So one day I was standing outside of my house, and my neighbor walks up to me. Mind you, she did not know me very well, but she thought that she was doing me the biggest favor in the world.
“I do not know where you stand with Jesus, but you should have this.” She commented to me, as she handed me a small booklet with what appeared to be people walking into hell. A bible tract! Not sure how to respond, I looked at her quizzically and then handed it back.
“Thank you very much, but I am a Christian. I actually go to school at Regent and am studying theology. You could probably give this to someone else.” I replied, trying to be as polite as possible. But the short Latino lady wanted nothing to do with my excuses.
“That means that you should take this! It would not hurt as a refresher.” Dumbfounded, I took her doom and gloom tract, wished her well and promptly placed it in my car. Her resolve grew stronger knowing that I was a student at Regent.
I got into my car, and thought about how we are perceived as Christians. In general, I can understand why people would not want to come to church. My mind begins to shift to the way in which the evangelists at the Virginia Beach oceanfront operate. I remember a time in which I witnessed them up on boxes telling homosexuals that they are going to hell. I was very torn in the moment as I watched the crowd heckling the men who were condemning them. They were teaching from the Bible, but there was no love or grace in the message, just condemnation.
So now I wonder, if this is all that a homosexual knew of Christians, why would he or she want to go to any church? The answer is they wouldn’t, because they figure that they would get yelled at about their lifestyle. There are few things that feel worse than putting yourself out there to meet new people and getting rejected before they even get to know you. Logically, it makes sense that they would be preemptive and avoid getting rejected and feeling condemned before it starts.
I also think of people who have had hardships or made bad choices. Someone who has had an abortion will probably keep her choice a secret if she went to church, or she would just avoid church all together to avoid any situations. I am glad that churches are now trying to help these people, instead of simply protesting and making the person feel worthless. They have worth, but they just made a bad choice.
As the church becomes increasingly aligned with the Republican Party, how would a Democrat feel in a church that is very pro-republican? I have heard too many people claim that Democrats can not be Christian, and I find that assumption to be insulting. I have known many Christians who were democrats, and they did not support every idea. Having grown up in a swing state, I understand how it would be a dangerous move to endorse one side fully and risk ostracizing the other. From another perspective, if an anti-Democrat message were spoken in Chicago, where the Democrats have dominated for years, that pastor would ostracize a lot of people.
I guess what this comes down to is whether we are condemning people or convicting them. Jesus convicted people, through his actions they were compelled to leave their self-destructive life styles behind. Matthew/Levi was practically a thief, Simon the Zealot was a religious extremist, and chances are Simon would have wanted to kill Matthew due to his affiliation with the Roman government. That is the power of Christ convicting them.
Condemnation, on the other hand takes someone’s hope and makes them feel as if they are not good enough. If someone feels as if they can not add up, they will try to get as far away as possible.
One of the greatest indicators is how we feel when we walk away from someone. If you feel drained and worthless, chances are you were not convicted. If you feel hopeful, then more than likely you were convicted. Conviction is not always pleasant, because sometimes the pruning that happens in our lives is not always the best. But in the end, it is for our growth and our health. I have learned that from experience. So in closing, can we remain committed to helping give people life, instead of giving them death?
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Junk in the Trunk
One thing that I have always tried to do is meet the practical needs of my friends. It is something that I genuinely take pleasure in doing. The basis of this story involves me helping a friend who had a practical need. She did not have a car, so I asked her if she would like to borrow mine to get groceries. She agreed, and I let her borrow my car for a few hours so she could run to Wal-Mart.
As I met her at her apartment, we began to unload my car. Much to my dismay, I saw her pop open my trunk. “NO!” I thought to myself, as I saw her groceries neatly tucked in around all the random junk in my trunk. I immediately became apologetic and said that I was sorry that she had to see that mess.
“Whatever, dude. It’s your trunk.” She said to me, probably confused at my reaction to her seeing my messy trunk. We went inside and loaded everything into her refrigerator and then went to meet our friends. I eventually calmed down about her seeing my trunk, and I began to think about how ridiculous my thought was.
Looking back, I can now see how our lives are sort of that way. I tend to put my stuff that I do not want people to see in my trunk, and keep the main part of my car clean. Out of sight, out of mind. But if someone were to open up my trunk, they would see what I really have. It can be scary at times, and I felt vulnerable when I realized that she could see my mess. She did not care that I had junk in there, she was just happy that I loaned her my car and she was grateful for that.
