Open Hands

C.S. Lewis writes about his wife: “Joy tells me that once, years ago, she was haunted one morning by a feeling that God wanted something of her, a persistent pressure like the nag of a neglected duty. And till mid-morning she kept on wondering what it was. But the moment she stopped worrying, the answer came through as plain as a spoken voice. It was ‘I don’t want you to do anything. I want to give you something’: and immediately her heart was full of peace and delight. St. Augustine says ‘God gives where He finds empty hands.’” (Yours, Jack, p. 309).

I remember being told a long time ago that we need to approach God with open hands—open to let go of whatever we may be grasping, and open to receive whatever God may want to give. I can think of many times when I’ve come before God with my hands clenched. Sometimes I’ve wanted Him to fix a particular problem, so I come like a child who won’t uncover his wound for fear that the treatment will be painful. Sometimes I’ve come with clenched fists to argue my case for why I am right and He is wrong. Sometimes I have breezed through, wanting Him to bless the plans that I have made, but not waiting to see whether He might have other plans.

It’s a bit dangerous and it takes faith to come with open hands when you don’t know exactly what God may want to give to you or take from you. Often our refusal to open our hands is an indicator that we don’t trust God, and we don’t believe in His goodness, grace, and mercy. If His character is like that of an angry father or a merciless judge, we have no reason to make ourselves vulnerable before Him or to let go of whatever we think we own. But if He is a loving Father who gives good gifts to His children, we are free to release what we have in expectation of something better (Matthew 7:11).

John 15:2 says “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes” (ESV). Even though we may be bearing fruit, God may remove something good in order for us to bear better fruit and more fruit. I don’t think anyone particularly enjoys the experience of being pruned, but hopefully when we look back we can see that it was for our benefit and God’s glory. Even Jesus had to remove His physical presence from the disciples so that they could then receive the Holy Spirit (John 16:7). I’m sure they couldn’t imagine how losing that relationship would result in something better.

Hebrews 4:9-10 tells us “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from His.” More than once recently God has reminded me, “Just rest, I’ve got this. Relax.” Our busyness and concerns are probably the hardest things to relinquish to God’s control. What if it doesn’t get done? What if I don’t have the answer? What if I look bad? What if...? But God says rest. Can I trust Him to provide for this need and to give me the answers? Can I be assured that He will find a way to glorify Himself in my weakness? Can I really relax and let Him take charge?

Scripture is full of reminders about God’s faithfulness, care, provision, protection, and power. The real question is whether I believe that it’s true at the core of my being. And if it is, that belief needs to inform my choices and actions every day, not just when I find I’m at the end of my rope.

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

Retreat Reading

So what does a Christian geek read while on vacation? Here are the five books I completed this week, in no particular order:

C.S. Lewis, Yours, Jack: Spiritual Direction from C.S. Lewis

http://www.amazon.com/Yours-Jack-C-S-Lewis-ebook/dp/B002BXH5XO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405708374&sr=8-1&keywords=Yours+Jack

A collection of letters from Lewis in response to correspondence he had received from numerous sources. While one could read The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, by Walter Hooper, this shorter collection is sufficient for both inspiration and getting to know Jack better. I wish this book had been available when I took a class on C.S. Lewis in graduate school. In reading many of the letters, I found myself wishing that I could have corresponded with such a gracious author myself. One particularly amusing quote from the book: “He that but looketh on a plate of ham and eggs to lust after it, hath already committed breakfast with it in his heart.”

Alister McGrath, C.S. Lewis: A Life

http://www.amazon.com/C-S-Lewis-Eccentric-Reluctant/dp/1414339356/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1405709157

McGrath seems to cover all the important details of Lewis’s life, and he doesn’t sugarcoat it. He brings out new information that has only been discovered in the past few years. However, I think a good editor could have shortened the book significantly. (A whole chapter on 1929 vs. 1930 conversion date could have been several pages shorter.) On the whole, it is well worth reading.

Barbara Brown Taylor, An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith

http://www.amazon.com/Altar-World-Barbara-Brown-Taylor/dp/0061370460/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=

I picked this book up because it was recommended on one of the Christianity Today websites. The book has some good recommendations on practical ways to experience God in everyday life. I would caution, however, that it is not written strictly from or for a Christian point of view. Many illustrations are given from other religions. The author is an Episcopal priest and professor of world religions.

N.T. Wright, Simply Jesus: A new vision of who he was, what he did, and why he matters.

http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Jesus-Vision-What-Matters/dp/0062084399/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1405709498&sr=1-1

I picked up this one because I’ve heard good things about N.T. Wright’s books. This book provides valuable historical background to the time of Christ and illuminates why His teaching was so radical. However, it is pretty heavy both theologically and historically, and I was easily distracted from reading it. It was one of the shorter books, but took me longest to get through.

