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Safe But Not Sound

April 3, 2012 in Growth with 2 Comments

“I grew up in the church.”

Usually hearing those six words are a good indication that someone is familiar, at least in part, to what is fondly called “The Christian Bubble.”

It’s a condition I knew long before I heard the term. Not only did I “grow up in the church” but I have had a long association with institutions of faith (I dislike the phrase “Christian institutions” because after all, a building can’t be a follower of Christ.) My junior and high school years were spent at a private, Christian school (sometimes the phrase just can’t be avoided.) I went to college at a non-denominational university that was evangelical in its stated convictions. I now work at a denominational, evangelical institution of higher learning.  My familiarity with the bubble is profound. I know the lingo, the norms, and if there was a secret handshake, I’d know that too. It’s a long-established relationship.

For those unfamiliar with “the bubble” it’s quite simply the subculture associated with evangelical institutions.  It’s the propensity to isolate ourselves from the world in order to provide a safe environment to learn what we need to learn, to teach what ought to be taught, and to behave in a way that is in keeping with our beliefs. Since it is so hard to do this out in the world, we attempt to erect cocoons where we can do this safe from the infiltration of others. In the bubble, we assume that everyone knows what we mean when we talk of grace; we have confidence that our convictions will be affirmed, and we need not offer any explanations for why we stand and why we sit at different parts of the service. Everyone just knows the cues.

While there is certainly a point to be made about why these bubbles are beneficial for the training and education of young people, the problem is that we often want to extend these bubbles throughout adulthood. We treat our church much like college students treat their campus – as a safe place to grow and develop. And I suppose it should be that – if by safe it is meant a place where you can trust that the Word of God will be preached and conviction will occur. However, too often we don’t want to venture outside of the cocoon. We want to stay where its warm and fuzzy not realizing that the purpose isn’t to stay in the cocoon forever. The purpose is to be under its protection for a limited time in order to grow and get stronger, and then be released to do God’s work. The purpose of the “bubble” is to prepare for the spiritual battle we are called to (Eph. 6:10-20), not avoid it.

And this is what we don’t like. We don’t like the risk of not being liked. We don’t want to battle; we want to be protected from insults, persecutions, and troubles, even though this is exactly what our Savior said we should expect (Mt. 10:22). We may feel like we can remain safe in the cocoon, but if we do so we certainly aren’t sound. Sound means “in good condition” and while the caterpillar is in good condition when he first enters his hiding place, if he stays there indefinitely, he is not doing what he was created for. If he stays, he will atrophy. If he stays, he will eventually die.

Similarly, if we stay in our “Christian bubble,” we won’t’ be going out in the world to make disciples as we were commanded (Mt. 28:19-20). We will not be doing that for which God has created us. Staying in the bubble may be safe, but it will eventually lead to our atrophy. We must go to church to be equipped, then we must go out and, by His grace, do the work that God has prepared for us to do (Eph. 2:10). We must fight the battles, not because they are easy, but because they are what God has called us to.

 


A Good Trade

April 2, 2012 in Growth with 0 Comments

In lunchrooms everywhere kids engage in the long-standing tradition of trading what they have in their lunch with what their friends have in theirs. It’s a time-honored dance that pits little ones against friends and foes. The goal is to end up with something better than what you started with. However, many a disappointed kid has realized that what they sacrificed hasn’t been worth the reward. All that they gave up wasn’t worth whatever they had gained.

In a similar vein, Christians are often reminded of all that they must give up  in order to follow Christ. These reminders are good because the costs can be steep (Luke 14:26), and it is important that we count them. Many have followed after Jesus for a time only to walk away when they realize that following Him means sacrificing their desires for His (Mark 4:18-19). Many have abandoned Him when they realized that trusting Him was a guarantee of an easy life (John 6:60-66). Counting the costs on the front end is important; following Christ means giving Him everything. 

However, it is important to remember the flip side of the trade as well. As William Barclay wrote about Matthew:

“[He] lost a comfortable job, but he found a destiny. He lost a good income, but he found honor. He lost a comfortable security, but he found an adventure of the like of which he had never dreamed.”

Barclay continues:

“It may be that if we accept the challenge of Christ, we shall find ourselves poorer in material things. It may be that the worldly ambitions will have to go. But beyond doubt we will find a peace and a joy and a thrill in life that we never knew before. In Jesus Christ a man finds a wealth beyond anything that he may have to abandon for the sake of Christ.” [The Gospel of Matthew, affiliate link]

In other words no matter what we must give up for Christ, the trade is always to our advantage. In sacrificing whatever we think is “ours,” we are obtaining what is His alone to give. 


