Let go and let God? Is it truth?

“I came to realize that preachers were telling me to lay my life at the foot of the cross and they weren’t giving me anything to pick up.” (Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne)

When I recently heard this (audio book) my mind returned to something a member of my home group shared recently regarding Matthew 11: 28-30. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” He pointed out that we are not supposed to just lay down our burden, but we need to take on Christ’s yoke and his burden. It is through that exchange that we find rest.

I am realizing I have been taught the belief that if we turn things over to God, he will take them away and make things easier, but as I look at scripture I am not seeing that concept.

Has the church distorted things to make this teaching seem like truth? Does scripture hold the teaching that we can “let go and let God”, or does it teach that there is always a trade – lay this down and pick this up, or give this and get that?

A sunroof for praise

A cloudless blue sky……time to drive……worship music…….a sunroof where you can lift your hand in praise.

Thank you Lord for all the little blessings we sometimes overlook, and for giving us opportunities all day long to love you, learn from you, and spend time with you! May my life reflect and shine with the love I have for you!

Our choices show we are courageous or cowardly

“Every single day we make choices that show whether we are courageous or cowardly. We choose between the right thing and the convenient thing. Sticking to a conviction or caving in for the sake of comfort, for the sake of greed, for the sake of approval. We choose to take a carefully thought-out risk or to crawl into a shrinking shell of safety, security, and inactivity.” (Bill Hybels)

Sometimes making those decisions can be costly, confusing, and scary. Other times they are exciting, joy-filled, and inspiring. The most difficult probably hold a combination of both the exciting and the scary elements.

Last week I made one of those decisions (more on that to come in a future post). It was a choice for the right thing, is risky and uncertain, and will change my life in significant ways. When I took the step to make my decision known on Sunday I was filled with uncertainty, and even as other steps have followed my emotions have felt like I have made the wrong decision, but I am certain deeper in my spirit that this is right. It is right because it is a choice for following God, a choice that will cost me something, a choice where I will have to deny myself to walk out what I feel God has called me to.

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life[ will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? ” (Mark 8:32-37)

Are you making choices that are courageous or cowardly? Are you choosing the convenient thing, or are you willing to do what is right even if it means denying yourself and having to take up your cross to follow?

Thought for the day

I have one of those daily quote/idea/thought flipbooks sitting on my desk at work. Due to weekends I often fall a couple days behind. The thought for May 27th was:

May you grow to be as beautiful as God meant you to be when He first thought of you. – Unknown

Who do you wish this for? Is this a wish you have for yourself?

Uncovered and laid bare

I recently was at a friend’s house. We needed some chairs that were in his garage. I offered to help get them but his response was “you don’t need to see my garage”. His response left me wondering, what is it we hide from others? Here was a friend I have known for a year and half, have served along side in ministry, and whose house I have been to several times, but his response showed how we try to keep the “mess” of our lives hidden from others.

Hebrews 4:13 “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Are you living in such a way that you are trying to keep something hidden from God? Nothing is hidden from him. What do you need to change, uncover, and lay bare before God or others to live a life of integrity?

Managing what we are entrusted with

Parable of the Talents – Matthew 25:14-30 

Several times a week I open my wallet and take out cash, a check, or a credit/debit card and use it to spend some of what I have been entrusted with here on earth. At church on Sunday we looked at the passage above. The kingdom of God is “like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.” Is our property entrusted to us by God? If so, what would I have to present to God today if he returned? A lot more? A little more? The same? Less?

I am left to wonder how my life would be different if I asked if God wanted me to make the purchase before I spent any money. Would my life be different if I thought about the outcome of my investment every time I spent time with someone, served, ate, studied, worked, slept, watched TV, played, listened to music, etc. For the next week I am going to stop before I spend any money and ask that question. I wonder what I won’t be buying. I wonder what I am supposed to do with that money if I don’t spend it this week.

Learning about loving

1 John 3:23-24 “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love on another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.”

God’s word tells us to love each other. Have you ever thought about what that looks like? Does how you express love to someone else come across to them as love? Each person is different, and their story, temperament, and perceptions affect how they view love. The Word gives us a picture of what love should look like though. In 1 Corinthians it describes love as patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, not proud, not rude or self seeking, not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs. It rejoices in truth. It ALWAYS protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres.

