the Lord will fulfill his purpose for me and he will not forsake the work of his hands.
Thinking back on what I wrote at the beginning of this post, perhaps the Christians that would have gasped at the doubt I was showing weren't gasping because I doubted, but maybe it's because they see the big man upstairs is nothing if not faithful.
I know that's what I did when I rediscovered how faithful God has been in my life.
Friday, July 25, 2014
Saturday, July 19, 2014
My need for community
Let me humble myself here before I say anything else. I know myself. I need community, and I need it bad. Without it, I get irritable, judgmental, clouded. I'm desperate to get out of my bubble and love other people, but sometimes I feel defeated by my current situation in life that more often than not keeps me trapped at home with only a limited social sphere. I've got my family, my roommates, and then the closest of my friends, but other than that, I don't always get the social interactions I crave.
When it comes down to it, I need to be loved, and to love. I need to pour into others and I need to have others pour into me. Call it what you will, I need to have people to be interested in, and I need people to be interested in me, no matter how dorky, awkward, or weird my stuff might be. It is what it is.
The thing is, I don't like to settle. I can't live with any old interactions talking about the weather or the clothes people are wearing, or even the latest sports scores. I want the real stuff--if it involves hurt or hope or general happiness, I want to know about it. I don't care who you are. I aim to give you as transparent an image of my life as possible, and I expect the same from you, whether or not you agree.
While leading a house church, I saw firsthand how quintessential authentic loving communities are to anyone. The closest thing I know to compare it to is our need to express our own sexuality. Everyone needs to interact with someone of the opposite sex and develop physical and emotional intimacy with someone else. Likewise, I discovered how many people lack community in their life, and what that meant for the expression of the good news of Jesus in their lives.
Shortly after the house church I led became a unified group devoted to loving one another and encouraging others in the direction God was taking them, people started getting saved and lives were being changed. What's crazier was that it was happening even without an "altar call" whatsoever. It was simply the power of the Holy Spirit manifesting in people's lives as their emotional and spiritual needs were being met, one of which being their sense of belonging and acceptance.
Since then, one thing I try to do in my efforts to disciple people is to network with multiple churches and then bring them together in ways each person's strengths can build off every one else's strengths, as well as spur someone on to a deeper relationship with Jesus. Typically, the community of believers that forms out of a hodge-podge of strangers astonishes everyone present.
Even though I understand the importance of community to anyone breathing, I am surprised at what God has been and is doing in me through my efforts to bring believers together as friends and individuals in something bigger than themselves. Never once did I envision that it could send me to France one day.
Right now, I am actively involved with two churches, but one more than the other. It's almost like I'm in transition between my home church, and this church plant I've been going to for two and a half months. Yet, I'm not. There is a delicate balance between total involvement in one church at the expense of abandoning another.
What's more, God recently showed me an old acquaintance whom is now leading the college ministry at a church I used to visit. If everything works out, I might get the chance to rekindle my relationship with yet another church, potentially giving me the ability to have three sending churches when I go to France in about a year.
In case I haven't been clear, I don't network with all these churches just to meet the strongest Christians in the bunch and then mash them together in whatever ministry machine I need to disciple whichever person I happen to be working with at any given moment. Nah, I'm earnestly trying to draw near to God in complete assurance of my own faith.
I don't worry about what people think of me when I go church-hopping, and in all honesty, I expect my personality and love for Jesus will result in my being accepted and welcomed into any church I visit. Every time I check out another church, I hold fast to the confession of my hope, knowing that he who promised is faithful.
Wherever I go, I do my best to spur others on to love and good works, but the thing I need to make sure I always do is not neglect to meet together, because that could very easily become a habit of mine because I am visiting with so many churches so frequently.
I have no idea what God's doing inside of you, but I know God's up to something bigger than me here, larger than life, something heavenly.
(And yes, in case you were wondering, I'm listening to worship music on Pandora right now, and Sanctus Real was playing as I concluded this entry).
When it comes down to it, I need to be loved, and to love. I need to pour into others and I need to have others pour into me. Call it what you will, I need to have people to be interested in, and I need people to be interested in me, no matter how dorky, awkward, or weird my stuff might be. It is what it is.