Warren Wiersbe, Jesus in the Present Tense: The I AM Statements of Christ.

http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Present-Tense-Statements-Christ/dp/0781404878/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1405709896&sr=1-1

This is a refreshing look at who Jesus claimed to be and what that means for us who believe in Him. Jesus isn’t just a historical figure whose teachings we follow, but He is present with us and in us today as the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, the Door, the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and Life, the Way, the Truth and the Life, and the True Vine. I don’t recall reading Wiersbe in the past, but I will look for some others to read in the future.

That was enough to keep me busy for about four days when I wasn't otherwise occupied with writing, walking and a little shopping!

Undeceived

Thinking about Jesus’ life and ministry, it is tempting to berate the Jews and Gentiles who only followed Him because He provided a free meal or healed the sick. But I wonder if our motives are much better sometimes. We seek Him for peace, for physical or emotional healing, for provision for our basic needs, but salvation is far down on our list, if it makes the list at all. Just consider the people and things that populate our prayer lists.

Warren Wiersbe writes, “They wanted immediate relief from their troubles at no cost to themselves. Life was difficult, and they were excited to find somebody who could so easily meet their needs... Like many people today, they had a ‘commercial attitude’ toward Jesus and wanted Him to meet their personal needs, but they didn’t want Him to deal with their sins and change their hearts!” (Jesus in the Present Tense, 33).

I suspect there are many within the church who fall into the same category. They want to feel better, experience community with people similar to themselves, and raise their children in a good, moral atmosphere, but not to be convicted of their sins and asked to turn full control of their lives over to God. Wiersbe goes on to say, “When it comes to making a decision about Jesus Christ, we have three choices: (1) believe in Him and be saved, as did eleven of the apostles; (2) reject Him but pretend to be saved, as did Judas; or (3) reject Him openly and walk away, as did the multitude. In His parable about the wheat and tares (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43), Jesus made it clear that there are counterfeit Christians like Judas mixed in with the authentic children of God, but at the end of the age they will be exposed and condemned” (44).

It is unclear from the Gospels whether the other disciples knew Judas was an impostor. John reflects back to point out Judas’s motives early in Jesus’ ministry, but it seems that only Jesus knew the truth: “For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray Him” (John 6:64 ESV). If the disciples were in the dark Christians, and even pastors, today may be just as deceived about the true condition of any person’s heart. While there may be indicators, only God truly knows the heart (Psalm 44:21, Proverbs 24:12). I would suggest that some individuals don’t even know their own motives, for “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

At the same time, it is likely that those who fear or doubt their salvation are more likely true believers than those who have no doubts. C.S. Lewis writes to a correspondent, “The moment one asks oneself ‘Do I believe?’ all belief seems to go. I think this is because one is trying to turn round and look at something which is there to be used and work from—trying to take out one’s eyes instead of keeping them in the right place and seeing with them... you know better than I how very unreliable introspection is. I should be much more alarmed about your progress if you wrote claiming to be overflowing with Faith, Hope and Charity” (Yours, Jack, p. 144-145). One who makes such claims, along with those who are completely unconcerned with the state of their faith, are in far more danger than those who have doubts and fears.

Hebrews 6:11-12 says, “And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” The NIV puts it, “We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.” It’s not that the good works mentioned in verse 10 are themselves the assurance, but that they are an indicator of where our hope truly lies.

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12b-13). John Piper says of this passage, “God it the decisive worker here. He wills and he works for his good pleasure. But believing this does not make Christians passive. It makes them hopeful and energetic and courageous” (Future Grace, p. 291).

Jesus is the “founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2), “the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13), the One who draws people to Himself (John 6:44), and the One who will never lose one of His sheep (John 10:28-29). If that is the case, then believers can have faith and hope in Him and can rest in His care. Those who “fall away” are those who were never really His children to begin with. They may have put up a good front and deceived many, perhaps even themselves, but at some level they never trusted in Jesus as both Savior and Lord. They may have expected His salvation, but they never let Him be Lord of their lives.

“...nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known... Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:26, 31-32).

Keep Coming Back

I’ve been reading a book by a well-known author and learned that this person experienced the same temptation that I have (and no, I’m not going to be any more specific than that!). Upon reading that, my thought was, “Ah, I’m not the only one. Even X has been there and has fallen to that temptation.” But even as I thought that, and again in Sunday’s sermon on Hebrews 4:14-16, I was reminded that it is even more important and earth-shattering that Jesus “in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (ESV). While I know that to be true, my brain makes a couple objections: 1) Jesus was God, so of course He didn’t give in to temptation. 2) Jesus never had to deal with the personal guilt and shame of having sinned.

