I have been listening to gospel music lately. (If you haven't made a Israel Houghton Pandora station, DO IT.) Even non-Christians listen to gospel because of it is so exciting and moving. You can call it emotionalism or whatever you want, but the fact is that, if it's done right by people who really have a heart of worship, gospel music brings a spirit of joy that can be felt even by people who don't know the Lord.
If you know me, which most of you do, you know that I spent a lot of time in graduate school studying American slavery. (Why I would pick such a depressing subject to specialize in, I don't know.) It occurred to me this week that one of the reasons gospel music is so moving is because it is a genre created by people who understood the meaning of freedom. Even during the restrictive and horrific times of Jim Crow laws and government-approved African-American oppression, gospel music was a way for a disadvantaged people group to find purpose. It was a constructive outlet for intense emotions. In addition to that--and this is the reason I've been listening to it this week--gospel music is appealing because it communicates dogged resilience and stubborn perseverance. It's laughing in the face of oppression; it's flagrant rebellion against the lies of a relentless enemy; it's running out in front of an oncoming army and screaming like a madman with the kind of boldness even William Wallace would admire.
Honestly, it's borderline ballistic. But the reason there is an under-melody of joy in gospel music is because it is sung from a position of victory. It is sung by people who have stepped into the light of freedom from a place of intense bondage. They know what slavery is, and they are NOT going back.
Christians of all backgrounds: this is our story.
"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'"-- Romans 8:15
We were all captivated and held hostage by sin until Jesus came and liberated us (Isaiah 61:1). As people who are free, we should be unstoppable, walking in the authority of sons and daughters. We have the keys to Dad's house in our pockets.
But I think that many of us (well, all of us at some point) think like the Israelites after they were liberated from Egypt.
"'...I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.' Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery."--Exodus 6:8-9
All human beings are born into slavery. We are all born into a culture, an onslaught of mindsets, a fallen world that breaks spirits until we submit to slavery. Gospel music emphasizes freedom from slave mentalities that color every thought and action of our daily lives. I think that's why it touches even unbelievers: because they, too, have experienced slavery.
Jesus wore a crown of thorns so that your slave mentality could be redeemed. But sadly, we as Christians are often more content to wander in the wilderness, with a victim mentality and without an identity, eating manna the rest of our lives, than enter the promised land. We've been so brainwashed by the slave master that we can't conceive of a victory that has already been won.
How many of you know: if you're in Christ, you are more than a conqueror simply based on His victory (Romans 8:37). If you still see yourself as a slave or victim, it's in your mind.
I'm not knocking anybody for this, because this week has been an exercise in breaking every thought that comes from fear. I asked the Lord to give me discernment about thoughts that move me deeply, lead me down rabbit trails in my mind, or influence my behavior. If they are thoughts that come from slavery, from fear, they get thrown on a bonfire. If they are a thought from or about Jesus, they get to stay.
There really are only those two choices for any thought in my mind that is deeper than what I'll eat for breakfast or brushing my teeth. Jesus or fear. I'm not over-analyzing every thought (Lord knows I've had enough analyzation)--I've asked for divine discernment from the Spirit of God. And He shows me the origin of the thought before I finish thinking it. It's that simple: keep it or burn it, and go on your merry way. It's so incredibly freeing that it makes me want to sing gospel music from my rooftop.
God created me (and you) to be fearless. This is a kind of fearlessness beyond "having fear and continuing anyway." It's kingdom boldness. It is to literally be without fear in everything because the love of God casts out every consideration but Himself (1 John 4:18). Slaves are afraid; followers of Christ are without fear. I want that so badly. But I can't embrace that identity if I'm agreeing with and submitting to the slave master of fear.
It's not easy to submit your thought life to God. To be honest, I've been holding onto it all this time because--like a true slave--I felt like it was the one thing I could control. But in reality, it was controlling me. In my thoughts, fear was able to creep in and influence my behavior. Worse, it was hijacking my identity, because I hoarded my mind and didn't allow God in. The enemy was able to accuse me of the very things I was afraid to be accused of.
It takes good friends to remind you that broken spirit and harsh slavery are not your identity. Fear is not your identity. It took several people in my life (as resistant as I am) to remind me that I don't have to let fear influence my thought patterns. A good friend (or sibling...thanks, little bro) will tell you, "Your thoughts are, like, ridiculous psycho. Better look at what's motivating that. Hello, you're not a slave."
There were actually slaves after the Civil War who weren't aware that they were free because they were so isolated. They continued to submit to a life of slavery just because no one told them the good news.
I'm telling you today. Jesus has already freed you. The only weapon the devil has is to convince you that you're still a slave. Ask for discernment of your thoughts, because Jesus will surely break every chain in His name.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Genie in a Bottle
I am in a season of what we who speak Christianese call "pruning." It is also referred to as "the winepress." In regular people talk, it's called, "OUCH."
If you want true transformation, if you want to become who He designed you to be, it usually means spiritual heart surgery. The world has influenced our minds with its abuse and ideas. He removes those things to make room for His endless, perfect love: the only thing in the universe that offers us unconditional security and hope.
Through His Holy Spirit (and only through Him), God has brought me such a long way, and freed me from so many wounds and issues that I didn't even know were there, which is awesome. It's just that the process sometimes feels heavy...or like someone is giving you a shot in your soul...a shot with a really long, fat needle that burns and makes you want to slap the nurse. You feel SO MUCH BETTER when it's over, and it doesn't even last that long, but the whole time it's happening, you're screaming, "This is not what I signed up for!" You come in for a lovely little checkup, and you end up having a procedure for a problem you didn't know you had.
Have I made my point clear? God gets rid of the cancer that is killing us. He heals those emotional wounds and the prideful mentalities and the false hopes, replacing them all with the eternal goodness of Himself. But boy is it a rattling process sometimes.
I realized recently that, due to years of of-and-on pruning seasons (and one too many dramatic, taking-yourself-too-seriously worship songs), I tend to think of Holy Spirit as the cosmic killjoy of the Trinity, the mean nurse with all the shots. This is the picture in my head: Jesus is leaping around doing backflips on His white horse and yelling, "I'm King of the Universe!" and Holy Spirit is standing nearby with a scowl like Felix Unger, shaking His head and saying, "Tsk, tsk, Jesus...there is really no need for all these shenanigans. The are people are messed up and MUST be FIXED if I am expected to live inside them. What a dirty job, but...(sigh) someone has to do it. Since you and Daddy are having too much fun, I guess it will have to be me."
I know this sounds ridiculous. When I realized it this week, I was like, "Wait a second....that's not what the Bible says."
I've been re-reading Romans 8, and it's been coming at me from every sermon I've heard over the past week or two, so I guess there's a reason for that. I won't retype the whole thing here, but I think you should go read it for yourself.
To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace (v. 6).
Life and peace. Not stress, hopelessness, and punk alternative music.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17).
What if we really believed that? God Himself--Jesus and the Father--are the Spirit. He's not some awkward third-party body guard, silent and moody, waiting to kick people in the rear end. Nor is He God's enslaved minion, like the Genie from Aladdin, a special friend who just grants selfish wishes whenever we snap our fingers. He's not an afterthought to the Trinity. He is THE Spirit of GOD, with all of God's personality and goodness. And He is Jesus' greatest gift to us, and actually a better part of God to have around even than Jesus in the flesh, because He can live inside of us. Jesus said so Himself (John 16:7).
And Paul goes even further.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control....(Galatians 5:22).
If we work to obtain these things ourselves, we simply can't do it. Yes, you can be successful for a time at managing your behavior....But it's not really about the behavior. If you don't address the root issue that causes unhealthy behaviors, or adopt the right thinking that causes the good behaviors, sin is always going to be a challenge, and you're always going to be fighting it.
But what does Romans say the Spirit brings?...Oh yeah, peace.
So although the pruning process is painful, it's way less painful than spending your life fighting against your own wounds and then internalizing victimization as your identity. This goes WAY deeper, but if you want a great example of "failure to heal," you could just read Judges. It's the story of people recognizing right and wrong, then trying to live up to a moral code without addressing the issues that caused their hearts to want to sin in the first place. They always failed, which resulted in such disasters as people poking out one another's eyeballs, stabbing obese kings to death, and cutting up their own concubines...oh yeah, and then mailing the body parts to different people.....Folks got issues.
"Royal fail" doesn't begin to describe humanity in so many of our failings. But it's really not our fault that we're messed up. I think that when we go through seasons of pruning, we tend to think we're defective. The light of God shines on us (Ephesians 5:13), we see our faults, and we think, "Gosh, how can He ever use me? I'm a hot mess." We even sometimes feel hopeless, like there is no way we will ever overcome these issues, sins, negative thoughts, wrong beliefs.
And let me assure you: we won't. Thanks be to God: it's not up to us, because we can't do it. That's like asking a 2-year-old to perform brain surgery. Even if they were smart enough, they don't have the fine motor skills to even pick up the utensils.
But Holy Spirit does.
And His ultimate goal is not to condemn us or make us feel down on ourselves. He convicts the world of sin, but He convicts God's people of who they are (John 16:8). He doesn't "discipline" us like earthly fathers, who get angry and spank without explanation (Hebrews 12...just read the whole chapter). Rather, God disciples us through His Holy Spirit, leading gently and healing and comforting through Holy Spirit in a way only He can do.
Basically, Holy Spirit doesn't have ulterior motives to crush followers of Jesus into submission to God. He has one aim: to make the love of God known to the world through Jesus Christ. When that love enters, sure, it prunes some things; but it's only clearing things out of the way so we can experience the JOY of knowing the love of the Father through Jesus Christ.
