Category: Uncategorized

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters

I’m not always so good at finishing what I start. While I have gotten much better in this department simply by acknowledging and addressing my own deficiency, I still have a long way to go. There still exist a number of projects on my workbench that remain in various states of completion – projects that I started, but ran out of steam or in which I soon lost interest. I have a few piles in various places in my office of ideas or plans that remain in various states of completion. My Omnifocus, Evernote, Reminders, and various other task lists seem to be much better acquainted with “+” than they are with “✔️.” Maybe you can relate. Or, maybe people like me just drive achievers like you crazy.

The truth is, none of us will ever reach a point in life where we will be able to say that we’ve completed everything on a to-do list or reached every goal we set. In most areas of life, leaving something unfinished or incomplete will not be a matter of life or death. There is one area, however, where leaving matters unfinished or incomplete will make an eternal difference: our relationship with God. Most religions lay out a path to completion for you to follow, sort of like an academic counselor would lay out for a student to achieve a degree. The problem with most religions, however, is that they end up like many of the projects on my workbench: unfinished.

One religion is different: Christianity. Christianity is different because it proclaims that your salvation is a task that has already been completed by Jesus. For all people. Forever. Here is what the writer to the Hebrews stated about Jesus Christ:

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (Hebrews 7:25 NIV)”

You have enough unfinished projects, goals, tasks, and lists to keep you busy for this life. Let Jesus take care of the one task that needed completing to guarantee eternal life.

 

Whose favor do you crave? Who do you wish you could “wow”? Whose opinion of you matters desperately to you?

Do you wish your boss would take notice?

Do you wish other entrepreneurs would acknowledge your unparalleled hustle?

Would it rock your world if only (insert name here)                            would personally comment on one of your FB/Instagram posts?

Do you wish other moms would aspire to your level of mommy mojo?

Do you wish your husbanding skills would make you the envy of all of your wife’s girlfriends?

Do you wish your neighbors viewed you as the Joneses they yearn to keep up with?

Now stop for a moment. Pick any one of those mentioned above, or one that better suits you personally, and imagine that it isn’t just your wish or desire, but is in fact reality. You actually DO have the admiration of that person or group you so desperately desire. Now what?

Are you content? Are you satisfied? Has that admiration brought you all the happiness and joy and peace of mind you thought it would? Probably not, huh? Or at least, not for long.

My guess is that one of two things will happen right quickly: 1) you’ll immediately start to be concerned about losing that admiration or being one-upped by someone else, or 2) once the satisfaction subsides, you’ll soon look to some other area of your life for praise or affirmation from others. Sound about right?

What if the problem is that you’re looking to all the wrong things for your sense of worth? What if you realized there is already someone quite fond of you, someone who is thrilled with you, someone who feels so strongly about you that he would… give up his only Son for you? What if HE was your source of honor and the place you ran to for security and peace of mind? Might that bring into your heart and your life what you haven’t been able to find anywhere else?

My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge” (Psalm 62:7 NIV).

 

It’s a fair question.

Some may be more concerned about finding the right answer than others. Some may be searching for the answer without really knowing it, because their internal need to search for the answer is obfuscated by what they feel is merely an outward need to scratch an itch or satisfy a desire or longing. Some may not care at all.

Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, most responses to the question “What does God Want?” probably fall somewhere under two relatively common answers.

“Hard work.”

You may call it the Golden Rule. You may not have a name for it all. But it is the most common standard by which people live, and an assumption by which people figure God will be pleased – even those who don’t openly profess to believe in God. “If there’s some higher being,” the thought goes, “surely he will be satisfied with those trying their hardest to do the right thing and treat others the right way.” Since no one is perfect, God will certainly settle for those who at least make a concerted effort in that direction. That’s one line of thinking.

What does God want?

“Holy work.”

This is the response that typically comes from religious folks, those “in the know.” While the non-believing world doesn’t know any better than to serve self and look out for number one, believers “know” better. They “know” God is looking for obedience, service, loving others, faith in action, etc. They’re right… kind of. But they’re potentially worse off than the non-believer if they are content to put the cart before the proverbial horse, the way the Pharisees in Jesus’ day did. Let me explain. See there IS something that God wants.

It isn’t your hard work.

It isn’t your holy work.

It IS your heart.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

Sounds simple enough, right? Until we take a real, honest look at what our heart truly reveals.

“This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead” (Ecclesiastes 9:3).

Not a pretty picture.

“Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds” (Revelation 2:23).

Tell me, when you consider what you can keep hidden from others – but not from Jesus – deep down inside your heart, do Jesus’ words fill you with peace, or… something else?

But here is the good news:

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).

All God wants is your heart. And, since yours is no good on its own, he offers you his as the perfect replacement through Jesus. Now then, will you, through faith in Jesus, give it back to him? That’s all he wants. Everything else will follow.

I like a good inspirational post as much as the next guy. Sure, I’ve even posted a few myself.

The problem today is, the next guy also happens to be posting one, and so does the next guy, and the next guy… and… you get it already.

Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. If you have spent any amount of time on any social media platform, you have perhaps experienced what I like to call inspiration exasperation. One or two inspiring quotes may give you something beneficial to mull over and ponder during the day; 793 of them may leave you a little bit overwhelmed.

It’s possible to have too much of a good thing. When that happens, rather than find ourselves inspired, we can experience an overstimulation of inspiration. We become suffocated. Swamped. Burdened. Crushed. Inspiration exasperation invites me, no, hounds me, to improve. Do more. Be better. Try harder.

It leaves me wondering, can I ever do enough? Will I ever be enough?

Here’s the solution I would encourage: look somewhere else for inspiration for a change. There’s another kind of inspiration, a kind that isn’t asking more of you, but offers more to you, more for you, than you could ever achieve on your own. Be inspired by the One who achieved everything – all of it – for you already.

God made [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in [Jesus] we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21 NIV)

Jesus was punished for you. Jesus was perfect for you. That’s enough. He is enough.

Be inspired.

You mean you don’t believe hell is real???

You’re not alone. And, to some extent, I hardly blame you. The way people describe it sounds deplorably despicable. Furthermore, the thought of hell seems quite incompatible in the minds of many who try to harmonize such a place with a loving God.

But my intent is not to convince you that hell is real. Only the Bible accomplishes such a profound feat. Rather, my intent is to provide a more charitable perspective I hope you’ll take with the friend/co-worker/family member who does believe in hell, and who perhaps has (bravely?) taken the time to talk to you about it.

For starters, don’t assume the worst about why others believe in it or try to warn you about it. It may just be that their motives aren’t what you suppose (and for those who meant well, but may have come off less than loving, my apologies!). What if they mention hell to you, not because they’re better than you or because they’re trying to frighten you to faith, or because they’re merely trying to get you to “shape up”? Maybe your friend has talked to you about it because your friend cares more deeply about you than you know.

You may still think the concept of hell is bologna (it’s not, by the way), but don’t take that out on the person who has spoken to you about it. Instead, just appreciate that in this me-centered, self-serving, egotistical world, someone else really, truly cares about you.

Instead, just appreciate that in this me-centered, self-serving, egotistical world, someone else really, truly cares about you.

You may disagree with them on the topic, but what if, instead of resenting them, you reciprocated that same kind of care and concern toward them by reading, studying, and researching what the Bible actually says about hell? At the very least, you’ll better know where that person is coming from and be better equipped to discuss the matter. And, having a better grasp on the topic will allow you to avoid simply passing along someone else’s “clever” response that doesn’t have the credibility of your own critical thinking to back it up.

Finally, if you don’t have a real great feeling about hell or resent the thought that it’s real, you’re actually probably more on the right track than you realize. I don’t know of anyone, Christian or otherwise, who has warm fuzzy feelings about hell. Our feelings, however, don’t determine what exists and what doesn’t. They never do. No, that job is the sole responsibility of a good and gracious God, the very Savior who went to the most extreme measures to see that no one would experience hell. That assumes, of course, that he wasn’t just wasting his time saving us from something that doesn’t exist.

 

 

“If you don’t go to church regularly, you’re going to hell.” “You can’t get into heaven unless you’re a regular church-goer.”

Have you heard something along the lines of these statements lately? Didn’t think so. I haven’t either, because such statements are completely false (If you have in fact heard them, shame on anyone who expressed them!).

Nevertheless, what is alarming to me is a growing trend among Christians to set up straw man statements like those above, against which they then proceed to argue the point that Christians don’t need to go to church to be Christians. It’s a sort of “what we do during the week matters more than just one hour on the weekend” mentality.

Of course Christians don’t need to go to church to be Christians! A building or a religious service don’t make people Christians – faith in a Savior who lived, died, and rose again to solidify our salvation is what makes Christians. And faith in that Savior is all that will ever make Christians. Let’s agree on this point and put it behind us.

But doesn’t such faith in a Savior who lived, died, and rose again to secure our salvation also gravitate toward that same Savior? Don’t faith’s ears hunger to be filled with the good news of that Savior again and again? Doesn’t faith’s heart yearn to gather together with fellow believers to bear burdens, build up, and encourage one another as the Savior compels us to do?  Don’t faith’s hands glory in giving back to the Savior its best offerings? Don’t faith’s failures crave forgiveness? Aren’t all of these longings met in the hearing of Scripture, the remembering of my baptism, and my participation in the Lord’s Supper, all of which happen together… at church?

No, Christians don’t need to go to church to be Christians. But if I were to go on a search to find a Christian somewhere, wouldn’t church be the ideal place to start? Wouldn’t we expect to find Christians delighted to gather together wherever the Word of God is proclaimed?

It’s been said that sitting in church doesn’t make a person a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes one a car. True, but at the same time, if I’m looking for a car, wouldn’t a garage be a pretty reasonable place to begin my search?

Christian, go to church. Not because you have to. Because you get to. In Christ Jesus you have been set free and in church (worship) God extends to you an all-access pass to the unlimited riches of his grace and blessing, and you won’t find them anywhere else like you will in church.

