I'm POSTING! A full time job, long distance relationship, and full time load of grad school classes has left me pretty drained... but I finally have something I really want to share. Its SORT of counseling/psychology related, but it applies to everyone, so keep reading. Oh, and a life update may be coming soon... I hope.
Gestalt was originally a German word roughly akin to 'shape' or 'form'. Its English meaning is generally one of unity or holism... that's to say the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is one of the most fascinating and beautiful concepts I've encountered since starting grad school.
The Gestalt Prayer was written by Fritz Perls, founder of Gestalt Therapy (not to be confused with Gestalt Theoretical Psychotherapy and definitely not with Gestalt psychology).
The Gestalt Prayer
I do my thing and you do your thing.
I am not in this world to live up to your expectations,
And you are not in this world to live up to mine.
You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, it's beautiful.
If not, it can't be helped.
(Fritz Perls, 1969)
Taken on its own instead of being interpreted through the lens of Gestalt Therapy (which is tough for me after learning all about the therapy in class) it's quite a confident message of emotional independence, of sorting your own 'thing' out before getting tangled up with someone else.
Walter Tubbs published a poem called Beyond Perls in response. Apparently its quoted in The Road Less Travelled... clearly it was famous in its own rite. The 'I and Thou' line is a reference to Martin Buber (a philosopher) and its said Professor Tubbs was weaving other thinkers into this as well. Even so, you can understand it without a psychology background or knowledge of counseling theory... and its lovely.
Beyond Perls
If I just do my thing and you do yours,
We stand in danger of losing each other
And ourselves.
I am not in this world to live up to your expectations;
But I am in this world to confirm you
As a unique human being,
And to be confirmed by you.
We are fully ourselves only in relation to each other;
The I detached from a Thou
Disintegrates.
I do not find you by chance;
I find you by an active life
Of reaching out.
Rather than passively letting things happen to me,
I can act intentionally to make them happen.
I must begin with myself, true;
But I must not end with myself:
The truth begins with two.
(Walter Tubbs, 1972)
I'm more fond of Perls prayer, though both have striking points. Which do you prefer?
Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts
Friday, October 14
Monday, September 5
update.
I want to write a lengthy post, but honestly I am just tired.
Work and school full time are kicking my tail! My boy is living at the beach and I miss him terribly. I am way behind on sleep. I know that all this is for a purpose and that I am putting myself in a position for a great life, but its kinda hard at the moment... If you think about it say a prayer for me. I sure could use them! I know He is faithful and has a plan, but life is still a struggle and I find myself constantly in need of his grace and provision.
Work and school full time are kicking my tail! My boy is living at the beach and I miss him terribly. I am way behind on sleep. I know that all this is for a purpose and that I am putting myself in a position for a great life, but its kinda hard at the moment... If you think about it say a prayer for me. I sure could use them! I know He is faithful and has a plan, but life is still a struggle and I find myself constantly in need of his grace and provision.
Friday, August 19
notes.
Anyone who knows me well can tell you this... I NEED to write things down. If I don't make a list, a calendar, a page of notes, well then its going in one ear and right out the other. Learning this about myself is one of the reasons that I tend to make good grades in school. I know that I can't read the text and listen to the prof lecture and pass a test. It just isn't going to happen. I've GOT to outline the chapter as I read. I have to highlight and take notes in my book. When the professor speaks I have to write things down. Even if I think I know what he/she said, it just make me feel much more secure if I can go back and look at where I documented all the important information that was provided.
This is also one of the reasons that I keep a blog. I'm always learning things about God, life, love, myself. I blog them so that I will be able to remember them later on when I need a reminder of how far I've come. I also keep a journal. Thats a little more random than the stuff that I write on my blog. Often times, several days/weeks worth of journal pages are synthesized into one of my blog posts actually. I usually write prayers in my journal. Its just sort of letters to God. Sometimes its serious stuff like sin I'm struggling with, things that I'm worried over, or something that a friend asked me to pray about, and other times its just my way of being thankful for small pleasures in life. I also keep track of sermon notes in the same journal. Pastor Steven is GREAT at giving points that are easy to record and remember and using phrases that will come back to mind throughout the week. Often times I find myself in a situation where I need guidance and I think back to a sermon I heard at Elevation and go back and hunt the notes in my journal.
Anyway, why am I saying all this? The one thing that I find it hard to record is my own personal Bible reading time. I have just never been able to find a format that really helped me capture what I was learning as well as I wanted it to. I wanted to be able to go back and recall the things that I learned from any given passage of scripture that I'd read, but writing big long paragraphs just didn't seem like the most effective way to do that. Anyway, I stumbled across this format on the internet (which isn't ALL bad haha) and its been working really well for me so far, so I thought I'd share.
Personal Bible study suggested format:
Passage:
Date:
1. What has God spoken to me about today through the reading of this section?
a. Concerning Himself?
b. Concerning my life?
2. What am I going to do about it (Ephesians 4:22-24)?
a. Ungodly habit of thinking or behavior to "put off"
b. Godly habit of thinking or behavior to "put on"
3. When do I plan to do it? (Psalm 1:1-3; James 1:23-25)... If ______ happens, then I plan (with God's help) to _______________.
4. What verse am I going to take with me today? (Look for opportunities to share this verse with someone today)
5. What can I pray back to God from this section (as a worshipful expression of praise and/or resolve)?
6. follow up for the next day: Did I follow my plan?_____If so, thank the Lord! If not, consider what happened, if necessary, seek God's forgiveness (James 4:17), determine what you need to do differently, asking God for wisdom (James 1:5).
I know that intellectual endeavors work a lot better for me when I can look at a plan and go step by step. As such, I decided to stop rummaging around God's word randomly hoping for insight and revelation and instead treat Bible study with as much respect as I treat studying for school. I'd NEVER start a paper without an outline, or read a chapter of text without a highlighter and pen on hand, so why should I be any more nonchalant about my approach to Bible study? God wants to speak to us through his word, but if we don't take the time to study it properly, then we won't learn anything.
This is also one of the reasons that I keep a blog. I'm always learning things about God, life, love, myself. I blog them so that I will be able to remember them later on when I need a reminder of how far I've come. I also keep a journal. Thats a little more random than the stuff that I write on my blog. Often times, several days/weeks worth of journal pages are synthesized into one of my blog posts actually. I usually write prayers in my journal. Its just sort of letters to God. Sometimes its serious stuff like sin I'm struggling with, things that I'm worried over, or something that a friend asked me to pray about, and other times its just my way of being thankful for small pleasures in life. I also keep track of sermon notes in the same journal. Pastor Steven is GREAT at giving points that are easy to record and remember and using phrases that will come back to mind throughout the week. Often times I find myself in a situation where I need guidance and I think back to a sermon I heard at Elevation and go back and hunt the notes in my journal.
Anyway, why am I saying all this? The one thing that I find it hard to record is my own personal Bible reading time. I have just never been able to find a format that really helped me capture what I was learning as well as I wanted it to. I wanted to be able to go back and recall the things that I learned from any given passage of scripture that I'd read, but writing big long paragraphs just didn't seem like the most effective way to do that. Anyway, I stumbled across this format on the internet (which isn't ALL bad haha) and its been working really well for me so far, so I thought I'd share.
