I love that the Bible tells us to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord," rather than "make beautiful, melodious noises unto the Lord." You see, I dearly love to sing, but my talent falls far short of my desire. As many of the ladies in the choir will likely confirm, I can sing a small set of notes within the alto range, but only if I have other, stronger voices and/or a CD to guide me. If I were forced to sing a solo, I would sound as off-key as the poor folks in "American Idol" auditions who erroneously believe they have talent.
A couple of years ago, I read the book "90 Minutes in Heaven," by Don Piper, a true account of a minister who died in a car accident and spent an hour and a half in Glory before returning to life on earth in his revived body. I am deeply moved by Mr. Piper’s frustration in finding words adequate enough to describe what heaven is like. One of his descriptions that is especially difficult to comprehend – but no less thrilling – is of the sound in heaven. He describes it as too many voices to count and too many instruments to identify, all endlessly singing and playing different glorious tunes that somehow meld together to create the most perfect noise imaginable. Such untamed noise would be agonizing to us here on earth, but in heaven it is as perfect as the One to whom it is directed. How wondrous a thought!
Of course, it is not just music that creates a joyful noise. As Amy Grant reminds us in her song "Better than a Hallelujah," God longs to hear our voices lifted to Him in a variety of ways – including from the depths of our sorrow. If the noise we create is directed towards communing with our God, He is not concerned with how pretty it sounds. Just as looking put-together and stylish for worship is meaningless to God, so too is the package in which our praise is presented. Any noise lifted to Him from a humble and grateful heart is in perfect pitch.
For many years, I drove forty minutes each way to and from my job. My route took me through mostly rural areas where I felt free to belt out whatever song came across my radio. Songs by Casting Crowns were my favorites, drawing the attention of many a passing cow over the years. Now, I travel a much shorter and busier route to work. I’m still adjusting to the sideways glances and looks of amusement I elicit from other drivers, ever self-conscious of how I must look and sound. Added to that is my daughter’s brutally honest assessment of my singing when we’re at home: when I sing, she covers her ears. It’s enough to humble anyone into silence!
Regardless of what fellow travelers, cows, or even my daughter may think, I have no intention of being quiet. After all, I’m not auditioning in front of millions of TV viewers on "American Idol." If God is the One to whom I sing, then the quality of my voice does not matter. He will not tell me to hire a vocal coach and try again next year. When we all make a joyful noise unto the Lord, we become part of the gloriously perfect melody of His creation, faithfully rehearsing for the choir of the heavenly host. It is silence from God’s people, not noise, that is deafening.
So, sing away, fellow travelers on God’s road! Let me know if you need an alto for your song…
Monday, January 30, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
The Hurdle of Self-Forgiveness
"If My people who are called by My name put away their pride and pray, and look for My face, and turn from their sinful ways, then I will hear from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)
We’ve all heard the saying, "It’s easier to forgive an enemy than a friend," something I’m sure many of us have found to be true in our lives. We expect people we know and trust to always treat us well, to never hurt or betray us. When they do, the hurt and betrayal are felt more deeply. But what about forgiving ourselves? I don’t know about you, but I tend to expect more from myself than anyone else. I know what I’m capable of, so I know what to expect of myself. When I make a mistake, when I commit a sin of some kind, it disappoints me greatly, sometimes to the extent that I hold a grudge against myself. Can you relate?
I recently read a story from an inmate who is serving a life sentence for murdering his wife. He has accepted responsibility for what he’s done, and he has accepted salvation through Christ, but he cannot find it in him to forgive himself. Not only did he kill his wife, but he also used and abused countless people in order to facilitate his drug addiction. All of this was a heavy emotional burden for a man already enduring the precarious reality of life behind bars. With the encouragement of a Christian sponsor, this man finally came to the realization that he was being selfish. By refusing to forgive himself – when Jesus already had – he was denying both of them the fullness of a relationship God intends for us all.
