Playing it safe, avoiding disappointment?

So, has the story of your life included some disappointment? Mine, too.  A few years ago Bev and I turned our lives upside down making major changes, involving huge expenses financially and emotionally, to do what we believed the Lord wanted us to do. So far, we have mostly found heartbreak, stress, and missed expectations. I’m tempted, sometimes, by regret. I wonder, occasionally, if we made the right choices, if we really heard from God.  I don’t allow myself to dwell on the disappointment, however, because the past is behind me and – whether I got it right or wrong – today is here and there is a life to live!

You can refuse to take risks, avoid loving others, and protect your own interests. In so doing, you will avoid a lot of disappointment, but -  is that what you really want – to be safely insulated from both joy and sorrow? In one of his parables, Jesus talked about a man who lived like that.  He took the gift the master gave him to invest and buried it in a hole.  When called to accounting, he told the master, “I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money.”  (Matthew 25:24-25)  He was not commended for his timidity!  Jesus called him wicked and lazy. Ouch!

People who are fully  alive, working to make a difference in the world, and loving others will get hurt.  God does not call us to be masochists, looking for pain or humiliation!  He does call us to serve with abandon, to risk it all, and to be willing to endure disappointment. “Take up your cross and follow Me,” Jesus said. It’s not a great recruiting line for the 21^st century, but it is His invitation to the adventure of discipleship.  Paul urged Timothy to live courageously and reminded the young pastor that "Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there’s no getting around it." (2 Timothy 3:12, The Message) Happy is wonderful and I’m glad for those moments when laughter and sunshine come my way. The JOY of serving Jesus is far better than mere happiness.

So, must we just slog on, grimly taking what ‘life’ dishes out to us? No, disciple, there are better choices.

Primary among them is the critical decision to anchor our hope beyond time and space, in the Lord!  Isaiah watched his nation crumble around him, invaders come and destroy the city and the Temple, friends carried off to slavery. He might have slid into despair, but he went to the Lord and re-affirmed his trust. Yes, he felt terrible grief and enduring awful disappointment. The rejection he lived with for most of his life because of his faithful to God’s call makes me shudder, but he looked beyond it. While admitting his humanity, he inspires us to greater faith with a promise.  "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:30-31)

Few things release us from disappointment like the decision to forgive. Forgiveness is a greater blessings to the forgiver than it is to the forgiven. When we forgive those who offend us, we give away the demand to make people act in ways we approve or like. True forgiveness involves our submission to a higher purpose and a choice give the pain to God.  Why? Because we in that He will bring all things to justice in His time. When we release that person who has disappointed us to God's court, we find freedom from the anger, hatred, and bitterness that hold so many as slaves.  You, me … we all have disappointment our Father, so humbly we pray, "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.... and we soberly hear Jesus warning that  “if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."  (Matthew 6:12)

Then there is that humble decision to adjust our expectations.  Some people spend exorbitant amounts of time, money, and energy trying make everything fit into their script for life.  “It’s just not supposed to be that way. I will not rest until I make her realize … force him to change … get the justice I deserve … find the answer I demand.”  Well, go ahead and try, but you and I are not the script-writers for this drama called ‘life.’ God is. There’s a time to surrender. No, not give up, nor resign to fate.  But, actually embrace HIS WILL and seek to let Him lead. Hanging tightly onto our plans is a form of self-centeredness that will always lead to misery, bitterness, and loneliness. I love the opening lines of Reinhold Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”

If you’re struggling to make sense of life, start here.

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

He’s the one who will keep you on track. " (Proverbs 3:5-6, The Message)

The word from the Word assures us that we are not lost on the sea of time,  random bits of life. We live with purpose, though sometimes we cannot see it in this moment or month! "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory." (Romans 8:28-30, NLT)

____________________

Trust His Heart

All things work for our good

Though sometimes we can't see how they could.

Struggles that break our hearts in two

Sometimes blind us to the truth.

Our Father knows what's best for us,

His ways are not our own.

So when your pathway grows dim,

And you just can't see Him,

Remember, you're never alone.

He sees the master plan,

He holds the future in His hands.

So don't live as those who have no hope,

All our hope is found in Him.

We see the present clearly,

But He sees the first - and the last-

And like a tapestry, He's weaving you and me

To someday be just like Him.

God is too wise to be mistaken!

God is too good to be unkind!

So when you don't understand,

When you don't see His plan,

When you can't trace His hand,

Trust His heart!

Babbie Mason | Eddie Carswell

© 1989 Dayspring Music, LLC (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)

Word Music, LLC (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)

Causing Change Music (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.)

CCLI License # 810055

"Try Harder, Be Miserable" - is this the motto of the church?

In ”The Life You’ve Always Wanted,” John Ortberg writes about cranky Hank, a church member who knew the Scripture, faithfully attended church services, and said his prayers. But, cranky Hank showed no evidence of spiritual transformation.  He was a critical, self-centered, miserable man.  You know the saddest part of that story?  Nobody in his church found that Hank’s misery a cause for concern. There are millions of “Christians” who are orthodox in their confession that NEVER move an inch towards becoming like Christ Jesus.

