Lord, start with me.

What a week it’s been. Turbulent, frightening, thought-provoking, disturbing, enraging, sorrowful – you might want to add your own word there. I turned off the television last night after 15 minutes disgusted with the pundits of the Left and Right. Flipping from one “news” channel to the next I heard nothing but raw propaganda purposefully shaped to inflame rather than to inform. My time on Facebook was equally disturbing: hateful, biased, uninformed, blaming, and racist comments.  I went to bed troubled in heart, filled with questions, and fell asleep in prayer for insight, for wisdom, for change that starts with me.

I must pause to make this lengthy disclaimer -  There is enough self-awareness in me to realize that as a 65 year old white male with conservative leanings, I have blind spots, probably some big ones. This blog, as thoughtful as I may try to be, as prayerful as I am for the Spirit’s wisdom, will include “Jerry” – a man who distrusts government, who believes in self-reliance, who values order, who is a passionate about authenticity, who loves Christ and His Church, who loves grace and redemption, who has known life in largely rural settings, etc. Have my ideals evolved over the years? I certainly hope so, God helping me. Is there a ways to go? Yes, there is! Asking the hard questions of myself is unpleasant. Admitting to feelings that are unworthy of Christ, my Lord, is painful. I want to settle into my old comfortable ways, to ‘shut out’ the protests, to just get things back to ‘normal,’ like so many of us who have never known real discrimination.

America’s real problem is not political, it is spiritual. Before you heave a sigh and say, “Oh, yeah, here he goes. Here comes the old stuff about prayer in school, abortion on demand, and gay marriage,” let me hasten to say that it’s much more, way deeper, than those things. We have become worshipers of other gods – Money and Self our top gods.  Even many Christians do not truly ‘serve’ God, though they may say they do. Their “God” exists to serve their needs. Prayers are mostly ‘bless me’ petitions focused on personal health, wealth, and comfort.

Radical discipleship that calls for the death of Self is nearly incomprehensible to the majority of Christians, simply making no sense to us, for we love self-fulfillment, personal rights, and self-expression. We talk about God but the God of the Scripture no longer exists for most of us. He cannot command our hearts, cannot judge our actions because we have made Him too small, too trivial, peripheral to our ‘real’ life not the core of our existence, the One Who gives us life and meaning.   

Arrogantly we define God instead of God defining us. Yes, where we are as a nation is the logical outcome of our 100 year march towards the exaltation of SELF, the gradual elimination of the holy and majestic Lord from our consciousness.  He has not forsaken us, we have forsaken Him.  We proudly believed that technology would save us, that education would reform us, that laws would restrain us. And the last 3 months have revealed their empty promises.

How can we change? The basic choices we need to make include humbling ourselves, repentance ( going past regret), entering into prolonged silence, and earnestly asking God to reveal Himself to us.

Jesus told us that there are just 2 commands.”‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’" (Matthew 22:37-39, NIV)  Ask the Holy Spirit to give understanding about what He meant. Ask yourself if you really love God more than life itself.  Ask if you love the ‘other’ (black, white, rich, poor, male, female) like you love yourself.  IF you come up short, and you will, because we are all sinners, there is an answer.  At the end of ourselves there is Jesus Christ. He is found in repentance and received by faith.

There is so much to say, but I will stop there today. Here is a word from the Word. Please go beyond just reading it. Spend some time with the Living Word allowing for the Scripture to transform your mind and heart.

"When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, no one is likely to die for a good person, though someone might be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s judgment. For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life." (Romans 5:6-10, NLT)

"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is." (Romans 12:1-2, NLT)

________

Change my heart, O God,

make it ever true,

Change my heart, O God,

may I be like You.

You are the Potter,

I am the clay,

Mold me and make me,

this is what I pray.

Change my heart, O God,

may I be like You.

-- Eddy Espinosa

Finish the race!

When the COVID19 crisis rolled around in mid-March, I suppose I was naïve, thinking “All right, 4 weeks and we will get back to normal.” Then, it stretched on and on and on. The bad news multiplied and the last week of protest and civil unrest has only added to our uncertainty. Do you want to find a retreat, take a break, quit?

They say that “Tough times don’t last, tough people do.”  Yeah, true perhaps but all the inspiring mottos in the world just aren’t enough right now.  I need more and I find it in the strength that is given us by the Spirit of God.  Truly, friend, these times can reveal a strength we did not know we had. By His grace, and in His power, we can stand! 

God, the Spirit, inspires us to stick with it, to finish the race. In Hebrews 12:1 we read- "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us." (Hebrews 12:1, NLT)  

The NT was first written in Greek and that word ‘endurance’ is the translation of this word:  - hupomone (hoop·om·on·ay). Say it again! Hupomone!  The compound word means to ‘bear up under pressure.'  The metaphor written into the text is the picture of that distance runner who pushes the limits of his physical endurance with the finish line in sight. Unlike a sprinter who pours every ounce of energy into a 100 meter dash, the marathoner sets a pace that he can maintain, steadily and consistently.

This is the picture of the Christian life, especially in difficult times. 

We press on, with patience, with endurance. Hupomone!