If we are unable to forgive ourselves for past sin, we are in essence denying what Christ did for us on the cross. We are claiming a wisdom and judgment above God Himself. God formed us in His image, to glorify Him and to accomplish His will on the earth that He created. He loves us so much that He sacrificed His one and only son on our behalf, so that we may be forgiven and redeemed. If God thinks enough of us to forgive us the sins that required Christ’s sacrifice, then is it not appropriate for us to forgive ourselves? Forgiving sin does not erase its impact. We all have a duty to learn from our mistakes, so that we may follow the Lord more closely. But dwelling on those mistakes – and our "rottenness" for committing them – only keeps us separated from a loving God who gave everything to be with us.
Is there a sin for which you haven’t forgiven yourself? Have you made such a terrible mistake, hurt someone so badly, that you wear it like a scarlet letter? God commands us to forgive one another, but "one another" includes oneself. All our sins - even the ones we deem unforgivable - were nailed to the cross long ago. It's time we left them there and joined Christ in a life redeemed through Him. I may not have murdered anyone, but among the many sins of which I'm guilty is refusing to forgive myself for past wrongs. When Jesus appeared to the disciples after Calvary, His scars were present, but the sins that caused them had been erased. Our perfect God forgives His imperfect, but repentent children. It's time we dare to forgive ourselves.
We’ve all heard the saying, "It’s easier to forgive an enemy than a friend," something I’m sure many of us have found to be true in our lives. We expect people we know and trust to always treat us well, to never hurt or betray us. When they do, the hurt and betrayal are felt more deeply. But what about forgiving ourselves? I don’t know about you, but I tend to expect more from myself than anyone else. I know what I’m capable of, so I know what to expect of myself. When I make a mistake, when I commit a sin of some kind, it disappoints me greatly, sometimes to the extent that I hold a grudge against myself. Can you relate?
I recently read a story from an inmate who is serving a life sentence for murdering his wife. He has accepted responsibility for what he’s done, and he has accepted salvation through Christ, but he cannot find it in him to forgive himself. Not only did he kill his wife, but he also used and abused countless people in order to facilitate his drug addiction. All of this was a heavy emotional burden for a man already enduring the precarious reality of life behind bars. With the encouragement of a Christian sponsor, this man finally came to the realization that he was being selfish. By refusing to forgive himself – when Jesus already had – he was denying both of them the fullness of a relationship God intends for us all.
If we are unable to forgive ourselves for past sin, we are in essence denying what Christ did for us on the cross. We are claiming a wisdom and judgment above God Himself. God formed us in His image, to glorify Him and to accomplish His will on the earth that He created. He loves us so much that He sacrificed His one and only son on our behalf, so that we may be forgiven and redeemed. If God thinks enough of us to forgive us the sins that required Christ’s sacrifice, then is it not appropriate for us to forgive ourselves? Forgiving sin does not erase its impact. We all have a duty to learn from our mistakes, so that we may follow the Lord more closely. But dwelling on those mistakes – and our "rottenness" for committing them – only keeps us separated from a loving God who gave everything to be with us.
Is there a sin for which you haven’t forgiven yourself? Have you made such a terrible mistake, hurt someone so badly, that you wear it like a scarlet letter? God commands us to forgive one another, but "one another" includes oneself. All our sins - even the ones we deem unforgivable - were nailed to the cross long ago. It's time we left them there and joined Christ in a life redeemed through Him. I may not have murdered anyone, but among the many sins of which I'm guilty is refusing to forgive myself for past wrongs. When Jesus appeared to the disciples after Calvary, His scars were present, but the sins that caused them had been erased. Our perfect God forgives His imperfect, but repentent children. It's time we dare to forgive ourselves.
Monday, January 16, 2012
More Than Words
Dear Dr. King,
I was born about a decade after you were killed. The unrest you faced in our nation has been relayed to me only through textbooks and relatives who lived on the outskirts of the turmoil. The words you penned and so bravely spoke inspire me as a writer and a lover of Jesus. I searched through a list of quotes from you, with the plan of using one of them as a premise for this written remembrance of you. Not only is it nearly impossible to choose a single line from your beautifully articulated arsenal, but to simply quote you seems inadequate and perhaps not at all what you intended.
