Nearer to Thee

One of the best books I’ve read this year is Following Christ: Experiencing Life the Way It Was Meant to Be, by Joseph Stowell. Although it’s more than a decade old, it seemed particularly relevant to what I’ve been thinking about and experiencing lately. Other books have also addressed the difference between being a Christian leader and being a follower. (More recently published I Am a Follower, by Leonard Sweet, although I found the style of that one hard to read.) Stowell comments:

“Scripture is crystal clear about the profile of a true follower of Jesus Christ… First, a follower was one who had a growing and deepening relationship to the one they were following… Second, a true follower is in the process of a radical reformation because of the influence of the leader on his life. True followers do not remain the same once they start following Christ… For us then, following means to adopt Him as the local rabbi of our lives and surrender; to sit under His wisdom in order to learn from Him; and to serve Him in every way possible. It means to give Him the highest priority as the supreme relationship of life out of which every other relationship and activity is defined and directed” (73,75).

Once you’ve become a Christian and learned the basics, it’s easy to fall into the “religious habit” of doing certain activities but not really following Christ and not growing in faith. You can be active in the spiritual disciplines—reading the Bible, praying, going to church, etc.—but not be changed by any of it. Stowell gives a great word picture of this life:

“Going into orbit around Christ mean stifling any further impulse of movement toward Him… Fully devoted followers are involved in a passionate pursuit of Christ and are never satisfied with stagnancy or a stalemate. Yet becoming an orbital Christian is alluring because it is more comfortable and less challenging, and besides, we can always take satisfaction in the fact that there are others whose orbits are father out than ours” (96).

I’ve been realizing anew that I don’t want to be satisfied with the status quo. I don’t want to be content with going through the motions without being drawn consistently nearer to Christ. I want God to do whatever it takes to keep conforming me to the image of Christ (see Romans 8:29 and 12:2). Stowell asks, “Can you believe that there is no price too high to pay to experience the privilege of walking with Him?” (102). Missionary David Livingstone wrote in his journal, “God, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours.” That can be a frightening thing to pray, unless you are convinced that God is worth it all and following Him is the supreme adventure in this life.

The old hymn by Charles Tindley urges “Nothing between my soul and my Savior…” It has been my prayer lately that God would not allow anything to remain between us—no sin, no habits, no desires, no goals or priorities—nothing that would interfere with being “rooted and grounded in love” and comprehending “the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:17-19). I want Him to keep pruning away all that is unfruitful in me.

Even as I write and pray that, I am aware that my choices don’t always line up with my heart’s deepest desire. I know how often I choose distractions instead of seeking God. It’s easy to turn on the TV, flip open a novel, or even go to bed early rather than spending time in the Word and prayer. Although I’m somewhat more disciplined than I was a year or two ago, I know I’ve just settled into a new orbit a little closer to the Son. But I also remember from physics that if you get too close to a large mass, the gravitational force will continue to pull you in unless you are actively working against it. So I trust that God’s pull on me will be ever increasing and He will not allow me to remain at a distance.

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” –Hebrews 11:6

Cheer One Another On

Just a quick thought for today...

This morning I ran the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K. I arrived at the course as the first batch of runners took off for the timed race, which started before the recreational run I was in. It was moving to see this crowd of people in pink running and many others cheering them on. A later report I heard said 17,000 people were registered.

As I started my run I noticed that most people were running with at least one other person, though there were a few of us singles. After the first half mile there weren't too many spectators to cheer on the runners until the end, but every time I heard them encouraging us it spurred me to keep running and to pick up the pace. At the finish line, aside from the many people lining the sidewalks and cheering, an announcer was reporting the names of breast cancer survivors as they crossed the line. It was really an amazing display of people united for a cause. It was also pretty exhausting as I set a new personal record.

I was reminded of a few verses from Hebrews:

• 10:24- "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds" (NIV).
• 12:1-2- "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God" (ESV).

We need to be cheering one another on in this race of life. We weren't meant to run the race alone, but to come alongside one another with encouragement, challenge, and even rebuke at times. We should all be running toward the same goal, united in Christ to bring others into eternal life with Him. And one day we will hear Him call our name as those who have not only survived, but have "finished the race and kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for [us] the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

Let us "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).

