Gratitude.

One of my favorite quotes, as introduced to me by my father, is by the wildly brilliant G.K. Chesterton :

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."

The reason why this is one of my favorite things to reflect on lies not in the blatant poetry of Chesterton's words and their ability to powerfully invoke beautiful imagery. That, to me, is apparent. It is the sheer breathtaking way in which those words quickly and effectively pierce my heart, making it bleed with conviction and shame at my ingratitude, my self-absorption, my lack of thanks. It calls to mind not just visions of endless night skies, but of faces, of places, of tender moments shared, of gifts and blessings. It is a reminder to pause briefly in my day to be grateful for all that I am given when it seems much more beneficial in that moment to consider all that I am not. It is a checkpoint in my day to pause, to exhale, to put things in perspective, and to remember that these things that consume us are mere things, and that things are not eternal. Though this quote never fails to bring me important moments of self-discovery and recognition,  what is most important of all is that it brings me closer to moments of God-discovery and God-recognition. It is so easy for me to simply bask in the goodness while only thanking my loved ones or myself for times of bliss. Unfortunately the easiest thing to forget to do, which is ironically the most essential component of all our expressions of gratitude, is to thank our Lord -- for He is not only the source of all good things enjoyed at present, but also for all of the good and exciting things still left for our discovery.

Displaced Loyalties

There are few things more frustrating than when someone gets you all wrong, and there’s no convincing them otherwise. It could be about the most trivial of things, but in that moment, based on that judgment, an entire assessment is made of your character. What could you possibly say more than “That’s not true!” and “You’re so wrong about that!”, if you are to even attempt to say anything at all?

When this happens, immediately the pressure builds in the sinuses and throat, and all you wish to do is cry. But you can’t. So now not only can you not defend yourself, but all hopes of relief are futile.

Then your mind clicks over into this frightening and detached numbness of a new gear. Thoughts of “how to fix this” and ways in which you can now appease the accuser, even betray yourself and agree with them, or simply and desperately try to distract and move on, all take place inside your brain. At that point, since nothing seems as though it can be done, you need to move on, away from this death trap, lest you become undone.

You feel humiliated, and betrayed, and most significant of all, you no longer trust. No one is safe. You thought this person was. This person who, despite your best wishes, you fear knows you best. But the self cannot be succumbed to this person any more. Suddenly thoughts of “how many more times will this cycle continue” flood through, a haunting remembrance that you’ve walked this street before.

You allow this person’s fear of losing you as their own and their desire to “preserve” you to stunt all hopes of your own freedom. Though no judgment is your agreement, judgment abounds. If cornered and asked if they held the reins tightly on your life, the answer would be no, of course not. They are  their own person. They can make their own decisions. But of course the invisible cords strangle, choke, and bind you to their power.

And all of this from the person who professes that no other’s words are more important to their souls than their Creator’s. Their Creator. What would He have to say about this?

Is it at all possible that the accuser is telling you the truth? Truth that is so vile to your ear and so repellant to your soul that you instead choose anger, defense, and resentment as your silent and internal rebuttal?

Or is that reflection of circumstance onto your own shortcomings merely manipulation at it’s absolute finest, mind games at their absolute and utmost destruction?

The words he spoke alone said one simple, biting thing to your heart, but the subtext was an even harsher potion to swallow:

 “You disgust me, and you are worthless. And don’t you dare ever think otherwise, lest you be an absolute greater fool than you already are.”

Satan lies. Choose to passionately resist him for all the rest of your days.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 

[1 Peter 5: 8-9]

Normopa-what?

As I was sitting here listening to Beyonce belt face off with fervor, I got to thinking.

(Yeah, this post was inspired by Sasha Fierce. Sometimes God works in mysterious ways, okay?!)

But hear me out. It really has nothing to do with Beyonce. Her sweet, sweet riffs and all-encompassing female power really just got me thinking about this very special group of women from my church I occasionally get the opportunity to meet with. Every time I attend our gatherings I simply cannot help but notice how each friendly face that arrives in the coffee shop on Thursday morning is so beautiful and special in their own individual way, and how they are always eager to share something wonderful to contribute to the group. Each week, these women come to the table to offer everything on their hearts and minds, including where they are at in their intimate and personal journey with God. Pretty fearless, wouldn't you agree?

