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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.

 

Dear friend,

I am sorry for the times I’ve failed to invite you to church. It’s not because I’d be embarrassed or ashamed of you – indeed I would be honored to have you with me! It has much more to do with my fear of you turning me down. But that fear doesn’t really give much credit to our friendship, does it?

I’m sorry when my words and actions don’t align with the right and wrong of my faith, and you end up seeing the hypocritical side of me. While I’m not proud of it, consider it me modeling how much I need forgiveness. Be patient – I’ll be spending the rest of my life working on it.

I’m sorry for the times I’ve confused my political beliefs with my religious beliefs. While my political views are understandably shaped by my faith, no one knows better than I do to keep the two separate. No political party, after all, has ever ushered a single saint into heaven. Only Jesus does that. I forget that sometimes.

I’m sorry for giving the impression that I think my sins aren’t as bad as yours or those of others. I know quite well how God feels about all sin. I am also grateful to know and believe what he’s done about it (… he’s forgiven it).

I’m sorry for not bringing up Jesus in more of our conversations. My connection with him is the 1 thing that matters to me more than anything else… which probably isn’t terribly obvious to you if you hear me mention him so infrequently.

I’m sorry for my lack of availability on Sunday mornings due to church. As dear a friend as you truly are to me, I have another Friend with whom I cherish that time together. Besides, the more time I spend with Him, the better a friend I’ll be to you.

BTW, if you’d ever like to meet Him, I am gradually gaining more confidence in introducing my friends to Him. I’d be happy to connect you. Just let me know.

In Christ,

Your Christian friend

 

 

 

I am ashamed.

I am embarrassed.

On this day after our presidential election, I am not proud to be an American.

I am astonished that Donald Trump is our president elect.

This was not the outcome I expected. I fully accepted that the next president of the United States of America would be Hillary Clinton.

But the outcome of the election is not why I am ashamed.

It is not why I am embarrassed.

No, the reason I am not proud to be an American has nothing to do with the way Americans voted.

It has everything to do with the way Americans treated Americans who voted… or treated those who embraced their right not to vote.

I have never seen an uglier side of the citizens of the United States of America – regardless of political affiliation – than during this presidential election.

We “celebrate” our diversity… by vilifying other races or orientations who didn’t vote as we did. We are polarized. We hate each other because we have different values and views… all while hiding behind this facade that we’re totally cool with it.

That’s not on any presidential candidate. We don’t get to place that blame on someone else’s political stumping or campaign speech.

That’s on us. And we can’t fix it until we own it. Each and every one of us.

America, we have a problem… and it has very little to do with the outcome of this election.

It has everything to do with the citizens – you and me.

No president will fix that.

Only you can.

You want to be proud of this country?

Fix you. You’re what’s wrong.

But no one else can do that for you. Only you can.

I can’t.

I’ll be too busy working on me.