Good Measure

Sometimes I sit down to write, having been inspired by a passage I read in the Word that day or that week, and I've found that a lot of what I write about hits on topics that have been convicting or challenging me - and that makes sense to me because I know how sinful I am and how much I mess up on a daily basis.  It makes sense to me that God would convict me over and over about things - I can be just that dense a lot of the time.


The other day, though, I was sitting on the couch (I think) and these thoughts started to overwhelm me.  It all stemmed from a verse that I've known and read many times over the years:

"...for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self control."  2 Timothy 1:7

I love that verse because it reminds me of the true spirit that God puts inside each of us.  He makes us powerful and loving and self controlled through His strength and movement in our lives - and I love that!


Anyway, this verse made me start thinking about how this school year is different that the last few.  This school year I have a different attitude.  I know things are stressful sometimes and I know I'll be frustrated over the course of the year, but God didn't put the spirit of fear inside of me and He doesn't want me shying away from the work that He's going to do.  Rather, He started to remind me further of promises found in scripture.  John 10:10 - 

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

 And Luke 6:38 - 

"...give, and it will be given to you.  Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap.  For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."

I love these promises and it was so encouraging to have God remind me of these particular passages in His Word.  It's a beautiful thing to serve a God Who gives life abundantly and Who fills our lives up with good measure.  God has called us to live lives that are full and abundant and running over with good measure, not spent shaking in fear.  He blesses us way more than we could ever deserve and He calls us to live lives that glorify Him as a result.


So I challenge you (and myself) to live out this year abundantly in Christ.  Don't miss out on opportunities because you're afraid of what might happen.  And don't forget that ultimately we're glorifying the God of the nations who blessed us in the first place.

Strive

I hear a lot of people talk about the American Dream or life goals or their calling in life.  Especially when they don't have clear direction - then they start to talk about feeling lost and unsure of the future.  If they're a Christian, then I hear phrases like, "I don't know where God is leading me" or "I'm trying to figure out God's will for my life."  I hear it a lot - probably because I say those kind of things so much myself.


But, I was convicted this morning reading through Luke chapter 13.  Verse 24 really stood out to me:

"Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able."

That word "strive" really gets me in the gut.  Jesus didn't say "Hope to enter through the narrow door" or "Think about going through the narrow door."  Jesus said strive.  That's a word that implies effort.  The definition is "exert oneself vigorously, try hard."  Don't get me wrong, I don't think Jesus is telling us to work to earn our salvation.  That's not the intention here at all.


Jesus is saying this phrase and He's convicting me so much this morning about not being lazy.  About not having a laissez faire approach to life - and to my walk with Christ, specifically.  Instead of waiting for God to "reveal His will" to me or complaining that I don't know what my calling is in life, He's pointing out that He's already told me His will for my life.  He tells me in His Word to, "Seek first the kingdom of God."


Just because I'm saved and I know I'm going to heaven doesn't mean that my work stops there.  I still have a call on my life to lead others to Christ.  I still have a mission in life to bring glory to the Father.  Do I have to do anything to earn my salvation?  No.  But I still have tasks here on earth that God has called me to do and will continue to call me to do until I go home to heaven.  Jesus is just reminding me of that this morning.


So the challenge for myself as I go on to the rest of my day, and the challenge for you as well, is to strive.  Seek out ways to advance God's kingdom.  Look for ways to glorify Him.  You may not know specifically what school you're supposed to go to or what state you're supposed to live in.  You may be unsure about who to marry or what job to have.  BUT - if we're seeking after God, if we're striving for the narrow door - do any of those details really matter?  Don't we serve a God who is bigger than that?  Trust Him.  He's bigger than any of the details and He's infinitely more capable of handling them.

A Reminder

I just need someone to remind me of basic truth every once in a while.  Have you ever been there?  That's this morning for me.


I got up this morning to run and after I got home and cleaned up a bit, I sat down to read today's Bible passage from the L3 Journal, which was Luke 4, and what really hit home with me seemed so basic...and yet so necessary.


But then I started thinking about it.  I knew I wanted to write about what I had read and share that truth, but it seemed too simple.  What I had learned seemed like it wasn't good enough or spiritual enough.  I started to go back and re-read the passage, maybe find something 'deeper' to write about, but God grabbed hold of my attention and pointed something out to me.


Sometimes I see what the pastors at church blog about or what other 'spiritual giants' in my life comment on when they read the same passage I read and I get a little twinge of...I don't know...jealousy maybe?  It just seems like they got so much more out of what they were reading than I did - but like I said, today God just grabbed hold of me - I make things too complicated sometimes.  I look too hard and miss the most obvious things.  This morning is a bit of a convicting reminder for me to rest in the joy of reading scripture, to be open to God telling me what He's going to tell me, and that's it!