So there I was, thinking about these exceptional women and singing with old pal Beyonce in my own extra delusional Grammy performance, and something occurred to me. Y'know something that Beyonce does on stage that we don't all do more often in life? She oozes confidence and conviction in whatever it is she happens to be singing and swangin' that hair about. If Beyonce does this about the content of her love songs, why don't we pull on our figurative spandex and confidently declare the life-altering news of our faith for all to see, hear, and consider on a regular basis? Why don't we practice such bravery and risk appearing vulnerable and weird?

Well for one thing, we generally speaking, are a really petrified people.

We, generally speaking, care more about reporting back to other mere human beings and pleasing them, instead of checking in with the One who created these people to begin with and also happened to establish all semblance of order, morality, and everything else we can see or imagine.

Logically, that makes NO sense.

But we do this because people are tangible. They are physical matter in space and time, with lots and lots of opinions about who we are and what we should be. If we don't maintain the proper perspective, it can become incredibly easy to give more focus to the incessant and audible voices of others than to the only opinion that actually matters--that of our just, loving, and yes, invisible God.

I suppose that's why the writer of Hebrews refers to faith as

"...being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1)

Because without putting any fancy-shmancy terminology attached to it, what it all boils down to is this:

Having and maintaining faith is DIFFICULT.

Being humans with five senses, we respond completely and naturally to everything that these senses experience. We also like things accessible to us, immediate for use, ready-made. Big Mac from the drive-through, please.

Of course fries included. What planet are you from?

But the thing is, what we carry around with us-- God's incredible promises, His hope, the Good News about His Son-- is nothing to be hidden away in the recesses of our minds or hearts, or to think about on a rainy day. It was meant to be shared. In Jesus' often-discussed Sermon on the Mount, He tells the crowd of listeners

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

Perhaps you're afraid of drawing any special attention to yourself when it's so much easier just to do the "socially appropriate" thing by keeping your mouth shut. I very much hear you and relate to you. Who wants to be "that" person? Did you know that there is actually a special word used to describe our emotional state when we let fear rule our public behavior?

Normopothy } the idea of normopothy describes people who are so focused on blending in and conforming to social norms that it becomes a kind of mania. A person who is normotic is often unhealthily fixated on having no personality at all, and only doing exactly what is expected by society.

Maybe those who are keeping their mouths shut don't have a firm enough belief in anything substantially worthy enough to proclaim. Or heck, maybe they do. But how wonderful would it be if you were the one to talk to them about forgiveness and Jesus in a way that they finally understood for the very first time in their life?

I've heard it said that something we should often consider is that we may very well be the only Bible some will ever read.

Don't think of that as some ridiculously hefty responsibility; think of it as a privilege and a joy. Sharing your faith in Christ is, after all, what you were called to do, isn't it?

So? Chat it up! Be proud of your faith. It is earth-shattering and heaven-blessed. And you can trust that the Holy Spirit will give you the strength and the words you need to share what you believe. (Matthew 10:20)

Come on now, don't be shy. Would THIS GIRL keep quiet?

Impossible.

The OCD Effect

Where do you place your trust?

"My career ensures security for my family."

"My best friends mean the world to me. They always get me through a bad break-up."

"Well, I have a Golden Retriever that's really amazing..."

Okay. That's fair. But I mean with your life.

"No, really, Sparky would save me from a burning building.."

Have you ever seen that show True Life on MTV? For those of you that haven't, True Life is a documentary-style show that focuses each episode on a different issue going on in the lives of a few different people, and follows them as their situations progress. Really interesting stuff. Perhaps one of the most compelling episodes was the one about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

If you have or know anyone that has had OCD, you know that it can be an absolute prison for those suffering from the disease. One of the men being followed on True Life had to put deodorant on in a very precise way, and even kiss his girlfriend who he was living with goodbye a series of times, needing to get it "right" before he would let her go to work. His OCD had gotten to the point where it was not only holding himself captive to its power over him, but also allowing it to trickle over to someone he cared deeply for. Can you imagine that?

I can. I used to treat God that way.

I grew up in a denomination of Christianity that fostered feelings of guilt for sins committed, and required a series of certain actions from you before these sins could be absolved. It taught that entrance into heaven was based more on how many good works you do than accepting and believing in what Jesus did for us on the cross to cleanse us of our sins.

And that mindset is hard to get rid of. Suddenly the tender and loving Father of the Bible becomes nothing more than the Grand Judge, the Great Critic. I professed with my lips my belief in His love without believing that same blessed reality in my heart.