The Prodigal Father

Most everybody knows the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15, but as a friend pointed out many years ago, the word prodigal means wastefully extravagant or lavish. It was the father who said, “Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate” (vv. 22-23 ESV). Here comes the son covered in muck and practically crawling home in his shame, and yet the father treats him like royalty. That’s wastefully extravagant spending!

He had absolutely no reason to honor the son with clothes and a party after the way the son had dishonored him and walked out… except for love. The father could have required some penance, or at least made the son wait in fear for a few days while he decided whether to hire him as a servant. But love compelled him to give his best to the son who had treated him so poorly. The thing is, the son could have enjoyed the party and then wandered off again, and yet the father would have treated him just as well the second time he came home.

Our heavenly Father is just as crazy about us! How many times do we wander off into sin and come back repentant only to find the Father waiting with arms open wide? Just before the story of the Prodigal Father, Luke 15:10 says “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” I don’t think that has to mean just the first time a person repents and turns to God. Why shouldn’t the angels rejoice every time we realize our mistakes and turn back to our Father?

The book of Hosea illustrates God’s love for His people through Hosea’s adulterous wife. Never does He say, “That’s enough. I don’t want you back!” How many times did Israel turn away from God sometimes for years at a time? Yet God still calls them His people. And even though God has opened the door to salvation for the Gentiles, He hasn’t still given up on the Jews.

Over and over the Scriptures say “Come back… Return to Me… Return to the Lord…” Isaiah 55:7 says “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” This passage is often used as an evangelism tool, but is it possible for someone to “return” to the Lord if he never previously knew Him? This statement was made as a prophecy to those who knew Him as the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. I find it interesting that this verse is followed immediately by “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.” It’s as if God is answering the argument that “This person is too far gone for compassion and pardon,” or “I’ve failed one too many times.” No, God says, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (Romans 9:15).

We aren’t the ones who can judge who deserves forgiveness and compassion, even when it comes to ourselves (as explained in Sunday’s sermon on 1 Corinthians 4:1-5). I’m reminded of Annie Johnson Flint’s song “He giveth more grace… For out of His infinite riches in Jesus He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.” He keeps on giving like the prodigal He is, and we keep on taking. Sometimes we remember to thank Him, but many times we don’t even notice what we’ve received.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I need frequent reminders that God’s love for me is not dependent on my performance, holiness, service, or lovability. It also doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks of me or even what I think of myself. His love is steadfast and unchanging because He is unchanging. That knowledge should keep me running back to Him.

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” –Psalm 73:25-26

Serving in Weakness

In Souvenirs of Solitude, Brennan Manning quotes Father Michael Buckley on the qualifications of a priest: “Is this man weak enough to be a priest? …Is this man deficient enough so that he can’t ward off significant suffering from his life, so that he lives with a certain amount of failure, so that he feels what it is to be an average man?” Manning follows up with the comment, “I believe that this applies to every follower of Christ because we are a ‘priesthood of all believers’ (see 1 Peter 2:9). It is in this deficiency, in this interior lack, in this weakness, maintains the book of Hebrews, that the efficacy of the ministry and priesthood of Christ lies.”

Hebrews 4:15 tells us “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (ESV). How amazingly incomprehensible that the same God who created the universe came to earth and lived in weakness, inability, and suffering. Philippians 2:7 says He “made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” In His obedience to the Father, He chose not to exercise the powers of deity in many circumstances. In the temptation in the wilderness, Satan suggested that Jesus could short-circuit the process of salvation by using His power rather than submitting to weakness.

You’ve probably heard the question—could God create a rock so large that He couldn’t move it? This is called the omnipotence paradox because it is a logically impossible question. Supposedly, no matter how you answer, it proves that God is not omnipotent. However, I would assert that God already did create a rock so large He couldn’t move it. When Jesus was dead and in the tomb, He was physically incapable of moving the stone away from the entrance. Just as He wouldn’t come down from the cross (Matthew 27:40-42), He wasn’t going to do anything to compromise the salvation He was offering. If the stone had been moved away prior to Sunday morning, the evidence of His resurrection would have remained highly questionable.

