No, not Jesús, José's brother, but Jesus Himself! On one of our early trips to Heaven (Mexico), God revealed a lot about what the kingdom life should look like. He did this through Miquel, the towel attendant at the resort pool. I watched Miguel over several days, and his positive and joyous attitude was amazing and contagious, and I began to wonder how he could live like that, considering that he was NOT on vacation, didn't get to jump into the pool, enjoy a cold drink, or eat the all inclusive food, and likely returned to poverty each evening without enough money to care for his family well. Then I began a list of what I learned about Jesus from Miguel, and discovered the verses that filled in the blanks. I realized that he was far more like Jesus than I was! Here's the list, 10 things, in no particular order but as they occurred to me: (No commentary necessary!)
1. Be content. Phillipians 4:11 "...I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." and Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" and 1 Timothy 6:6-8 "Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content."
2. Be humble. Phil 2:3-4 "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
3. Live right now. Mañana is mañana. Matt 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
4. No problema. Phil 2:14 "Do all things without grumbling or questioning." and Eph 6:6-7 "do the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord."
5. Enjoy relationships and family while you can. Luke 22:14-16 "And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”"
6. Be thankful. Colossians 3:15-16 "And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."
7. Work hard, and appreciate it. Ephesians 6:5-8 "obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord."
8. Be a servant with a good attitude. 2 Timothy 2:24-25 "And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness."
9. Be respectful. 1 Tim 5:1-2 "Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity."
10. Simplify. Matt 6:31-34 "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
This is why we must return to Mexico frequently, in order to be reminded of these things! ☺
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Saying Yes to the Adventure—Matthew 14
What is it that makes us yearn for comfort and safety? Why do we tend to run from anything that's a bit new and uncomfortable? I'm starting to see that this is an either-or sort of decision—whether we'll enter into adventure, or just stay home. And 'home' or safety, or comfort, or however you think of it, sucks us in with the gravitational pull of a black hole. Our very tendency, it seems, is to be drawn back to safety. If we want to enter into the adventure, it's something we'll have to fight for.
Some may be wondering, "Well, why would I want to?" and right there you can see how strong is the pull away from adventure! But perhaps we're not really made for adventure anyway. Perhaps we were made for safety. After all, how else can you explain its lure?
It doesn't take much of a survey of the Bible to realize that we were made for something more. In the very beginning, when God created Adam and the Earth, his job was to take it over and name the animals. By the way, if you read Genesis 2:19, 'between the lines', you'll see the kind of intimate relationship with God we were made for. God creates an animal, Adam names it. God creates another, Adam names it. I can imagine God thinking, "Hmmm, ok, I've got one this time..." and Adam says, "Hmmmm. Platypus!" And God says, "Ok, ok, pretty good, how about this?" To which Adam says, "Aardvark!" Imagine the fun! Even in being cast from the Garden, we can see a bit of our calling...we're forced out of safety and comfort for our own good, and forced to find life outside.
Let's take a look at this familiar passage about Peter coming to Jesus on the water in Gen 14: And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. (ESV) There's been so much written and talked about on this, including John Ortberg's excellent If You Want to Walk on Water, You Have to Get Out of the Boat! But I'm seeing something a bit different here. What has gripped the disciples already? Fear. It's fear that holds us back, fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of discovery, fear that we may not be adequate. And it's paralyzing. Notice that Jesus doesn't wait around, it says that He 'immediately' spoke to them. He knows that when fears gets us in its grip, we're in trouble, and stuck. His words, "It is I. Don't be afraid," are all the comfort most of us need to break away from fear and the desire for safety.
And Peter really breaks away, asking to brought out to Jesus! On the water! Imagine. No one had ever done that, and yet something in Jesus invites Peter into an adventure that's not on a chart yet! Eleven others decided that the best place to be was in a boat, safe, and comfy. Peter has to take the initiative here to move out. And why does he do so? What drives him from the comfort and safety of the boat out into the waves and wind?
I believe we've missed something very important, and it's summarized here, in Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord,and he will give you the desires of your heart. We've heard that, but rarely do we believe it. Or, what I think is really going on, is that we neither trust our desires nor our hearts. We've come to believe that our hearts are wicked and deceitful since otherwise well-meaning Christians and leaders tell us that they are. And we miss Ezek. 36 when God says that He will wash us and purify us and give us a new heart, and move in, and we would be His people and He would be our God. That's now, for those of us who call ourselves Christians! Our hearts are good. And eventually, we'll discover that the desires of our new hearts are good as well. How will we know? It takes time to discover that and to trust our new desires, which are so easily entangled with our old desires. It will take some adventure to figure out which are which! We won't learn about our hearts from an easy chair. It will take some experimentation, some revelation, some walking with God (who does not stay home or safe, by the way!).