Is this you? Let me show you what this type of obsessive-compulsive faith looks like:

• Repeated prayers, not due to the overflow of concern for your or someone you care about's well-being, but because you feel as though the only way to "win God over" to your side in the matter is through asking Him for things incessantly.
• The silent thoughts of "This -insert loving Biblical truth here- doesn't apply to me, that applies to a real Christian."
• Setting impossible goals for yourself that you know you can't achieve.
• Obsessing over past mistakes/sins.
• Selective memory - choosing to remember negative situations instead of positive ones.

Are you exhausted and defeated after reading that list? Because I sure was exhausted living that way.

Now read something just a little TOO good to be true:

"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."-Romans 3:23-24

Except it isn't too good to be true. It's 100% true.

And because it's true, we don't have to complete some large algebra equation in order to gain approval and access to God. And no hokey-pokey dancing or mindless prayer repetitions will ensure His blessing in our lives, either. He is not a genie, He is our Heavenly Father. To put it simply, He knows what's best for us, and we do not. His insight, His power, and His omniscience are all much too vast for our limited minds to comprehend. That is why it would really behoove us to simply unclench our jaws and just 

GIVE EVERYTHING OVER TO HIM ALREADY.

I don't know who this guy is. But he definitely needs to.

When we don't accept that Jesus' death on the cross is enough to cover our sins and imperfections, it would really be just as bad as if we were to deny a drink of water from someone when we were suffering from dehydration in the middle of a desert. We are in effect saying to Jesus, "Thanks anyway Lord, but I got this covered."

Sound ridiulous? It is. We would be absolutely crazy not to accept such a mind-blowing gift of mercy and grace.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." -Ephesians 2:8-9

And all we have to do is ask for it. When we believe in Him, we can trust in Him. And when we trust in Him, we can let go of our death grip on life, and finally -finally!- experience His peace.

So whatcha waiting for?

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” -Deuteronomy 31:6

Trust in Him. He loves you too much to let you spin out of control.

No Really, It's Better Than Twilight.

Mind if I ask you where your Bible is?

Assuming you found it,  now let me ask you if you can make pictures on its cover with your finger due to the thick layer of dust that has formed on it over the years..

Please don't answer that.

Before you start justifying yourself, you may as well stop. I've said all those things before, too.

Something I have noticed among Christians today is a startling amount of Bible illiteracy.

I myself am guilty as charged. Disciplining yourself to read God's word can be a challenge at times. But this isn't just your average library book we're neglecting here. This is God's Word. The Life Manual of all Life Manuals. God's Love Letter to His people!

I think part of the problem is that we:

A. Underestimate the redemptive, instructive, prophetic, and healing power of the Word.

B. Just don't take the time to read anymore. We have the attention span of fish. (I blame YOU, Bill Gates!)

But really, it's mostly the former. Because Bill Gates helped make this post happen. I'm sorry I took my anger out on you, Bill. May I call you Billy?

For the sake of prioritizing what is most important and eliminating a whiney rant about the youth of the 21st century that we've all heard ad nauseam, I am going to focus the majority of this post on "A."

When Jesus was led into the desert at the start of His ministry, the devil tempted Him after He had been fasting for forty days and forty nights.

The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” [Matthew 4:3-4]

We'd totally freak out if we couldn't eat for an entire day, wouldn't we?
Or if we forgot to take our medicine when we were incredibly ill?


So why don't we freak out if we don't read the Bible for a day? A week? MONTHS? 


2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 

When we choose not to expose ourselves to God's living and operative Word, we are numbing ourselves from hearing His voice, stunting our spiritual growth, and (more tragic than anything else) denying ourselves the irreplaceable experience of getting to know Him better.

Just like eating ensures that we receive the necessary nutrition we need to function, reading the Word on a regular basis ensures that we receive necessary spiritual nourishment for our souls.

In Psalm 119, King David passionately talks to God about the preciousness of His Word, which is great incentive for us as well:

How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
   By living according to your word. 
I seek you with all my heart;
   do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart

that I might not sin against you. 

[Psalm 119:9-11]

Listen, the Bible is a big book. Digging into God's Word every day doesn't mean you have to take it in large chunks. There are no rules, so long as you Nikeify yourself and 

Feeling overwhelmed? Don't do it alone! There are dozens of helpful Bible-reading programs to help you best understand and organize your daily time with God.

Like me! Click me!

Take it in little increments if that's what works best for you. Just be sure to take time to ruminate over God's "living and active" Word (Hebrews 4:12). I will if you will! After all, when someone writes you a love letter, the least you can do is read it.

Besides, God's passionate love for us is so much more thrilling than whatever the heck is going on between Bella and Lusty McWerewolf. Save them for another time. 

Or not.

