"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Romans 12:1
I am often bewildered and confounded by the pictures and perceptions we as believers are offered of our Holy God by a host of popular leaders in our "relevant" and "cool" christian circles. Now don't get me wrong. I'm all for being culturally current and authentic in our conversations with each other and especially to those without Christ. If we come across as stale and backward we are going to defeat our purpose of reflecting Jesus for who He really is. However, understanding that Jesus is the "God-Man" (all God and all man) shouldn't we take extra care not to diminish His holiness by trying to make Him who we'd like Him to be rather than who He really is?
For certain, in John 15:15 Jesus said "...I have called you friends." But He didn't say "I have called you buddies". Get what I mean? Can we become too familiar in the way we look at and even address the Lover of our Souls? More importantly, can we get the misguided idea that He is somehow here to help us reach our goals? I think we can.
In the last decade or so, the term "Life Coach" has become quite popular. Sadly, this term fits very well in describing how we operate in many of our churches and small and large gatherings. From my understanding, a Life Coach's sole purpose in a nutshell is to help you choose a course of action to make your life be what you want it to be. Hmm. Quite a few you's in there if you ask me. I don't know about you but the last time I checked I was still a "Jar of clay" (2 Cor 4:7). As far as I am aware, the potter always gets to choose what the clay will become. See Romans 9:20-21 for a pretty good explanation of how this all works.
No thanks. I don't need a Life Coach. I need a life. Thanks to Jesus Christ, I now have one. I am continually aware of the need to ask Him to correct and redirect my wandering heart. I am to be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God...
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Friday, July 29, 2016
Correct Me If I'm Wrong
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and now my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. " Psalm 139:23
"Correct me if I'm wrong...." Ever started a sentence with that phrase? Usually we say that believing full well that what we are about to say is right. Even committed christians aren't really anxious to be corrected and we have a hard time admitting that we might be wrong.
King David learned the hard way that avoiding correction is a dangerous plan. He learned that pride, self sufficiency and stubbornness kept him far from the one who loved him most. Ultimately, he let his past mistakes drive him into the arms of his Redeemer.
Proverbs 29:1 says, "Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed--without remedy."
I don't want to be stiff-necked. I don't want to be deaf to His correction. I can't afford that!
Perhaps one of the best prayers we can pray is simply "Lord correct me". I'm not sure of very many things but one thing I do know without a doubt is that I am wrong--often. I don't know everything. I don't see everything I should. Many times I am talking when I should be listening. I need help - His help.
Lord correct me - today.
"Correct me if I'm wrong...." Ever started a sentence with that phrase? Usually we say that believing full well that what we are about to say is right. Even committed christians aren't really anxious to be corrected and we have a hard time admitting that we might be wrong.
King David learned the hard way that avoiding correction is a dangerous plan. He learned that pride, self sufficiency and stubbornness kept him far from the one who loved him most. Ultimately, he let his past mistakes drive him into the arms of his Redeemer.
Proverbs 29:1 says, "Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed--without remedy."
I don't want to be stiff-necked. I don't want to be deaf to His correction. I can't afford that!
Perhaps one of the best prayers we can pray is simply "Lord correct me". I'm not sure of very many things but one thing I do know without a doubt is that I am wrong--often. I don't know everything. I don't see everything I should. Many times I am talking when I should be listening. I need help - His help.
Lord correct me - today.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Martha Should Have Ordered "Take Out"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things..." Luke 10:41
"Worried and upset about many things..." Poor Martha. Poor Me. I AM MARTHA!!! How often I let the cares of this world and things that are really so small and insignificant in the scope of time and eternity steal my peace and my joy.
Martha was a woman after my own heart. She was probably an event planner on the side. She liked to get things done - Pronto. You know the old saying, "Plan your work and work your plan." She liked it when the plan came together and everyone did their job. She wanted everything to go smoothly and look nice. That's not bad, is it? No, but it's not always good either. Why not?
Sometimes we get so busy working our plan that we lose sight of who we're working for. The deadline becomes more important than the bottom line. The side things begin to overshadow the main thing. The presentation takes precedence over the purpose and we lose sight of why we're really working and why we're really here.
Notice earlier in this passage the scripture tells us that Martha was "distracted by all the preparations that had to be made" and later that she asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!". Have you noticed that when you become distracted by the preparations you soon slip into the "don't you care" mode? It always goes downhill from there. Self pity is an ugly thing isn't it? It doesn't look good on you or on me.
Mary had the right idea. She chose to be focused on the most important thing in the room. The Lord Jesus took priority over everything else - as He should! We know that in our heads but why do we often struggle to make that choice? Maybe because "we" are so often at the center instead of "He". Maybe the preparations too often define us and that's why they have to be "just right".
Maybe things don't have to be "just right" after all. Maybe Martha should have ordered "Take Out". You think???
"Worried and upset about many things..." Poor Martha. Poor Me. I AM MARTHA!!! How often I let the cares of this world and things that are really so small and insignificant in the scope of time and eternity steal my peace and my joy.
Martha was a woman after my own heart. She was probably an event planner on the side. She liked to get things done - Pronto. You know the old saying, "Plan your work and work your plan." She liked it when the plan came together and everyone did their job. She wanted everything to go smoothly and look nice. That's not bad, is it? No, but it's not always good either. Why not?
Sometimes we get so busy working our plan that we lose sight of who we're working for. The deadline becomes more important than the bottom line. The side things begin to overshadow the main thing. The presentation takes precedence over the purpose and we lose sight of why we're really working and why we're really here.
Notice earlier in this passage the scripture tells us that Martha was "distracted by all the preparations that had to be made" and later that she asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!". Have you noticed that when you become distracted by the preparations you soon slip into the "don't you care" mode? It always goes downhill from there. Self pity is an ugly thing isn't it? It doesn't look good on you or on me.
Mary had the right idea. She chose to be focused on the most important thing in the room. The Lord Jesus took priority over everything else - as He should! We know that in our heads but why do we often struggle to make that choice? Maybe because "we" are so often at the center instead of "He". Maybe the preparations too often define us and that's why they have to be "just right".
Maybe things don't have to be "just right" after all. Maybe Martha should have ordered "Take Out". You think???
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