Shopping for Time

March 31, 2012 in Growth with 0 Comments

Last weekend I had the joy of watching our junior high pastor’s kids as he and his wife led a cadre of young people to winter camp. I happened to arrive when the little ones were already down for their nap, and after I said “goodbye” to their previous babysitter realized that all my stuff was still in the car and would have to stay there until naps ended. Since I’m not a fan of wasting time, I quickly tried to figure out a way that I could be productive. As I searched I happened to see “Shopping for Time: How To Do It All And Not be Overwhelmed” sitting on their bookshelf. Considering the circumstance it seemed like an appropriate read.

I had heard of this book for a while and know that many people extolled its benefits. Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters tackle the difficulties that women in particular often face in managing all their different commitments. The book is a short, easy read, and does contain many helpful tidbits. I didn’t find any of it revolutionary, and perhaps, as someone who tends to manage their time well this isn’t surprising. The part of the book that I had heard the most about – the 5 o’clock club – seemed pretty blasé in light of my normal routine.

However, there is another reason that I think that I may have not been the target audience for the book and that is because it tended to focus on mothers – specifically mothers with younger children. This isn’t to say that the authors never acknowledged people in other life stages – they did, but many of the situations that they referred to, as well as the advice they extolled were geared for this group. That being said, women in other life stages would still find the book helpful, especially if they are struggling with how to make the most of their time in each day.

The section of the book that was most meaningful to me was on the need to often choose between the good things that we could do, and the best things that we can do. For many women a lack of options is not the issue – but how to choose wisely is. This book provides some encouragement as well as advice on how to do just that. As the title suggests, the book uses the analogy of shopping to explain these and other principles and as such does a good job of engaging its audience and providing an enjoyable read.

If you are struggling with time management or a feeling of overwhelmingness in how to manage all of life priorities, Shopping for Time is a good place to start. It may not provide everything you need to create a new plan, but if you incorporate its principles it will jumpstart you down the right path.

 

[This post contains affiliate links.]


Fight the Good Fight

March 30, 2012 in Growth with 4 Comments

With all the bumper stickers that clamor for peace, sometimes it’s easy to forget that we have turned fighting into a form of entertainment. Whether it’s boxing matches or UFC, Survivor or Family Feud, there are an abundance of broadcasted competitive challenges that pit one group against another. Even within these challenges some of the most talked about incidents aren’t what happens in the field of play, but are the personal disagreements that occur as the competition rages on.

Perhaps because fights have become entertainment, we forget that not all fights are created equal. We are encouraged to “stick up for ourselves,” and to “fight for what’s ours,” without remembering that not everything is worth fighting for. Children learn this at a young age as they watch their parents argue with the umpire at a Little League game, or as mom and dad disagree with a teacher’s grading policy. It seems like any slight, any inconvenience – whether it’s from a “stolen” parking lot space or a desired Christmas gift – is worth a fight.

The local church is not immune to such proclivities. Whether it’s a disagreement over how loud the band plays (or whether there should be a band at all), the way in which a pastor delivers their sermon, or even the manner in which the building is decorated, there is a tendency to think that every difference of opinion is worth a “discussion.”  We are inclined to think of the church as “ours” and so we fight for the way we think it should be.

Scripture, however, tells us to focus on a different kind of fight. I Timothy 6:12 contains the instructions to “ Fight the good fight” but rarely do we quote the rest of that passage. It states:

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 

The preceding verse clarifies more when it states:

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.  

In other words, what we are to be fighting the good fight. Not the “personal” one or the “easy” one, but the good one. And what characterizes the good fight? It isn’t preferences or personal desires. First, it’s the fight of faith – one that is centered on our relationship with God. Secondly, it keeps eternity in view – fighting not for what’s temporal but what will last. Additionally, it is characterized by a pursuit of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness and gentleness. The good fight is the one that puts Christ on display to all the witnesses that have heard our confession of Christ. The good fight is one that honors God. 

In other words – we shouldn’t be fighting for the things that seem to matter in this life – we should be fighting for the things that will matter in eternity. And as we do so, the manner in which we fight should bring glory to our Lord.

 


Prone to Forgetfulness

March 28, 2012 in Growth with 0 Comments

I’m a pretty organized person. I like deadlines and schedules and clear, stated expectations. It surprises people, therefore, when I tell them I have a little bit of the absent-minded professor in me. I don’t tend to be forgetful about major things, but it’s not unusual to find me searching for my keys, or wondering where I put that piece of paper that was just in my hand. I get so focused on what’s in front of me that I forget about what I just did.

