How Strong Is Your Identity?

Have you ever given much thought to your identity?  We’ve all been warned about the dangers of identity theft, which involves who we are on paper—our social security number, credit score, etc.  But does this identity truly represent who we are? 

Although protecting this identity is definitely important, if that identity was stolen you wouldn’t cease to exist as a person.  What is infinitely more important is our identity in this world and how it causes us to relate to others.  Regardless of outside circumstances such as turmoil, job loss, economic woes and tragedy, your fundamental identity need not change.    

My identity can be summed up in the following terms:

Christian

Husband

Father

Son

Grandson

Uncle

Brother

Brother-In-Law

Friend

Employee

Carpenter

Teacher

Writer

Although this list is not all-inclusive, it is very representative of my life.  How does this compare to your list?  It is worth taking a few moments to write your list down and see what it looks like.  It is also important to look at the order of your list.  I have tried to prioritize my identity along these basic lines: loyalty to God; loyalty to my wife, then my kids; loyalty to my extended family members and close friends; loyalty to my employers; and loyalty to my passions and interests.

Where do your loyalties lie?

Our identities shape us for sure, but don’t we make the choices first that put our identities in place?

Over the next few postings I am going to examine what our identity says about us to others and what it should say to ourselves. 

Stay tuned!

 

The Habit of Faith

I was reading today’s devotion from Streams in the Desert and I came across the turn of phrase: the habit of faith.  Something within them resonated with me.  Perhaps it is because the word habit is usually associated with the negative adjective “bad” in front of it.  For example, the bad habit of biting your fingernails, or chewing with your mouth open or following the slow driver in the fast lane too closely. 

What struck me about this is that habits can be good too.  What is a habit anyway?

Habit:  a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up. 

So the question is this:  Is your faith a habit?  Is it a regular practice? Is it hard to give up?  Or as is so often the case do you flee your faith when the going gets tough? 

The lesson to be learned here is that a habit takes time, energy and effort to attain.  This is perhaps more true for a good habit than a bad one.  If your faith seems shaky and not in the habit category, perhaps you need to spend a little time on developing it.  Regular time in the Word, listening to what God has said to others and what He wants to say to you is a good start.  Working through your trials with a prayerful heart is another way to develop your habit.

Remember, any habit that has God as its obsession is a good thing.  It will be what you turn to automatically when you need it.  Your habit of faith will sustain you as you rely solely on the One that is sufficient to meet your deepest needs.  

 

 

The Surprise of Stillness

January 12, 2011

We absolutely hate to sit still.  Think about it, we have to keep moving.  It may be in our cars, going to the store, going to work or going through the drive-through at McDonald’s. It may be in our house on the computer, checking e-mail, looking at Facebook, texting or watching television.  Whatever you choose, chances are you can’t sit still either.

I am watching the news this morning and it is proving my point.  Reporters are at the side of Interstate 75 showing a 3-mile long line of cars and trucks sitting still.  At the airport the reporter shows travelers sitting still and rows of planes sitting still.  According to reports not one plain has taken off this morning from the worlds busiest airport.

It seems like with all this stillness it is a perfect time to hear the voice of God.  After all, what else is there to do that is more important.

Psalm 46:10 says, Be still and know that I am God…

This verse is a great reminder to us about the power of stillness.  Unfortunately sometimes it takes something as dramatic as a snowstorm to give us pause and to let us become still. 

Today as the first day of the corporate fast begins, embrace the stillness.  As you dig into the Word let it permeate into your soul.  Let the fact that you are stuck draw you closer to the Father.  Let the things that are important be important.

Yesterday I went outside with my 8 year old daughter and 4-year-old son and made memories.  We tromped through snow in the woods behind our house following the tracks of several deer.  We slid down the snow and ice encrusted street on a piece of plastic and laughed when we crashed to a stop.  We fell on our backs in the snow and just enjoyed the stillness.  All of which is not typical Monday behavior for any of us.  The stillness didn’t allow me to be particularly productive, but when then we came inside and sat by the fire sipping hot chocolate, my daughter said, “Dad, this was the best day ever!” 

