What I Love About Christmas

I have little kids in my house, and big kids as well, particularly when it comes to Christmas. I love Christmas day.  Now, I can’t say that I love the Christmas season too much, but I do love Christmas day. I think it is simply the joy and smiles that seem to make the day great.

I was listening to a few people talk the other night at our church about this topic. They were exchanging the things that they loved about Christmas. There was some of the usual talk- “I love the decorations”, “I love the festivities and family gatherings”.   So it got me to thinking about it, what is it that I love about Christmas?

As a kid, I was the one that wanted to be up at 4am to start opening gifts. My dad reminded me about that the other day, and that is not a habit I want to pass on to my children. Why 4am? ….because that is about as long as my mind would let me sleep in anticipation of opening gifts.  4am now is just the time that I am starting to sleep good and get woke up by my wife poking me in the ribs telling me that I am snoring.

I wanted badly to see if what I had put on my list was under the tree. And you know, usually the best gifts were the ones that my parents had thought of that never occurred to me- a real surprise.  Christmas was always better than my list anyways. It wasn’t just what I got, which was always great, but seeing what everyone else got and seeing the surprise and joy on their faces. Our best times are usually like that, more than just what happens to us, but bringing joy to others.

When we think about our world today, Christmas could not come at a better time. We have had a year full of bad news- economy is bad, jobs are scarce, foreclosures are high, people are hungry, war is raging, H1N1 is killing people… and in the middle of it all pops up Christmas, a time of joy and hope… and that is what I love about Christmas.

It is a fixed event that, no matter if the world is going crazy, once a year brings us back to some simple and beautiful thoughts (unless you are one of those people who completely stress out and freak out at Christmas time, then… then I am not sure when you “plan” on being happy if the happy season makes you unhappy).  Simple thoughts of family, opening gifts, sharing in the celebration of the birth of Jesus. I find great comfort in our family routine at Christmas: coffee, Christmas story, cinnamon rolls…presents…more coffee…presents…more coffee.  There is no long manual with fine print needed to experience joy in opening gifts and watching kids rip into presents. There are no laws that limit the happiness of a child who opens “that” gift. Giggles and smiles flow without hinderance.  It may be, without over exaggerating, one of the most pure times in life. We have fun and are meant to have fun, without apology.

This Christmas will be a little lean for us, but no one will really care. We will be together. We will enjoy one another. We will have family time to share, talk, laugh, take pictures… and drink coffee.  Joy and hope. For even a brief moment, what matters most in life, the people that you love and care about, they will be happy together. That is what I love about Christmas.

There is great power in the simple message of hope, the coming of someone to change the world… and our world needs changing. Not with politics or laws or court cases or social agendas, our world needs real hope. It needs something to look forward to that brings a smile to their face. Just like even the mention of Christmas can bring joy to a childs face, so our world needs the hope of abundant life and eternal life in Jesus Christ. That is a message that permeates even the most dire and difficult of times.

 The world tries to make life work for them through force, through bullying, through manipulation to change the world to suit their needs, to make them happy. But God has often used the simple and beautiful things to convey His message. Take the birth of Jesus. Nothing is more simple and beautiful than a baby. But this baby was the Messiah, the Savior, the one who would usher in God’s hope to the world and through Him many will experience eternal joy in Heaven.

It reminds me of an event that took place in 1914.  I am a little bit of a history buff and love the story of the Christmas truce in WWI between the British and the Germans (you can read more about this at http://www.christmastruce.co.uk ). They had been fighting fierce trench warfare for what seemed like forever.  Men getting killed by the hundreds, awful conditions in the trenches…. and then Christmas.  Here they are putting themselves in harm’s way, and suddenly the whole war comes to a grinding halt on one battlefront, because it is Christmas. Listen to some excerpts from letters that British soldiers wrote home about that day…

