Progress

I have to re-remind myself sometimes about the nature of progress. I find myself unconsciously thinking that life happens in a straight line. I seem to think that I will realize or recognize some issue in my life, put in a place a single, clear plan to address it and then that will be that.

What I then have to realize is that life doesn't usually work that way. Maybe if we lived in Eden, and there was still a need for growth & refinement, the process would be smooth. But, we live in a fallen world, and the thorns in our flesh don't always fall away without issue. Sometimes they do, and that's wonderful when it happens. But I need to remember to give myself grace and have patience for the process of change.

As metals are refined, the skimming of the dross is a slow, step by step process. When wood is whittled away to reveal the art underneath, as envisioned by the Maker, and when our hearts and lives and reshaped and changed, it takes time, and it takes process. The rushing water of the ocean takes years to smooth the stones into the works of art that reflect the beauty of the world around them, so I use these examples to remind us all that sometimes the crags and rough edges are just markers of a spot in a longer process. Trust Him for the journey, and we will get there right in time.

Cold War

I had a meeting earlier this week that was a little tense to say the least. In fact, after most of the people had left the room, a friend who remained in the room looked at me and said, "Cold war. How long do you think that'll last?"

I sigh again just thinking about it.

I left that meeting feeling frustrated and a little disheartened. Then a new thought occurred to me: what can I do to thaw things out? Now, in general, I am definitely NOT in favor of inserting myself into situations that don't involve me, but this particular situation not only involves me, but officially (in a professional responsibility sense) is mine to help mediate.

So, I went back to my desk and sent off a quick note - thanking one of the people in the group for being frank, honest and up front. It's true that after her direct comments, there was an uncomfortable silence from some, but what she did was speak truthfully and without rancor.

I'm not sure my email will make much difference at all, but my hope was to do a tiny bit to ease the situation, and - more importantly - to actively and intentionally encourage honesty and direct communication. While that may all seem like a lot of uninteresting corporate musing, I am certain the principles are rooted in the Bible. And my take is that the Bible is as applicable at work as it is at home or in the church or anywhere else.

"Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth." Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

"These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts;" Zechariah 8:15 (NIV)

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

I'm doing my best to take what I read in the Book of Truth and apply it to my life. It's not always going to be graceful, and it's sometimes might not even be done well or rightly, but I'm doing the best I can. And I think that's what we're called to do. So, one day at a time, let's do it!

You Are

Our pastors at church are great at reminding us that 1) God is who He says He is and that 2) He does what He says He'll do. There is a third truth I want to focus on today: 3) You are who He says You are.

Yep, let me say that again: You are who HE says you are.

We all tend to be so hard on ourselves, and the phrase "negative self-talk" has become rather common in our self-help saturated world. There is a key, fundamental truth in the midst of all the coaching for self-positivity. Believing God's word means believing ALL of it, and it's been my own experience that some of the most difficult words to trust in are those He has about me, and I've seen the same struggle in so many others. But let's review just some of what He says about you & I.

First of all, and this is a "go to" for me when I am tempted to believe otherwise: I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14; fact check me.

I am God's treasured possession (Deuteronomy 7:6).

You are God's child. (John 1:12-13)

You are the apply of His eye (Psalm 17 & Zechariah 2:8).

We are loved with an everlasting love. We are LOVED. By God. Drink that in, friends. The everlasting love of the Father is yours. He loves you. (Jeremiah 31)

And He has chosen you. (Isaiah 41)

You are precious in God's sight. PRECIOUS. (Isaiah 43)

You are God's friend. (John 15:15)

He delights in you. I'm not going to give you the reference on that one; I challenge you to find it for yourself, and to dig into the Bible, it's His love letter to us all, and there is MUCH that He says about you. His truth isn't reserved for Him and what He says about the world, Himself or others. He's talking about you. He's talking about me. Will you believe?

Thankful for the Lies

I found myself praying a strange prayer this morning. This last week has come with many attacks from the enemy; I've heard lies in my head, and have had to fight hard to remember that the truth lies in Christ, not in this fallen world and the words of the liar.

So, as I was reflecting on this and praying about it, I heard myself telling God that, as strange as it may seem, I was grateful - in a way - for the lies. Not only am I grateful for the ability to see the attacks for what they are, but also that I have the chance to fight against them. I've called on scripture, the power of the name of Jesus, and simply the love of God many times in the last week or so...and, of course, He never fails me.

More so, these challenges of deception have forced me to dig back into some basic truths as a reminder and as reinforcements. And in digging into these these, I've found myself rooted in God's strength. Furthermore, some of my feelings that have reared up in response to his teasing have really challenged me to look at the root causes. I've unearthed unknown and unsuspected pockets of pride, of fear and even rebellion...all in the last week! And as these impurities get brought up to the surface, I know the Refiner skims away the dross, and I am more able to shine my light for His glory. So, I found myself thinking about this scripture, and being thankful for this little span of trials.

