Why pray? I’ve been asking the Lord that question for years. Until now, I’ve never understood why we needed to pray. Now before you start calling me names, let me explain.
I’ve been taught that God is sovereign… that He is in control of the universe. Sovereignty means that God can do anything He wants to do… anyway He wants to do it… anytime He wants to do it… to accomplish any purpose He wants to accomplish because He is God. If God knows what is best for me… If God loves me perfectly… If God has a purpose and a destiny for me to fulfill… then why doesn’t God just do it. Why does He need me to pray and tell Him what to do and how to do it? Don’t tell me that you’ve never wondered the same thing.
Recently, the Lord has been teaching me about FREEDOM. He is real big on freedom. Think about it. Didn’t God tell Adam and Eve that they were FREE to eat from ANY tree in the Garden? You will find that in Genesis 2:16 if you want to look it up yourself. He told them not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, or they would die. They were free to eat it, but if they did, they would suffer the consequences because its fruit was poison to them.
In Deuteronomy chapter 28, God presents to His people a list of blessings and curses. Then he says in Deuteronomy 30:19-20 He says: “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now CHOOSE life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life…”
God has always given us the freedom to make our own choices. Granted, He designed the universe to operate according to specific principles, but we have the freedom to choose whether or not we will align ourselves with those principles. For example, God designed the force of gravity. If I choose to jump off a skyscraper, I will fall downward every time and the landing will be very abrupt. God allows me the freedom to choose whether I jump or not, but He doesn’t allow me to alter gravity. Understand?
God also created the spiritual order. He created life to function in specific ways. If we follow God’s design, we will live life as God intended with joy, peace and love. If we choose to do things contrary to God’s designed order, we will experience discord and pain. Ask Adam and Eve if you don’t believe me.
God created us to live in a perfect world in complete dependence upon Him for everything we would ever want or need. We were not created to live in a natural world that has fallen and been corrupted. Hence, our souls long to return to the perfection of the Garden where mankind lived carefree in the care of God because they lived in dependence upon God, not independently from Him. Trusting in ourselves rather than trusting God is the essence of SIN. Sin separates us from God, the Source of all Life, and is the reason mankind is LOST and needs to be SAVED.
Being “lost and saved” has nothing to do with being “good or bad.” The religious people of Jesus’ day were really “good.” They kept all of God’s rules, and yet Jesus called them “hypocrites and a brood of vipers.” Why? Because they were proud of their “goodness.” They believed they were SAVED because they deserved to be. They did not understand how lost they were because they believed they didn’t need saving. They depended upon their good works to save them.
Sin blinds us to the goodness of God (Isaiah 59:2). Sin also put us in bondage (2 Timothy 2:26). In Luke 4:18, Jesus said that He had come to proclaim FREEDOM for the captives. Galatians 5:1 says that “it is for FREEDOM that Christ has set us FREE.” However, true freedom is not found in trusting ourselves, but in trusting the Lord.
As God was teaching me about freedom, I came across a verse that rocked my world and totally changed my concept of prayer. Would you agree with me that God is LOVE? If so, I Corinthians 13 is a description of God. In verse 7, it says: “Love (God) always protects, ALWAYS TRUSTS, always hopes, always perseveres.” Did you see that? Love always TRUSTS.
Listen! True love trusts. In order to trust, I must give up control. If God is love, then He gives up control to the object of His love… that would be you and me. God knows that love cannot be love without FREEDOM. If I trust you, I give you FREEDOM to live and choose as you see fit. The moment I try to limit your freedom is the very moment I cease to love and trust you. That’s why God never limits our freedom. He trusts US!!! He gives up His right to control us and gives us freedom to choose. Can you imagine that? God trusts US with all our self-centeredness and flaws! WOW!
Now, what does all this FREEDOM stuff have to do with prayer? If God has given up His control to me because He loves and trusts me, then He is not controlling things as I had originally believed. Oh, yes, I believe God causes all things that happen to work together for the good of those who love and trust Him (Romans 8:28), but I don’t believe God over-rides our freedom to choose. He does not violate our will.
If God has given me control, then prayer is not telling Him what to do and how to do it. It is not controlling Him. Prayer is willingly giving control back to God so that He can sovereignly control the circumstances about which I am praying. Note that I said “circumstances,” not “people.” I wish my prayers could control people, don’t you? But remember, God will never violate a person’s freedom to choose.
Prayer is simply asking God to take back the control He gave to you so that His will, not yours, can be done. Let me illustrate Scripturally. When the disciples asked the Lord to teach them to pray, Jesus told them to pray this way: “Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come. Your WILL BE DONE, on earth, as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10). Jesus told them to give control back to Papa… to ask Him to be in control in the circumstances on earth just as He is in control of Heaven.