Personal Bible study suggested format:
Passage:
Date:
1. What has God spoken to me about today through the reading of this section?
a. Concerning Himself?
b. Concerning my life?
2. What am I going to do about it (Ephesians 4:22-24)?
a. Ungodly habit of thinking or behavior to "put off"
b. Godly habit of thinking or behavior to "put on"
3. When do I plan to do it? (Psalm 1:1-3; James 1:23-25)... If ______ happens, then I plan (with God's help) to _______________.
4. What verse am I going to take with me today? (Look for opportunities to share this verse with someone today)
5. What can I pray back to God from this section (as a worshipful expression of praise and/or resolve)?
6. follow up for the next day: Did I follow my plan?_____If so, thank the Lord! If not, consider what happened, if necessary, seek God's forgiveness (James 4:17), determine what you need to do differently, asking God for wisdom (James 1:5).
I know that intellectual endeavors work a lot better for me when I can look at a plan and go step by step. As such, I decided to stop rummaging around God's word randomly hoping for insight and revelation and instead treat Bible study with as much respect as I treat studying for school. I'd NEVER start a paper without an outline, or read a chapter of text without a highlighter and pen on hand, so why should I be any more nonchalant about my approach to Bible study? God wants to speak to us through his word, but if we don't take the time to study it properly, then we won't learn anything.
Wednesday, August 17
Worry.
I got told today that I'm a worry wart. This, I suppose, is true. In spite of my best intentions I worry like crazy. My current worry is over some paperwork for my student loans that just is taking a lot more time and effort than it seems like it should.
I am seriously, legitimately struggling to eat and sleep at this point. People keep saying chill out, everything will be fine. THAT drives me insane and it only makes me worry even more. I HATE it when people act like what I'm worried about isn't important... the fact of the matter is that going to grad school is the single most important thing in my life right now, and I feel totally entitled to care about how things are going in that area.
HOWEVER...
"Worry is the sin of distrusting the promise and providence of God, and yet it is a sin that Christians commit perhaps more frequently than any other."- John MacArthur
FACT... That one hit me HARD.
I've been reminded several times over the last few weeks that worry is a sin. We sugar coat it; even make it sound good. It like the better or more important your life is, the more entitled you are to worry about things. That's just not true. Worry focuses on the negative, and if you're a Christian, 1 Corinthians says you have 'the mind of Christ' ... and I'm pretty sure he didn't worry!
I couldn't sleep today (preoccupied with this school nonsense) so instead of sitting and worried, I decided to be productive (and there was nothing to clean). To be honest, the more I think about it, the more I worry about stupid stuff. I worry that I wrote down my work schedule wrong and I won't show up on a day I'm supposed to work. (It should be noted that my schedule never changes.) I worry that I'll forget someone's birthday/anniversary etc and cause them some undue sadness on a special day. I worry that I'll suddenly forget some inconsequential piece of psychological information (Piaget's stages of development? what the letters DSM stand for? Difference between id and ego?) and totally screw up a client. None of this even makes sense. Over the span of my lifetime, worrying accounts for hours and hours of time that I'll never get back. So, I have decided that I'd like to stop wasting my time (especially sleep time!).
If you're not convinced yet to give up your worrying, here are four biblical reasons not to worry.
Worrying Accomplishes Nothing.
Worry is a waste of time. As Pastor Steven put it recently... 'Work don't worry... cause worry dont work.' (poor grammar...good theology he said.) Have a problem? Work as hard as you can to fix it (like me doing all this WU paperwork and running all over campus) and then let God handle the rest. Worrying is just treating the problem like its too big for him... and that simply is not true!
Matthew 6:27-29 "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are."
Worrying is Not Good for You.
Worrying is destructive to us in many ways. It becomes a mental burden that can even cause us to grow physically sick. Goodness knows I don't need any help with that!!
Proverbs 12:25 "Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up."
Worrying is the Opposite of Trusting God.
The energy that we spend worrying can be put to much better use in prayer. Max Lucado once said no one can pray and worry at the same time.
Matthew 6:30 "And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?"
Philippians 4:6-7 "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
Worrying Puts Your Focus in the Wrong Direction.
When we keep our eyes focused on God, we remember his love for us and we realize we truly have nothing to worry about. God has a wonderful plan for our lives, and part of that plan includes taking care of us. Even in the difficult times, when it seems like God doesn't care, we can put our trust in the Lord and focus on his kingdom. God will take care of our every need. Josh McDowell says is this way; "Knowing that God is faithful, it really helps me to not be captivated by worry. But knowing that He will do what He has said, He will cause it to happen, whatever He has promised, and then it causes me to be less involved in worrying about a situation."
Matthew 6:25 "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing?"
Matthew 6:31-33 "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."
1 Peter 5:7 "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you."
Hope this finds you all well. If you're worrying, then I'm praying for you... and pray for me about this too. Its by far my biggest struggle.
I am seriously, legitimately struggling to eat and sleep at this point. People keep saying chill out, everything will be fine. THAT drives me insane and it only makes me worry even more. I HATE it when people act like what I'm worried about isn't important... the fact of the matter is that going to grad school is the single most important thing in my life right now, and I feel totally entitled to care about how things are going in that area.
HOWEVER...
"Worry is the sin of distrusting the promise and providence of God, and yet it is a sin that Christians commit perhaps more frequently than any other."- John MacArthur
FACT... That one hit me HARD.
I've been reminded several times over the last few weeks that worry is a sin. We sugar coat it; even make it sound good. It like the better or more important your life is, the more entitled you are to worry about things. That's just not true. Worry focuses on the negative, and if you're a Christian, 1 Corinthians says you have 'the mind of Christ' ... and I'm pretty sure he didn't worry!
I couldn't sleep today (preoccupied with this school nonsense) so instead of sitting and worried, I decided to be productive (and there was nothing to clean). To be honest, the more I think about it, the more I worry about stupid stuff. I worry that I wrote down my work schedule wrong and I won't show up on a day I'm supposed to work. (It should be noted that my schedule never changes.) I worry that I'll forget someone's birthday/anniversary etc and cause them some undue sadness on a special day. I worry that I'll suddenly forget some inconsequential piece of psychological information (Piaget's stages of development? what the letters DSM stand for? Difference between id and ego?) and totally screw up a client. None of this even makes sense. Over the span of my lifetime, worrying accounts for hours and hours of time that I'll never get back. So, I have decided that I'd like to stop wasting my time (especially sleep time!).
If you're not convinced yet to give up your worrying, here are four biblical reasons not to worry.
Worrying Accomplishes Nothing.
Worry is a waste of time. As Pastor Steven put it recently... 'Work don't worry... cause worry dont work.' (poor grammar...good theology he said.) Have a problem? Work as hard as you can to fix it (like me doing all this WU paperwork and running all over campus) and then let God handle the rest. Worrying is just treating the problem like its too big for him... and that simply is not true!
Matthew 6:27-29 "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are."
Worrying is Not Good for You.
Worrying is destructive to us in many ways. It becomes a mental burden that can even cause us to grow physically sick. Goodness knows I don't need any help with that!!
Proverbs 12:25 "Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up."
Worrying is the Opposite of Trusting God.
The energy that we spend worrying can be put to much better use in prayer. Max Lucado once said no one can pray and worry at the same time.
Matthew 6:30 "And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?"