Let me make the point again, disciple. This Christian life is not just about a BIG start, it's about a faithful finish!  We all admire 'finishers.' Those people who keep their word, who fulfill their calling, who maintain faith, who keep on serving, who show up in sunshine and rain inspire me. How about you?  I love reading about marriages that go the distance - 50, 60, even 70 years. Bev and I only made it to 40 before the Lord called her home, so I’m a little envious, too. When I think about 5 decades of marriage, I see patience that they showed in seasons of changes. I think about working through the stresses of raising a family. I see people willing to work hard at building a life together.

Are you a finisher?
Do you wisely make your commitments, praying for guidance - and seeing them through to completion?

Jesus told a teaching story about this. “Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: ‘He started something he couldn’t finish.’ Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? And if he decides he can’t, won’t he send an emissary and work out a truce? (Luke 14:28-32, The Message)

The implied conclusion is - FINISH what you start!

Remember that it isn't "all guts, no glory." Finishers enjoy what mere starters never find: the satisfaction of a job well done, a life well lived, a victor's crown!

Listen to the encouragement of the Spirit. Keep connected to a team of people who share your vision. Keep the finish line in sight.

Here is a word from the Word, a promise from our Lord Jesus Christ. "Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown." (Revelation 3:10-11, NIV)   Marantha!

____________

 
Mighty To Save
(Let the greatness of God draw you to worship as you listen)

Ev’ryone needs compassion
Love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Ev’ryone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Saviour
The hope of nations

Saviour He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Ev’rything I believe in
Now I surrender

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing
For the glory of the risen King
Jesus
Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing
For the glory of the risen King

Ben Fielding | Reuben Morgan
© 2006 Hillsong Music Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
CCLI License # 810055

"Seek first to undestand!"

Prior to worship yesterday, I lay on my face in the church sanctuary praying for insight, for wisdom, for stability.  It was a desperate prayer because I feel like a man adrift on a rudderless ship; life defies understanding right now. The actions of my government confound me. The inability to find common ground on just about any issue is frustrating. The civil unrest which includes violence and destruction continuing across the nation makes little sense to me. It is my nature to quickly propose solutions so that life can get ‘back to normal.’  In these days I hear God’s Spirit asking me to listen. It is hard to do, I confess.  I want to shout.

In my worst moments, I let myself rant, blaming, arguing, blustering – all clear evidence that I am feeling stress, anger, and confusion. And God asks me to rest on Him, to secure my mind and heart in His promise, and to listen – to Him, to others, that I might learn. The citizens of ancient Jerusalem were confused by the words of the prophet that told them of a coming day of destruction at the hands of the Assyrians. “No way,” they said, “that cannot be. We are God’s city, the home of God’s Temple.  We’ll find a way to stop this!”  God replied, “Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt. They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.’ But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!" (Isaiah 30:15-16, NLT)

Will we listen to Him, to one another?
Will we stop talking long enough to think?
Can we let go of what we think we know long enough to learn things that are true?

Stephen Covey, author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, lists consideration as habit #5. "Seek first to understand, then to be understood."  He wisely teaches that most of us “listen” to the words of others but not to really hear them. We listen with the intent to reply. Even while they're speaking, we are starting to formulate our answer. What inevitably happens in that communication pattern? We get only part of the message before we stop listening, and the other person senses they are not “being heard.”   

Covey also points out that we never really understand others IF we only listen autobiographically. In that kind of ‘listening’ the words that enter our brain are uncritically filtered through our own experiences.  When we assume the speaker thinks from the same framework as we do, that their values and attitudes are the same as ours, no real understanding is possible.

The Spirit is asking me (and you perhaps?) to listen with understanding. It is a basic expression of Christ-like love to care enough about others that we would work at gaining understanding. Only then can we actually address real needs! Jesus said, “Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12, NLT) In another context, He said, "...you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31, NLT) Imagine the kind of relationships we would enjoy IF we actually put that into practice consistently?

How would the words you are saying about ‘those other people’ (whomever they may be) change if you learned to listen with open ears and mind?
How would it transform your racial attitudes if you were really empathetic, ‘seeking first to understand, then to be understood?’

In a principle addressed to husbands, but with broad application to our relationships, Peter says to "dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife." (1 Peter 3:7, KJV) The NIV says, "Be considerate."  The command of the Spirit is to listen and understand, so you can actually address the real needs of the person you love.

Start with prayer that secures you in God. Worship His greatness, quiet before Him in prayer. Meditate on this declaration: "When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" (Psalm 56:3-4, NIV)  Practice active listening, disciplining the desire to speak, giving wisdom time to mature as you gain insight. Yes, it is hard not to rush to judgment. Lord knows I have done it so many times. Patient listening, waiting on the truth, is evidence of the Spirit’s life in us. It is an act of selflessness that honors the Lord of Life, who loved us while we were still sinners, and took action to meet our greatest need.

Here is a prayer for the day.

"Father God, in a world marked by conflict,

in my country that is torn apart by rage,

I want to hear, to understand, to be willing to let go

of what I think I know to learn.

Help me to love and make peace.

Oh yes, Spirit of God, make me a peace-maker!

Fill me with wisdom and insight. Grant me patient love.

Take away harsh judgment that quickly condemns,
replacing it with the gentle spirit you showed
when confronted with ordinary sinners.

Let me fulfill your royal law by loving others more than I love myself.

In the Name of Jesus, who loved me.

Amen.