God is ... not soft

I was doing some research a few weeks ago for a different blog post, and ran across the following verses:

"You didn't think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he's such a nice God, he'd let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he's not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change."

Romans 2:3-4 (The Message)

"Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he's not soft."

God's desire is for his children to experience radical life change. How else will we show the world who he truly is?

Eleven scared men, and the women and other close followers who were there in the upper room with them, didn't change the world. It wasn't until the disciples and followers of Jesus saw the risen Lord that radical things began to change.

But the first step in living into radical life-change is to stop comparing ourselves to others. It is easy, isn't it, to find someone "worse" than you? We then begin to compare ourselves to that person, justifying the sin in our life isn't so bad. At least we don't ... (fill in the blank).

Yet Paul tells us "pointing your finger at others" isn't the standard. Our standard should be Jesus. While he was God, he was also 100% human. He faced every trial we face today.

Are you having difficulty paying the bills? Jesus did too, and was only able to pay his Roman taxes because God provided the money.

Are you hungry? Jesus was too. Yet in the midst of the hunger, he was able to rebuff the temptations of the devil.

Are you tired, Jesus was often exhausted after dealing with the crowds. How did he recuperate? He went to his father in prayer.

The bible tells us:

"No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be ther to help you come through it."

I Corinthians 10:13 (The Message)

Do you want radical life-change? You have to first turn from your sinful habits. Then you need to learn to lean into God. He has a plan for you, a plan that is far better than what you are living right now.

Only after we repent of our sin and lean into God's love and goodness are we able to fully experience radical life-change.

And then, just hold on because God is going to do great things in and through you!

Finding Joy in the Journey

I was talking to my wife last week and somehow the discussion moved to talking about the journey as compared to the destination. It seems that so often we are focused on the destination, that we forget to find joy in the journey.

How many times have I brushed past someone in need of Christ's love because I was "on a mission for Jesus?"

How many times have I not stopped to offer "a drink of water in Jesus' name" to the thirsty, because I was focused on the wrong thing?

It's like Daniel in the first Karate Kid movie. He goes to Mr. Miyagi for karate lessons and instead finds himself doing chores. Wax on, wax off. Paint the fence. Sand the floor.

In his frustration, Daniel confronts Mr. Miyagi, asking why he has to do menial labor when he was promised training for a karate tournament.

What Daniel didn't realize is that through the repetitive motion, Mr. Miyagi was forcing muscle memory. Now when he was attacked, Daniel instinctively knew several defensive moves.

Or maybe it is like the man who asked God to give him great strength. God responded by showing the man a very large rock lying at the bottom of a steep hill. God said, each day I want you to push this rock up that hill.

And so with great excitement, the man leaned against the rock the first morning, and nothing happened. Then, over time he began to have the strength to move the rock, eventually getting it closer and closer to the top of the steep hill each day.

However, each morning the rock would be at the bottom of the hill again, and the man would start to push it back up.

Finally, in frustration (much like Daniel to Mr. Miyagi, I imagine) the man cried out to God: "why is it that I never get anywhere with this rock? Why is it that all I do all day is push it up the hill?"

God responded, "You asked me for strength. Each day as you have pushed against this rock, your muscles have grown. Today you are stronger than you have ever been."

Because he was so focused on getting the rock to the top of the hill, the man never noticed that his hard physical work had made him stronger. God had answered his prayer!

Far too often in western culture we forget to find joy in the journey. Our lives have become so focused on the destination that we miss the learning, serving, living that is found in the journey.

Stop today and find how you can best "find joy in the journey."

Are You Just "Tweeting" to God?

It's been a crazy week. In my new position as production director at SoAcres Church (www.SoAcres.com) I am in charge of stage design, look and feel. This week we are changing it up, in part to honor dads on Father's Day, but in part to have a fresh new feel as we go into summer.

It makes for long days, and I haven't been able to live into my newly established goal of blogging four or five times a week.

Tonight is Wednesday, the work week is nearly half complete, and I finally had a chance to sit down at the computer. A phrase has been running through my mind for the last day or two; Tweeting God.

I've been hearing a lot of messages on prayer lately. That's a good thing, considering the changes that have been going on in my world. But one common thread runs through all of these messages coming from different places: God wants quantity.

It made me stop and think. I consider myself a praying person. While I don't pray out loud very often (meal times excluded), I do pray frequently. Many times during the day I will offer up a prayer of thanksgiving, call upon God to help with some situation (I lost my car keys again?), or simply just marvel at the beauty of the sunset (since I don't see many sunrises) or the color of the sky.

But this could all be summed up as "Tweeting God." In 160 characters or less, send your request/praise/admiration to heaven.

God wants quantity time. Back when things were perfect, before Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, God walked with them in the cool of the evening; EVERY evening.

God wanted to hear about his children's day. God wanted to walk, talk, laugh, listen, and share with his kids.

Much like many fathers take time to sit with their kids when they first get home, as many husbands listen to their wife talk about her day; God wants to get the blow-by-blow account of my day.

So I need to stop "Tweeting God" and I need to spend more time with Him simply in conversation. He desires quantity, and I need to give it to Him.

Songs on the Radio

There are currently two songs playing on the radio by Bruno Mars; Just the Way You Are and When I Was Your Man.

Now I'm not sure if these two songs are about the same woman, but for the purpose of this post, I'm going to make that assumption.

In Just the Way You Are, Bruno says:

"Oh, her eyes, her eyes make the stars look like they're not shinin'. Her hair, her hair falls perfectly without her tryin'. She's so beautiful. And I tell her every day.

"Yeah, I know, I know when I compliment her she won't believe me. And it's so, it's so sad to think that she don't see what I see. But every time she asks me do I look OK? I say:

"When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change. 'Cause you're amazing, just the way you are.