Jesus chose weakness in order to fulfill His ministry. That’s completely foreign to most of us. Our work is determined by our competency in a particular field. Promotions are given to those to surpass their peers. Education and training are seen as being of paramount importance. Even when it comes to positions within the church, we look for who is most qualified, and people are likely to say, “I can’t do that. I don’t have the abilities.” While there are varying spiritual gifts within the Body, some folks are reluctant to try anything new and may have no idea how God has gifted them.

I think we tend to apply the same logic to the spiritual disciplines. “I can’t fast… I can’t pray… I can’t study the Bible… I can’t memorize Scripture…” Have you ever tried? The funny thing is that God delights in our weakness because He can then be proven strong.

• “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). If the Spirit Himself if praying for us, what excuse do we have to not pray?
• "Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything” (2 Timothy 2:6). If the Lord is the One who gives understanding, what excuse do we have to not study the Bible?
• But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). If the Holy Spirit serves as our memory and prompter, what excuse do we have to not memorize Scripture?

If all we say is “I can’t,” we’re limiting what God can do in and through us. However, if we say “I can’t, but You can,” we open the door for God to glorify Himself by revealing His strength in our weakness. The question is not “Do I have the ability to do this?” but “How can God work through me?”

“For He was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but in dealing with you we will live with Him by the power of God” (2 Corinthians 13:4).

Listen

Lord, forgive me
for shutting You out
and silencing Your voice.
Distraction is far too easy.

I avoid silence

when there are things
I need to understand,
but I don’t take the time.
There are things

You’re trying to tell me,
but I’m too busy to hear.
There are truths
I need to see,
if I’ll just stop what I’m doing.

I want to hear

Your still, small voice,
yet I don’t give You
much chance to speak.

Help me to listen

better and more often
to hear Your words
of love and compassion,
instruction and rebuke.
Let me honestly say
“Speak, Lord,
for Your servant is listening.”

Rejoice Always

As I’ve been reading in the Psalms lately I’ve had this running commentary in my head: “‘Sing to the Lord a new song’ (Psalm 98:1)… Maybe later, God… ‘Make a joyful noise to the Lord’ (100:1)… Not right now, if You don’t mind.” But on top of that I was reminded of Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice” (ESV), along with 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” In both of those passages, the command to “rejoice always” comes in the middle of a long line of other commands. Paul certainly makes it sound like it is something that we are capable of doing.

It seems odd that an emotion would be commanded, and whole books have been written on the subject (Faithful Feelings is one I’ve read). I decided to go back to the source and look at the Greek. The word used in both of these Scriptures is χαίρετε, and HELPS Word Studies says: “properly, to delight in God’s grace (‘rejoice’) – literally, to experience God’s grace (favor), be conscious (glad) for His grace” (http://biblehub.com/greek/5463.htm).

That puts a whole new spin on things. Paul isn’t saying “Jump up and down with joy at all times.” Nor is he saying we should go through life making comments like, “I just totaled my car; praise the Lord!” What he is saying is that we should live with a daily consciousness of God’s grace, and as we do, that will color our experience of the varying circumstances of life. It doesn’t mean we won’t experience sorrow and pain. Elsewhere Paul says he is “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10) using the same Greek root. It’s okay to be sorrowful while living with an awareness of God’s presence, provision, and protection.

So going back to the Psalms, some of the “new songs” that we sing may be songs of God’s faithfulness in the midst of mourning; a “joyful noise” may be prayers of thanksgiving for who God is and all He has done by His grace. The knowledge and experience of God’s grace in the past gives us patience for today and hopeful expectation for the future.

Relevant Magazine recently posted the following:

“‘Blessed are those who mourn.’ This truth seems to be missing in certain Sunday morning positive thinking tutorials. It’s as if we’ve come to believe that a smile is definitive proof of what we believe, but a smile doesn’t mean that your faith is any more real or alive than the faith of someone in tears” (http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/sadness-doesnt-mean-we-are-struggling-our-faith#kZyZQhH1EsKcfUEk.99).

I keep encountering people who are tired of the happy-Christian façade. Even on Facebook, where we only see what people want us to see, friends are encouraging others to be more real. We can serve one another, not by being pseudo-joyful, but by pointing one another to true rejoicing in God’s grace and bringing that back to our consciousness even in the midst of sorrow.