Holy Spirit isn't some mysterious, creepy old sorcerer. He is not a grumpy old man. He is not some floating, enigmatic mist, either. He has a personality. He is actually God Himself coming to live within us. He is deep and rich and sometimes, well, weird. (I mean, regeneration of limbs and being raised from the dead is kind of strange....and these things do happen in the world today. Holy Spirit is working.) He can seem mysterious. However, relationship with Him is really not that complicated. He comes to bring simplicity to our walk with the Lord by revealing the heart of the Father through the Son. And when we get the epitomal revelation that the Father loves us, and in that is our whole identity, we're relieved, filled not with emo songs about rejection and failure, but with joyful songs of worship. (Sorry, Death Cab.)
If you're in a time of pruning, great! God is just de-complicating your spirit to make room for His joy.
From now on, I will picture Holy Spirit smiling and laughing, full of life and the realest kind of love there is.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).
If you want true transformation, if you want to become who He designed you to be, it usually means spiritual heart surgery. The world has influenced our minds with its abuse and ideas. He removes those things to make room for His endless, perfect love: the only thing in the universe that offers us unconditional security and hope.
Through His Holy Spirit (and only through Him), God has brought me such a long way, and freed me from so many wounds and issues that I didn't even know were there, which is awesome. It's just that the process sometimes feels heavy...or like someone is giving you a shot in your soul...a shot with a really long, fat needle that burns and makes you want to slap the nurse. You feel SO MUCH BETTER when it's over, and it doesn't even last that long, but the whole time it's happening, you're screaming, "This is not what I signed up for!" You come in for a lovely little checkup, and you end up having a procedure for a problem you didn't know you had.
Have I made my point clear? God gets rid of the cancer that is killing us. He heals those emotional wounds and the prideful mentalities and the false hopes, replacing them all with the eternal goodness of Himself. But boy is it a rattling process sometimes.
I realized recently that, due to years of of-and-on pruning seasons (and one too many dramatic, taking-yourself-too-seriously worship songs), I tend to think of Holy Spirit as the cosmic killjoy of the Trinity, the mean nurse with all the shots. This is the picture in my head: Jesus is leaping around doing backflips on His white horse and yelling, "I'm King of the Universe!" and Holy Spirit is standing nearby with a scowl like Felix Unger, shaking His head and saying, "Tsk, tsk, Jesus...there is really no need for all these shenanigans. The are people are messed up and MUST be FIXED if I am expected to live inside them. What a dirty job, but...(sigh) someone has to do it. Since you and Daddy are having too much fun, I guess it will have to be me."
I know this sounds ridiculous. When I realized it this week, I was like, "Wait a second....that's not what the Bible says."
I've been re-reading Romans 8, and it's been coming at me from every sermon I've heard over the past week or two, so I guess there's a reason for that. I won't retype the whole thing here, but I think you should go read it for yourself.
To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace (v. 6).
Life and peace. Not stress, hopelessness, and punk alternative music.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17).
What if we really believed that? God Himself--Jesus and the Father--are the Spirit. He's not some awkward third-party body guard, silent and moody, waiting to kick people in the rear end. Nor is He God's enslaved minion, like the Genie from Aladdin, a special friend who just grants selfish wishes whenever we snap our fingers. He's not an afterthought to the Trinity. He is THE Spirit of GOD, with all of God's personality and goodness. And He is Jesus' greatest gift to us, and actually a better part of God to have around even than Jesus in the flesh, because He can live inside of us. Jesus said so Himself (John 16:7).
And Paul goes even further.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control....(Galatians 5:22).
If we work to obtain these things ourselves, we simply can't do it. Yes, you can be successful for a time at managing your behavior....But it's not really about the behavior. If you don't address the root issue that causes unhealthy behaviors, or adopt the right thinking that causes the good behaviors, sin is always going to be a challenge, and you're always going to be fighting it.
But what does Romans say the Spirit brings?...Oh yeah, peace.
So although the pruning process is painful, it's way less painful than spending your life fighting against your own wounds and then internalizing victimization as your identity. This goes WAY deeper, but if you want a great example of "failure to heal," you could just read Judges. It's the story of people recognizing right and wrong, then trying to live up to a moral code without addressing the issues that caused their hearts to want to sin in the first place. They always failed, which resulted in such disasters as people poking out one another's eyeballs, stabbing obese kings to death, and cutting up their own concubines...oh yeah, and then mailing the body parts to different people.....Folks got issues.
"Royal fail" doesn't begin to describe humanity in so many of our failings. But it's really not our fault that we're messed up. I think that when we go through seasons of pruning, we tend to think we're defective. The light of God shines on us (Ephesians 5:13), we see our faults, and we think, "Gosh, how can He ever use me? I'm a hot mess." We even sometimes feel hopeless, like there is no way we will ever overcome these issues, sins, negative thoughts, wrong beliefs.
And let me assure you: we won't. Thanks be to God: it's not up to us, because we can't do it. That's like asking a 2-year-old to perform brain surgery. Even if they were smart enough, they don't have the fine motor skills to even pick up the utensils.
But Holy Spirit does.
And His ultimate goal is not to condemn us or make us feel down on ourselves. He convicts the world of sin, but He convicts God's people of who they are (John 16:8). He doesn't "discipline" us like earthly fathers, who get angry and spank without explanation (Hebrews 12...just read the whole chapter). Rather, God disciples us through His Holy Spirit, leading gently and healing and comforting through Holy Spirit in a way only He can do.
Basically, Holy Spirit doesn't have ulterior motives to crush followers of Jesus into submission to God. He has one aim: to make the love of God known to the world through Jesus Christ. When that love enters, sure, it prunes some things; but it's only clearing things out of the way so we can experience the JOY of knowing the love of the Father through Jesus Christ.
Holy Spirit isn't some mysterious, creepy old sorcerer. He is not a grumpy old man. He is not some floating, enigmatic mist, either. He has a personality. He is actually God Himself coming to live within us. He is deep and rich and sometimes, well, weird. (I mean, regeneration of limbs and being raised from the dead is kind of strange....and these things do happen in the world today. Holy Spirit is working.) He can seem mysterious. However, relationship with Him is really not that complicated. He comes to bring simplicity to our walk with the Lord by revealing the heart of the Father through the Son. And when we get the epitomal revelation that the Father loves us, and in that is our whole identity, we're relieved, filled not with emo songs about rejection and failure, but with joyful songs of worship. (Sorry, Death Cab.)
If you're in a time of pruning, great! God is just de-complicating your spirit to make room for His joy.
From now on, I will picture Holy Spirit smiling and laughing, full of life and the realest kind of love there is.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).
Monday, July 6, 2015
It's a Bird...It's a Plane.....
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.--Ephesians 2:8-10
So I am reminded often of my favorite superhero, Spider-Man. I've wondered before why he is my favorite, but I think it's because Peter Parker is so relatable. He's just a dumb kid from a poor area of town with no social skills and no future (at least in the Tobey Maguire movie version--I am uneducated about the comic books or the more recent films). He's smart, but a lot of good it's doing him...he struggles even to make conversation. He even has a selfish, scared, revengeful heart that causes him to let a burglar get away...and he loses his Uncle Ben because of his own mistake.
Peter Parker is a loser with a capital L. I mean, really: this kid's got NOTHING.
Nothing except a radioactive spider bite that changes his life.
I think that when Marvel published the comic books about Spider-Man, they didn't realize that, in some unorthodox way, they were telling the Christian story.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 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; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:22-30).
That's a hefty chunk of scripture, but what it's saying is that God is so wise that even his "foolishness" (something that looks foolish to the world--the entire message of grace and redemption through Jesus) is way wiser than what we can come up with.
If you feel today that you are an idiot, unaccomplished, lowly, exhausted, worthless, unable to do anything for God: great!! I mean, we'll work on your self-esteem...but when you're at a place of surrender like that, knowing that what God has commissioned us to do is way harder than you could ever accomplish, you're at a wonderful place, because that's just where God can use you.
I mean, think about it: Jesus didn't say "Go out and make converts, beating people in the head with a Bible and telling them to get saved or go to hell." That's actually pretty easy.All you'd have to do is go into the streets, knock a few people around, and go home and eat a hamburger and watch TV, feeling good about yourself for what you've "done for God."
But what Jesus actually said was, "Go out into the world and make disciples" (Matthew 28:16-20). That means having real relationship with people--even people we in our Pharisee mindsets find dirty. It means listening to them, holding them, teaching them, cleaning their wounds, praying for them, and authentically caring about them, sharing our hearts with them as He does and loving them even if they reject and kill you. That's hard stuff. If you think you can accomplish that without the Holy Spirit, you have a rude awakening coming. And, not to be a jerk, but if you think you can do that in your own strength, chances are you're not actually doing it. You've probably skipped straight to the eating a hamburger and feeling smug about yourself part.
It's the truth. And I'm preaching to myself more than anyone.
But thanks be to God, because He humbles us enough to get us out of our own way and lead us to the fulfilling life of ministry He designed from the first.
Think about Batman. He had some SERIOUS childhood issues. He needed therapy. But instead, he adopted a savior complex, built a cool car, hired a genius butler, and tried to redeem his own issues. Sure, he was smart, could learn any number of languages, probably had 25 graduate degrees, and could probably beat even Karate Kid to a pulp. But all of that didn't heal his pain. It did nothing to redeem him. At the end of the day, Batman is just a guy wearing a weird black mask and missing what was stolen from him in his childhood.
Meanwhile, Peter Parker is daydreaming about really cool Batman-esque cars when he accidentally shoots some web out of his wrist and exclaims, "Hey, I didn't know I could do that!"
We are all inept in our human strength, no matter how great and awesome and talented and mysteriously charming we are. The cross brings us to this life-altering revelation. But that's not all. Jesus didn't just die: He was raised from the dead. And the same Spirit that raised Him from the dead lives in YOU, Spirit-filled believer (Romans 8:11). When you start walking in that revelation, you discover powers you didn't know you had...and, haphazardly, probably clumsily, but definitely with eternal effects, you start living the Great Commission.
