Innocent

In How to Really Love God as Your Father, Deborah Newman comments: “Imagine yourself at five years old. What is on your five-year-old mind? Do you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders? ...Unless your childhood included some extenuating circumstances... remembering yourself as a little child should include carefree innocence.” I’ve recently read a couple different books that mentioned the idyllic nature of childhood for many children—freedom from worry and major responsibilities, and having time for fun and enjoying life. Although I would contend that such experiences are more rare than we would like to admit, they do bring to mind some images worth considering.

Jesus said, “Let the children come to Me; and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” (Mark 10:14-15 ESV). While we can all enjoy the thought of Jesus embracing the little children and blessing them, Jesus’ words were actually for His disciples. His message was for the adults, including us. Yet I doubt that most of us can really grasp what it would mean for us to come to Him like a child. Why is that?

It occurred to me that there are two ways that we use the word “innocent.” One is the innocence of being free from guilt. The other is the childlike trust and naiveté that knows someone else is in control so there is no need for worry. As we grow up (and sometimes before we grow up), we lose both of those types of innocence. We know we are guilty of sin, and we know that the world is a dangerous place where we have to look out for ourselves. I believe that Jesus intends for us to reclaim our lost innocence by coming to Him.

First, He grants us freedom from the guilt of sin as we accept His sacrifice on the cross. “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). He exchanged His righteousness for our sinfulness so that we could once again be innocent. We can lay aside the guilt and shame we have carried because of our own sin and the sin of others against us. “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame” (Romans 10:11). The forgiveness found in Christ can remove a lot of the burden that weighs us down as grownups.

Second, God reminds us that He is in control and He is trustworthy. Of all the worries and concerns that darken our days, most will either never come to pass or are outside our control anyway. Like a child worried about what’s in the dark, we need to trust that our Father can see what we can’t and He will take care of us. I think this is perhaps the harder innocence to recover. Once we’ve seen the pain and suffering that this world can bring, it’s hard to trust that God really knows best and will not let us endure anything that He won’t equip us to handle. We would prefer for life to be a lot less difficult and a lot more fun.

Coming to Jesus like a child is a daily choice to accept His forgiveness for our sins and to ask for His provision for our needs. He is our Father who supplies our daily bread, and who forgives those who confess. He is also the Creator of the universe, who is able to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. He is Abba, who heals the brokenhearted and raises the dead to new life. He is the One who bids us to come to Him in our weakness, neediness, and filth, so that we might see His strength, abundance, and cleansing power.

Jesus invites us, “Let all My children come unto Me in faith to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

© 2016 Dawn Rutan. 

Called by God

Joseph told his brothers, “So it was not you who sent me here but God...” (Genesis 45:8 ESV). Mordecai told Esther, “Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).

These few examples from Scripture point to a couple truths. Although some people, such as Jeremiah, receive a clear calling from God for a specific mission, most of us are called to follow God in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves. We tend to think of “calling” as a directive to pursue a career in ministry, but God is calling each of us to be ministers of His love and grace in whatever career we pursue.

For Joseph, Esther, Jeremiah, and many others in Scripture, the calling to do something spectacular was only fulfilled because they were faithfully seeking God in the normal course of life. Service to God was part of life, not a separate, unique vocation. God uses those who are faithful in the small things. We can’t expect to receive a divine word of commissioning if we aren’t committed to doing the tasks that are close at hand. And Scripture is pretty clear about the things we are to be doing day by day: loving others, making disciples, serving the church, worshiping together, praying for others, etc.

In addition, these people were called by God for an important purpose, but they did not fully understand that calling until troubled times hit. Joseph went through slavery and imprisonment before he had the opportunity to save his family and thereby ensure the future of Israel. Esther faced the potential decimation of the Jews before she really knew why she was in the palace. Jeremiah learned his calling up front, but he had the unpleasant job of calling Judah to repentance as captivity was coming. In the process he endured death threats and various other difficulties. God’s calling is not to a life of ease but to a life of purpose. And given the fallen nature of our world, fulfilling God’s purpose requires us to walk through suffering, not away from it. It is human nature to want to seek out comfort and pleasure, but that is not where God is doing most of His work. We seem to be easily deterred from obeying God’s calling whenever it is inconvenient, uncomfortable, or potentially dangerous to our lives, careers, or reputations.

