Acting Out Our Faith: A Different Kind of Currency

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.  He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.  When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. – Acts 3:6-10 (NIV)

I sure am glad that heaven runs on a different currency than the world.  When the world tries to fix a problem it is all about throwing money and resources at it until it is buried.  Issues are resolved by committee and conference.  We have programmed, politicized and popularized helping the needy, but I think we can come to depend on them more than the power of God.

It is comforting to me that poverty in the world’s eyes has nothing to do with the riches of God.  Peter has no silver or gold to give, but what he does have is better by far.  The power to transform lives, to heal and help those in need, cannot be replaced by material things.  It is gracious to give of our resources and we should give with grateful hearts for God’s providence, but we cannot forget to invest the currency God has made available to us through the Holy Spirit.

I don’t want to be rich in this world if it causes me to be a pauper in God’s kingdom.  I want to be wealthy in the things of God and spend that wealth on others.  I hope that the next time I see someone in need I will remember this and invest the currency that only God can supply.

Lord, thank you for Your Holy Spirit supplying me with kingdom currency.  Help me to spend it wisely and fearlessly for Your glory and the benefit of others. Amen.

Life in Community: The Humility of Christ

Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful.  Let Israel be glad in its Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.  Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.  For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory.
Psalms 149:1-4 (NRSV)

A man’s pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.
Proverbs 29:23 (NIV)

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 (NRSV)

My youngest daughter is selfish.  This is not a surprise to me, as my first daughter had the same characteristic when she was that young.  This is not intended as a condemnation, but a statement of fact.  We all start out selfish and must be shown what it is to be gracious, patient, kind and helpful.  It takes time to learn how to be humble.

I think that is one of the reasons the Me Generation earned their moniker; we were the first generation who were told our rights were more important than our responsibilities.  We were sold on feeding our appetites and satisfying our desires.  We were the front end of the marketing industries guinea pigs.  In the process we have gained an enormous love for ourselves, but have lost the riches of community, service and sacrifice.

When I think of my daughters being selfish, my first prayer is that it will never turn into pride.  Right now they just want what they want.  If my wife and I don’t discipline in the right way, not only will they want what they want, they will exact whatever price necessary from others to get it.  This is the destructive nature of pride.  Where humility lightens our load, pride weighs us down and brings us low.

Jesus invites us into community through the doorway of humility.  His example through His horrific humiliation on the cross should help us daily maintain a humble perception of ourselves.  When we consider that Christ laid down His life to provide salvation for all of mankind, regardless of how many would choose to accept it, we must bow our heads, bend our knees and surrender our hearts.

Humility is one of the central changes that must occur in the life of the believer.  It is transforming, changing our motivation for the things we do and say.  Instead of wondering “What’s in it for me?” we ask, “What’s in me that God can use?”  We shift from loving others as a means of showing how spiritual we are to loving others because we truly see their beauty and value through Christ’s eyes.  Humility gets us out of the way so Christ can get to others through us more effectively.

While the Me Generation was told, “Even if you were the only person in the world, Christ still would have died on the Cross for your sins” the real power of the gospel says, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Cor. 5:14-15 NIV)

Christ died for all.  That is amazing grace.  That is awesome love.  That is power through humility.  This is the kind of humility I want for my daughters.  Not a humility that roots itself in self-abasement and Eeyore-like demeanors, but a humility born of assurance and confidence.  This godly humility comes from a clear understanding that we no longer have any worries and can therefore put other’s needs ahead of our own.  My daughter is showing the signs of humility and I am so happy to see it take root in her heart.

Unfortunately, I am not humble as Jesus is humble.  It is a discipline and I am still working on it every day.  I am still learning how to make sacrifices that cost me without demanding any sacrifice from others.  I am still discovering the lengths to which God is willing to go to help me live the life of Christ.  God is still showing to me in small and great ways how immeasurably big He is and how finite I am.  The next time my daughter throws a fit about not getting what she wants, I will try to remind myself not to do the same thing with my heavenly Father.

Life in Community: Everyone is Broken

During our small group meeting a gentleman shared about his recent journey to the Philippines and the life changing experiences he had there.  One of the most powerful truths he saw during his visit was the importance and influence of community.  It reminded me of some blog posts I did about two years ago on living life in community and so I submit them again for your perusal.  I will be posting the series again over the next two weeks while I am working on a set of posts about Acts.  I hope that this series is a blessing to you.