The thing is, I don't like to settle. I can't live with any old interactions talking about the weather or the clothes people are wearing, or even the latest sports scores. I want the real stuff--if it involves hurt or hope or general happiness, I want to know about it. I don't care who you are. I aim to give you as transparent an image of my life as possible, and I expect the same from you, whether or not you agree.
While leading a house church, I saw firsthand how quintessential authentic loving communities are to anyone. The closest thing I know to compare it to is our need to express our own sexuality. Everyone needs to interact with someone of the opposite sex and develop physical and emotional intimacy with someone else. Likewise, I discovered how many people lack community in their life, and what that meant for the expression of the good news of Jesus in their lives.
Shortly after the house church I led became a unified group devoted to loving one another and encouraging others in the direction God was taking them, people started getting saved and lives were being changed. What's crazier was that it was happening even without an "altar call" whatsoever. It was simply the power of the Holy Spirit manifesting in people's lives as their emotional and spiritual needs were being met, one of which being their sense of belonging and acceptance.
Since then, one thing I try to do in my efforts to disciple people is to network with multiple churches and then bring them together in ways each person's strengths can build off every one else's strengths, as well as spur someone on to a deeper relationship with Jesus. Typically, the community of believers that forms out of a hodge-podge of strangers astonishes everyone present.
Even though I understand the importance of community to anyone breathing, I am surprised at what God has been and is doing in me through my efforts to bring believers together as friends and individuals in something bigger than themselves. Never once did I envision that it could send me to France one day.
Right now, I am actively involved with two churches, but one more than the other. It's almost like I'm in transition between my home church, and this church plant I've been going to for two and a half months. Yet, I'm not. There is a delicate balance between total involvement in one church at the expense of abandoning another.
What's more, God recently showed me an old acquaintance whom is now leading the college ministry at a church I used to visit. If everything works out, I might get the chance to rekindle my relationship with yet another church, potentially giving me the ability to have three sending churches when I go to France in about a year.
In case I haven't been clear, I don't network with all these churches just to meet the strongest Christians in the bunch and then mash them together in whatever ministry machine I need to disciple whichever person I happen to be working with at any given moment. Nah, I'm earnestly trying to draw near to God in complete assurance of my own faith.
I don't worry about what people think of me when I go church-hopping, and in all honesty, I expect my personality and love for Jesus will result in my being accepted and welcomed into any church I visit. Every time I check out another church, I hold fast to the confession of my hope, knowing that he who promised is faithful.
Wherever I go, I do my best to spur others on to love and good works, but the thing I need to make sure I always do is not neglect to meet together, because that could very easily become a habit of mine because I am visiting with so many churches so frequently.
I have no idea what God's doing inside of you, but I know God's up to something bigger than me here, larger than life, something heavenly.
(And yes, in case you were wondering, I'm listening to worship music on Pandora right now, and Sanctus Real was playing as I concluded this entry).
Friday, July 11, 2014
Sweep out the dust
Floors attract dust. There's no getting around it. It happens. Each floor is different, and the mess that accumulates varies from room to room, depending on the type of floor and the foot traffic blazing trails atop it. Some floors sparkle--until the dog prances in from peeing in the rain--and other floors make fantastic skating rinks for sock-clad kids and kids at heart. In some places, the floor is covered in a ruffled carpet, slightly tinged with the stain of decaying skin cells and maybe the red Kool-Aid Rorshach that mom tried so hard to scrub out.
Whatever the floor, they need to be cleaned at some point or another. It's inevitable. It doesn't matter where you live, you will have to sweep the floor at least once before you die. If you're unfortunate enough to have to sweep carpet for lack of a vacuum, you might wish you would die, but nevertheless, it is possible to sweep dirt out of carpet.
But I digress.
Floors get pretty grody and the upkeep never ends. Sweeping is just one of those chores that never quits. It's not a hard job but it is continuous.
It's kind of like salvation.
Now, from my limited understanding of Biblical Greek after two semesters of it, I can tell you the word translated as "work out" is χατεργάζεσθε which if I am understanding it correctly, is second-person plural (present continuous) imperative. That means it's a command to y'all (directed at the Phillipians, and by extension us) to continue to work out where in our lives we need more Jesus. Simply put, salvation is a process that we have to keep working on.
But like with sweeping, we are useless on our own. Without a broom, all we're good for is kicking the dirt around (while simultaneously contributing to the mess with the scuff flaking off our feet).
