Remember the books from years ago called "Where's Waldo?" Of course you do. Today, I ask you, "where are you"? I mean, what are the circumstances of your life at the present time? Sure, we are all navigating a stay-at-home order because of the Covid-19 crisis. But, I'm not necessarily talking about physical circumstances. What about your soul, your internal circumstances?
Where are you spiritually? What are your spiritual vital signs?
Wherever you are...start there. Maybe, just maybe, this is the time for many of us to get our life compass re-calibrated to true north...toward Christ, His mission, His purpose for our lives..toward a vision of life that reflects a view of those things that matter for eternity.
Sure, it will take some self-reflection, asking and answering some honest questions about ourselves, our decisions, and our habits. But, it will be worth the time and effort when we come out of this time with a better sense of God's purpose & direction for our lives and a greater love for Christ moving forward.
A friend of mine was preaching on 2 Peter 1:3-11 this past Sunday. And, as the Lord would have it, He has been moving me in the direction of that text for this coming Sunday as well for our church.
Maybe this holding pattern is the perfect time to apply the principle of 2 Peter 1:5, "for this very reason, make every effort (be diligent) to supplement your faith with virtue..." Putting this instruction into practice is not simply a matter of "pulling ourselves by our boot straps".
The application of this principle is grounded in the gospel, the power of God toward us who believe. 2 Peter 1:3-4 tells us that "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire".
For this reason...because of what God has done for us in Christ through the Holy Spirit...make every effort...pursue godliness, pursue Christ-like character, pursue God Himself.
Wherever you are...start there...make every effort...start today.
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Friday, April 17, 2020
All Mixed Up
Several weeks ago I found one of the older discipleship courses put out by Lifeway at a used bookstore. The study is called "The Mind of Christ" by TW Hunt & Claude V. King.
As I was reading this morning, I came across the following statement: "Our minds often are so mixed with the world's way of thinking that we need to be reoriented to God's way of thinking".
That sentence struck a chord with me. Proverbs tells us that "as a man thinks in his heart so is he". We have the capacity as humans to choose what we think about. What we think about, concentrate on, focus our mental attention on, allow to influence our mind becomes the grid through which we interpret our circumstances and make decisions in the midst of those circumstances. What we think about and how we think determines the person we become -- whether we are growing more like Christ or more like the world.
And, unfortunately, we are oftentimes like Hannah Montana -- we want the "best of both worlds". Our thinking becomes "all mixed up" when we yield our mental attention to being more influenced by worldly, humanistic viewpoints rather than biblical ones.
What has a greater influence on our thinking today? Is it the voice of the world or the scriptures? Are we developing the "mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16) through consistent exposure to, meditation on, and obedience to the scriptures (Hebrews 4:12)?
Maybe, just maybe, this time of quarantine could be the turning point for many of us -- that God could use this time in our lives to reorient and renew our minds (Romans 12:1-2) toward His kingdom rather than the world.
I pray that He will do just that -- in me, in us all.
As I was reading this morning, I came across the following statement: "Our minds often are so mixed with the world's way of thinking that we need to be reoriented to God's way of thinking".
That sentence struck a chord with me. Proverbs tells us that "as a man thinks in his heart so is he". We have the capacity as humans to choose what we think about. What we think about, concentrate on, focus our mental attention on, allow to influence our mind becomes the grid through which we interpret our circumstances and make decisions in the midst of those circumstances. What we think about and how we think determines the person we become -- whether we are growing more like Christ or more like the world.
And, unfortunately, we are oftentimes like Hannah Montana -- we want the "best of both worlds". Our thinking becomes "all mixed up" when we yield our mental attention to being more influenced by worldly, humanistic viewpoints rather than biblical ones.
What has a greater influence on our thinking today? Is it the voice of the world or the scriptures? Are we developing the "mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16) through consistent exposure to, meditation on, and obedience to the scriptures (Hebrews 4:12)?
Maybe, just maybe, this time of quarantine could be the turning point for many of us -- that God could use this time in our lives to reorient and renew our minds (Romans 12:1-2) toward His kingdom rather than the world.
I pray that He will do just that -- in me, in us all.
Thursday, April 16, 2020
"For your name's sake"
I was reading a devotion the other day, I think by John Piper, can't remember. The main theme was "for your name's sake" (or a variation thereof). The devotion referenced scriptures such as Psalm 23:3 that says, "He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake".
