Is He really ALL you need or want?

Asking for help is not enjoyable for me. I like being self-sufficient and self-supporting. It's a human nature thing. 

One of my fond memories is of trying to assist my daughter, then about 3, who was fussing and crying while trying to put on her snow parka to play outside.  She had it upside down and backward, her little feet in the hood.  There was no way she was going to get it on without assistance, but when I went to help, she protected her independence with a fierce and tearful, "I do it myself!" Right then I saw a reflection of myself. The memory still makes me chuckle 3 decades later-and it makes me cringe, too, for it is a revelation of the sinful nature so common to us all.

There is a subtle pride underlying this need to be in charge. It is noble not to want to be a burden on others. However, too often self-sufficiency is a way to hold onto the conviction that "I am not weak like you," that I am smarter, more disciplined, better, in one or another, than others. This attitude is sinful and it cuts a person off from true richness only found in a relationship with God andother people.  

The Lord loves me enough that from time to time He allows circumstances to overtake me that remind me how much I need Him and others. Recently, a situation absolutely beyond my control has been a painful trial in my life.  I would not willingly have chosen my present path, but He has used this time to show me His love, to renew my willingness to lean on others. The hardship is a gift.

Christian friend, is your life tinged with a subtle conceit of self?  
Are you resisting the attempts of others to help, hanging onto your illusion of self-sufficiency? 

Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:3-5, NIV)  His words are the very opposite of what we admire in life, aren't they?  Our culture gives adulation to those who are powerful, who appear to live above suffering, and who work to assert their will on others. But, in the end, Self worship leads to death.

The Lord invites us to follow His example, to live as He lived.  He had no earthly power, but yet through Him millions of people have been transformed.  He did His greatest work, making peace on our behalf with His Father at the point of His worst suffering.  He never compelled anyone to do what He did, but invites all to 'come and follow Me.'  The Son of God was the friend of sinners, choosing to give away His prerogatives.  Yes, He lived what He taught.

The Message makes the verses quoted a moment ago even more accessible. Read these next lines prayerful, carefully, won't you? 
"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. 
"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. 

"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are-no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought." (Matthew 5:3-5, The Message)

Humility is an elusive thing for many of us. We find it in our worst moments and receive God's gift of love, the gift of mercy from others. Too often, the moment we find our footing again, pride re-emerges. God save us from ourselves! 

Here's the word from the Word. May it guide our path in life today and always.

"He gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God opposes the proud but favors the humble." So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. 

Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor." 
(James 4:6-10, NLT)

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"When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When she might have won had she stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow--

You may succeed with another blow,

Success is failure turned inside out--

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit." ~ Unknown

It is really all about The Gift

It is really all about The Gift.

(Today’s thought comes from the archives. In the past, many commented that it gave them real food for thought.
May the Lord bless His Word for us today.)

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? If you're like a majority of Americans, though it is the first week of December, you still have people on your gift list without a matching gift! So what kind of gift-giver are you?

There is the CHEAP giver.

is driven by one goal - buying something, anything, that satisfies the imperative for gift giving - while spending as little money or energy as possible. My one question to this person is - "why bother?" You have missed the meaning of Christmas entirely. Save yourself the effort because the person who receives your 'gift' will only be obligated to write an insincere 'thank you' note!

There is HURRIED giver.

With hummingbird-like rapidity, she darts from store to store, grabbing this and that and checking off the names on her list. Obligation, not love, is the primary drive behind the search.

There is the "PAY MY DEBTS" giver.

This person hopes that with one gift; usually too costly, often ostentatious, they will atone for their failures through the year. No gift can do this, and this giver is sadly set up for disappointment!

There is the "I'D SURE LIKE THAT" giver.
She buys gifts she would like to receive and presents them to others! Her gifts are often very nice, but don't 'fit.' Why? Because, in her heart, she's selfish. Her gifts reveal that she is in love with herself. She cannot see what is going on outside of her own skin.

Hallelujah! There is the "BECAUSE I LOVE YOU" giver.

This is the heart of Christmas! This person thinks carefully about the person for whom he is getting a gift and, after a careful search, prepares a gift that he presents with no strings attached. It may be simple, cost next to nothing, and still have great value.  One of the memorable Christmas gifts was given to me by one of my son’s several years ago. It’s a small, home-made book, in which he remembers moments from his childhood that made him feel loved.  Whenever I look through it, I feel his love.

