Proclaiming His Goodness

Summer is here in full swing, and I don’t think I’ve ever been as busy as I currently am with as little breathing time as I’ve had lately. I didn’t think I would have a blog post this week because I’ve had more work to do than energy and hours to do it in. But I know it’s just real life. This world is so fast paced and busy, and there’s no escaping it. I’ve gotten used to a nonstop business because every time I think things will slow down, something else comes up. But it’s okay now because I’m learning how to breathe. Sometimes, it’s putting off a chore for a few minutes to talk to somebody. Sometimes, it’s taking a break from my work to take my siblings for a swim in the lake, and reading a book while they swim – or just jumping in and cooling down! Sometimes it’s going out with a friend even when I have work to do. I am learning that if an opportunity comes up, I just need to take it; I won’t regret putting off something that will always be here to enjoy something that will be gone soon. Taking a break for a few minutes may make me feel like I’m wasting time because it’s an intrusion to my work, but I’m really saving it because I will be so much more productive when I rest. Breathing releases the tension – and I think it’s mostly the tension that drains me. Taking a break to be more productive sounds illogical, but it’s realistic; because I can’t give if I’m empty.

I don’t want to forge my own path.

I don’t want to pursue my own dreams.

Because I don’t ever want to be independent from my Heavenly Father.

I don’t ever want to move beyond a childlike faith in my Heavenly Father – because that itself is the formula for a life lived to the fullest possible measure.

Today’s culture says that if you work hard enough, you can fulfill your dreams – and the more bold and shocking, the bigger impression you will make. Just pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get to work, they say. Don’t let anything hold you back! But this philosophy is so wrong, because it promotes independence from God. My life is not about me, so the pursuit of making myself happy is a waste of time, and it will be futile because things of this world won’t fulfill me permanently. I have never regretted the times I have exchanged my dreams and desires for His, and I know I never will.

The problem I face most often, however, is that I lack courage to go where God wants me to go and to do what He wants me to do. He only gives good gifts, but I have realized that He often asks me to go to hard places to get those treasures. When I am not walking closely with God, fear of the journey will keep me from the blessings because I don’t trust Him enough to believe that He is leading me to a good place. A few months ago, I had an opportunity I almost didn’t take advantage of simply because it was outside of my comfort zone; but because I took it, I received the blessings God had for me in it.

I want to have complete trust in Him, so I can boldly go wherever He sends me; because closeness with my Heavenly Father and boldness and willingness to do whatever He asks are inseparable. I want to have the kind of faith that trusts God’s sovereignty, not the kind of faith that trusts myself and my abilities. I don’t want to leave the safety of my Father’s care. This is my biggest goal in life.

How many books tell a story quite like the Bible does, a story that spans all of history from the beginning of the world to its end? How many other books have such a diverse group of characters that are all connected by a single common thread? How many other books contain everything we need to know about how to live our lives? How many other books have a main character so powerful, yet so perfect in love?

But as amazing as this book is, it is so often taken apart and pieced back together however we want it to be. It is so easy to categorize it, and to set aside the parts we don’t want and the parts we don’t think we need. For example, I find it easy to view the Old Testament more as a history lesson than as a picture of God; but that is such a wrong opinion to have of Scripture. It is easy to see God’s character in the New Testament, because the Gospels are the story of His time here on earth, and it is easy to turn to the Epistles because I know that they contain instructions for how I am to live as a Christian. But the Old Testament also gives a very clear picture of our God; His power, His perfect plan, His love for His people, His holiness, and so many more of His attributes are on full display. I tend to subconsciously think of it as not having much to say to me, because as Christians, we are no longer under the law. But the purpose of the law isn’t to provide a way for me to get Heaven, it is to show me my sin by comparing it to God’s holiness. So as I read through the Old Testament and get a picture of God’s character, it makes me appreciate the New Testament so much more. As I understand how holy He is and how sinful I am in contrast, I get a glimpse of the cost of His sacrifice for me. As I understand my need for him, I fall in love with Him so much more. Then, my obedience to Him is out of love, not obligation. Seeing the bigger picture is so meaningful, and it is incredibly important. I don’t want to have an incomplete view of God, I want to know Him for who He is. I need to focus more on the character of the Author and less on the characters of the Author; because in the end, it will be all about Him and nothing about us.

