Times and Seasons

Here in the Northeast part of these United States we are ready for Springtime! It’s been an epic winter, and not in the good sense. Tons of snow and ice, bitter cold, expensive and extensive damage will make this one stick in memory for a long time. But, the warmth will come.  In a couple of months the ice will be gone, the earth will green.  My life parallels the cycle of seasons.  There are times of sorrow, followed by days of joy. There are times of success and times of failure. There are arrivals and departures.

Our church will experience a departure this week. Eric came to us almost 4 years ago, new to ministry, full of optimism, ready for change.  He departs with a new degree, a promise of ordination, a wife, and hopefully, a heart and head full of memories. He leaves behind students who were taught and changed by his ministry and in the outreach that he spear-headed in the town. Watching his departure to a new call unfold, I noted that most are accepting that it is ‘the time,’ like the coming of a new season.  We enjoyed what Eric brought our way and now it is time for all of us to “grow” on seeing an end as a beginning. This is a lesson in life.

At the Pastor’s retreat that I attended this week the speaker, Gordon MacDonald, who is 74 years of age and fresh in his thinking, urged us to think of our lives as a four lap race. The first 20 years we get ready, developing character, learning from others.  The next 20 years we work at assembling skills, discovering strengths, growing into maturity.  From 40 to 60 we are equipped to make our maximum contribution to the world using our experience, resources, and positions in the structures of business and society. The final lap from 60 to 80 is not, as many think, a time to retire. It’s a season of influence.  As we move out of organizational positions we have the time for extended conversations, the time to come alongside people to offer encouragement and affirmation, and the opportunity to build lives through wisdom. What a way to see life – a natural flow, a planned progression, God’s plan and purpose in each season.

Unlike the inevitable flow of  winter into spring, our lives can get derailed. We can resist change. We can slip into sin and hinder progress. So, Paul, under the inspiration of the Spirit, tells us that focus and discipline are necessary. "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, NIV)  The language seems harsh at first. “I beat my body,” he writes.  I wrestle into submission those impulses that would sideline me in the race.  How many have disqualified themselves by giving into temptation, by loving leisure, or by losing sight of the finish line?  God help us to match the power of His Spirit and steely determination so that we will run the race well.

Where are you in the flow of time? 
Are you moving with God’s seasons, making the most of each time?
Are you aware of time’s passing, but ready to respond to the call of the Spirit today? 

Our word from the Word urges us to leave and look, to forget and to anticipate.  Read it with a prayer to finish well, both in the present season and in life itself.

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, …
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. …

I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!" (Philippians 3:10-4:1, NIV)

Thank you Lord for the lessons of yesterday,

the opportunities of today, and

the promise of tomorrow.

Help us to make the most of Today,

even as we look and listen for Your call to move onward.

In Jesus’ Name.

Amen

I'm too tired

The phone rang just as I was settling down for the cold wintry evening.  The voice on the other end expressed a need, one that could not wait. Could I just say no? Would I overcome my weariness and go?  God does not always schedule opportunities for doing His work within our work schedule or when we find it convenient. 

Jesus’ disciples had just returned from a missions trip. Mark says that "They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them." (Mark 6:12-13, NIV)  It is not a stretch to imagine that they were both pumped up with excitement and exhausted by their work. "The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place." (Mark 6:30-32, NIV)  It looks like they are going to have time to regroup, to debrief. Every wise Christian will step back regularly for renewal.

On the way to the ‘solitary place,’ they anticipated having Jesus’ attention.  When they arrived, they found that word got out they were coming.  A huge crowd waited. Jesus’ love, His sense of the peoples’ deep spiritual need; “they were like sheep without a shepherd,” caused Him to spend the day teaching them.  As evening approached the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This is a remote place and it’s already very late. Send the people away." (Mark 6:35-36, NIV)  They were tired, done for the day. That’s reasonable, isn’t it?  But. . .

Jesus has another plan that none of them saw coming. He says, “Feed them!”  There were 5000 men, plus women and children, there.  After arguing with Him about the lack of resources, the cost of such an effort, they took on the challenge.  That evening, they participated in an amazing miracle, one that revealed who Jesus was and is – God in flesh, the Bread of Life. Five loaves of bread and two fish multiplied in their hands and when supper was over everybody was satisfied. Just to make the point of His sufficiency, Jesus let them see 12 baskets of left-overs gathered!