Salvation is the same way, because we're powerless to accomplish it on our own--God is the one who sweeps the dust out of us.
That's just dandy, isn't it? If we sweep our floors, we can work out our salvation? It's as easy as that?
While it is an easy task, it's never a simple one, not if done properly.
Think about everything you have to sweep around and under if you don't want the floor to look like a disheveled wreck. I'm not talking about moving the couch or disassembling the entire room to scour every corner, but Lord knows your garage or living room probably needs it. I'm just talking about the mundane sweeping we should do regularly.
It can be difficult to reach into those tight corners or squeeze the bristles under the toekick to coax out the crusty Cheerio the family pooch neglected to find. Likewise, it's not always easy to let God have access to every filthy crevice or grimy mound inside ourselves. We might know these areas need cleaning, but we're hesitant to go to that much trouble.
Let's say you go to the trouble of fishing the dirt out into the open. Have you ever tried to sweep it into a pile before introducing it to the dustpan, only to have a rogue power cord get in the way? One of the most annoying things I find is having to lift power cords and wires to sweep a pile of dirt under and away from them. Sometimes, we let God work on us, but maybe we let circumstances get in the way, or perhaps it's our own pride or emotions.
But really, sweeping isn't so bad. It's easy enough a kid can do it, and frankly, it's more like dancing than dust-collecting. The reward is so worth it, the rejuvenated life a swept floor can bring to a room. If nothing else, a swept floor just feels more liveable, friendlier even.
If we think of working out our salvation the same way, the joy it will bring far outperforms the mere act of sweeping. All we have to do is let God work on us, and worship him for what he's doing as he does it, and keep it up. It's pretty simple, really.
That's kind of where I'm at right now in my life. I'm about a year out from getting my Masters of Divinity and after that, I'm looking forward to going to France as a church planter; I already have a job offer to do just that, and I can see God orchestrated everything. In the meantime, I'm working to prepare myself for the adventure ahead of me, trying to clean out all the spots of my life I've tracked dirt into over the years. Bad habits, insecurities, and communication problems just always seem to sneak in but I'm not worried about any of it. I like sweeping, but sweeping me isn't my job, so I'm just going to step back so God can get those hard-to-reach parts of me.
Whatever the floor, they need to be cleaned at some point or another. It's inevitable. It doesn't matter where you live, you will have to sweep the floor at least once before you die. If you're unfortunate enough to have to sweep carpet for lack of a vacuum, you might wish you would die, but nevertheless, it is possible to sweep dirt out of carpet.
But I digress.
Floors get pretty grody and the upkeep never ends. Sweeping is just one of those chores that never quits. It's not a hard job but it is continuous.
It's kind of like salvation.
Now, from my limited understanding of Biblical Greek after two semesters of it, I can tell you the word translated as "work out" is χατεργάζεσθε which if I am understanding it correctly, is second-person plural (present continuous) imperative. That means it's a command to y'all (directed at the Phillipians, and by extension us) to continue to work out where in our lives we need more Jesus. Simply put, salvation is a process that we have to keep working on.
But like with sweeping, we are useless on our own. Without a broom, all we're good for is kicking the dirt around (while simultaneously contributing to the mess with the scuff flaking off our feet).
Salvation is the same way, because we're powerless to accomplish it on our own--God is the one who sweeps the dust out of us.
That's just dandy, isn't it? If we sweep our floors, we can work out our salvation? It's as easy as that?
While it is an easy task, it's never a simple one, not if done properly.
Think about everything you have to sweep around and under if you don't want the floor to look like a disheveled wreck. I'm not talking about moving the couch or disassembling the entire room to scour every corner, but Lord knows your garage or living room probably needs it. I'm just talking about the mundane sweeping we should do regularly.
It can be difficult to reach into those tight corners or squeeze the bristles under the toekick to coax out the crusty Cheerio the family pooch neglected to find. Likewise, it's not always easy to let God have access to every filthy crevice or grimy mound inside ourselves. We might know these areas need cleaning, but we're hesitant to go to that much trouble.
Let's say you go to the trouble of fishing the dirt out into the open. Have you ever tried to sweep it into a pile before introducing it to the dustpan, only to have a rogue power cord get in the way? One of the most annoying things I find is having to lift power cords and wires to sweep a pile of dirt under and away from them. Sometimes, we let God work on us, but maybe we let circumstances get in the way, or perhaps it's our own pride or emotions.