Thank you Lord for the stillness that causes me to see what’s important.

Out of Control, Into His Hands

As I sit here writing this it is Monday morning---the graphic on the news is calling it “Winter Weather Watch 2011” or some other important sounding title.  Last night I watched on the news as people slipped and slid in their cars on snow-coated streets. In every sense of the phrase they were out of control. 

It made me think of the sermon series Unexplainable.  I believe that one of the first things necessary for God to do an unexplainable work in our life is for us to let go and allow ourselves to be out of control.  Of course, for most of us this is difficult to do. We like to have everything precisely under our control.  This explains our dependence of schedules, calendars, and routines. 

The problem is when we have everything under control; we have squeezed God out of the picture.  In essence, when we are in control of our lives, He can’t be.  God is not going to come in like an over-bearing relative and wrench the wheel from our hands.  He is going to let us drive and let us go where we want to go.  When we get there we shouldn’t be surprised that nothing unexplainable happened.  After all, how could it?  We effectively stunted the possibility when we retained control. 

My Pastor, Ronnie, made the statement that we want the unexplainable, but don’t put ourselves in the place to allow God to make unexplainable things happen.  We have such an opportunity before us over the next 11 days.  

Fasting is an opportunity to relinquish control and let God move in our lives.  It is a time when every pang of hunger can push us to the Lord in prayer.  It is a way to allow ourselves to be nourished on the Word of the Lord and to be sustained by the presence of the Spirit.  When we fast we are giving up control of something we often turn to for comfort. 

Remember this: as we presumably give up control for the next 11 days in reality we are merely handing over control to the One that should have it all along.  We are giving Him the opportunity to right our course, steer us through the slippery and treacherous parts of life and to guide us safely to the destination that He has prepared for us.  Keep that in mind through the days ahead and allow God to work the Unexplainable in you.

Surprised by A Heart of Service

Have you ever done something nice for somebody that is a perfect stranger, something unexpected, and watched his or her reaction?  It is a very interesting experiment and a slightly sad one too.  Interesting because it shocks people that you would take the time to do something nice and sad because it shocks people that you would take the time to do something nice. 

Let me give you a few illustrations, not to toot my own horn but to make my point. 

On the way home from work today, I went by the ultimate holiday fun house which I will call Wal-Mart.  I needed to get some liquid sinus medicine for my son because he has a cold.  While I was on that aisle there was an older gentleman in one of the store scooters.  He was on his phone talking to his wife asking, rather loudly, what that medicine was that he was supposed to get so he would stop coughing.  She replied Mucinex D, which he repeated for me and half of Wal-Mart to hear.  He then proceeded to scoot down that aisle and head for the pharmacy counter to ask them for help.  I decided to do my Momma proud and find what he needed and bring it to him.  So after locating the right brand, right strength, right quantity and right flavor, I grabbed a box that was on the upper shelf and went on my mission.  I turned the corner and he was still on the phone so I held out the box in front of his face until it caught his attention.  When he looked up, I said “Is this what you were looking for?”  His startled reply was “Yes” and then he began telling his wife about the nice young man who found it for him.  I said you’re welcome and went on my way.  All told it took me about 47 seconds, but I believe it meant a lot to him. 

My second example happened last week when the uncommon cold temperatures and gusty winds blew into town.  I was driving home from work and cutting through a store parking lot when I noticed a lady standing by her car with a flat rear tire, the trunk open and on a cell phone.  I called my wife and told her what I was going to do and then swung back around to see if I could help.  She was on the phone with her dad who was but a short distance away but it was literally about 32 degrees out and windy so I jumped out to help.  Her dad showed up and together he and I got the tire changed in about 10 minutes.   When I stood up she had a $20 bill in her hand to attempt to pay me.  I said that I didn’t need any money and that I would hope someone would do the same for my wife or mom.  Away I drove. 