Like Batman, I was a scholar, an intellectual, someone who often didn't stop to listen to the Holy Spirit because, obviously, I already knew exactly what to do. God had to show me more and more that being a snotty little hipster was basically as weird as dressing up in a black skin-tight outfit and trying to save the world by myself. I'm not getting down on myself here; God gave me tremendous talents and skills. I am very blessed. But it tends to be the talented of us who put the most pressure on ourselves. It tends to be the over-achievers who invest most of our identity in what we can do. I want you to experience this relief today: it's not about you. It's all about Jesus.
While my own talents can accomplish a lot in the world, and even make a few people's lives better, they can't bring them the deep, personal, intimate healing, joy, and love that God wants to give everyone. Without Him, I can't bring freedom to a lost and dying world. I'm just a person with a savior complex who needs therapy.
When I look at myself from an eternal, cosmic perspective, I look a lot like Peter Parker: I got nothing...just a lot of pride and maybe some photography skills. I'm really glad the saving of the world doesn't depend on me, because, frankly, the world would have no hope. Instead, we have an eternal hope: Jesus Christ...who, by the way, already saved the world and probably looked way better (and less creepy) than Batman doing it.
Jesus said, "Turn and become like children." Children want to be superheros. They dream of great things, and they know they can't get there by themselves. Like them, we need a radioactive spider bite from Holy Spirit. And what a beautiful, tremendous relief it is to discover that, in the consistency and perfection of God, NOTHING depends on your skill, wisdom, intellect, beauty, or ability to build really cool cars. It all depends on Him, so just go for what He's telling you to do. Even if you're imperfect, He's still going to make it happen, because He is perfect.
I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted (Job 42:2).
It's the great joke of the gospel: God is so awesome that He can make even a talking donkey (Numbers 22) or rocks accomplish His purposes (Luke 19:40). His foolishness is wiser than men.
But He doesn't use rocks. He can do what He wants in spite of us, but He desires to do it with us. That's the gospel.
If you're talented, great. But don't put so much pressure on yourself to achieve, because that only leads to paralyzing fear, anxiety, and failure. Only when you realize it's not up to you will you start walking in the boldness He's called you to--and you will really change the world.
I don't normally read the Message, since it's such a paraphrase translation, but I like how it gives life to Matthew 11:28-30. So that's the thought I want to leave with you, the sweet, relieving invitation of Jesus:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
For an over-achiever like me, this is good news. Happy web-slinging, folks.
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Half-Full? That doesn't sound like the gospel to me....
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.--Psalm 23:5
Can you imagine a soldier going out on the very front of the battle lines, sitting down at a banquet table, humming as he ties on one of those Red Lobster bibs, and eating a scrumptious meal as if nothing were going on? Think about the faces of the enemy as they march toward him. They would probably look at each other like, "What does this guy think he's doing?"
With God, that's basically what we get to do. This verse doesn't say, "God shows me a place to cower and hide from my big meany-britches enemies until they go away." It says that He prepares a table (read: the most DELICIOUS heavenly buffet EVER), even when the enemy is prowling around.
Eat that, devil.
I think our "enemies" are often not physical people that want to chop our heads off, like they were in King David's day. I think, for us in the Western world at least, "enemies" are far more insidious, and they want to do to us spiritually what King Saul wanted to do to David: spear us to a wall....or at least cripple or maim us.
Unfortunately, they are often successful.
I'm talking about fear and an earth-bound mentality.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.--Colossians 3:1-3
Things that are above. Why did Paul have to write this twice? Because, although these Christians were born-again in their spirits, their minds were still concerned about their earthly lives.
I don't want you to quit your job and spend three weeks on your face in prayer. (I mean, unless God tells you to. In that case, right on, brother.) We're not meant to go around like zombies, only thinking about roses and clouds and bumping into door frames. It was Paul who said, "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10). But we're also not meant to treat work as a treadmill, an endless task, believing that WE are the ones providing for ourselves--that our earthly comforts depend completely on us. We are not meant to be afraid of earthly tasks--afraid to do them, or afraid not to do them.
I think what this verse from Colossians means is this, Stop worrying about yourself and thinking too far into the future about your physical needs. By the same token, stop over-spiritualizing every earthly detail of your life. Just work together with His energy, remembering who you are and from whom your provision comes.
You CAN accomplish your tasks in this earthly life--just do it to the rhythms of my grace, knowing that this isn't the end or the object. Your earthly life is a mist (James 4:14). Stop being afraid of a future that isn't here. Have confidence in your Redeemer. Remember that you're a son or daughter of the King, and your treasure is with Him.
It's the biblical equivalent of James Earl Jones's voice in The Lion King: "Remember, Simbaaaa....remember who you are...." (Speaking of over-spiritualizing earthly things....) I mean, as soon as Simba realized his identity, he was empowered to take back the kingdom. Because it really wasn't about his uncle or who was in charge of the pridelands--that was earthly stuff. It was about his relationship with his father, and realizing that he was royalty. (I KNOW my Disney references bear witness with some of y'all in your spirit...don't even lie!)
I tend to err on the side of over-working rather than under-working, fearing that if I don't "get ahead" financially (as if I can foresee what my expenses will be), I will "fall behind" (whatever that means). At the same time, I also sometimes become paralyzed when faced with earthly choices (as meaningful as jobs or as insignificant as ordering at a restaurant) because I fear making a "wrong choice" and suffering regret. I have consistently over-thought decisions I have had to make. The conflict between indecision and overworking is what causes pretty much every kind of stress I have felt in my life. I'm being real. I know y'all are following me.
This week, God has ordered me specifically to rest and not work. (And, to emphasize the point, He removed whatever work schedule I could have had...He knows me too well.) This is hard for me, because Earthly Mentality #1 (WORK WORK WORK) started pounding in my head. Earthly Mentality #2 (THINK THINK THINK) decided to join the party as well. The result was mild depression, a symptom of fear.
But, as I have obeyed and spent much time in prayer and worship, I learned some things about the heart of the Father. It's only Wednesday, and already I have had two unexpected work opportunities open up for me for greater financial blessing and experience. Not only that, but I've had several ministry opportunities, which I've been able to take advantage of due to my open schedule.
Basically, He is working it out better than I could have with all my planning, strategizing, scheming, or worrying.
Over and over again, He has to say to me, "Relax, honey. I promise you, I got this. You're going to like my plan way better than yours."
The pivotal truth is this: we are in Christ. There is no need to be concerned about earthly things. Be responsible for them, and live your life, but don't allow fear of them--of not doing it right, of not having enough, of failure--keep you from accomplishing things in the spiritual realm.
I think sometimes we fear making a "wrong decision," so we make no decision. We do nothing. We become paralyzed by fear, too concerned about our earthly lives to break free from them, or even to live them at all. We either run around like crazy hamsters on wheels, or we sit down and play video games all day. We go around trying to find out if the glass is half-empty or half-full, trying to create in ourselves a "good attitude" or to convince ourselves that our bad attitude is prophetic, a signal of negative things to come.
But people who created that metaphor are all wrong when it comes to Christians. We don't see the glass as half-full OR half-empty. Our attitudes aren't limited by what the world sees. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), which makes for a pretty good view. We know our work in the world is important, but it's nothing compared with eternity. We don't rely on ourselves for understanding, like people of the earth, anxiously peering into the glass and measuring drop by drop.
We don't have to try to overcome our "bad attitudes" or to manufacture some kind of "good attitude"--we have a God attitude. Our way of thinking is genetic. It comes from our Father.
We can have perfect peace when the whole world is in chaos, because we get something they don't. We understand that the cup isn't the object. The Living Water is....and our cup overflows. Half-full or half-empty isn't really a question.
You have no reason to fear. God has set a five-course banquet and fancy silverware before you in the presence of your fears, because they're only smoke screens and lies. You are a child of the King. Eat up. And drink up, too, because your supply will never run out.
"If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"--Jesus (John 7:37-38)
Can you imagine a soldier going out on the very front of the battle lines, sitting down at a banquet table, humming as he ties on one of those Red Lobster bibs, and eating a scrumptious meal as if nothing were going on? Think about the faces of the enemy as they march toward him. They would probably look at each other like, "What does this guy think he's doing?"
With God, that's basically what we get to do. This verse doesn't say, "God shows me a place to cower and hide from my big meany-britches enemies until they go away." It says that He prepares a table (read: the most DELICIOUS heavenly buffet EVER), even when the enemy is prowling around.
Eat that, devil.
I think our "enemies" are often not physical people that want to chop our heads off, like they were in King David's day. I think, for us in the Western world at least, "enemies" are far more insidious, and they want to do to us spiritually what King Saul wanted to do to David: spear us to a wall....or at least cripple or maim us.
Unfortunately, they are often successful.
I'm talking about fear and an earth-bound mentality.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.--Colossians 3:1-3
Things that are above. Why did Paul have to write this twice? Because, although these Christians were born-again in their spirits, their minds were still concerned about their earthly lives.
I don't want you to quit your job and spend three weeks on your face in prayer. (I mean, unless God tells you to. In that case, right on, brother.) We're not meant to go around like zombies, only thinking about roses and clouds and bumping into door frames. It was Paul who said, "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10). But we're also not meant to treat work as a treadmill, an endless task, believing that WE are the ones providing for ourselves--that our earthly comforts depend completely on us. We are not meant to be afraid of earthly tasks--afraid to do them, or afraid not to do them.
I think what this verse from Colossians means is this, Stop worrying about yourself and thinking too far into the future about your physical needs. By the same token, stop over-spiritualizing every earthly detail of your life. Just work together with His energy, remembering who you are and from whom your provision comes.