I almost skipped over that last couple of paragraphs to write about what I got out of Luke 4 today - that Jesus was tempted, that temptation is always something God provides a way out of, that being filled with the Spirit is a guaranteed way to escape temptation.  Those are all necessary truths for me to be reminded of today in my own walk with the Lord.  But that's for me.  It's what God chose to reveal to me today.


I would encourage you to seek the same thing.  What is God revealing to you today?  Compared to anything I could ever say, what God has to say to you is going to be far more relevant, more convicting, more valuable.  Genuinely seek God's face today and He'll show Himself to you more clearly than anything you've ever seen.

Magnificent Obsession

Lately, I've become obsessed with the sky.  Every time we go somewhere, whether it's a quick trip down to the store or to a near-by city or even another country, I find myself looking up.  I'm literally obsessed.


Think about it though.  The majesty of the sky, with its multitude of colors and the swirls of clouds.  Every sky is different and yet every sky is the same.  You can be in an entirely different country from me and we'll see vastly different pictures, but the same moon and stars will come out at night, the same sun will still rise and set each morning and evening.  The more I think about it and the more that I stop in the middle of what I'm doing to take yet another picture of the sky, the more in awe I become.


If you never thought about it before now, ponder this.  It is impossible to look at the sky, with all of its incredible detail, and not believe in the Creator.  He's the most accomplished artist there will ever be and what awes me even more than how beautiful His Creation can be is how full of splendor, majesty and power He proves Himself to be through the vastness of that which He created.  The sky is a perfect picture of that for me.  I love to look up at a perfect sunset or the fluffiest clouds I think I've ever seen and remember how amazing my God is.  I get overwhelmed sometimes at how awe-inspiring it can be.  I am moved to the very core of my soul thinking about how God displays His magnificence throughout all of His Creation, but especially the sky.


I think of this song by Steven Curtis Chapman every time the subject comes up.

"This is everything I want

This is everything I need

I want this to be my one consuming passion

Everything my heart desires

Lord, I want it all to be for you, Jesus

Be my magnificent obsession" 

May God reveal Himself to you more and more each day and may He become your magnificent obsession in everything you do and say.  Think about that this week - maybe these pictures can give you a small glimpse of what I'm talking about.

Training

As you know based on my last post, I've started a routine of being consistent in my working out and time with the Lord.  I was doing p90x for a while, but long story short, I've altered that plan quite a bit and the majority of this new plan is running and hopefully getting good enough to do a 5k or something in the near future.  That said, as I've gotten a few runs under my belt I've noticed a couple of things:

- I've gotten better in just a short amount of time (I assume I'll continue improving?)
- It's hard work!

The thing I tend to forget about training myself (mind, body, or spirit) is that it is real work to start in whatever condition you're in and push yourself to grow and improve individually.  I want it to just come easily and not have to do much to achieve improvement.  Obviously, with education being my profession, I have a first hand view of students who choose to work hard or not.  The ones who work hard are successful, the ones who do not are not successful.  Simple.  With my body, I can easily see in my own life how if I work hard I improve and if I don't then I very quickly become lazy and apathetic.

Hopefully you can tell where I'm headed - it's the same in our walk with Christ.  As a Christian, God doesn't tell us to just get 'fire insurance' and that's all we're required to do.  It's a lifestyle, it's a transformation, it's work to grow closer to God in our relationships with Him.  The awesome thing about it is that while the training of my mind or body can be a very individualized experience, the training of my spirit is something I'll never have to do alone because God is right there beside me giving me strength and lifting me up as I continue to grow closer to Him.

As crucial as all of that it - to realize that I need to work at this relationship - I think it's so vital to understand the importance of starting early in life.  Just like young children can learn languages so much easier than older people or young athletes have more time to improve their abilities than older athletes, young people are so important to Christ.  He even says in Mark 10:14-15:

"Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.  Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

God has placed in the hands of Christian parents the remarkable ability to influence our children for the Lord.  We're even commanded to do so in Proverbs 22:6:

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."

A couple of weeks ago I went into Isabella's room to get her up for breakfast - a time I have begun to cherish more and more as she gets older - and she looked at me, smiled and pointed and simply said, "Bible."  It was the first time she had done that and I almost broke down right then and there.  It absolutely melts my heart and makes me smile the biggest smile ever to know that the first thing Isabella wants to do when she gets up - before eating or getting a new diaper, before running around or playing with her toys - is read a story out of her little Bible.

