A recent phone conversation with my sister:
Her: "oh, I see Travis (her husband) coming down the driveway"
Me: "Well, I will let you go so you can get a breath mint and put on some gloss."
Her: (in jest) Hey, he should love me just the way I am.
Me: "NOPE. HE DOESN'T."
We both laughed and I'm pretty sure she went to get some lip gloss.
But I was serious. (As serious as you can be goofing with your sister) I go to a lot of trouble to not be "just the way I am". I shower, put on makeup, color my hair, brush my teeth, workout, read books, Google, etc. all of this, in an effort to be an increasingly better version of myself. I think that it is safe to say that the people in my life appreciate it - especially the showering and teeth brushing.
In Psalm 51 David uses the phrases, "wash me", "purify me", "make me", "create in me", "restore me" - change, change, change me. David knew that His God is love, but that love is one of a Maker and Redeemer. God accepts us as we are, but He does not accept that we remain that way. He has called us and received us for more. I am uncomfortable that in our churches we are cultivating a culture and a gospel that says that Jesus Christ died so that our sin can be "accepted" and "tolerated" rather than forgiven and changed. Jesus did not die so that God wouldn't mind if we lie, gossip, cheat, or stew in our anger. Jesus did not die so that God would let it slide if we continue in our addictions and remain ignorant about His Word. He died that we might be forgiven and set free to be changed for His glory.
I am so grateful for the wonderful truth that God will take me and love me just as I am, but I am all the more thankful for the grace that draws me closer to Him and further from me.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
The Whole Tooth And Nothing But The Tooth
On television when a police officer wants to interrogate a suspect the suspect is shut in a tiny, cold room and a bright light is shining in his/her face. Do you know where the police picked up this technique? The dentist office. Or maybe it was the other way around.
Yesterday, I went to the dentist for a cleaning. I was quickly escorted into a cold, blue room about the size of my walk-in closet. The hygienist reclines my chair, shines a bright light in my face, and with a sharp, metal instrument poised near my eye she begins her work. Unsettled by the scraping sounds I wait for the interrogation to begin - "So . . . do you floss?"
Why is this question so unnerving? What do we think is going to happen if we say "No"? Dentist jail? Floss flogging? I have never had a cavity nor have I ever not received high marks at the dentist, but still I get nervous. I think the reason is because no matter the answer we give, the proof is in our mouth - and we know it.
Similarly, regardless of the show we put on for others or even ourselves, the Holy Spirit examines our heart and knows fully the corruption and ungodliness that prevents our obedience to God. We know what we should do and simply do not. The Bible has a great deal of mysterious and difficult to understand teachings, but not as much as we would like to pretend. The Lord has given us wisdom and knowledge for holiness and righteous living. The excuses we make only last until "we open our mouth and remove all doubt." What a generous God we serve who satisfied His own justice in Christ Jesus so that even as He searches and knows us, He loves and has forgiven us. What a God we serve!
So, just for fun, let's do a survey (see poll to the right). Do you floss on a regular basis? Truth: cathartic and contagious.
Yesterday, I went to the dentist for a cleaning. I was quickly escorted into a cold, blue room about the size of my walk-in closet. The hygienist reclines my chair, shines a bright light in my face, and with a sharp, metal instrument poised near my eye she begins her work. Unsettled by the scraping sounds I wait for the interrogation to begin - "So . . . do you floss?"
Why is this question so unnerving? What do we think is going to happen if we say "No"? Dentist jail? Floss flogging? I have never had a cavity nor have I ever not received high marks at the dentist, but still I get nervous. I think the reason is because no matter the answer we give, the proof is in our mouth - and we know it.
Similarly, regardless of the show we put on for others or even ourselves, the Holy Spirit examines our heart and knows fully the corruption and ungodliness that prevents our obedience to God. We know what we should do and simply do not. The Bible has a great deal of mysterious and difficult to understand teachings, but not as much as we would like to pretend. The Lord has given us wisdom and knowledge for holiness and righteous living. The excuses we make only last until "we open our mouth and remove all doubt." What a generous God we serve who satisfied His own justice in Christ Jesus so that even as He searches and knows us, He loves and has forgiven us. What a God we serve!