Now when I pray, I ask the Lord to help people SEE their circumstances from His perspective… thru His eyes. Then I ask Him to give them grace to CHOOSE His way over theirs.
Life is all about perspective. That reminds me of two shoe salesmen who went to Africa to sell shoes. The first guy arrived and saw nobody wearing shoes. He called the company and told them he was coming home. There was no market in Africa because nobody wore shoes. The second salesmen arrived and called his company: “Send me all the shoes we’ve got! It’s a gold mine here! Nobody has any shoes!”
Paul knew how important perspective is when it comes to prayer. Note how he prayed: “Every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask — ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory — to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing Him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is He is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life He has for Christians” (Ephesians 1:16-18 MSG).
What we see determines what we shall be. Be careful what you see little eyes! Keep praying, Beloved!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
The Graceline
I’ve had a lot of formal education, but I have learned the most about life from four-legged friends and those with wings and feathers. Papa has turned the animal kingdom into a seminary for me, and His creatures have become my professors.
My latest class began back before Christmas of 2009. One of our parishioners who rescues dogs called to inform me that someone had brought her a scraggly looking ten pounder they had found wandering around the neighborhood. After a couple of weeks, no one had claimed him even though she had put out flyers and ads in the paper. She just wanted to know if we knew of anyone who might give him a good home.
Wanda and I had been discussing the possibility of getting another dog for Gracie, our 5 year-old Havanese, who has to stay alone all day while we are at work. We thought another dog might enhance her social skills and give her some company during the day, but we never got serious about it... until Linda called.
When it came down to crunch time, Wanda began to get cold feet. It was a big decision. Whoever said two dogs were as easy to keep as one will lie about others things, too. So we prayed about it and waited. In the meantime, Pop came up for a visit, and we swung by Linda’s just to see what the dog looked like. He was a solid black, curly-haired fuzzball with a real zest for life. And yet he would snuggle his head up under your chin and let you stroke his back all day long… if you could catch him.
Linda told us that someone else had called and shown an interest in the dog. I figured that Papa had answered our prayer, and Gracie was going to remain an “only child.” Or so I thought.
The following Sunday at church, Linda told us that the interested party had decided not to take the little guy. So Marley became an Ashley. We named him Marley because his hair curled up in dreadlocks like the Rastafarian, Bob Marley. We are not Bob Marley fans, but we sure do love his namesake.
It wasn’t long until we discovered why Marley was a rescued dog. He was a “bolter.” Open the door and he’s out in a flash. We chased him down the road several times before establishing the habit of picking him up before we answer the door.
Marley had belonged to someone. He was healthy, well-kept and had a small collar with no ID. The vet said he was in great shape. I’m convinced that he snuck out of someone’s house and couldn’t find his way back. His journey led him to the Ashley home where he has become quite a fixture.
He is the antithesis of Gracie. Gracie is a girly girl. She is prim and proper. She goes wild whenever we come home rolling over on her back for her belly rub, but then she finds her spot on the couch and chills out. She doesn’t get in a hurry. She is a picky eater, and her Mom insists on feeding her by hand so she doesn’t starve. Wow, what a diva! She is socially maladjusted around people clinging to her Mama whenever we have company. She is a Mama’s girl.
Marley, on the other hand, is wide opened. The world is his oyster. He loves life. When we take him out to pee, he crouches down, ears perked scoping out the squirrel population. Then he drags me down the steps squealing like a little girl in hot pursuit of the retreating varmints. I don’t know what he would do if he caught one. They are as big as he is.
He may be little, but he has a heart as big as all outdoors. He never meets a stranger. Whenever we walk around the block, he runs up to dogs ten times his size and bites them on the ear. Then he will back off and do the Ali Shuffle. Then he will charge them again. He just wants somebody… anybody to play with him.
He loves to chase the water as Wanda hoses down the flowers. He will run from one end of the yard to the other biting at the spray and getting soaked. He loves to be dried off with a big towel. He will sit still as can be and let you rub him down. He will look up at you with those dark eyes and lick you right in the mouth as if to say, “Boy, that feels good. Please don’t stop!” I think he feels safe and secure wrapped up in the towel and held close.
He is especially fond of stuffed dog toys. He will shake it violently and dare you to take it away from him. When you do grab it and throw it, he will go fetch it until your arm gets tired. He is a trip.
Like all of us, Marley came with baggage. He was so insecure and afraid, he hid behind his playfulness. Whenever anyone would reach down to pet him, he would back off, crouch and lurch forward as if he wanted to play. He was just afraid. He was as jumpy as Don Knotts. The least little sound would cause him to jump up and bark. At some time or another, he must have been really scared. Fear will rob anyone of the joy of being loved.
It has taken a few months, but now you can reach down and stroke his back without him recoiling. He is learning that his family loves him and only wants to make him happy. It’s taken me years to learn that Papa loves me and only wants to make me happy. I, too, used to hide behind coping mechanisms in order to protect myself and avoid the possibility of pain and rejection.