I know we're going to mess things up as time goes on.  I know we're not always going to get things right.  But there is one thing that I will die before getting wrong and that's the command of Proverbs 22:6.  If we as parents do nothing else with our lives, I'm praying that we raise our children up in the Lord because it's the best gift a parent can ever give to a child.

What Routine?

I absolutely love summer.  Being a teacher, this allows me ample time to do all the things I don't usually have time for during the school year - like read my ever growing list of books, fixing/cleaning things around the house, etc.  I have a problem though.  A problem to which I know the solution but find myself wavering back and forth to commit.  You see, during the school year my morning routine is down to a science.  Every minute of my morning is accounted for, every task has its time slot, and let me just be honest:  summer completely throws my routine out the window.


It's a blessing and a curse, really.  I have the freedom of knowing that I don't have anywhere to be or anything to do, no deadlines to meet, no lesson plans to write.  That part is great.  The part where I don't work out consistently, where I'm not consistently in the Word, where I sit down to write a new blog entry at 4:50 in the afternoon and I haven't even showered or gotten out of my pajamas yet - those are the parts that aren't so great.


Is it wrong to not have any real obligations for a period of time?  No, I don't think so.  Am I gloating in the fact that I have all summer off and don't have to go to work for two months?  No.  In fact, it's probably the worst thing possible for someone like me who is so routine oriented.


Reading in the L3 Journal the other day, Proverbs 5:23 stuck out like a sore thumb:

"He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray."

It may not be true for everyone, but for a person like me - lack of discipline really is death-like.  I don't die a physical death or even a spiritual death, but I certainly decline in my growth.  When I'm not consistently working out, I can definitely tell a difference in my physical abilities.  When I'm not meditating on God's Word and seeking His face daily, it opens me up for all sorts of temptations to lead me astray.  I think that's why Solomon in all his wisdom wrote this particular part of the Proverbs.  He knew that discipline was a vital part of every person's life, and it's most relevant to us as Christians.


I need the consistency of knowing that every day at a specific time I am going to open up God's Word and spend some time learning what He has to say to me for the day.  I need it. "As the deer pants for the water," so to speak.


I say all that to say this.  I'm making it a goal of mine for the rest of the summer to get up at the same time every day in order to:
- discipline my spirit through time spent with God,
- and discipline my body through working out.


I've got to.  It's vital for life.  It's especially vital for life in Christ.  That's my routine.
What's yours?

What's Down In The Well...

I was talking to my dad this evening and he said something that he's said countless times throughout the years as we were growing up -  "What's down in the well comes up in the bucket."  Now, I know that's not original to him, but it's one of those phrases that just makes me think of my dad and the wisdom that he has imparted over the years (I'm pretty sure that the older I get the wiser he becomes...).

Anyway, it started me thinking about something else that's become something of a conviction in my life lately.  Last week, during our Thursday morning prayer time, one of the guys brought up the point that we as Christians (and men, specifically) should have Scripture memorized.  Normally I would hear that and agree wholeheartedly and never actually do anything about it because so many times in my life I find myself getting really gung-ho about some issue or conviction but never really being spurred to action.  Fortunately for us, we have a guy in our group who is adamant about us being men of action, men who see needs and rise to meet them, men who feel conviction and move to respond in whatever way God directs.

After further discussion, the decision was made.  We're going to memorize Scripture.  Not just any scripture though, not just random smatterings of verses from all over the Bible.  We're going to memorize Ephesians.

"Ephesians what?" someone asked me after I told him about it.

All of it.

6 chapters.

155 verses.

The whole book.

It seemed a daunting task at first.  Even now, in the midst of memorizing, it seems quite difficult to say the least.  We have a lot going for us, though.  It's something that God wants us as believers to do (Psalm 119:11) and it's something that the Lord gives us strength to do (Phil. 4:13).

It's a vital part of the Christian faith and that brings me back to the phrase I was talking about earlier.  God wants us filling up our lives with His word and His truth because that phrase really is true - whatever we fill our hearts and minds with is what's going to come out in our lives.

So.  What are you putting in your well?

Water

I catch myself all the time saying things that I wish I could take back.  Maybe not even take back, so much as say in a nicer tone or with a better attitude.  It's like right after it comes out of my mouth, my brain catches up and realizes that I would have been better off not saying it at all.  Anybody else out there with a similar problem?


Needless to say, I know exactly what James is talking about in the third chapter of his book.  He compares the tongue to a bridle on a horse or the rudder of a ship.  Such a small little thing can change the course of someone's day, year, or life.  One little word can send someone on a path of destruction that may be irreversible.  It grates on me and bothers me.  I think about it all the time - mainly because I have so much trouble giving up control of my tongue to the Lord - and I try to figure out ways to stop myself the next time I want to say something dumb.  Sometimes I even think, "What if I were silent?  What if I didn't say anything at all?  That would fix it."


