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Monday Musings: What’s your story?

Last week, I went to Chicago…

And, I saw lots of different people with lots of different stories.

Young and old.

Rich and poor.

Black and white…

And everything in between.

We all have a story.

A story of where we’ve been…and where we’re going.

A story of who we’ve been…and who we want to be.

A story of what we’ve lost…and what we hope to find.

A story of when our life changed…and when it might change again.

A story of how we became who we are…and how we want to be better.

A story of why we think we exist…and why that matters.

We all have a story that is our unique story.

But, at the end of the day, we are all image-bearers…

Created by a God who doesn’t make mistakes.

Loved by a God who can save you from anything (including yourself).

Forgiven by a God who sacrificed his greatest love to pay for your sin.

Cared for by a God who knows your needs better than you know them.

Rescued by a God who does impossible things every day.

Accepted by a God who knows what it feels like to be rejected.

If you have a personal relationship with God, this is your story.

If you don’t have a personal relationship with God, this can be your story.

So, what’s your story?

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5 things you need when life goes sideways

Last week, life went sideways at our house…

On Thursday night, our 16-year old son was diagnosed with diabetes, which set off an unexpected domino of events that included two ER visits and a hospital stay in the span of three days.

“Normal” is a thing of the past for us now…but really we’re just a little ahead of the curve as we all adjust to the “new normal” ahead of us in a post-pandemic world.

Life has gone sideways for many of us for different reasons, and it will continue to go sideways as long as we live in a world broken by sin.

So, I started thinking…

(Actually, if I’m honest, I went into survival mode.)

What did I need to get through the last several days?

Really, what do we all need when life goes sideways?

I’m sure the list could be longer…even should be longer. But, I’m keeping it to five today, and I hope that these five things will help/encourage you the next time your life goes sideways.

Number one: You need to remember that the LORD is your strength.

The Bible is literally full of verses that remind us of this, but today I stumbled on this one…

“Praise the LORD! For he has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” (Psalm 28:6-7)

Number two: You need to remember that the LORD’s mercies are new every morning.

In other words, every day you get a full helping of God’s mercy…and He’s not stingy with it.

“The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Number three: You need to remember that God’s grace is sufficient for whatever it is that you are going through.

The important thing to remember here is that you are not sufficient, but God is. And, he’s not stingy with his grace either.

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” – the LORD speaking to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9

Number four: You need to remember that the trials we go through are meant to make us stronger, not weaker (see number three).

The trials we go through are part of living in a broken world…yes. But they are not purposeless or even necessarily punishment for sin. In fact, we need trials to make us stronger in our faith and in our dependence on God.

“…when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

Number five: You need to remember that you are not meant to go through life’s challenges alone.

When life goes sideways, you need people in your life to mourn with you, comfort you, encourage you, and just be there for you. It’s no wonder that the Bible is full of verses that talk about caring for one another.

“God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Like I said, this list could go on and on and on. But, I’ll stop at five.

As I think back on the last several days, I am thankful…

…that the LORD has been my strength,

…that I’ve woken up every day to a full helping of his mercy,

…that his grace is sufficient for whatever the “new normal” is going to be,

…that this trial is helping me depend more on him every day,

…and that my family has been surrounded by so many people who have loved and encouraged us as our life went sideways.

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Monday Musings: Are you waiting well or wasting time waiting?

Let’s be honest…no one likes to wait.

Waiting in line.

Waiting on hold.

Waiting for that Amazon delivery.

Waiting for things to go back to “normal.”

Waiting for the LORD to come back.

Waiting…waiting…waiting.

Seems like we have two options whenever we find ourselves waiting.

We can either wait well or waste time waiting.

Take waiting in line for example…

In today’s culture, it’s easy to default to pulling our phones out of our pockets and wasting time scrolling through our social media feeds or playing a quick game of Solitaire (or whatever) while we wait.

In that moment of waiting, our phones become like a barrier to those around us…like little a “stop sign” that says “leave me alone.”

And, in that moment, we need patience to wait well.

We might even need a little bravery and courage to talk to the people waiting with us…or to silently pray for them.

(And really this can be applied to all of the different ways and times we find ourselves waiting…not just waiting in line. Waiting is a part of everyday life.)

The point is we can either waste these days of waiting or we can choose to wait well.

These days of waiting require patience, bravery, and courage…and the confidence that we will see the LORD’s goodness in the land of the living.

So, let’s make these days of waiting count and not waste them.

How will you choose to wait today?

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Monday Musings: waking up with a case of the anxious Mondays

Woke up today with a bad case of the anxious Mondays.

It’s often what happens when I wake up before my alarm goes off, and my mind starts going through the day (and the week) in front of me.

As I was lying there in bed with the anxiety levels rising, I remembered a dream that I had just had that night.

(I know…super random. But just hang with me for a sec.)

I was in the ocean on a boogie board…and this huge wave was starting to form a little further out from where I was paddling.

And, I realized in that brief moment that I had to stare at the wave that it was either going to come crashing down on me…or I was going to ride it.

If you’ve ever been out in the ocean on a surfboard or a boogie board or even just body surfing, you probably have experienced the difference between a wave crashing down on you and catching one perfectly.