If God, the Holy Spirit, asks us to step up when we think it’s time to lie down, we can anticipate that He will provide the energy and resources needed to finish the work. The point is not to be driven by need. That will surely cause us to burn out.  Nor can we simply say, “I’m too tired,” and ignore inconvenient requests.  The saying is true:  “Where God guides, He provides.”  

Will you and I discover the joy being part of His plan by responding with ready obedience?  And, by the way, on that wintry evening, I did get up and go. God, the Spirit, created an opportunity to do His work in a way that proved rewarding and fulfilling and my weariness was forgotten in that moment.

Here is a word from the Word.  May it describe our attitude toward our Lord.

"I look to you, heaven-dwelling God, look up to you for help.
Like servants, alert to their master’s commands,
like a maiden attending her lady,
We’re watching and waiting, holding our breath,
awaiting your word of mercy.
Mercy, God, mercy!"

(Psalm 123:1-3, The Message)

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He Giveth More Grace

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater.

He sendeth more strength when the labors increase.

To added affliction, He addeth His mercy,

To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

His love has no limit!

His grace has no measure!

His pow'r has no boundary known unto men.

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,

He giveth and giveth and giveth again.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance.

When our strength has failed

‘Ere the day is half done.

When we reach the end of our hoarded resources.

Our Father's full giving is only begun.

Annie Johnson Flint | Hubert Mitchell

© Words: Public Domain

You lead, Lord

The old Sinatra anthem, “I did it my way,” is as American as apple pie.  Woven into our national legends are themes that encourage self-reliance and independence. First graders aspire to be the line leader for the day. Awards go to those who take charge and shake things up. But in all  this emphasis on being at the top we potentially rob ourselves of peace and even effectiveness in life.  There is a place for followership, too. 

Jesus invites us to find rest in Him and note how. "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." (Matthew 11:29, NIV) The yoke is

a “device for joining together a pair of draft animals, especially oxen, usually consisting of a crosspiece with two bow-shaped pieces, each enclosing the head of an animal.” (dictionary.com)  It takes away the freedom for that animal to wander off to an inviting tuft of grass or pool of water.  Yes, the yoke was and is a symbol of oppression and abuse.  So take careful note that Jesus does not say He will slap a yoke on us! He encourages us to put on the yoke that ties us to Him. It is a voluntary submission.

Submission! It’s a despised word for many.  However, the Christian who desires true rest, who would live in the most profound contentment, will choice to say, “You lead, Lord.” He will give himself to the yoke of Christ Jesus.  The Lord promises that He won’t jerk us around either. He is gentle!  There is a quality of Christian life that is only discovered when we stop trying to be the one in charge.  Submission is not the same thing as resignation.  Many encounter disappoint and/or defeat and just give up.  There is no joy, no rest in that place.  Who wants to be beaten down?

Followership is difficult because it involves death to Self. Be encouraged that even Jesus wrestled with embracing the purposes of His Father.  In the Garden as He faced the Cross, becoming sin for us, going through the agony of crucifixion, His intense emotions made Him sweat blood, literally!  He cried out for another way, but ultimately, He stepped into the yoke and let the Father lead.  “Jerry, that’s not a great illustration for me,” you may be saying. “I don’t want to die.”   But, we must. Like Jesus, our exaltation, our greatest glory, is not found in forcing our way on the world, but in taking up our cross and letting Him lead.

Are you discontent?  Is your life marked by restlessness, complaint, striving, and competition?  The wisdom of the world will tell you to take charge, to reshape your situation to make things more favorable to yourself. The myth of leadership is that it provides greater freedom.  True leaders are servants and the greater their position of leadership, the more people they serve!  Real rest, Jesus says, is found when we take His yoke, when we step into line with Him, letting Him lead.

Think long and hard about this word from the Word. “While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.” (Heb 5:7-10, NLT)   Here’s the focus phrase - Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience.  Will we choose that way that for ourselves?