This week a friend who has been walking through a long ongoing struggle made the choice to bring it to an end. His choice is confusing to those of us left behind because we did care for him, but as the body of Christ we didn’t love him well enough. Others have said he was hard to love, didn’t receive love, or chose to live without love. Those descriptions make me angry because they justify our actions. The truth is our love for Alex didn’t always protect him, provide hope, build trust, or persevere. He was turned away, let down, and hurt by our church community. A few months ago he told me that he has lowered his standard and no longer believes Christians will be faithful and live by God’s word. This week, I grieve the loss of my friend, I grieve the reality of my sin, I grieve the sin of others around me, and I grieve with God that his truth and ways are not being lived out well.

Why a shepherd carries the lamb

Have you ever thought about why we sometimes see a picture of a shepherd carrying a lamb on his shoulders? Did you know it is likely because he broke the lambs leg?

 

 

A wayward sheep is a sheep that wanders from the flock into danger. Often this is a repeated behavior, not a onetime occurrence. One of the roles of the Shepherd is to set boundaries for his sheep. He knows what is healthy and good for them, and his boundaries are there for the protection and care of the sheep. If  sheep is wandering away from the flock and away from the care of the Shepherd it is headed to a place that could be dangerous and hurtful. The rod and the staff are used to keep them close and safe but sometimes that is not enough. At times sheep choose to wander away from the safety and security to a place that is outside the boundaries that will protect them.

 

When a sheep continues to wander away from the flock and Shepherd and put himself at risk a loving Shepherd will take measures to keep the sheep safe. He may break the sheep’s leg so it can not wander away. This forces the sheep to be dependent on the Shepherd for care. It must remain in very close proximity with the Shepherd where it will not only receive care, but the sheep will learn the Shepherd’s voice, see his love, and develop a relationship that was not being built when the sheep was wandering. The hope is the sheep will learn that the Shepherd’s care brings safety, security, love, goodness, peace.

 

Psalm 23:1-3a “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.”

 

Can you think of a time where God may have been treating you like a wayward sheep that he loved? Have you experienced a time where it felt like you may have been disciplined in such a way to keep you at the Shepherd’s side so you could be trained, loved on, and restored?

 

Again I am amazed how God’s ways seem so contrary to my ways!

Spring cleaning of a different kind

On a daily basis I carry around a keychain with four keys. Two are for my house, one for my car, and one for work. I have probably only used my house and work keys no more than a dozen times and yet I have lived in my home for several years. This is because I have electronic door openers. Even my car keys have only been used on the car doors a few times in the seven years I have owned the car due to the electronic door opener.

Recently my car remote door opener broke. The absence of that small item I have taken so for granted has left me thinking about what it is I carry through life and how useful those things are. Every day I carry around keys that I don’t need. What else do I carry (mentally, emotionally, spiritually, or physically) that I really should let go of or put away? What do I keep on my inside, or physically keep hold of that I should be letting go of? What thought patterns or beliefs do I carry that it is time to get rid of? What habits is it time to end?

I am in a new season of life with some changes that lie ahead. I guess it is time to do some purging along the way.

Could I get that convicted about something else?

I received an email from a pastor friend today who I have had some dialogue with regarding my decision to step away from the church I have been attending. He knows I have been hurt by a church before this decision, and today he told me, “I am amazed that you still even want to hang around Christians for all the pain you’ve been through.”

My response was “God get’s more glory this way.”

So often I choose a response that doesn’t give God glory, but when it comes to giving up my faith and walking away from Christians I can’t do that. I wonder if there are other areas I could get that convicted about so I would give God glory more often. Something to think about……

Today’s lesson: An image of the church

I recently started driving a new route to work and on that route I pass by a local hardware store. Every morning there are non-Caucasian men gathered at each driveway to the store. I am pretty sure they are waiting for someone to come by to hire them for a days labor.

The first time I drove by I thought how sad it was to live in a suburban area and have people needing to depending on day to day work like this. However, the next time I drove by God reminded me of the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16).

Yesterday as I drove by I was thinking about the church, and how these men were representing what I see in the church.

• At one entrance was a group that was socializing, sharing, and laughing together.
• At the other entrance was a very small group that was gathered, but not sharing with each other.
• To the side were several men standing alone and isolated from the groups.

My heart has grown a lot over the last few months about how to unify the church, how to build community, how to create culture, and how to gather in those who have been hurt/disillusioned/offended/broken or who have never tried the church. I am thankful that my God cares enough to show me lessons on every street corner if I will just look for them.