I have to think about my own trunk now, and realize that I accumulate a lot of “stuff” in there. Some of it is mine and I bring it in there, but a lot of it are things that others put in there and I have to remove. The first question that I have to ask is, “can we sort out what is not our from what is ours?” When I begin to look at my trunk, I find that a lot of the garbage was placed there by other people.
What I have done over the past few years is find ways to leave behind that stuff when I find it. I identify whose baggage it really is, and then give it back to them or dispose of it. Our cars do not run as efficiently when they are loaded up.
The other detail is that I had a friend who reacted kindly to my mess. Do we have people in our lives that can look at our mess, and still hang around? More so, if you need them, can they help you sort out the mess and send it back to the rightful owner? Often times, we feel like we have to have everything together and in order or else people will look down on us. The truth is, that some people will do it. But they are not true friends. They have their own junk that they have to get rid of! We all have stuff back there, so no one is above another person. It might look different, but it is all junk.
Finally, do you have the courage to go to the back and sort out what is back there? It is easy to pop the trunk, and throw something in there without looking. But we all know what happens to something in dark areas, it begins to get worse. That is why it is important to be careful of what you put into your trunk, and to keep it clean. It can be embarrassing or painful at times to do it, but remember that you will feel a lot better about yourself after it is done.
So if you have free time this week, my hope is that you can do an inventory of your trunk, and try to identify what needs to be there and what does not need to be there. It is always interesting to see!
As I met her at her apartment, we began to unload my car. Much to my dismay, I saw her pop open my trunk. “NO!” I thought to myself, as I saw her groceries neatly tucked in around all the random junk in my trunk. I immediately became apologetic and said that I was sorry that she had to see that mess.
“Whatever, dude. It’s your trunk.” She said to me, probably confused at my reaction to her seeing my messy trunk. We went inside and loaded everything into her refrigerator and then went to meet our friends. I eventually calmed down about her seeing my trunk, and I began to think about how ridiculous my thought was.
Looking back, I can now see how our lives are sort of that way. I tend to put my stuff that I do not want people to see in my trunk, and keep the main part of my car clean. Out of sight, out of mind. But if someone were to open up my trunk, they would see what I really have. It can be scary at times, and I felt vulnerable when I realized that she could see my mess. She did not care that I had junk in there, she was just happy that I loaned her my car and she was grateful for that.
I have to think about my own trunk now, and realize that I accumulate a lot of “stuff” in there. Some of it is mine and I bring it in there, but a lot of it are things that others put in there and I have to remove. The first question that I have to ask is, “can we sort out what is not our from what is ours?” When I begin to look at my trunk, I find that a lot of the garbage was placed there by other people.
What I have done over the past few years is find ways to leave behind that stuff when I find it. I identify whose baggage it really is, and then give it back to them or dispose of it. Our cars do not run as efficiently when they are loaded up.
The other detail is that I had a friend who reacted kindly to my mess. Do we have people in our lives that can look at our mess, and still hang around? More so, if you need them, can they help you sort out the mess and send it back to the rightful owner? Often times, we feel like we have to have everything together and in order or else people will look down on us. The truth is, that some people will do it. But they are not true friends. They have their own junk that they have to get rid of! We all have stuff back there, so no one is above another person. It might look different, but it is all junk.
Finally, do you have the courage to go to the back and sort out what is back there? It is easy to pop the trunk, and throw something in there without looking. But we all know what happens to something in dark areas, it begins to get worse. That is why it is important to be careful of what you put into your trunk, and to keep it clean. It can be embarrassing or painful at times to do it, but remember that you will feel a lot better about yourself after it is done.
So if you have free time this week, my hope is that you can do an inventory of your trunk, and try to identify what needs to be there and what does not need to be there. It is always interesting to see!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Thoughts on Miracles
I have struggled with a few things in my life, and one of them has been faith. Not the kind of faith that makes you feel that God is there, but the type that believes that he can and will do great things for you. Being that many of my friends and colleagues are the type that believe heavily in the power of miracles and healing, I have gone through life with a few disabilities wondering why God has not healed me of them. Sometimes I have received harsh words and noticed that they look down on me because of it.