Recently, I have been praying about something and asking the Lord to intervene in a situation. This morning, as I was finishing up my workout, it struck me, "Why do I want God to intervene? Do I want him to intervene to alleviate the struggle? Do I want him to intervene to bring relief? Or, am I asking God to intervene "for his name's sake" and "for His glory"?
That was an "aha" moment. While God is our Father and wants us to bring all our petitions to Him and we all want relief when going through times of difficulty, I wonder about my own deeply held motivations in asking God to intervene sometimes. Thankfully, God's mercies are new every morning (my devotion this morning) and in my weakness, his strength is made perfect.
Father, let the motivations of my heart's desires truly be "for your name's sake".
Recently, I have been praying about something and asking the Lord to intervene in a situation. This morning, as I was finishing up my workout, it struck me, "Why do I want God to intervene? Do I want him to intervene to alleviate the struggle? Do I want him to intervene to bring relief? Or, am I asking God to intervene "for his name's sake" and "for His glory"?
That was an "aha" moment. While God is our Father and wants us to bring all our petitions to Him and we all want relief when going through times of difficulty, I wonder about my own deeply held motivations in asking God to intervene sometimes. Thankfully, God's mercies are new every morning (my devotion this morning) and in my weakness, his strength is made perfect.
Father, let the motivations of my heart's desires truly be "for your name's sake".
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Becoming What we Worship
I have been reading Mark Dever's book 9 Marks of a Healthy Church in preparation for our church's Wednesday Bible study this week. In the chapter on conversion, he quotes AW Tozer: "Human nature, as we know it, is in a formative state. It is being changed into the image of the thing it loves."
That statement has struck a chord with me today. Dever makes the comment after this quote saying, "Our lives are like those old Polaroid snapshots. They are slowly but surely developing into a picture of the god we worship" (p. 123).
I thought about this in terms of "who" we are becoming as we develop. "Whoever" we are becoming reveals that which we love -- however & in what direction our character is developing reveals the thing we love and the thing we are chasing after. If we are chasing happiness in the things of the world, we will become more like the world, loving the things of the world, thinking like the world thinks. If we are pursuing Christ & our happiness in Him, then our character will develop accordingly--the fruit that is borne in our life will reflect that pursuit in the fruit of the Spirit, conformity to the character of Christ and obedience to the will of God.
While those who are without Christ are always chasing after happiness in the world because it is their default position, it is sad to see a professing Christian distracted by the world and begin to chase happiness in the world. When that happens, it reveals one of two things: either the person has not been converted truly (cf. Matthew 13, parable of the sower) or the person is converted truly, but has lost their way as a believer like James 5:19-20.
What, rather who, are you chasing today?
That statement has struck a chord with me today. Dever makes the comment after this quote saying, "Our lives are like those old Polaroid snapshots. They are slowly but surely developing into a picture of the god we worship" (p. 123).
I thought about this in terms of "who" we are becoming as we develop. "Whoever" we are becoming reveals that which we love -- however & in what direction our character is developing reveals the thing we love and the thing we are chasing after. If we are chasing happiness in the things of the world, we will become more like the world, loving the things of the world, thinking like the world thinks. If we are pursuing Christ & our happiness in Him, then our character will develop accordingly--the fruit that is borne in our life will reflect that pursuit in the fruit of the Spirit, conformity to the character of Christ and obedience to the will of God.
While those who are without Christ are always chasing after happiness in the world because it is their default position, it is sad to see a professing Christian distracted by the world and begin to chase happiness in the world. When that happens, it reveals one of two things: either the person has not been converted truly (cf. Matthew 13, parable of the sower) or the person is converted truly, but has lost their way as a believer like James 5:19-20.
What, rather who, are you chasing today?
Friday, April 10, 2020
Repentance
Remorse is not repentance. Being sorry is not repentance. Repentance is not feeling "crummy" about yourself. Repentance is not feeling "crummy" about what you did. God may use all those to bring one to repentance, but they are not repentance.
"As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly sorrow produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death" (2 Cor. 7:9-10)
Repentance requires re-direction of mind, heart, desires, and behavior. Repentance requires change--not perfectly, but truly. Repentance requires brokenness before God (Psalm 51). Repentance requires humility without defensiveness. Repentance requires taking responsibility without excuse or condition. Repentance requires absorbing the hurt your actions or attitude caused others.
Pray for repentance--for ourselves, those without Christ, and those believers who are living out of step with God's will in temporary rebellion.
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