So, just for fun, let's do a survey (see poll to the right). Do you floss on a regular basis? Truth: cathartic and contagious.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
A Roaring Lion
Recently, there has been a post going around among my Facebook friends; check it out: Can anyone tell me why it is so hard to pray, but easy to swear? Why clubs are growing and churches are shrinking? Why it is so hard to re-post a Christian status, but easy to post gossip? Why we can worship a celebrity, but not Jesus?
I would like to answer. . .we have an enemy. I have to admit it bothers me when pastors/teachers shoot guilt aimed questions like "why is it that you can sit through a four hour football game, but not through a one hour worship service?" into the congregation. There is a part of me that always wants to answer back, "let me bring hot dogs and funnel cakes and yell every now and then and I'll happily stay four hours." Obviously the two scenarios cannot be compared, but the larger truth is, we have an enemy. Not a mystical, fantasy enemy an actual, biblical one. The devil does not care if we read every volume of the encyclopedia or stay on Facebook twelve hours a day, but try reading God's Word and suddenly we have the attention span of a three year old. The devil knows in whom our success rests and he will do anything to keep us from Him.
We are not accustomed (I hope) to factoring enemies into our day. The closest thing I can think of is that years ago I had a coworker who worked as hard at sabotaging my job as she did at accomplishing her own, maybe more. She was delighted to see me fail, but she did not want to kill me. We have an enemy who certainly delights to see us stumble but is dedicated to "steal, kill, and destroy". We tend to regard the devil like an older brother who stands in a dark hallway to jump out and startle us. However, he is not interested in merely startling us for a laugh, but in destroying our very lives. He is evil and loathesome. He hates our God and us by extension.
We need to remember this truth, keep it on our minds, and teach it to our children. Why? First of all, because the reality of Satan is part of our biblical theology. Second, because only in awareness can we respond accordingly. "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (I Peter 5:8). As believers in Jesus Christ we do not have to fear this enemy, but we should be reminded that even though the victory is secure the battlefield is a dangerous place to live.
"Know in all these things we are more than conquerers through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).
I would like to answer. . .we have an enemy. I have to admit it bothers me when pastors/teachers shoot guilt aimed questions like "why is it that you can sit through a four hour football game, but not through a one hour worship service?" into the congregation. There is a part of me that always wants to answer back, "let me bring hot dogs and funnel cakes and yell every now and then and I'll happily stay four hours." Obviously the two scenarios cannot be compared, but the larger truth is, we have an enemy. Not a mystical, fantasy enemy an actual, biblical one. The devil does not care if we read every volume of the encyclopedia or stay on Facebook twelve hours a day, but try reading God's Word and suddenly we have the attention span of a three year old. The devil knows in whom our success rests and he will do anything to keep us from Him.
We are not accustomed (I hope) to factoring enemies into our day. The closest thing I can think of is that years ago I had a coworker who worked as hard at sabotaging my job as she did at accomplishing her own, maybe more. She was delighted to see me fail, but she did not want to kill me. We have an enemy who certainly delights to see us stumble but is dedicated to "steal, kill, and destroy". We tend to regard the devil like an older brother who stands in a dark hallway to jump out and startle us. However, he is not interested in merely startling us for a laugh, but in destroying our very lives. He is evil and loathesome. He hates our God and us by extension.
We need to remember this truth, keep it on our minds, and teach it to our children. Why? First of all, because the reality of Satan is part of our biblical theology. Second, because only in awareness can we respond accordingly. "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (I Peter 5:8). As believers in Jesus Christ we do not have to fear this enemy, but we should be reminded that even though the victory is secure the battlefield is a dangerous place to live.
"Know in all these things we are more than conquerers through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
An Ox in the Barn
Proverbs 14:4, "Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, but much revenue comes by the strength of the ox."
Feel free to laugh when I tell you that this verse of Scripture jumped off the page at me during a few days of marathon "aunting". I got to have my 2 year old niece all to myself for about a week and I loved every second of it. I like a good mess when it comes to play time. She and I would wreck the place with toys, puzzles, and snacks; I would clean up while she napped and then again at bedtime. We stayed busy. Amazingly enough her tiny little clothes somehow amounted to five times the amount of the laundry I normally do, and we burned through more dishes than a high school cafeteria. But I am not complaining. As a matter of fact, I am pretty sure there were cartoon birds and Disney music playing every time I rinsed a soapy dish. Why? Because there was an ox in the barn.