A couple of years ago, I attended a small meeting at the State Library in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to the meeting, I perused the library shelves for something interesting, ever eager to get my hands on good writing. My eye was drawn to a small book that appeared so old that it might crumble to be touched. Inside was a collection of essays from politicians in 19th Century America, outlining the argument for the abolition of slavery. Their arguments were very much the same as yours, and every bit as compelling. All too easily, I shook my head and thought, ‘How could people not agree with this?’
As I write today, our nation is observing your contribution as a great civil rights leader. Reading the quotes I’ve found from you, I again shake my head in disbelief that anyone could challenge the truth of your words. But it occurs to me that believing the truth of something, and choosing to act on that truth, are two vastly different things. Maybe I don’t mistreat people of a different race than me, but what am I doing to combat the mistreatment I see and hear all around me? What am I doing to address the crushing, widespread poverty in this country, in my own backyard? As you were fond of reminding us, apathy is just as bad as perpetration, which makes me as guilty as the lynch mobs of your time. I am a modern-day Saul, checking the coats of those who have come to stone Stephen. I must actively seek God's transformation of me into a Paul.
I admire you as a writer, for expressing truth using a magnificent balance of passion and logic, but I admire you so much more for your fearless adherence to living out that truth through relentless action. The civil rights movement of the 1960s might be long gone, but injustice, oppression and indifference of many kinds are ever-present. The world sorely needs a dose of your courage, starting with me. For, as you said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Rest well, Dr. King. I look forward to meeting you in Glory.
I was born about a decade after you were killed. The unrest you faced in our nation has been relayed to me only through textbooks and relatives who lived on the outskirts of the turmoil. The words you penned and so bravely spoke inspire me as a writer and a lover of Jesus. I searched through a list of quotes from you, with the plan of using one of them as a premise for this written remembrance of you. Not only is it nearly impossible to choose a single line from your beautifully articulated arsenal, but to simply quote you seems inadequate and perhaps not at all what you intended.
A couple of years ago, I attended a small meeting at the State Library in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to the meeting, I perused the library shelves for something interesting, ever eager to get my hands on good writing. My eye was drawn to a small book that appeared so old that it might crumble to be touched. Inside was a collection of essays from politicians in 19th Century America, outlining the argument for the abolition of slavery. Their arguments were very much the same as yours, and every bit as compelling. All too easily, I shook my head and thought, ‘How could people not agree with this?’
As I write today, our nation is observing your contribution as a great civil rights leader. Reading the quotes I’ve found from you, I again shake my head in disbelief that anyone could challenge the truth of your words. But it occurs to me that believing the truth of something, and choosing to act on that truth, are two vastly different things. Maybe I don’t mistreat people of a different race than me, but what am I doing to combat the mistreatment I see and hear all around me? What am I doing to address the crushing, widespread poverty in this country, in my own backyard? As you were fond of reminding us, apathy is just as bad as perpetration, which makes me as guilty as the lynch mobs of your time. I am a modern-day Saul, checking the coats of those who have come to stone Stephen. I must actively seek God's transformation of me into a Paul.
I admire you as a writer, for expressing truth using a magnificent balance of passion and logic, but I admire you so much more for your fearless adherence to living out that truth through relentless action. The civil rights movement of the 1960s might be long gone, but injustice, oppression and indifference of many kinds are ever-present. The world sorely needs a dose of your courage, starting with me. For, as you said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Rest well, Dr. King. I look forward to meeting you in Glory.