For those that have known me at points in my life, they know that I am not the type to sit there and wallow about what should be. In fact, if you are close to me, you probably have heard me say that what is and what should be are two different things and those that demand what should be will be very disappointed with life. That being said, I have always mourned the death of what should be, and then I picked myself up and pursued what is in front of me so that I may seek the best life possible. I have always dealt with my deficiencies that way.
A few years ago, a religious person walked into my life and told me, “God wants you to be healed, accept that now.” I believe that I can be healed by God, but is it his will? They tell me that it is his will, and they quote scripture. They seems to make sense, so I allow myself to be prayed for, what’s the worst that could happen? What I do not anticipate is that the worst happens and I am told that I do not have faith, because if I had faith the size of a mustard seed, God would heal me. So obviously, my salvation is hanging in the balance of my ability to get healed. There is a lot of pressure, especially considering that they are not willing to listen to logic.
So fast forward to last Thursday, when I went to a service and yet again was not healed. Some people were healed, others were not. I did not take it as a slight from God, I just wondered how that works. I maintain that God has his reasons, and I was able to discuss how I felt with others, and I received a few good points that I would like to highlight.
A girl that I recently befriended talked about how in Daniel that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fire for not wanting to worship the gods or statues of Nebuchadnezzar. Before that happened, they said that they believed that God would save them, but if he didn’t, that they would die not worshipping the kings statues or gods. This made me think about how people often times base their faith on what God can do for them. The three men were committed to God, and that is what was important. It did not matter that God did not rescue them (but he did), they were committed to him regardless of his actions.
I then spoke with one of my better friends in Divinity School, and had a good talk with her. I mentioned that the service was hard for me because of my history unhealthy churches, but I really liked the message and I cannot argue with what God has done with this woman. My friend knows my health history, and as we talked she told me that I AM a miracle. I was really uncomfortable and was dumbfounded, so quickly changed the subject! But I realized that even though I am not necessarily being blessed, I am able to bless, inspire and encourage others because of what I am going through and overcoming.
The last conversation was with another more recent friend that I have made. As we talked about the conference, I mentioned that little miracles happen all around us. I mentioned that it is much like baseball, where most people only want to see homeruns but could careless about a well-played base hit. The base hits happen and can be very effective, but people generally only acknowledge the base hit when the game is on the line. Because of this, no one is really looking for anything but the homeruns. I have a tendency to look for the little miracles, the unexplainable acts that happen before me daily.
This being said, the three major points I would like to ask are this…
If you do not receive a major miracle, will that impact your faith?
If you are receiving a miracle that you want, do you think that maybe it is because you could be blessing more people else in the process?
Are you looking for the small miracles in life?
So miracles happen every day, but are you waiting for a conference to come or are you looking for them as they happen around you?
For those that have known me at points in my life, they know that I am not the type to sit there and wallow about what should be. In fact, if you are close to me, you probably have heard me say that what is and what should be are two different things and those that demand what should be will be very disappointed with life. That being said, I have always mourned the death of what should be, and then I picked myself up and pursued what is in front of me so that I may seek the best life possible. I have always dealt with my deficiencies that way.
A few years ago, a religious person walked into my life and told me, “God wants you to be healed, accept that now.” I believe that I can be healed by God, but is it his will? They tell me that it is his will, and they quote scripture. They seems to make sense, so I allow myself to be prayed for, what’s the worst that could happen? What I do not anticipate is that the worst happens and I am told that I do not have faith, because if I had faith the size of a mustard seed, God would heal me. So obviously, my salvation is hanging in the balance of my ability to get healed. There is a lot of pressure, especially considering that they are not willing to listen to logic.
So fast forward to last Thursday, when I went to a service and yet again was not healed. Some people were healed, others were not. I did not take it as a slight from God, I just wondered how that works. I maintain that God has his reasons, and I was able to discuss how I felt with others, and I received a few good points that I would like to highlight.
A girl that I recently befriended talked about how in Daniel that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fire for not wanting to worship the gods or statues of Nebuchadnezzar. Before that happened, they said that they believed that God would save them, but if he didn’t, that they would die not worshipping the kings statues or gods. This made me think about how people often times base their faith on what God can do for them. The three men were committed to God, and that is what was important. It did not matter that God did not rescue them (but he did), they were committed to him regardless of his actions.
