Life can be tough. And, when hard times come, it is very easy to focus on the pain and the struggles and how difficult things are. But, before we get too deep into focusing on the difficulties of life, let's take a look at what Paul went through. According to 2 Corinthians 11:23-29. Paul tells us of his travails:
- severe flogging - five different times, thirty-nine hits per flogging. Ever see "The Passion of the Christ"? Imagine the scene where the Romans beat Jesus x5.
- clubbed three times
- stoned once
- shipwrecked three times (no GPS, no Coast Guard)
- on the run and "in danger," unsure who to trust
- deprived of the basics of necessity for life (food, water, shelter)
- faced death on many occasions
But I want you to pay special attention to the last item on Paul's list: "Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches" (1 Cor. 11:28, NIV). All of the life threatening uncertainties and privation Paul dealt with (including, though not listing, imprisonment), and what is he concerned about most? The church. The body of Christ. Others over self.
"Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?" (1 Cor. 11:29, NIV). Personally, whatever Paul went through makes my minor tribulations seem all the smaller. I believe what the apostle is saying - at least in part - is this: if I can do it, so can you.
The reason Paul can do it is simple. His life focus can be summed up thusly: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20, NIV).
Let me encourage you to keep your eyes on Christ. Just like Paul, run your race - whatever course God has set for you - with great purpose and intent (see 1 Cor 9:24-27).
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Reasonable Faith
"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" - Luke 12:25 (NIV)
Worry is the product of skewed reasoning. It is the mind's attempt to figure out how to fix perceived problems by mulling the issue over and over and over. It is the brain attempting to rationalize irrational situations. In truth, worry simply compounds our problems and makes the situation even more irrational.
Instead of trying to reason out the problem through worry, reason through this: Jesus tells us not to worry.
Repeatedly.
Giving up on worry requires trust. And trust isn't always easy - especially when all we see is trouble. So let's reason through this...
"Do not worry." Jesus isn't making a suggestion. He's commanding us: do not worry. The fact of the matter is, when we worry, we do not have all the facts of the matter. We don't know the future - next year, next week or the next five minutes.
But God does.
This is the same God Who loves us. The same God Who promises to never leave us. The same God Who the Psalmist describes as "our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble," leading him to conclude, "Therefore we will not fear." "The LORD Almighty is with us" (Psalm 46:1-2, 7, NIV).
God doesn't lie, for God is truth (John 3:33). We can trust Him - take Him at His Word. And God's Word says, "Do not worry."
We can see our circumstances. What we often can't see - frankly, don't need to see - is how we will get through our troubles. That's where faith comes in. Give all your cares to God and trust Him with the results. Worry is a burden we were never intended to carry, for faith. mercy and grace are gifts from God Who we can place our whole trust in.
Worry is the product of skewed reasoning. It is the mind's attempt to figure out how to fix perceived problems by mulling the issue over and over and over. It is the brain attempting to rationalize irrational situations. In truth, worry simply compounds our problems and makes the situation even more irrational.
Instead of trying to reason out the problem through worry, reason through this: Jesus tells us not to worry.
Repeatedly.
Giving up on worry requires trust. And trust isn't always easy - especially when all we see is trouble. So let's reason through this...
"Do not worry." Jesus isn't making a suggestion. He's commanding us: do not worry. The fact of the matter is, when we worry, we do not have all the facts of the matter. We don't know the future - next year, next week or the next five minutes.
But God does.
This is the same God Who loves us. The same God Who promises to never leave us. The same God Who the Psalmist describes as "our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble," leading him to conclude, "Therefore we will not fear." "The LORD Almighty is with us" (Psalm 46:1-2, 7, NIV).
God doesn't lie, for God is truth (John 3:33). We can trust Him - take Him at His Word. And God's Word says, "Do not worry."
We can see our circumstances. What we often can't see - frankly, don't need to see - is how we will get through our troubles. That's where faith comes in. Give all your cares to God and trust Him with the results. Worry is a burden we were never intended to carry, for faith. mercy and grace are gifts from God Who we can place our whole trust in.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
ἰσχύω
"I can do everything through (Christ) Who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:13 [NIV, paraphrased].