Friday, January 13, 2012
The Answer in the Opportunity
Recently, I was watching the movie "Evan Almighty," starring Steve Carell as a Washington politician who is called by God to build an ark. At the end of the movie, Evan is standing in a field near a tree talking to God, played by Morgan Freeman. The exact context of the conversation eludes me now, but I was particularly struck by something "God" said. He said (and I’m paraphrasing), "If someone prays for courage, do you think I suddenly endow him with incredible bravery? No, I give him an opportunity to be courageous. If you pray for a closer relationship with your wife, do you think I wave a magic wand that instantly fills you with passion? No, I give you an opportunity to love."
It makes you think, doesn’t it? Oftentimes when we pray, we have a specific problem or issue we’re worried about and we’re seeking a quick and finite answer. We wait impatiently for the miraculous to happen, for God’s extended arm to descend from heaven, literally nudging us in the direction He wants us to go. Even if the answer was not what we hoped for or expected, it would be nice if prayers were answered in such a clear and obvious way. But while we’re waiting for God’s answer to our prayers, we often ignore the pulse of life around us – which is where God lives, breathes, and speaks to us.
For several years, I worked as a crisis counselor for rape and abuse victims, traveling to hospital ERs to support many women, a few men, and lots of teenagers through the painful process of being examined for evidence, treated for injury, and interviewed for the criminal justice process. After about four years of this, I was feeling a little burned out and I prayed to God for guidance. He had called me to this work in the first place, so I felt I needed His permission to even consider leaving. Weeks went by with no obvious answer and I was growing restless.
Then, I was called to the hospital to speak with a young woman who had been victimized. She was convinced that the crime she had suffered was punishment from God for being rebellious, and that she was going to go to hell. From talking further with her, I discovered she believed in Christ and always had. I told her, "I’ve got good news for you – you can’t go to hell. Jesus won’t let you. He loves you too much." She sobbed in my arms for the next hour, broken and bruised, but reassured in the truth of her faith. In eight years, through 600 cases, this was the one and only time a victim chose to discuss his/her faith with me. God was talking. I worked four more years.
Late last year, I gave up my career as a crisis counselor and accepted a completely different job as a grant-writer, a decision fraught with much angst and prayer. Although I felt relieved to leave behind such an emotionally demanding job and to utilize my writing skills more, I still craved God’s input on my decision. Did He understand why I needed to leave? Was He disappointed that I had abandoned the work He had called me to do? Recently, a man who had been indirectly associated with my former workplace emailed me to ask if I’d be willing to help him grow a ministry he had established. The ministry provides support to those who’ve been abused. Among the services I will eventually provide is helping victims to verbalize their emotions, and to tell their stories of hope and recovery - in writing.
Indeed, the answer to prayer often lies in the opportunities God places in our paths, if we are willing to be still and pay attention.
It makes you think, doesn’t it? Oftentimes when we pray, we have a specific problem or issue we’re worried about and we’re seeking a quick and finite answer. We wait impatiently for the miraculous to happen, for God’s extended arm to descend from heaven, literally nudging us in the direction He wants us to go. Even if the answer was not what we hoped for or expected, it would be nice if prayers were answered in such a clear and obvious way. But while we’re waiting for God’s answer to our prayers, we often ignore the pulse of life around us – which is where God lives, breathes, and speaks to us.
For several years, I worked as a crisis counselor for rape and abuse victims, traveling to hospital ERs to support many women, a few men, and lots of teenagers through the painful process of being examined for evidence, treated for injury, and interviewed for the criminal justice process. After about four years of this, I was feeling a little burned out and I prayed to God for guidance. He had called me to this work in the first place, so I felt I needed His permission to even consider leaving. Weeks went by with no obvious answer and I was growing restless.
Then, I was called to the hospital to speak with a young woman who had been victimized. She was convinced that the crime she had suffered was punishment from God for being rebellious, and that she was going to go to hell. From talking further with her, I discovered she believed in Christ and always had. I told her, "I’ve got good news for you – you can’t go to hell. Jesus won’t let you. He loves you too much." She sobbed in my arms for the next hour, broken and bruised, but reassured in the truth of her faith. In eight years, through 600 cases, this was the one and only time a victim chose to discuss his/her faith with me. God was talking. I worked four more years.