When a wave crashes down on you, it’s a helpless feeling.

You just end up getting thrown around in every direction until the wave decides it’s done with you.

Needless to say, it’s not a good feeling.

But, when you catch a wave perfectly and you are riding it the way a wave is meant to be surfed, it’s an amazing feeling.

The chaos the wave creates is still there, but it doesn’t affect you the same way it does when it’s crashing down on you.

Instead of feeling like you’ve been stuffed into a washing machine, you feel like you’re flying on water…which is probably why surfers risk so much to find the perfect wave.

Anyway, back to the dream.

I had two choices in the brief moment I had staring at that wave.

I could either sit there and do nothing and let it crash down on me…

Or, I could start paddling as hard as I could and try to ride it.

When you put it that way, it’s an easy choice…right?

So, I started paddling and paddling and paddling, but also bracing myself for that wave to come crashing down.

And, the next thing I knew…

I was riding the wave.

Even in the midst of so much force and power and water crashing around me, I was in the perfect spot to ride it out…and it was strangely peaceful.

Okay, so what’s the point?

Life is a lot like being in the ocean trying to catch a wave.

Sometimes, those “waves” come crashing down on you, and sometimes you find yourself riding the “wave.”

This morning, I had a choice to make.

I could either sit there and let the wave of anxiety that I woke up with come crashing down on me…or I could start paddling.

I chose to start paddling.

I started remembering specific promises of God that help me when I feel anxious.

I prayed through Philippians 4:6-7.

I spent time reading God’s Word.

And, the next thing I knew…

I was right where I needed to be…riding the wave, so to speak.

The day is still in front of me.

I still have anxious thoughts about the week.

But, they’re not crashing down on me anymore.

And, I’m starting my Monday in peace.

If you’re like me, and you woke up today with a bad case of the anxious Mondays, you can either sit there and do nothing…or you can start paddling.

Here’s a couple of verses to help you start moving…

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

3 You will keep in perfect peace
    all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
4 Trust in the Lord always,
    for the Lord God is the eternal Rock. Isaiah 26:3-4

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When what you are looking for feels like a never-ending game of “hide & seek”

Presence and Power.

For me, those two words are the simplest and strongest daily reminder of my need for God…for His everyday presence and power in my life.

Over and over again in 2020 (and now 2021), I have witnessed God’s presence and power both in big, headline-grabbing ways and in small, more subtle (and personal) ways.

Over and over again, I have experienced His presence and power in the form of things that we all need, but can’t seem to find in anything (or anyone) else.

Here’s just the beginning of a list of things that we all need and are looking for right now…

We all need hope…and He is the God of hope. (Romans 15:13)

We all need peace…and He is the God of peace. (Philippians 4:6-7)

We all need comfort…and He is the God of all comfort. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

We all need grace…and He is the God of grace. (Ephesians 2:4-7)

We all need wisdom…and He is the God of wisdom. (James 1:5-8)

We all need love…and He is the God of love. (1 John 4:7-8)

We all need strength…and He is the God of strength. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

I could go on, but the point I’m trying to make is this…

God’s everyday presence and power is real and we all need it.

Just stop for a second and think of all the ways we’ve been looking for these things outside of God just in the last twelve months…

We’ve looked for hope in our government.

We’ve looked for peace in our coping mechanisms.

We’ve looked for comfort in our personal idols.

We’ve looked for grace in our relationships with those who disagree with us.

We’ve looked for wisdom in our memes and social media feeds.

We’ve looked for love in our love of self.

We’ve looked for strength in our individualism and independence.

The bottom line in all of this is that when we look for these things outside of the everyday power and presence of God, we will never find what we are looking for.

And, our lives end up being like a never-ending game of “hide & seek.”

God’s everyday presence and power is real…

It’s real in the form of hope, peace, comfort, grace, wisdom, love, strength, and so much more.

What do you need today…what do we all need today?

You need God’s presence and power…and He’s not hard to find.

You just have to look in the right places.

“Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.” (Isaiah 55:6)

“12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. 14 I will be found by you,” says the Lord. (Jeremiah 29:12-14a)

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When God’s Everyday Grace Finds You

Grace.

Been thinking about that word since we sang about it in church yesterday.

“Your grace finds me” is the line that got me.

Last week, I was reading in the book of Exodus and I came across some verses that kind of got me too…

23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned because of their difficult labor, they cried out, and their cry for help because of the difficult labor ascended to God. 24 God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 

25 God saw the Israelites, and God knew. (Exodus 2:23-25)

God heard.

God remembered.

God saw.

God knew.

And, God’s grace found the Israelites when they needed it the most.

I don’t know about you, but I needed to hear that last week and yesterday and today (and most likely tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that and…well you get my point).

God’s grace finds me.

So, here’s all I have to say…

Whatever your circumstances are today, God’s grace finds you.

Whatever your feelings are today, God’s grace finds you.

Whatever your temptations are today, God’s grace finds you.

Whatever your pain is today, God’s grace finds you.

Whatever your fears are today, God’s grace finds you.