We have had quite an unusual experience with the Germans. They were shouting over to us from their trenches all Christmas Eve. Of course we answered back. Then they started to sing, and when they finished our fellows started singing back to them, but the climax was reached on the afternoon of Christmas Day. We invited each other to come over unarmed. So a party of us got out of the trench and went over to meet a party of them at the barbed wire in the centre of the field. They all shook hands with us and no one could have greeted better than they did. They gave us presents of cigarettes and cigars and we all exchanged souvenirs. … When we parted they all shook hands and gave us a cheer. Of course we cheered in return. …It hardly seems possible for such a thing to happen – deadly enemies to go forth and meet each other with all goodwill …

the rest of the day passed quietly in this part of the line, but in others a deal of fraternizing went on. So there you are; all this talk of hate, all this firing at each other that has raged since the beginning of the war quelled and stayed by the magic of Christmas. Indeed one German said “But you are of the same religion as us and today is the day of peace! It is really a great triumph for the church. It is a great hope for future peace when two great nations hating each other as foes have seldom hated, one side vowing eternal hate and vengeance and setting their venom to music, should on Christmas day and for all that the word implies, lay down their arms, exchange smokes and wish each other happiness.

Valentine’s Day could have never accomplished that.  Labor Day doesn’t move people like that. But remembering the birth of our Savior, the Prince of Peace, halted a world war, even if just for a moment. Those soldiers laid down their arms, then opened their arms to each other, and that is amazing, even if it did not immediately end the war. What incredible power the birth of a baby had upon men. Not only did they, in the midst of war, get to enjoy a peaceful Christmas, but it brought hope to their heart that war could end and peace could be had. That is what I love about Christmas.

 We need more of that kind of thing in our world today. It just seems as if we have shed the idea of innocence, pure happiness and joy. We have, in many ways, become a cynical society, almost to the point of mocking anything that seems to have that kind of purity… as if it just can’t be in a world seemingly overrun by sin, corruption, hate, lust, anger and impatience. But that is exactly the kind of world Jesus came into and exactly the reason that Jesus came. To celebrate His birth is to celebrate the reason for His arrival- to deliver us from the power of evil, and triumph with good… so that we can have joy….experience peace… and live in hope.  And that is what I love about Christmas.

John 16     33  These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

 

Living in the Moment And For the Moment

I have just spent a few wonderful days visiting with some of my best friends in this world. I am always encouraged and blessed by these friendships and I always leave wanting to stay a little longer and have just one more conversation over just one more cup of coffee.

Good things are like that, we savor them and we want more. There is a desire within all of us to try to hold onto that which we feel is good for us and good to us. We don’t always appreciate it the way we should, but we want for more of these moments.

I have frequently imagined what it must have been like to be with Jesus, walking the earth with the one who stilled the sea, fed the masses with a little boys lunch and called the dead back to life out of their coffins and tombs. The amazement of those moments, I would have loved to experience the simple awe and wonder of seeing the most amazing things take place right before you. This wasn’t imaginative story telling where you are captivated by the turn of the plot or a twist of a phrase, this was real life and real live action. Moments in life to relish.

With Christmas approaching, I can’t wait to see my kids on that morning, filled with anticipation, wanting so badly to rip into those presents under the tree… but they will have to wait for just a few moments while we read the Christmas story and get together a cup of coffee for mom and dad. But it is their moment, their time to experience the joy of getting a gift. Personally, I love giving the gifts as much if not more than getting a gift. Seeing the wondering looks on their faces searching their minds to see if they might know what is in the box.

God has really been working in my heart these last few months about the idea of the moment. As Christians we talk a lot about vision, numbers, statistics, programs and goals for the church. As people we talk about hopes and dreams for the future. As parents we wonder about the future of our kids and making sure that they are adequately prepared for what will come. But are we missing too much of God’s work in our life because we are too focused on somewhere other than now? As Christians are we failing to love people as they are, because we are wanting them to be something else? As parents, are we not enjoying our children in the moment, because we are too focused on preparing them for not being children? As people, are we discounting the blessings of today because we are looking down the road to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?