"I can do." Three very simple words. Easily understandable. Monosyllabic. Yet, they denote great power. In fact, in this passage of Scripture, they come from the Greek word ἰσχύω (ischyō) which denotes the possession of strength and power, the ability to overcome.
"I can do everything." All things. Nothing is impossible.
"I can do everything through Christ." Through Christ, Who is instrumental in the process. Who is God incarnate, and able to do absolutely anything, for "nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37).
"I can do everything through Christ Who gives me strength." I do not have to act out of my own weakness. It is the Lord Who strengths me, emboldens me, acts on my behalf. I need not worry or care. I need never fear the future. I need only to trust and obey Christ.
Let me ask you: what trial or trouble are you facing today? Do you feel overwhelmed by the demands of life? Are you in the midst of troubles and uncertainties? You don't have to pack around your burdens alone. You don't have to live afraid. Know that God is with you. Think of the times when God was with you. Pray and have faith. Believe that God's omnipotent strength is with you. You can do everything because God, Who can do anything, is your source of strength.
"I can do." Three very simple words. Easily understandable. Monosyllabic. Yet, they denote great power. In fact, in this passage of Scripture, they come from the Greek word ἰσχύω (ischyō) which denotes the possession of strength and power, the ability to overcome.
"I can do everything." All things. Nothing is impossible.
"I can do everything through Christ." Through Christ, Who is instrumental in the process. Who is God incarnate, and able to do absolutely anything, for "nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37).
"I can do everything through Christ Who gives me strength." I do not have to act out of my own weakness. It is the Lord Who strengths me, emboldens me, acts on my behalf. I need not worry or care. I need never fear the future. I need only to trust and obey Christ.
Let me ask you: what trial or trouble are you facing today? Do you feel overwhelmed by the demands of life? Are you in the midst of troubles and uncertainties? You don't have to pack around your burdens alone. You don't have to live afraid. Know that God is with you. Think of the times when God was with you. Pray and have faith. Believe that God's omnipotent strength is with you. You can do everything because God, Who can do anything, is your source of strength.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
νικάω
νικάω - nikaō, the Greek word translated as "overcome" in John 16:33 - is a word packed with power. When Jesus says He has "νικάω the world," He is proclaiming victory over the enemy. He is proclaiming God as conqueror over the world - over sin, over death. The word denotes that God will "prevail" (Romans 3:4, cf. Psalms 51:4).
So, take heart. As believers, we are conquerors. We have "νικάω the world." "This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 John 5:3, NIV).
So, take heart. As believers, we are conquerors. We have "νικάω the world." "This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 John 5:3, NIV).
Jesus Is a Realist (or What Kind of Promise is That?!)
Text: John 16:33
They are words that believers often don't want to hear: "In this world, you will have trouble." We would much rather believe that, once we become Christians, all our problems will magically cease. Nothing but sunshine and daisies and kumbaya, my Lord.
As I'm sure you've already figured out, that isn't exactly the case. And we shouldn't expect it to be. God never promised us easy circumstances. But He did promise something far better.
We can still have peace, even as the storms of life rage around us. Jesus warns us of troubles ahead but gives us a promise we can latch onto with all our might: "Take heart! I have overcome the world."
None of us is going to surprise God. Never can anyone go to the Lord with a problem and expect His response to be, "Hmmm... that's a new one. Never heard this before!" The Lord is bigger than any trouble we face. He is bigger than our disappointments and hurts, bigger than our anxieties and fears, bigger than any circumstance that darkens our lives.
The reality of our situation is that Christianity does not promise us better life circumstances than for those who do not believe in Jesus. What we do have is the promise of the Lord to see us through the hardships of life - a promise so great that any problem should shrink in its presence.
They are words that believers often don't want to hear: "In this world, you will have trouble." We would much rather believe that, once we become Christians, all our problems will magically cease. Nothing but sunshine and daisies and kumbaya, my Lord.
As I'm sure you've already figured out, that isn't exactly the case. And we shouldn't expect it to be. God never promised us easy circumstances. But He did promise something far better.