But really, sweeping isn't so bad. It's easy enough a kid can do it, and frankly, it's more like dancing than dust-collecting. The reward is so worth it, the rejuvenated life a swept floor can bring to a room. If nothing else, a swept floor just feels more liveable, friendlier even.
If we think of working out our salvation the same way, the joy it will bring far outperforms the mere act of sweeping. All we have to do is let God work on us, and worship him for what he's doing as he does it, and keep it up. It's pretty simple, really.
That's kind of where I'm at right now in my life. I'm about a year out from getting my Masters of Divinity and after that, I'm looking forward to going to France as a church planter; I already have a job offer to do just that, and I can see God orchestrated everything. In the meantime, I'm working to prepare myself for the adventure ahead of me, trying to clean out all the spots of my life I've tracked dirt into over the years. Bad habits, insecurities, and communication problems just always seem to sneak in but I'm not worried about any of it. I like sweeping, but sweeping me isn't my job, so I'm just going to step back so God can get those hard-to-reach parts of me.
Friday, February 1, 2013
I spy with my little eye
I spy with my little eye something holy.
Don't see it?
Look again.
I'm not talking about your favorite sock, the one your pinkie toe pokes out of. I'm talking about the creator of your pinkie toe.
Yeah, God reminds me a lot of those I Spy books. He's there with us wherever we go, whether we're sinning or singing praises to him. We just have to look for him. He's there, even if hidden in plain sight.
I feel like a lot of people compare God to Waldo from those Where's Waldo books, but I'd like to assert that comparison is incorrect. God doesn't go with you all over the world so he can randomly wander off into the crowd. God is interested in you, and he's going to stick with you at your side. In some cases, he'll stick with you like a bodyguard, protecting you from danger but most of the time he is more like the friend you've known since childhood sitting next to you on the roller coaster.
If God is with us, why doesn't he just show himself? Basically, he doesn't want to overwhelm us. What I mean is, he's just that awesome--but that's another blog post.
Think about your own life for a second.
Since I can't describe your life in detail, let me use mine as an example. I was born on July 20, 1989 in a flat tourist town in Virginia. It's hard to say how being born an eighties-baby helped me find God in my life, although looking back, I can say it gave me the ability to relate to people a few years younger and older than me in all the ministries I lead now. As for the location I live in, God definitely put me here for a purpose. For starters, if I lived in another part of the state, the endless hills would wreak havoc on my ability to get around; I use gloves to get around in my wheelchair, and climbing up hills before coasting down them shreds wheelchair gloves like you wouldn't believe. Also, because I'm in a tourist town, I've been able to maintain my fluency in French pretty easily because every summer tons of Canadians and Europeans flock to my area on vacation. It is worth saying, French is one of my passions and I plan on being a church planter in France one day. God must have orchestrated that.
Back on topic, God placed you where you are for a specific reason. You were born at the time and place you were because God has a purpose for you. Everything that has happened in your life has been for one simple purpose, to draw you closer to God; you are unique and you are beautiful because of your uniqueness. You are the sum total of the choices you've made, and God placed you right where he wanted you so you could choose to seek him, even though he's right there with you.
Don't believe me? Try listing twenty things you're thankful for, and then try to figure out where they came from and why they happened that way. What about all the times you just barely made it through some situation that seemed insurmountable? Wasn't it God who got you through it? Think about it for a while, you'll be surprised.
One of the ways I often help people in their faith is to find where God is at in their lives. I help my mom see him in her failing marriage, and I help my girlfriend recognize God's presence in her life. I can only show people where God is in their life because I spend my life studying my own, thanking God every time I see him bless me or answer a prayer or even teach me something new and insightful.
I spy with my little eye something that cannot be explained by natural phenomena.
Don't see it?
Look again.
I'm not talking about your favorite sock, the one your pinkie toe pokes out of. I'm talking about the creator of your pinkie toe.
I feel like a lot of people compare God to Waldo from those Where's Waldo books, but I'd like to assert that comparison is incorrect. God doesn't go with you all over the world so he can randomly wander off into the crowd. God is interested in you, and he's going to stick with you at your side. In some cases, he'll stick with you like a bodyguard, protecting you from danger but most of the time he is more like the friend you've known since childhood sitting next to you on the roller coaster.