You CAN accomplish your tasks in this earthly life--just do it to the rhythms of my grace, knowing that this isn't the end or the object. Your earthly life is a mist (James 4:14). Stop being afraid of a future that isn't here. Have confidence in your Redeemer. Remember that you're a son or daughter of the King, and your treasure is with Him.
It's the biblical equivalent of James Earl Jones's voice in The Lion King: "Remember, Simbaaaa....remember who you are...." (Speaking of over-spiritualizing earthly things....) I mean, as soon as Simba realized his identity, he was empowered to take back the kingdom. Because it really wasn't about his uncle or who was in charge of the pridelands--that was earthly stuff. It was about his relationship with his father, and realizing that he was royalty. (I KNOW my Disney references bear witness with some of y'all in your spirit...don't even lie!)
I tend to err on the side of over-working rather than under-working, fearing that if I don't "get ahead" financially (as if I can foresee what my expenses will be), I will "fall behind" (whatever that means). At the same time, I also sometimes become paralyzed when faced with earthly choices (as meaningful as jobs or as insignificant as ordering at a restaurant) because I fear making a "wrong choice" and suffering regret. I have consistently over-thought decisions I have had to make. The conflict between indecision and overworking is what causes pretty much every kind of stress I have felt in my life. I'm being real. I know y'all are following me.
This week, God has ordered me specifically to rest and not work. (And, to emphasize the point, He removed whatever work schedule I could have had...He knows me too well.) This is hard for me, because Earthly Mentality #1 (WORK WORK WORK) started pounding in my head. Earthly Mentality #2 (THINK THINK THINK) decided to join the party as well. The result was mild depression, a symptom of fear.
But, as I have obeyed and spent much time in prayer and worship, I learned some things about the heart of the Father. It's only Wednesday, and already I have had two unexpected work opportunities open up for me for greater financial blessing and experience. Not only that, but I've had several ministry opportunities, which I've been able to take advantage of due to my open schedule.
Basically, He is working it out better than I could have with all my planning, strategizing, scheming, or worrying.
Over and over again, He has to say to me, "Relax, honey. I promise you, I got this. You're going to like my plan way better than yours."
The pivotal truth is this: we are in Christ. There is no need to be concerned about earthly things. Be responsible for them, and live your life, but don't allow fear of them--of not doing it right, of not having enough, of failure--keep you from accomplishing things in the spiritual realm.
I think sometimes we fear making a "wrong decision," so we make no decision. We do nothing. We become paralyzed by fear, too concerned about our earthly lives to break free from them, or even to live them at all. We either run around like crazy hamsters on wheels, or we sit down and play video games all day. We go around trying to find out if the glass is half-empty or half-full, trying to create in ourselves a "good attitude" or to convince ourselves that our bad attitude is prophetic, a signal of negative things to come.
But people who created that metaphor are all wrong when it comes to Christians. We don't see the glass as half-full OR half-empty. Our attitudes aren't limited by what the world sees. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), which makes for a pretty good view. We know our work in the world is important, but it's nothing compared with eternity. We don't rely on ourselves for understanding, like people of the earth, anxiously peering into the glass and measuring drop by drop.
We don't have to try to overcome our "bad attitudes" or to manufacture some kind of "good attitude"--we have a God attitude. Our way of thinking is genetic. It comes from our Father.
We can have perfect peace when the whole world is in chaos, because we get something they don't. We understand that the cup isn't the object. The Living Water is....and our cup overflows. Half-full or half-empty isn't really a question.
You have no reason to fear. God has set a five-course banquet and fancy silverware before you in the presence of your fears, because they're only smoke screens and lies. You are a child of the King. Eat up. And drink up, too, because your supply will never run out.
"If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"--Jesus (John 7:37-38)
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Don't Burn the Onions
"I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted."--Job 42:2
Onions need to be cooked at a low temperature, because if you get your skillet too hot, you're going to burn the butter and blacken the onions. You will end up with a sizzling mess.
But I have a bad habit when it comes to cooking onions. Impatience, twenty-first-century addiction to instant gratification, and simple hunger kick in. I end up turning the temperature high because I want my onions to cook faster. As a result, instead of perfectly tender onion strips, I end up with pieces that are black on one side and raw on the other. This makes for a meal that is ready faster but is not nearly as appetizing as one that is timed properly.
Just like I have a hunger for dinner, I have a strong hunger for full-time ministry. (This blog is going to speak to those of you who have the same desire.) I want the bing bang boom of the Christian life: moving to a third-world country, adopting some orphans, picking out people's lice, praying for the sick, casting out demons--everything. I have a wild imagination. I want to do the stuff that other people say I'm crazy for doing. I want the fire! I want the kind of life people want to read books about....you know, books like Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I'm into the epic stuff, the Acts life, the sell-all-you-have-and-follow-me directive. (At least, this is what I tell people.)
I'm a pretty extreme person. Any onion I've ever cooked can testify to that. (Can I get a witness?? ...Nope, they're all burned to a crisp.)
I wanna get to it. Sometimes my everyday American life (Texas style) seems to have about as much flavor as a saltine cracker compared to the Asian buffet adventures I dream up for myself. I can get restless and impatient--even though moving here and teaching elementary school were steps of faith, pretty extreme. In fact, they were exactly what God told me to do.
I was half-mindedly contemplating all of this while cooking dinner recently. As I struggled impatiently to watch slow onions cook, I considered turning them up. But God said to me, Stop. Don't burn the onions.
Just as it takes the perfect amount of time and temperature to cook onions to the perfect consistency, so it takes just the right conditions for God's plan for me to come to pass in the way He intends. He's the cook, not me. He knows just how to spice, just how to stir, just how much time He needs to get it just right. It's not that I'm a smelly, belligerent, raw onion; it's just that the big plan is much more intricate than I can imagine and involves way more people than I would choose to involve in my onion-burning impatience. Since He created me, He knows perfectly how to prepare my life.
While He cooks, the table must be set. Other dishes must be prepared, other ingredients chopped, other pots boiled. If I neglect to do those things and concentrate only on the onions, I will end up with nothing for dinner but burnt onions.
See what I mean?
I know it's a cheesy metaphor, but I think you're tracking with me.
What's more, if you rush His process trying to get to your big dream, you miss the amazing gifts He has placed in your path.
Picture a wife on date night with her husband. She knows they're going to her favorite restaurant, because he's already told her. She can't stop thinking about that big, juicy steak that she knows is waiting for her. So she throws aside the chocolates, the little notes left all over the house, the conversation in the car, the whole movie he brings her to watch (which she asked to see in the first place). She completely ignores her husband, in fact, because she wants to eat steak.
Getting the picture? The husband doesn't care as much about the steak as he does about spending time with his bride.
Like I say, I know all this sounds pretty cheesy, and I don't like sounding cheesy. I am not trying to give you prescribed answers to fix your spiritual problems. I know firsthand: waiting is HARD, especially if what you're waiting for is something you've been promised by God Himself, something you know is so wonderful and so amazing and beyond your wildest dreams because, after all, He does for us beyond what we could ask, think, or even imagine (Ephesians 3:20). It's easy for restlessness to kick in. Restlessness breeds impatience; and impatience, resentment.
That's a dangerous combo, people...hot enough to scorch any meal the Celestial Chef is trying to prepare.
Not that you can really ruin His plan for your life anyway. But you can make it way less fun than He intended for it to be for you.
I don't mean we shouldn't contend for those big ministry dreams we have. We should definitely ask for and pursue them. Actually, I believe we should hold on to those dreams, because they're already happening. We should remember that God is a right now God. In His eyes, the ministry is already around you right now. Don't forget to set the table because you're so ready to eat. Don't neglect to stop and pray for a stranger, feed the orphans, be faithful at work, train your tongue, forgive your family member, serve at church, wash someone's feet, because you are "waiting" for "big ministry" to happen.
You're called. Don't make excuses for not doing what is right in front of you. If you don't do small things now, you'll probably wimp out about big things later. (I may already know about this from experience, so don't think I'm condemning you.)
But also remember that you can relax and rest easy, because the One who does the ministry isn't you. Not only is ministry being done through you, it is being done on you, like, at the same time!
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).
He prepares everything for the meal beforehand, then cooks it for you. Don't forsake a single morsel of the feast prepared for you by a God who cares more about the details and the big picture than you do. Believe me, if He promised it, He will do it.
Onions really don't take that long to cook, anyway.
Onions need to be cooked at a low temperature, because if you get your skillet too hot, you're going to burn the butter and blacken the onions. You will end up with a sizzling mess.
But I have a bad habit when it comes to cooking onions. Impatience, twenty-first-century addiction to instant gratification, and simple hunger kick in. I end up turning the temperature high because I want my onions to cook faster. As a result, instead of perfectly tender onion strips, I end up with pieces that are black on one side and raw on the other. This makes for a meal that is ready faster but is not nearly as appetizing as one that is timed properly.
Just like I have a hunger for dinner, I have a strong hunger for full-time ministry. (This blog is going to speak to those of you who have the same desire.) I want the bing bang boom of the Christian life: moving to a third-world country, adopting some orphans, picking out people's lice, praying for the sick, casting out demons--everything. I have a wild imagination. I want to do the stuff that other people say I'm crazy for doing. I want the fire! I want the kind of life people want to read books about....you know, books like Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I'm into the epic stuff, the Acts life, the sell-all-you-have-and-follow-me directive. (At least, this is what I tell people.)
I'm a pretty extreme person. Any onion I've ever cooked can testify to that. (Can I get a witness?? ...Nope, they're all burned to a crisp.)