I used to become aggravated if Marley would not come when called or wouldn’t let me pick him up to love on him. Papa gave us Marley to let me know how frustrating it can be when you really love someone, and they won’t allow you love them. Marley just didn’t understand how much we loved him. For years, I didn’t understand how much Papa loved me. Now, Marley and me (sounds like a movie title, doesn’t it?) are learning to trust one another. He’s learning to trust me, and I’m learning to trust Papa. He’s learning to relax in my love, and I’m learning to relax in Papa’s.
Marley is slowly becoming a Daddy’s boy. He follows me everywhere. He is lying on the floor right beside me now as I’m writing this. He just wants to be where I am. He’s learning that my love drives away his fear. Marley is a visual aid from Papa to teach me the same thing. I just want to be where He is. And He just wants to be where I am.
Marley and I are enjoying the journey together. Marley is teaching me that the journey IS the destination. Life is to be enjoyed one squirrel at a time. He is also teaching me that it’s far better to learn to dance in the rain than complain about the storm. Besides, getting dried off by your Master after the shower is the best part of all.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Graceline
I'm getting pretty sick and tired of all my friends having grandbabies, and we don't have a single one. They go on and on about their grandchildren like they are the only ones in the world. Just wait until mine and Wanda's get here. We just bought a digital camera in faith that someday we will have some. Just wanted to warn all you current grandparents. Picture day is coming from the Ashley's. Count on it.
Lynn, my niece, just had her first grandbaby girl. I held Lynn in my arms when she was a baby, and now she has a grandbaby before I have one. There is something wrong with that picture. Anyway, she said something that made me think about how much Papa really loves us.
Like all grandmas, she has pictures, and she's proud. She showed off her precious to a co-worker the other day and all they said was, "She's cute."
"CUTE?!?! You better look at those pictures again. There's nothing in those pictures that is cute! Puppies are cute! She is beautiful! I don't know what you're looking at!" Lynn straightened them out right quick.
I thought to myself... If my niece feels that way about her grandbaby girl, can God feel any other way about us? He IS love, you know. How did we ever get the idea that God was not crazy wild about us? I know that the bad taste in our mouth about the goodness of God came from the off-limits fruit in the garden, but why has that bad after-taste lingered so long?
God has gone out of His way to pursue a love relationship with us. Jesus, His Son, came to earth to show us the way God intended for us to live... carelessly free in His care. Jesus died breaking the power of sin (living independently from God rather than in dependence upon Him) and setting us free. Free to do what? LIVE! Live life to the MAX! To enjoy life like we've never enjoyed life before.
Some of us have been programmed to believe that God expects us to be perfect. To do everything right and never mess up in order to gain His love and acceptance. Let me ask you grandparents out there: Do your grandkids mess up your house? Do they mess their diapers? Do they cry when they don't get their way? Do you put your life on hold just to be around them? Honestly, are they perfect? Really?
Don't you act like a monkey around them just to see them belly laugh? I've seen sophisticated people do some things they would have died over before they had grandchildren. Now they do stupid stuff routinely. Why! Because they have grandchildren!
I've come to believe that the people who make a difference in your life are not the people you believe in, but the people who believe in you. Many people believe in God, but He doesn't make much difference in their life. But those rare people who understand that God believes in them, they are the joyous, "live-life-wide-open" people who savor every drop of life, who are not afraid to fail, who take time to see the beauty of the world all around them. They enjoy the life Jesus died and rose again to give them. They don't take it for granted. They laugh out loud and are not afraid to cry when they are hurt, sad or mad. They live and love one minute at at time. They live carlessly in the care of God. Kinda like grandparents and grandchildren.
I'd like to leave you with some idea of how grandchildren view grandparents. Hope it brings a smile to your face... maybe even a belly laugh or a tear... both are cleansing for the soul.
• Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own but they like other people's.
• Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them.
• Grandparents are so old they shouldn't play hard or run but it is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.
• Grandparents take us for walks and they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillers.
• Grandparents show us things and talk to us about the color of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on the sidewalk "cracks."
• Grandparents don't say, "Hurry up."
• Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes.
• Grandparents wear glasses and they can take their teeth and gums out.
• Grandparents always have time to answer our questions and they always know all the right answers to everything because they have lived a long time.
• When grandparents read to us, they don't skip and they don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.
• Everybody should try to have grandparents, especially if you don't have television, because they are the only grown ups who like to spend time with us.
• Grandparents know we should have snack-time before bedtime and they say prayers with us every time and kiss us even when we've acted badly.
I've heard it said that God has no grandchildren, but He sure does act like one. You think about that, Beloved.
Lynn, my niece, just had her first grandbaby girl. I held Lynn in my arms when she was a baby, and now she has a grandbaby before I have one. There is something wrong with that picture. Anyway, she said something that made me think about how much Papa really loves us.