Everybody likes the first half of Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” However, we can’t take that verse out of the context of the rest of the chapter, which talks about setting the mind on the things of the Spirit, putting to death the deeds of the body, suffering with Christ, enduring the corruption of the world, tribulation, distress, persecution, etc. Being called to the purpose of God takes place in the context of the challenges of life in a fallen world. It is through the suffering of this life that we are conformed to the image of Christ “in order that we may also be glorified with Him” (8:17).

We are all called to follow God, but that calling is going to look different for each of us because each life is unique. Whether spectacular or mundane, public or private, upper class or third world, may we be found faithful to Him day by day.

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan.

Put on Christ

This post builds on one I wrote in August. In the midst of some recent research, I came across this statement in Gilbert Bilezikian’s book Beyond Sex Roles:

“Where God wants to create unity and cohesion, the enemy seeks to cause alienation and separation. From the moment of our birth, a fallen society presses us into compartments and niches that become our private prisons for life. The concept of sex roles is one of those bondages from which the gospel can set us free. Nowhere does the Scripture command us to develop our sex-role awareness as males or females. It calls us—both men and women—to acquire the mind of Christ and to be transformed in His image (Gal. 3:27; Eph. 4:13; Phil. 2:5; and so on). Both men and women are called to develop their ‘inner man,’ which means their basic personhood in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. The ‘fruit of the Spirit,’ or the result of the Holy Spirit’s impact on human personality, is a character that exhibits ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control’ (Gal. 5:22-23). Biblically, such qualities pertain neither to masculinity nor femininity. They are the reflection of the person of Christ Himself” (208, 2^nd ed.).

I have to say that in light of our current culture wars on gender perceptions, this is one of the most encouraging quotes I’ve read in recent years. We seem to get so caught up in styles, trends, and preferences that we lose sight of what really matters. Although we may look to other role models, Jesus is the One who is our supreme example. He perfectly characterizes the fruit that we are to develop as we are conformed to His image.

Clothing, hair, makeup, mannerisms, interests, etc. are constantly changing and have no eternal impact. Heaven is not going to be divided into sections for hippies, geeks, tomboys, or fashionistas. Nor will it be divided by race, denomination, political affiliation, or any other label. There will be only one group—Christ-followers. We know this is true from Scripture, but I think we forget when it comes to daily living.

• “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7b ESV).
• “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (1 Peter 3:3-4).
• “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

The enemy has indeed maximized the opportunity for alienation and division. It is far easier to see how we are different from other people instead of finding what we have in common, as the recent riots in Charlotte have proven. It takes time and effort to see the heart of another person, along with the vulnerability to let others see our hearts. Let’s slow down and think carefully before we endorse or condemn any person or group.

“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).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan. 

Cast Offs

I had started writing this post last week, but was too busy and stressed to finish it. I guess I was intended to wait a few days so that others could contribute to the final product...

I don’t know about anyone else, but I have trouble figuring out how not to be anxious. I went online to look for advice and found a sermon by John Piper on 1 Peter 5:1-11. He rightly points out that “casting all your anxieties on Him” is part of a larger dissertation on humility. Entrusting our cares to God is an essential component of humbling ourselves before Him: “before you can put yourself humbly under God’s mighty hand, you have to put your anxiety confidently in God’s mighty hand.”

Piper mentions that there’s also an element of humbling ourselves before others. I started thinking about all the things that add to my stress and anxiety levels, and how much of that is tied to the pride of self-sufficiency and self-imposed expectations. A few days ago I came up with some questions for myself, many of which are related to questions Pastor Matt asked in his sermon this week. He asked, “How much of your burden is caused by sin and its consequences? ...How much is an effort to keep up an appearance?” So here are the questions I’ve been asking:

• What tasks am I doing that could or should be done by someone else or not at all?
• What deadlines have I set that could be pushed back?
• What is actually required of me for my job or for my church?
• What activities can I cut back without great loss?

Related to all those questions, what would happen if I started saying no to some things? I’m working on revising how I set my priorities based on my answers to those questions:

• It is not necessary for me to attend every scheduled meeting of every board and committee I am on, though some discussions may require my presence.
• It is not necessary for me to have an immediate answer to every possible question, though I will do my best to answer the relevant questions as I can.
• It is not necessary to be at church every time the doors are open, though I do need to be there on a regular basis and remain in fellowship with other believers (Hebrews 10:24-25).
• It is not necessary to read through the Bible in a year, though I do need to read a little each day (2 Timothy 3:16).
• It is not necessary to be fully versed in every point of theology, though I will continue to learn (2 Timothy 2:15).
• It is not even necessary to know exactly how to pray for the complex issues in our world today, though I must pray (Romans 8:26, 1 Timothy 2:1-2).