If God is with us, why doesn't he just show himself? Basically, he doesn't want to overwhelm us. What I mean is, he's just that awesome--but that's another blog post.
Think about your own life for a second.
Since I can't describe your life in detail, let me use mine as an example. I was born on July 20, 1989 in a flat tourist town in Virginia. It's hard to say how being born an eighties-baby helped me find God in my life, although looking back, I can say it gave me the ability to relate to people a few years younger and older than me in all the ministries I lead now. As for the location I live in, God definitely put me here for a purpose. For starters, if I lived in another part of the state, the endless hills would wreak havoc on my ability to get around; I use gloves to get around in my wheelchair, and climbing up hills before coasting down them shreds wheelchair gloves like you wouldn't believe. Also, because I'm in a tourist town, I've been able to maintain my fluency in French pretty easily because every summer tons of Canadians and Europeans flock to my area on vacation. It is worth saying, French is one of my passions and I plan on being a church planter in France one day. God must have orchestrated that.
Back on topic, God placed you where you are for a specific reason. You were born at the time and place you were because God has a purpose for you. Everything that has happened in your life has been for one simple purpose, to draw you closer to God; you are unique and you are beautiful because of your uniqueness. You are the sum total of the choices you've made, and God placed you right where he wanted you so you could choose to seek him, even though he's right there with you.
Don't believe me? Try listing twenty things you're thankful for, and then try to figure out where they came from and why they happened that way. What about all the times you just barely made it through some situation that seemed insurmountable? Wasn't it God who got you through it? Think about it for a while, you'll be surprised.
One of the ways I often help people in their faith is to find where God is at in their lives. I help my mom see him in her failing marriage, and I help my girlfriend recognize God's presence in her life. I can only show people where God is in their life because I spend my life studying my own, thanking God every time I see him bless me or answer a prayer or even teach me something new and insightful.
I spy with my little eye something that cannot be explained by natural phenomena.
Friday, June 22, 2012
I Hate Morals
I'm going on a mission trip tomorrow, and I think the excitement is getting to me. I just woke up from a nap, and found my phone in hand, open to my note-taking aapplication. I've texted in my sleep before and once upon a time, I've written crazy stuff in my sleep, but I've never used my phone to write stuff in my sleep before. Here's what I wrote during my morning nap a few minutes ago.
I hate morals.
Morals to me sound like more rules.
I want freedom.
I want to be me.
Christ set me free.
Now I live to be me,
The made-in-his-image me.
To God be the glory.
Let him have the scary stuff,
Like finding my way, and putting food on my plate.
I'll be okay.
If my life fits your moral standard
Then it doesn't mean moralism makes it right.
It means you are precious in his sight.
Set aside your petty morality,
Your false spirituality
And embrace servility
The ultimate in humility.
Discard your futility,
Your perfection is not an ability.
I'll probably think about it some more and add to it soon, and once I wake up, I'll find some verses that fit each line of the poem.
I hate morals.
Morals to me sound like more rules.
I want freedom.
I want to be me.
Christ set me free.
Now I live to be me,
The made-in-his-image me.
To God be the glory.
Let him have the scary stuff,
Like finding my way, and putting food on my plate.
I'll be okay.
If my life fits your moral standard
Then it doesn't mean moralism makes it right.
It means you are precious in his sight.
Set aside your petty morality,
Your false spirituality
And embrace servility
The ultimate in humility.
Discard your futility,
Your perfection is not an ability.
I'll probably think about it some more and add to it soon, and once I wake up, I'll find some verses that fit each line of the poem.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Male and Female He Created Them
Just recently, I've heard a lot of talk about what it means to be a biblical man or woman. I'm not sure that I'm seeing a lack of understanding on the topic or if God wants me to clarify my thoughts on the matter. Either way, I woke up this morning an hour earlier than I wanted to and had a fully-written blog entry running through my head.
So what does it mean to be a biblical man or woman, ie a man or woman after God's own heart? It's a little different for men and women, but not as different as people often think.
My basis for such a statement? There is neither male nor female, slave nor free, Jew nor Greek because we are all one in Jesus.
As a body of believers, we all work together in unison for the same ultimate goal, the glorification of Jesus as Lord and the encouraging of one another in the hope we have. Because each of us represent just one part of the body, we all have different purposes in life.