Like all grandmas, she has pictures, and she's proud. She showed off her precious to a co-worker the other day and all they said was, "She's cute."
"CUTE?!?! You better look at those pictures again. There's nothing in those pictures that is cute! Puppies are cute! She is beautiful! I don't know what you're looking at!" Lynn straightened them out right quick.
I thought to myself... If my niece feels that way about her grandbaby girl, can God feel any other way about us? He IS love, you know. How did we ever get the idea that God was not crazy wild about us? I know that the bad taste in our mouth about the goodness of God came from the off-limits fruit in the garden, but why has that bad after-taste lingered so long?
God has gone out of His way to pursue a love relationship with us. Jesus, His Son, came to earth to show us the way God intended for us to live... carelessly free in His care. Jesus died breaking the power of sin (living independently from God rather than in dependence upon Him) and setting us free. Free to do what? LIVE! Live life to the MAX! To enjoy life like we've never enjoyed life before.
Some of us have been programmed to believe that God expects us to be perfect. To do everything right and never mess up in order to gain His love and acceptance. Let me ask you grandparents out there: Do your grandkids mess up your house? Do they mess their diapers? Do they cry when they don't get their way? Do you put your life on hold just to be around them? Honestly, are they perfect? Really?
Don't you act like a monkey around them just to see them belly laugh? I've seen sophisticated people do some things they would have died over before they had grandchildren. Now they do stupid stuff routinely. Why! Because they have grandchildren!
I've come to believe that the people who make a difference in your life are not the people you believe in, but the people who believe in you. Many people believe in God, but He doesn't make much difference in their life. But those rare people who understand that God believes in them, they are the joyous, "live-life-wide-open" people who savor every drop of life, who are not afraid to fail, who take time to see the beauty of the world all around them. They enjoy the life Jesus died and rose again to give them. They don't take it for granted. They laugh out loud and are not afraid to cry when they are hurt, sad or mad. They live and love one minute at at time. They live carlessly in the care of God. Kinda like grandparents and grandchildren.
I'd like to leave you with some idea of how grandchildren view grandparents. Hope it brings a smile to your face... maybe even a belly laugh or a tear... both are cleansing for the soul.
• Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own but they like other people's.
• Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them.
• Grandparents are so old they shouldn't play hard or run but it is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.
• Grandparents take us for walks and they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillers.
• Grandparents show us things and talk to us about the color of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on the sidewalk "cracks."
• Grandparents don't say, "Hurry up."
• Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes.
• Grandparents wear glasses and they can take their teeth and gums out.
• Grandparents always have time to answer our questions and they always know all the right answers to everything because they have lived a long time.
• When grandparents read to us, they don't skip and they don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.
• Everybody should try to have grandparents, especially if you don't have television, because they are the only grown ups who like to spend time with us.
• Grandparents know we should have snack-time before bedtime and they say prayers with us every time and kiss us even when we've acted badly.
I've heard it said that God has no grandchildren, but He sure does act like one. You think about that, Beloved.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The Graceline
Once upon a time, a foolish king complained that the rough ground hurt his feet. He ordered the whole country to be carpeted.
A wise man countered: "Your majesty, why all this needless expense. Why not cut out two small pads to protect your feet."
And that is what the king did. And that is how the idea of shoes was born.
We live in a fallen world where pain is inevitable, but misery is optional. God has given us everything we need to live an abundant life of joy and godliness thru Christ Jesus, our Lord. It's a matter of attitude. Much of our perceived pain stems for focusing on what we don't have, rather than enjoying the things we do have.
Beloved, it is better to put on a pair of shoes than to carpet the whole world. You think about that.
A wise man countered: "Your majesty, why all this needless expense. Why not cut out two small pads to protect your feet."
And that is what the king did. And that is how the idea of shoes was born.
We live in a fallen world where pain is inevitable, but misery is optional. God has given us everything we need to live an abundant life of joy and godliness thru Christ Jesus, our Lord. It's a matter of attitude. Much of our perceived pain stems for focusing on what we don't have, rather than enjoying the things we do have.
Beloved, it is better to put on a pair of shoes than to carpet the whole world. You think about that.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The Graceline
When elephants are just babies, trainers tie the end of a rope around one of their ankles and attach the other end to a huge tent peg. The baby tries and tries to get away but to no avail. Restriction and captivity become a given. Eventually, he ceases to make any attempt to escape and accepts his lot in life.
Over time the “tiny” elephant grows into a mammoth creature with enough power to snap the rope with a single twitch of his mighty leg. However, because he still believes he can't get away, he never even tries. He has grown tremendously in every aspect but is still held hostage by what he wrongly believes to be true.