I then spoke with one of my better friends in Divinity School, and had a good talk with her. I mentioned that the service was hard for me because of my history unhealthy churches, but I really liked the message and I cannot argue with what God has done with this woman. My friend knows my health history, and as we talked she told me that I AM a miracle. I was really uncomfortable and was dumbfounded, so quickly changed the subject! But I realized that even though I am not necessarily being blessed, I am able to bless, inspire and encourage others because of what I am going through and overcoming.
The last conversation was with another more recent friend that I have made. As we talked about the conference, I mentioned that little miracles happen all around us. I mentioned that it is much like baseball, where most people only want to see homeruns but could careless about a well-played base hit. The base hits happen and can be very effective, but people generally only acknowledge the base hit when the game is on the line. Because of this, no one is really looking for anything but the homeruns. I have a tendency to look for the little miracles, the unexplainable acts that happen before me daily.
This being said, the three major points I would like to ask are this…
If you do not receive a major miracle, will that impact your faith?
If you are receiving a miracle that you want, do you think that maybe it is because you could be blessing more people else in the process?
Are you looking for the small miracles in life?
So miracles happen every day, but are you waiting for a conference to come or are you looking for them as they happen around you?
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Love Message, just different verses
Now that we have passed Valentines day, I think it is safe to talk about the subject of love. Most of the year, I take offense to people who think that I need to be set up with someone or need to be prayed for to find “the right one” and things seem to amplify around February. So, I am going about this subject little bit differently today!
I am going to shoot off a few verses that are a bit off of the beaten path, but I think that they are important, Matthew 22:37-40 and Songs of Solomon 2:7. This is not going to be a downer message by any means, but I am trying to share something that has helped me through the years.
In Matthew 22:37-40, we are commanded to love the Lord our God and to love our neighbors AS OUR SELVES. Let me repeat that, AS OUR SELVES. Does this mean MORE THAN OURSELVES? No. This is paramount, because if we do not love ourselves, than how can we love others? The answer is that we may but we will become exasperated because we will feel strained due to them not giving back. We should never be afraid to love someone, but be careful with how close you become to people who are not able to love back. Just like a pet cat or dog who is limited to showing love in certain ways but never being able to say “I love you”, some people are just not capable of loving fully or healthily. We must never put all of our hopes in them coming around because they my never come around, so please be careful!
In my own life, when I found who I was and I saw the part of the puzzle that I fit and how special and unique I was to God, I began to thrive. I was okay that someone did not accept me for who I am, I was okay with showing someone the door when they made unreasonable demands. It’s their loss. The way I look at it is that if the water in a pitcher is never replaced, than it will run out of water. So too it is with our hearts. So is God pouring love into you, and are those close to you pouring into you as well?
The second verse is Solomon writing to NOT STIR UP LOVE UNTIL THE APPROPRIATE TIME. This is what I pray about being single. I always start out thinking about being friends with every one instead of trying to date, and then I ask that God not allow me to stir up love until the appropriate time or at all if this person is not meant to be. Instead of dictating things on my timetable, I am asking for him to guard both of our hearts so that if it is not meant to be that we will not hurt one another and that I will be wise with my words and not give the wrong impression. For me, I ask to stay in sync with God’s plan because I find that when we get out of sync with God’s plan, that’s when we get hurt. When we become impatient, that’s when we are reckless and dangerous. So instead of stirring up love before the time, I ask for his guidance and wisdom with those that I meet.
Does this mean we just need to sit on our butts and wait for someone to fall in your life? Not at all. In order to find God’s blessings you need to get out and do something. God would have never parted the sea for the Israelites if they never left Egypt, either that or they would have never seen it. Plus, you never get to know someone if you never spend time with them. Yes, it involves risk, but who cares? In the dating game, there is ideally only one successful situation, just be mature about it and be sure to keep the other person’s heart safe.
Finally, I would like to close with one last thing about love. Those who have been in bad relationships and dirty break ups know that sometimes bad things just happen, they are not fun and no one wants them, but they happen. I would like to encourage you to CONTINUE TO LOVE. If you got wounded, take some time to mend, don’t run into another relationship because you feel that you have to, or that your clock is going to run out. Conversely, do not close yourself off because you could be hurting yourself and others. Be at peace and know that God knows the desires of your heart, and he does not want to play tricks on you. CONTINUE TO LOVE, because if you withhold your love from others, you will ultimately rob them of a blessing that they could have received.