This is how God gave to us.  In the Scripture, this very familiar text is also a precious one.  We read that "God so loved ____________________ (insert your name here) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, NIV)

His Gift was rich,
prepared from eternity,
given to settle my debts,
based on my need, and
shaped by His love for me!

In your gift-giving, make LOVE the reason.

Having trouble finding a gift for someone on your list?  Relax and think about who they are, what they need, and how you can express love in a language they'll understand. It will come to you! Perhaps the gift will not be a ‘thing’ at all. Perhaps it will be the gift of your  listening ear, your concern, your prayer, an embrace, an encouraging word, or an expression of your confidence in that person.  This is always true: the best gifts are, like God's gift to us, a gift of ourselves.

Don't forget to offer your best gift to the One who is the Reason for the Season. Find time to worship, to serve, to give of yourself in His Name.  Let God love you, friend.  His love changes everything and those who are loved by God become the best gift-givers in the world for they learn to give richly, with purpose, to meet the need of the recipient, and with love - just like their heavenly Dad!

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"Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!"

“Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh my!”

I sometimes experience fear because I am well aware of how vulnerable I am.  A microscopic virus can lay me low. An out of control tractor trailer truck can smash my car.  I live with the up's and down's of the national economy.  And, there are my own weaknesses. Robert Robinson wrote: “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.”  (Come Thou Fount)  No, I am not a coward, but I do grow fearful from time to time.   I can do some limited risk management, which will reduce the possibility of disease, disaster, or disgrace entering my life.  But, there is no perfect guarantee that any of us can eliminate all risk!  However, I do not spend a whole lot of time focusing on the potential dangers that lurk all around me.  There is simply too much living to do!    I will not let fear take away the joy of living. 

Wrapped around the uncertainties of life is the promise that I am held secure in the love and care of my Almighty Abba! My life is in His hands.  Either I trust Him or I do not; there is no middle ground.  He is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all.   That is why when fear comes knocking my first response is to reaffirm my understanding of His rule over every part of my life and my desire to live in the center of His will. 

In the story of the birth of Christ the phrase, "Fear not!" is recorded on three separate occasions when persons encountered the messengers of the Lord.   

• Mary, when she was told that she would be the mother of Jesus, was not elated.  Luke tells us that at first she was "confused and disturbed," by God's will.   But, the angel assured her that God's favor would rest on her and then he said, "Fear not!"   

• Joseph heard that his fiancé was pregnant and he knew he had not slept with her.   He was torn between his desire to love her and his honor.   He had decided to quietly end the engagement when the Lord showed up and told him "fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." (Matthew 1:20, KJV)    Isn't it amazing?   Basically, Joseph is told, "just trust Me!"   And, he did!  

• Zechariah was doing his priestly work, offering incense on the prayer altar, when he was told that he was about to become a Daddy.   The only thing was that Elizabeth, his wife, had been unable to conceive and was now by all human accounts too old to have a child!    How did Zechariah respond?   "He was troubled and fear fell on him."  (Luke 1.12)   And what did God say?   You've figured it out by now, right?  Yes, you're right - "Fear not!" 

Mary did not know how it was going to work out, what God's announcement would mean for her life, but she trusted God anyway.  

Joseph did not have any explanation for a virgin's pregnancy, but he was willing to step over his lack of understanding and do what God wanted him to do as he trusted the Sovereign Lord.  

Zechariah took a while to come around, but he gained a deeper knowledge of the Person of the God he served, and came to trust Him completely.  

There are, as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz says, “lions and tigers and bears, oh my!”  Life will have challenges!  The question for us, my Christian friend is direct:  Will we trust Him with all things?  
Will we argue for fuller explanations, demand that He make His plans, even for tomorrow, crystal clear? 

He says "Fear not!"  Let’s choose to live ‘faith-fully;’ not ‘fear-fully!’

