Quickest Way to Stagnation
You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. –Galatians 5:7-8
This is sort of a continuation of Monday's post, but as I continue reading through Galatians, I keep being hit by these things (in a good way).
I think it’s interesting that we blame God for so many things. Often chief among them, when our spiritual life falters. We may attribute it to God not giving us what we wanted (even though that thing seemed like His will). We may think it’s the disappointments and discouragements we’ve faced that aren’t fair.
People speak things to us that confirm our suspicions and feed our anxiety until we stop pursuing and wallow in our self-pity and confusion. At least that happens for me. Sometimes I don’t even need other people to help. I look at the “signs” and decide they all point toward God leaving or giving up on me. The longer I indulge the faster I lose my footing.
But I want to get this truth down deeper inside me—who has held me back from following the truth? Certainly isn’t God! He’s the one who called me to freedom in the first place. He’s the one who sent His Son to take my sin, guilt, and condemnation. He’s the one who made me righteous and offered relationship.
God does not cause our walk to stagnate, we allow such things to enter. I’m just so glad that once we see what’s going on, we can return to life in the Spirit and quit trying to please Him with our rule-following.
If we are hungering, thirsting, and pursuing righteousness then following the rules and following the truth lead us to different places. Why? Because if we could follow all the rules, we’d be able to boast about it and make our own way and wouldn’t need Jesus. As it is, working so hard to follow rules will leave us more frustrated, more anxious, and more complacent.
He called us to freedom and wants us to stay in freedom. We face dry and hard times, but with the certainty that they will not endure forever and it’s all part of the race we’re running.
Why is this so tempting?
Each of us is built differently. I probably like things that you don’t and vice versa. That ultra-rich dessert is tempting to some while others shun it for various reasons.
One thing that seems to be universally tempting at one point or another for Christians is trying to achieve something by keeping a set of rules. Paul told the Galatians in chapter 3,
How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?
Do you ever ask yourself, Why is this so appealing? The experience of God’s grace and truth meeting us as we accept the free gift of salvation that we didn’t earn and will never deserve but are able to receive because of His love—that’s incredible! Once it’s made real by the work of the Holy Spirit, why do we want to live any other way?
The short answer in my view is pride. We start feeling we are important to the process, and while we make decisions, obey or disobey, we need to see ourselves in the proper perspective.
It always happens subtly. I may be leading worship, preaching, or just praying or reading the Bible—thoughts start creeping in that point me back to myself and my inherent awesomeness (quit laughing) then I start buying the lie that I had anything to do with what God is doing.
The key is catching those thoughts before they get away from us. If we don’t act quickly, they breed like rabbits and Paul’s not just talking to the Galatian church anymore. He’s talking to us.
I want to live in the Spirit and not fall prey to trying to earn it or follow my rules to gain acceptance. I’ll fail, maybe even today, but I appreciate and am thankful that He is always there to lead me back.
The more I resist the temptation, the more I allow freedom to work. What a great hope we have!
Update on ReCharge Worship Retreat
This is just a quick update- we are postponing this event!
Weekend Burning Question
I don’t think Friday is long enough so let’s stretch it to the whole weekend! Here’s your question for this week,
What cereal that they no longer make would you want to bring back?
For me, it would definitely be the Smurfs cereal and I would pay actual money to have some right now. It was delicious!
Everybody Sacrifices
I have a secret. It’s not something I usually volunteer, but probably a lot of guys would agree. Wondering what this deep, dark secret might be? Okay here it is… I think it would be great to have six-pack abs.
And that pretty much sums it up, “I think it would be great…” I do exercise, but not enough to cultivate that sort of thing; and I try to eat right (mostly) but I know there are certain foods that enhance or detract from developing the washboard look. No, I don’t follow the rules (and really am only vaguely aware they exist because I’ve never looked into it). I’m just not that committed so it remains a distant, nice thought.
People who really want that sort of thing really have to work and sacrifice for it. It may be easier for some with “good genes” but even then, they don’t just magically appear.
The same is true in our relationship with God. He is not the one holding out on me. He waits for me to come, while I decide whether it’s worth it or not. Seems sort of silly when I put it that way, but every day I make decisions to live in grace or indulge my selfishness.