Love is what we are meant to share with others, that is why we must keep our hearts guarded. We have to love God and Ourselves before we can adequately love another person, so be careful not to be too fast and get into something that you will regret later. Paul reminds us that we can do many great things, but if we have not love we are nothing. Do not let another person steal your love, and do not give your heart to someone who does not understand it. Instead, ask the Holy Spirit to show you who to love and receive love from.
I am going to shoot off a few verses that are a bit off of the beaten path, but I think that they are important, Matthew 22:37-40 and Songs of Solomon 2:7. This is not going to be a downer message by any means, but I am trying to share something that has helped me through the years.
In Matthew 22:37-40, we are commanded to love the Lord our God and to love our neighbors AS OUR SELVES. Let me repeat that, AS OUR SELVES. Does this mean MORE THAN OURSELVES? No. This is paramount, because if we do not love ourselves, than how can we love others? The answer is that we may but we will become exasperated because we will feel strained due to them not giving back. We should never be afraid to love someone, but be careful with how close you become to people who are not able to love back. Just like a pet cat or dog who is limited to showing love in certain ways but never being able to say “I love you”, some people are just not capable of loving fully or healthily. We must never put all of our hopes in them coming around because they my never come around, so please be careful!
In my own life, when I found who I was and I saw the part of the puzzle that I fit and how special and unique I was to God, I began to thrive. I was okay that someone did not accept me for who I am, I was okay with showing someone the door when they made unreasonable demands. It’s their loss. The way I look at it is that if the water in a pitcher is never replaced, than it will run out of water. So too it is with our hearts. So is God pouring love into you, and are those close to you pouring into you as well?
The second verse is Solomon writing to NOT STIR UP LOVE UNTIL THE APPROPRIATE TIME. This is what I pray about being single. I always start out thinking about being friends with every one instead of trying to date, and then I ask that God not allow me to stir up love until the appropriate time or at all if this person is not meant to be. Instead of dictating things on my timetable, I am asking for him to guard both of our hearts so that if it is not meant to be that we will not hurt one another and that I will be wise with my words and not give the wrong impression. For me, I ask to stay in sync with God’s plan because I find that when we get out of sync with God’s plan, that’s when we get hurt. When we become impatient, that’s when we are reckless and dangerous. So instead of stirring up love before the time, I ask for his guidance and wisdom with those that I meet.
Does this mean we just need to sit on our butts and wait for someone to fall in your life? Not at all. In order to find God’s blessings you need to get out and do something. God would have never parted the sea for the Israelites if they never left Egypt, either that or they would have never seen it. Plus, you never get to know someone if you never spend time with them. Yes, it involves risk, but who cares? In the dating game, there is ideally only one successful situation, just be mature about it and be sure to keep the other person’s heart safe.
Finally, I would like to close with one last thing about love. Those who have been in bad relationships and dirty break ups know that sometimes bad things just happen, they are not fun and no one wants them, but they happen. I would like to encourage you to CONTINUE TO LOVE. If you got wounded, take some time to mend, don’t run into another relationship because you feel that you have to, or that your clock is going to run out. Conversely, do not close yourself off because you could be hurting yourself and others. Be at peace and know that God knows the desires of your heart, and he does not want to play tricks on you. CONTINUE TO LOVE, because if you withhold your love from others, you will ultimately rob them of a blessing that they could have received.
Love is what we are meant to share with others, that is why we must keep our hearts guarded. We have to love God and Ourselves before we can adequately love another person, so be careful not to be too fast and get into something that you will regret later. Paul reminds us that we can do many great things, but if we have not love we are nothing. Do not let another person steal your love, and do not give your heart to someone who does not understand it. Instead, ask the Holy Spirit to show you who to love and receive love from.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Doing what is right
On Thursday I went to a get together that was a really good show and there was some really good time of prayer. While we were praying for others, I found that God started talking to me about myself. Talking to me about who I am, where I came from, and where I am going. I know! Random, considering that I was trying to pray for others. One of the topics that God talked with me about spurned the idea of this post.
The part of the God conversation that I think about is how many people in our churches right now would still be in the church if it did not benefit them at all? If all they were given was their salvation (which they have to trust will be given to them), is that enough to satisfy them?
If they did not receive affirmation for a showy activity, would they still do it?
-Jesus told some people not to tell others who healed them.
If they were given ministry positions based on production rather than popularity, would they try to get those positions?
-Jesus knew the law and for it he was hunted down.
What if their hands had to get dirty putting someone back together, would they be willing to help?