Philippians 4:6-7 "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
Worrying Puts Your Focus in the Wrong Direction.
When we keep our eyes focused on God, we remember his love for us and we realize we truly have nothing to worry about. God has a wonderful plan for our lives, and part of that plan includes taking care of us. Even in the difficult times, when it seems like God doesn't care, we can put our trust in the Lord and focus on his kingdom. God will take care of our every need. Josh McDowell says is this way; "Knowing that God is faithful, it really helps me to not be captivated by worry. But knowing that He will do what He has said, He will cause it to happen, whatever He has promised, and then it causes me to be less involved in worrying about a situation."
Matthew 6:25 "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing?"
Matthew 6:31-33 "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."
1 Peter 5:7 "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you."
Hope this finds you all well. If you're worrying, then I'm praying for you... and pray for me about this too. Its by far my biggest struggle.
Monday, August 8
Follow.
Here's what's been going on at Elevation. After the video, read below for my experience with FOLLOW.
I've been thinking about sharing my story for some time, and I know for sure now that its time. For a long time I would have said that my walk with Christ began as a child, but now I know that this is not true. I was taken to church as a child, and around age 7 or 8 I got baptized. It was clear that this was what my parents wanted, so I complied. (Bless them for caring about my soul.)
Through out middle and high school I was incredibly involved in church. I was constantly bombarded with lists, rules, regulations, commandments that I had to keep. I was an expert at putting on the Christian act. I kept these rules because my friends did, but I now know that my heart was never in it. I attended a Christian college where I pursued a degree and met people who I most definitely did not expect to find in that environment. Before I knew it, the girl who grew up as an expert at keeping the rules was drinking, partying, in a relationship that did't honor God, and pretty much anything else you could think of. I graduated, got a job, and only found more time and means to live a sinful life. Looking back, it seems like I blinked and my life was out of control. I wasn't an addict, I wasn't pregnant, I wasn't in jail, but I wasn't a Christian either. I was SCARED.
None of the things I were doing made me happy. I knew that I had to figure out this God thing for myself. I realized that I've believed in Jesus for most of my life, but I've never really followed him. There is a big difference I've come to see. I'd been To Elevation a few times, but in early 2011 I decided to commit to regular attendance. The first Sunday I attended Pastor Steven began a series called "Get Back" all about how to recover your spiritual life coupled with a Beatles theme. As the most avid Beatles fan you'd ever find in a 25 year old, I felt like God was saying 'not only do I know what you need to hear, I know EVERYTHING about you.' I knew it was God's way of telling me that this was the beginning of the right journey for me. Over the last several months I've struggled a LOT. I joined an eGroup. I got involved, but I was still wrestling with what it meant to follow Jesus instead of just believing in him. I was still struggling with leaving my old ways in the past. I've been praying for a long time about my next step in following Jesus.
Last Saturday night I attended Blakeney alone. I was sitting close to the front and crying my eyes out as Pastor Steven spoke about following. I knew that the 'dying daily' and the 'carrying my cross' were what I had been missing. At one point he looked directly at my section of the crowd and said "I must follow Jesus for myself." As he continued to speak, those words played over and over in my mind. I couldn't WAIT for him to count to three and send people outside to be baptized. I knew that this was the next step of faith that I had been looking for. I knew I was ready to FOLLOW. I cried as I changed clothes. I cried as I waited in line at the baptismal tank. I'm crying as I think about it now. I've felt anxious for months and months now, but when Pastor Chunks lifted me out of the water I felt at peace like I have never felt before. I know that following instead of believing won't be easy, but I know that it will be worth the sacrifice.
I start grad school classes at Winthrop in a few weeks... right about the time Elevation Rock Hill opens. I can feel God leading me (for the first time in forever) to reach my campus for him. I'm SO excited about the next steps of following Jesus, and I'm proud to say that Elevation was a huge part of my changed life.
Follow from Elevation Church on Vimeo.
I've been thinking about sharing my story for some time, and I know for sure now that its time. For a long time I would have said that my walk with Christ began as a child, but now I know that this is not true. I was taken to church as a child, and around age 7 or 8 I got baptized. It was clear that this was what my parents wanted, so I complied. (Bless them for caring about my soul.)
Through out middle and high school I was incredibly involved in church. I was constantly bombarded with lists, rules, regulations, commandments that I had to keep. I was an expert at putting on the Christian act. I kept these rules because my friends did, but I now know that my heart was never in it. I attended a Christian college where I pursued a degree and met people who I most definitely did not expect to find in that environment. Before I knew it, the girl who grew up as an expert at keeping the rules was drinking, partying, in a relationship that did't honor God, and pretty much anything else you could think of. I graduated, got a job, and only found more time and means to live a sinful life. Looking back, it seems like I blinked and my life was out of control. I wasn't an addict, I wasn't pregnant, I wasn't in jail, but I wasn't a Christian either. I was SCARED.
None of the things I were doing made me happy. I knew that I had to figure out this God thing for myself. I realized that I've believed in Jesus for most of my life, but I've never really followed him. There is a big difference I've come to see. I'd been To Elevation a few times, but in early 2011 I decided to commit to regular attendance. The first Sunday I attended Pastor Steven began a series called "Get Back" all about how to recover your spiritual life coupled with a Beatles theme. As the most avid Beatles fan you'd ever find in a 25 year old, I felt like God was saying 'not only do I know what you need to hear, I know EVERYTHING about you.' I knew it was God's way of telling me that this was the beginning of the right journey for me. Over the last several months I've struggled a LOT. I joined an eGroup. I got involved, but I was still wrestling with what it meant to follow Jesus instead of just believing in him. I was still struggling with leaving my old ways in the past. I've been praying for a long time about my next step in following Jesus.
Last Saturday night I attended Blakeney alone. I was sitting close to the front and crying my eyes out as Pastor Steven spoke about following. I knew that the 'dying daily' and the 'carrying my cross' were what I had been missing. At one point he looked directly at my section of the crowd and said "I must follow Jesus for myself." As he continued to speak, those words played over and over in my mind. I couldn't WAIT for him to count to three and send people outside to be baptized. I knew that this was the next step of faith that I had been looking for. I knew I was ready to FOLLOW. I cried as I changed clothes. I cried as I waited in line at the baptismal tank. I'm crying as I think about it now. I've felt anxious for months and months now, but when Pastor Chunks lifted me out of the water I felt at peace like I have never felt before. I know that following instead of believing won't be easy, but I know that it will be worth the sacrifice.
I start grad school classes at Winthrop in a few weeks... right about the time Elevation Rock Hill opens. I can feel God leading me (for the first time in forever) to reach my campus for him. I'm SO excited about the next steps of following Jesus, and I'm proud to say that Elevation was a huge part of my changed life.
Boring.
I read this article online and was really moved. I just wanted to share it with those of you who might like it. Understand that the rest of this post wasn't written by me... =)
We all long for a radical calling, but monotony can be its own mission.
I was sure God was telling me to quit my landscaping job. I was bound for something more important. The horizon beckoned. So I turned in my notice and embraced unemployment as a divine calling. I spent my hours reading Scripture and praying over maps, nobly trusting God for my provisions. I had a fever of 360 degrees—I wanted to travel the globe. All of it. Four months later I told my girlfriend that the next time I saw her I would ask her to marry me, then I pulled myself out of her arms and boarded a plane. I had some funds, but only for 180 degrees of my round-the-world trip. God would provide.