It’s rather baffling to consider how Jesus could be fully God and fully man and what that actually means as far as His experience of temptation is concerned. Hebrews seems pretty clear in stating that Jesus knows exactly what we go through. And presumably He knows it even more fully because He experienced “every” kind of temptation, whereas we are usually tempted in just a few areas. We could also make the case that since “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin” (1 Peter 2:24), therefore He experienced all the sins that each one of us have committed, along with all the guilt and shame those sins created. (Ed Welch explores this idea further in his book Shame Interrupted.)

To borrow a couple thoughts from an email from Pastor Matt:

“…while it’s true that he did not have to deal with sin as a sinner, with all the compounding complications and consequences of past sins, he in other ways experienced temptation even more than we do in that he experienced it all the way. Whereas we all have given in to temptation, he never did and so endured the full length of it. Not to mention the fact that the tempter seems to get more aggressive the more we’re living for God and no one ever lived so completely for God than Jesus, which would indicate that the severity of his temptations was stronger than any other human ever experienced.”

C.S. Lewis explains:

“Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is… A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later… Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full extent what temptation means” (as quoted in http://www.desiringgod.org/sermons/draw-near-to-the-throne-of-grace-with-confidence).

So the evidence mounts that Jesus was not only fully human, but perfectly human. He lived the perfect life we were meant to live before the Fall. And so His sinlessness in the face of every temptation should bring us greater comfort than the sinfulness of our fellow man. Because He faced temptation, He knows what we go through every day. And because He resisted temptation completely, He is worthy to be our intermediary before the Father.

Those who have fallen prey to temptation can indeed empathize with our guilt and shame, and perhaps they can even give us some tips for resisting temptation. But they cannot absolve us of sin and make us righteous before God. They can have compassion on us in our sin, but they cannot give us the forgiving mercy and sanctifying grace we need. Jesus not only cleanses us from the effects of sin, but He can also protect us from temptation or strengthen us to endure it. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, Paul does tell us that our temptations are “common to man,” but the real encouragement is found in God’s faithfulness to protect His children.

In this life we’ll never perfectly obey, but I believe progress is possible. I find that the difference comes in allowing failure to drive us back to the throne of grace rather than farther away as our enemy intends. When we know that grace and mercy are readily available, we can come back with confidence.

A beautifully encouraging picture is painted by C.S. Lewis in the book Yours, Jack (p. 94):

“I know all about the despair of overcoming chronic temptations. It is not serious provided self-offended petulance, annoyance at breaking records, impatience et cetera doesn’t get the upper hand. No amount of falls will really undo us if we keep on picking ourselves up each time. We shall of course be very muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home. But the bathrooms are all ready, the towels put out, and the clean clothes are in the airing cupboard. The only fatal thing is to lose one’s temper and give it up. It is when we notice the dirt that God is most present to us: it is the very sign of His presence.”

What more can be said but—

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

No Comparison

I’m finally getting back to routine after a couple weeks of convention chaos, and so I thought I’d borrow an idea from Rev. Clio Thomas’s sermon “Everybody Has Something.” We all have some challenge we’re trying to cope with. Each one is different in type, complexity, and our response to it.

Some book I read recently made the point that it doesn’t make any sense for us to compare our burdens with one another. Yes, some others may look larger or smaller than ours, but that doesn’t mean they are any more or less important. Comparison only tends to lead to either pride or shame. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard someone say, “I can’t complain, there are people far worse off than I am.” I would hope that people who say that are honestly praising God in the midst of their burdens, but from what I’ve seen, that is often not the case. Many are subconsciously saying, “I’m ashamed that I can’t handle this and I don’t want to ask for help.” (Been there, done that.)

It doesn’t really matter how our burden compares with someone else’s. It may be physical, emotional, relational, spiritual, or occupational. It may be urgent or chronic, temporary or permanent. The thing we need to remember is that if it matters to us, it matters to God. He told us to cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7), not just the ones that are big enough to count or are comparatively bigger than the average of others’ burdens.

We’re also told to “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2 ESV). That’s not easy to do if we’re busy judging one another and comparing burdens. We’ve probably all been told that too much of our prayer time is occupied with physical needs of people. But what that means is not that we should not pray for the physical, but that we should increase the amount of time spent praying for other types of needs as well. If we took this seriously, we would all be praying a lot more.

As we seek to love and serve one another in the Body of Christ, the only comparison that should come to mind is God’s greatness and love toward His weak and sinful children who are totally undeserving of His care and compassion.