A clean barn is an empty barn, but a farmer needs animals to succeed and build revenue. A farmer complains less often about the mess his ox makes when his thoughts are bent toward the blessing that the ox brings. Our homes can look like museums if we empty them of the messy lives that make them wonderful. Or we can fill them with family, guests, and noise and delight in the joy of the mess. I tease my best friend and her husband that they are physically incapable of putting empty cans in the trash or dirty cups in the kitchen. I have my suspicions that they are superheros in disguise and empty aluminum cans are their kryptonite. Do not tell them I said this, but I will let you in on a secret - it makes me smile when I clean it up. It makes me happy. I love being the host. I like the mess. They are part of a wonderful cast of characters that make life life.
I am so grateful for the barn full of people in my life. What a wonderful revenue of laughter, joy, and fun.
Feel free to laugh when I tell you that this verse of Scripture jumped off the page at me during a few days of marathon "aunting". I got to have my 2 year old niece all to myself for about a week and I loved every second of it. I like a good mess when it comes to play time. She and I would wreck the place with toys, puzzles, and snacks; I would clean up while she napped and then again at bedtime. We stayed busy. Amazingly enough her tiny little clothes somehow amounted to five times the amount of the laundry I normally do, and we burned through more dishes than a high school cafeteria. But I am not complaining. As a matter of fact, I am pretty sure there were cartoon birds and Disney music playing every time I rinsed a soapy dish. Why? Because there was an ox in the barn.
A clean barn is an empty barn, but a farmer needs animals to succeed and build revenue. A farmer complains less often about the mess his ox makes when his thoughts are bent toward the blessing that the ox brings. Our homes can look like museums if we empty them of the messy lives that make them wonderful. Or we can fill them with family, guests, and noise and delight in the joy of the mess. I tease my best friend and her husband that they are physically incapable of putting empty cans in the trash or dirty cups in the kitchen. I have my suspicions that they are superheros in disguise and empty aluminum cans are their kryptonite. Do not tell them I said this, but I will let you in on a secret - it makes me smile when I clean it up. It makes me happy. I love being the host. I like the mess. They are part of a wonderful cast of characters that make life life.
I am so grateful for the barn full of people in my life. What a wonderful revenue of laughter, joy, and fun.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Dry on a Rainy Day
Several weeks ago I spent a few hours babysitting the daughter of a friend of mine. She had one mission for the day - to leave her little fingerprints on every inch of the Montgomery Zoo. We got in the car and made our way to the zoo by way of a couple of errands. We had expected the sun to be shiny and warm but gray clouds covered the sky. The tiniest rain drops covered my windshield in a single light haze just before the wipers cleared them away. For a few moments there was nothing but the sound of those windshield wipers. Then from the backseat I heard, "we CAN go to the zoo, my dad said that it wasn't going to rain." It was so sweet. Never mind the gray clouds, never mind the windshield wipers, never mind the actual rain drops, her dad had said it wasn't going to rain and that meant no rain.
Proverbs 22:17-21 tells us that we should and can have that same certainty about the truth that our Heavenly Father has spoken to us. Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your mind to my knowledge; For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, That they may be ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the LORD, I have taught you today, even you. Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge, to make you know the certainty of the words of truth that you may correctly answer him who sent you?
Never mind the feelings of hurt and disappointment that rise up when we feel like God has forgotten us. Never mind the fear and worry we face when right seems wrong and wrong seems right. Never mind what seems so clear and convincing right before our face. His Word Is Truth. That alone is the reality of a believer. Perception is not reality; it is just awfully loud. Ours eyes and ears will fail us. Our hearts and minds will misunderstand; but God's Word is truth.
Do you see rain drops today? But, What has your Father said? Are your windshield wipers working overtime? But, What has your Father said?
Would you like to know the best part of our zoo day? We did it completely dry.
Proverbs 22:17-21 tells us that we should and can have that same certainty about the truth that our Heavenly Father has spoken to us. Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your mind to my knowledge; For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, That they may be ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the LORD, I have taught you today, even you. Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge, to make you know the certainty of the words of truth that you may correctly answer him who sent you?