Six weeks later I was stranded in Southeast Asia with a depleted money belt and the gnawing suspicion that I had missed God somewhere along the way.
Radical is in my resume. Radical is part of our calling. But radical can be dangerous. With seven years of working with college students (and with a personal penchant for the extreme), I offer a couple warnings to complement the needed exhortation to be radical.
Romanticized Discipleship
“What are you doing this summer after classes?” a college student asks his friend late in the spring semester.
“Well, I’m working with an electrician.”
“Oh, OK.”
“What about you? What are your summer plans?”
“I’m actually gonna be living in an orphanage in Africa, loving on those kids and doing some community development stuff.”
“Oh ...”
In conversations like this, it is likely that the 20-year-old working with the electrician will feel spiritually inferior to the 20-year-old who has plane tickets in hand for Kenya. There is also the tendency for the guy with the ticket to feel as though he is a bit more sincere in his devotion to Jesus.
Believe me, I do not wish to discourage young people from boarding flights to Africa. But I also do not wish to disparage electrical work as spiritually insignificant.
Scripture calls us into radical service—but that does not allow others to eviscerate tedious, less “spiritually” glamorous tasks of their meaning in God’s Kingdom. Scripture also calls us to embrace the mundane and ordinary as holy and beautiful: “... aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands” (1 Thessalonians 4:11).
Many of us want to do something awesome, something epic. We tend to think that the more normal, the less “spiritual.” So it is quite possible that our aspirations to be radical stem from dangerous ambitions to perform biography-worthy feats of global glory.
But radical discipleship is not adventure tourism.
Following Jesus is not to be romanticized through impressive Facebook status updates or photos of exotic places on our blog. Discipleship is often ugly, messy and painful. Faithful service will regularly lead us into dull labors and bewildering struggles that would make unexciting press. To romanticize social justice or cross-cultural evangelism is to promote an idealism that will be inevitably vaporized on the field, inadvertently leading to burnout and cynicism.
The first person to be filled with the Holy Spirit for a task in the Bible was not commissioned to lead a battle or to prophesy over Israel. Bezalel (ever heard of him?) was filled with the Spirit to build stuff. To make art. To carve, mold and weave. He was the guy God commissioned to build the tabernacle and its accoutrements (Exodus 31.1-5).
Spirit-anointing does not always propel us into radical action. Instead we may find ourselves entrusted with tedious, meticulous handiwork that feels ... well, boring.
Spiritualized Escapism
I was 20 years old and wracked with angst. I was on my knees with a heart burning so fiercely with passion to serve Christ overseas that I felt I could not go another day without a global assignment, without a divinely issued itinerary in hand.
This was my prayer that day. And I meant every word: “Lord, just whisper a country, and I will walk to it I don’t care how far it is. I don’t care what it costs. Just whisper a place and I will go.”
Had the country been overseas, I would have secretly boarded a cargo ship as a stowaway. I just knew there were more urgent tasks out there than doing my statistics homework.
But I think I was much more interested in a radical leaving than a radical going. The heart behind the prayer was not so much, “Let me serve you, Lord” but, “Lord, get me out of here.”
I wanted to escape the unexciting “local” for the exotic “global.” I wanted freedom from the tedious tasks of the daily grind for the thrilling speed of travel and for the gratifying buzz of experiencing something new. I did not want to do statistics homework—I wanted to fulfill the great commission. I did not want to dig another ditch as a landscaper in the summer heat—I wanted to preach the Word on a distant city street.
As a former college student and a current college pastor, I know it is so difficult for a young person to see how doing their accounting project will glorify God. It is hard to see how finishing the research paper on 18th century art forms can contribute to God’s Kingdom work. Staring at spread sheets, calming grumpy customers or chasing a toddler down all day don't seem like tasks that will make any kind of eternal impact. Aren’t people dying out there from lack of clean water? Aren’t the lost dying without the Gospel?
Yes, but an untested 20-something without the work ethic required for completing the annoying accounting project or the boring research paper will likely be of little help in dire situations overseas. Those assignments can actually be effective training for the arduous labors of missional service. “What ever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). Remember how Jesus calls us to faithfulness in the small things (Matthew 25:14-30).
Aching for yonder shores and longingly scanning the distant horizon may well be God’s call on our lives. But it also may be our impatience with the monotonous minutiae of the daily grind. Escapism is not fulfilling the great commission.
Regardless of our location, abroad or at home, all ministry is inescapably local. Every worker in a global context must embrace the monotonous minutiae of a new daily grind after the plane lands—figuring out the postal service, dealing with the cell phone company, conjugating verbs in the slow and tedious study of the language. If we cannot be faithful to do our statistics homework or collaborate with our coworkers, then we may lack the strength of character required for dealing with the meticulous annoyances of a more radical life beyond the romanticized horizon.
Andrew Byers [who wrote this article] leads University Christian Fellowship and is the author of Faith Without Illusions: Following Jesus as a Cynic-Saint (Likewise Books / IVP). He blogs at Hopeful Realism.
We all long for a radical calling, but monotony can be its own mission.
I was sure God was telling me to quit my landscaping job. I was bound for something more important. The horizon beckoned. So I turned in my notice and embraced unemployment as a divine calling. I spent my hours reading Scripture and praying over maps, nobly trusting God for my provisions. I had a fever of 360 degrees—I wanted to travel the globe. All of it. Four months later I told my girlfriend that the next time I saw her I would ask her to marry me, then I pulled myself out of her arms and boarded a plane. I had some funds, but only for 180 degrees of my round-the-world trip. God would provide.
Six weeks later I was stranded in Southeast Asia with a depleted money belt and the gnawing suspicion that I had missed God somewhere along the way.
Radical is in my resume. Radical is part of our calling. But radical can be dangerous. With seven years of working with college students (and with a personal penchant for the extreme), I offer a couple warnings to complement the needed exhortation to be radical.
Romanticized Discipleship
“What are you doing this summer after classes?” a college student asks his friend late in the spring semester.
“Well, I’m working with an electrician.”
“Oh, OK.”
“What about you? What are your summer plans?”
“I’m actually gonna be living in an orphanage in Africa, loving on those kids and doing some community development stuff.”
“Oh ...”
In conversations like this, it is likely that the 20-year-old working with the electrician will feel spiritually inferior to the 20-year-old who has plane tickets in hand for Kenya. There is also the tendency for the guy with the ticket to feel as though he is a bit more sincere in his devotion to Jesus.
Believe me, I do not wish to discourage young people from boarding flights to Africa. But I also do not wish to disparage electrical work as spiritually insignificant.
Scripture calls us into radical service—but that does not allow others to eviscerate tedious, less “spiritually” glamorous tasks of their meaning in God’s Kingdom. Scripture also calls us to embrace the mundane and ordinary as holy and beautiful: “... aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands” (1 Thessalonians 4:11).
Many of us want to do something awesome, something epic. We tend to think that the more normal, the less “spiritual.” So it is quite possible that our aspirations to be radical stem from dangerous ambitions to perform biography-worthy feats of global glory.
But radical discipleship is not adventure tourism.