The last example is one my wife told me about.  She and a friend went shopping on Black Friday for reasons I know not of.  They were at Target at about 6 am, which I am told is a madhouse.  They came across an elderly lady in a store scooter that was broken down.  (At this point I immediately thought of a car stuck in the middle lane of I-285 that runs around Atlanta with traffic flying by on either side.)  Anyway, my wife asked if she could help the lady.  She said that she didn’t know much about the scooters but was having trouble walking.  So my wife determined that the scooter was out of battery and then went to the service desk to let someone know so the lady wouldn’t try walking in the store and fall.  When my wife went back to tell the lady that the customer service manager was bringing a different scooter to her, she was amazed and thankful.  The two women began to talk about how nice it was for a young person to take time and help two old ladies.  My wife went on her way. 

The point to all that is this: when did we as a society get so busy that we lost our sense of kindness and selflessness?  I believe as Christians that these little moments are what shape us and mark us as believers.  They are opportunities to live out our faith in a very real way and in a way that impacts others.  It may not be as dramatic as sinking a well in a remote village in Africa or taking a mission trip to the Amazon, but it is something that each of us can do every day.  It is something that we can do at very little cost to ourselves and the benefits are great.

It felt good to help that lady with her tire and I hope that she told someone about it.  It made me happy to help that old man with his medicine and I hope that he and his wife had it a little easier tonight.  It made my wife feel good to be able to help that elderly lady and it made an impression on them that morning. 

I hope that in some small way by being kind and gentle and giving to others they can go on with their lives and realize that there are some people out there who care about others and maybe they will go and do the same things. 

 

 

You Just Had to Be There…

So about two weeks ago was the Thanksgiving holiday.  In my opinion, Thanksgiving is one of the best days of the year because you can eat with reckless abandon all in the name of thankfulness!  In fact it is and insult to the cooks if you do not try some of everything. 

So I did my best on Thursday to eat my fill at both places I went that day.  For lunch, we went to my in-laws house.  We enjoyed a ham, corn-casserole, green-bean casserole, and my wife’s made from scratch cornbread dressing, hot rolls, sweet tea and two types of pies for dessert. Around five o’clock, we headed to my parents house for round two.  My almost 90-year-old grandmother was staying with my parents this week and she and my mom got a little carried away cooking.  There we had a hot from the oven turkey, spiral sliced ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, Jell-O salad, pink salad, corn, rolls and choice of beverage.  For dessert we had apple pie, pumpkin pie, banana bread and pumpkin bread.  (For the record, I ran out of room for dessert…)

My question is this: after reading all that, do you feel satisfied and full, as if you were there?  No you don’t, because you had to be there. 

Following Jesus can be like this at times.  Ronnie’s second point Sunday was that “following Christ means seeking the shepherd, not watching the sheep.”  I took this a little differently than maybe it was intended but the point here is valid.  There is a wealth of Christian material out there that we can use to learn about God.  There are amazing pastors that have a heart for teaching and I love to learn from them.  There are amazingly talented singers and musicians that can stir our souls with their lyrics and harmonies.  There are books that are thought provoking and profound.  There are conferences you can attend and teachers you can follow.  But much like my describing my Thanksgiving meal doesn’t fill you up, these things above are no substitute for sitting at the feet of Jesus in prayer and digging into the Word on our own. 

Sometimes I think we are too busy ‘watching the sheep’ to hear from the Shepherd.  Understand, there is nothing wrong with any of these things as tools to help you on your Christian walk, but used to the exclusion of a personal time with the Savior, they are hollow and empty. 

Jesus told us to follow Him.  At times this is difficult.  Sometimes it is hard to see things that are applicable to my situation when I read the Bible.  That doesn’t mean they aren’t there.  It just means I need to dig a little deeper, pray a little harder and wait for the Lord to speak to me.  I have never been disappointed in seeking God this way.

I would encourage you to make sure you are spending time with the One that all the books and music and sermons are about.  Allow Him to speak to you directly and be amazed at the sound of His voice.

Now if you will excuse me, I have to go get something to eat, all that talk about food really made me hungry!

Father, give us a hunger and a desire for the real thing, for You.  Create a thirst in us for your voice and for your leading.  Remove all the distractions that would hinder us from hearing your voice.  Help us to walk obediently with you and to follow your leading as the Good Shepherd.  In Jesus Name, Amen.    