It would be like sitting with one of my friends this past week and being so consumed by the fact that I would have to leave, that I failed to enjoy their company. I would miss a great moment. I would miss the precious time I had with them. Instead, I lived in the moment, soaking in the good that I was experiencing.

When we are experiencing good times, we can think about the fact that it will come to an end. When we are experiencing bad times, we can’t wait for it to end. When we are in dull and boring times, we think it will never end.  But what about the moment you are in?  What about this moment that you have?

Maybe your life isn’t everything you want it to be right now. All of us could probably pinpoint a few things that we wish would be different or that we know are not going to last or are worried about. But let’s not miss the God factor in our life. Think of a few Biblical examples…

* When the children of Israel were up against the Red Sea and Pharoah’s army was approaching. What do you think many of them were thinking about?  They were imagining getting slaughtered, run over, injured, captured and taken back into slavery. (Exodus 14)

* When King Jehoshaphat was told that he was surrounded by a large army, he was afraid and admitted that he had no idea what to do. He was facing the end of his rule and the defeat of his army.  (II Chronicles 20)

* Simeon had been waiting in the temple for the Messiah to come. God had promised that he would see the child, not when the child would come, just that he would see the child. He had not seen it yet, so had he missed it?  Did he really hear God say that? (Luke 2:25-35)

* When Lazarus died, Mary and Martha wondered why Jesus had not come to his aid quickly.  “If only you had been here” were their words. They grieved at the loss of their brother. (John 11:1-44)

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, their moment arrived…

* God opened the Red Sea through Moses

* God spoke through a prophet and gave Jehoshaphat direction on how to defeat his enemy by sending the musicians and singers in front of the army

* God brought the Christ child to Simeon to bless

* Jesus arrived at the tomb of Lazarus and told them to open it

Each of them then lived in the moment…

* The people crossed over on dry land, and saw Pharoah’s army swallowed by the sea

* Jehoshaphat did as God commanded and watched as his enemies turned on one another and killed one another giving him peace

* Simeon recognized God’s messiah and blessed the child, getting to see God fulfill His prophecy

* Mary and Martha watched as Jesus returned their brother to them by calling him out of the tomb

But what if….

* not believing God, some of the Israelites had believed their fate was sealed and marched back toward Pharoah’s army just hoping they would survive?

* Jehoshaphat thought the plan God spoke was ridiculous and sent his army out to fight against overwhelming numbers?

* Simeon had grown tired of waiting and in his frustration had taken to sitting in the back room, allowing others to receive the children as they came into the temple?

* Mary and Martha had walked away from Jesus, believing that He had betrayed them by not coming sooner?

…they would be like many of us, living in our own world, our own disappointments, frustrations, and they would have completely missed the moment with God.

Imagine this. Your child wakes up on Christmas morning and won’t get out of bed because they believe that you did not buy them that new bike they wanted. “Come and open your gifts” you tell them, it will be fun. “No”, I just know you haven’t bought me my new bike.”  All the while, waiting in the living room is their brand new bike, with a bell, streamers and all. You have looked forward to sharing this moment with them. They have had to wait, but you knew this moment was coming.  Now what?

I sometimes wonder if God does not feel that way with us. He is ready to move, ready to work in us, bless us, renew us, ready for us to experience a moment with Him. Yet it seems often our mind and heart is too consumed with either what has been or what might be or what has not happened… and we allow our fears, our hurt, our disappointments, our fatigue, even our sins to control our hearts … and we miss Him. I don’t want that in my life, I want my faith to be stretched, to imagine greater things.

Just imagine what it must have been like to walk on the dry land through the Red Sea and look up and know the hand of God was holding the waters at bay. Wow!

Just imagine what Jehoshaphat must have felt as he looked out on the battlefield and saw God use a bunch of singers and musicians to destroy his enemy before his eyes. Unbelievable!