Late last year, I gave up my career as a crisis counselor and accepted a completely different job as a grant-writer, a decision fraught with much angst and prayer. Although I felt relieved to leave behind such an emotionally demanding job and to utilize my writing skills more, I still craved God’s input on my decision. Did He understand why I needed to leave? Was He disappointed that I had abandoned the work He had called me to do? Recently, a man who had been indirectly associated with my former workplace emailed me to ask if I’d be willing to help him grow a ministry he had established. The ministry provides support to those who’ve been abused. Among the services I will eventually provide is helping victims to verbalize their emotions, and to tell their stories of hope and recovery - in writing.
Indeed, the answer to prayer often lies in the opportunities God places in our paths, if we are willing to be still and pay attention.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Something to Root For
If you’re a football fan like me, the attention paid to Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Tim Tebow this season may have piqued your interest. In his debut season, Tebow has surprised many critics who claimed he was not ready for the big stage of the NFL. While he has certainly had his struggles, spectacular games like the one yesterday demonstrate that he’s got what it takes to become a great quarterback. In case you missed it, Tebow threw a touchdown pass on the first play in overtime to defeat the favored Pittsburgh Steelers. Prior to the game, one of the sportscasters stated that he didn’t expect the Broncos to score a single point, let alone win.
What makes Tim Tebow unique among his peers is his unapologetic faith in Christ. While many other players in the NFL are devoted Christians, most are never thrust in the spotlight reserved for winning quarterbacks. Yet even under the pressure and heat of that kind of attention, Tebow has never stopped giving God the glory and the credit, even when doing so has elicited sharp criticism and outright mockery from the media and the public.
I have no idea if God is a football fan, as some have sarcastically suggested in response to Tebow this season. I doubt that God puts a whole lot of divine stock into a game for which He already knows the outcome. There are a couple of things, however, that I can safely assume about God and His place with Tim Tebow in the NFL. First, as Tebow has repeatedly reminded us, all true talent comes from God, including athletic ability. The extent to which any of us hones and utilizes our talents is up to us, but the talent is placed within us by God alone. The fact that Tebow continually gives God the credit for that talent must be pleasing to Him. If I’m unsure about that, all I need to do is examine the extent to which it annoys the living daylights out of just about everyone. Truth has a way of annoying those who refuse to believe it.
Perhaps more importantly, it is fairly obvious that sports in general, and football in particular, have become a god in American culture. There’s a reason 30-second ads during the Super Bowl cost a fortune. Our obsession with sports has become so ingrained that we place star athletes on a pedestal far above personal accountability, such that they come to believe they are like God, entitled to whatever they want, whenever they want it. This travesty can be glimpsed in small doses as early as grade-school age all around the country. How many professional athletes have committed sometimes heinous crimes, only to continue playing and earning their millions? As long as they are winning and generating revenue, owners, coaches and fans are willing to look the other way without a modicum of justice. I doubt you or I would encounter such mercy in our own lives.
Enter Tim Tebow, a young man in the midst of the granddaddy of American sports, the NFL. Now, Tebow is not perfect and he’ll be the first to admit that. At some point, he will likely falter in his personal life and the media will respond, drooling. Certainly he will encounter winning moments and bitter defeats in his football career. I’m simply suggesting that maybe God has chosen Tim Tebow as an instrument through which the false god of the NFL can get a little dose of reality. If you or I were to say, "Football is not God. God is God," we would elicit blank stares, confused looks and shrugged shoulders. For a star quarterback to be saying that is quite another thing entirely. But isn’t that just like God, to use an unlikely person from within to get a point across?
I don’t know if God is a football fan, but to ponder such a thing is missing the point. Tim Tebow is unabashedly bringing God into a godless institution of our society. Regardless of the scoreboard, that’s something I can root for.
What makes Tim Tebow unique among his peers is his unapologetic faith in Christ. While many other players in the NFL are devoted Christians, most are never thrust in the spotlight reserved for winning quarterbacks. Yet even under the pressure and heat of that kind of attention, Tebow has never stopped giving God the glory and the credit, even when doing so has elicited sharp criticism and outright mockery from the media and the public.