"And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while. 'Cause girl, you're amazing, just the way you are.

"Her lips, her lips, I could kiss them all day if she'd let me. Her laugh, her laugh, she hates but I think it's so sexy. She's so beautiful. And I tell her every day.

"Oh, you know, you know, you know I'd never ask you to change. If perfects what you're searching for then just stay the same. So don't even bother asking if you look OK."

Obviously, he is completely in love with this woman, JUST THE WAY SHE IS.

Enter the second song, When I Was Your Man:

"Same bed, but it feels just a little bit bigger now. Our song on the radio, but it don't sound the same. When our friends talk about you all that it does is just tear me down. 'Cause my heart breaks a little when I hear your name. And it all just sounds like ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh.

"Too young, too dumb to realize, that I should have bought you flowers and held your hand. Should have gave you all my hours when I had the chance. Take you to every party 'cause all you wanted to do was dance. Now my baby is dancing, but she's dancing with another man."

Now I'm not sure who this woman is, but in my opinion she has just walked away from the best possible situation; a man who loves her just the way she is, a man who is enthralled with her beauty, a man who I'd venture to say catches his breath every time she walks into the room, a man who tells her EVERY DAY.

And she walks away because he won't dance with her or send her flowers.

And then it hit me ... we are that woman; Jesus is our "man."

How much does Jesus love us? He gave up EVERYTHING for us. He left heaven to live on earth; he gave up riches to become a pauper; he even forfeited his life.

Just because he loves us.

And, he tells us every day. Through a beautiful sunrise. Through continued good health. Through a roof over our heads, a job that supports us, friends and family who want to be with us.

Jesus shows us his love in so many ways every day.

And we left him. We walked out looking for something better when the best possible thing for us was right there telling us how much he loves us.

Bruno finishes When I Was Your Man with:

"Oh I know that I'm probably much too late, to try and apologize for my mistakes"

Jesus has no mistakes to apologize for, yet he still stands waiting for us to return.

Now when I hear this song it reminds me that I have the best thing in the world, and it is never too late for me to come back, no matter how long I've strayed; because Jesus loves me just that much!

Forgiveness

Last night my lovely bride was telling me a story she recently heard about forgiveness. I felt it was appropriate to share here today.

My wife's friend, I'll call him Mr. Jones, was telling her about a time from his childhood. Mr. Jones had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. During one particular flare-up, he was in such pain and so sick his parents called the doctor. Hearing the symptoms, the doctor said bring the child right over and I'll take a look.

Well, this was Lexington, Kentucky in the 1950's, so when the family walked into the waiting room and the doctor noticed their ethnicity, he didn't refuse to help the boy, but he made him wait in a broom closet. All day.

It was after 6 pm when the doctor finally saw the child, and then only prescribed a couple of aspirin.

Mr. Jones' health continued to deteriorate, and he eventually ended up in the hospital. Fortunately, he did receive the care he needed and has gone on to live a productive life. He said he should have died, but God allowed him to live, get married, have children, and now grandchildren.

So where does the forgiveness come into this story? Mr. Jones told my wife that he didn't harbor any ill-will towards the doctor who he visited, despite the way he was treated simply because of his skin color.

So many of us would resent this doctor; he hadn't done his job because of racial prejudice. The doctor's actions could have resulted in Mr. Jones' death.

Yet Mr. Jones simply said, I forgive him. The world is full of imperfect people, of whom I am one. Jesus loved me despite my imperfections and I must show that same love to those around me.

It was a great reminder of the truth: to whom much has been given, much is expected. We have all received God's forgiveness, and should then pass that same forgiveness along to those who have hurt us in our lives.

Spare the Rod

I've been looking at things from a new perspective lately ... a kind of "questioning everything" mode.

If you follow this blog you know that I recently made another major career change. Well, maybe major isn't accurate; I am still working in the church production field. I'm just now doing it locally at SoAcres Church (www.SoAcres.com) in Lexington, and not traveling the country for production installations.

Now, this change in profession hasn't necessarily driven my "question everything" ... I really don't have anything I can point to that would be a driving force in this new way of looking at things, it just simply started small and has grown from there.

One of the things I've looked at more closely of late is Proverbs 13:24: "Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them." (NIV)

Now I was raised in a home where this verse was often quoted, generally while I was being "spanked" or on the receiving end of some other punishment. As a result, I followed that same philosophy, much to the chagrin of my sons, while raising my three boys.

So many Christian families, and even those who wouldn't call themselves Christian, have stood behind Proverbs 13:24 as justification for spanking.

In Bible College you learn context is important. But context isn't just the surrounding verses, it also includes understanding the audience, the writer, and how their world view influences their writing. It is impossible to understand God's intent from scripture without understanding how the passage you are studying fits into the context in which it was written.

I guess as I've grown older, I have begun to see things differently. One day a few weeks ago, this verse became very clear to me; and what I realized is this verse has been misused and misunderstood. But on that day, the context of the author became very clear, as did the meaning of the verse.

Proverbs was primarily written by King Solomon of ancient Israel. While Solomon's father was also a king, prior to becoming king, David was a shepherd. And a primary tool of a shepherd is a staff, or rod.

Now shepherds don't beat their sheep with their staff. They gently guide them. The end of the staff often had a crook, just the right size to fit around a wayward sheep's neck and pull him back into the herd.

Suddenly it became all too clear; spare the rod didn't refer to harsh and severe punishment; it was about a gentle rebuke.

Solomon further clarifies this with Proverbs 17:10: "A rebuke impresses a discerning person more than a hundred lashes a fool."

I can't truly say that I no longer believe in spanking. I just now understand that when Proverbs 13:24 was written, it was more a plan of gentle correction as opposed to harsh punishment.

I'm guessing my sons wish I had learned this one about 15 years ago.