Following Jesus is not to be romanticized through impressive Facebook status updates or photos of exotic places on our blog. Discipleship is often ugly, messy and painful. Faithful service will regularly lead us into dull labors and bewildering struggles that would make unexciting press. To romanticize social justice or cross-cultural evangelism is to promote an idealism that will be inevitably vaporized on the field, inadvertently leading to burnout and cynicism.
The first person to be filled with the Holy Spirit for a task in the Bible was not commissioned to lead a battle or to prophesy over Israel. Bezalel (ever heard of him?) was filled with the Spirit to build stuff. To make art. To carve, mold and weave. He was the guy God commissioned to build the tabernacle and its accoutrements (Exodus 31.1-5).
Spirit-anointing does not always propel us into radical action. Instead we may find ourselves entrusted with tedious, meticulous handiwork that feels ... well, boring.
Spiritualized Escapism
I was 20 years old and wracked with angst. I was on my knees with a heart burning so fiercely with passion to serve Christ overseas that I felt I could not go another day without a global assignment, without a divinely issued itinerary in hand.
This was my prayer that day. And I meant every word: “Lord, just whisper a country, and I will walk to it I don’t care how far it is. I don’t care what it costs. Just whisper a place and I will go.”
Had the country been overseas, I would have secretly boarded a cargo ship as a stowaway. I just knew there were more urgent tasks out there than doing my statistics homework.
But I think I was much more interested in a radical leaving than a radical going. The heart behind the prayer was not so much, “Let me serve you, Lord” but, “Lord, get me out of here.”
I wanted to escape the unexciting “local” for the exotic “global.” I wanted freedom from the tedious tasks of the daily grind for the thrilling speed of travel and for the gratifying buzz of experiencing something new. I did not want to do statistics homework—I wanted to fulfill the great commission. I did not want to dig another ditch as a landscaper in the summer heat—I wanted to preach the Word on a distant city street.
As a former college student and a current college pastor, I know it is so difficult for a young person to see how doing their accounting project will glorify God. It is hard to see how finishing the research paper on 18th century art forms can contribute to God’s Kingdom work. Staring at spread sheets, calming grumpy customers or chasing a toddler down all day don't seem like tasks that will make any kind of eternal impact. Aren’t people dying out there from lack of clean water? Aren’t the lost dying without the Gospel?
Yes, but an untested 20-something without the work ethic required for completing the annoying accounting project or the boring research paper will likely be of little help in dire situations overseas. Those assignments can actually be effective training for the arduous labors of missional service. “What ever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). Remember how Jesus calls us to faithfulness in the small things (Matthew 25:14-30).
Aching for yonder shores and longingly scanning the distant horizon may well be God’s call on our lives. But it also may be our impatience with the monotonous minutiae of the daily grind. Escapism is not fulfilling the great commission.
Regardless of our location, abroad or at home, all ministry is inescapably local. Every worker in a global context must embrace the monotonous minutiae of a new daily grind after the plane lands—figuring out the postal service, dealing with the cell phone company, conjugating verbs in the slow and tedious study of the language. If we cannot be faithful to do our statistics homework or collaborate with our coworkers, then we may lack the strength of character required for dealing with the meticulous annoyances of a more radical life beyond the romanticized horizon.
Andrew Byers [who wrote this article] leads University Christian Fellowship and is the author of Faith Without Illusions: Following Jesus as a Cynic-Saint (Likewise Books / IVP). He blogs at Hopeful Realism.
Thursday, July 28
short.
I just heard a story about a lady who left work on her lunch break and never returned. She was in an accident, killing her, and leaving two kids without a mom. Please pray for their family during what is undoubtedly a very difficult time.
Oh, and lets all be reminded that life is short... make every day count for something.
"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." -Abraham Lincoln
Oh, and lets all be reminded that life is short... make every day count for something.
"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." -Abraham Lincoln
Tuesday, July 19
Asking.
I've been thinking a lot lately. I want something really specific and I am just not sure if its ok to pray about it. I don't want to put limits on God's plans for me. At the same time, I want to talk to God about my desires. I want him to know how I feel. Praying about my feelings makes me feel better. I want to tell him just how I feel about the whole situation. I pray regularly. I have an internal dialogue with God going on almost all the time. Admittedly, sometimes its not the nicest things. There are times when I'm complaining, nagging God, trying to get my way, so don't think I'm above average in the holiness area... I struggle too. But I'm pretty much always talking to God these days. That was something that I used to reallllly struggle with. Now, I'm presented with a new dilemma. What exactly do you ask God for? How specific is ok?
Do I ask God to bless me? Is it ok to ask for good health? Should I pray that my head feels better when I have a headache? I just don't know how specific its supposed to be. Is it even alright to ask God to bless me? I'd feel selfish and guilty to even think such things. Of course, I had to investigate this. Honestly, its been driving me crazy. If I want something can I just ask for it? Well, here's what I came up with... Scripture about asking God for things.
Matthew 7:7 – 8 (ESV)
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Matthew 7:11 (ESV)
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Matthew 21:22 (ESV)
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.
John 14:13 (ESV)
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
John 15:16 (ESV)
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
John 16:23 (ESV)
In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
So, you may be asking … “where’s the catch?” What do I have to do to make all this happen? Well scripture answers THAT too...
Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
God tells us to SEEK HIM FIRST … and then, He will meet all of our needs. This is true with all of our asking. We first need to align ourselves with God’s Will and then he will meet all of our needs. So if you're prayers aren't getting answered, then this MIGHT have something to do with it. We have a God who loves us more than anything we can imagine – which means he wants what is best for us. We have a God who knows everything, sees everything, and who is able to do anything because He is all powerful … it only makes sense that I would want the things He wants me to have because those things will be what is best for me. So … yes, we can – AND SHOULD – ask God to bless us. We should seek to be in line with His will and pray as He leads us to pray.
However, you and I both know that we do not always get everything we ask for. Why not?
One reason is that sometimes we do not put God first in our lives. Jesus told us to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). We must put God first in our lives if we expect Him to answer our prayers.
Another reason our prayers aren't always answered is that we sometimes ask out of selfishness. In James 4:3 we read: "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures." Before we ask God for anything, we should ask ourselves what we are going to do with the things God gives us. Will we share with others? Will we acknowledge God's blessing in our lives? Will we praise him for what he blessed us with?
Finally, sometimes we put God first, and we ask intending to share with others, but we still do not receive what we want. Why? Because God knows what is best for us. Paul had a serious medical condition. He asked God three times to fix his problem, but God never did (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). God said it was best for Paul not to be healed. God knew what was best, even though Paul may not have understood it at the time. So, I'm not limiting God when I pray for specifics. He understands that we don't always know what best for ourselves. We just have to understand that HE always does.
So if you want something from God, put Him first in your life, put others' needs before your own, and keep asking Him. If it is best for you, then God will give you what you desire. He knows what he's doing... and not only does he not mind, he WANTS you to ask!
Do I ask God to bless me? Is it ok to ask for good health? Should I pray that my head feels better when I have a headache? I just don't know how specific its supposed to be. Is it even alright to ask God to bless me? I'd feel selfish and guilty to even think such things. Of course, I had to investigate this. Honestly, its been driving me crazy. If I want something can I just ask for it? Well, here's what I came up with... Scripture about asking God for things.
Matthew 7:7 – 8 (ESV)
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Matthew 7:11 (ESV)
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Matthew 21:22 (ESV)
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.