“Stinking thinking” is not unique to elephants. Fleas suffer the same affliction. If you put some fleas in a mason jar, they will jump up trying to escape. Repeatedly they bang their heads on the lid until they also ingrain the fatal thought pattern. They learn how high to jump before they reach the lid in order to avoid a headache. That height becomes their “terminal” altitude. Terminal in more ways than one. They believe they cannot jump any higher without painful consequences. Having “trained” the fleas to live within limits, you can take the lid off and they will never jump out. They live in captivity while having everything they need to escape to freedom.
Growing up, I was a pretty good athlete, but I didn't think I was good. As a quarterback, I could throw the ball where it needed to be thrown. I would hear commentators talk about the talent it took for great quarterbacks to throw the ball that way, and I took it for granted that anybody could do it. I believed everybody had more talent, more intelligence, more gifts, more everything than me.
Like the elephant and the fleas, I never took risks. I feared failure. I believed failure meant you were a terrible person. I avoided trying anything that might draw criticism. And if I did try, I overachieved because, to me, success or failure was a matter of life or death. I did do a lot of things people thought I should do because success brought the blessing of approval, appreciation and acceptance. Nevertheless, I never enjoyed much of anything I ever did. I was always too afraid to let go of my worries and just live life come what may.
I'm older now. Much older. To be politically correct (I hate the term by the way), I am chronologically gifted. They say that experience is the comb you get when you are bald. But listen to me, you are never to old to enjoy your second-childhood, or your first one if you never had the chance to enjoy it. Here's what Papa is teaching me. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks?
God has given us everything we need for life and godliness thru our Lord Jesus (2 Peter 1:3). Jesus said, Himself, that the reason He came to earth was to give us life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). So we make a few mistakes. God knows we are not going to get it right all the time. He is good with that. "As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. He certainly knows what we are made of. He bears in mind that we are dust" (Psalm 103:13-14 GWT).
God knows that we learn how to trust and depend upon Him by making mistakes, not being perfect. We have to learn what works and what doesn't work in life. That lesson is only learned by living. Nobody ever learned to swim without getting wet. You just have to dive in. Sure you might get some water up your nose, but swimming is a lot of fun. And knowing how to swim could save you life if you happen to fall in over your head which is where I find myself quite a lot.
What is keeping you from enjoying the abundant life? Whatever it is, it inevitably has to do with your attitude. Life is what you make it. When life hands you lemons, you can pucker up and make an ugly face, or you can make lemmonade. You can light a candle, or you can curse the darkness. The choice is up to you. You can do all things thru Christ Who strengthens you. No, you can't jump over the moon, or climb Mount Everest in street shoes and gym shorts, but you can live and enjoy the life God gave to YOU. That is why he gave it to you. Go live and quit worrying about what people think. They are just as messed up as you are, and Papa loves them just as much as He loves you. They have a right to be wrong, too.
One of my favorites country/pop singers is Roger Miller, another one of my chronologically gifted comrades. One of his songs goes something like this:
Oh, you can't roller skate in a buffalo herd. You can't go fishing in a watermelon patch. You can't go swimming in a baseball pool. But you can be happy if you've a mind to. All you gotta do is put your mind to it. Knuckle down. Buckle down. Do it! Do it! Do it!
Happiness is a choice, and you are the only one choosing for YOU.
Over time the “tiny” elephant grows into a mammoth creature with enough power to snap the rope with a single twitch of his mighty leg. However, because he still believes he can't get away, he never even tries. He has grown tremendously in every aspect but is still held hostage by what he wrongly believes to be true.
“Stinking thinking” is not unique to elephants. Fleas suffer the same affliction. If you put some fleas in a mason jar, they will jump up trying to escape. Repeatedly they bang their heads on the lid until they also ingrain the fatal thought pattern. They learn how high to jump before they reach the lid in order to avoid a headache. That height becomes their “terminal” altitude. Terminal in more ways than one. They believe they cannot jump any higher without painful consequences. Having “trained” the fleas to live within limits, you can take the lid off and they will never jump out. They live in captivity while having everything they need to escape to freedom.
Growing up, I was a pretty good athlete, but I didn't think I was good. As a quarterback, I could throw the ball where it needed to be thrown. I would hear commentators talk about the talent it took for great quarterbacks to throw the ball that way, and I took it for granted that anybody could do it. I believed everybody had more talent, more intelligence, more gifts, more everything than me.
Like the elephant and the fleas, I never took risks. I feared failure. I believed failure meant you were a terrible person. I avoided trying anything that might draw criticism. And if I did try, I overachieved because, to me, success or failure was a matter of life or death. I did do a lot of things people thought I should do because success brought the blessing of approval, appreciation and acceptance. Nevertheless, I never enjoyed much of anything I ever did. I was always too afraid to let go of my worries and just live life come what may.