-Jesus stopped to heal people, often times touching people with deadly illness.
If the pastor snubbed them, could they understand that there are more dire needs in the congregation or would they get hurt?
-Jesus felt his father forsake him on the cross, but he understood his fathers reasons.
Would they keep their faith if they had their life threatened for being Christian?
-Even though Christianity is growing at an exponential rate in oppressive countries, many have been martyred.
If being Christian was unpopular, would they do it with sincerity and humility?
-In Egypt, the Coptic Christians (5%-10% of the population) can only work menial jobs,have to pay heavy taxes, and are under protected by the government. Could we live under those circumstances?
Could they befriend someone who needs a friend, even though it might "ruin their image"?
-Jesus ate with tax collectors and other outcasts of the day, but he did not care.
I guess what I am doing is trying to figure out if we as Christians can do what is right in the face of what is popular or comfortable.
The great thing is that most of the people who read this I know are the types that are willing to go the extra mile and do what is right. You guys are awesome, and I care a lot about you so please do not think that I am condemning anyone! I am just writing this to put in contrast the main mentalities.
As our churches and our peers are becoming more self serving, I think it is important that we become other-focused. There may be a day in our life time that we will get persecuted. Thats why I am saying that it is important to begin a life of love now, because for that, there is no law. Love is doing what is best for someone, can we commit to doing that today so that it will be habit tomorrow?
The part of the God conversation that I think about is how many people in our churches right now would still be in the church if it did not benefit them at all? If all they were given was their salvation (which they have to trust will be given to them), is that enough to satisfy them?
If they did not receive affirmation for a showy activity, would they still do it?
-Jesus told some people not to tell others who healed them.
If they were given ministry positions based on production rather than popularity, would they try to get those positions?
-Jesus knew the law and for it he was hunted down.
What if their hands had to get dirty putting someone back together, would they be willing to help?
-Jesus stopped to heal people, often times touching people with deadly illness.
If the pastor snubbed them, could they understand that there are more dire needs in the congregation or would they get hurt?
-Jesus felt his father forsake him on the cross, but he understood his fathers reasons.
Would they keep their faith if they had their life threatened for being Christian?
-Even though Christianity is growing at an exponential rate in oppressive countries, many have been martyred.
If being Christian was unpopular, would they do it with sincerity and humility?
-In Egypt, the Coptic Christians (5%-10% of the population) can only work menial jobs,have to pay heavy taxes, and are under protected by the government. Could we live under those circumstances?
Could they befriend someone who needs a friend, even though it might "ruin their image"?
-Jesus ate with tax collectors and other outcasts of the day, but he did not care.
I guess what I am doing is trying to figure out if we as Christians can do what is right in the face of what is popular or comfortable.
The great thing is that most of the people who read this I know are the types that are willing to go the extra mile and do what is right. You guys are awesome, and I care a lot about you so please do not think that I am condemning anyone! I am just writing this to put in contrast the main mentalities.
As our churches and our peers are becoming more self serving, I think it is important that we become other-focused. There may be a day in our life time that we will get persecuted. Thats why I am saying that it is important to begin a life of love now, because for that, there is no law. Love is doing what is best for someone, can we commit to doing that today so that it will be habit tomorrow?
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Using your talents?
So there is something that caught my attention in one of my readings for class (I am paraphrasing exceedingly). The story was written by Mark Twain, and it was about a guy who died and went to heaven. When he got to heaven, he asked St Peter, "Who is the greatest general that ever lived?" He pointed to a guy, and told the man that was him. The guy replied that he knew him and that he was a common laborer. With that, St. Peter replied that if he would have tried, he would have been the greatest general. What this made me think about is how we could be destined for amazing things, but we never utilize the talents that we have.
Those of you that have known me know that for years I went back and forth on what I wanted to do with my life. In high school, I abhorred algebra, but I spent so much time working on it that it took away from the classes that I was actually good at. I excelled in History and in German, but spent so much time doing Algebra instead of fine tuning those skills. When I finally rid myself of it spring of senior year, I was able to devote the time I needed to work on my strengths. I ended up going to college not knowing what to pursue because I was so busy trying to fix what I was bad at.