God’s grace finds you today and every day because He hears you, He remembers His promises to you, He sees you, and He knows you.

Today might be a day where you need to hit the “pause” button or the “refresh” icon of your life and pray this prayer of David as you wait for God’s everyday grace to find you where you need it the most.

Dear God…

Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
    for I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am godly;
    save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.
3 Be gracious to me, O Lord,
    for to you do I cry all the day.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant,
    for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
    abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
    listen to my plea for grace.
7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you,
    for you answer me. (Psalm 86:1-6)

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Monday Musings: where are your questions leading you?

Ah Monday morning…

So much is swirling around in my head right now as I try to focus on one thing to write about…to muse on.

I give up.

There’s just too many questions to focus on just one…

What is truth…or true when I turn on the news or scroll through my social media feeds or talk to my neighbor down the street?

What is normal…is it really just going back to the “good ol'” days of 2019?

What is freedom…is the freedom we really want tied to politics, religion, or personal preference (or is it all of the above)?

When will this pandemic go away?

When will people learn to disagree without making the people they disagree with their enemy?

When will I be able to work in a coffee shop again? (okay, maybe that’s not as big of a question as the rest, but I’m still asking it)

What will the people living in 2070 say about the people living in 2020?

When is Jesus coming back?

What are we as Christians supposed to be learning from the coronavirus, the recent elections, and anything and everything else that’s creating division in our country?

What is God thinking right now?

Does He have a plan or an end game for all of this?

Are we living in an intense (and in some ways, unprecedented) season of suffering as Christians in America or is it discipline…or both?

Is God pulling out the weeds right now…or is Satan sifting us like wheat?

You see, I’ve got lots of questions with no easy or clear answers…and I’m guessing that you do to.

And we both have to choose where those questions will ultimately lead us.

This morning, these questions led me to Romans 11, where Paul says…

33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

34 For who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
    Who knows enough to give him advice?
35 And who has given him so much
    that he needs to pay it back?

36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

The truth is, I may never understand the answers to all my questions…

But, I know a God who does.

And that is good enough for me on a Monday morning.

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Attitude Check: what our attitudes are really telling people right now

Attitude.

Been thinking a little bit about that word lately.

So last week, I decided to type in “attitude quotes” into my Google search bar to learn a little bit about people’s perceptions of “attitude” and how it impacts our lives.

“Attitude is everything,” is one of the more common viewpoints out there. And, even though it’s kind of an oversimplification of how our attitudes impact our lives, there’s a lot of truth in that statement.

Our attitudes really do impact not just our lives, but the lives of those around us. Two historical figures have summed it up this way…  

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” – Winston Churchill
“Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.” – Albert Einstein

Turns out that our attitudes matter…a lot.

Especially as Christians.

It was Paul who wrote in Philippians 2:5…

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”

If you go back and read verses 1-4 of that chapter, you’ll find examples of what having a Jesus’ attitude looks like. Paul says things like…

Stop being selfish (v3)

Stop trying to impress people (v3)

Be humble (v3)

Start thinking of others as better than yourself (v3)

Stop being proud (basically all of verse 3)

Stop doing only what’s best for you (v4)

Start paying more attention to the interests of others (v4)

Okay, so here’s the deal.

Our attitudes as Christians matter…A LOT.

The people around us (think your family, neighbors, coworkers, friends, etc.) are learning from us. Among other things, they are learning how we react and respond to the things going on around us (good and bad)…in our communities, in our nation, and in our world.

And, our attitudes (and the reactions that go with them) are giving people either a good and positive view of who Jesus is or one that makes Jesus look petty, selfish, arrogant, and condescending.

Clearly, these are difficult, divided days that we are all living in.

Right now, the division and disagreements we have are centered primarily on politics, race, COVID-19, and the economy.

But, even if/when these issues fade away or get resolved, there will be other things for us to divide and fight over. And the people around you will always be looking to you to see how you react and respond to them.  

So, ask yourself, what is your attitude telling people right now?

Is your attitude helping people see what having a Jesus’ attitude looks like?

Are you pointing people to Jesus these days or are you just pointing fingers?

Attitude may not be everything, but our attitudes as Christians say a lot.

May we be a people who have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had and consistently point people to Him.

Even when…especially when…it’s hard.

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We are all image-bearers…and why that matters in a divided country.

Divided.

In last week’s Monday Musings’ post, I suggested that that will be the one word that best describes the year 2021…

But, it doesn’t have to be that way.

We now enter a week that started yesterday with churches all across the country pausing to recognize “Sanctity of Life” Sunday.

Today, as I write, many people in our country are pausing to remember the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

And, just two days from now, our country will inaugurate a new president and vice president to lead us for the next four years.

Depending on things like your race, politics, religion, socio-economic status, and even family background, each of these days probably mean something different to you.

And, because of this, these days (and this week) may end up only highlighting the division that you already sense and feel in your heart toward those who think or look or act differently than you.

But, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Because, regardless of all that divides us, we all have one thing in common.

We are all image-bearers.

All of us have been created in the image of God.

From the moment of conception, we are His image-bearers.

Whatever the color of our skin, we are His image-bearers.