I'm older now. Much older. To be politically correct (I hate the term by the way), I am chronologically gifted. They say that experience is the comb you get when you are bald. But listen to me, you are never to old to enjoy your second-childhood, or your first one if you never had the chance to enjoy it. Here's what Papa is teaching me. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks?
God has given us everything we need for life and godliness thru our Lord Jesus (2 Peter 1:3). Jesus said, Himself, that the reason He came to earth was to give us life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). So we make a few mistakes. God knows we are not going to get it right all the time. He is good with that. "As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. He certainly knows what we are made of. He bears in mind that we are dust" (Psalm 103:13-14 GWT).
God knows that we learn how to trust and depend upon Him by making mistakes, not being perfect. We have to learn what works and what doesn't work in life. That lesson is only learned by living. Nobody ever learned to swim without getting wet. You just have to dive in. Sure you might get some water up your nose, but swimming is a lot of fun. And knowing how to swim could save you life if you happen to fall in over your head which is where I find myself quite a lot.
What is keeping you from enjoying the abundant life? Whatever it is, it inevitably has to do with your attitude. Life is what you make it. When life hands you lemons, you can pucker up and make an ugly face, or you can make lemmonade. You can light a candle, or you can curse the darkness. The choice is up to you. You can do all things thru Christ Who strengthens you. No, you can't jump over the moon, or climb Mount Everest in street shoes and gym shorts, but you can live and enjoy the life God gave to YOU. That is why he gave it to you. Go live and quit worrying about what people think. They are just as messed up as you are, and Papa loves them just as much as He loves you. They have a right to be wrong, too.
One of my favorites country/pop singers is Roger Miller, another one of my chronologically gifted comrades. One of his songs goes something like this:
Oh, you can't roller skate in a buffalo herd. You can't go fishing in a watermelon patch. You can't go swimming in a baseball pool. But you can be happy if you've a mind to. All you gotta do is put your mind to it. Knuckle down. Buckle down. Do it! Do it! Do it!
Happiness is a choice, and you are the only one choosing for YOU.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Graceline
A young lumberjack had a dream of being the best wood cutter in the world. He traveled to the great forests of the northwest and hired on with a logging crew. He was a man's man and disdained modern equipment. He used only his trusty double-sided axe. A logging company foreman hired him on probation with much skepticism knowing that the proud young man could not keep up with the chain saws. Nevertheless, he gave him his chance.
On Monday, the young Paul Bunyan “want-to-be” cut twice as much wood as the whole crew. On Tuesday, he cut as much wood as the crew. On Wednesday, he cut only half as much. On Thursday, he could barely keep up. On Friday, the foreman called him in to fire him.
“Why are you firing me? I work harder than any ten men. I get here early, and I leave late. I never take a break or even stop for lunch. I don't understand,” the angry young logger shouted.
“No question about it. You do work harder than the others, but you don't work smarter. No matter how hard you work, it will never be enough to overcome the resistance of a dull axe. You have to take time to sharpen your axe. It is not wasted time. It is a necessity. Every minute you spend sharpening your axe increases your productivity tenfold. Come back to see me when you learn to work smarter, not harder,” replied the wise old logger.
I can sympathize with this young Paul Bunyan. I was programmed at an early age to get all your work done before you play or rest. Mama required me to get my homework as soon as I got home from school before I could go up the the neighbor's house and play ball. That tape keeps playing in my ears until this very day. As a pastor, your work is never done. There is always sermons to prepare, hospitals to visit, people to counsel, funerals and weddings to perform, meeting to attend... ad infinitum.
Relax? That's for slackards and lazy people. Work. Perform. You can rest when you get to Heaven. I had rather burn-out than rust-out. That's been my motto, but I don't think it's God's.
Jesus took as many a 10 retreats in His 3+ years on earth, and He never missed taking a Sabbath rest each and every week. He often retreated away from the clamoring multitudes to spend time with His Papa. Now, if Jesus needed to get away to rest and sharpen His axe, how much more do we need to do the same.
I'm stubborn and hard-headed. Ask Wanda. But God loves me and never gives up on teaching me that His ways are better than my ways. After 25 years in ministry in which I was never away from the church for more than six days at a time, I just crashed and burned. My “stinking thinking” kept lying to me that the church would collapse if I didn't keep it going. Talk about pride, not to mention stupidity! I got to the place where I could not keep my thoughts straight. I would lose my train of thought in mid-sentence. I lost my joy, my peace and my zest for life. I could not motivate myself to do anything... not even things I really enjoyed like golf, fishing and eating. I've been there before, but my work ethic just plowed right on thru, and I just kept on plodding along. This time, I couldn't make it happen.
By God's grace, He is re-programming me. I am not indispensable. Life can and will go on with or without me. I've learned the lesson of the water bucket. Whenever you think the world will grind to a halt without you, take a bucket of water and stick your hand down into it. Pull it out and the size of the hole that's left in the water will be how much you will be missed.