A Wholly Christian

We hear the word all the time.

• "Look at the way he walks around. Totally holier than thou."
• "Holy mackerel!"* 

*Psst! Over here! Because you know you've always wanted to know..

Definition of Mackerel: a migratory surface-dwelling predatory fish, commercially important as a food fish. 

And according to elderly people who use this phrase often, a very sacred fish. 

• The Holy Bible

You get the idea. But what exactly do we mean when we say the word "holy"?

The dictionary definition is as follows.

ho·ly

adjective /ˈhōlē/ holier, comparative; holiest, superlative Dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred - the Holy Bible - the holy month of Ramadan (of a person) Devoted to the service of God - saints and holy men Morally and spiritually excellent - I do not lead a holy life Used as an intensifier - having a holy good time Used in exclamations of surprise or dismay - holy smoke!

That seems about right. But did you know that the Hebrew word for holy, qadosh, actually means "to be set apart for a special purpose"?

Things suddenly just got infinitely more interesting. Admit it. It's easy for a lot of us to glaze over in boredom when we hear someone refer to something as "holy". Many of my non-Christian friends would agree that it conjures up images of a "prude", the convent, and high-waisted, pleated pants and pearl necklaces.


For many, they may hear the word "holy", but in their minds it's something more like...


NO! RESTRICTIONS! I'M BORED! MOTHER THERESA! MAKE IT STOP!


Hey, I get it. Over the years, ritualistic, organized religion has distorted the way others perceive spirituality, especially the Christian life. Most don't think of it as a personal relationship with God, and a way of life, but just one seemingly-endless set of rules.


But what if we looked at the word "holy" the way C.S. Lewis did?

"How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets the real thing...it is irresistible. If even 10 percent of the world’s population had it, would not the whole world be converted and happy before the year’s end?"

Quite a different outlook, isn't it? As Christians, we are called to be wholly holy. In Leviticus 19:2, God flat out tells us "Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy." But what does that mean? What does that require of me? Isn't going to church on Christmas and Easter good enough?


To examine this, let's go back to the Hebrew definition of the word: to be set apart for a special purpose.


In the above quote, C.S. Lewis says that real holiness is irresistible, which implies that there is then a "fake" counterpart. The Hebrew definition of holy that is used in the Bible mentions two key things that will determine what authentic holiness in the life of someone looks like.


1. The individual is set apart.


2. The individual has a special purpose.

The first part of the definition is perhaps the hardest to address. When you become a Christian, Jesus said: 

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." -Luke 9:23

 This is not to be taken lightly. Literally. Those Roman crosses were heavy. The crushing weight Jesus must have felt on his shoulders and his entire body, especially after just having been flogged with a flesh-tearing whip with glass and other sharp pieces at the end of it (not even taking into account his incredible amount of blood loss, deep wounds, and dehydration), must have been incredible. And THIS is the analogy Jesus uses to describe our Christian walk?


Yes.


But as the title of this blog will tell you, we are "more than conquerers through him who loved us". And that's a promise.


Taking up our cross and following Him comes in many different forms.


-Trials of various kinds
-Persecution
-Illness
-Adversity


Et cetera et cetera. The Christian life is hard to stick to, friends. It isn't a fluffy, delusional, fairy tale existence. It demands radical discipleship. Yes, the demands are high. But "God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)

The apostle Peter gives us a less abstract, more applicable way of looking at what it means to have the "stuff" it takes to persevere in the faith and maintain holiness that is pleasing to God:

"Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love." (2 Peter 1:5-7)

Sorry. I didn't say it would be easier.


The reason why I initially said that being set apart would be the hardest to address is because lets just be real here...


NO ONE wants to be convicted.


Just take a gander at that list Peter dishes out for us. Among the other necessary attributes of the believer is also the word self-control. This very word and what it means in our lives today was my very inspiration for writing this post, mostly because it is so difficult to exercise. Americans like to indulge all of their appetites, and often. We crave immediacy. We develop obsessions. All of this self-sacrifice stuff that Jesus preaches just doesn't fit into all of that. But this is what He is calling us to; no exceptions. This is where being set apart really comes in. Either you're committed to Christ and are willing to be separate from that which causes you to stumble in repeated sin, or you're in the world and living for yourself.


You know how nasty lukewarm yogurt is when it's been sitting out for a while? No one wants to eat it. The consistency is nauseating. Might as well just toss it when it gets to that point, because it will only go bad in a short period of time.


