To Obey or Not To Obey

Earlier this year here in NC there was a big hoopla about the announced crackdown on speeding. Some drivers were worried that they'd be ticketed for driving 1 mph over the speed limit. It didn't seem to slow anyone down for long though. Apparently people think that "buffer zone" of several mph over the limit is their inalienable right. 

Aside from the enforcement nightmare, can you imagine what would happen if every law were enforced to the letter, with no mercy extended for any reason? How many citations would each person receive in a year? If Adam and Eve couldn't even resist breaking the only rule that was on the books, what chance would we have? Makes you appreciate grace and mercy, doesn't it? According to God's law, even one violation makes you deserving of death and eternal separation from Him. And yet in Christ every sin we have committed or will commit has been forgiven. 

For many people, the rule of thumb is "How much can I get away with," or "What does the law require." The question we should be asking is whether this choice is helpful for me or for the Body of Christ. As Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 6:12 (ESV), "All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but I will not be dominated by anything." And in 1 Corinthians 14:12, "So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church."

At its root, sin comes from a heart that is intent on getting its own way rather than looking out for the best interests of others. It's no coincidence that the humility of Christ as outlined in Philippians 2 is the same path by which He demonstrated His love for us (1 John 4). Loving others well requires setting aside our own interests and agendas and submitting to God's design for life. And submitting to God includes submitting to the authorities and laws He has established, not to earn salvation, but for the good of society. 

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment" (Romans 13:1-2).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan. 

Qualifying Runs

This was an interesting passage to read right after the Olympics concluded: “His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor His pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love” (Psalm 147:10-11 ESV).

I was reminded of the quote from Olympian and missionary Eric Liddell, “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” That quote has always made me slightly uneasy, I think because it is so easy to take out of the context of Eric’s life. It wasn’t just because he ran fast that he felt God’s pleasure. It was the fact that his running was used as a tool to give glory to God. Eric took a stand against running on the Lord’s Day, and thereby glorified God. He used the spotlight of the Olympics to share his testimony so that God would be glorified. God didn’t “find pleasure in the legs of a man” just because he ran fast, but because Eric feared God and trusted in His steadfast love.

Maya DiRado took a little heat from some Christians when she said, “I don’t think God really cares about my swimming very much.” But she clarified, “This is not my end purpose, to make the Olympic team. My God is powerful and in control, but I don’t think He cares whether I win. It’s interesting theology you can get into when it’s a God of victory in your sport.” She got her priorities right. It’s not about what you can do but about where you place your trust. As a side note, as I watched the Olympics, I found myself praying that God would honor the athletes who honored Him.

During the closing ceremony broadcast there was a lot of talk about athletes who were “the greatest of all time,” though apparently no recognition by the commentators that time keeps marching on and records fall every year. No matter how good an athlete is, their time in the spotlight will come to an end.

The fact is that the vast majority of us will never be in the national or international spotlight for anything we do in this life. But as the psalmist reminds us, that doesn’t matter to God in the slightest. His delight is in people who love Him and serve Him with whatever gifts and abilities they may have. We may never run, walk, talk, write, or create anything particularly noteworthy, but we can glorify God with our bodies, minds, and spirits by loving Him and loving others. As Paul pointed out in the opening of 1 Corinthians 13, we can exercise all kinds of gifts and abilities, but if it is done without God’s love it is meaningless.

Ultimately, those gold, silver, and bronze medals will disappear. Names will be forgotten. Records will be broken. But God will remember those who have exercised hope in His steadfast love. He will honor those who have honored Him.

“Henceforth there is laid up for me 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 4:8).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan. 

Preserve, Protect and Defend

I suppose it is due to election season that I have had the presidential oath of office running through my mind lately. It says in part “I… will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Leaving politics aside, those are interesting verbs to hang your hat on. While a person may attempt to do those things to the best of their ability, God can and will preserve, protect, and defend His people according to His perfect will and ability. The Psalms in particular highlight these roles of God.

• Psalm 37:28- “For the Lord loves justice; He will not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.”
• Psalm 145:20- “The Lord preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.”
• Psalm 68:5- “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in His holy habitation.”
• Psalm 91:14- “Because he holds fast to Me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows My name.”
• Psalm 4:8- “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

That is much more encouraging than any human oath could ever be. His protection may not look quite like we may think, but it will always be the best way.

God’s authority and ability can also guide the way we pray. A couple verses have been part of my prayers recently:

• Psalm 119:133- “Keep steady my steps according to Your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.”
• Psalm 141:3- “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!”

It has been my experience that praying for God’s protection from temptation is far more effective than praying for deliverance once temptation is at the door. It’s a bit like keeping a car on the road rather than trying to correct once you’re already off the road. There are no promises of protection for those who willfully turn away from God’s guidance.