I can see that in my life in the church as well. Much of my Christian life, I found myself getting prodded by people who have the prophetic gifting. The gifts I get told I have the most frequently are teaching, wisdom and exhortation. But instead of considering that, I was told that I needed to give prophetic words or else I could not be on the youth ministry team. I was told that I had to speak in tongues or else I might not be a Christian. I told them that 1 Corinthians has a huge chunk devoted to refuting the dominance of certain gifts, and that we are all needed to form a cohesive body. Paul actually says that some my speak in tongues, not all. Needless to say, I put them in my rearview rather quickly.
As I have been doing my thesis and looking at Spiritual Gifts, I have come to realize that we need to become more cognizant of what our strengths are, and be able to use them properly. For me, I started teaching regularly to become a better teacher. I took a position in my church where I could use my wisdom and encouragement to help people reach their potential. I always knew that I was not a prophetically strong person, and thats okay. So I guess what I am saying to you today, is just because you might not be awesome at something, its okay. Because there is something that you are amazing at and I hope that you do not let anyone get in your way from becoming a catalyst by doing it.
There are somethings in life that you need to adjust. so don't get me wrong, but I ask that you do not spend a bunch of time trying to become something that you are not. I was talking to a friend yesterday, and we were discussing what happens when people spend so much time trying to please others and become something that they are not. Ultimately, people see through it and they eventually get exposed. It can be exhausting trying to be someone that you are not, thats why I never really did that. Plus, I never do anything to try and impress people because you can never please everyone!
I think that will be a discussion for another day, but I wanted to share something that really impacted me recently. So the question is, are you using your talents or are you trying to be something that you are not? My hope is that you would chase after your talents, and become the man or woman that God wants you to be! God bless you, until next time!
Those of you that have known me know that for years I went back and forth on what I wanted to do with my life. In high school, I abhorred algebra, but I spent so much time working on it that it took away from the classes that I was actually good at. I excelled in History and in German, but spent so much time doing Algebra instead of fine tuning those skills. When I finally rid myself of it spring of senior year, I was able to devote the time I needed to work on my strengths. I ended up going to college not knowing what to pursue because I was so busy trying to fix what I was bad at.
I can see that in my life in the church as well. Much of my Christian life, I found myself getting prodded by people who have the prophetic gifting. The gifts I get told I have the most frequently are teaching, wisdom and exhortation. But instead of considering that, I was told that I needed to give prophetic words or else I could not be on the youth ministry team. I was told that I had to speak in tongues or else I might not be a Christian. I told them that 1 Corinthians has a huge chunk devoted to refuting the dominance of certain gifts, and that we are all needed to form a cohesive body. Paul actually says that some my speak in tongues, not all. Needless to say, I put them in my rearview rather quickly.
As I have been doing my thesis and looking at Spiritual Gifts, I have come to realize that we need to become more cognizant of what our strengths are, and be able to use them properly. For me, I started teaching regularly to become a better teacher. I took a position in my church where I could use my wisdom and encouragement to help people reach their potential. I always knew that I was not a prophetically strong person, and thats okay. So I guess what I am saying to you today, is just because you might not be awesome at something, its okay. Because there is something that you are amazing at and I hope that you do not let anyone get in your way from becoming a catalyst by doing it.
There are somethings in life that you need to adjust. so don't get me wrong, but I ask that you do not spend a bunch of time trying to become something that you are not. I was talking to a friend yesterday, and we were discussing what happens when people spend so much time trying to please others and become something that they are not. Ultimately, people see through it and they eventually get exposed. It can be exhausting trying to be someone that you are not, thats why I never really did that. Plus, I never do anything to try and impress people because you can never please everyone!
I think that will be a discussion for another day, but I wanted to share something that really impacted me recently. So the question is, are you using your talents or are you trying to be something that you are not? My hope is that you would chase after your talents, and become the man or woman that God wants you to be! God bless you, until next time!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Revival requires death
This is going to be a quicker post today. I am sorry that I have not been writing, I have been swamped by life. But there are a few things I want to discuss in the future, including today!
I have been mauling over a lot of different ideas about how we live out our faith. Some ideas such as authenticity, being inclusive instead of exclusive, and our obsession with the term "revival" come to mind. I am probably going to cover the other two subjects in coming weeks, but I will start with one right now.
As I hang around Charismatic Christians more and more, I am finding that there are a few trends that are popular across the country. One of them is the idea of revival. When most people think of revival, they think of a big tent where signs and miracles happen. I know that is not the case, but it is the stereotype. With me, I often times get confused with the fascination for revival. The reason is that if our faith is so important to us, why don't we try to maintain it instead of letting it get to the point that we need to revive it?