Just imagine Simeon placing Jesus back into the arms of Mary, knowing that God has just fulfilled His promise by sending a Messiah, in the form of a little baby. He  must have danced and smiled his way back home. Yes!

Just imagine Mary and Martha standing in awe and shock as Jesus simply spoke three words, “Lazarus come forth”, and their brother rose from the dead and walked out of the tomb! Awesome!

I want more of that in my Christian walk. No more same old, nothing ever happens, told you it would never work, go through the motions, we’ve never done it that way, I’m tired of dealing with it, kind of Christianity that no longer looks to God to do something awe-inspiring. I want the moment. I want to live in the moments with God. No, I am not seeking a sign, I am seeking anticipation… expectation…faith in every moment to believe… for the supernatural, all-powerful, amazing God to do, well, what He can do. To rise up out of bed and believe that the bike is really there… then jump on it, ring the bell and watch the streamers flap in the wind as I ride down the road.

I have had lots of moments with God- my salvation, watching God provide for us financially, watching Him provide jobs for us, heal family members and friends, save people we have ministered to, transform people who have been away from Him…. and I have relished every moment. Henry Blackaby in his Experiencing God material calls these things spiritual markers. Moments in life we know God has worked and we have planted a stake in the ground to mark the occasion. I look forward to planting that next stake. All of God’s work, all of my spiritual markers have brought me to this point… and I anticipate that, no matter my current situation, that  a stake-planting moment is just ahead… and I don’t want to miss it.

Lord, we believe in your work, in your power and in your might. We believe that in your love for us, you will work in us and around us. God we don’t want to miss a moment with you. Help our eyes and our heart not to lose focus on you. Help us not to give in to our frustrations and doubts so that we turn our head from watching for your hand.

Today Lord, right now… I have my stake in my hand…ready for you and I to experience a moment together…so I can plant that stake in the ground and forever remember this as a day, a time, where together we lived in the moment and for the moment.

Can I Be Thankful in Hard Times?

This week is the week that we have set aside a day to be thankful for the blessings we have received.  I have to keep reminding my children that this is not “Turkey day”, but Thanksgiving. We are not celebrating the turkey, just the blessing of having the turkey (all 17 lbs worth in my house).

These past few years have been difficult on many- we have war, recession, unemployment, H1N1, foreclosures and many other things that impact our lives.  For some people, they might find it a struggle to smile, and give heartfelt thanks this year. Now you might say, “but aren’t we supposed to give thanks in all things”?  Well yes we are, but in the real world, with real hurt and real struggle, being truly thankful at times is not just a matter of obeying a command.  To be truly thankful we often have to move past hurt feelings, grief, disappointment, unfulfilled dreams, a drained bank account, wayward children, lost jobs, ….  and discover in the middle of this pile the nuggets of God’s work to focus our attention on. That is not always easy.

This year has been a tremendous mixed bag for me. God has been so faithful to us, but He has been faithful in the middle of very difficult year. I could easily take the rest of this blog to tell you of all my struggles and pain- the passing of my mom being the hardest things I have ever endured- but that is life. Life has bumps, hills, potholes, sinkholes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods- just stuff and lots of it.

I like the lyrics to a song by Darryl Worley “Sounds Like Life to Me“.  

Got a call last night from an old friend’s wife
Said I hate to bother you
Johnny Ray fell off the wagon
He’s been gone all afternoon
I know my buddy so I drove to Skully’s
And found him at the bar
I say hey man, what’s going on
He said I don’t know where to start

Sarah’s old car’s about to fall apart
And the washer quit last week
We had to put momma in the nursing home
And the baby’s cutting teeth
I didn’t get much work this week
And I got bills to pay
I said I know this ain’t what you wanna hear
But it’s what I’m gonna say

Sounds like life to me it ain’t no fantasy
It’s just a common case of everyday reality
Man I know it’s tough but you gotta suck it up
To hear you talk you’re caught up in some tragedy
It sounds like life to me