Now I'm not saying that people are not important. What I'm saying is that life is meant to be lived and enjoyed. If our work is not moving us toward that purpose, then our work has no meaning. Meaningless work will wear you out if you don't step back now and then to gain perspective.
I've been away from the church for two and a half weeks now. The muddiness of my clogged mind is starting to settle, and I am seeing life from a different and better perspective. I am very appreciative of my church family understanding and loving me enough to allow me this sabbath rest. I will return, Lord willing, on Sunday morning, February 7, at New Beginnings for my first sermon of the series: Running on E! I'll be sharing my experience of trying to live life with an empty tank and hopefully God will give us some high octane fuel to get us up and running again at peak efficiency.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG).
I think I'll take Jesus up on that walk. Want to join us?
On Monday, the young Paul Bunyan “want-to-be” cut twice as much wood as the whole crew. On Tuesday, he cut as much wood as the crew. On Wednesday, he cut only half as much. On Thursday, he could barely keep up. On Friday, the foreman called him in to fire him.
“Why are you firing me? I work harder than any ten men. I get here early, and I leave late. I never take a break or even stop for lunch. I don't understand,” the angry young logger shouted.
“No question about it. You do work harder than the others, but you don't work smarter. No matter how hard you work, it will never be enough to overcome the resistance of a dull axe. You have to take time to sharpen your axe. It is not wasted time. It is a necessity. Every minute you spend sharpening your axe increases your productivity tenfold. Come back to see me when you learn to work smarter, not harder,” replied the wise old logger.
I can sympathize with this young Paul Bunyan. I was programmed at an early age to get all your work done before you play or rest. Mama required me to get my homework as soon as I got home from school before I could go up the the neighbor's house and play ball. That tape keeps playing in my ears until this very day. As a pastor, your work is never done. There is always sermons to prepare, hospitals to visit, people to counsel, funerals and weddings to perform, meeting to attend... ad infinitum.
Relax? That's for slackards and lazy people. Work. Perform. You can rest when you get to Heaven. I had rather burn-out than rust-out. That's been my motto, but I don't think it's God's.
Jesus took as many a 10 retreats in His 3+ years on earth, and He never missed taking a Sabbath rest each and every week. He often retreated away from the clamoring multitudes to spend time with His Papa. Now, if Jesus needed to get away to rest and sharpen His axe, how much more do we need to do the same.
I'm stubborn and hard-headed. Ask Wanda. But God loves me and never gives up on teaching me that His ways are better than my ways. After 25 years in ministry in which I was never away from the church for more than six days at a time, I just crashed and burned. My “stinking thinking” kept lying to me that the church would collapse if I didn't keep it going. Talk about pride, not to mention stupidity! I got to the place where I could not keep my thoughts straight. I would lose my train of thought in mid-sentence. I lost my joy, my peace and my zest for life. I could not motivate myself to do anything... not even things I really enjoyed like golf, fishing and eating. I've been there before, but my work ethic just plowed right on thru, and I just kept on plodding along. This time, I couldn't make it happen.
By God's grace, He is re-programming me. I am not indispensable. Life can and will go on with or without me. I've learned the lesson of the water bucket. Whenever you think the world will grind to a halt without you, take a bucket of water and stick your hand down into it. Pull it out and the size of the hole that's left in the water will be how much you will be missed.
Now I'm not saying that people are not important. What I'm saying is that life is meant to be lived and enjoyed. If our work is not moving us toward that purpose, then our work has no meaning. Meaningless work will wear you out if you don't step back now and then to gain perspective.
I've been away from the church for two and a half weeks now. The muddiness of my clogged mind is starting to settle, and I am seeing life from a different and better perspective. I am very appreciative of my church family understanding and loving me enough to allow me this sabbath rest. I will return, Lord willing, on Sunday morning, February 7, at New Beginnings for my first sermon of the series: Running on E! I'll be sharing my experience of trying to live life with an empty tank and hopefully God will give us some high octane fuel to get us up and running again at peak efficiency.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG).
I think I'll take Jesus up on that walk. Want to join us?
The Graceline
"By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life" (2 Peter 1:3 NLT).
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (1 Timothy 6:17 NIV).
"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13 NIV).
"So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom" (Luke 12:32 NLT).
Do these verses make God out to be a "cosmic killjoy" Who is holding out on us and keeping the good stuff for Himself? Notice the key word: EVERYTHING! God is holding nothing back. As a matter of fact, it delights Him to give us His entire Kingdom.
So why don't we enjoy life? Why do we worry? Why are we anxious when we are King's Kids? Our Papa owns the universe.
My problem has always been one of trust. I used to think that all God wanted was my obedience. I was wrong. The thing God has wanted from each us all the way back to Adam and Eve is our trust. God knows if we trust Him, obedience will not be an issue. If we believe... really believe, not just give mental assent... then all things a possible to them who believe.