I wanna get to it. Sometimes my everyday American life (Texas style) seems to have about as much flavor as a saltine cracker compared to the Asian buffet adventures I dream up for myself. I can get restless and impatient--even though moving here and teaching elementary school were steps of faith, pretty extreme. In fact, they were exactly what God told me to do.
I was half-mindedly contemplating all of this while cooking dinner recently. As I struggled impatiently to watch slow onions cook, I considered turning them up. But God said to me, Stop. Don't burn the onions.
Just as it takes the perfect amount of time and temperature to cook onions to the perfect consistency, so it takes just the right conditions for God's plan for me to come to pass in the way He intends. He's the cook, not me. He knows just how to spice, just how to stir, just how much time He needs to get it just right. It's not that I'm a smelly, belligerent, raw onion; it's just that the big plan is much more intricate than I can imagine and involves way more people than I would choose to involve in my onion-burning impatience. Since He created me, He knows perfectly how to prepare my life.
While He cooks, the table must be set. Other dishes must be prepared, other ingredients chopped, other pots boiled. If I neglect to do those things and concentrate only on the onions, I will end up with nothing for dinner but burnt onions.
See what I mean?
I know it's a cheesy metaphor, but I think you're tracking with me.
What's more, if you rush His process trying to get to your big dream, you miss the amazing gifts He has placed in your path.
Picture a wife on date night with her husband. She knows they're going to her favorite restaurant, because he's already told her. She can't stop thinking about that big, juicy steak that she knows is waiting for her. So she throws aside the chocolates, the little notes left all over the house, the conversation in the car, the whole movie he brings her to watch (which she asked to see in the first place). She completely ignores her husband, in fact, because she wants to eat steak.
Getting the picture? The husband doesn't care as much about the steak as he does about spending time with his bride.
Like I say, I know all this sounds pretty cheesy, and I don't like sounding cheesy. I am not trying to give you prescribed answers to fix your spiritual problems. I know firsthand: waiting is HARD, especially if what you're waiting for is something you've been promised by God Himself, something you know is so wonderful and so amazing and beyond your wildest dreams because, after all, He does for us beyond what we could ask, think, or even imagine (Ephesians 3:20). It's easy for restlessness to kick in. Restlessness breeds impatience; and impatience, resentment.
That's a dangerous combo, people...hot enough to scorch any meal the Celestial Chef is trying to prepare.
Not that you can really ruin His plan for your life anyway. But you can make it way less fun than He intended for it to be for you.
I don't mean we shouldn't contend for those big ministry dreams we have. We should definitely ask for and pursue them. Actually, I believe we should hold on to those dreams, because they're already happening. We should remember that God is a right now God. In His eyes, the ministry is already around you right now. Don't forget to set the table because you're so ready to eat. Don't neglect to stop and pray for a stranger, feed the orphans, be faithful at work, train your tongue, forgive your family member, serve at church, wash someone's feet, because you are "waiting" for "big ministry" to happen.
You're called. Don't make excuses for not doing what is right in front of you. If you don't do small things now, you'll probably wimp out about big things later. (I may already know about this from experience, so don't think I'm condemning you.)
But also remember that you can relax and rest easy, because the One who does the ministry isn't you. Not only is ministry being done through you, it is being done on you, like, at the same time!
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).
He prepares everything for the meal beforehand, then cooks it for you. Don't forsake a single morsel of the feast prepared for you by a God who cares more about the details and the big picture than you do. Believe me, if He promised it, He will do it.
Onions really don't take that long to cook, anyway.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Re-Mind
When I was a little kid, I used to be terrified that carnivorous animals would escape from the zoo and eat my family while we were asleep. I would lie in bed and think about this with my covers pulled completely over my head, sweating it out (it was Mississippi, after all) and breathing through a tiny air hole that I formed in the blanket.
Obviously I knew how stupid this was, even as a seven-year-old; I mean, on the off chance that tigers and lions did escape from the zoo, they were unlikely to hike the 5.6 miles to our house, somehow break in the window, and eat us when there were plenty of other tasty cats, dogs, and Mississippi wildlife in between.
I knew that it was crazy, yet I still lay perfectly still, without a sound, as I tried to fall asleep some nights, my imagination running wild.
We all know the verse: ...for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7).
Let's look at it in the Amplified Bible: For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.
Boy, is that a mouthful.
When I first started this blog, I wrote a post about this very verse. But now I want to elaborate even more.
Paul assures Timothy that fear is not from God. It's a gag gift from the devil. On the outside, it looks nicely wrapped with a bow on top, but when you rip off the paper, it's really not what you wanted at all. But this verse goes even deeper than that, because Paul is defining what fear is not. I think it's interesting the things that are listed in opposition to fear in this verse.
Fear is not power, love, or a sound mind. In fact, where those things exist, fear flees.
It's obvious that if you see the power of God visually displayed (like watching someone healed before your eyes, for example), you're going to lose a lot of fear. And it's amazing how being fully assured of someone's love really takes the edge off of insecurity. How much more so a revelation of the totality and purity of the love of the Father, the Creator of the universe?
But when you combine power and love, you get the third element here: a sound mind. (Clearly not what I possessed when I was cowering under the sheets as a kid.)
Fear is the opposite of "a sound mind." Hm.
We could take apart every element of a "sound mind" listed in the Amplified Bible and then spin out on a "self-control" tangent, but let's keep it simple. Think about a "sound mind" in terms of being "level-headed" and "disciplined." Then consider what the world calls "a sound mind, level-headed, disciplined"...or at least, the American middle class.
We would say financial security, a 401k, a house with two and a half baths, and the respect of a community are "sound" pursuits. "Look before you leap," we would say. "Don't take risks," we would say. "Are you really going to do that?" we would ask. All of our advertisements hook us by selling us comfort and security. I'm sure those of us who are concerned about breaking-and-entering zoo animals are much comforted by ADT ads. We spend our time pursuing what the world calls "good" and what looks to us like it is secure. Every day, we are afraid that these things will suddenly disappear, and we work hard to keep them in our possession (which is what we consider "discipline").
We call it all kinds of things: "Practicality," "being responsible," "providing for your future," "keeping yourself safe." The truth of the matter is that all of these are nicknames for humanity's closest friend, Mr. Fear.
I'm not saying there's anything wrong with a 401k. (To be honest, I don't really know what a 401k is, but I know lots of people have them.) And I believe in planning for the future. But I also believe in hoping for the future. And if your future is in your 401k, then you're not really hoping in much, are you? I want my hope to be eternal, the steadfast anchor of my soul (Hebrews 6:19). If you're anchored by your financial stability, your house, a relationship...your anchor is not steadfast. It's not going to hold.
Your mind is not sound, because you are motivated by security in the temporal, not security in the eternal.
We've all heard this idea put this way: "Well, you have to hold on to Jesus, because what if there's a flood or you go bankrupt? He's going to be all you have left." We think of our earthly possessions with a loss mentality. We think of Jesus as backup for our earthly security--just another insurance policy. Insurance is about loss.
But I think God wants us to have a gain mentality when it comes to our relationship with Christ.
Paul said, "I count every [earthly] thing as loss" (Philippians 3:8)--not because it was literally lost, or because he expected it to be, but because his mind was focused on "the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ." Jesus isn't "all we have left." He is the beginning and end of what we have. (Or haven't you read Revelation?)
You see, God doesn't want you to put your hope in Him because He is going to destroy your house in a flood or cause you to go bankrupt. He wants you to have your hope in Him, in spite of how materially blessed you are, because He wants to give you so much more spiritually than you have in the natural.
(I wrote another post about hope a few months ago. Yes, I realize how pretentious it is to cross-reference yourself more than once in your own blog. Jesus is laughing at me right now, since initially I balked at the idea of blogging because it was for "pretentious people.")
Fear is negative hope. It's "I hope this doesn't happen," rather than "I know God's heart toward me is so good that I am going to step out and do this crazy thing, because He won't let me fall."
The reason I know this is because I've experienced this type of rational-irrational fear. For example, sometimes I will catch myself being afraid to check the mail in case there is bad news, a bill, some type of letter saying I've committed some type of traffic violation I wasn't even aware existed. Silly, right? As children of God, we have the divine privilege to expect good news, because that's our reality. I'm not saying we never get a bill, but to be terrified of checking the mail just because we have wild imaginations is ridiculous. As a child of God, I am more likely to find $150 worth of anonymously-sent gift cards (true story) than a citation for accidentally breaking a rule I didn't even know about (which has never happened).
Whenever I get that ridiculous, sudden hiding-under-the-covers terror--of anything--I have to remind myself of who I am in Christ. I have to return that gag gift to the devil, because the joke's on him: in Christ, I'm forever totally fearless.
Don't focus on the fear of losing your reputation or your stuff. Your stuff earthly life isn't your backup for your heavenly life. Jesus is Plan A. There is no Plan B. Catching hold of this revelation is what having a "sound mind" is. It's seeing your life in terms of the supernatural rather than the natural.
I'm not saying everyone needs to sell all they own today, move to a foreign country, and adopt a bunch of orphans. (Although there are many people who have done that completely in faith at God's word.) I'm just suggesting that you examine your attitude. If God tells you to do something, to give something away, you must be ready to do it immediately, knowing He's going to care for you much better than you could. If He asks you to go somewhere dangerous, know that you are doubly and triply protected because He's the one sending you there...after all, He is the Lord of Hosts. (And from what I hear about warrior angels, I don't want to mess with them.) If He asks you to take a risk--even if it involves possible or even certain loss of earthly security--know deep in your heart that it will be a risk well worth taking. Be eager to follow after Him, because I promise you, you will be much better off if you do.
Why can believers have a "sound mind" even in the scariest of circumstances? Because we aren't looking with human eyes, beloved. We are looking with heavenly perspective.