I wonder if something similar happened to the disciples as recounted in the book of Mark. You are probably familiar with the discussion between the followers of Christ about who among them was the greatest. As if this wasn’t a ludicrous enough discussion considering they had the Messiah in their midst, a few verses before this we read in Mark that Jesus was called in to cast out a demon that the disciples couldn’t. They go from inability to accomplish their task to an argument over who is the best. It would be as if baseball players who all had a .000 batting average started comparing performance. How quickly they forgot that the question of who was the greatest had already been answered – and it surely wasn’t any of them. 

Do we do something similar? Do we go from marveling at the fact that Christ would save a sinner like us, to demanding the privileges and responsibilities that we want? Are we astonished that the Creator of this world would have a relationship with us, yet vying for a position of authority in His Church? Are we overwhelmed by the forgiveness that we have received by a merciful and loving God, yet unwilling to forgive other fallen creatures that sin against us? Oh, how quickly we forget! We go from humbled and convicted to prideful and controlling, not recognizing the contrast between our dependence and our demands. 

Perhaps this is why Scripture often instructs us to “remember.” Perhaps if we thought more about what God has done in the past, about His graciousness, His might, and His generosity, we would be less likely to act contrary to His character – now and in the future.


Hearing in Hurt

March 2, 2012 in Growth with 0 Comments

There comes a point in a child’s life where we realize that our parents can’t heal all of our hurts. When we’re younger, we rush to them with every boo-boo, every ache and pain, trusting that they can make it all better. Somewhere along the way, we realize the limits of our parents’ power. I suppose that this generally happens in matters of the heart.  Although parents can clean and bandage cuts, they can’t put the pieces of a broken heart back together. Loving parents will try – they will encourage us with words of affirmation and attempt to give us hope for better days – but that doesn’t mean that they are always successful. Because we realize this, at some point we may even avoid their attempts. As our hearts are hurt, instead of running towards them, we keep to ourselves – knowing that their words will prove to be ineffective.

Unfortunately, many of us apply these same limits to our relationship with God. While we may eagerly share with Him our celebrations and praises, we may be reluctant to run to Him during our times of pain. Not because we don’t want to tell Him about them, but because we don’t want to hear what He has to say. Instead of diving deep into His Word, we avoid it. Instead of searching out godly wisdom, we ignore it. So deep is our pain that we think nothing can heal it. Yet, if there is anyone that we can trust to bring respite, it’s the One Who created us, the Prince of Peace.

The church in Thessalonica is a great example of this. Paul writes to them in I Thessalonians 1:6-7 that they, “ received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit” with the result that they “became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.”

Did you catch that? They received the word of God in affliction. Despite persecution, they continued to grow in their understanding of God and the Truth. So much so that they became examples to other early churches. Their response to the Truth of God’s Word in the midst of difficult situations was a replica that other churches could follow. 

I wonder if the same could be said of us? When we’re battered and broken do we look to the loveliness of Scripture or do we shy away from it? Do we turn to seek God’s perspective on the situation, looking for how He would like us to respond, or do we nurse our wounds, unwilling to seek His care and assistance? Are we receiving the Word during our time of affliction and in so doing, responding in a way that is an example, not only to other believers, but a watching world?

The day that we realize that our mom and dad can’t make everything better, is a hard day. With our Heavenly Father, there will never be such a realization, because even if He doesn’t change the circumstances, He can equip us and guide us to navigate them in a manner that is pleasing to Him. And that’s the best outcome for a situation that we can hope for or imagine.

 


Starts with the Heart

February 24, 2012 in Growth with 0 Comments

You are probably familiar with the story of David and Bathsheba. David, the king of Israel, stays home from battle (when he should have been leading the charge). During this lapse in leadership, he sees Bathsheba, desires her, impregnates her, and then tries to cover it up, eventually resulting in the murder  of her husband (See 2 Samuel 11 for more details). Later he is confronted by the prophet Nathan and he confesses and repents of his sin.

Psalm 51 is the song that David writes after this confrontation and throughout the psalm David writes about the condition of his heart. He asks God to create a new heart and renew a right spirit within him (v. 10). He pleads with God to give him a “willing spirit” (v. 11) and acknowledges that God delights not in sacrifices but in “a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart” (v. 12). David recognizes that although the sin action was physical, it didn’t start with the physical act. It came from a heart that was focused on what he desired rather than what God did.

The same is true for us. When we sin, it demonstrates a heart condition that existed prior to the sinful act in which we engaged. The visible evidence of our sinful nature only confirms that the condition existed; it doesn’t create it. When our hearts are not right before God, when we’ve replaced Him as the priority, that’s when we act in ways that are contrary to His Word. That’s when we act in ways that are contrary to Him.

That’s why it is important that we guard our hearts. We do so not only to experience the sweetness of fellowship with our Savior, but because in doing so we are putting up barriers against future sin. We protect what our heart ingests and what it consumes because while we may think that it is not effecting us, experience and Scripture say that it does. Maybe not immediately, and maybe not in obvious ways, but if sin starts with the heart, then what we let into our heart are either the ingredients for obedience, or for sin.