It is true men and women think differently from each other. Men tend to be very structured, organized, and compartmentalized when it comes to their thoughts and emotions. Women tend to be all over the place, making them better at multitasking and building relationships. These gender-specific features coincide with the biblical roles men and women play.
Beautiful women are a blessing to behold. A woman's beauty should not come from her make up or how she did her hair, but from a gentle, quiet spirit.
As for that whole "submit" thing Christian men throw around, it's the same verb used to describe our relationship to God. I lent my concordance to someone so I cannot find the other references to show you this, but I have done the research in the past and know it to be true. So, "wives, submit yourselves to your husbands" as the bible tells us in Ephesians and 1 Peter among other places, it shouldn't be hard for a God-fearing woman to do if her husband is submitting himself to the Lord. In that case, both husband and wife will be of like mind anyways, so there really shouldn't be any actual submitting needed. If anything, the act of a wife submitting to her husband is her humbling herself so Jesus is glorified by both of them.
That's not to say that a woman needs to be complacent when her husband is leading the family in a direction far from where God is.
While we're on the topic of the woman's role in husband-wife relations, let me point out the incredible worth women have. Lots of Christians think women are supposed to be in the kitchen all the time, just popping out babies for their hubby. I call bull dung.
In the time Genesis was written, women were treated like dirt. Back then, their worth was nothing more than the potential for an economic agreement with another family. They really didn't have much of a place in society. Yet, when Jacob's wife Rachel wanted to name their second son Ben-Oni, meaning "son of my trouble" because she was about to die from giving birth, Jacob stepped in and said the child was to be named Benjamin, meaning "son of my right hand." Let me put things in perspective.
In this culture, the right hand was the hand with which you did your work. Your left hand was considered filthy, unclean, and vulgar because back then, they didn't have Charmin Ultra Soft. This places even more significance on the right hand. In fact, in biblical times as is still true today, if a person is said to be your right hand, it means they have the utmost importance in your life, that you value them more than all others, that they are indispensable to your very existence. For a king to seat someone at his right hand means that this person is the king's most trusted adviser; it is the highest honor a king can bestow on anyone short of handing over the throne.
For Jacob, that was Rachel.
Additionally, he who finds a wife finds what is good and a prudent wife is from the Lord.
The wife of noble character is the role model for many women, and for good reason. Proverbs 31 describes in wonderful detail how much of a servant's heart this woman has, how her relationships bring honor and praise to her family and husband, and how her family is well-taken-care-of. Earthly women might try to charm people to get what they want, or make themselves more beautiful, but really, the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
In much the same way, men are a source of strength for their wives. It is their job to provide clothing and shelter for their wives, and to love them as the Lord loves us. That means, for those of you not familiar with the extent of God's love for us, it is the husbands job to humble himself to his wife so that in all he does, he can serve her. He needs to be willing to sacrifice his wants and desires for hers, and see that in the end, she is praised more than he.
Outside the context of marriage, because not all us dudes are married or dating anyone, the idea is that dudes (like women) need to submit themselves wholly to the Lord. I think King David summed it up best on his deathbed when he swore his son Solomon in as king: Be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires; walk in his ways and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.
Let's go deeper. What does the Lord require? To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. The greatest commandment is this, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and will all your soul and to love your neighbor as yourself.
Forget that stupid machoism garbage. This is what a real man looks like.
I want to reiterate though that this separation between men and women does not exist in God's kingdom. God through the prophet Joel, in a prophecy about the coming of the Lord, stated "I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days."
Praise God.
So what does it mean to be a biblical man or woman, ie a man or woman after God's own heart? It's a little different for men and women, but not as different as people often think.
My basis for such a statement? There is neither male nor female, slave nor free, Jew nor Greek because we are all one in Jesus.
As a body of believers, we all work together in unison for the same ultimate goal, the glorification of Jesus as Lord and the encouraging of one another in the hope we have. Because each of us represent just one part of the body, we all have different purposes in life.
It is true men and women think differently from each other. Men tend to be very structured, organized, and compartmentalized when it comes to their thoughts and emotions. Women tend to be all over the place, making them better at multitasking and building relationships. These gender-specific features coincide with the biblical roles men and women play.
Beautiful women are a blessing to behold. A woman's beauty should not come from her make up or how she did her hair, but from a gentle, quiet spirit.