In a previous post (What Does Prayer Accomplish?), I talked about about prayer in our relationship with God. But for some reason, I’ve been extremely slow to understand the real effects of our prayers for one another; then the other day, I got such a clear picture in my head of all the earthly good our prayers accomplish. Praying for one another is the best way to stand with the ones I love when they are walking through a valley, because God takes our prayers and gives the recipient assurance that they don’t walk alone. While I may not be able to physically help my friend, I can stand behind them in prayer – because sometimes just knowing you’re not along can make all the difference.

And yes, I know this from experience. There was a time in my life when I had to walk through a valley I didn’t want to. But there were times in that journey when it was inexplicably not as hard as I felt it should have been, and I know that it was because people were praying for me.  It is difficult to put into words, but I felt like there was an army standing in the way of the pain and absorbing some of it so I didn’t have to – the times the pain and uncertainty were the worst were the times I could sense people’s prayers the most. I could have pulled up my bootstraps and tramped through that valley alone, but it would have been so much harder and it would have been easier for me to have given up.

When God nudges me and says, “This person is fighting a battle now, and they need some backup.” He is not saying that He is incapable of handling the situation; He is simply giving me an opportunity to be a part of His work. When we pray for one another, it is a demonstration of our love for them even if we can’t be there in person to help them; and that is the most important thing. God put us in other people’s lives for very specific reasons, and one of those reasons is to walk with them when the valleys are deep and dark.

Patience is listed as part of the fruit of the Spirit, and it is listed as a characteristic of love in 1 Corinthians 13. It is God’s attitude towards us, and it should be our attitude towards everybody around us.

But what is patience, really?

By far the best description I’ve heard of patience is this: patience is a loving response to a situation in which time and pain are simultaneously present.

It is so easy to let pride creep in and say, “You’re a good person, you don’t deserve this. You’ve taken this long enough, it’s time for them to get what they deserve.” But this is when perspective is absolutely vital. This is when it’s important to counter these lies with the truth. A truly  patient person will say, “Yes, this person or situation is draining me and putting me through fire; but God is patient with me every single day, so with His help, I can show some of that patience in this uncomfortable situation. God has been faithful in the past, and I know He has a good plan. He won’t let let me down.”

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul said, “Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” Paul had to be patient for a little while, and he could do so because of God’s grace. He could endure because He trusted God’s timing, and because he knew something good would come so long as he stayed patient.

Simply put, patience is an attitude of the heart that trusts God’s perfect plan and is willing to wait for it to come to fruition. It is not easy, but it is what I am called to have. If He has as much patience with me as he does on a daily basis, then I know He can give me what I need to be patient with other people.

Recently, I was shocked to realize that I can be something of a control freak, which I honestly find scary because I genuinely want my life to be surrendered to God. Because somewhere in my warped way of thinking, it’s okay that I surrender my life to God and tell Him I’ll follow Him wherever He wants me to go, then walk around clutching and grasping the little things I think I can handle because I am at an age where I can do for myself. Today’s culture makes control look good, but it’s deceiving. People are pushed down, relationship are ruined, and God’s name is denied the fame it deserves. Giving God control of my life isn’t a one time deal, it’s a day by day, minute by minute process.

But where does this process of letting go and letting God take over start? I think it begins when I am aware of how much He is really in control of everything, and of how any little bit of control I have is limited by His control. An awareness of His sovereign control frees me to trust Him with everything. When I start to worry about what the culture says I should be doing and wonder if I might have missed a sign from God, I’d like to think that God just smiles as if to say, “Just wait and trust, I still know what I’m doing.” Then He blesses me beyond what I could ask or think!

I’d just like to close with this…

I know everybody was done talking about Easter a few days ago, but I’d like to share with you some things I was reminded of as I celebrated the resurrection of our Lord last weekend.

Good Friday was followed by Resurrection Sunday. Jesus didn’t stay in His grave, and therein lies the miracle that affects you and I today; when He stepped out of His grave, He made a way for us to escape ours. Each of us has to be broken by our sin before we can be resurrected by His sacrifice, and each of us has to recognize our sin and our inability to fix it before He can breathe life into our death and write another chapter in our stories. His victory over sin and death is the unexpected plot twist, it was the punch Satan didn’t see coming. If He has stayed in the grave, there would be no validity to His claims that He is God. If He had stayed in the grave, we wouldn’t have a solution to our biggest need. If He had stayed in the grave, I would still be a sinner destined for hell to pay my debt.