Whatever our political or socio-economic status, we are His image-bearers.

Whatever our religious beliefs (or even lack of them), we are His image-bearers.

Whatever our family background and history, we are His image-bearers.

We could go on, but the point is this…

We are all born image-bearers of our Creator God.

But, we are also all born broken image-bearers in need of a Savior.

The good news is that God knows that and sent His Son into the world to save us…to redeem us in our brokenness and to give us life to the full. (John 3:16-17 & John 10:10)

The bad news is that the devil knows that too and is doing all that he can to steal and kill and destroy the lives of God’s image-bearers. (John 10:10)

Behind all that divides us in 2021 is a battle far greater than the one’s we wage over race, religion, politics, or anything else.

As Paul says in Ephesians 6:12, this battle is not “against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

We live in a culture right now that has convinced us that those who don’t agree with us are our enemies.

(The polarization and division we see/feel in our country is a product of that).

But this week, I am reminded again that the real enemy of all of us isn’t walking around in human skin.

The real enemy of all of us is the one who has convinced us that it is okay to steal and kill and destroy the life of the unborn image-bearer.

The real enemy of all of us is the one who has convinced us that it is okay to steal and kill and destroy the dignity of another image-bearer simply based on the color of their skin.

And, the real enemy of all of us is the one who has convinced us that it is okay to hate other image-bearers just because they think or act or look differently than we do.

The truth is, we are a divided, image-bearing people.

And, if there was ever a time (and a week) where we need to put into practice the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:44, this is it.

May we be image-bearers who don’t just love the image-bearers that love us back.

And, may we also be image-bearers that are always pointing other image-bearers to Jesus.

43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Jesus in Matthew 5:43-48)

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Monday Musings: An Inauguration Day Perspective from Jeremiah 17

Inauguration Day is coming soon here in America.

And that’s good news for some and bad news for others (depending on your point of view).

If the one word that best described 2020 was “angst,” it seems like the one word to best describe 2021 will be “divided.”

Nowhere has that been seen more clearly recently than in politics, but the reality is, we are a divided people in many ways…politics yes.

And…also things like religion, race, gender, and economics (just to name a few).

Not to mention all of the things we argue and debate and divide over on social media…but that list would be too long to include here.

(And probably too divisive…)

In all of these things, it’s easy to justify our own opinions and belittle or even condemn the opinions of others.

It’s easy to “throw hands” on our social media feeds as we debate and argue and unfriend each other over whatever argument we believe is worth fighting for (and losing friends over).

It’s even easy to sit back and say/do nothing…to choose to not engage with the debates on any level.

But we don’t always do that with the purest motives either.

In times like these, we all need wisdom from the LORD.

So, whatever your opinion is of our country right now…

Whether you are looking at Inauguration Day as a fresh start or the beginning of the end…

As the product of an ongoing conspiracy or the voice of the people…

Regardless of your stance on anything political, hear these words from Jeremiah 17…

This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,
    who rely on human strength
    and turn their hearts away from the Lord.
6 They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,
    with no hope for the future.
They will live in the barren wilderness,
    in an uninhabited salty land.

7 “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
    and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
    with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
    or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
    and they never stop producing fruit.

9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
    and desperately wicked.
    Who really knows how bad it is?
10 But I, the Lord, search all hearts
    and examine secret motives.
I give all people their due rewards,
    according to what their actions deserve.”

In a country that is clearly divided right now on so many levels, we need to remember that our trust cannot be in mere humans (v5).

But rather, our trust must always be in the LORD…our hope and our confidence must come from Him (v7).

Why?

Because when we choose to put our trust in men, our hope is misplaced at best and will ultimately ruin us (v6).

Because it is the LORD who searches all hearts and examines secret motives…

He is the only One with the power and authority to give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve (v10).

And, this is true for everyone.

For the media.

For the politicians.

For the protestors and anti-protestors.

For me and you.

May we all be a people who trust in the LORD in 2021.

May our hope and our confidence come from Him and Him alone on this upcoming Inauguration Day.

And, may we never stop producing the kind of fruit that will last far beyond the kingdoms and political powers in place in 2021 and beyond.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

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Monday Musings: the greatest gift you can give this Christmas season

Tis the season.

Christmas is now less than three weeks away, and I think we could all use a little holiday cheer.

As many of our work parties, family gatherings, and other Christmas traditions are being impacted by the spread of the coronavirus, we all need to double-down on giving the greatest gift we can give to each other and to the world.

Love.

But, not just any kind of love.

Love is such a misunderstood concept in our culture today. Just like everything else in the world, it has been corrupted by sin.

Love is love…or at least that’s what people believe these days.

But, at the core of that belief is a very narcissistic view of life. Basically, love is whatever we want it to be as long as it makes us feel good.

Love is love is love of self.

And, that is definitely not the kind of love this world needs right now.

What this world needs is the kind of love that will last forever.

A love that is patient and kind…especially with those who think differently than we do, and who we disagree with.

A love that is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude…especially when we share our thoughts and opinions on social media.

A love that does not demand its own way…especially when decisions are made that we don’t like or think are unreasonable.