As for that whole "submit" thing Christian men throw around, it's the same verb used to describe our relationship to God. I lent my concordance to someone so I cannot find the other references to show you this, but I have done the research in the past and know it to be true. So, "wives, submit yourselves to your husbands" as the bible tells us in Ephesians and 1 Peter among other places, it shouldn't be hard for a God-fearing woman to do if her husband is submitting himself to the Lord. In that case, both husband and wife will be of like mind anyways, so there really shouldn't be any actual submitting needed. If anything, the act of a wife submitting to her husband is her humbling herself so Jesus is glorified by both of them.
That's not to say that a woman needs to be complacent when her husband is leading the family in a direction far from where God is.
While we're on the topic of the woman's role in husband-wife relations, let me point out the incredible worth women have. Lots of Christians think women are supposed to be in the kitchen all the time, just popping out babies for their hubby. I call bull dung.
In the time Genesis was written, women were treated like dirt. Back then, their worth was nothing more than the potential for an economic agreement with another family. They really didn't have much of a place in society. Yet, when Jacob's wife Rachel wanted to name their second son Ben-Oni, meaning "son of my trouble" because she was about to die from giving birth, Jacob stepped in and said the child was to be named Benjamin, meaning "son of my right hand." Let me put things in perspective.
In this culture, the right hand was the hand with which you did your work. Your left hand was considered filthy, unclean, and vulgar because back then, they didn't have Charmin Ultra Soft. This places even more significance on the right hand. In fact, in biblical times as is still true today, if a person is said to be your right hand, it means they have the utmost importance in your life, that you value them more than all others, that they are indispensable to your very existence. For a king to seat someone at his right hand means that this person is the king's most trusted adviser; it is the highest honor a king can bestow on anyone short of handing over the throne.
For Jacob, that was Rachel.
Additionally, he who finds a wife finds what is good and a prudent wife is from the Lord.
The wife of noble character is the role model for many women, and for good reason. Proverbs 31 describes in wonderful detail how much of a servant's heart this woman has, how her relationships bring honor and praise to her family and husband, and how her family is well-taken-care-of. Earthly women might try to charm people to get what they want, or make themselves more beautiful, but really, the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
In much the same way, men are a source of strength for their wives. It is their job to provide clothing and shelter for their wives, and to love them as the Lord loves us. That means, for those of you not familiar with the extent of God's love for us, it is the husbands job to humble himself to his wife so that in all he does, he can serve her. He needs to be willing to sacrifice his wants and desires for hers, and see that in the end, she is praised more than he.
Outside the context of marriage, because not all us dudes are married or dating anyone, the idea is that dudes (like women) need to submit themselves wholly to the Lord. I think King David summed it up best on his deathbed when he swore his son Solomon in as king: Be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires; walk in his ways and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.
Let's go deeper. What does the Lord require? To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. The greatest commandment is this, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and will all your soul and to love your neighbor as yourself.
Forget that stupid machoism garbage. This is what a real man looks like.
I want to reiterate though that this separation between men and women does not exist in God's kingdom. God through the prophet Joel, in a prophecy about the coming of the Lord, stated "I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days."
Praise God.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Wait for it, wait for it, bam, daylight savings time
God has made a few promises in his day. Among them is the idea that God's not done working on us yet, that our best days are ahead of us.
While I know this one in particular to be true from past experience, some days I question how long a promise like that could take. Family struggles, girl problems, and too many people in need of encouragement can plant the seeds of anxiety, impatience and restlessness. Even though these issues are trivial in light of all that God is capable of, eventually I wear down and begin to question God, not doubt per se but question.
It sucks to feel like that immediately after witnessing entire days, weeks, a month of God's blessings and power at work in our lives. I'm human. It happens.
I think some of Jesus's followers went through that in the moments before Jesus ascended to heaven. Imagine that.
In the climax of all that had happened until then, God intervened in the lives of every human being out there. By the power of God, Jesus walked with the living forty days after his expiration date. God blessed Jesus with awesome ninja abilities when he entered a locked house. It was a miracle Thomas didn't spew his guts when Jesus got him to poke a finger through his hands. Don't forget the 153 fish God jammed in Peter's net the instant Jesus wanted some noms. God worked so much through Jesus, they couldn't write it all down!