We can still have peace, even as the storms of life rage around us. Jesus warns us of troubles ahead but gives us a promise we can latch onto with all our might: "Take heart! I have overcome the world."
None of us is going to surprise God. Never can anyone go to the Lord with a problem and expect His response to be, "Hmmm... that's a new one. Never heard this before!" The Lord is bigger than any trouble we face. He is bigger than our disappointments and hurts, bigger than our anxieties and fears, bigger than any circumstance that darkens our lives.
The reality of our situation is that Christianity does not promise us better life circumstances than for those who do not believe in Jesus. What we do have is the promise of the Lord to see us through the hardships of life - a promise so great that any problem should shrink in its presence.
Purpose
Today's text: Philippians 3:7-15
I started today's morning reading with 1 Corinthians 9, then read Philippians 3. It occurs to me that the reason many of us don't feel peace in our lives because we aren't focused on the right things in life. If you're thinking, "Well, gee Chris, that's not exactly an earth shattering revelation," you are correct. There is a reason Paul writes that "it is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you" (Phil 3:1, NIV). It's because we are human, preoccupied with our own lives and occasionally dense to what the Lord has to say. Sometimes it takes a 2x4 to slow us down long enough to consider what God's trying to tell us. (Or repetitive writing of the same message).
Paul had his priorities. And he considered everything this world has to offer to be "rubbish" in comparison with Christ. I read these words of Paul. I sense his passion for Christ, his zeal to "press on toward the goal."
Then I look at my own life. And I consider where this race is leading me. What prize lies at the end? If there be any glory at the finish line, whose is it? Where are the everyday things I do repeatedly getting me?
I'll leave you to read these Scripture passages and ponder the questions yourself. Write down your thoughts. Reflect on them. Be prayerful about how you spend / squander / invest your life. Comment if you'd like.
I started today's morning reading with 1 Corinthians 9, then read Philippians 3. It occurs to me that the reason many of us don't feel peace in our lives because we aren't focused on the right things in life. If you're thinking, "Well, gee Chris, that's not exactly an earth shattering revelation," you are correct. There is a reason Paul writes that "it is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you" (Phil 3:1, NIV). It's because we are human, preoccupied with our own lives and occasionally dense to what the Lord has to say. Sometimes it takes a 2x4 to slow us down long enough to consider what God's trying to tell us. (Or repetitive writing of the same message).
Paul had his priorities. And he considered everything this world has to offer to be "rubbish" in comparison with Christ. I read these words of Paul. I sense his passion for Christ, his zeal to "press on toward the goal."
Then I look at my own life. And I consider where this race is leading me. What prize lies at the end? If there be any glory at the finish line, whose is it? Where are the everyday things I do repeatedly getting me?
I'll leave you to read these Scripture passages and ponder the questions yourself. Write down your thoughts. Reflect on them. Be prayerful about how you spend / squander / invest your life. Comment if you'd like.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
πιστεύω
Text: John 14:1-4
My poor dad. I must have put him through his paces when I was a kid. When I was in high school, Dad had a 1966 Ford pickup truck that belonged to my grandpa. Bear in mind, I learned to drive in a big, beautiful Oldsmobile with an automatic transmission. The day I got my driver's license, I hopped in the old Ford with my dad, looked down at the clutch and asked, "What's that extra peddle?" Now, I'm not a very coordianted person. I can't dance. Nor can I hit the clutch and the column shifter in harmony. After much spitting, sputtering and frustration (both from the truck and my dad), I finally - mercifully - gave up for the day. I didn't exactly instill a lot of confidence in my dad.
Eventually, I learned to drive Dad's pickup. And, one fateful, icy winter's night, he let me borrow his beloved old truck. The main streets were fine, but the backroads were slick. "Stay on the highway," Dad warned me. "Do not cut through the country coming back home."
"Trust me," I said, clutching the keys.
I probably don't need to finish the story. Let's just say... had to be home by 10:30. It was 10:20. I was late, which meant I was in trouble. I had to make a quick decision: go home via the highways and face certain grounding. Or, take my chances by short-cutting via the rural route and hope I didn't hit any ice.