Following Christ Through the Highs and Lows

You cannot stay where you are and follow Christ.

We enjoy being comfortable.  Flannel sheets in the wintertime, cushy recliners, heated seats and breakfast in bed.  HDTV’s, remote control, microwaves and delivered pizzas.  Comfort is nice when you can get it. 

But the Christian life is not about comfort--it is about obedience.  In my own life the times I have been most obedient to God’s voice, I have been the least comfortable.  In fact, many times I have been sick to my stomach and scared to death, but knowing that I was walking in full obedience to the Father’s will for me.

In a recent sermon, my Pastor mentioned repeatedly that the Christian life is a journey.  If you have ever been on any type of journey you know that things don’t always go as you planned.  A journey is filled with highs and lows and ups and downs.  Sometimes you make it there unscathed but often you end up with some bumps and scrapes along the way.  The one thing that is true of all journeys is that they start with a destination in mind.  Rarely does one strike out on a journey without knowing where they want to end up.  What makes the low points of the journey tolerable is the hope that you will make it to your destination and the excitement you will feel when you get there. 

The journey of the Christian life can be a tough one.  Especially when its course doesn’t quite follow the route you expected to take.  Jesus said that if we followed Him we should expect difficulties.  I think He did this so we wouldn’t be surprised but would start our journey with the right mindset and an awareness of the difficulties to come.  

You may find yourself in a difficult time right now.  You may be miles away from where you wanted to be.  I know I am.  My life is way different than I expected it to be.  Sometimes it gets me down.  But in the last few years, God has taught me to rely fully on Him.  He is all I have left.  He has taught me the joy in praying for the strength and means to get through the day.  He has taught me to enjoy the blessings I have been given for THIS DAY, blessings like the love of my wife, the adoration of my children and the respect of my friends and family. 

My journey may be different than yours, but one thing is the same.  We must keep our eyes on Christ.  He is at the conclusion of every Christian’s journey.  We must desire a closer walk with Him no matter what the circumstances.   We must see our difficulties as a way that God molds us into the image of Jesus.  We must endeavor to finish the race well and to seek the things that will last for eternity.   We must be willing to leave where we are in order to get up and follow Christ.

Father, help me to be strong.  In this Christian life that is often not easy, help me to follow your unseen hand and rely on your Spirit’s leading.  Thank you for shaping me into the image of Christ, even though the tools you use often bring pain.  Thank you for the promise that one-day I will stand in your presence and worship you face to face.  Continue to beckon me onward as I walk with you.  In Jesus name, Amen.   

Preparing As We Wait...

God may give us transition periods and times of waiting to help us depend on him and trust his timing.  If we patiently do his will during the transition times, we will be better prepared to serve him as we should when he calls us.

(Note from Genesis 11:31—Life Application Study Bible)

I am not by nature a very patient person.  I don’t like being behind slow drivers when I am in a hurry.  I hate choosing the wrong line at the grocery store.  I get frustrated when things don’t always go as I think they should. 

All of which makes life very interesting when you are waiting on God’s timing and direction 

These last few years have been an extended period of waiting for me.  I have waited on God’s provision for my family as my work dried up.  I have waited to find the place that God wants me to serve.  I have tried to be obedient to him and wait for his calling. 

Now things are starting to move and I can see how these last few years have prepared me to step out in faith and obedience to him now.  Just as the note above states, my transition periods and times of waiting have helped me depend solely on him and trust in his perfect timing.

It now appears that his timing is near and he is calling me on to new and exciting things.  This push he is giving me has drawn me even closer to him as I earnestly seek him in prayer and make sure I am going where he wants to lead me.

If you find yourself stuck, waiting, and impatient to move on, I would encourage you to continue to seek his face.  Be content to wait on the one that knows you best.  Look for ways to worship Him and serve Him as he holds you for a time.  His timing is perfect and when he calls you, you can be sure that when he has you move forward it will be to the exact place he needs you to be.

 

Does Your Sin Cause You Shame?