Everyone who believes has God’s approval through faith in Jesus Christ. There is no difference between people.  Because all people have sinned, they have fallen short of God’s glory.
Romans 3:22-23 (GW)

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:1-4 NIV)

My daughter asked me one day why people do bad things and I quickly replied, “Some people are just bad.”  It was a lazy answer, certainly wrong and dreadfully insensitive, but in the moment it satisfied the ponderings of a seven-year-old little girl.  Fortunately the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let me get away with such bad theology – and bad parenting – and kept bringing me back to her question.  Why do people do bad things?

I came across the passage in Philippians 2 one day soon after the conversation with my daughter (it is one of my favorites), and the words jumped out at me.  Obviously my view of “bad” people was not in line with what Jesus desired of me, especially in light of Paul’s words in Romans 3.  Somewhere I had let a false perception creep into my thinking and it had skewed how I thought of others.  The devastating realization was that I had in essence told my little girl she was a bad person.

I have always enjoyed the writings of C.S. Lewis and his essay, “The Weight of Glory” is one I need to return to from time to time.

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare.”

It is very easy to lump people into categories and affix our labels and go about our lives in the comfort of our well-organized world.  However, if we are looking for a better life, a richer experience of God’s presence, a deeper understanding of His love at work in our lives and the lives of others we will change our perception of what humanity is and what it can be.  When we understand that each of us will either be forever broken or forever made whole, we should be motivated to work toward the one and work against the other.  Instead we think we are okay because of how bad someone else is or because we are good at hiding our own brokenness.

After reflecting on these passages, I had to sit down with my daughter and explain that people do bad things because they are broken and that all of us are broken.  It was a simple conversation and a simple explanation, but her education in this area will advance with years.  She needs to know that we are all broken, that we all do bad things, and that it is the love of God that heals us and makes us whole; that in loving Him we find the grace and mercy to love ourselves and others because His love is greater than our own.  She will need to know that brokenness is not an excuse for our transgressions.  I will need to teach her that humility is the key to loving other people in the midst of their brokenness.  I will try to show her that it is a far great thing to be better for the sake of others than it is to be better than others.  I will try to show her what it looks like to move toward wholeness so she will know her way along the journey.

The Right Kind of Righteousness: Conclusion

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. – Romans 3:21-24 (NIV)

Righteousness is an amazing thing; we all need, none of us have it and there is only one place to get it.  Talk about evening the playing field.  Righteousness requires us all to become spiritual paupers. This makes Jesus’ statements in Matthew 5 come into clearer focus.  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) and, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)

There is no difference between me or the murderer in jail, until either of us admit our spiritual poverty and hunger for something better than all other things.  God has made His righteousness known and available, but we can get too involved in concocting our own righteousness instead.  We can look at the murderer and say, “At least I am not a murderer” all the while hating the murderer in our heart.  This isn’t righteousness, it is spiritual hypocrisy rooted in arrogance.

Righteousness asks us all to start at the same place, to count everything we have done on our own as rubbish.  We empty our pockets, we deny our credentials, we surrender our pedigree and we come before God naked and poor.  We need Him to clothe us.  We need Him to bless us with the riches of His kingdom.  We need His righteousness.

This life is too short to spend time trying to be right; too precious to spend our talents and treasures just to prove someone else wrong.  Make your argument with your life.  Hunger and thirst for righteousness and you will make the best argument possible; that God’s righteousness is better than man’s.  I certainly don’t say this from a place of success.  Every day is a struggle to seek God’s righteousness instead of creating my own, but I believe I am closer than I was last week, last month, last year.  I still hunger.  I still thirst.

Righteousness is an amazing thing, but it is not impossible.  My hope is rooted in the victories in my own life and the cloud of witnesses who testify to this truth.  The righteousness of God is our inheritance, but we must let go of the petty riches we cling to in this world.  We have to let go of our reputations, our degrees, our experiences and grab a hold of the hem of His garment.  Lord, let us hunger and thirst for You more every day.

Jesus is for Every Season

This is a post from my other blog, Dadvotionals.com, but thought it was good to share on this site as well. Hope you all had a wonderful and memorable Christmas.

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. I love the music, the food, the family gatherings, but most of all I love the reason. Christ come in the flesh, a baby born in a quiet town with shepherds in attendance. A young couple following the advice of angels to make a good start to their new family. The humble manger holding the greatest treasure in all of creation.

Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season, but our love for Jesus should not be seasonal. We cannot afford to be fair weather friends to the Prince of Peace. Jesus is the reason in every season of life. He is the reason we can make it through the harsh seasons and the reason we can celebrate the bountiful ones. His faithfulness never fails and we should make every effort to live likewise.