“What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him?” (Psalm 8:4).

“You have multiplied, O Lord my God, Your wondrous deeds and Your thoughts toward us; none can compare with You! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told” (Psalm 40:5).

Formed on Purpose

The other night I read Isaiah 64:8 (ESV): “But now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our Potter; we are all the work of Your hand.” Thinking about that in the context of my life, I wrote: There is so much I would do differently if I were the one writing my life story, but I realize that any such creation would no longer be “me.” Change even a few small circumstances or events and this would be someone else’s life.

A couple nights later I read Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you...” There are no accidents or unknowns to God. He didn’t just know that I would exist in this time and place. He knew me as He created me to be, with all the quirks, struggles, desires, and life changes that make me who I am today and who I will be in the future.

Big Daddy Weave has an album that I recently downloaded and just now noticed the lyrics to one of the songs, which you can read here: http://www.bigdaddyweave.com/songs/different-light Or listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1prllO7kYsQ&feature=kp

They say it well. Although the events of our past are often things we’d like to erase or forget, they do serve to remind us of what God has done and is doing in our lives. I’m beginning to realize that every day is indeed a new day and a new opportunity for God to show His grace and mercy. Each day we can say, “That’s not who I am anymore,” because we are constantly changing, even though the process may seem too long and slow.

Philippians 3 is one of my favorite chapters of Scripture. In verses 13-14 Paul says, “...one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” No matter whether the memories of the past are good, bad, or indifferent, they are only memories. Give them to God to be covered by His grace, and keep moving forward. I know that is often easier said than done, but may we learn to look back with new eyes to see what God has done and to understand our stories more clearly.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Gathering to Worship

Recently www.DesiringGod.org has posted a series of blogs on worship. As I was rereading some of them I had the thought, “How do we move from gathering together to worshiping together?” There are plenty of times when Christians gather and no worship takes place, even in so-called worship services. It’s tempting to blame the music, preaching, environment, and everything else under the sun. I think the root of the problem is that our focus is on the wrong person. David Mathis writes:

“The answer is that our focus should not be self-consciously preoccupied with how we’re being strengthened or what grace we’re receiving. Rather, our focus together is the crucified and risen Christ, and the incomparable excellencies of his person and work. Which illumines all the various spiritual disciplines. Corporate worship is a means of grace not when we’re caught up with what we’re doing, but when we experience the secret of worship — the joy of self-forgetfulness — as we become preoccupied together with Jesus and his manifold perfections” (http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/kindle-the-fire-in-corporate-worship).

Worship, in essence, is thinking highly of God and responding appropriately to His glory. But how can we think much of God when we are busy thinking about ourselves? It does take effort to refocus our attention, and worship is called a spiritual discipline for a reason. It’s not typically something that can be learned through one hour a week. If we spend the rest of our waking hours thinking about everything but God, then that’s where our thoughts will naturally go. Certainly the music, prayer, and preaching can help to redirect our thoughts to the One true God, but there are also times when we encounter God in spite of everything that might distract us.

I wonder how often we go to church and expect to encounter God there? I confess that is not usually in the forefront of my thoughts and desires on a Sunday morning (or any other time). I expect to be welcomed and encouraged by my brothers and sisters in Christ. I expect to be edified by the preaching and teaching. I expect to praise God in song and to express my needs in prayer. But I don’t really expect to be moved to worship God and experience His presence. During the week I pray that the service will draw people to God, and that the sermon will be God’s words that we need to hear at this time. But I don’t often think about worshiping the Lord “in the splendor of holiness” (Psalm 29:2).

Perhaps that is due in part to our overly familiar image of Jesus as friend and confidant. The majesty of Jesus illustrated in Hebrews 1 is often foreign to us. On one hand, it’s good that we know we can trust God with all our problems, needs, faults, and failures, and we can talk to Him at any time. But on the other hand, it is difficult to worship One who knows us so well and yet still loves us. We tend to focus on His love to the exclusion of His holiness, supremacy, strength, and majesty (among other attributes).

I, for one, need to adjust my expectations for “worship services”—to remember more of Who God is and actually believe that He’ll show up, not because of anything we say or do, but because we are His children and He desires to speak to us. I suspect that questions of “worship style” would become irrelevant if we all came to church expecting to meet God. And the fact is, He’s there whether we acknowledge Him or have some experience of His presence or not.

Zephaniah wrote: “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty One Who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing” (3:17 ESV). May that knowledge lead us in turn to rejoice and exult over Him, and truly worship our Creator, Redeemer, and Lord!

“Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness” (Psalm 29:1-2).