I have no idea if God is a football fan, as some have sarcastically suggested in response to Tebow this season. I doubt that God puts a whole lot of divine stock into a game for which He already knows the outcome. There are a couple of things, however, that I can safely assume about God and His place with Tim Tebow in the NFL. First, as Tebow has repeatedly reminded us, all true talent comes from God, including athletic ability. The extent to which any of us hones and utilizes our talents is up to us, but the talent is placed within us by God alone. The fact that Tebow continually gives God the credit for that talent must be pleasing to Him. If I’m unsure about that, all I need to do is examine the extent to which it annoys the living daylights out of just about everyone. Truth has a way of annoying those who refuse to believe it.
Perhaps more importantly, it is fairly obvious that sports in general, and football in particular, have become a god in American culture. There’s a reason 30-second ads during the Super Bowl cost a fortune. Our obsession with sports has become so ingrained that we place star athletes on a pedestal far above personal accountability, such that they come to believe they are like God, entitled to whatever they want, whenever they want it. This travesty can be glimpsed in small doses as early as grade-school age all around the country. How many professional athletes have committed sometimes heinous crimes, only to continue playing and earning their millions? As long as they are winning and generating revenue, owners, coaches and fans are willing to look the other way without a modicum of justice. I doubt you or I would encounter such mercy in our own lives.
Enter Tim Tebow, a young man in the midst of the granddaddy of American sports, the NFL. Now, Tebow is not perfect and he’ll be the first to admit that. At some point, he will likely falter in his personal life and the media will respond, drooling. Certainly he will encounter winning moments and bitter defeats in his football career. I’m simply suggesting that maybe God has chosen Tim Tebow as an instrument through which the false god of the NFL can get a little dose of reality. If you or I were to say, "Football is not God. God is God," we would elicit blank stares, confused looks and shrugged shoulders. For a star quarterback to be saying that is quite another thing entirely. But isn’t that just like God, to use an unlikely person from within to get a point across?
I don’t know if God is a football fan, but to ponder such a thing is missing the point. Tim Tebow is unabashedly bringing God into a godless institution of our society. Regardless of the scoreboard, that’s something I can root for.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Christianity in Politics
Even if you've successfully avoided the news lately, you still probably heard about the Iowa caucus results regarding the Republican presidential primary. I can't help but to shake my head and let loose of a disgusted sigh. We're now in 2012, a presidential election year, which means we're on a slow and steady march toward mud-slinging, name-calling and fact-bending. I have very little interest in politics, trying most times to avoid them entirely. I do not consider myself a Republican, Democrat or any other label that suggests one set of theories is wholly perfect. In fact, the only time I pay any heed to the political underworld is when the name of God is brought into the discussion.
I have little doubt that there are many politicans who possess a very real, genuine, committed faith in Christ, and that they pray daily for guidance and wisdom. Unfortunately, they are too easily overshadowed by their peers who use Christianity as a ploy for securing funding and votes. If I had a dollar for every time presidential candidates vigorously espouse and defend faith in Christ in the coming months' debates and interviews, I could retire early and buy a nice little time-share on the Gulf. I understand that when candidates are asked about their faith, they feel obligated to respond. The fact that many of them mold their answers based on the particular persuasion of the interviewer or crowd in front of them is what's so concerning. If a candidate is a member of the right kind of church and has the right kind of views on topics of importance to a particular denomination of folks, then the dollars roll in - tens of millions of dollars that could better be spent elsewhere. Such is the sad state of politics in America today.
In a particularly cynical moment a few months ago, I told my Bible study group that I would rather vote for someone who is an atheist and honest about it than someone who professes faith in Christ, yet conducts him or herself in an utterly contradictory manner. I'm not so sure that's true. Unfortunately, honesty is a virtue quickly obliterated by the cutthroat world of politics, even if the honest resolve to remain so from the outset. I dream of a political candidate that, when asked about his faith, replies, "I'm a Christ-follower, plain and simple. Don't read into it, don't make it into something it's not. I believe in Christ, period." Yet even such a refreshing profession of faith would not guarantee sincerity.