Here's the thing I'm coming to realize more and more every day.


It's not my job to try not to say things.  As a Christian I'm not called to do the taming when it comes to my mouth and the things that I say.  Yes, self control plays a part in helping me, but ultimately taming my own tongue is an impossible task.  I'm inherently sinful.  Trying to tame my own tongue would be like using muddy water to wash dishes - pointless.  God's the one who's working in my heart and in my mouth.  He's the one who shapes me every day more and more into the picture of what He wants me to be.


Now, does that mean I'm off the hook?  I can just go say and do anything I want because God's gonna do all the work?  No.  Not by any means.  I finally realized today that while my job is not to try to tame my own tongue, it is to direct my mouth toward the praise of our Father.  Instead of trying not to say something inappropriate I should spend my energy and effort glorifying God and then I will accomplish both, won't I?


I look at it like this:  You know when you drink chocolate milk how there's that little ring of chocolate left at the bottom?  The problem is, you can't pour that out.  No matter how hard you try, that chocolate isn't going to pour because it's too thick.  However, what happens if I run clean water in that cup?  At first it doesn't look like things are getting any cleaner.  BUT, if I wait long enough and keep running clean water into that cup, eventually the water will wash away all the chocolate from the bottom of the cup and leave a nice, clear cup of tap water.  It's the same thing with our mouths (or even our lives).  They're dirty, and no matter how hard we try we can't get rid of that dirt.  But if we fill our mouths with the praises of God, eventually it will rinse clear and there won't be the dirt anymore.  Will we still make mistakes?  Yes.  Perfection doesn't come for us until heaven.  At the end of each day though, we'll have a better witness for it because we spent our time praising the Name of our God who is greater than all other things and Who is so worthy to be praised.


Be a refreshing flow of clean water today.  You'll be amazed at the results.

Strong Tower

This morning it was just me and Isabella eating breakfast and playing (we like to let Mommy sleep in whenever we can, plus it's great daddy/daughter time that I utterly cherish).  Anyway, I took a break from playing to get my second cup of coffee for the day and I noticed that normal play sounds had stopped coming from the living room.  After almost two years with a little girl in the house, the silence was deafening.  And if you don't have kids, then learn from me - silence usually means something bad is going on in the other room!

So I finished pouring my cup of coffee and I went to look around the corner into the living room, fully expecting that I would discover any number of crazy scenarios, and the first thing I saw was Isabella sitting in her little rocking chair with a blanket pulled up close to her.  Now, I know we have a good kid and all, but even for her that was a little out of the ordinary and so I started looking around to find the trouble she was trying to avoid by sitting in the chair.  I know that sounds pessimistic, but kids change your perspective on things.  While I'm glancing around the living room (which she has not messed up at all, by the way) Isabella simply points to the floor in front of her and says, "Bug."  Now I thought she said, "Ball" so I went looking for the tennis ball we had been playing with and when I turn around after finding it, I see movement on the floor.  Sure enough, a little spider was crawling across the floor and Isabella was trying to tell me that it was there and I missed it.

Here's what struck me about the whole situation.  She didn't cry.  She didn't scream.  She didn't come running in to find me and tell me about it.  I would say she wasn't scared, but I don't think that's the case. I think she was scared.  When I came around the corner, I saw concern on her face, worry even.

BUT, she knew I was coming.
She knew I would take care of it.
She knew I would protect her.

And so she waited.  Yes, with a bit of concern and worry for the outcome of the situation.  Yes, with a little bit of fear.  But she waited for me to come because she knew without a doubt that I was coming and I had her safety in mind.

Isn't that how our relationship with God should be?  I know things get us worried and concerned and fearful.  I know things in our lives don't always turn out the way we have envisioned.  I know sometimes the future is uncertain and we don't know exactly what to expect around the next corner.

BUT, I know God is coming.
I know He will take care of it.
I know He will protect me.

The whole scene reminds me of these verses in Psalm 46 (1-3, 7, & 10):

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though the waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling...The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress...Be still, and know that I am God."

And so I wait.  Yes, sometimes there is concern or worry or fear for the outcome of a situation.  But I have no doubt in my mind that God is coming - in fact, He never left! - and He has my best interests at heart.  Trust Him.  He knows far better than we ever will.

I gotta run - she's gotten quiet again...

The Measure of a Man

This time, the blog's in video form.  Enjoy.