Why do we grow bored or anxious? Isn't it because we're missing out on the adventure that He's called us into? We don't know why we get up in the morning, there's nothing exciting to yearn for anymore. Our greatest thrill is our next vacation or whatever's on sale this week at Target, or a new recipe. No wonder our eyes are glazed, our spirits neutered, our hopes dead. And the enemy laughs, for we are ineffective and useless. This is not what we were created for! Like Peter, we need to trust God enough to believe that He knows exactly why He created us, He knows our hearts, He knows what will bring us the greatest thrill and joy. And stop and wonder what this single event had on Peter for the rest of his life. Did it give him the courage to continue to say yes in leading the team in starting the church and enduring the hardships that he faced. And yet we have to believe that in the end, God gave him the desires of his heart in a huge way! He could have just kept fishing...
We need to Yes to His call to the Adventure. It's what our hearts really yearn for.
As Steven Curtis Chapman sings,
"Saddle up your horses we've got a trail to blaze
Through the wild blue yonder of God's amazing grace
Let's follow our leader into the glorious unknown
This is a life like no other - this is The Great Adventure!"
So let me ask, what fear paralyzes you? If you took a survey of your heart, what desires lie there that you've allowed to die? If you were to ask God to lead you again, out into the wild, what would it look like? And why did you just freeze at that question?
Some may be wondering, "Well, why would I want to?" and right there you can see how strong is the pull away from adventure! But perhaps we're not really made for adventure anyway. Perhaps we were made for safety. After all, how else can you explain its lure?
It doesn't take much of a survey of the Bible to realize that we were made for something more. In the very beginning, when God created Adam and the Earth, his job was to take it over and name the animals. By the way, if you read Genesis 2:19, 'between the lines', you'll see the kind of intimate relationship with God we were made for. God creates an animal, Adam names it. God creates another, Adam names it. I can imagine God thinking, "Hmmm, ok, I've got one this time..." and Adam says, "Hmmmm. Platypus!" And God says, "Ok, ok, pretty good, how about this?" To which Adam says, "Aardvark!" Imagine the fun! Even in being cast from the Garden, we can see a bit of our calling...we're forced out of safety and comfort for our own good, and forced to find life outside.
Let's take a look at this familiar passage about Peter coming to Jesus on the water in Gen 14: And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. (ESV) There's been so much written and talked about on this, including John Ortberg's excellent If You Want to Walk on Water, You Have to Get Out of the Boat! But I'm seeing something a bit different here. What has gripped the disciples already? Fear. It's fear that holds us back, fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of discovery, fear that we may not be adequate. And it's paralyzing. Notice that Jesus doesn't wait around, it says that He 'immediately' spoke to them. He knows that when fears gets us in its grip, we're in trouble, and stuck. His words, "It is I. Don't be afraid," are all the comfort most of us need to break away from fear and the desire for safety.
And Peter really breaks away, asking to brought out to Jesus! On the water! Imagine. No one had ever done that, and yet something in Jesus invites Peter into an adventure that's not on a chart yet! Eleven others decided that the best place to be was in a boat, safe, and comfy. Peter has to take the initiative here to move out. And why does he do so? What drives him from the comfort and safety of the boat out into the waves and wind?
I believe we've missed something very important, and it's summarized here, in Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord,and he will give you the desires of your heart. We've heard that, but rarely do we believe it. Or, what I think is really going on, is that we neither trust our desires nor our hearts. We've come to believe that our hearts are wicked and deceitful since otherwise well-meaning Christians and leaders tell us that they are. And we miss Ezek. 36 when God says that He will wash us and purify us and give us a new heart, and move in, and we would be His people and He would be our God. That's now, for those of us who call ourselves Christians! Our hearts are good. And eventually, we'll discover that the desires of our new hearts are good as well. How will we know? It takes time to discover that and to trust our new desires, which are so easily entangled with our old desires. It will take some adventure to figure out which are which! We won't learn about our hearts from an easy chair. It will take some experimentation, some revelation, some walking with God (who does not stay home or safe, by the way!).
Why do we grow bored or anxious? Isn't it because we're missing out on the adventure that He's called us into? We don't know why we get up in the morning, there's nothing exciting to yearn for anymore. Our greatest thrill is our next vacation or whatever's on sale this week at Target, or a new recipe. No wonder our eyes are glazed, our spirits neutered, our hopes dead. And the enemy laughs, for we are ineffective and useless. This is not what we were created for! Like Peter, we need to trust God enough to believe that He knows exactly why He created us, He knows our hearts, He knows what will bring us the greatest thrill and joy. And stop and wonder what this single event had on Peter for the rest of his life. Did it give him the courage to continue to say yes in leading the team in starting the church and enduring the hardships that he faced. And yet we have to believe that in the end, God gave him the desires of his heart in a huge way! He could have just kept fishing...
We need to Yes to His call to the Adventure. It's what our hearts really yearn for.
As Steven Curtis Chapman sings,
"Saddle up your horses we've got a trail to blaze
Through the wild blue yonder of God's amazing grace
Let's follow our leader into the glorious unknown
This is a life like no other - this is The Great Adventure!"
So let me ask, what fear paralyzes you? If you took a survey of your heart, what desires lie there that you've allowed to die? If you were to ask God to lead you again, out into the wild, what would it look like? And why did you just freeze at that question?
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