Do you know where Jesus was when His disciples were freaking out about a storm going on all around them? He was asleep, my friend, in the bottom of the boat (Mark 4:38). This was a small enough boat that water was probably splashing all over His face; but He knew, "Hey, I can rest easy. My dad has got this."
We as believers aren't just getting saved and then hiding out in a bunker, waiting to die and go to heaven. Additionally, we aren't chumming it up with Jesus in the hopes that He will glance our way when something bad happens to us. We are not meant to try to understand the supernatural through the natural; we are meant to do the opposite. We are meant to see heaven on earth. What's more, we're meant to bring it here. That was kind of the point all along. Instead of allowing Adam to stay in the Garden, God reversed the whole sin problem so that the Garden could extend all over the earth.
You live in the Garden, and the Garden lives inside of you...because the Garden is Jesus Christ.
The fact is, God can see to your needs way way WAY better than you can. Trust me. He's got a plan for you, if you'd only just let Him do it....but more on that in my next blog.
I think a biblical "sound mind" is the opposite of everything the world would say it is. It's being completely fearless to seek after all that God has for you.
If you don't have a close relationship with the Holy Spirit, this probably sounds completely foreign to you. And for those people, maybe that is the fear you have to overcome first. You don't need a mediator anymore, some other person who tells you what the Lord says--Jesus did away with that when He ripped the temple to the Holy of Holies in two (Matthew 27:51). I would encourage you to risk seeking intimacy with the Lord through the Holy Spirit. Listen to what He wants to tell you, even if you are afraid of being "that crazy person who thinks she hears from God." (The author of this blog was once afraid of the exact same thing.)
Then, even crazier: when He tells you to do something, do it.
The fact is, even if you don't feel like you hear from the Lord, He still tells us in the Bible to do crazy things. So if you believe the Bible, then you're already being challenged to live a fearless lifestyle, nothing short of crazy. (Go read Acts if you don't believe me.) The faith examples given in Hebrews 11 are Abraham, Sarah, and Moses--all of whom had great power, authority, and blessing in spite of their own failures...but none of whom were exactly considered "sane" by their friends and relatives. If you really follow the Word of God, the world will say, "Wow, that person really has an unsound mind." (Or, in colloquial terms, "That girl cray-cray!")
Really, you have no excuse for being boring, because you're not in your born-again spirit! If you are, then you're just pretending. Time for your cover to get blown and for you to embrace the crazy adventure God designed specifically for you.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 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 12:1-2).
Man. I know your eyeballs are already hurting, so I won't unpack that verse like I want to. But notice this: the "sacrifice" here is giving up thinking in the flesh. Your flesh, in fact, is "holy and acceptable to God," because Jesus made it that way--and that includes all your stuff as well as your body. Present your security in the earthly realm to God, who is the only one who can actually make your earthly life secure. And then renew your mind, which means simply this: to see the heavenly realm in the natural. To see that YOU are His will in Christ Jesus. To see that, in His Son, YOU are "good and acceptable and perfect."
To renew your mind is to feed on Scripture and know who you are, then make every decision based on that and NOT on fear. THAT'S a sound mind.
(Whew, finally got to my point. I know you're relieved, ten pages later.)
Ironically, when I was a kid hiding under the covers, I had security. My parents were in the very next room. My house was secure (along with the gates of the zoo, I am sure). I was protected. I just didn't believe it.
I really think that when we consider the greatness of our God, all of our fears are actually that illegitimate. And, just as I was never scared during the day when I was actually playing outside, vulnerable to lions, I consider that the fear of earthly loss is completely silly when revealed in the light of the Bright and Morning Star, Jesus. So renew your mind with that. Take on that new mentality. Re-mind yourself, if you will. You'll see with heavenly eyes, and you'll never look back.
Obviously I knew how stupid this was, even as a seven-year-old; I mean, on the off chance that tigers and lions did escape from the zoo, they were unlikely to hike the 5.6 miles to our house, somehow break in the window, and eat us when there were plenty of other tasty cats, dogs, and Mississippi wildlife in between.
I knew that it was crazy, yet I still lay perfectly still, without a sound, as I tried to fall asleep some nights, my imagination running wild.
We all know the verse: ...for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7).
Let's look at it in the Amplified Bible: For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.
Boy, is that a mouthful.
When I first started this blog, I wrote a post about this very verse. But now I want to elaborate even more.
Paul assures Timothy that fear is not from God. It's a gag gift from the devil. On the outside, it looks nicely wrapped with a bow on top, but when you rip off the paper, it's really not what you wanted at all. But this verse goes even deeper than that, because Paul is defining what fear is not. I think it's interesting the things that are listed in opposition to fear in this verse.
Fear is not power, love, or a sound mind. In fact, where those things exist, fear flees.
It's obvious that if you see the power of God visually displayed (like watching someone healed before your eyes, for example), you're going to lose a lot of fear. And it's amazing how being fully assured of someone's love really takes the edge off of insecurity. How much more so a revelation of the totality and purity of the love of the Father, the Creator of the universe?
But when you combine power and love, you get the third element here: a sound mind. (Clearly not what I possessed when I was cowering under the sheets as a kid.)
Fear is the opposite of "a sound mind." Hm.
We could take apart every element of a "sound mind" listed in the Amplified Bible and then spin out on a "self-control" tangent, but let's keep it simple. Think about a "sound mind" in terms of being "level-headed" and "disciplined." Then consider what the world calls "a sound mind, level-headed, disciplined"...or at least, the American middle class.
We would say financial security, a 401k, a house with two and a half baths, and the respect of a community are "sound" pursuits. "Look before you leap," we would say. "Don't take risks," we would say. "Are you really going to do that?" we would ask. All of our advertisements hook us by selling us comfort and security. I'm sure those of us who are concerned about breaking-and-entering zoo animals are much comforted by ADT ads. We spend our time pursuing what the world calls "good" and what looks to us like it is secure. Every day, we are afraid that these things will suddenly disappear, and we work hard to keep them in our possession (which is what we consider "discipline").
We call it all kinds of things: "Practicality," "being responsible," "providing for your future," "keeping yourself safe." The truth of the matter is that all of these are nicknames for humanity's closest friend, Mr. Fear.
I'm not saying there's anything wrong with a 401k. (To be honest, I don't really know what a 401k is, but I know lots of people have them.) And I believe in planning for the future. But I also believe in hoping for the future. And if your future is in your 401k, then you're not really hoping in much, are you? I want my hope to be eternal, the steadfast anchor of my soul (Hebrews 6:19). If you're anchored by your financial stability, your house, a relationship...your anchor is not steadfast. It's not going to hold.
Your mind is not sound, because you are motivated by security in the temporal, not security in the eternal.
We've all heard this idea put this way: "Well, you have to hold on to Jesus, because what if there's a flood or you go bankrupt? He's going to be all you have left." We think of our earthly possessions with a loss mentality. We think of Jesus as backup for our earthly security--just another insurance policy. Insurance is about loss.
But I think God wants us to have a gain mentality when it comes to our relationship with Christ.
Paul said, "I count every [earthly] thing as loss" (Philippians 3:8)--not because it was literally lost, or because he expected it to be, but because his mind was focused on "the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ." Jesus isn't "all we have left." He is the beginning and end of what we have. (Or haven't you read Revelation?)
You see, God doesn't want you to put your hope in Him because He is going to destroy your house in a flood or cause you to go bankrupt. He wants you to have your hope in Him, in spite of how materially blessed you are, because He wants to give you so much more spiritually than you have in the natural.
(I wrote another post about hope a few months ago. Yes, I realize how pretentious it is to cross-reference yourself more than once in your own blog. Jesus is laughing at me right now, since initially I balked at the idea of blogging because it was for "pretentious people.")
Fear is negative hope. It's "I hope this doesn't happen," rather than "I know God's heart toward me is so good that I am going to step out and do this crazy thing, because He won't let me fall."
The reason I know this is because I've experienced this type of rational-irrational fear. For example, sometimes I will catch myself being afraid to check the mail in case there is bad news, a bill, some type of letter saying I've committed some type of traffic violation I wasn't even aware existed. Silly, right? As children of God, we have the divine privilege to expect good news, because that's our reality. I'm not saying we never get a bill, but to be terrified of checking the mail just because we have wild imaginations is ridiculous. As a child of God, I am more likely to find $150 worth of anonymously-sent gift cards (true story) than a citation for accidentally breaking a rule I didn't even know about (which has never happened).
Whenever I get that ridiculous, sudden hiding-under-the-covers terror--of anything--I have to remind myself of who I am in Christ. I have to return that gag gift to the devil, because the joke's on him: in Christ, I'm forever totally fearless.
Don't focus on the fear of losing your reputation or your stuff. Your stuff earthly life isn't your backup for your heavenly life. Jesus is Plan A. There is no Plan B. Catching hold of this revelation is what having a "sound mind" is. It's seeing your life in terms of the supernatural rather than the natural.
I'm not saying everyone needs to sell all they own today, move to a foreign country, and adopt a bunch of orphans. (Although there are many people who have done that completely in faith at God's word.) I'm just suggesting that you examine your attitude. If God tells you to do something, to give something away, you must be ready to do it immediately, knowing He's going to care for you much better than you could. If He asks you to go somewhere dangerous, know that you are doubly and triply protected because He's the one sending you there...after all, He is the Lord of Hosts. (And from what I hear about warrior angels, I don't want to mess with them.) If He asks you to take a risk--even if it involves possible or even certain loss of earthly security--know deep in your heart that it will be a risk well worth taking. Be eager to follow after Him, because I promise you, you will be much better off if you do.
Why can believers have a "sound mind" even in the scariest of circumstances? Because we aren't looking with human eyes, beloved. We are looking with heavenly perspective.