A love that is not irritable and keeps no record of being wronged…especially when we are at home with the people we love the most.

A love that does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out…especially when we have the opportunity to point people to Jesus, who experienced the ultimate form of injustice for us because He loved us more than He loved Himself.

A love that never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance…

This is the kind of love that the world needs right now.

This is the gift that we all need.

May we be a people who love well this Christmas season, and give the greatest gift that we possibly can to a world that desperately needs it.

“Three things will last forever-faith, hope, and love-and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)

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Monday Musings: thankful for the hope of our eternal country

Mondays…

Mondays when it’s cold and dark and wet outside.

Mondays after a long, holiday weekend.

Mondays in the middle of a pandemic.

Mondays when the motivation isn’t there.

Mondays after you’ve had to say goodbye to someone you love.

Mondays when you’re sick.

Mondays when you’re quarantined.

(Mondays when you’re sick and quarantined.)

Mondays after a not-so-normal Thanksgiving gathering.

Mondays when the kids are home from school…again.

Mondays with more angsty posts on social media.

Mondays.

Maybe you resonate with some of these Monday feelings right now…or maybe even all of them.

And, if you’re anything like me, sometimes you need a little perspective reminder.

Something to recalibrate your thoughts.

Something to remind you that this world is not going to give you the kind of hope and joy and peace that you’re looking for on a Monday (or any day).

Because, this world is not your eternal country.

And, these Mondays aren’t going to last forever.

So, rather than letting your Mondays (or any of your days) get the best of you, remember these words from Zechariah’s prophecy in Luke 1…

“Because of God’s tender mercy, the Morning Light from Heaven is about to visit us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

Mondays…

Mondays when you remember God’s tender mercy for you.

Mondays in the Morning Light of Jesus’ presence.

Mondays when God shines light into your darkness.

Mondays when He guides to the path of peace.

Mondays when you can be thankful in all your circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:17)…

And hope for your eternal country.

“We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is good because it is good, if bad because it works in us patience, humility, and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country.” – C.S. Lewis

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Monday Musings: why we can (and should) still be thankful this Thanksgiving

Thankful.

If there’s anything that I’ve learned this year, it’s that we can (and should) be thankful in all circumstances.

Why?

Because it’s God’s will for us to be thankful in all circumstances. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

(Really, we could just stop right there with that…it’s kind of a mic drop statement that Paul makes in that verse.)

But, let’s be honest…this year has been unlike any other circumstance that we have all collectively faced in our lifetimes together.

And, it’s testing us in lots of ways.

Being thankful seems so 2019…the good old days, when everything was still normal. Back then, it was relatively easy to be thankful.

But, thankfulness isn’t so easy in 2020.

In many ways, this year has been a total dumpster fire, a train wreck, a sinking ship, or whatever other word picture you like to use.

And, it’s hard to be thankful in any of those circumstances.

In times like these, we can learn a lot from those who have gone before us, and David is no exception.

David (as in King David) was literally running for his life, trying to get away from Saul, who was literally trying to kill him.

Needless to say, his circumstances were less than ideal…literally.

So, David ends up finding a cave to hide in, and he starts writing (think of something like the equivalent of journaling today).

He starts off crying out to God, asking Him for protection and help and mercy. (Psalm 57:1-3)

He then acknowledges how bad his circumstances are…he’s surrounded by his enemies and he knows how bad they want to destroy him. (Psalm 57:4 & 6)

And then he praises God! (Psalm 57:7-11)

He’s still in the cave.

He’s still being chased by Saul.

And, yet he is still thanking the Lord for His unfailing love and His faithfulness to him. (Psalm 57:9-10)

Why?

Because David believes that God will ultimately fulfill His purpose for him (Psalm 57:2).

He believes that God will send His unfailing love and faithfulness to him (Psalm 57:3).

And, he believes that God is sovereign, and that He rules over not just his circumstances, but all of creation (Psalm 57:5 & 11).

May we all be a people whose hearts are confident in God no matter the circumstances (Psalm 57:7).

May we trust in His unfailing love and faithfulness at all times (Psalm 57:10).

And, may we continue to thank the Lord among all the people and sing His praises among the nations this Thanksgiving week and beyond. (Psalm 57:9)

My heart is confident in you, O God;
    my heart is confident.
    No wonder I can sing your praises!
8 Wake up, my heart!
    Wake up, O lyre and harp!
    I will wake the dawn with my song.
9 I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
    I will sing your praises among the nations.
10 For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.
    Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
    May your glory shine over all the earth.

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Monday Musings: when personal comfort and safety become idols

Comfort and safety.

Let’s all admit that we’re creatures of both.

We live in a culture where a person’s comfort and safety is seen as an inalienable right…something worth fighting for even.

At the core of every person’s views on life, religion, politics, money, relationships and everything else is a deep-down desire for their own personal comfort and safety.

And, unfortunately, this desire has seeped its way into the Church.

We idolize comfort and safety just like everyone else.

We make choices everyday based on how comfortable or safe that choice will make us feel.

At the core of religious consumerism and the “Christian ghettos” we choose to inhabit is our deep-down desire for our own personal comfort and safety.