 For those who choose faith over fear, there are these promises, words to live by:  

"God is able to make all grace abound to you,
so that in all things at all times,
having all that you need,
you will abound in every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8, NIV)  
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you."
So we say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6, NIV)

_________________

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heav'n and nature sing,
And heav'n and nature sing,
And heav'n and heav'n and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns;
Let men their songs employ.
While fields and floods,
Rocks, hills and plains,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove.
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, and wonders of His love.

Joy To The World

Watts, Isaac / Handel, George Frederick
© Public Domain

Married or just living together?

Many couples find no reason to take the step of getting married.  “We love each other,” they profess; and they do! “We are committed to each other,” and they are – to an extent; but not enough to commit to marriage.  What difference does that little piece of paper make? A very BIG difference.  Ask any person who has survived a divorce. Those who live together can part company with minimal fuss.  No, I am not minimizing the pain or hurt of a break-up, but without marriage there are no property laws or support requirements to contend with.  Laws governing divorce are designed to encourage couples to stay married, to work out their problems.  Marriage provides stability, encourages responsibility, and gives exclusive privilege rights to spouses.

Yesterday’s blog (A Serving of Jesus) urged commitment to the local church and challenged the consumer orientation in Christianity that makes it ‘all about me.’  A reader wrote to me:  “Here in ____ where there are churches aplenty, in 8 year’s time I have yet to find one holding anything more powerful than "the form of religion, yet lacking the power thereof.”  I participate in a Sunday Bible study but skip the service that follows.  Am I simply a consumer, … or, am I a man of principle, refusing to settle for less than a powerful, Spirit-filled experience? "  I understand his question and know it is framed in sincerity.  My answer in part would encourage that man to find and marry a local church – for his own sake and in obedience to Christ’s will.

Another friend of mine has attended the same church for more than 30 years.  He’s endured leadership decisions that went against his principles. He’s experienced shifts in worship that are not in keeping with his preferences. He’s put up with  preaching that did not ‘feed’ his soul.  He’s seen changes come that have diminished his ability to find a place of ministry after years of dedicated involved; but he knows that the church does not exist to provide a customized spiritual experience for him.  Just to be clear, he has not been a dissenting critic, either. He joyfully supports his church and desires her growth for the glory of Christ. He married that local congregation, and in obedience to the Lord’s calling, continues to support her.  Both he and that church are richer for his choice!

There is a depth of character that develops in those who choose commitment over convenience.  In death to Self, there is a discovery of Christ Jesus and His Presence that cannot be obtained by those who carefully protect themselves.  It is comparable to seeing a married couple who have pressed through the stresses involved in raising children, who have worked at building a home, who have endured serious illness together, who have confronted mortality as they buried their parents.  That man and woman move past love that seeks self-fulfillment and find a love that is mutually beneficial, that makes them one – in heart and mind.  Paradoxically, in their loss of Self, they open the door to discovery of deeper fulfillment.  In much the same way, those who stay with a local congregation, regardless of their feelings of the moment, will learn to love Christ in a selfless way.

Consider what Paul says about the Church.  As you read his words, remember he was not treated kindly by those with whom he fellowshipped!  Congregations criticized him. Some turned against him.  Still, he knows the value of the Church, even in her imperfection. "Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church." (Ephesians 4:10-15, NLT)

Note the intermingled images of marriage and church in this passage. "For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself." (Ephesians 5:23-28, NLT)

Ask yourself – “Am I ready to stop just living with my church and to marry her?”

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The Church's one foundation

Is Jesus Christ, her Lord.

She is His new creation

By water and the Word.

From heav'n He came and sought her

To be His holy bride,

With His own blood He bought her,

And for her life He died.

Elect from every nation

Yet one o'er all the earth.

Her charter of salvation:

One Lord, one faith, one birth!

One holy Name she blesses,

Partakes one holy food,

And to one hope she presses

With every grace endued.

'Mid toil and tribulation

And tumult of her war,

She waits the consummation

Of peace forevermore.

‘Till with the vision glorious

Her longing eyes are blest

And the great Church victorious,

Shall be the Church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union,

With God, the Three in One,

And mystic sweet communion

With those whose rest is won.

O happy ones and holy,

Lord, give us grace that we

Like them, the meek and lowly,

On high may dwell with Thee.

Samuel John Stone | Samuel Sebastian Wesley

© Words: Public Domain