Yoke. Rest. Serve. Peace. God’s Promise. Rich Provisions.

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Blessed Assurance

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine.
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Perfect submission, perfect delight!

Visions of rapture now burst at my sight.

Angels descending, bring from above,

Echoes of mercy whispers of love.

Perfect submission, all is at rest!

I in my Savior am happy and blest.

Watching and waiting, looking above.

Filled with His goodness lost in His love.

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Savior all the day long!

Fanny Jane Crosby | Phoebe Palmer Knapp

© Words: Public Domain

Burnt out?

A catch phrase that I heard often as a young preacher was 'I'd rather burn out for God than rust out.'  The intent was laudable, urging diligence in a cause of paramount importance. Souls needed to be rescued. Suffering people needed healing. Children had to be taught, disciples made. I internalized that idea without much critical thought.  However, the truth is that the choice between 'burnout' and 'rust out' is a false one.  

 

God orders our live with cycles of work and rest. He teaches us from His own creative work. We learn that "on the seventh day he rested from all his work." (Genesis 2:2).  Even the Almighty took time to rest!

What does burnout look like?  It shows in resentment, in cynicism, in feelings of helplessness. Burnt out people are overwhelmed by life's responsibilities. Everybody has days when multiple demands overload their schedule, when come to the end of day exhausted. Burnout is different!  A person who is suffering this way starts the day exhausted. While he may drive himself to work, his productivity is diminished, motivation derived from passion lost to duty.

Christians will almost certainly suffer from 'burnout' when they adopt a standard of perfection!  If he feels that he can never 'be enough'  he is at high risk. The call of Christ to a holy life of devotion is a worthy one and, to borrow Oswald Chamber's memorable phrase, requires 'my utmost for His highest.'  

However, experiencing Christ is never just about things we do.  If the focus of our faith devolves to counting hours spent in prayer, chapters read in our Bible, Sundays spent in church, or time invested in ministry work - burnout is nearly inevitable. We will become one of those drudges who occupy church pews, joyless, hanging on to God knows what, to stay out of Hell.  Christians must pray, take in Scripture truth, worship, and serve. These things prove nothing about worth or even devotion.  They are a means not an end. Jesus wants us to know Him even as we serve Him.

God calls us out of isolation and into His Church, into loving relationships. Why? Because deep, intimate, supportive friends are a primary defense against burnout! Spend a couple of hours at a table with people who know you, who listen to your stories, who make you laugh, and you will feel renewed. Share a passion for some project with 3 or 4 other like-minded Christians and you will multiply your effectiveness and find joy in the journey! 

Practice God's own 'Sabbath' principle faithfully. (Careful, we are incurably religious and we can turn even this gift into a rule and a curse.)  Genesis says,"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning-the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." (Genesis 1:31 -2:3, NIV)  

Reflect! See what's done.  
Rest! Break the drive of endless demands and rest.  Christians never stop'being' but they must take a break from 'doing.'

In the interest of authenticity, I must confess that I have far too often allowed myself to be driven by the work of ministry. (Thank you for praying for me to be wiser.) Only recently have I started to grasp the very real danger of hurting the very people I serve if I burn out.  

Let's learn how to pursue Him with passionate diligence, renewed by days of rest, reflecting on the journey with joy.  Jesus calls us to 'life to the full,' promises us joy.  Meditate on this word from the Word and see what the Spirit is saying to you today. "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." (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV)  Eugene Peterson offers this commentary on that passage - "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matthew 11:28-30, The Message)

Now that sounds like a life I want to live. How about you?

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Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)

You call me out upon the waters,

The great unknown where feet may fail.

And there I find You in the mystery,

In oceans deep my faith will stand.

And I will call upon Your name,

And keep my eyes above the waves,

When oceans rise.

My soul will rest in Your embrace,

For I am Yours and You are mine.

Your grace abounds in deepest waters,

Your sov'reign hand will be my guide.

Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me,

You've never failed and You won't start now.

Oh and You are mine!

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders.

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me.

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Saviour.

I will call upon Your name,

Keep my eyes above the waves.

My soul will rest in Your embrace,

I am Yours and You are mine.

Joel Houston | Matt Crocker | Salomon Ligthelm

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