I serve a God who has power over sin and death, but do I live like it? The miracle He did when He stepped out of the grave is the same miracle He wants to do in each of our hearts and lives. It’s so easy to be mentally stuck in a situation that seems to have defeated me in every way; but if He stepped out of the tomb, I can rest assured that no situation is too far gone for Him to redeem if He chooses to do so.

Just recently, somebody I know approached me and kindly told me that I need to smile more. This gentleman is never without a smile, and his laugh makes everybody around him laugh; he is also a Vietnam veteran battling PTSD, and he is undergoing cancer treatment. His gentle rebuke put things in perspective like nothing else could.

I have so many reasons – more than I even know – to be thankful, but I so easily let my guard down when life gets a little difficult. All too often, my focus is on myself and my present circumstances. But how wrong is that! How ungrateful and shortsighted! I was saved from hell by a God who loves me unconditionally and perfectly; and when I lose focus of that, I am not being the representative for Christ that I should be.

I’m not saying that life isn’t hard; but if I am looking at myself when things get tough, I will miss out on the work He’s doing. I’m not ignoring the fact that people can be really difficult to deal with; but if my hurt is my focus, I’m going to miss out on the work God wants to do in my heart. If my circumstances are ruling me instead of God’s love, I’ve lost the opportunity to show the people around me what God looks like.

I want to have an eternal perspective – not to the extent that I am looking at the future with no cares about my present circumstances, but in the way that my perspective of this world is balanced by the eternity I will be spending in Heaven with my Savior. Romans 8:18 says, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” In other words, I’m going to get to Heaven and forget all about my troubles because of how big and awesome God is.

Of all my weaknesses, I think I am most inhibited by my tendency to look at my disabilities instead of having faith in God’s abilities. I am quick to see the physical limitations surrounding me, but slow to remember the miracles He has worked and to recognize the miracles He still works. All throughout Scripture, we see God taking broken people and situations and doing awesome things wth them; but He can only do that with what is handed over to Him. Giving God my broken pieces and having faith that He can fix them is not easy, because we live in a world full of limitations and serve a God who knows none. In mathematical equations, one little number of factor can radically change the result; that is what God loves to do. He loves to come into the picture, pick up our broken pieces and do something awesome with them.

God took a fugitive out of the wilderness and used him to lead a nation out of slavery. God took a shepherd and made him a king. God took a bunch of fisherman, common laborers, and a tax collector and used them to change the world. God came into our broken, sinful world and made a way for us to get to Heaven, instead of the eternity in hell we deserve. He beckons me each day to follow Him. Nobody wants to be pulled out of their comfort zone; but when God is leading, it’s always to a better place than where we are standing. If I stay behind, it is because I love myself better than I love Him. God changed the world with broken people made whole in His hands; I want to be a part of that!

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,  because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”  -James 1:19-20

I was convicted recently about my lack of love and my high levels of selfishness when compared my reactions to unpleasant situations to the model we have in Scripture. According to this model, my ears should take over, not my mouth. My reason and love for people should rule, not emotion and selfishness. And why? What should my motive be? As a Christian, my focus should be to become more like Christ; so my actions (and yes, even my reactions) need to be constantly becoming more like His. I’ve heard it said that we were given two ears and one mouth, because we need to listen more and speak less. Jesus got angry, when His Father’s name and character were being trampled underfoot and misused. But he never once took offense when He was mistreated – and of all people who have ever walked this earth, He surely had the right. His goal was never to win an argument. He never strove to be the greatest. He never retaliated when prodded. He was subject to His Father, and everything He did was for His Father’s glory.

Can I say the same?

 

I like the way the Message version of the Bible says it:

“Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.”  -James 1:19-20

It’s a non-negotiable. God wants us to be righteous like He is, so we can show the world what He looks like; and we can’t do that unless we let Him purge us of ourselves and fill us with Himself. That takes diligence and discipline, but the result is a race well run.