And, the problem with that is this…

We’re actually surprised when we have to face hard things.

We’re surprised that we might actually have to take risks or to suffer as Christians…either because of our faith or simply because of the fact that we live in a world that is horribly broken by sin.

And, so we end up living risk-averse, low-impact spiritual lives in a world that desperately needs us to “turn from our selfish ways, take up our cross daily, and follow Jesus.” (Luke 9:23)

When pursuing our own comfort and safety become the driving force behind the everyday decisions that we make, we eventually become spiritually impotent people who spend more time whining and complaining about the evils of our culture instead of looking for ways to transform it.

It’s almost as if we’re surprised by the fact that it might be hard, unfair, risky, or uncomfortable to live as Christians in a God-less society.

But, the reality is we shouldn’t be surprised at all.

Suffering is part of the deal of following Jesus…our own personal comfort and safety is not.

We know this is true because Jesus said it is, and His life on earth backed it up…He really was a “suffering servant.”

It was Jesus who said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But, take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

We know this is true because Jesus’ first followers said it too, and they also went out and backed up their words with actions.

It was Peter who said…

“Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.” (1 Peter 4:12-13 & 19)

As we continue to face trials and suffering in this world, may we be a people who suffer well…in a manner that pleases God.

May we be a people who keep on doing what is right even when it requires us to get out of our comfort zones, take risks, and do hard things.

And, may we do these things trusting our lives to the God who created us, always remembering that He will never fail us or abandon us.

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Monday Musings: what God says to you in your angst

Angst.

If I had to choose one word to describe the general feeling of 2020, that’d probably be it. Everyone’s feeling a bit angsty these days.

Apparently, it’s not just a teenage thing.

Angst is nothing new…

Remember the story of the people of Israel escaping Egypt? It started with Moses versus Pharoah’s magicians in an epic battle of plagues…and ended with the people’s ultimate escape through the Red Sea.

What you might not remember is that God’s people got a little angsty before they crossed that sea.

You can read about their angst in Exodus 14:10-12, but all you really need to know right now is this:

When the people of Israel saw Pharoah and his army chasing after them, they went into full panic mode.

They freaked out.

And, they went on a little tantrum where they whined and complained to Moses about how terrible they knew life in the wilderness was going to be.

(So yeah…angst is nothing new.)

Now, Moses could have reacted in lots of different angsty ways himself.

But, he didn’t.

In fact, this is what he said…

“Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” (Exodus 14:13-14)

Now, let’s fast-forward to 2020.

If there was ever a year that we all needed to hear a word like that from God, it’s this one.

We might have different reasons for our angst…our personal health, the economy, online everything, government restrictions, the election, politics in general, fear, family dysfunction, work stress, the “new normal,” and whatever else is causing you angst these days.

And, in the midst of all that angst, God is saying you…

Don’t be afraid.

Be still.

I will rescue you.

I will fight for you.

Just stay calm.

The question is…do you believe Him? Are you trusting Him?

At the heart of a trusting relationship with God is the confidence that He can overcome all of your deepest panics, anxieties, worries, and fears.

So, this week you have a choice to make.

Will you let your angst get the best of you…or will you trust the LORD to help you overcome it?

May these words from Psalm 46 encourage you to “be still, and know” the God who is just as present and powerful in your angst today as He was back in the wilderness with the people of Israel…

Come, see the glorious works of the Lord:
See how he brings destruction upon the world.
He causes wars to end throughout the earth.
He breaks the bow and snaps the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.

“Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress.

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Monday Musings: an election week perspective

I voted…

And I hope you did too.

The right to vote is something that we should never take for granted here in America…especially when you consider the millions of people who live in countries where those rights either don’t exist or are unfairly undermined.

Much has already been written and posted about this election, and the last thing I want to do is add to the noise.

But, I do want to say this…

As Christians, we need to be careful where we put our ultimate hope and allegiance on this earth.

The psalmist perhaps said it best in Psalm 118:8-9, when he wrote… “It is better to take refuge in the LORD, than to trust in people. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.“

There is much at stake in this election…we all know that. But, we all need to be careful that we don’t put our ultimate hope in man to remedy the ills of our nation.

God is the One who “controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings.” (Daniel 2:21)

God is the One who gives authority to man to govern and places them in positions of authority to serve. (Romans 13:1 & 4)

And, God is the One who is giving us a Kingdom that is unshakeable. He is the One who will shake all of creation so that only unshakeable things will remain. (Hebrews 12:27-28)

Sadly, the magnitude of this election has made patriotic fervor and nationalism idols for many Christians.

We are putting too much of our hope in shakeable things.

And, we all need to be careful.

I am thankful to live in a country where I can vote…where my voice can be heard and counted.

But, I am even more thankful that this country is not my forever home. I am thankful along with many others who have gone before us that we are all “foreigners and nomads here on earth.” (Hebrews 11:13)

So, by all means, vote. I hope you did.

But, I also hope that you did so with these words from Psalm 146 in mind…

Psalm 146

1 Praise the Lord!

Let all that I am praise the Lord.
2     I will praise the Lord as long as I live.
    I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.