I’m reminded of Proverbs 3:5-6, and it seems to me that a large part of the trusting in, leaning on, and acknowledging the Lord is an ongoing awareness of how desperately we need Him to preserve, protect, and defend us. We can so quickly turn away from His paths when we trust in our own strength and knowledge. Going back to the driving metaphor, an intoxicated driver doesn’t even realize how badly he is driving. He thinks he is fine. God watches us weaving back and forth and He waits for us to realize how far off the road we’ve gotten into temptation and sin.

This awareness has definitely changed the way I have been praying in the past year or so, and I’m sure will continue to do so. Since God can do far more than we ask or imagine, it’s time to start asking and imagining bigger. He is more than willing to preserve, protect, and defend those who seek Him earnestly.

© 2016 Dawn Rutan. 

No Comparison

This week I read a couple articles that got me thinking about how we perceive ourselves and others. From the minute we’re born (or even before), we are compared to a standard and ranked according to percentiles in height, weight, and who knows what else. Will he be tall like his dad, or short like mom?

Starting preschool or school brings more comparisons, and not just in terms of achievements and tests. Little kids observe one another to find out what they have in common. Does she like to play with horses or read books? Commonalities serve as a basis for friendship, but they also create segregation. Where there is a lack of connection, a child, adolescent, or adult will often jump to one of two conclusions: there’s something wrong with me, or there’s something wrong with you.

I thought about some of the percentiles I fall into— 2% here, 10% there, 60% in that area. Some of those are good, some not so good. Some I would change if I could. It’s easy to look around and envy those who are different, or to feel like an anomaly because I am in the minority in many categories. But God called me to this life, not to that one. He allowed every gene, every circumstance, every heartache, and every opportunity that made me who I am today. But I don’t get a reprieve from the Great Commission just because I’m an introvert. I also don’t get to overlook people just because they aren’t like me.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him and to which God has called him” (7:17 ESV). “But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak” (8:9). It is comfortable to hang around with people who are just like us, but it can also be detrimental to the Body of Christ. If we focus on external similarities, we may miss the opportunity to find that we are brothers and sisters at heart. The unity that comes from Christ should far outweigh any unity that comes from biology or experience.

Our culture makes it hard to really know people. We are constantly told that we need to act a certain way, wear the right clothes, and never let anyone see our weaknesses. That gives us the appearance of external uniformity, but prevents the true unity that grows out of humility and authenticity. The church is not immune to this type of hypocrisy. Most people dress up for church (to varying degrees), act differently, and maybe clean up their language around church people. It can be a challenge to let others see behind the façade, or to remember that others may not be what they seem either. I am often reminded that authentic community is started by the example of one person taking a risk. Depth of relationships can’t come about any other way.

Take a risk; I dare you!

“When they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding” (2 Corinthians 10:12b).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan. 

Betrothed

This week I was listening to Alistair Begg’s messages on marriage, which I expect will provide a good parallel to our pastor’s upcoming sermons from 1 Corinthians 7. As one who anticipates remaining single for life, the marriage vows could create a twinge of regret at never hearing someone pledge to me, “To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part.” But as I thought about it, I realized that God has vowed all that and more to His children, and He’s the only One who can keep His vows perfectly.

“To have and to hold” – “You did not choose Me, but I chose you…” (John 15:16 ESV) “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28). He will hold on even when we want to give up.

“For better for worse” – “But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant He mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises” (Hebrews 8:6). He gives us far more than we can ever deserve.

“For richer for poorer” – “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Our poverty is the occasion for His riches to be poured out upon us.

“In sickness and in health” – “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy” (Psalm 103:2-4). In Christ the worst disease, sin, is already cured.

“To love and to cherish” – “In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). His love for us enables us to love Him and to love others.

“Till death us do part” – “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Not even death can sever God’s covenant!

As with Noah in Genesis 8 and Abram in Genesis 15, God makes Himself the party responsible for the whole covenant. He knows we will fail many times, but “it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Romans 9:16). He extends love to the unlovely, mercy to the sinner, and grace to the hurting.

No matter how good and enduring a marriage might be, it is only temporary. It will end either in death or at the Second Coming. But God’s covenantal love will never fail and will continue throughout eternity.

Several times in Exodus and Deuteronomy, the Israelites are reminded “God has chosen you to be a people for His treasured possession” and that phrase has stuck with me this past week. No matter what my marital status, I can say “I am His treasured possession” and “I am my Beloved’s and His desire is for me” (Song 7:10). His covenantal promises are far greater than anything I can imagine or can expect from man.

“And I will betroth you to Me forever. I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness” (Hosea 2:19-20).

© Dawn Rutan 2016

Treasuring God on the Mountain

Thoughts from Family Camp 2016

1) In a quiet moment at the creek, I was watching the water striders floating around. Each one stayed in a particular spot, and if another came within 6-8 inches they would chase it off. There were some interesting fights on the water's surface. Some worked hard to keep from floating downstream, while others rested against rocks. None of them seemed to accomplish anything, but each defended its square foot admirably. 