In the end, there's really only one thing any of us can do to change the state of politics in our nation, and that is to pray for all those in positions of power, whether we like them or not. To vote is a powerful act by which we select who we think is best to lead and guide us, but our vote cannot begin to compare with the power of prayer. There is no more perfect leader than Jesus. As Daniel 2:21 reminds us, God "sets up kings and deposes them." God knows the outcome of the 2012 presidential election, and all elections to come. As we creep ever closer to next November, let's remember that amid the name-calling and mud-slinging, the Great I Am knows who He is, and through Jesus, we can know Him too. He will set up kings and depose them according to His will. His will, not the will of the people.
Suddenly, that 30-second smear ad on TV has lost its bite.
I have little doubt that there are many politicans who possess a very real, genuine, committed faith in Christ, and that they pray daily for guidance and wisdom. Unfortunately, they are too easily overshadowed by their peers who use Christianity as a ploy for securing funding and votes. If I had a dollar for every time presidential candidates vigorously espouse and defend faith in Christ in the coming months' debates and interviews, I could retire early and buy a nice little time-share on the Gulf. I understand that when candidates are asked about their faith, they feel obligated to respond. The fact that many of them mold their answers based on the particular persuasion of the interviewer or crowd in front of them is what's so concerning. If a candidate is a member of the right kind of church and has the right kind of views on topics of importance to a particular denomination of folks, then the dollars roll in - tens of millions of dollars that could better be spent elsewhere. Such is the sad state of politics in America today.
In a particularly cynical moment a few months ago, I told my Bible study group that I would rather vote for someone who is an atheist and honest about it than someone who professes faith in Christ, yet conducts him or herself in an utterly contradictory manner. I'm not so sure that's true. Unfortunately, honesty is a virtue quickly obliterated by the cutthroat world of politics, even if the honest resolve to remain so from the outset. I dream of a political candidate that, when asked about his faith, replies, "I'm a Christ-follower, plain and simple. Don't read into it, don't make it into something it's not. I believe in Christ, period." Yet even such a refreshing profession of faith would not guarantee sincerity.
In the end, there's really only one thing any of us can do to change the state of politics in our nation, and that is to pray for all those in positions of power, whether we like them or not. To vote is a powerful act by which we select who we think is best to lead and guide us, but our vote cannot begin to compare with the power of prayer. There is no more perfect leader than Jesus. As Daniel 2:21 reminds us, God "sets up kings and deposes them." God knows the outcome of the 2012 presidential election, and all elections to come. As we creep ever closer to next November, let's remember that amid the name-calling and mud-slinging, the Great I Am knows who He is, and through Jesus, we can know Him too. He will set up kings and depose them according to His will. His will, not the will of the people.
Suddenly, that 30-second smear ad on TV has lost its bite.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Topping the List
A brand new year has begun, so what’s on our minds, besides getting those Christmas decorations stored away? Resolutions, of course! There’s something about turning the page to a year with a different number that inspires change. If you’re like me, losing a little weight is part of that picture. I was recently explaining to a colleague that I now weigh just 15 pounds less than I weighed at full-term with my daughter, and she's not very old! Oh, how time, age, and (I’ll be honest) apathy take their toll!
Weight loss is probably the most common New Year’s resolution, but there are of course many others. Getting one’s home organized is one. There is something so freeing about ridding your home of unnecessary clutter, making room for what we truly need. With the current economy, perhaps developing – and truly living within – a realistic and responsible budget is on the top of the list for many of us. Endeavoring to spend more time with family is a noble and worthwhile goal most of us could espouse, myself included.