Christmas is a time to celebrate love and family and giving. Let’s remember to keep giving the gift of our love, faith and obedience to God even after the decorations are stowed away and the tree is gone.

Have a blessed Christmas and face the New Year with hope and peace.

The Right Kind of Righteousness: A Gracious Memory Leads to a Better Future

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.  But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. – Titus 3:3-7 (NIV)

I have done and said things in my life that I am not proud of; at all.  These acts are proof of my unrighteousness, but they no longer define me.  The love of Christ has changed me from sinner to saint, from lost to found, from blind to seeing.  The lost blind sinner rears his ugly inclinations from time to time, but his power wanes as the found seeing saint gains strength and wisdom.  This is the path of righteousness.

My problem lies in perspective and memory.  Instead of being informed by my past through the eyes of grace, I allow it to rule the way I view myself and others. Grace redeems even the errant movements of my past and leads me toward righteousness.  When I begin to let my past sins peck away at that grace, my faith flounders and guilt sets in.  The righteousness from God overcomes our past and paints our future with hope and promise.

Righteousness does not come from us, but through us from God.  A daily understanding of this reality helps keep us humble and dependent before God.  This is a good place to be.

Lord, help me to look at my life through the eyes of grace.  May a right perspective of my life in You, lead me further into righteousness.  Let Your righteousness rule my heart, mind and eyes. Amen.

Giving Thanks: Finding the Peace of God

This is the second repost from November of 2010.  Hope that you all have a Thanksgiving filled with blessing.

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.  Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. – Psalm 95:1-2

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:5-7

In one of my favorite short films, Boundin’, by the geniuses at Pixar Studios, the main character is a lamb experiencing the humiliation of shearing for the first time.  Prior to this experience, his identity was rooted in how people perceived and treated him, so when his lovely coat is stripped away, he is unprepared for the laughs and giggles of his fair weather friends.  Fortunately, wisdom comes in the form of a Jackalope who gets the sheep’s head in the right place by showing him that nothing has really changed about who the sheep is inside.  The young sheep finds a way to be at peace in his changing circumstances and the viewer is wishing they had a jackalope to come get their head in the right place.

It is hard to be thankful when we are plagued by anxiety.  We tend to shift into survivor mode when anxiousness and fear take the helm.  That really doesn’t help us become “more than conquerors.”  I don’t believe that God desires us to choose between fight or flight when faced with the challenges of this world and our own sinfulness.  I do believe there is a peace that allows us to face even the worst of all possible events in our lives with boldness and even joy.  But just like that little lamb, we need to get our head in the right place.

Paul’s admonition to “present your requests to God” is tempered by an overarching attitude of thanksgiving.  This is critical for us to understand as His children, for we often wait to give thanks after the fact.  Paul is putting forth the idea that we need to lead with thanksgiving; to be grateful for what the Lord will do.  This gets our head in the right place – looking forward to hope and the unfailing promises of God.

What is it that you hope for?  What are the anxieties that keep you from living in the peace of God?  Don’t wait for a jackalope to come along with rhyming platitudes to help you out.  There is one who understands our suffering and the way out.  Put your hope in Him and pray with thanksgiving for His providence, healing and help in your time of need.

Giving Thanks: Our Unchanging God

Since I will be on vacation for the next two weekends, I am reposting for this week and next week.  This week is a repost from November of 2010.  While some of the language is specific to that year, the thoughts behind it are still true.  I hope that this is a timely encouragement during the season of thanksgiving.

I remember my affliction and my wandering,

the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.” – Lamentations 3:19-24

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I’m not sure about you, but 2010 has been a rough year.  Not as rough for my family as some others I know, but it ranks up there as a lean year in many respects.  The surprise for me is that I have never been as thankful as I have been this year.  Not a stick-your-head-in-the-sand thankful; that is just avoiding reality with empty platitudes and heartless prayers.  Not dutiful gratitude born out of blind obedience to some Christian ethic that says, “There is always something to be thankful for in what you are going through.”  That just keeps our eyes off the true focus of our thanksgiving.

The reason I am more thankful this year is a deepening understanding of three words: God never changes.  If this doesn’t make sense, think about what has brought you the most comfort in difficult times.  I would lay odds that most would say family and friends; those we love anchor us and heal us and hold us when we are going through grief, pain and difficulty.  Many of us would also say that sometimes those we love have let us down when we needed them most.  This is where God’s unchanging character can step into our lives and fill the gaps to overflowing.