John 14:13 (ESV)
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
John 15:16 (ESV)
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
John 16:23 (ESV)
In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
So, you may be asking … “where’s the catch?” What do I have to do to make all this happen? Well scripture answers THAT too...
Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
God tells us to SEEK HIM FIRST … and then, He will meet all of our needs. This is true with all of our asking. We first need to align ourselves with God’s Will and then he will meet all of our needs. So if you're prayers aren't getting answered, then this MIGHT have something to do with it. We have a God who loves us more than anything we can imagine – which means he wants what is best for us. We have a God who knows everything, sees everything, and who is able to do anything because He is all powerful … it only makes sense that I would want the things He wants me to have because those things will be what is best for me. So … yes, we can – AND SHOULD – ask God to bless us. We should seek to be in line with His will and pray as He leads us to pray.
However, you and I both know that we do not always get everything we ask for. Why not?
One reason is that sometimes we do not put God first in our lives. Jesus told us to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). We must put God first in our lives if we expect Him to answer our prayers.
Another reason our prayers aren't always answered is that we sometimes ask out of selfishness. In James 4:3 we read: "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures." Before we ask God for anything, we should ask ourselves what we are going to do with the things God gives us. Will we share with others? Will we acknowledge God's blessing in our lives? Will we praise him for what he blessed us with?
Finally, sometimes we put God first, and we ask intending to share with others, but we still do not receive what we want. Why? Because God knows what is best for us. Paul had a serious medical condition. He asked God three times to fix his problem, but God never did (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). God said it was best for Paul not to be healed. God knew what was best, even though Paul may not have understood it at the time. So, I'm not limiting God when I pray for specifics. He understands that we don't always know what best for ourselves. We just have to understand that HE always does.
So if you want something from God, put Him first in your life, put others' needs before your own, and keep asking Him. If it is best for you, then God will give you what you desire. He knows what he's doing... and not only does he not mind, he WANTS you to ask!
Monday, May 2
single.
I read this today and I thought it was something all my single girl friends could relate to.
"My Every Day Single Girl Prayer"
by Evelyn Worthington
Lord you know my heart, you know every part of me,
Help me to live this life, please fulfill this need.
I have this longing Lord, and you know what I mean,
I'm just praying you'll fill it up, so I can be freed.
Lord, I want your timing, but lately I'm lonely for only you know who.
That longing, that desire, that missing someone, who knows? only you!
So Lord, I pray he's out there, help me be patient and strong,
Help me to not struggle with this, and help me not to long,
Teach him what he needs to know, help me, Lord, depend on thee.
Help me not to be conceited, and not to depend on me.
Help me to be wise and lead me in your ways.
Help me to trust in only you and follow you all my days.
Some days are harder than others, but today I feel so alone.
Help me to find my strength in you, and in you to find my home.
If he's not out there, then Lord, my prayer's the same.
Lead me, guide me, help me to feel your love, and trust in Jesus' name.
God I come to you as your child, lead me, make me like you.
Teach me your holy ways O Lord and make me wholly devoted to you.
On another note... I'm thankful today for my friends Cristina and Rachel who both took the time to ask me how I was doing, and truly listened when I told them. You ladies are wonderful, and I'm glad God blessed me with you.
"My Every Day Single Girl Prayer"
by Evelyn Worthington
Lord you know my heart, you know every part of me,
Help me to live this life, please fulfill this need.
I have this longing Lord, and you know what I mean,
I'm just praying you'll fill it up, so I can be freed.
Lord, I want your timing, but lately I'm lonely for only you know who.
That longing, that desire, that missing someone, who knows? only you!
So Lord, I pray he's out there, help me be patient and strong,
Help me to not struggle with this, and help me not to long,
Teach him what he needs to know, help me, Lord, depend on thee.
Help me not to be conceited, and not to depend on me.
Help me to be wise and lead me in your ways.
Help me to trust in only you and follow you all my days.
Some days are harder than others, but today I feel so alone.
Help me to find my strength in you, and in you to find my home.
If he's not out there, then Lord, my prayer's the same.
Lead me, guide me, help me to feel your love, and trust in Jesus' name.
God I come to you as your child, lead me, make me like you.
Teach me your holy ways O Lord and make me wholly devoted to you.
On another note... I'm thankful today for my friends Cristina and Rachel who both took the time to ask me how I was doing, and truly listened when I told them. You ladies are wonderful, and I'm glad God blessed me with you.
Sunday, March 27
Power.
This weekend at Elevation, Pastor Steven started a sermon series on the book of Ephesians. His first sermon was from the first chapter of Ephesians, and focused on the power of God working in our lives. I've also been reading Ephesians on my own, and recently focused some reading/study time on the same passage. Anyway, it was so good that I HAD to share a little of it with my wonderful, be it small, blog audience.
Pastor Steven pointed out something (as he regularly does) that I know, but I've never really devoted significant thought to. We already have all of the power of God in us. As verses 7-10 in the first chapter of Ephesians say: (and I'm quoting from The Message... a modern language translation of the Bible that I like to use in my personal reading time.)
"Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for EVERYTHING WE COULD POSSIBLY NEED, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth." (emphasis there was my own.)
God provided us with all the power that we need... the same power that raised Jesus from the DEAD for crying out loud (see verse 20) but we choose to live in weakness. And yes, I say WE because I fall into this category PLENTY of times. Pastor Steven likened this to potential and kinetic energy. I googled to get a little refreshed on that as physics wasn't my best subject in high school. The fact of the matter though, is that all that power, the power that raised Jesus from the dead and sat him at the right hand of God, is just potential in our lives until we make it WORK in our lives through trust, faith, ACTION. We got all the power we'll ever need the moment we became a Christian, but we waste it and forfeit God's blessing when we choose not to act.
Here's the part of this that really gets me... Paul points it out in verse 19. I worry SO much about my strength, what I'm capable of. But it has NOTHING to do with my ability. NOTHING. It all hinges on God's authority... which we know very well never changes, dwindles, struggles. NEVER. But somehow I still worry that I can't do it. Its my perception of power and strength thats the issue. His power never changes... my confidence in his power to be exerted though me... THATS what varies, and that's what causes me to miss out on things that He has for me.
I had a professor in college who used to tell us that "God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called." Its sometimes hard for me to think this way, but when I refuse to, I'm underestimating God's power. If God can raise people from the dead, part seas, make the sun stand still in the sky, why in the world am I so arrogant to think that my issues are outside his realm of expertise? As I write that sentence, doubting sounds utterly ridiculous, and yet I find myself behaving that way more often than I care to admit. To express it a different way, as Pastor put it (after making a GREAT analogy about Apple products... which made this Mac lover smile) we use the equipment God gave us FAR beneath its potential.
After hearing about the sermon series coming up at Elevation I decided to devote my own Bible reading time to Ephesians for the next couple of weeks. Rarely do I spend so much time in one place in the Bible, so I thought it would be a nice change of pace. The thing that stood out to me initially... and then REALLY hit home after hearing Pastor's thoughts is the following...
In verses 15-19 Paul says (again quoting from The Message)
"That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!"