Well his face turned red and he shook his head
He said you don’t understand
Three kids and a wife depend on me
And I’m just one man
To top it off I just found out
That Sarah’s 2 months late
I said hey bartender set us up a round
We need to celebrate

Sounds like life to me plain old destiny
Yeah the only thing for certain is uncertainty
You gotta hold on tight just enjoy the ride
Get used to all this unpredictability
Sounds like life

I particularly like the last part- the only thing for certain is uncertainty, you have to hold on tight just enjoy the ride, get used to all this unpredictability, sounds like life to me.  Life is uncertain. Life is full of situations that we wish never would have happened. Life is full of times we wish we could go back and change. Life is also full of beautiful times, beautiful things and beautiful people. Life happens, but in the midst of life we have to find the beautiful things to feed our faith. This is not sappy optimism or stick your fingers in your ears and pretend like nothing is happening, this is a deliberate choice to choose to focus my attention upon God and His goodness rather than the evils and pains of this world. It’s not as if we are not acknowledging our pain, I just choose not to stay there.

When my mom passed away this past April, I was devastated. It has taken me a whole lot longer to move forward than I could have imagined. The hurt was deep. My mom has always been a source of strength for me and knew how to encourage me at just the right time in just the right way. She showed me how to live life, even in difficult times, with grace and resilience.  I not only lost my mom, but a great part of my support. I had the wonderful privilege of speaking at her service. As we closed the service in prayer these words flowed across my lips that I had no idea would come, but I will never forget. “Lord, I wished this day would never come. I would have wanted another day, another week, another year, another lifetime with my mom… but Lord I am so thankful today for every day that you gave me with her. My life is so much richer because you blessed me with her…”.  That is the one thought that has really helped me- “my life is so much richer because you blessed me with her”. 

No one promised us on this side of heaven that good things last forever, in fact the Bible tells us that this world, and all that is in it, including us, is passing away. But drawing from that well of pain emerged a beautiful thought, I have been blessed. I did not earn it, deserve it, work for it, God placed this beautiful and strong woman as my mother, and I am thankful. Now I could choose to focus on what I don’t have anymore, her presence with me, but death is unfortunately a part of life. I can fuss at the unfairness of it all. I could wallow in misery saying no one understands me. But my experience is not uncommon to the normal course of life. Death comes. It is a part of living in this world. If I would let it, the bad things of this life could drive me into depression, anger, sadness, helplessness… but that would not be living a life of faith. Faith focuses on God’s work, even when life seems dark and oppressive.

I suppose we could spend our short time here in misery and frustrated, like much of the world does, because it does not have enough, it can keep what is has and it can’t figure out how to maintain perfect happiness… or we can see that the world is an imperfect place, face our troubles, thumb our nose at the devil and give God thanks for what we have in this world and beyond.

Here is what I mean… my wife is not perfect, but I am eternally grateful that God has blessed me with her and her many ways of blessing me and encouraging me;  my kids aren’t perfect, but I am thankful for them and grateful God has given me the opportunity, and privilege, to parent them and see them grow into young men and women; my finances are far from perfect, but I am grateful for what i do have- we have not gone hungry a single day, the roof is over our head and the heat is on;  my health is not perfect, the pill bottles in the bathroom tell me so, but I am grateful I have the health to experience this life God has given me and serve Him; I am not where I wanted to be at my age, certainly not where I envisioned myself being, but I am grateful for what I look around and do see in my life; and mostly… I am not perfect, but God still chooses to love me, forgive me, have patience with me, comfort me…. yea, I could choose to be miserable because this world is an imperfect place (and by the way, one reason the world is imperfect is because you and I are in it), but I would rather look up and be thankful for all that I do have.