Never mind the feelings of hurt and disappointment that rise up when we feel like God has forgotten us. Never mind the fear and worry we face when right seems wrong and wrong seems right. Never mind what seems so clear and convincing right before our face. His Word Is Truth. That alone is the reality of a believer. Perception is not reality; it is just awfully loud. Ours eyes and ears will fail us. Our hearts and minds will misunderstand; but God's Word is truth.
Do you see rain drops today? But, What has your Father said? Are your windshield wipers working overtime? But, What has your Father said?
Would you like to know the best part of our zoo day? We did it completely dry.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Very Big Nothings
Dropping your spoon eating ice cream on the beach; your first little league baseball game getting rained out; smudging your polish getting in your car at the salon; not getting the green lollipop; your first B; loosing the rivalry game - a never ending list of very very big nothings.
Maybe we should not sweat the small stuff, but I cannot help but notice that even small stuff comes bearing furnace like heat. Whether you are 8 or 80 life is full of unexpected disappointments and disruptions to our day (afternoon, hour, minute, second). “When life hands you lemons make lemonade,” we are told - a useful platitude on days when life also hands us sugar and a spoon, but the lemons of life don’t usually come in a punch bowl. What then?
I cannot help but laugh when I think of what my mom and dad, school teachers and discipleship leaders must have been thinking as I went on and on as a child about a B on a spelling test or the loss of a softball game and other tragedies with no shortage of tears. Now, I know that they were probably fighting back a smile and a joke about how silly I was being, but at the time I received empathy, affection, and the ear of those who loved me. They cared because I cared.
I am so grateful today that God cares about the small stuff and He is aware of how sour lemons can be. His compassion and care will never be separated from perspective and discipline, but He cares about what we care about. Oh the unspeakable benevolence and awesome abundance of our Father’s love!
Maybe we should not sweat the small stuff, but I cannot help but notice that even small stuff comes bearing furnace like heat. Whether you are 8 or 80 life is full of unexpected disappointments and disruptions to our day (afternoon, hour, minute, second). “When life hands you lemons make lemonade,” we are told - a useful platitude on days when life also hands us sugar and a spoon, but the lemons of life don’t usually come in a punch bowl. What then?
I cannot help but laugh when I think of what my mom and dad, school teachers and discipleship leaders must have been thinking as I went on and on as a child about a B on a spelling test or the loss of a softball game and other tragedies with no shortage of tears. Now, I know that they were probably fighting back a smile and a joke about how silly I was being, but at the time I received empathy, affection, and the ear of those who loved me. They cared because I cared.
I am so grateful today that God cares about the small stuff and He is aware of how sour lemons can be. His compassion and care will never be separated from perspective and discipline, but He cares about what we care about. Oh the unspeakable benevolence and awesome abundance of our Father’s love!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Unwelcome Guests
"How long is the wait?" "Are we there yet?" "How many green beans do I have to eat?" "How many laps do we have to walk?" "How many days until school is out?" "How many pages does the paper have to be?" - The list could go on.
We all want to know how much? And how far? Regardless, of whether or not we can do anything about the wait at the restaurant, the length of the paper, or the amount of time it takes to drive to the beach, we want to know what is ahead and what we should expect. Knowing gives us perspective. Perspective lends to preparedness. David made a similar request in order to gain perspective, "Show me, LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is." (Psalm 39:4)
David needed to be reminded that he was just a "guest" in this world because his hope is in the Eternal God of Heaven.(vv. 11-12) We can endure a lot when we know it is temporary. As seemingly long as this life is, especially in stressful or painful times, the truth is that we are simply unwelcome guests who are on their way home. Forever wonderful home.
"Just a little while longer." "Just a little more." "A bit more effort." One more time."
Worth the wait.
We all want to know how much? And how far? Regardless, of whether or not we can do anything about the wait at the restaurant, the length of the paper, or the amount of time it takes to drive to the beach, we want to know what is ahead and what we should expect. Knowing gives us perspective. Perspective lends to preparedness. David made a similar request in order to gain perspective, "Show me, LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is." (Psalm 39:4)
David needed to be reminded that he was just a "guest" in this world because his hope is in the Eternal God of Heaven.(vv. 11-12) We can endure a lot when we know it is temporary. As seemingly long as this life is, especially in stressful or painful times, the truth is that we are simply unwelcome guests who are on their way home. Forever wonderful home.
"Just a little while longer." "Just a little more." "A bit more effort." One more time."
Worth the wait.
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