3 Don’t put your confidence in powerful people;
    there is no help for you there.
4 When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,
    and all their plans die with them.
5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel[a] as their helper,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God.
6 He made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them.
    He keeps every promise forever.
7 He gives justice to the oppressed
    and food to the hungry.
The Lord frees the prisoners.
8     The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down.
    The Lord loves the godly.
9 The Lord protects the foreigners among us.
    He cares for the orphans and widows,
    but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.

10 The Lord will reign forever.
    He will be your God, O Jerusalem,[b] throughout the generations.

Praise the Lord!

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Monday Musings: 3 everyday action steps you can take to kill the sin in you

(NOTE: This is a follow-up post to last week’s Monday Musings: the urgency we need in 2020.)

The urgency is real…

If you are not pursuing God every day, you are pursuing death.

So, every day becomes an opportunity for you to say…the old me is gone, and the new me is here.

Every day is an opportunity for you to live with the kind of urgency that seeks to kill the sin inside of you and become who you are in Christ.

Okay, so if you’re like me, you’re probably wondering…

WHAT DO I DO NEXT?

If you are feeling that sense of urgency in your heart that something needs to change when it comes to your everyday sins…

If you’re beginning to understand the gravity of your sin…and how much love that it took for God to send His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, down to this earth, to die for you.

If you’re feeling that kind of urgency right now, and you don’t know what to do with it, let me give you three action steps that you can take today and repeat every day…

Action step one: Confess your sin to God…own it and then repent and turn away from it. (1 John 1:8-9)


Action step two: Tell someone about it…don’t try to beat your everyday sins alone. It doesn’t work. (James 5:16)


Action step three: Cut off the lines of supply to whatever sin you’re struggling with…it’s better to not have to face the temptation to begin with than it is to continually be faced with having to fight it. (Hebrews 12:1)

And, in all of these things, remember this truth written by Paul in Romans 8…

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”

May God give you the will and the strength and the courage to do what you need to do today.

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Monday Musings: the urgency we need in 2020

Urgency.

I think we get what it means to live with a sense of urgency right now…at least with some things. Like…

We have a sense of urgency for schools to open back up again IN PERSON.

We have a sense of urgency for the outcome of the upcoming elections.

We have a sense of urgency for more local businesses to stay open.

We have a sense of urgency for all kinds of major cultural issues of our day…everything from abortion to racial discrimination to political and social divisiveness.

Not to mention that we live every day with the urgent feeling that our lives would just go back to normal.

You’re feeling that right now, right?

I think we all are.

We all get the concept of living these days with urgency.

But I’m not so sure that we get it where it matters the most.

Because, while all of the things that I just listed are important and are getting a lot of the attention and angst in our culture and communities these days, none of them address our most basic problem.

The problem of our everyday sins…

Both the obvious ones that are clearly seen and the hidden ones that we do our best to hide.

Both the sins that we commit intentionally and the ones we commit unintentionally.

On our best days, we confess our everyday sins to God and sense the urgency of killing them.

We become what we are…a new creation in Christ.

But, on our worst days, we tolerate or excuse or even ignore our everyday sins and have no real urgency to do anything about them.

And, the danger is that we end up slowly becoming cultural Christians who live our everyday lives more and more like the culture around us and less and less like the God who lives in us.

Instead of becoming what we are, we act like who we were without any real sense of urgency to change.

We get lazy in our everyday faith, while we play the waiting game for things to go back to “normal” or for Jesus to come back and get us out of here.

We forget that the ultimate goal of being a Christian is not just to spend eternity in heaven with God in the future, it’s to become more and more like Him in the everyday now.

And, in order for that to happen, we need to live with the right kind of urgency.

We need to live with the urgency for constant renewal and refreshing.

We need to live with the urgency to pursue God every day, growing in our knowledge of Him.

We need to live with the urgency and understanding that our everyday sin is not something to be excused or tolerated or ignored.

We need to listen to Paul’s words in Romans 8:12-14, when he says…

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.

The bottom line is…if you are not pursuing God every day, you are pursuing death.

Think about it this way…

When you get up in the morning, and you open up your computer…maybe you’re like me, and you’ve left a bunch of tabs open.

So, you go to your Facebook tab or your daily news tab…and you find yourself staring at yesterday’s news.

WHAT DO YOU DO?

You hit the refresh button…and that is exactly what we need to do as Christians every day if we want to become what we are.

We need to be renewed and refreshed every day so that we become increasingly like Christ and decreasingly like who we were the day before.

Every day is an opportunity for us to say the old me is gone, and the new me is here.

Every day is an opportunity for us to live with the kind of urgency that seeks to kill the sin inside of us and become who we are in Christ.

And, that’s the kind of urgency we all need to live with now in 2020…and beyond.

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Monday Musings from Colossians 3: We are what we wear

Remember the TLC show What Not to Wear?

The basic premise of the show is that people would nominate their friends to go through a clothing makeover with two fashionistas in a one hour episode for all the world to see.