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." James 1:2-3 (NKJV)

And more than gratitude for the trials, I find myself grateful for a God who works all things together for the good, for my good...and for your good. My challenge to myself, especially in this coming week, is to look upon ALL of it as good...not because Satan's lies are good, and not because the discomfort feels good...but because GOD is good, and I have the option to put it all in His caring and capable hands. With that perspective, there is little to see on the landscape without also being grateful for His hand at work!

Circumstances being what they are...

I woke up today kinda out of sorts. I haven't had enough sleep the last few nights in a row, and that kind of pile up takes a toll on me. I had a headache, my eyes hurt and I was already running late for work by the time I woke up, so no time to workout. Not my personal favorite start to a day. So, I got up and started dragging myself through the morning routine.

Then, I was hit with a thought that I'm nearly certain came straight from God: it doesn't have to be this way.

No, I don't have the ability to magically catch up on sleep; nor can I shake this headache. However, God is good, and He is faithful, and when I zoom out just a tiny bit, I remember that He blesses me in incredible ways again and again and again. He's relentless in His love and in His favor. And I am so grateful.

So, I was reminded again that regardless of circumstance, I have the option of choosing to consider it all as joy and letting HIS truth be the truth of my day. Praise God! It'll change your life!

When You Are With Him

I wrote about Asa yesterday, but this guy has some good stories, so here's another.

Background for this passage is simply that Asa was kind of "freaked out" about some opposition he was up against. Luckily, Azariah was there...

"The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded. He went out to meet Asa and said to him, 'Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. But in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them.'" 2 Chronicles 15:1-4 (NIV)

The short version of the aftermath is that, upon hearing this, Asa's heart was encouraged, his resolution to believe God restored and he took courage and charged ahead.

There is much we can learn not only from Asa's example, but from Azariah's exhortation. The idea that when we seek God, we will find Him is repeated in many places in the Bible, and I can always use the reminder. I also appreciate the reality check in reference to Israel. I'm comforted by the reminder that my problems aren't the first problems ever to exist on the face of the earth; it's a perspective thing I guess. I remember that, over generations, Israel repeatedly turned from God, but each and every time they sought Him, He was found by them, and He proved Himself strong on their behalf. It's hard for even me to convince myself He won't show up for me.

My favorite sentence in Azariah's encouragement is this: "The Lord is with you when you are with him." People talk about "finding God" all the time, and I've often heard it said in response that "God wasn't lost!" There's truth in the sentiment of that humor though. God doesn't stray from me; but I do stray from Him. He is always with me; it just doesn't seem like it sometimes, because I forget that I am with Him.

I just have to remember that our God is a loving, ever-present Father and that His heart is ALWAYS on me. And all it takes to feel that reality is to make an effort to be with Him. And He is with me. Always. Forever. This truth may seem cliche, and certainly may seem like old news to some, but when I stop and consider the magnitude of a loving Father whose perfect love shields me always, prefers me always and is always focused on me, I feel waves of gratitude anew. We serve an amazing King!

We are You

A tiny tidbit caught my attention the other night... Look at Asa's prayer below:

"Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, 'Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O Lord, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you.'" 2 Chronicles 14:11 (NIV)

It was the tiny pronoun in the last sentence that struck me. Asa calls on God and asks for his help in battle and in strength. And yet, his last request comes just a breath after declaring his devotion to the Lord. And after affirming His commitment to God, he asks, "let no man prevail against you."

When I first read this, I thought that, perhaps, the idea was "Hey, God, you are going to help us, so don't fail and make yourself look bad." BUT, I think there's more to it than that. I see it this way: Asa's commitment to the Lord is his declaration of unity with God and with His purposes. Is it not true that our metaphor for our own relationship to Christ is marriage? And does the Bible not make it perfectly clear that, in marriage, we are joined as one in unity? With those things in mind, I believe Asa is saying, "You are our God, and we are Yours. We hitch ourselves to you!" In other words, we are one with You.

His next request, then, is not only perfectly logical, but also lovely in its commitment to their unity with God: "Let no man prevail against you." I read this to say, "If we fail, You fail." This isn't said because Asa expects God to fail; quite the opposite. I think Asa is just emphasizing their commitment to the Lord - tying his heart, his army & his success to Him.

Of course, I cannot know Asa's true intent, and this is all conjecture...but I love the example. I am Him, and that helps me believe, just a little bit more, that He is for me, and will never let me fall!