Unfortunately, the same might be said of some churches. Nothing is ever accomplished, but they've kept their building or their tradition safe from intruders while the stream of life keeps flowing past. There are some things we are to preserve and protect, but buildings and traditions aren't among them. Ephesians 4:3 (ESV) says we are to be "eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." That's hard to do if we're busy defending our turf rather than the gospel. 

2) One fussy young lad was heard to say "Nothing will make me happy but gum." That might seem silly, but I'm not sure some folks ever grow up. Their desires just get bigger and more expensive— a truck; a house; a spouse; a divorce; better health... "I'd be happy if I just had this one thing."

Josh Chamberlin's devotion on Tuesday talked about "It Is Well With My Soul." I was reminded of a blog idea I'd been kicking around: It may not always be well with my body, my emotions, my work, etc., but ultimately none of that matters if it is well with my soul. And because of Christ, my deepest needs have been met. Everything else is just a passing desire. 

3) Even though this is Family Camp, and many folks do come with multiple generations of family, it is evident that we are all brothers and sisters in God's family. Those of us who come alone are quickly adopted by others. People go out of their way to help those in need. Kids migrate from one family to another (often dependent on who's at the front of the lunch line).

That's the beauty of being part of this larger family, but it doesn't always happen at the local church level where we don't spend extended times together. I can say from experience that it can be hard for someone new to a church to break into the circles of biological families and build meaningful relationships. That's something we need to be constantly mindful of. 

4) In the evening services, Travis Hutcheson shared from Deuteronomy 6. I hadn't thought before about the personal application that we were all once slaves to something, but now we are free in Christ and are heading to the Promised Land. It kind of parallels 1 Corinthians 6:11: "And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 

I often wrestle with how to accept that as true while yet living with the temptations of this life. The Israelites had the same problem. Although they knew God was leading them to a better land, whenever things got tough they started looking back to the "good life" in Egypt. Although physically free, they were still mentally enslaved to a life that was killing them. And today, even though we are spiritually free, we still find ourselves longing for Egypt because we can't fathom the Promised Land that is coming and we don't want to wait for it. And as Chris Hall reminded us, one thing that will help us to persevere is to remember that God chose is to be His treasured possession. 

"Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is Mine" (Exodus 19:5).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan.

When Life Is Hard

I ran across this quote a few weeks ago and have continued to think about it:

“‘Don’t apologize for your tears,’ he said. ‘Don’t ever apologize for your tears,’ he repeated with added fervor. ‘They reveal the feminine nature of God, a side that is soft, nurturing, deeply passionate, and caring. We need to see more of that side of God. Thank you for being brave enough to share it with me here today’” (Thrashing About with God, Mandy Steward, 186).

It made me think of the death of Lazarus as recorded in John 11, and that short verse “Jesus wept” (11:35). I’ve always pictured Jesus with a few tears sliding down His cheeks “weeping quietly,” as authors like to say. But looking back at verse 33, I’m not sure it was so sedate. “When Jesus saw [Mary] weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in His spirit and greatly troubled” (ESV). And in verse 38 He was “deeply moved again.” That doesn’t sound like a “dabbing at His eyes” sort of weeping. 

I think sometimes we tend to sanitize Jesus, never imagining that He could really experience the same intensity of emotions that we do. Didn’t His nose run or His face get red at times like this? Perhaps the reason verse 35 is so short is that Jesus was unable to speak through His tears at that moment. 

In his book When the Darkness Will Not Lift, John Piper states:

“One of the reasons God loved David so much was that he cried so much. ‘I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping’ (Ps. 6:6). ‘You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?’ (Ps. 56:8). Indeed they are! ‘Blessed are those who mourn’ (Matt. 5:4). It is a beautiful thing when a broken man genuinely cries out to God” (35).

We’ve done a disservice to God and to ourselves by creating a false stereotype. “Big girls don’t cry...” “Real men don’t cry...” Really? Was Jesus therefore immature or unmanly? There are events in this life that demand tears, as we have witnessed all too often lately. There are deep emotions and circumstances beyond our control. If Jesus, who was God incarnate, had reason to weep, how much more do we?

“Tears sum up everything gone wrong in this fallen world. Grief, frustration, pain, disappointment, loss, stress, tragedy, disaster, regret, mourning, depression, lament, brokenness, abandonment — all of it can be expressed through the universal language of tears” (Tony Reinke).

As one who struggles with depression, tears are all too familiar to me, but I’m trying to look at them a little differently. Tears were part of Jesus’ experience on earth because they are part of the human experience. It may not always be welcomed, but there is no shame in crying, and it can be a healthy expression of what is going on inside.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).

© Dawn Rutan 2016