The Lament of an Achiever

“I am tired of being capable! I want to join the lackluster performers, underachievers, apathetic airheads, and halfwits. OK, I like being capable, but I could really use some help! I am tired of doing it all on my own!” This was a post on Facebook by a friend. As I read it I wondered what the back story was. Who failed? What tasks were dumped on him that were not his responsibility? I also smiled because I know he is an amazingly talented man who would not tolerate mediocrity in his own life.

Are you a high performing, hard working person who does the best you can do day after day? Then, I know you have had at least a moment when you felt the same kind of emotions that my friend expressed.  Capable people attract responsibilities like a magnet draws iron filing. “If you want the job done, give it to the busiest person.” says the proverb. Excellence is a taskmaster, as well. Why? Because the better work you produce, the higher that you raise the standard, the more others will expect of you. Try being a stand-out performer in your place of employment and the critics will tell you to stop because you’re now making them look bad by comparison.

Looking for a reward? Sometimes diligence is recognized, but often it goes unnoticed as others take the credit or even fail to see what has been done. A job well done, for the conscientious person, is its own reward. Remember, too, that those around you will be much more likely to point out your flaws than praise your successes. While it may not be fair, a single lapse in judgment can (and often does) erase a lifetime of accomplishments.

Did you know that God cares about the quality and manner of your work? Many misunderstand the nature of the world, attempting to place some things in the realm of the secular, others in the realm of the spiritual. They are certain that the Lord cares about family, about acts of worship, but they mistakenly conclude that He is not part of their enterprise, their work. The Scripture says that Christians do what they do, in every part of life, bearing Christ’s Name. Therefore, "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (Colossians 3:23-24, NIV)

Here’s a word from Jesus. Think about the implications for your management of life, your work performance, your financial responsibility and how those things are connected to your spiritual health. The conclusion may surprise you. “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?" (Luke 16:10-11, NLT)

Leftovers

If you open our refrigerator somewhere in the middle of the week, you will find a dozen or so plastic containers that hold the remains of dinners of the previous days. Leftovers! Bev is convinced that the cornerstone of good stewardship is eating these things rather than throwing them away. While I understand her desire to be thrifty and to avoid waste, I will confess to being less than thrilled when offered leftovers for dinner.

• Are you serving God leftovers in your life?
• Does He get the first minutes of your day or the last tired few?
• Is supporting His work with effort and money a primary priority of your life or something you get to when you have time? 

There was a time when people were giving God leftovers and thinking they had fulfilled their holy obligations. He did not agree. Take a look. “Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!" (Malachi 1:14, NLT) Extrapolate the principle! God hates being given leftovers.

Why? Because that dishonors him before the world He created! That passage amplifies His displeasure! "When you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?” asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings." (Malachi 1:9-10, NLT) Yes, He actually says that it is better to ignore Him completely, than to offer Him leftovers.

Has the subtle seduction of the things of this present world captivated your heart?
Are you in love with money, pleasure, or entertainment to such an extent that they have become the gods that get the best, while the Lord of Glory gets the rest?

When I ask people to accept responsibility for ministry to Christ and/or His Church, the answer I get most often is, “I just don’t have the time.” Truth is: The Lord is getting leftovers. We all can find the time we need to do those things we really love to do. The issue is not time, it’s love. So Jesus makes this call. As we read this word from the Word, I pray that it will convict and convince us to return God to His rightful place in our lives. “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Mark 12:29-30, NIV)

"Fake Family"

Jen Hatmaker, a blogger I recently discovered, coined the phrase I borrowed for my title. In a poignant, funny, and all too relatable essay she writes about her desire to create the perfect family as she works to integrate adopted kids into her life. She asks if will allow authenticity or fight to control all the eventualities of parenting that would destroy the public image of the ‘fake family?’ Her words  - “Our life is no prototype. If you wanted to find holes in our parenting resume, it would take you three seconds. Any critic or unsympathizer could make a quick list of our faults, hypocrisies, blind spots, and double standards (and then send them to me in a direct message...awesome). It would be so easy. We live a messy life in a messy world.” (see Jen’s blog)

As much as we might give lip service to authenticity, it’s no easy choice. We’re surrounded by air-brushed beauty, are constantly confronted by TV actors whose flaws disappear under the skilled hands of make-up artists, and led by one-dimensional people who manage their images with the help of armies of publicists! I’m not all that sure authenticity is a selling virtue in our fake world.  For example, the preachers on TV make me feel so inadequate. They project such human warmth, have the deft touch to raise millions for hungry kids in Africa, and walk into a large church full of applauding congregants. I’m ill at ease in small talk, fumble through sermons, and preach to a half-empty building every Sunday. Every Monday I seriously wonder if I have what it takes. But who wants to know that?

Richard Foster, author and pastor, observes that "Superficiality is the curse of our age…. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people." (Celebration of Discipline) If we are content to pretend, at any level, we become slaves of our image, incapable of growing deep, or even of true love. Over time blindness to our own hypocrisies will overtake us. Like the Pharisees of old, we will blame those who suffer for their fate refusing to lift a finger to help them reasoning that since ‘they made their own bed, let them sleep in it.’

Sin has consequence. It is true that many people increase their own suffering by repeatedly making stupid, sinful, and/or shortsighted choices. I know! I am one of them! But in bringing renewal our model is not the Pharisee who prayed “I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector!" (Luke 18:11, NLT) We are called to be like Jesus who was perfect, who lived in Heavenly splendor, and who left it all to come and live with us to show us the face of our loving Father. His mission was not to judge, but to save! Interesting, the word in the New Testament that is frequently translated as ‘save,’ is also a word meaning ‘to heal.’  Fake people, in love with their image, cannot save or heal. They can only condemn, careful to keep themselves from feeling their own inadequacies or recognizing their own sins!