Curiously missing from most resolution lists is the goal to grow spiritually with the Lord. Why is that? When we consider resolutions, most of us tend to grasp at the tangible aspects of our lives where improvement is needed – our weight, our home, our finances. These are things we can see, feel and experience in a practical sense on a daily basis. They are things we believe require "immediate" attention, lest we fall deeper into our bad habits.
Regardless of the perceived urgency of our self-improvement needs, let’s be honest – God doesn’t often make the top of our priority list, does He? We go to church on Sundays, we try to do good things for others, and we read our Bibles when we get the chance, so what’s to worry about, right? Doing all these things is good, but we are likely limiting ourselves in ways we don’t fully realize. If I’m trying to lose weight and I walk for 30 minutes every day on a treadmill, I will lose weight. But eventually, I’ll plateau because my body has gotten used to the routine. If I want to continue losing weight, I have to change it up a little – add different exercises at different levels of intensity. It requires focus, energy, and determination. The same goes for my walk with God.
Despite our best intentions, at least half of all New Year’s resolutions are abandoned within the first month. It’s hard to make changes, especially those that are so closely tied to our behavioral characteristics or our environmental constraints. And when you make a list of several very ambitious goals, sticking to them all is unrealistic even for the most motivated among us. Choosing to make spiritual growth a priority is not a goal with specific benchmarks of "success" and a clearly definable end. We are always growing in our walk with God. The moment we stop pursuing Him, we plateau in our faith just like our bodies do in our workouts.
This New Year’s, throw away the list (or at least pare it down some), and instead say a simple prayer that goes something like this: "Father, I want to know you more and follow your ways more closely. Would you please help me to do that each day? I will make an effort to look and listen for your guidance, both in your Word and in my daily activities. In Jesus’ name, Amen." I don’t know about you, but that’s a resolution I’m happy to make – and keep.
Weight loss is probably the most common New Year’s resolution, but there are of course many others. Getting one’s home organized is one. There is something so freeing about ridding your home of unnecessary clutter, making room for what we truly need. With the current economy, perhaps developing – and truly living within – a realistic and responsible budget is on the top of the list for many of us. Endeavoring to spend more time with family is a noble and worthwhile goal most of us could espouse, myself included.
Curiously missing from most resolution lists is the goal to grow spiritually with the Lord. Why is that? When we consider resolutions, most of us tend to grasp at the tangible aspects of our lives where improvement is needed – our weight, our home, our finances. These are things we can see, feel and experience in a practical sense on a daily basis. They are things we believe require "immediate" attention, lest we fall deeper into our bad habits.
Regardless of the perceived urgency of our self-improvement needs, let’s be honest – God doesn’t often make the top of our priority list, does He? We go to church on Sundays, we try to do good things for others, and we read our Bibles when we get the chance, so what’s to worry about, right? Doing all these things is good, but we are likely limiting ourselves in ways we don’t fully realize. If I’m trying to lose weight and I walk for 30 minutes every day on a treadmill, I will lose weight. But eventually, I’ll plateau because my body has gotten used to the routine. If I want to continue losing weight, I have to change it up a little – add different exercises at different levels of intensity. It requires focus, energy, and determination. The same goes for my walk with God.
Despite our best intentions, at least half of all New Year’s resolutions are abandoned within the first month. It’s hard to make changes, especially those that are so closely tied to our behavioral characteristics or our environmental constraints. And when you make a list of several very ambitious goals, sticking to them all is unrealistic even for the most motivated among us. Choosing to make spiritual growth a priority is not a goal with specific benchmarks of "success" and a clearly definable end. We are always growing in our walk with God. The moment we stop pursuing Him, we plateau in our faith just like our bodies do in our workouts.
This New Year’s, throw away the list (or at least pare it down some), and instead say a simple prayer that goes something like this: "Father, I want to know you more and follow your ways more closely. Would you please help me to do that each day? I will make an effort to look and listen for your guidance, both in your Word and in my daily activities. In Jesus’ name, Amen." I don’t know about you, but that’s a resolution I’m happy to make – and keep.
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