Paul prayed for the believers that he cared for in such a beautiful way. When I read "intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally" I thought WOW, that, more than anything I could say, sums up EXACTLY what I'm looking for in my relationship with Christ. Thats just what I want. I can't think of anything better than gaining intimacy with the Father and gaining intelligence and discernment that will allow me to better love and serve those around me.
This week I'm working on tapping into God's power through my prayer, faithfulness, action. I'm praying Paul's prayer for myself... and I'm praying it for you too. I'm asking God "to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do..."
Pastor Steven pointed out something (as he regularly does) that I know, but I've never really devoted significant thought to. We already have all of the power of God in us. As verses 7-10 in the first chapter of Ephesians say: (and I'm quoting from The Message... a modern language translation of the Bible that I like to use in my personal reading time.)
"Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for EVERYTHING WE COULD POSSIBLY NEED, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth." (emphasis there was my own.)
God provided us with all the power that we need... the same power that raised Jesus from the DEAD for crying out loud (see verse 20) but we choose to live in weakness. And yes, I say WE because I fall into this category PLENTY of times. Pastor Steven likened this to potential and kinetic energy. I googled to get a little refreshed on that as physics wasn't my best subject in high school. The fact of the matter though, is that all that power, the power that raised Jesus from the dead and sat him at the right hand of God, is just potential in our lives until we make it WORK in our lives through trust, faith, ACTION. We got all the power we'll ever need the moment we became a Christian, but we waste it and forfeit God's blessing when we choose not to act.
Here's the part of this that really gets me... Paul points it out in verse 19. I worry SO much about my strength, what I'm capable of. But it has NOTHING to do with my ability. NOTHING. It all hinges on God's authority... which we know very well never changes, dwindles, struggles. NEVER. But somehow I still worry that I can't do it. Its my perception of power and strength thats the issue. His power never changes... my confidence in his power to be exerted though me... THATS what varies, and that's what causes me to miss out on things that He has for me.
I had a professor in college who used to tell us that "God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called." Its sometimes hard for me to think this way, but when I refuse to, I'm underestimating God's power. If God can raise people from the dead, part seas, make the sun stand still in the sky, why in the world am I so arrogant to think that my issues are outside his realm of expertise? As I write that sentence, doubting sounds utterly ridiculous, and yet I find myself behaving that way more often than I care to admit. To express it a different way, as Pastor put it (after making a GREAT analogy about Apple products... which made this Mac lover smile) we use the equipment God gave us FAR beneath its potential.
After hearing about the sermon series coming up at Elevation I decided to devote my own Bible reading time to Ephesians for the next couple of weeks. Rarely do I spend so much time in one place in the Bible, so I thought it would be a nice change of pace. The thing that stood out to me initially... and then REALLY hit home after hearing Pastor's thoughts is the following...
In verses 15-19 Paul says (again quoting from The Message)
"That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!"
Paul prayed for the believers that he cared for in such a beautiful way. When I read "intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally" I thought WOW, that, more than anything I could say, sums up EXACTLY what I'm looking for in my relationship with Christ. Thats just what I want. I can't think of anything better than gaining intimacy with the Father and gaining intelligence and discernment that will allow me to better love and serve those around me.
This week I'm working on tapping into God's power through my prayer, faithfulness, action. I'm praying Paul's prayer for myself... and I'm praying it for you too. I'm asking God "to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do..."
Friday, March 25
Prayer and trust.
Its friday, which means I would normally be making a fun post. I think I'll get around to that in a few minutes, but first I just wanted to post something that I read the other day and have been thinking about since.
“One evening I left my office in New York, with a bitterly cold wind in my face. I had with me, (as I thought) my thick, warm muffler, but when I proceeded to button-up against the storm, I found that it was gone.
I turned back, looked along the streets, searched my office, but in vain. I realized, then, that I must have dropped it, and prayed God that I might find it; for such was the state of the weather, that it would be running a great risk to proceed without it. I looked, again, up and down the surrounding streets, but without success.
Suddenly, I saw a man on the opposite side of the road holding out something in his hand. I crossed over and asked him if that was my muffler? He handed it to me saying, ‘It was blown to me by the wind.’ He who rides upon the storm, had used the wind as a means of answering prayer.” — William Horst
I've been thinking over this a LOT. I've been praying over things a lot. A lot of my prayers have been answered. But with each answer comes something else to ask for. I got into grad school. Now time to pray about paying for it. School's payed for. Now time to pray about time for studying, passing tests, etc.
So what have I been learning lately? Prayer doesn't stand alone. Like in the little story above... God uses natural circumstances to supernaturally answer prayer. Prayer isn't an isolated duty or independent principle. It lives in association with other Christian duties, is wedded to other principles, is a partner with other graces. But to faith, prayer is indissolubly joined... to steal a line from Mr. Frank Sinatra, "They go together like a horse and carriage... can't have one without the other." Faith gives it color and tone, shapes its character, and secures its results.
So, my prayers don't seem to have the substance they normally do at times. The problem, I've come to realize... faith. Sometimes my faith feels flat, like its just not working... the problem there I'm beginning to see... prayer. For one to work, the other needs to be working too. This seems to be the biggest struggle in my walk with Christ at the moment.
Trust. It is faith become absolute, ratified, complete. There is, when all is said and done, a sort of risk in faith and its exercise. But trust is firm belief, its faith in full flower. And, to be honest, I (and I'm sure plenty of other believers) often times pray without really having that trust. Trust is a conscious act, a fact of which we are aware. It is a feeling of the soul that has to do with trust. How luminous, how distinct, how conscious, how powerful, and more than all, how Scriptural is such a trust!?! I'm beginning to think of this trust as an act of obedience to God. It really seems to be a way to worship him. Its one of the ways of worship that I struggle with most, but still... worship.
How different is this from many forms of modern belief that are so feeble, dry, and cold. So many beliefs bring no consciousness of their presence, no “Joy unspeakable and full of glory” results from their exercise. They are, for the most part, rules and regulations. There is no safe, sure trust in anything. The whole transaction takes place in the realm of maybe and perhaps and possibly. As Christians though, we don't HAVE to deal with that. And yet, sometimes we choose to anyway. So senseless.
Trust sees God doing things here and now. It rises to a lofty eminence, and looking into the invisible and the eternal, realizes that God has done things, and regards them as being already done... it recognizes that the battle has already been won. IT doesn't worry over things that God has already conquered. Trust brings eternity into the annals and happenings of time, changes the substance of hope into the reality of fruition, and changes promise into present possession. We know when we trust just as we know when we see, just as we are conscious of our sense of touch. Trust sees, receives, holds. Trust is its own witness.
Yet, quite often, our faith is too weak to obtain God’s greatest good, immediately; so it has to wait in loving, strong, prayerful, pressing obedience, until it grows in strength, and is able to bring down the eternal, into the realms of experience and time.
To this point, trust masses all its forces. Here it holds. And in the struggle, trust’s grasp becomes mightier, and grasps, for itself, all that God has done for it in His eternal wisdom and plenitude of grace.
In the matter of waiting in prayer, mightiest prayer, faith rises to its highest plane and becomes indeed the gift of God. It becomes the blessed disposition and expression of the soul which is secured by a constant intercourse with, and unwearied application to God. Jesus Christ clearly taught that faith was the condition on which prayer was answered. If I don't trust, then my prayer isn't going to be answered. When God had cursed the fig-tree, the disciples were much surprised that its withering had actually taken place. It was then that Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God.”