Do you believe that being a “Christian” is defined as “trying harder to be a nice person?” In far too many churches the “gospel” is turned into a weekly exhortation about working harder at curbing wrong impulses while attempting to imitate Jesus. All that messages produces is deeper guilt, more misery! Eventually many settle, like cranky Hank, for a doctrine divorced from life, professing Christ but not possessing the life of a Spirit-filled disciples. Let me shout it loud. Such a life IS NOT a normal Christian life despite being common.

I LOVE this proclamation - "I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ." (Colossians 1:25-28, NIV)

The Gospel is not ‘try harder.’  It is “Christ in you!”  Paul says that it is a mystery, not meaning that it is a riddle, but that this is something hidden from ordinary understanding until the revelation of the Spirit opens our eyes. It is not earned, found after long hours of study, or achieved by harsh discipline. HE is received, by faith. Every morning we eagerly anticipate the adventure to be found in Him and we open our hands and hearts to Him saying, “Here I am, Lord Jesus, lead me. Fill me. Be radiant in me.”  And, He is!

The dreary life of religious duty is so commonplace many cannot even imagine that being a Christian will bring delight.  The beauty of Jesus can emerge from us, like a butterfly unfolding out of a chrysalis. Have you exchanged that glorious thought for the ‘try harder’ work of the Pharisees?  Those religious men knew that the heart of the law was to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deuteronomy 6:4-6, NIV) But, they were not in love with God. They were obsessed with circumcision, dietary laws, and Sabbath rules. Jesus rejects their superficial spirituality and not kindly. He called them “pious frauds, cups burnished to high shine on the outside but filthy instead, gleaming tombs full of bones, men who strain a gnat out of their soup while ready to swallow a camel!”  Oh, just reading that makes me groan. It is us so often. We, too, are incurably religious. Unless our gaze is constantly reset to Jesus, the Cross, and the promise of new life; we will slide into rule-keeping and call it “Christianity.” We will become obsessed with performance measures based on where we go, what we eat or drink, who we hang out with, church attendance, Bible memorization, and conformity to the our group’s rules.

Holiness is important but not the ‘try harder’ variety. Christians who are being transformed into the likeness of Jesus will not get drunk, spend their nights in casinos, or cuss like the proverbial sailor BECAUSE their hearts have no desire for such things!  The reason we will live a holy life, however, will not be prove our worth to God or man, but because we delight in the One whose Spirit lives in us and changes us – inside out!

Reflect on this word from the Word. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field—and to get the treasure, too!  “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!"  (Matthew 13:44-46, NLT)

Is your relationship with Christ a treasure, or a ball and chain?  Pause for some honest heart-searching.
Is the Gospel of Christ making you a beautiful person, full of life, overflowing with love, joy, and peace; 
or has a religious obsession turned you into a critical, judgmental, sour zealot?

 May this be true of us always.
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. \And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory,which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:17-18, NIV)  

That’s the best thing in life!

_______________

Jesus is all the world to me,

My life, my joy, my all;

He is my strength from day to day,

Without Him I would fall;

When I am sad, to Him I go,

No other one can cheer me so;

When I am sad, He makes me glad,

He's my friend.

Jesus is all the world to me,

I want no better friend;

I trust Him now, I'll trust Him

When life's fleeting days shall end.

Beautiful life with such a friend,

Beautiful life that has no end;

Eternal life, eternal joy,

He's my friend.

Jesus Is All The World To Me

Thompson, Will L.

© Public Domain

Will the tears ever stop?

As a young man, I watched my pastor father pray and heard him cry. I thought he was weak, or at least overly sentimental. “Must he always cry?” I thought to myself.  A quarter century later, I too cry often.  No, it is not depression or melancholy.  I feel the sorrow that stalks this world. Death and disappointment come too often and the longer we live, the more we realize we our limitations to control them.  Many turn into cynics, calloused to loss.  I choose love, asking the Spirit to give me a child-like spirit that is sensitive. Yes, a tender heart reflects the heart of the Father. The Gospel’s story is about His love, so intense, so deep, that He entered fully into the world He created becoming for us “a Man of sorrows, well acquainted with grief.” 

Are you gripped by sorrow, dear friend?  He sees your tears. "If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath." (Psalm 34:18, The Message) Sin and death do not get the last laugh and we must remember that. The promise if the Resurrection is at the heart of our Christianity. The assurance of joy everlasting belongs to the children of God. Isaiah spoke of the return of the exiles to the city of God, pre-figuring our entrance to the Eternal City. And what did he see? "Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness." (Isaiah 51:11, NLT)

Life is not all sorrow!  There are many days of joy.  
Birth offsets death. 
The dawning of each new day drives out the darkness of the night. 
The coming of Springtime breaks the grip of Winter. 
David says that “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
(Psalm 30:5)

Don’t carry your sorrow alone. A friend who helps us to see past the bleakness of this day to the hope of a new day, is a bridge.  Simon and Garfunkel, in the turmoil of the 1960’s, sang the classic song that says,

When you're weary, feeling small; 

When tears are in your eyes, 

I will dry them all. 