We live in a broken world where tragedy and trial come without warning or consideration.  We are broken people with limitations, weaknesses and flaws that severely hamper our ability to truly satisfy the needs of others.  Only one can give what is needed for each wound.  Only one meets the needs of Jeremiah when he laments, “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.”  The God who never changes.  When everything else is falling apart, including ourselves, God remains merciful, kind, compassionate, faithful and loving.  He is our hope and comfort.  This is at the heart of living in an attitude of thanksgiving.

This isn’t a roadmap to living life without pain and suffering.  It is the compass that allows us to keep moving in the right direction in spite of our circumstances, both good and bad.  When Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to “give thanks IN all circumstances” (emphasis mine), he means “in” not “for.”  God is not thankful for hurt or pain or tragedy and I don’t believe He would require his children to either.  Paul is reminding the Thessalonians, and us, that no matter what happens in this broken world, to broken people, God still loves and cares for us, still calls us onward to peace and joy, still holds us in his strong hands.

This Thanksgiving, hold this truth close to your heart and let it guide you to a gratitude that transforms and heals.  Ask God to reveal His heart for you in the midst of your circumstances.  Let God use you to be His compassion and mercy to those experiencing pain and suffering.  Be grateful not for what you have, but for who you belong to, because God never changes.

The Right Kind of Righteousness: Overcoming Poverty

The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern. – Proverbs 29:7 (NIV)

Poverty is certainly a growing issue of debate and concern today.  Unemployment rates, foreclosure listings and protests have been media regulars for the last few years.  A sour economy has soured our attitude toward the rich, but the real question is how has it changed our attitude toward the poor?

More and more, the burden of the poor seems to be pushed onto the government, but it is clear in the passage that this is the responsibility of the righteous.  Unfortunately, we have grown used to the system taking care of those in need.  We assume that there is a program or benefit available to fix people’s problems, but systems have no compassion or hope or healing.  Systems are not driven by love or fueled by faith.  Systems don’t save people, they just solve problems.  Righteousness can do better.

It is the righteous who want to provide more than gold or silver can buy.  As much as the poor may need financial help, they need love, compassion and encouragement in equal or greater measure.  In fact, poverty is less a battle over finances and more over the attitude and inclination of the heart.  This is true for both the experience of poverty and the perception of the poor.  When define ourselves or others by what we lack, it can lead to all sorts of injustice.  To truly see justice for the poor we need to preach the truth and live the truth.

Paul had learned the secret of contentment regardless of his circumstances.  This is the most just way to approach poverty and wealth.  When we learn how to be content, we are released to be gracious and giving to others and not be concerned for ourselves.  This is how we can act justly.  This is how we can overcome the spirit of poverty in ourselves and others.  This is how we can continue to minister to the needs of others even if we are not what others would call wealthy.

Lord, help us to care for the needs of others and give with a generous spirit.  May we overcome poverty in our hearts and minds so that it does not define us or the world around us.  Help us to live justly with our finances. Amen.

The Right Kind of Righteousness: Blessed by God

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. – Psalms 5:11-12 (NIV)

It is clear that the righteous are righteous because of who they put their trust in – who they worship.  Our righteousness will never get us where we need to be in this life or the life to come.  As God’s children through the blood of Christ, we have a righteousness not our own, but there is a difference between having it and walking in it.  The passage above is referring to those who are walking in righteousness and some of the results.

This is not the only passage that describes the righteous as blessed or favored.  It is a theme in the Psalms and prophetic writings.  God blesses His righteous ones.  I don’t believe that God is waiting for us to be righteous in order to bless us, but that He has made it so that walking in His righteousness leads us to His blessings.  I believe that walking in His righteousness puts us in the safe place of His favor.

Imagine you are in a desert and someone brings you a glass of water.  It tastes amazing, but the person says that if you want to have as much water as you need, you have to walk across the desert and over the mountains.  You could just stay in the desert and ask the messenger to keep bringing the little doses of water, or you could go to the place where the water is plentiful.  God sends His blessings into our desert with an invitation to place of plenty, but we have to walk there.

Let me be clear that I don’t equate blessing with money or things.  For some, money or objects would become a stumbling block.  It is not getting what we want when we want it because we deserve it.  God’s blessing is us having exactly what we need when we need it with the full knowledge that we do not deserve it.  This is the place that walking in righteousness will lead us.