“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore, I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”
Trust grows nowhere so readily and richly as in the presence of prayer. Its development is rapid and when a prayer life is well kept. When these engagements with God through prayer are hearty and full and free, trust flourishes exceedingly. The presence of God gives vigorous life to trust, just like presence of the sun make fruit and flower to grow... a cheesy, but nonetheless, true metaphor.
Ideas like “Have faith in God,” and “Trust in the Lord” form the keynote and foundation of prayer. Primarily, it is not trust in the Word of God, but trust in the Person of God. Trust in the Person of God, I've found, must precede trust in the Word of God. The trust which God points to as a condition of effective prayer, is not of the head but of the heart. It is trust which “doubteth not in his heart.” Such trust has the assurance that it shall be honored with large and satisfying answers. The strong promise of our Lord brings faith down to the present, and counts on a present answer.
Honestly, I'm still struggling to put all this into practice. I'm praying. I'm trusting. I'm exercising faith. I read a quote recently that I think is a great closing thought...
"When our wagon gets stuck in the mud,
God is much more likely to assist the man who gets out to push
than the man who merely raises his voice in prayer
—no matter how eloquent the oration."
I don't recall who said that... but In "Sun Stand Still" Pastor Steven shared the same sentiment, saying that we should push while we pray. Or, As one of my favorite authors Hunter S Thompson said... "Call on God, but row away from the rocks..." In addition to all that other stuff, we've got to act. (I discussed this in a previous post called Help... look back a few posts for that one.) And I'm finding that the acting... the stepping out in faith is what reinforces the trust. When I step out and push while I pray, God moves. Then I trust him a little more. Its an amazing (yet at times, terrifying) process.
“One evening I left my office in New York, with a bitterly cold wind in my face. I had with me, (as I thought) my thick, warm muffler, but when I proceeded to button-up against the storm, I found that it was gone.
I turned back, looked along the streets, searched my office, but in vain. I realized, then, that I must have dropped it, and prayed God that I might find it; for such was the state of the weather, that it would be running a great risk to proceed without it. I looked, again, up and down the surrounding streets, but without success.
Suddenly, I saw a man on the opposite side of the road holding out something in his hand. I crossed over and asked him if that was my muffler? He handed it to me saying, ‘It was blown to me by the wind.’ He who rides upon the storm, had used the wind as a means of answering prayer.” — William Horst
I've been thinking over this a LOT. I've been praying over things a lot. A lot of my prayers have been answered. But with each answer comes something else to ask for. I got into grad school. Now time to pray about paying for it. School's payed for. Now time to pray about time for studying, passing tests, etc.
So what have I been learning lately? Prayer doesn't stand alone. Like in the little story above... God uses natural circumstances to supernaturally answer prayer. Prayer isn't an isolated duty or independent principle. It lives in association with other Christian duties, is wedded to other principles, is a partner with other graces. But to faith, prayer is indissolubly joined... to steal a line from Mr. Frank Sinatra, "They go together like a horse and carriage... can't have one without the other." Faith gives it color and tone, shapes its character, and secures its results.
So, my prayers don't seem to have the substance they normally do at times. The problem, I've come to realize... faith. Sometimes my faith feels flat, like its just not working... the problem there I'm beginning to see... prayer. For one to work, the other needs to be working too. This seems to be the biggest struggle in my walk with Christ at the moment.
Trust. It is faith become absolute, ratified, complete. There is, when all is said and done, a sort of risk in faith and its exercise. But trust is firm belief, its faith in full flower. And, to be honest, I (and I'm sure plenty of other believers) often times pray without really having that trust. Trust is a conscious act, a fact of which we are aware. It is a feeling of the soul that has to do with trust. How luminous, how distinct, how conscious, how powerful, and more than all, how Scriptural is such a trust!?! I'm beginning to think of this trust as an act of obedience to God. It really seems to be a way to worship him. Its one of the ways of worship that I struggle with most, but still... worship.
How different is this from many forms of modern belief that are so feeble, dry, and cold. So many beliefs bring no consciousness of their presence, no “Joy unspeakable and full of glory” results from their exercise. They are, for the most part, rules and regulations. There is no safe, sure trust in anything. The whole transaction takes place in the realm of maybe and perhaps and possibly. As Christians though, we don't HAVE to deal with that. And yet, sometimes we choose to anyway. So senseless.
Trust sees God doing things here and now. It rises to a lofty eminence, and looking into the invisible and the eternal, realizes that God has done things, and regards them as being already done... it recognizes that the battle has already been won. IT doesn't worry over things that God has already conquered. Trust brings eternity into the annals and happenings of time, changes the substance of hope into the reality of fruition, and changes promise into present possession. We know when we trust just as we know when we see, just as we are conscious of our sense of touch. Trust sees, receives, holds. Trust is its own witness.
Yet, quite often, our faith is too weak to obtain God’s greatest good, immediately; so it has to wait in loving, strong, prayerful, pressing obedience, until it grows in strength, and is able to bring down the eternal, into the realms of experience and time.
To this point, trust masses all its forces. Here it holds. And in the struggle, trust’s grasp becomes mightier, and grasps, for itself, all that God has done for it in His eternal wisdom and plenitude of grace.
In the matter of waiting in prayer, mightiest prayer, faith rises to its highest plane and becomes indeed the gift of God. It becomes the blessed disposition and expression of the soul which is secured by a constant intercourse with, and unwearied application to God. Jesus Christ clearly taught that faith was the condition on which prayer was answered. If I don't trust, then my prayer isn't going to be answered. When God had cursed the fig-tree, the disciples were much surprised that its withering had actually taken place. It was then that Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God.”
“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore, I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”
Trust grows nowhere so readily and richly as in the presence of prayer. Its development is rapid and when a prayer life is well kept. When these engagements with God through prayer are hearty and full and free, trust flourishes exceedingly. The presence of God gives vigorous life to trust, just like presence of the sun make fruit and flower to grow... a cheesy, but nonetheless, true metaphor.
Ideas like “Have faith in God,” and “Trust in the Lord” form the keynote and foundation of prayer. Primarily, it is not trust in the Word of God, but trust in the Person of God. Trust in the Person of God, I've found, must precede trust in the Word of God. The trust which God points to as a condition of effective prayer, is not of the head but of the heart. It is trust which “doubteth not in his heart.” Such trust has the assurance that it shall be honored with large and satisfying answers. The strong promise of our Lord brings faith down to the present, and counts on a present answer.
Honestly, I'm still struggling to put all this into practice. I'm praying. I'm trusting. I'm exercising faith. I read a quote recently that I think is a great closing thought...
"When our wagon gets stuck in the mud,
God is much more likely to assist the man who gets out to push
than the man who merely raises his voice in prayer
—no matter how eloquent the oration."
I don't recall who said that... but In "Sun Stand Still" Pastor Steven shared the same sentiment, saying that we should push while we pray. Or, As one of my favorite authors Hunter S Thompson said... "Call on God, but row away from the rocks..." In addition to all that other stuff, we've got to act. (I discussed this in a previous post called Help... look back a few posts for that one.) And I'm finding that the acting... the stepping out in faith is what reinforces the trust. When I step out and push while I pray, God moves. Then I trust him a little more. Its an amazing (yet at times, terrifying) process.
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