Can I maintain perfect happiness in this world- no, and Jesus even told me so…

John 16:33 (NLT)

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world

Notice the surety with which Jesus speaks- you will have trials and sorrows, not may have, could have, or it’s a possibility… you will have. This life is going to put it on all of us, so how we respond is an individual choice. In our hard times we can choose to throw our pity party, we can wallow in our PLOM syndrome (Poor Lil’ Ol’ Me), we can throw a temper tantrum and roll on the ground… or we can choose to rise above. Make the choice that Jesus made.  So where do we see Jesus giving thanks in His difficult times? Look at this verse…

Luke 22:19

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me”

As Jesus faced the cross and was, in His last moments, teaching His disciples about the meaning of His death, He gave thanks. Thanks for what? Thanks for the fulfillment of God’s plan. Thanks for the relationship that was going to be born through this pain. Thanks for the faith that many would show in Him. Thanks for the eternal difference that He was about to make… But that also meant that He was going to endure suffering, and He thanked the Father anyway.

Now you and I will probably never face a cross, but the example has been set for us. Even in the difficulties, find the places and pieces to be thankful for.  Our common human experience tells us that we all are going to experience difficulty, some maybe more than others, but as Christians we also share a common truth- God is good.  Take some time this week to journal or think about just how good God has been- not how difficult life is- and you will have a happier Thanksgiving. 

I pray that this holiday will be filled with blessings for you and your family and that as you reflect on the goodness of God in the midst of your life, that your faith will be lifted and your joy more full.

Passion or Plodding Through?

I am not exactly your greatest source for the latest news. I  keep up with the major stories and keep up with what is going on in the world, but I don’t watch CNN for hours a day and I don’t listen to talk radio everywhere I drive.  But I have really been fascinated by what has been happening in Iran.

The whole situation has seemed to take people by surprise. I mean wasn’t everyone in Iran a crazy, radical, nut-job wanting to bomb the rest of the world into extinction?  Wasn’t every Iranian a revolutionary, dedicated to the principles of a West-hating, Islamic state?… Apparently not.

By nature, I really don’t like assumptions. I don’t like people assuming things about me that are not true. I don’t like assuming the worst about others… until they prove me wrong. I don’t like assuming the worst about the world, which many Christians seem to make their living doing. Assumptions are for those of a weak mind who merely want to take the lazy way out rather than doing the work, the reading, the conversations to discover what reality is. The world, by way of our media, assumed that all Iranians were the same. “The Iranians” is like saying, “The Americans”. We would take offense if someone said, “All Americans are greedy capitalists who…”.

We assume things about our Christianity as well. We take things for granted. We sometimes don’t do the hard work to find the truth or discover what God is up to. Rather than pursuing the reality of our Christian walk with passion, we merely plod through our life, assuming (usually the worst) things about God and ourselves. This is something that I have been working through a lot over these last few months.

When you feel the call from God to pastor, to preach, to serve as a teacher, children’s leader, usher, greeter, cook, nursery worker, treasurer, outreach leader, or whatever else God calls you to do… does it really become your passion or…do we just plod through, doing the work assigned to us until we get bored or hurt or tired or frustrated.  As a pastor for 16 plus years, I always assumed that pastoring is what I would be doing for the rest of my life. Why should I think otherwise?  I wasn’t cheating on my wife, didn’t have a Swiss bank account filled with church money, what could possibly go wrong?  Well, something did go wrong.

Our move to Gainesville, Florida  was a great one. We loved the church. The ministry was progressing. We had a great staff. The people of the church were awesome. I was getting to be involved in community work, which I love. And then, and then we found ourselves in a difficult financial spot, caught in the trappings of a recession… and there was no more pastoring. Confession time– I was mad. I was angry, frustrated, sick to my stomach and completely not understanding what God was doing.  But through all the haze and the fog came a very clarifying question.  Is serving God your passion or are you just plodding through?