Have you ever been ashamed of something you have said or done?  Not just a little ashamed, but head hanging down, can’t-look-someone-in-the eye-kind-of-ashamed? Have you ever felt this kind of shame when you came face to face with the Living God?

Paul gave Timothy some advice on how to avoid this kind of shame.  "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15

The words found in this verse are written in the front of a study Bible that I got from my grandmother when I was fifteen years old.  They are penned in her familiar style and her love and admonition for me still leaps off the page. 

As a young man I would study this verse and attempt to apply it to my life. There are three applications found in this verse that can be applied daily to our lives.  All deal with handling the sin in our lives that we all too often rationalize away.  Here is my take on it.

The first thing Paul says is to “be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman.”  In my life I have found that when I am “working” for God—that is putting my faith into action—it is difficult to sin and put myself first.  When I am being obedient to the leading of the Spirit it kind of drives everything else that is inconsequential out of me.  I am therefore able to present myself to God approved (clear of sin) as a workman.

The second part of this verse is the phrase “who does not need to be ashamed…” Where does shame come from?  It comes from doing something wrong, horrible even, and feeling bad about it.  When we rationalize our sin away it is like a callous that builds over our sin until we no longer feel shame.  The more we rationalize the easier it becomes to continue in that sin and a continuing cycle is established.  Unfortunately, many Christians have ceased to feel shame in their sin or if they do it is so deep down that they cannot even feel the Holy Spirit move within them.  This pattern negates any positive effect we can have on the Kingdom of God and damages our relationship with Him. 

The third part of this verse is, “…accurately handling the word of truth.”  As we looked at yesterday in Hebrews 4:12, the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword.  Imagine the razor sharp edge of a scalpel.  Used correctly it can cut away that which is damaging to our bodies.  The key is that it must be used correctly and by someone who knows what they are cutting away. 

When the Holy Spirit pricks your heart with the Word of God it can feel a little like a sharp blade, but that is sometimes what is needed to free us from the things that cause us to be ashamed.  This Word is necessary and vital to a healthy walk with God and an end to the rationalization of sin that keeps us enslaved.

 

The Intentions of The Heart

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12        

This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.  This verse describes to us in great detail the power that is contained between the front and back covers of the book we bring to church each Sunday.  Not only is the Word powerful; it is living and active.  It stirs us, moves us and touches our souls.  It can pierce us and change us and cause us to do things that seem strange to the world around us. 

However, it is those last ten words in that verse that make us squirm a little bit--…able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  This is where we tend to shrink back from this powerful Word.  After all, most of us don’t want our thoughts and the intentions of our hearts examined by anyone.  This is where we hide things from others, from ourselves, and where we think we hide things from God. 

The problem is, we cannot hide anything from God, especially what goes on inside our hearts and minds.

The message on Sunday dealt with the topic of rationalizing our sin.  Rationalizing is just another way of saying that we are making an excuse for something we know is wrong.  When one of my kids disobeys and gets called on it usually the first words out of their mouths are, “But, Dad…” Often they feel they have a good reason for disobeying.  I imagine it is the same when we try to rationalize our sin to God.  “But, God…”

The fact is we all try to keep our sins hidden deep down in our hearts.  When we pass each other in church on Sunday morning, no one can see what is in our hearts.  We can say all the right things and fool our friends, but we cannot fool God.

If we continue to keep rationalizing our sin it will eventually begin to control us.  Paul says in Romans 6:16, Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?

We have a choice to make:  we can continue rationalizing our sin—explaining it away—or we can confess it to the One that can free us from its chains.  In one choice is found freedom, in the other slavery. 

I know the things I struggle with.  I know just the right words to say to make myself feel better about my sin.  I also know that I am only fooling myself if I continue to rationalize my sin.  When I confess my sin and let my heart be freed from its sinful intentions, I can feel the sharp and living Word of God separating me from the sin that can destroy me. 

Father, please make me aware of my attempts at rationalizing my sin.  I don’t want to do anything that will cause me to be separated from you.  I know that you cannot bear to look upon my sin, so help me to realize what I am doing and with your power, stop.  Help me to stay in your Word so that you speak to me and keep me walking in your ways.