As Pastor Matt shared last week from his conversation with Paul David Tripp, “God will never give you conflicting callings... Don’t try to do too much.” There are some things we are called to do, but a lot of stress and anxiety could be eliminated if we stopped trying to do things God never called us to do.

So how do we cast our anxieties on God? One way is to prayerfully consider what God requires of you at this time in this situation, then trust that He’ll take care of the rest. It may mean humbly asking for help from other people, or frank conversations about your limitations. It may mean saying no to some new request. It may require seeking guidance and encouragement from your Christian family.

If God has designed us with limitations (since we are not omniscient, omnipresent, or omnipotent), and He has given each of us a unique role in His Body, then He must also provide the capable people to fulfill each task He has ordained. None of us can do it all alone, and we aren’t meant to try. Doing so will only cause us unnecessary stress and anxiety. We can rest in the faith that He’s already provided a way to accomplish His will, and we can cast off those burdens we were never meant to carry.

“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 ESV).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan.

Faith or Fear

Last night I read Genesis 20, where Abraham passes Sarah off as his sister (for the second time!). He tells Abimelech, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’” It’s ironic that he says they don’t fear God, and yet he was the one who deceived them instead of trusting God to protect him. It was the fear of God that caused Abimelech to return Sarah to him untouched. Abraham appears to have feared men more than he feared God.

Don’t we all do that at times? We judge the beliefs of others, but we don’t realize how we are failing to live up to what we say we believe ourselves. We label others as unbelievers or baby Christians, yet our own actions reveal our lack of faith.

The Desiring God blog just posted an article by Jon Bloom, “Lay Aside the Fear of Man.” He writes, “We all experience this fear, and most of us don’t want to admit how serious its tyranny can be… we obey the one we fear.” If we truly believe God is in control and that He loves us more than we can imagine, there’s no real reason to fear anything people can say or do. Men can insult us, fire us, or even kill us, but they cannot separate us from the love of God and eternal life with Him. Perhaps the real problem is that we value this life and its comforts more than we ought. It is enjoyable to be well-liked, gainfully employed, and free from difficulties, but that may not line up with a life of obedience to God.

Abraham had been told he would be the father of many nations (Gen. 15:5) and would live to old age (15:16), yet he didn’t trust that God would protect him in his journeys. It is amusing how many times he felt he had to take matters into his own hands. Yet in spite of their failures, Abraham and Sarah both made it into the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. The other people listed in that chapter had their own mistakes and faults as well. That makes them even better witnesses to God’s grace, mercy, and faithfulness.

It’s good to know that our faith doesn’t have to be perfect all the time. It may ebb and flow, and circumstances may cause us to doubt, but God knows our weakness and desire to trust Him more fully. It’s no coincidence that Hebrews 12 starts out with a reminder to keep looking to Jesus for encouragement and endurance. Only when we keep our eyes in the right place can we trust Him to do all that He has promised. When we start looking for man’s approval, or we see the storms raging around us, we are sure to lose heart and make the wrong choices.

As usual, I’m preaching first to myself. In this week of meetings and frustrations, it was easy to get focused on the wrong things and get bogged down in the details. But as I was reminded by the Sidewalk Prophets song, “You love me anyway.” Ultimately, God’s love is more important than any plans we can make, any budget we can write, or any policies we can pass. His love means more than a comfortable job, a happy home, or civil liberties. Faith in His love and His promises gives us reason to endure, to follow, and to obey.

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28 ESV).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan. 

Broken People

I was skimming through the recent issue of Christianity Today and noticed this quote: “Broken people can’t serve broken people.” They never explained what was meant by that, and it did not make sense in the context of an article about prison ministry. I don’t know what the person intended, but my immediate reaction was “What?! How is that scriptural?” 

In contrast, Phillip Holmes wrote, “I am the man I am today because I have been broken down to my weakest state. God doesn’t use what he cannot break (Proverbs 29:1), and there is no one too firm he cannot shake” (http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/broken-but-grateful).

The Apostle Paul put it this way, “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness,’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9 ESV).

Those who have not been broken do not need to rely on God’s strength. Those who don’t know that they are weak can’t really identify with or minister to the rest of us. Breaking is necessary to make us usable by God. David said, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). God delights in people who have come to the end of themselves and are wholly submitted to His will. His light shines through our broken places.

“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong… so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:27, 29).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan.

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.