To believe, according to the Bible, means "to cling to, trust in, rely upon, put your whole weight upon." To believe means that we take God seriously and act on what He says. It's one thing to say you know that God will provide everything you need when you don't need anything. It's a different matter when you are in real need. What makes the difference?
Faith is an action word. Faith is not passive. It steps out on what it trusts. Faith is believing it's so, even though it's not so, so it can be so, because God said it is so. To put it another way: Faith is believing something is, even though it's not, so it can be because God said it was.
Jesus said He came so that we might have life and have more abundantly, to the max, over the top (John 10:10). Life is meant to be lived. It is not a spectator sport. It is not a dress rehearsal.
Life is a mixture of joy and sorrow. Sorrow is the dark threads the weaver weaves so that the vivid colors stand out. Punky Brewster theology: "How can you know when you're happy if you're never ever sad." To live life, you have to take some risks. Sometimes life hurts. It's the way it is in a fallen world. Life lived in a bubble to avoid pain is not worth living. You will never begin to live until you are not afraid to die.
One reason we don't enjoy life is fear. We are afraid we might get hurt, or make a mistake. We are afraid God will punish us, or be disappointed in us. And many of us spend our lives trying to avoid messing up rather than simply diving in and savoring all the pleasures of life that God has given us to enjoy.
God delights in our mistakes. What are you talking about, Kenny? I mean that God knows the only way we will ever come to trust Him is to realize we can't trust ourselves. Jesus said that we couldn't do a thing without Him. He is expecting us to mess up when we are trusting our own strength and wisdom. God is not disillusioned with us because He never had the illusion that we could make it without Him in the first place.
I'm pretty old now. When I was a kid, I used to think people died at my age. And I have lived this long and have never really lived because of fear. God says that when we know how much He loves and accepts us, fear will go completely away. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to live... really live... carefree in the care of God! Wow! I'm going to start living what I believe and put some feet on my faith. I ain't skeered, are you?
Nobody ever got drunk on the word, "wine." You think about that.
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (1 Timothy 6:17 NIV).
"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13 NIV).
"So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom" (Luke 12:32 NLT).
Do these verses make God out to be a "cosmic killjoy" Who is holding out on us and keeping the good stuff for Himself? Notice the key word: EVERYTHING! God is holding nothing back. As a matter of fact, it delights Him to give us His entire Kingdom.
So why don't we enjoy life? Why do we worry? Why are we anxious when we are King's Kids? Our Papa owns the universe.
My problem has always been one of trust. I used to think that all God wanted was my obedience. I was wrong. The thing God has wanted from each us all the way back to Adam and Eve is our trust. God knows if we trust Him, obedience will not be an issue. If we believe... really believe, not just give mental assent... then all things a possible to them who believe.
To believe, according to the Bible, means "to cling to, trust in, rely upon, put your whole weight upon." To believe means that we take God seriously and act on what He says. It's one thing to say you know that God will provide everything you need when you don't need anything. It's a different matter when you are in real need. What makes the difference?
Faith is an action word. Faith is not passive. It steps out on what it trusts. Faith is believing it's so, even though it's not so, so it can be so, because God said it is so. To put it another way: Faith is believing something is, even though it's not, so it can be because God said it was.
Jesus said He came so that we might have life and have more abundantly, to the max, over the top (John 10:10). Life is meant to be lived. It is not a spectator sport. It is not a dress rehearsal.
Life is a mixture of joy and sorrow. Sorrow is the dark threads the weaver weaves so that the vivid colors stand out. Punky Brewster theology: "How can you know when you're happy if you're never ever sad." To live life, you have to take some risks. Sometimes life hurts. It's the way it is in a fallen world. Life lived in a bubble to avoid pain is not worth living. You will never begin to live until you are not afraid to die.
One reason we don't enjoy life is fear. We are afraid we might get hurt, or make a mistake. We are afraid God will punish us, or be disappointed in us. And many of us spend our lives trying to avoid messing up rather than simply diving in and savoring all the pleasures of life that God has given us to enjoy.
God delights in our mistakes. What are you talking about, Kenny? I mean that God knows the only way we will ever come to trust Him is to realize we can't trust ourselves. Jesus said that we couldn't do a thing without Him. He is expecting us to mess up when we are trusting our own strength and wisdom. God is not disillusioned with us because He never had the illusion that we could make it without Him in the first place.
I'm pretty old now. When I was a kid, I used to think people died at my age. And I have lived this long and have never really lived because of fear. God says that when we know how much He loves and accepts us, fear will go completely away. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to live... really live... carefree in the care of God! Wow! I'm going to start living what I believe and put some feet on my faith. I ain't skeered, are you?
Nobody ever got drunk on the word, "wine." You think about that.
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