My paraphrase of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:

“Be always alert to God’s grace, live in constant communion with God, remember His goodness at all times, for this is the delight of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Who Cares

I’ll admit I’m in a battle against apathy right now. There are sometimes difficult circumstances at work that make me want to throw in the towel. (Yes, I’m from the generation whose mantra is “Whatever!”) When you’re powerless to change what other people or organizations do, it feels like there are two choices: 1) get frustrated and angry, or 2) become complacent and determine that it doesn’t really matter. I spent many years being frustrated, and found that it did nothing but interrupt my peace and my sleep. So I’ve gone the opposite direction and become apathetic. That doesn’t always work, but it seems easier anyway. Caring too much just causes pain.

I suppose a lot of it stems from disillusionment, such as with politics: “It doesn’t matter who you vote for since they’re all liars, so why vote?” The same thing happens on a smaller scale with businesses, churches, and even families. If your opinion doesn’t carry any weight, what’s the point in trying to create change? At one time I was asked to join a church committee because my educational background was “needed.” I quickly found out that the committee had no authority and it didn’t matter what I had to contribute.

Desiring God recently published an interesting post on apathy, How God Cares for Those Who Don’t, by Paul Maxwell. Although he comes at it from a different angle, he brings out some good points. One is that God agrees that some things are trivial and not worth getting worked up about. Arguing over the color of the carpet in the sanctuary is unnecessary and not honoring to God. A second point is that when we find our security in God’s love rather than man’s opinion, we are free to tackle issues that really are important, and we can “stir up one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24 ESV).

So I’ve been thinking of some questions that might help clarify how we should respond to some of the circumstances we face from time to time.

1) Does this issue matter to God? If it’s a question of salvation, sin, safety, or ministry, you can be sure it matters. If it is about personal preferences, there’s a good chance it is not all that important in the grand scheme of things. Most issues probably fall somewhere in the middle. As Robert Pierce said, “Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God.”

2) Does it directly affect me or my loved ones (which could include church family)? This question has to be considered cautiously. Although a typhoon in Japan may not directly impact me, it is still important and a response might be required. At the same time, we all have limited time and resources and we can’t do everything we might like to do. Joining the PTA at your child’s school may be more effective than campaigning for national education reform. In some of his correspondence, C.S. Lewis made the comment that the rapid availability of international news may do more harm than good as people become more concerned with what’s happening on the other side of the world than in their own neighborhood (and he wrote that before the computer age!).

3) How much influence might I have over the outcome? Not being very “politically minded,” I tend to think that it doesn’t do much good for John Smith to write to his congressman, unless John happens to represent a large body of voters or special interest groups. However, every situation and every person is different, so there could be a myriad of factors that determine one’s level of influence.

Those are some practical questions, but there are some other biblical principles that should not be forgotten:

“God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). Whether it’s stuttering Moses, Gideon’s tiny army, or Elijah vs. the prophets of Baal, God uses who He wants regardless of their qualifications. And when He does, He’s the One who gets the glory for the outcome (1:31).

“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him” (2 Timothy 2:3-4). Our aim should be to please God no matter how long or hard the journey might be. Paul continued his ministry from prison because the consequences of giving up were just too great (Philippians 1:21-25).

“Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18). Some battles can only be fought with unceasing prayer. The real battle is not against flesh and blood (6:12).

I know from my own experience that the things I often obsess over are trivial matters that should be forgotten. I’m a recovering perfectionist and I have to remind myself that most people aren’t going to care about some of the details I see. Along with that, I’m certain that the enemy likes to keep us distracted with the nonessentials so that the more important things get neglected. The issues that I most wish to avoid are ones that will require a lot of work and a long time to resolve, and I’m not eager to invest myself without the assurance of a positive outcome. I suspect a lot of us fall prey to the “let it be someone else’s problem” mindset. Even though I won’t be here (on this earth, in this job, or in this church) forever, I do bear some responsibility in providing for the future through good stewardship of time, money, people, property, and the environment.

I’m not sure I’ve resolved any of the issues foremost in my mind as I write this, but I do know which ones require further thinking.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).