“I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD'” (Psalm 122:1).

Photo by Kari Shea

Are you going to do it again? December 25 has flown by, and there it still sits, neatly wrapped. The greatest gift given – the greatest gift you received this Christmas, and you’re going to leave it all wrapped up? For another year… again???

I get it. You think you know what it is. You’ve eyed it up. You’ve shaken it. It’s the same size and shape that others opened from the same Giver, so you know what it is. You’re fine with others making a big deal about it. That doesn’t bother you. You just don’t need it.

“Merry Christmas!” doesn’t offend you. “Keep Christ in Christmas” bumper stickers don’t make your skin crawl. You don’t get all worked up about the nativity on display or whether they call it a Christmas tree or a holiday tree. It’s just not for you.

But what if it is?

What if your assumptions about that gift differ from reality? What if past bad experiences you’ve had with hypocrites who ridiculed you for your disinterest or indifference were not an accurate reflection of the gift itself, but were just poor examples misrepresenting it? What if the only thing keeping you from benefiting from this gift is your own arrogance? Ignorance? Intelligence?

What if in this gift you actually found the fulfillment you haven’t been able to find anywhere else in your life? What if it provided purpose? What if it enriched your relationships and satisfied the contentment you crave? What if, in this gift, you would finally have happiness – genuine, lasting happiness, that didn’t waver based on your achievements or failures? What if it put you at peace?

You’ll never know if you continue to leave that gift wrapped up.

Unwrap it this year. Explore and experience how and why so many stake their whole lives on Jesus, the one thing that matters.

“Last year we did Christmas at my parents’ house, his parents’ place, his brother’s house, my first cousin-once-removed’s, and our mailman’s house. It was too much. Never again.”

Chances are, you’ve said those exact words at some point. Or something like them (the “spending Christmas at his parents’ place” might be a stretch – I’d totally understand if you wanted to take a year off from his dad’s time-honored tradition of singing along to Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer every time it comes on, which is all day long, since he still doesn’t know how to work a CD player and hits the repeat button every time he plays it. Also, who still has a CD player?).

Sure, we love the time with family. We love hosting. We love planning. We love exchanging gifts. We love the breaks from school and work. But when did Christmas become something that we “do”? When did it stop being something He already did – something that we simply celebrate and ponder?

But when did Christmas become something that we “do”? When did it stop being something He already did – something that we simply celebrate and ponder?

If Christmas becomes more and more about something we do each year, should we be all that shocked when more and more it also underwhelms? Leaves us wanting more? Disappoints?

Now I’m not saying you can’t enjoy a cup of eggnog, shrimp cocktail, meatballs, puppy chow, those tantalizing little smokies, chex mix, an assortment of cheese and crackers, fudge, and a few Christmas cookies here and there. After all, I’m pretty sure that’s what Mary served the shepherds when they visited Jesus. But either way, I bet that first Christmas didn’t disappoint, because it wasn’t something they did; it was something God had done.

And it was marvelous.

Maybe don’t stress out about “doing Christmas” this year. God already did it. Let that be enough, and simply take more time to treasure it in your heart as Mary did. That we can do.

Stop caring about other people so much this time of year.

OK, not really – but I had to get your attention somehow. Don’t ever stop caring about other people, this time of year or any other.

But I do actually want you to be more selfish. No, I don’t mean splurging on yourself with a grandissimo Roasted Chestnut Maple Butterscotch Chex Mix Mochachino from Starbucks*, although I could hardly blame you if you did. No, when I encourage you to be more selfish, I am not talking about spending more money on yourself.

I am talking about spending more time on yourself… with the One who gave you the gift of time in the first place.

Now just hear me out for a sec.

What have you got to lose by cracking open a Bible to Luke chapter 2 and giving the story of Jesus’ birth a read or a re-read? At the very least, doing so will provide you with a familiarity of what this season is all about for so many. You’ll also get to read the name “Quirinius,” and who doesn’t love reading that name over and over again?!? (fun fact: the name Quirinius just barely got beat out by Maximillian as the name of our first-born son).

What have you got to lose by attending that family-friendly event at your nearby church? Your kids might actually have fun, and you may even run into some not-really-all-that-weird people. Everybody wins! Besides, your kids are more than likely to score some sort of goodie, and since Christmas is still far enough away, you can probably manage to get even more mileage out of that goodie by stuffing a stocking with it or sticking it under the tree so your kids can experience the joy of receiving it all over again! Super-yay!

What have you got to lose by indulging your friend who keeps inviting you to her church’s Christmas Eve service? You’ll make her day by accepting, you could enjoy singing a Christmas song or two that you haven’t sung in years, and you may even benefit from hearing an uplifting and inspiring message. And who knows, maybe they’ll even be serving Roasted Chestnut Maple Butterscotch Chex Mix Mochachinos from Starbucks!**

 

*Not an actual drink… yet. Give it time to catch on.

**Still not an actual drink. Sorry, but it will need more time than that to catch on.