I lost. The big boulder sitting at the edge of the "s"-curve won. The huge dent in the front bumper told the whole story.
Frankly, I blew it. It took Dad quite a while to trust me again.
Trust. That's a very personal word. When we ask someone to trust us, we are saying, "Put your well being in my hands."
πιστεύω (pisteuō) is the Greek term translated here as "trust" (or "believe" in the King James Version). And, in contrast to the story I just shared, trust is exactly what Jesus had earned with His disciples. For three years, they had followed Christ and seen Him keep His word time and again. Miracle after miracle, promise after promise, Jesus shows Himself trustworthy.
Now Jesus is leaving them. After calling the disciples to "follow me," Jesus is telling them, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now..." (John 14:36, NIV). Can you imagine how the eleven must have felt? They had given up their lives to follow Christ - for three years - and now, the one they rely on is leaving.
But Jesus appeals to them, "Trust in God; trust also in me." What they are about to see with shake their faith to its core. Peter will deny even knowing Jesus three times in a short span of time. However... Jesus has left for them the example of a legacy of trustworthiness.
People will let you down. We're all human and we all blow it. All of us at some point have been disappointed by somebody we trusted. Instead of losing our peace, put your trust in God. Trust Jesus to see you through the situation you're facing right now. "Do not let your heart be troubled." Simply trust in Christ and focus on Him. He never really left the disciples. He'll never leave you, either.
My poor dad. I must have put him through his paces when I was a kid. When I was in high school, Dad had a 1966 Ford pickup truck that belonged to my grandpa. Bear in mind, I learned to drive in a big, beautiful Oldsmobile with an automatic transmission. The day I got my driver's license, I hopped in the old Ford with my dad, looked down at the clutch and asked, "What's that extra peddle?" Now, I'm not a very coordianted person. I can't dance. Nor can I hit the clutch and the column shifter in harmony. After much spitting, sputtering and frustration (both from the truck and my dad), I finally - mercifully - gave up for the day. I didn't exactly instill a lot of confidence in my dad.
Eventually, I learned to drive Dad's pickup. And, one fateful, icy winter's night, he let me borrow his beloved old truck. The main streets were fine, but the backroads were slick. "Stay on the highway," Dad warned me. "Do not cut through the country coming back home."
"Trust me," I said, clutching the keys.
I probably don't need to finish the story. Let's just say... had to be home by 10:30. It was 10:20. I was late, which meant I was in trouble. I had to make a quick decision: go home via the highways and face certain grounding. Or, take my chances by short-cutting via the rural route and hope I didn't hit any ice.
I lost. The big boulder sitting at the edge of the "s"-curve won. The huge dent in the front bumper told the whole story.
Frankly, I blew it. It took Dad quite a while to trust me again.
Trust. That's a very personal word. When we ask someone to trust us, we are saying, "Put your well being in my hands."
πιστεύω (pisteuō) is the Greek term translated here as "trust" (or "believe" in the King James Version). And, in contrast to the story I just shared, trust is exactly what Jesus had earned with His disciples. For three years, they had followed Christ and seen Him keep His word time and again. Miracle after miracle, promise after promise, Jesus shows Himself trustworthy.
Now Jesus is leaving them. After calling the disciples to "follow me," Jesus is telling them, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now..." (John 14:36, NIV). Can you imagine how the eleven must have felt? They had given up their lives to follow Christ - for three years - and now, the one they rely on is leaving.
But Jesus appeals to them, "Trust in God; trust also in me." What they are about to see with shake their faith to its core. Peter will deny even knowing Jesus three times in a short span of time. However... Jesus has left for them the example of a legacy of trustworthiness.
People will let you down. We're all human and we all blow it. All of us at some point have been disappointed by somebody we trusted. Instead of losing our peace, put your trust in God. Trust Jesus to see you through the situation you're facing right now. "Do not let your heart be troubled." Simply trust in Christ and focus on Him. He never really left the disciples. He'll never leave you, either.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)