Do you know where Jesus was when His disciples were freaking out about a storm going on all around them? He was asleep, my friend, in the bottom of the boat (Mark 4:38). This was a small enough boat that water was probably splashing all over His face; but He knew, "Hey, I can rest easy. My dad has got this."
We as believers aren't just getting saved and then hiding out in a bunker, waiting to die and go to heaven. Additionally, we aren't chumming it up with Jesus in the hopes that He will glance our way when something bad happens to us. We are not meant to try to understand the supernatural through the natural; we are meant to do the opposite. We are meant to see heaven on earth. What's more, we're meant to bring it here. That was kind of the point all along. Instead of allowing Adam to stay in the Garden, God reversed the whole sin problem so that the Garden could extend all over the earth.
You live in the Garden, and the Garden lives inside of you...because the Garden is Jesus Christ.
The fact is, God can see to your needs way way WAY better than you can. Trust me. He's got a plan for you, if you'd only just let Him do it....but more on that in my next blog.
I think a biblical "sound mind" is the opposite of everything the world would say it is. It's being completely fearless to seek after all that God has for you.
If you don't have a close relationship with the Holy Spirit, this probably sounds completely foreign to you. And for those people, maybe that is the fear you have to overcome first. You don't need a mediator anymore, some other person who tells you what the Lord says--Jesus did away with that when He ripped the temple to the Holy of Holies in two (Matthew 27:51). I would encourage you to risk seeking intimacy with the Lord through the Holy Spirit. Listen to what He wants to tell you, even if you are afraid of being "that crazy person who thinks she hears from God." (The author of this blog was once afraid of the exact same thing.)
Then, even crazier: when He tells you to do something, do it.
The fact is, even if you don't feel like you hear from the Lord, He still tells us in the Bible to do crazy things. So if you believe the Bible, then you're already being challenged to live a fearless lifestyle, nothing short of crazy. (Go read Acts if you don't believe me.) The faith examples given in Hebrews 11 are Abraham, Sarah, and Moses--all of whom had great power, authority, and blessing in spite of their own failures...but none of whom were exactly considered "sane" by their friends and relatives. If you really follow the Word of God, the world will say, "Wow, that person really has an unsound mind." (Or, in colloquial terms, "That girl cray-cray!")
Really, you have no excuse for being boring, because you're not in your born-again spirit! If you are, then you're just pretending. Time for your cover to get blown and for you to embrace the crazy adventure God designed specifically for you.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 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 12:1-2).
Man. I know your eyeballs are already hurting, so I won't unpack that verse like I want to. But notice this: the "sacrifice" here is giving up thinking in the flesh. Your flesh, in fact, is "holy and acceptable to God," because Jesus made it that way--and that includes all your stuff as well as your body. Present your security in the earthly realm to God, who is the only one who can actually make your earthly life secure. And then renew your mind, which means simply this: to see the heavenly realm in the natural. To see that YOU are His will in Christ Jesus. To see that, in His Son, YOU are "good and acceptable and perfect."
To renew your mind is to feed on Scripture and know who you are, then make every decision based on that and NOT on fear. THAT'S a sound mind.
(Whew, finally got to my point. I know you're relieved, ten pages later.)
Ironically, when I was a kid hiding under the covers, I had security. My parents were in the very next room. My house was secure (along with the gates of the zoo, I am sure). I was protected. I just didn't believe it.
I really think that when we consider the greatness of our God, all of our fears are actually that illegitimate. And, just as I was never scared during the day when I was actually playing outside, vulnerable to lions, I consider that the fear of earthly loss is completely silly when revealed in the light of the Bright and Morning Star, Jesus. So renew your mind with that. Take on that new mentality. Re-mind yourself, if you will. You'll see with heavenly eyes, and you'll never look back.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Yo' Mama
Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. Now this may be interpreted alegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written,
"Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one
will be more than those of the one who has a husband."
Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise....So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.--Galatians 4:21-31
You can tell when I am quoting scripture that is quoting scripture that this might be a long post. But it's only appropriate for Mother's Day. I know my mother would expect nothing less. (After all, she might be the one and only fan of this blog. Holla, Mom!)
I was praying for someone the other day that he would realize that he is a favored son of God, and that God would give him a "coat of many colors." It seemed a random image, so I started thinking about Joseph (of Genesis, not Matthew, fame). He was the favorite son of his father, Jacob--alias: Israel, through whom "all the nations of the world" were blessed in Christ Jesus (Genesis 28:14).
Joseph's father gave him a magnificent coat. His brothers were so jealous of him and so annoyed by his confidence in his authority that they sold him to Egypt as a slave. But of course, he was so favored that this turned around for his good, and he became the right-hand man of Pharoah, basically second in command over the entire land of Egypt.
But let's back up a bit. If you remember the story of Jacob, you will recall that he had two wives, Leah and Rachel. (Skip back to Genesis 29 if you need a refresher.) To make this ill-advised polygamy more complicated, his two wives were sisters....and his cousins. (That's a daytime drama waiting to happen. Or perhaps a reality show.)
To make matters even more intriguing, the only reason Jacob had two wives was because his uncle Laban (their father) tricked him into marrying Leah first, because she was older than Rachel, when in fact Rachel was the only one he loved. And to make matters even more intriguing, Leah bore Jacob children while Rachel was barren. Needless to say, in a day when a woman's children determined her worth, this caused a LOT of family drama.
Jacob eventually ended up with four wives, because Leah and Rachel's idea of competition was to also give their handmaidens to him to bear children on their behalf. It was like an epic race to see who could bear the most children the fastest. Talk about messed up. I'm just glad they didn't celebrate Mother's Day, because that probably would have been the source of some family tension, to say the least.
As mentioned in my Galatians reference above, Jacob's grandfather Abraham also had a son by his wife and a son by a slave woman. I think we all remember how that went. <#it'safamilyaffair #BabyMamaDrama> (Again, polygamy: so many problems.) Abraham's son Ishmael was rejected in favor of his son Isaac. The illegitimate versus legitimate son is a recurring theme in scripture, and there's a reason for that.
We, as followers of God's own Son, are favored children. The thing is, Jacob loved Rachel even when she didn't bear him children. So, when she did, that son became his favorite. Joseph was the creation of genuine love between his parents (in spite of the drama his mom caused). Like Joseph, we as believers are adorned in beautiful robes of righteousness (hopefully technicolor, maybe with sequins) that have been given to us by our Father. We walk in such divine favor that someone could throw us into a pit and sell us into slavery, and we would still end up a prince over a nation. (Whatever form that takes...I'm not a fan of moving to Egypt myself.) Authority is promised to us through Jesus Christ.
There's a reason why Jacob gave his son a coat of "many colors." The rainbow symbolizes God's promise not to pour (literally, since it appeared after a flood) His wrath upon mankind. Joseph was a child of promise, and so are we. The problem occurs when we fail to believe it.
"And Leah conceived and bore a son," the Bible says, "and she called his name Reuben, for she said, 'Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me'" (Genesis 29:32).
Many members of the Bride of Christ feel obligated to please our husband in order to earn his favor and love. "Because I did this good work, and because I didn't do this bad work, now my husband will love me." I think many of us believe we are Leah's children, at best ignored by or displeasing to our Father, at worst rejected and despised by Him. We are afraid that, like Jacob, when He looks at us, He sees only a mistake.
"Oh," many of us say, "that Joseph kind of favor is only for super-spiritual people, you know, people who read the Bible all the time and wake up early to pray. I'm just a sinner saved by grace."
If you're going around saying you're a "sinner saved by grace," you don't understand what grace is. It means that you WERE a sinner, and now you are NOT. It means that you WERE a slave, and now you're a SON. While reading the Bible and praying is essential, it's not going to earn you favor with God. It can't. Nothing can except the beloved firstborn son of God, Jesus Christ--and He already did. Reading your Bible, praying, going to church, witnessing, walking in joy and freedom are not works that we do to earn the favor of God; they're only a manifestation of a revelation of your righteousness in Christ. They're evidence that you have no fear approaching your Father and spending time in His presence because you know how beloved you are to Him. You're Rachel and Joseph: not only beloved, but positioned to inherit a kingdom.
I read a story of a man who was a missionary in a poverty-stricken country and was so poor himself and so unwilling to ask for help that his own children were starving. Now, I don't know him personally, so I'm making a generalization, but it seems to me like this man was an Ishmael, a Leah--believing, to an extreme, that he had to perform to earn God's favor, and refusing to ask his Father for the help he needed as a son. I am sad to think about all the miracles he--and many others like him--miss out on because they refuse to ask boldly for their inheritance. Yet, in the church, we applaud that type of "sacrifice." If you read the Bible closely, however, it's not "sacrifice" God desires, but mercy, aka real, humble love (Matthew 9:13--another scripture quoting scripture--I'm on a roll!). For us to abuse ourselves like slaves when we are legitimate, honored, and worthy sons is not just sick, it's insulting to God.
I am willing to bet that all of you have a key to your parents' house. How would your mother feel if you came all the way there, then set up camp in the front yard in a pitiful pop-tent with a sleeping bag and a can of beans and refused to come inside? How ridiculous would it be for you to say, "I know you love me more out here, since I haven't called you since Tuesday, and, ooops, I forgot to send you a birthday card"?
Conversely, how ridiculous would it be if you walked into your father's house and said, "Wazzup, Dad? Since I did the dishes and vacuumed the floor, I now feel worthy to partake of the contents of your fridge. I know you wouldn't have fed me unless I did something to deserve it."
No, in reality, you know you're walking straight into your parents' house and chugging milk right out of the carton. (Don't lie.)
Sadly, these ridiculous examples are closer to the truth for some people than they are for me, but they can still help us imagine how silly our attitudes are towards God, if we are really and truly His sons and daughters.