Ministry has little to do with position and everything to do with love. Jesus said the greatest commandment of all is to love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength– no disclaimers, no clarification, no maybes, no ifs, no nothing. The command is not different for pastors or missionaries. It isn’t different for parents than it is for children. It doesn’t discriminate nor does it show preference. Love God with all you’ve got- whoever you are, where ever you are. I like (well most times) this passage from Job 2:

7 So Satan left the LORD’s presence, and he struck Job with a terrible case of boils from head to foot. 8 Then Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. 9 His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.” 10 But Job replied, “You talk like a godless woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.

Listen to Job’s word- accept. If we are just plodding along, we don’t want to be disturbed by difficulty, by hard things, by discomfort.  Plodders give up easy when things go wrong, they whine a lot, they complain about others, the world, themselves, the circumstances. Charles Stanley calls this kind of casual Christianity a “line of least resistance” faith (see Job’s wife). You can’t love God with all your heart… as long as things are going well… as long as it doesn’t require too much of me… as long as I don’t have to give up what I love– those are qualifiers, asterisks on the command. Jesus said to have passion, love God with all you’ve got, no matter what. Even if you are sitting in the ashes, scraping your sores with bits of broken pottery.  Now I have never doubted that I loved God, and have never doubted that God loves me. I have however wondered why certain things happen and have happened.

I was not your most compliant child. I was the youngest of four boys, and it showed. I was a loose canon. A live wire who wanted to live loose and free. My parents, however, saw things differently. Now I never doubted that my mom and dad loved me, but I did wonder why they were so upset at some of the things I did. I questioned their judgment. I questioned their ability to understand me. I was not happy with how things turned out. But, I never stopped loving them and they never stopped loving me.

Right now… yes, I have questioned God’s judgment at times. I have complained about what is happening. But I will never allow any circumstance to extinguish my love for God and I know, I know that my God has never stopped loving me. I may not be where I was a while ago, but what kind of job you have or what kind of title you wear, is merely a place, a setting if you will, for your love for God to shine through. First things first- Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.. the rest is details. If we get the details first- the what we do, how we do it, where we do it, the title we wear, the position we hold, the traditions we adhere to– then we become plodders. People get attached to a position or a place or a thought of who we should be or where we should be, and we plod, trying to hold onto those details.

I think back on so many conversations that I have had with Christian leaders over the years, and I realize that many are plodders. We mean well, we want to “do good” and “do right” and “grow the church”, but somewhere along the way we became plodders rather than passionate. Denominations are talking about Great Commission Resugences, strategies to reach the world, programs to make the church vibrant and growing again. All of these wonderful things will be plodding, if we do not, at our base, in the depths of our heart burn with a love for God.

Christianity, at its’ core, is a simple faith. Love God, receive His love through Jesus’ life and sacrifice on the cross. Remember the verse, we love Him because He first loved us. So simple. I guess when you are going through trying times you either highly complicate things by trying to figure out all the why’s and what if’s… or you simplify, stick to what you know and what you can count on. In other words, you try to make assumptions about your situation, make up scenerios about why God is punishing you or what He is setting up for your future or… you set your feet on the unshakeable love of God. You may not be able to explain what is happening in your life today, but do you know that, when you scrape away the layers of problems, trials, pains, hurts, confusion… that your heart really and deeply loves God?….then really, your OK. I am.

Post Election Euphoria? Gloom?…How about resolve?

OK, I have my TV back now.  I can watch my favorite shows without having sophomoric political attacks ads assaulting my senses.

Some of you may be happy today- one of your candidates that you wanted to win a certain office won. Some of you may be a little depressed today- your guy or gal didn’t win their post, the “evil” enemy won… and the world is close to being over.

When we go through moments like an election, a change in life situation, a change is job, relationship status, finances or anything that impacts the world around, we always seem to get tunnel vision. What I mean is that we cannot seem to think about anything else but what has changed.  This is normal and natural, your mind and your heart is trying to acclimate to your new environment, your new life situation. The problem is that we often get stuck. We focus on the change that has hurt us, disappointed us, confused us or caused us concern.