I might get in trouble for the next comment, but it frequently seems that people are praying for revival in OTHER PEOPLE, not themselves. Instead, why are we not praying for God to change us so that he can enable us to care more for the people directly around us? We should also be praying that we can sustain his love in us to give to others without making them a number or treating them like an evangelism opportunity.
Recently, I was at a meeting in which it was mentioned that we need to be praying for revival on our predominantly Christian campus. This confused me because it does not seem that anything is wrong per-say, revival implies that something is dead and needs to be revived. When you go to a school that has become secularized or to a place that is devoid of God, that is where revival needs to be prayed for... because the faith is dead there. It just seems that we are wasting our time trying to minister to people who are already being ministered to.
But this is coming from me, who has not lived in a world where authentic Christianity is the norm. Christianity is looked at differently when it is not in a "climate controlled environment" such as church, school, or ministry outreaches. I had my life threatened at 16 for being Christian, I spent time in the Navy and other jobs in my past where I was subject to mockery and unfair treatment because of my faith. I have been threatened by other Christians as well, so I have learned that my enemies and friends are sometime the same thing. But I served my part, and in the end I was able to demonstrate what it means to be Christian and was given chances to be Christ to them. Those places needed revival. Maybe the school does need to be revived because it is dead, but the life that I see there is far greater than other places that I have been.
When I think about Jesus, He was dealing with the Pharisees who were dead spiritually. These guys felt that they could act holy but live a completely different way. Jesus threw the Torah in their face and told them how it was. Jesus went to the "sick", much to the chagrin of the religious elite, because he was being revival.
So my questions today are these...
1. Are we alive enough to instigate revival?
2. What are we reviving... and is it even dead?
3. Do we want it enough to go to darker places where we have to risk certain things dear to us?
Revival requires something being dead... can we go to the dead and bring life? My hope is that you will say yes.
I have been mauling over a lot of different ideas about how we live out our faith. Some ideas such as authenticity, being inclusive instead of exclusive, and our obsession with the term "revival" come to mind. I am probably going to cover the other two subjects in coming weeks, but I will start with one right now.
As I hang around Charismatic Christians more and more, I am finding that there are a few trends that are popular across the country. One of them is the idea of revival. When most people think of revival, they think of a big tent where signs and miracles happen. I know that is not the case, but it is the stereotype. With me, I often times get confused with the fascination for revival. The reason is that if our faith is so important to us, why don't we try to maintain it instead of letting it get to the point that we need to revive it?
I might get in trouble for the next comment, but it frequently seems that people are praying for revival in OTHER PEOPLE, not themselves. Instead, why are we not praying for God to change us so that he can enable us to care more for the people directly around us? We should also be praying that we can sustain his love in us to give to others without making them a number or treating them like an evangelism opportunity.
Recently, I was at a meeting in which it was mentioned that we need to be praying for revival on our predominantly Christian campus. This confused me because it does not seem that anything is wrong per-say, revival implies that something is dead and needs to be revived. When you go to a school that has become secularized or to a place that is devoid of God, that is where revival needs to be prayed for... because the faith is dead there. It just seems that we are wasting our time trying to minister to people who are already being ministered to.
But this is coming from me, who has not lived in a world where authentic Christianity is the norm. Christianity is looked at differently when it is not in a "climate controlled environment" such as church, school, or ministry outreaches. I had my life threatened at 16 for being Christian, I spent time in the Navy and other jobs in my past where I was subject to mockery and unfair treatment because of my faith. I have been threatened by other Christians as well, so I have learned that my enemies and friends are sometime the same thing. But I served my part, and in the end I was able to demonstrate what it means to be Christian and was given chances to be Christ to them. Those places needed revival. Maybe the school does need to be revived because it is dead, but the life that I see there is far greater than other places that I have been.
When I think about Jesus, He was dealing with the Pharisees who were dead spiritually. These guys felt that they could act holy but live a completely different way. Jesus threw the Torah in their face and told them how it was. Jesus went to the "sick", much to the chagrin of the religious elite, because he was being revival.
So my questions today are these...
1. Are we alive enough to instigate revival?
2. What are we reviving... and is it even dead?
3. Do we want it enough to go to darker places where we have to risk certain things dear to us?
Revival requires something being dead... can we go to the dead and bring life? My hope is that you will say yes.
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