This requires vigilance. As David learned, one poor decision can lead to others, until eventually he was ensnared in a conspiracy of massive proportions. The small choices we make – to give into a lazy disposition, to laugh at an inappropriate joke, to obscure the truth – have consequences for our future actions as well.  But the impetus for those choices is found in the degree to which we protect our hearts, because ultimately that’s where sin, and obedience, both start. 


Increasing Cheer

February 21, 2012 in Growth with 0 Comments

The more we like something, the greater the chance that we will increase our participation in it.

It’s the reason that people all over the world wish that vegetables tasted like chocolate. It’s the same reason why another contingent of people spend money that they don’t have to participate in hobbies that they enjoy. It’s also why the most obedient person generally isn’t the person who is doing it because they “have to” but the person who takes pleasure in pleasing their Heavenly Father. They obey to an increasing measure because they have aligned their joy with His.

And while I realize all the above, I’ve also realized that I’m slow to apply this to all areas of my life. For example, one thing that God says He loves is a cheerful giver. Not a giver who gives without complaining, or a giver who gives because they’re commanded to (although both are good), but one who takes pleasure in giving. One for whom giving is a joy.

And if something brings me joy, I should want to do it to an increasing measure.

Which means that I go the extra mile with a friend, even though I should only “have” to go one.

It means I give the extra dollar even though it means I can’t do something I want.

It means that instead of trying to figure out whether there’s someone else who can meet the need, I look at the opportunities for me to give and I jump at the chance to do so.

My Christian walk should be characterized by increased generosity – in time, effort and resources. 

Because I take pleasure in it.

And the things that I like, I will do to an increasing measure.

And I want to increase my cheer.


First Words

February 17, 2012 in Growth with 0 Comments

Being at the receiving end of God’s discipline isn’t a fun place to be.

While there may be some comfort in knowing that “the Lord disciplines those He loves” there is also the realization that God will go to great lengths in order to prompt His children towards repentance and living a life that is pleasing to Him. He desires holiness. In His graciousness, He has provided His Spirit to believers in order to equip them towards such a high calling.  His desire is for us to live in right relationship with Him because that is what He has created us to do. When we live otherwise, He often uses the painful consequences of those decisions to bring us back towards a right relationship with Him.

However, while we may recognize that God can do good through it, most of us don’t like discipline. Most of us would rather forgo the painful consequences, and when we experience them, we often rail against the God who is using them for our good. Yet, this wasn’t Zechariah’s response (See Lk. 1:5-25; 57-66 for the complete report). When Zechariah was told he would have a son, he questioned the veracity of that statement, and he was disciplined for his distrust. The fact that God made him mute may have made it difficult for him to complain, yet he responded to this discipline in two very important ways. First – he obeyed. The angel of God had told him what he was to name his son, and he did so accordingly. Secondly, his very first words were ones that praised God. He could have opened his mouth and talked about how good it was to speak again, or how difficult it was to endure the time of discipline. However, he chose neither of these things. His first words were ones of blessing. He responded to correction with thanksgiving and praise.

Perhaps we would be inclined to think this was easy. After all, Zechariah had months to think about his response and to get his heart right before God. However, if we couldn’t speak for months, would our first words be ones of thanks? When we undergo God’s discipline, is our first response to give Him praise?


Settling

February 13, 2012 in Growth with 0 Comments

As children we’re taught to “reach for the stars” and to “dream impossible dreams.” Yet, as adults, we often settle for things short of those illustrious ambitions. Perhaps it’s because the reality of our talents (or lack thereof) prompts us to reconsider, or perhaps it’s an unwillingness to do the work that’s required. Regardless of the reason, it isn’t uncommon to find a shift in our priorities as we make compromises and consolations.

In Scripture, we’re warned against settling in another way. As Galatians 4:9 states:

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?

It’s a question not just for the Galatians, but one we should consider as well. Why we would settle for the “worthless” and lesser things of this world, when we know God and have His Word? We are so tempted to accept that which is weak, when we have the strength of God. Why do we settle for what is common, or worse, what is base, when we have the wonder and majesty of our King that we can behold? Why do we trade amazing for anything less? 

These are questions that have no good answer. The truth is that it’s a foolish choice. Yet it is one that we make time and time again. We let the desires of our flesh overwhelm the better, more lasting thirsts of our spirit. We trade the eternal for the temporal, and we forgo the riches that come from knowing our God and Savior.

May we not abdicate the beauty of being known by our King. May we not”settle” for that which the world offers, but may our pleasure and our confidence be in Him.


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