Well, that's kind of like how we are when we try to dabble a little bit in the heavenly world and a little bit in this one. We are of no use to His kingdom, because we are not really committed to Him to begin with. You can't serve two masters.


Sorry, gross analogy. But true.


Pastor Greg Laurie cut right to the truth in one of his messages when he said that the reason more people don't convert to Christianity isn't for lack of evidence, but a lack of desire to change their way of living. Holiness cannot come without God's help to override these dangerously powerful strongholds in our hearts. If we do not call on Him to help us, any hopes of achieving long-lasting self-control are useless.

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." -1 Corinthians 6:19-20

The second element of holiness is being aware of your "special purpose". So now, not only is it important to be "set apart" from worldly temptations, but to be separated from them in order to do what God called us to do.


 Just before He ascended into heaven, Jesus told his disciples, 

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." -Matthew 29:19-20


This is everyone's call, and it is serious stuff. After reading the Great Commission, it becomes easy to see why trying to balance living for the world and living for Christ doesn't work. Jesus' call is all-encompassing, and frankly, there is nothing more important than serving the Creator of the Universe. But that's just my opinion.


But what is so beautiful is that there are so many ways in which we can obey Jesus' call using our own individual talents, gifts, and interests. Within His Great Commission is a more specific will for your life that is unique to you and your circumstances, relationships, and environment. But only when you begin a relationship with Him and devote yourself to prayer and reading the Word regularly will you be able to discover what exactly that is.


What you can be certain of? God has a plan for you. Right where you're at. Right now.


And these aren't little errands I'm talking about, either. Shame on us if we ever make our God that small! God wants to use you in major ways for His Kingdom. It seems like a huge responsibility, I know. But we just happen to serve a huge God. Not only is He vast, but He is also omnipotent. And not only is He omnipotent, but He has perfect timing. Even more mind-blowing? He loves us passionately and wants to see us succeed as we glorify Him.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11

Who would've ever thought that one little Hebrew word yielded so much responsibility?

Christianese.

Have you ever heard use that term before? I hadn't until last night. But here's the definition (taken from the Urban Dictionary website):

Christianese

Christianese is the language spoken by Christians. It makes no sense to anyone unfamiliar with biblical texts, but earns you major points in the eyes of other Christians, because it means your words are hella holy. Common examples include: old man/new man, unblemished lamb, fruit of the spirit, washed in the blood, and let's not forget the ever popular born again. Christian: Brother, I felt like I was really backsliding, so I crucified my old man and put on my new man, and now the fruit of the spirit is evident in my life! Non-Christian: What did you just say? You speakin' Christianese?

Okay so, it's kind of funny. Kind of. But looking at the different definitions of the word on the website and how others described Christianity in association with it made me feel incredibly sad. There was so much mockery, underlying cynicism and scorn. I can't say that I'm surprised by this; Christianity can oftentimes appear to be a difficult and strange concept to understand. Brilliant theologian Charles Spurgeon addresses it this way:

"The world loves not the non-conformity of nonconformity, or the dissidence of dissent; it would have us be more charitable and not carry matters with too severe a hand. Death to the world, and burial with Christ, are experiences which carnal minds treat with ridicule, and hence the ordinance which sets them forth is almost universally neglected, and even condemned."

And though this is true and frustrates me deeply, this is not what bothers me in this particular case.

I am troubled about why there is a need for the term to begin with. What does the term's existence say about how we communicate with others as Christian people? About our ministry and evangelism?

Guys, this needs to be taken seriously. What good is it to speak in ways that others who don't know God cannot understand? How will they ever be able to hear the Good News that forever changes lives if they can't decipher what it is we're talking about  to begin with, and are instead being put off by Jesus entirely because of it?

The Gospel is for everyone, and should be presented as such. The Good News about Christ is not specific to a particular gender, race, or status. Let us not forget what Paul wrote to the Galatians,

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." -Galatians 3:28

I am not by any means saying that we should stifle what the Holy Spirit has molded our hearts and therefore our mouths to say. What a gift it is that God's done such a work in your heart to make such heavenly speech seem second nature to you!  Let's just make sure that we are reaching others in a way that they will understand.



To put it simply...


 More of this:

      

Less of THIS:

The apostle Paul tells us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17), so where better to begin this new journey of effective communication than with the Grand Communicator Himself? Join me?

(Taken from the Heartlight daily devotional that can be viewed in its entirety here)

O Father, I pray for the Holy Spirit to move

 among your people in a mighty way to break 

down barriers that divide us and give us a

 sense of our common bond  through your Holy Spirit. 

In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.