And yet, his followers still wondered how much longer it would be before one of God's promised blessings would come.
Advising his followers not to leave Jerusalem, Jesus said, "Hey, kick it here for a while, until yo Daddy gives you what he promised, that Holy Spirit yo."
That's when they asked if at that time, God would restore the kingdom to Israel, like in the old days.
To put it in context, this was a big deal for the Jewish people. The reestablishment of the kingdom of Israel meant the restoration of justice to the people of God. It meant they would no longer suffer the oppression of a foreign power ruling over them, as was the case during that time with the Romans. It meant a return to a time when God's people had power among the nations.
Since the exile, the Jews had waited a long time to see God fulfill that promise.
We don't know what Jesus sounded like when he andswered, but we know he said, "Chill out, it's neither here nor there, it'll happen in God's time."
He also pointed something interesting out.
"Dawg, when it happens, it'll be crazy! Y'all gonna receive power when that Holy Spirit comes and dang yo, you gonna go and be singin' my song to every nation!"
As the chosen people of God, believers who receive the Holy Spirit, are going to live in God's kingdom, while still living here on this earth. As Paul puts it, "our citizenship is in heaven," which means believers do not belong to any earthly nation or people. They are unique, set apart for God and his work.
But, with the coming of the Holy Spirit, God's people will receive power to go out among the nations. As representatives of the Kingdom, it's as if the Holy Spirit is Jesus's answer to when and how the kingdom of Israel (ie the kingdom of the people of God) would be restored to its former and future glory!
Don't let any promises God made that you think are not yet fulfilled stop you from living the kingdom dream. Maybe you just aren't aware of how God is working in that part of your life, for the God we serve is not a God of broken promises.
While I know this one in particular to be true from past experience, some days I question how long a promise like that could take. Family struggles, girl problems, and too many people in need of encouragement can plant the seeds of anxiety, impatience and restlessness. Even though these issues are trivial in light of all that God is capable of, eventually I wear down and begin to question God, not doubt per se but question.
It sucks to feel like that immediately after witnessing entire days, weeks, a month of God's blessings and power at work in our lives. I'm human. It happens.
I think some of Jesus's followers went through that in the moments before Jesus ascended to heaven. Imagine that.
In the climax of all that had happened until then, God intervened in the lives of every human being out there. By the power of God, Jesus walked with the living forty days after his expiration date. God blessed Jesus with awesome ninja abilities when he entered a locked house. It was a miracle Thomas didn't spew his guts when Jesus got him to poke a finger through his hands. Don't forget the 153 fish God jammed in Peter's net the instant Jesus wanted some noms. God worked so much through Jesus, they couldn't write it all down!
And yet, his followers still wondered how much longer it would be before one of God's promised blessings would come.
Advising his followers not to leave Jerusalem, Jesus said, "Hey, kick it here for a while, until yo Daddy gives you what he promised, that Holy Spirit yo."
That's when they asked if at that time, God would restore the kingdom to Israel, like in the old days.
To put it in context, this was a big deal for the Jewish people. The reestablishment of the kingdom of Israel meant the restoration of justice to the people of God. It meant they would no longer suffer the oppression of a foreign power ruling over them, as was the case during that time with the Romans. It meant a return to a time when God's people had power among the nations.
Since the exile, the Jews had waited a long time to see God fulfill that promise.
We don't know what Jesus sounded like when he andswered, but we know he said, "Chill out, it's neither here nor there, it'll happen in God's time."
He also pointed something interesting out.
"Dawg, when it happens, it'll be crazy! Y'all gonna receive power when that Holy Spirit comes and dang yo, you gonna go and be singin' my song to every nation!"
As the chosen people of God, believers who receive the Holy Spirit, are going to live in God's kingdom, while still living here on this earth. As Paul puts it, "our citizenship is in heaven," which means believers do not belong to any earthly nation or people. They are unique, set apart for God and his work.
But, with the coming of the Holy Spirit, God's people will receive power to go out among the nations. As representatives of the Kingdom, it's as if the Holy Spirit is Jesus's answer to when and how the kingdom of Israel (ie the kingdom of the people of God) would be restored to its former and future glory!
Don't let any promises God made that you think are not yet fulfilled stop you from living the kingdom dream. Maybe you just aren't aware of how God is working in that part of your life, for the God we serve is not a God of broken promises.
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