We sacrifice for what we want. Sometimes that has very negative consequences as we can sacrifice our health, finances, relationships, etc. for what will make our lives “better.” Then we look at God and think, “I know You’d like me to read my Bible right now but I don’t want to—I don’t have enough me-time.”
A reality check may be in order—all time is “me-time.” Each of us decides what is important and what our priorities will be for a given day. I believe our goal is to keep turning more and more me-time into God-time so that He lives His life through us.
There are probably only a few things in life that we sacrifice greatly for and find out it’s worth it. I may not be able to answer definitively whether six-pack abs is one of those things, but I do know that seeking God with reckless abandon certainly is. The hardships, sacrifices, and difficulties we walk through lead us somewhere.
Many may not understand or see what you see, but our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all (2 Corinthians 4:17). It may not be easy or what we want to do, but once we engage we discover that the real sacrifice was already made and we are recipients of this great gift.
I hope you have experienced this as I have. We turn around, in that moment flooded with grace, and we realize that it wasn’t a sacrifice God was after but a surrender.
Friday Burning Question: 6/5/09
Today's question:
What do you do when you can’t sleep? Any tips, tricks, or old wives’ tales that actually work for you?
I will read a lot of times or do some deep breathing, but I haven't found something that works every time.
What do you think? Have any ideas?
Adding Value
I like to talk about technology, social media, the Church and how they all can coexist and work together. Sites like Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, and so many others can be wonderful tools in the hands of people with a heart for ministry and expressing the love of God.
As you look into reaching a wider audience, there are lots of “rules” out there for how to do it. I don’t want to talk about all that, but I do want to talk about one of the big ones that I see over and over.
I feel this one has great merit and needs to be examined.
Am I adding value?
This is an important concept in the use of technology in a Web 2.0 world.
Whether in that tweet your sending, article you’re linking to, post you’re writing—it’s important to determine if you are adding value to those who will see it. People sometimes pan social media because they feel like it just losers talking about their boring lives and who would want to know about that? For the most part, I agree!
You can, however, present things going on around you in interesting, unique, funny, or insightful ways—thus adding value. And yes, in case you were wondering, I do think that something funny just for that sake alone can add great value.
We don’t want to fill the world with noise. There is plenty out there already (and inside our own heads). Though it may seem subtle at times, there really are great things accomplished when we are able to add value in big and small ways.
We share our hearts. We share resources. We share Bible studies and church messages. We share ministry ideas and opportunities. We share a laugh or a funny picture. The operative word is obviously share.
It’s the same in our church, family, personal relationships—we add value by being there for someone when they need us, pointing them toward a great deal, telling a joke, or something as important as sharing a testimony or our faith in Jesus.
This is my point. What if our lives were governed by this thought, “how am I adding value”? What would we stop doing? What would we do more of?
The Domination Trap
2 Corinthians 1:24”…that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.”
There is a trap that some leaders fall into, it seems. They end up dominating people’s faith with their own personality, agenda, vision, preferences, etc.
The sad reality is that some people don’t mind at all. They want to be dominated so they don’t have to think for themselves or take responsibility for their life of faith. You tell me what to do and I’ll do it. There is no relationship with God, they simply want to follow along and belong.
Other leaders intentionally dominate to maintain control and influence. When have you ever seen that escalate or blow up in people’s faces?
Paul seems very concerned in stressing that how the Corinthians put their faith into practice needed to be guided by the Holy Spirit. Leaders can offer suggestions, practical ideas, guidance, and more—but when it moves into that gray area of control, we had better step back quickly.
Ultimately, there will be resentment (even if the person seemingly wanted this), but Paul says “we want to work together…so you will be full of joy.” Joy springs from work and faith that is experienced and personalized.
I can’t stand firm by my mentor, childhood pastor, parents, or anyone else’s faith. I have to develop it for myself. As a leader I feel that responsibility to show and live the truth and allow God to lead each person into that truth. Once I try to force it or a person, there’s something wrong.
This certainly doesn’t mean that leaders get it right every time or are perfect. As leaders we have to watch for this and for everyone else, don’t look, expect, or allow your faith to be dominated. We all have to follow the Holy Spirit and put our faith into practice as He speaks in His word and how He shows us in the day to day.