I'm on your side 

When times get rough, 

And friends just can't be found; 

Like a bridge over troubled water, 

I will lay me down. - Paul Simon, copyright, 1969

Is your heart broken today? 

Are you crushed with sorrow?  
Has darkness enveloped you?  
Go to prayer - let your tears be the language He understands.  

Surrender, NOT in resignation to fate. Instead, make your surrender an act of faith that says, “Lord, I need a Bridge over these troubled waters that I cannot build. Be my Savior, my Hope, my Life.”

Here’s a word from the Word for this day. 
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NKJV) 

"For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” 
(Revelation 7:17, NIV) 

"There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 
(Revelation 21:4-5, NIV) 

Go ahead, right now... 
take that heavy thing that is breaking your heart and imagine you have in your grasp. 
Got it?   Now, open your hands toward the heavens as you say, 
“Here it is. Thank you for helping me carry it, Lord. Amen.”
______________________

There is no problem so big,
God cannot solve it. There is no mountain so tall,
He cannot move it.
There is no storm so dark,
God cannot calm it.
There is no sorrow so deep,
God cannot soothe it.

If He carried the weight of the world
Upon His shoulders,
I know my brother, that He will carry you.
If He carried the weight of the world
Upon His shoulder,
I know my brother, that He will carry you.
He Will Carry You
Brown, Scott Wesley
© 1982 Birdwing Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing; Admin. by BMG Music Publishing) / BMG Songs, Inc. 

CCLI License No. 810055

Short-term memory failure

How’s your memory?  Do you have to search the house to find your car keys or cell phone?  I try to make sure to put things like that in the same place so I know where they are.  That way, I avoid the frustration.  Knowing that appointments may slip out of my mind, I compensate by making notes. I am both amused and irritated by my increasing forgetfulness.  Is it my age, a lack of focus, or a little of both? Thank the Lord (really!) for digital calendars that organize my life!

A phrase in the Psalms grabbed my attention. "They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel." (Psalm 106:13, NKJV) The Psalm celebrates how God led His people out of Egypt, how He protected them from the armies of Pharaoh at the Red Sea.  "He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them. The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived. Then they believed his promises and sang his praise." (Psalm 106:10-12, NIV)  But, did those saved people stay faithful to the Lord? No, they did not. "Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done! They wouldn’t wait for his counsel!" (Psalm 106:13, NLT)  "They traded their glorious God for a statue of a grass-eating bull. They forgot God, their savior, who had done such great things in Egypt—" (Psalm 106:20-21, NLT) 

God knows that we tend to forget His goodness. He knows that the temptations of the moment can blind us to the grace we have known in the past. He knows that we are easily overwhelmed by the trials so that His faithful provisions to us in days gone by are forgotten!  When we forget, we become foolish. The people of Israel made an idol of an Egyptian god, just weeks after being led through the Red Sea. Before we condemn them, let’s remember our own failures.  In sickness, have we accused God of letting us down?  When disappointed by what we see as His failure to answer our prayers (come on, now, be honest) have we sought comfort in shopping, or mindless pleasure, or even serious sin?

We need memorials. We need to have our memory renewed.  Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, and said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25, NLT)  God told us to observe a day each week as His day, so that we would remember who we are, the People of the Lord. "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:23-25, NIV)

I need help remembering, and so do you!  Being human, we are at risk of forgetting what God has done, His Truth swallowed by today’s business.  Jesus, the parable of the seeds, warned that  “the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful." (Mark 4:19, NIV)  

God’s faithfulness in the past is a foundation for our faith. When we remember, we trust. When we trust, we gain courage and hope. In that hope, we move forward.  No, we are not captives of the past. We cannot relive yesterday but we must not forget it, either.

A favorite passage of mine is found in Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament. God called His people to renew their commitment. Some wondered why they should. “What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the Lord of Heaven’s Armies that we are sorry for our sins? From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.” They forgot!  But then something happened.

“Those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name.”   Their memory and praise triggered this response in Heaven.
“They will be my people,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.” (Malachi 3:14-18, NLT)

Father, forgive me when I forget

That You are good and faithful.
Help me not to turn from Your way,

Creating my own gods, acting as a fool.

Make me wise, stir up my memories

As I come to Your table,

When we gather together for worship.

Help me to speak of Your acts,

To listen to the testimony about
Your Faithfulness.

Spirit of the Living God,
may my faith be fresh,

My heart full of joy in what You have done.

And let my life align with Your will today.

In the Name of Jesus, I pray.

Amen.