If we were slaves, yes, those attitudes would be on point. But we are not. "And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God" (Galatians 4:6-7).
It can't get any more plain than that. You are the children of Sarah, of Rachel. They are yo' mama. You are children of promise. I don't care what you did last week. The inheritance, says Paul, comes by promise, not by the Law (Galatians 3:18).
"Well," some of you say, eyebrow raised, "what about the Law? Shouldn't we always try to do the right thing?"
The Galatians asked Paul the same question. His reply?
"Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe" (3:21-22).
The Law is Jesus Christ. He fulfilled Himself, and then gave us the right to His inheritance through Himself.
#mindblown
You're an adopted child of God, and He has changed your DNA. If you spend time with Him in His Word and realize who He is and who you are, your behavior will begin to manifest who you already are in Jesus. Your sin problem will take care of itself. (Check out Galatians 5:16-18 if you don't believe me. Just go read it before I start preaching about that.)
I want to close (yes, finally close) with the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15). Actually, BOTH sons were favored; but the elder son didn't believe it. As a result, he ignored all the blessings right under his nose and chose to grump about his no-good spoiled brother receiving the golden ring, robe, and fattened calf--which he, b-t-dub, had never asked for. He had a Leah mentality, confused that his behavior didn't yield his desired results, when in fact our inheritance has nothing to do with us and only to do with who our Father is and how much He loves us.
While being honest with ourselves about sin is an essential part of our walk with the Holy Spirit, it is of the most crucial importance to always remember this little truth (which we should probably all tattoo on our foreheads): it's not about you.
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:15)
Our Father is as much a better father to us as Jesus is a better husband to His Bride than Jacob was to Leah. We do not have to fear rejection. We will never be illegitimate again, for God keeps His promises. Let that truth sink into every crevice of your heart and manifest in every thought, word, and action in your life.
Wink at yourself in the mirror, because you look good in that rainbow coat.
"Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one
will be more than those of the one who has a husband."
Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise....So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.--Galatians 4:21-31
You can tell when I am quoting scripture that is quoting scripture that this might be a long post. But it's only appropriate for Mother's Day. I know my mother would expect nothing less. (After all, she might be the one and only fan of this blog. Holla, Mom!)
I was praying for someone the other day that he would realize that he is a favored son of God, and that God would give him a "coat of many colors." It seemed a random image, so I started thinking about Joseph (of Genesis, not Matthew, fame). He was the favorite son of his father, Jacob--alias: Israel, through whom "all the nations of the world" were blessed in Christ Jesus (Genesis 28:14).
Joseph's father gave him a magnificent coat. His brothers were so jealous of him and so annoyed by his confidence in his authority that they sold him to Egypt as a slave. But of course, he was so favored that this turned around for his good, and he became the right-hand man of Pharoah, basically second in command over the entire land of Egypt.
But let's back up a bit. If you remember the story of Jacob, you will recall that he had two wives, Leah and Rachel. (Skip back to Genesis 29 if you need a refresher.) To make this ill-advised polygamy more complicated, his two wives were sisters....and his cousins. (That's a daytime drama waiting to happen. Or perhaps a reality show.)
To make matters even more intriguing, the only reason Jacob had two wives was because his uncle Laban (their father) tricked him into marrying Leah first, because she was older than Rachel, when in fact Rachel was the only one he loved. And to make matters even more intriguing, Leah bore Jacob children while Rachel was barren. Needless to say, in a day when a woman's children determined her worth, this caused a LOT of family drama.
Jacob eventually ended up with four wives, because Leah and Rachel's idea of competition was to also give their handmaidens to him to bear children on their behalf. It was like an epic race to see who could bear the most children the fastest. Talk about messed up. I'm just glad they didn't celebrate Mother's Day, because that probably would have been the source of some family tension, to say the least.
As mentioned in my Galatians reference above, Jacob's grandfather Abraham also had a son by his wife and a son by a slave woman. I think we all remember how that went. <#it'safamilyaffair #BabyMamaDrama> (Again, polygamy: so many problems.) Abraham's son Ishmael was rejected in favor of his son Isaac. The illegitimate versus legitimate son is a recurring theme in scripture, and there's a reason for that.
We, as followers of God's own Son, are favored children. The thing is, Jacob loved Rachel even when she didn't bear him children. So, when she did, that son became his favorite. Joseph was the creation of genuine love between his parents (in spite of the drama his mom caused). Like Joseph, we as believers are adorned in beautiful robes of righteousness (hopefully technicolor, maybe with sequins) that have been given to us by our Father. We walk in such divine favor that someone could throw us into a pit and sell us into slavery, and we would still end up a prince over a nation. (Whatever form that takes...I'm not a fan of moving to Egypt myself.) Authority is promised to us through Jesus Christ.
There's a reason why Jacob gave his son a coat of "many colors." The rainbow symbolizes God's promise not to pour (literally, since it appeared after a flood) His wrath upon mankind. Joseph was a child of promise, and so are we. The problem occurs when we fail to believe it.
"And Leah conceived and bore a son," the Bible says, "and she called his name Reuben, for she said, 'Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me'" (Genesis 29:32).
Many members of the Bride of Christ feel obligated to please our husband in order to earn his favor and love. "Because I did this good work, and because I didn't do this bad work, now my husband will love me." I think many of us believe we are Leah's children, at best ignored by or displeasing to our Father, at worst rejected and despised by Him. We are afraid that, like Jacob, when He looks at us, He sees only a mistake.
"Oh," many of us say, "that Joseph kind of favor is only for super-spiritual people, you know, people who read the Bible all the time and wake up early to pray. I'm just a sinner saved by grace."
If you're going around saying you're a "sinner saved by grace," you don't understand what grace is. It means that you WERE a sinner, and now you are NOT. It means that you WERE a slave, and now you're a SON. While reading the Bible and praying is essential, it's not going to earn you favor with God. It can't. Nothing can except the beloved firstborn son of God, Jesus Christ--and He already did. Reading your Bible, praying, going to church, witnessing, walking in joy and freedom are not works that we do to earn the favor of God; they're only a manifestation of a revelation of your righteousness in Christ. They're evidence that you have no fear approaching your Father and spending time in His presence because you know how beloved you are to Him. You're Rachel and Joseph: not only beloved, but positioned to inherit a kingdom.
I read a story of a man who was a missionary in a poverty-stricken country and was so poor himself and so unwilling to ask for help that his own children were starving. Now, I don't know him personally, so I'm making a generalization, but it seems to me like this man was an Ishmael, a Leah--believing, to an extreme, that he had to perform to earn God's favor, and refusing to ask his Father for the help he needed as a son. I am sad to think about all the miracles he--and many others like him--miss out on because they refuse to ask boldly for their inheritance. Yet, in the church, we applaud that type of "sacrifice." If you read the Bible closely, however, it's not "sacrifice" God desires, but mercy, aka real, humble love (Matthew 9:13--another scripture quoting scripture--I'm on a roll!). For us to abuse ourselves like slaves when we are legitimate, honored, and worthy sons is not just sick, it's insulting to God.
I am willing to bet that all of you have a key to your parents' house. How would your mother feel if you came all the way there, then set up camp in the front yard in a pitiful pop-tent with a sleeping bag and a can of beans and refused to come inside? How ridiculous would it be for you to say, "I know you love me more out here, since I haven't called you since Tuesday, and, ooops, I forgot to send you a birthday card"?
Conversely, how ridiculous would it be if you walked into your father's house and said, "Wazzup, Dad? Since I did the dishes and vacuumed the floor, I now feel worthy to partake of the contents of your fridge. I know you wouldn't have fed me unless I did something to deserve it."
No, in reality, you know you're walking straight into your parents' house and chugging milk right out of the carton. (Don't lie.)
Sadly, these ridiculous examples are closer to the truth for some people than they are for me, but they can still help us imagine how silly our attitudes are towards God, if we are really and truly His sons and daughters.
If we were slaves, yes, those attitudes would be on point. But we are not. "And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God" (Galatians 4:6-7).
It can't get any more plain than that. You are the children of Sarah, of Rachel. They are yo' mama. You are children of promise. I don't care what you did last week. The inheritance, says Paul, comes by promise, not by the Law (Galatians 3:18).
"Well," some of you say, eyebrow raised, "what about the Law? Shouldn't we always try to do the right thing?"
The Galatians asked Paul the same question. His reply?
"Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe" (3:21-22).
The Law is Jesus Christ. He fulfilled Himself, and then gave us the right to His inheritance through Himself.
#mindblown
You're an adopted child of God, and He has changed your DNA. If you spend time with Him in His Word and realize who He is and who you are, your behavior will begin to manifest who you already are in Jesus. Your sin problem will take care of itself. (Check out Galatians 5:16-18 if you don't believe me. Just go read it before I start preaching about that.)
I want to close (yes, finally close) with the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15). Actually, BOTH sons were favored; but the elder son didn't believe it. As a result, he ignored all the blessings right under his nose and chose to grump about his no-good spoiled brother receiving the golden ring, robe, and fattened calf--which he, b-t-dub, had never asked for. He had a Leah mentality, confused that his behavior didn't yield his desired results, when in fact our inheritance has nothing to do with us and only to do with who our Father is and how much He loves us.
While being honest with ourselves about sin is an essential part of our walk with the Holy Spirit, it is of the most crucial importance to always remember this little truth (which we should probably all tattoo on our foreheads): it's not about you.
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:15)
Our Father is as much a better father to us as Jesus is a better husband to His Bride than Jacob was to Leah. We do not have to fear rejection. We will never be illegitimate again, for God keeps His promises. Let that truth sink into every crevice of your heart and manifest in every thought, word, and action in your life.
Wink at yourself in the mirror, because you look good in that rainbow coat.
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