I have seen after this election, as with every election, people are either euphoric, believing that the right people are in the right places- and therefore have great hope for the future and believe that the needed changes have taken place to make things right in the world. On the other hand some are filled with gloom, believing that we got this all wrong, the wrong people were elected, the wrong policies are going to be put into place and their outlook is not very bright.  For a season that would be alright, everyone had an idea going into this election what they wanted to see done and not done. And we all need to adjust to the new situation. But let’s not get stuck…

Because in two years another election, more changes, two years later, another presidential election, more changes. And in between elections, we will have a hundred life changes. So the real question comes, in the midst of all of this, how do we find the stability to build from?  How do we find our place to put our feet down and resolve to move forward? By focusing our attention on that which does not change.

My family and I are going through a change right now. We have two girls in foster care who are ready to either move in permanently or move out to be reunified with parents. We have an existing home that we have been unable to sell or rent, and we need to make a decision that will involve a change in our life.  We have two boys in college who are growing into young adults, that is a life change in our relationship with them. What do you focus on in the midst of these kinds of changes?

First I focus on my relationship with Jesus Christ. In an ever changing world, the Bible says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8). The same. Think about that for a moment. Can you point to many things in your life that are the same now as they were 3, 5, or 10 years ago?  You look different, the people or the place you work may be different. Maybe you have moved to a new town or lost weight or a loved one has passed away… all the while, Jesus has remained the same.  There is something very comforting to me about that… no matter how much things change, He remains the same.  James 1:17 says that with God there is no “variation” or “changing shadows”, which means that I can always depend on God and His character.  It reminds me of the lyrics to the little chorus “Praise the name of Jesus”

Praise the name of Jesus
Praise the name of Jesus
He’s my rock, He’s my fortress
He’s my deliverer in Him will I trust
Praise the name of Jesus

So in this time of change in our country, as Christians, should our eyes be on the ever changing political landscape or upon the unchanging mission that God has for His people?  This is one of the reasons that the church, I have come to believe, has gotten itself off track. We focus on things that don’t last, or are temporary and earthly. We pour loads of time, effort and energy into an election or an issue and yet we realize that these things change. They come and they go. You get one law passed today, they pass a different one a year from now. I am not saying that these things are not good, but what about the unchanging mission of God?  What about the reason for which Jesus came and died- to seek and to save the lost?  The church as a whole is baptizing less people, attendance is down, commitment to the body of Christ is lagging. Now this may be controversial to some, but could it be that we can no longer get passionate about God’s mission, but we can get worked up for an earthly political or social issue?  Could it be that the church has exchanged the big heart of God to love the world for a few scraps from the table of the world?

The deeper I dig into trying to grasp the heart of God, the more and more I am persuaded that God’s heart is aching for the same world that the church often rejects.  We think the world has changed too much for the church to be effective. We think the world is too far gone for the gospel to really change people. Yet, in the midst of this world, there is a God whose love, passion, desire and heart to love this world and to see people turn to Jesus has never… ever… changed.

The longer I live, the more changes I experience, the more I know that this world is not what I am to grab onto. God gives me the wonderful privilege of experiencing Him in the world, to live an abundant life, but that abundance is not wrapped up in what I get from the world… but in His unchanging love for me.  Abundance in life is not in keeping your changes to a minimum or keeping your life orderly or in getting your way in an election. Focus your heart upon that which will never disappoint you and that which will never change.

Let me close with a few passages of Scripture for you to think upon…

Romans 5    ⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

1 Peter 1    ²³ having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, ²⁴ because “All flesh is as grass,And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.The grass withers,And its flower falls away, ²⁵ But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

… and listen to God’s own words as He speaks about that which will last and be unchanging and let His words wash over you to give you hope and resolve…

Isaiah 51  ⁴ “Listen to Me, My people; And give ear to Me, O My nation: For law will proceed from Me, And I will make My justice rest As a light of the peoples. ⁵ My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait upon Me, And on My arm they will trust. ⁶ Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished.”

Amen to that.