The miracle of Advent is not a demi-god who showed up to rain down condemnation on us, but rather that "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. … He came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14, NIV)  Will you live authentically today, disciple? That does not mean you revel in your failures or sins. Authenticity means you own them and take them to the Savior, the Healer, and let Him lead you through the transformative process that allows the image of God to be renewed in you.

Here’s a word from the Word. It’s a wonderful invitation to all of us who would be authentic. "If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God. I write this, dear children, to guide you out of sin. But if anyone does sin, we have a Priest-Friend in the presence of the Father: Jesus Christ, righteous Jesus." (1 John 1:8-2:1, The Message)

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A pure heart, that's what I long for,

A heart that follows hard after Thee;

A pure heart, that's what I long for,

A heart that follows hard after Thee.

A heart that hides Your Word

So that sin will not come in,

A heart that's undivided

But one You rule and reign;

A heart that beats compassion,

That pleases You, my Lord,

A sweet aroma of worship

That rises to Your throne.

A Pure Heart

Nelson, Rusty

© 1992 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.)

CCLI License No. 810055

It’s not pretty, but it’s powerful!

Are you feeling pain today? Is there some source of confusion, or disappointment, or personal failure that is creating an ache in your life? You’re not unique!  One of the side effects of the Christmas season of joy is the way it increases our awareness of the things that are just ‘not right’ in this world. The ideals we celebrate;  peace on earth, joy, and generosity, are mocked by the reality in which we live where bombs are planted by terrorists, where the weak become the prey of the strong.

It’s not a pretty world.

·         A little boy wept at the cruelty of those who cannot understand him, who see his inabilities as a reason to taunt him. His pain invaded my heart and I could not help but curse the darkness of human nature that creates such suffering. 

·         The newspaper reported the story of a man who strapped his 2 year old daughter into a car seat, weighed it down with a car jack, and threw her into a stream to die. He then went out for drinks with friends. The horror of his actions is beyond my comprehension.

·         A teenage girl gives away her self-respect, allows herself to be used, just to find acceptance and a sense of love. She believes the lie that she is valuable only if admired by a boy. But, then I remember the shadows of the same craving for acceptance that tempts me to compromise of my own principles in a different way.

All this pain is precisely why Christ came! He came to be Light in the darkness. "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it." (John 12:46-47, NIV)  How did Jesus begin His mission to save the world? Not with power that drove sinners to submission!  Not with brilliant speeches that laid out a program for change! He became one with those He came to save. Though He was God and could have chosen other routes to deal with the sin of the world, He "made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." (Philippians 2:7, NIV) He would not remain aloof from us, but chose to identify with us; Immanuel, God with us!

The manger scene is ‘prettied up’ on our greeting cards. The whole story of God’s arrival as the Savior of the world is turned into a nice tale about angels and wise men that ignores the scandal, the pain, and the mystery of the God who was willing to experience the pain of a broken world. His story compels us to get involved, too. We cannot bring true transformation by standing apart from the pain of others. We are compelled to take the Light to the darkness. A misshapen ideal of holiness is built around a concept of isolation. It says that those who would please God must build walls to keep the ‘sinners’ out and to protect the ‘saints.’  Jesus tore down those walls and taught us that holiness comes from within us as the Spirit of God transforms us. This is the amazing, often untold, story of Christmas!

We save the world, as He did, by entering into it and sharing the Light. The transformation which is possible is not pretty, easy, or painless. But it is powerful, persistent, and triumphs over evil. Here’s a word from the Word. I pray it will lead you to be like your Savior, dying daily to Self, entering your world bring light to darkness, and becoming an agent of transformation.

"Since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. … by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body." (2 Corinthians 4:1-10, NIV)

A shy smile, a great big heart

Sasha and her Daddy approached me after church yesterday wondering where to leave several large bags of groceries gathered for our church's pantry for those in need. It wasn't until I got home from church that I started to think about how those items were gathered. Sasha had a birthday party and asked her guests to bring something as a gift that she could give to the pantry. There's some great parenting going on in that home and she's one big-hearted little girl.

A couple of years ago our church emphasized something called the Advent Conspiracy for the Christmas season. Instead of the regular gift-giving, we conspired to give like little Sasha, to focus our attention on those in need instead of ourselves. Honestly, it wasn't a big success. We all nodded about how it made sense. Then, we did the usual Christmas spending. It's hard to break those kind of traditions, isn't it? And, while we might intellectually agree with Jesus' word that "it is more blessed to give than to receive," (Acts 20:35) we prepare our wish lists with eager anticipation.

Jesus met a young man who professed spiritual hunger. When he came to the Lord, he asked the right question. "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" In reply Jesus asked him about his devotion to God as shown by keeping the Commandments. The man's reply is admirable. "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said." (Luke 18:21, NIV) Jesus then challenged him at the point of his true need. "When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" (Luke 18:22-24, NIV) Please do not miss the point. It was not his wealth the Lord condemned. He loved his wealth and trusted it more than he trusted God. The only remedy for him was to give it all away.

Many of us have a similar problem. We are morally upright, church-going, law abiding, 'faithful to our spouse' kind of people. And that's good! However, we love our stuff and draw more security from our Iphones, computers, cars, and bank accounts than we do from the promise of our Heavenly Father's care. I wonder if we had a heart to heart talk with the Lord if He might ask us to make some radical choices that would free us to love Him as we ought to do?

I am going to think long and hard about my consumerism this week. Here's the paradigm of the Kingdom. As you meditate on this word from the Word, may you find the joy of generosity like Sasha did. The big heart of a little girl with a shy smile inspires me. I hope it inspires you, too.  

"Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back-given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity." (Luke 6:38, The Message)

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