To be fair, in order to be nominated, you had to have a pretty poor taste in clothing. But, you also had to be willing to listen and take the advice of show’s two “clothing experts” who would literally start by going through your closets and getting rid of most (if not all) of your wardrobe.

Watching the whole process unfold on TV was interesting. People clearly had their favorite sweaters and outfits (for example), and were reluctant to get rid of them. Sometimes, it was clearly painful for them to let them go.

But, they needed to.

They needed to let go of their old wardrobe if they wanted a new one.

And that got me thinking…

What if there was an episode of What Not to Wear based on Colossians 3 and we were all in it?

What if God went through our closets, looking for things that we needed to let go of?

What would He find lurking in our spiritual closets?

In Colossians 3:5-9, Paul gives us a partial list of things God might find…

Sexual immorality.

Lust.

Greed.

Anger.

Slander.

Dirty language.

Lying…

Just to name a few.

The bottom line is that these things don’t look good on us when we wear them. They are all part of our “old nature,” which Paul says we have “stripped off.” (Colossians 3:9)

The truth is, we all need a spiritual clothing makeover.

Because, to the people around us, we are what we wear.

So, we need to go through our spiritual closets and allow God to get rid of anything in them that doesn’t look like Him.

And, we also need to “put on our new nature, and be renewed as we learn to know our Creator and become like him.” (v.10)

We need to “clothe ourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience…and love.” (v.12 & 14)

Honestly, this can be a painful process, and it doesn’t happen in a neat and tidy one hour episode of our lives.

But, it needs to happen…because people are watching.

May God give you the strength and humility to go through your spiritual closets with Him today.

And, may what we wear point others to Him.

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Monday Musings from Psalm 37

March 2020.

A month and a year that won’t be forgotten any time soon…or ever.

March 2020 started like any other “normal” month, but halfway through everything went sideways.

It started in the United States with the NBA shutting down its season on a Wednesday.

By Friday, schools were closing their buildings.

That Sunday, it was churches.

And the dominoes continued to fall with theaters and restaurants and parks and pretty much any “non-essential” public space closed or heavily restricted by the end of the month.

Fast forward six months and September is starting like a new “normal” month.

The NBA season is back…playing games in a bubble.

Schools are starting back up again…online (at least for now).

And churches are slowly starting to gather again indoors with guidelines for social distancing.

Same with many businesses and public spaces.

Welcome to the new normal.

As many of us go kicking and screaming into the final stretch of 2020, we need to stop and listen to the wise words of King David in Psalm 37.

Beginning in verse 7, he writes…

“Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper-it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land.”

In a country that is becoming increasingly louder and more polarized may we all as Christians daily choose to…

Be still in the presence of the LORD.

Wait patiently for him to act.

Stop worrying about evil people.

Stop being angry.

And trust in the LORD.

Perhaps if we all choose to live these last days of 2020 like this, we’ll be in a better place to receive whatever God has for us in 2021.

And in a better place to point people to the only One who can bring lasting hope and peace and healing to this broken world.

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Advent Musings: Is God’s Way the Only Way?

Religion is like a mountain…so the saying goes.*

And, we’re just all at the bottom of that mountain trying to figure out the best way to climb it.

My path may be different than your path, but that’s okay…

Because all the paths lead to God (or whatever you call him).

The Buddhist path.

The Hindu path.

The Christian Scientist path.

The Muslim path.

The Mormon path.

The Christian path.

(Insert your path of choice here).

One mountain…many paths…same destination.

The question is, can this even be possible?

Can all religions by true?

Or, to put it another way, can all religious paths lead to the same place?

For all religions to be true (and lead to the same place), two things would have to happen…

  1. God would have to be a universalist.**

2. We would have to be able to achieve the impossible…

We would have to be able to save ourselves.

But, the reality is, we can’t save ourselves.

We can never be good enough.

Nice enough.

Generous enough.

Holy enough.

Separatist enough.

Perfect enough.

Or religious enough to save ourselves.

Because religion doesn’t save anyone…only God saves.

So, God looks down on His creation from the top of that mountain and sees the impossibility of anyone reaching Him…

And He makes a way.

The way.

He sends an angel named Gabriel to a virgin named Mary, who tells her that she will bear a son whose name is Jesus.

This Jesus will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

The Lord God will give to Him the throne of his father David…and of his kingdom there will be no end.

Because, as Gabriel says, nothing will be impossible with God.***

God did the impossible.

God is doing the impossible.

God will do the impossible.

He has made the impossible possible by sending His Son Jesus down the mountain to us.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

He is the way, because He is the path.

He is the truth, because He is the only path that truly leads to God.

He is the life, because the end of His path is eternal life with God.

Every religious path requires faith.

But, the Christian path is the only path where you’re putting your faith in someone other than yourself.

And, that someone is Jesus Christ.

The Bible says that God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, and that whoever believes in Him will not die…but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

God’s way to salvation is Him coming down to us and doing the impossible.

All of the other paths to Him require us to find a way to save ourselves…

And, that’s just not possible.

*Oprah made this viewpoint popular back in the early 2000’s, and it’s still going strong in our culture today.

**A universalist believes that all humankind will eventually be saved.

***For the rest of story, read Luke 1:26-38.