Devotion: Come along

"Andrew, Simon Peter's Brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.  The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him "We have found the Messiah" and brought him to Jesus."  John 1:40-41.

 

          This past Sunday, Ellie—my daughter—brought her Baby doll in the car as we headed to church.  When we arrived, Ellie asked to bring her doll with her.  I used my normal threat that if Baby were to come to Sunday School, Ellie would have to be prepared to share her.  As an only child (for the time being), this strategy has worked remarkably well in the past.  Yet this Sunday Ellie looked at me and said, "But Baby needs to go to church."  How could I deny such a request?

It reminded me of one of my favorites stories from the new Testament.  When Andrew meets Jesus Christ for the first time, instead of questioning Jesus or passively observing, Andrew immediately seeks out his brother to tell him about this man named Jesus.  He desires to share this experience and encounter with his closest friend.  

While I do not know what Ellie's motivation for bringing baby to church was, it made me wonder what holds me back from extending an invitation to a friend?  Why do we not approach church with a similar sense of its importance?  What keeps us from having Andrews passion for sharing the Christian journey of faith with those around us?

Neither Ellie nor Andrew fully understood who Jesus Christ is when they extended the invitation, they just wanted to share this experience with the people around them. 

Feeding the Family

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Devotion: Trust Me

Psalm 20:7

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord.”

 

It seems like 90% of our spiritual questions boil down to a question of trust.

            We are quick to trust ourselves.

We often assume that we have the answers to life questions for ourselves; that we can judge what is good for our own lives.  We figure that if we can control the situation, the information available, then we can produce a desired outcome.  We trust that we can get it done.

            While we often trust ourselves to a fault, we are hesitant to trust other people.  We tentatively enter into relationships because we worry that the other person may discover something unpleasant about us; may derail our plans.  So until they prove themselves worthy over time, we are unlikely to trust them. 

            The Psalmist, however, describes a radically different worldview.  Some trust in chariots and horses—things that we can accumulate.  It is easy to trust stuff.  Stuff can be touched, it can have value, it can be sold, bought, manipulated, traded, and owned.  But, as the Psalmist says, those who follow Christ are different because they trust in the name of the Lord.  Not in themselves, and not in stuff, but in the name of the Lord.

When it comes to trusting God, this is the most difficult relationship.  We are used to reading body language, decipher tones of voice, receiving sympathetic touches to build our trust with other people.  God however, does not work that way.

God simply says, “Follow Me.”  In other words, “Trust me.”

 

            Why are we quick to trust our own abilities, when we are often our own harshest critics?  What area of your life are you desperately trying to control rather than trusting God?

 

Devotion: Freed for

A common question I am asked is, “Will God forgive me if I do [some behavior]?”  While most people asking me this are looking for a clear “yes” or “no,”  they unfortunately will get a more longwinded response from me.

            Faith is just not that simple.  Scripture is quick to point that God forgives us, but it also reminds us that God still desires us to turn away from certain things.

The apostle Paul wrestled with this throughout his life.  As he tells the Church in Rome, Paul writes, “So what do we do?  Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving?  I should hope not!”  To the church in Corinth, he writes:  "Everything is permissible for me-- but not everything is beneficial.”  To the church in Galatia: “Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.” 

I think in Paul’s response to these churches we find a helpful guide.  In current culture of self-indulgence, we do not need to be reminded that everything is permissible…rather we should ask Paul’s second question: is this beneficial?  Not just to myself but to God and to the people around me?

            My response to these questions has become, “yes, God will forgive you, but that does not mean this is what he wants for you.”  Or as Dr. Wood preached this past Sunday, “Freedom to do, does not mean that we have to do.”

            A life of faith is an on going relationship with God where we learn how to decipher what is beneficial to God and to the world; where we see that there are things larger and more important than our individual lives.  That God has freed us for something bigger.

            Why do we often want “yes” or “no” answers about faith?  Are you surprised that humanity continues to wrestle with this question about forgiveness and freedom?  How do you determine if something is beneficial to God and to others? 

 

Devotion: Two Responses

On the night of the Forth, I sat on my back patio looking for fireworks.  While the trees blocked my view, I could hear throughout the city the percussion booms of fireworks exploding in the air.  It was a rather eerie feeling, as I sat their hoping to see the source of the booms; desiring to catch a glimpse of the sparkle and glitter of the fireworks.  A strange thought crossed my mind--this is the same sound that a family would hear in war-torn country.  The night air filled with explosions, uncertain of which direction they came from.  However, rather than longing to see the source, they would be prayerfully begging the booms to go further and further away.

 

Two responses to the same noise:  One filled with wonder and excitement, for another filled with worry and dread. 

 

Our worldviews and experiences can determine how we respond to the same set of stimuli.

 

The same came be said for how we view God.

 

Sometimes, we are filled with wonder and joy; At other points we are filled with dread and fear.

 

So when Paul tells us in Philippians to “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice…Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests before God” it is sometimes a confirmation of the joy we have found in the Lord.  Yet another time we read this it may be a wild concept that challenges us to find the joy of the Lord in times of deep pain.

 

From what direction are you viewing God?  Are you able to rejoice in the Lord today?  What may be preventing you? 

Devotion: Where is God?

One day in seminary a student asked a prominent theology professor, if we believe that Jesus is bodily resurrected and profess in the Apostle’s Creed that he “sitteth on the right hand of the father,” where is he?  The professor took a deep breathe and then responded “class dismissed” with a chuckle in his voice, leaving us to discuss this issue.

While any attempt to explain this will fall into speculation, it does touch upon a very critical spiritual and pastoral question:  where is God?  Is He residing way above us and distant from us or is He down on the ground with us and nearby?

It is interesting to notice that scripture, like my professor, does not give us a clear answer but allows us wrestle with the fact that God is both removed and intimately nearby.  Christianity is unique in its belief that God is set apart—universal to time and space—but also engaged in every moment of our lives—particular to our experiences. 

Strangely this tension can give us tremendous comfort.  On the one hand we can be assured that God is sovereign over all things and as Paul professes: “we know that all things work together for good for those who love God.”  On the other hand, we can be comforted that God is walking alongside us through the highs and lows of life, because as Jesus Christ, God experienced the highs and lows.

Are you more likely to believe that God is removed from your daily life or actively involved?

Where is God in your life?  What role does he play?