Speaking and Listening to Grow…

by chrisaiken | Jan 11, 2018 | Uncategorized

I have been writing for several days now on my spiritual disciplines to give a glimpse into what it looks like to grow in Christ. I am not speaking of gaining knowledge though growing in Christ requires us to know more information about Him. I have talked about a number of components mentioned in my article HERE. You can follow the threads and see about a Bible Reading Plan, using devotional guides, reading in the Book of Proverbs, and my deeper bible study reading. Today, I want to discuss prayer (and I am using the term ‘want’ loosely).

As I said in the initial article, this is the place where I feel the weakest since I find myself becoming impatient and sometimes distracted in this area. It is one thing to have a prayer time where you ask God to bless your meal…or to heal Aunt Ethel’s big toe injury (both necessary and good aspects of prayer), but I am talking about talking and listening to God.

This time is often divided and many times informal. Here is what I mean.

It begins with acknowledging God for who He is. I start by rehearsing all fo the qualities of God that come to my mind.

Then, the time turns toward confession: God forgive me for these areas SPECIFICALLY that I know inhibit my fellowship with you.

Third, and this is the tricky part…God speak to me. NOW–LISTEN.

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Here God is free to turn my mind wherever He wishes. He may remind me of sin, shift my thoughts to His greatness, press me to intercede for someone…or just be silent as He trains me to wait on Him. Then…I ask Him to open my mind to the Scripture. As I am reading, I like to think God is also turning my mind by drawing me to things in Scripture.

Finally, I repeat: God you are great and here is how… God forgive me and this is why…God show me what You want me to know or see and I will wait.

When I sense it is time to move forward I do.

Here are a couple of things that make this hard for me (and maybe for you too):

• I get in a hurry. I am a slave, at times, to my calendar.
• My mind is prone to wander. I swear the enemy will flash every shiny squirrel he can to get me off-track.
• I am selfish. I often want to focus on me and how I can grow and what I want God to show me. God on the other hand, will not share in my self-absorbed madness. He stands quietly just out of view.
• I like to drive. Waiting and watching and being dependent is an ongoing challenge. I have to work at it.

But, when I get it right: (excuse the forthcoming alliteration. I am a preacher after all).

• I sense His presence. I can tell God is there.
• I sense His peace. He speaks to things that are important to me.
• I sense His purpose. I gain direction.
• I sense His power. I feel like I can do it (whatever the IT is at that moment).

I hope that helps. If you have a better plan or a thought to contribute I am all ears…as long as I stay focused.

Grace and Peace,

PC.

Avoiding the Two-Choice Trap

by chrisaiken | Jan 9, 2018 | Uncategorized

I like mysteries. A good “cop-drama” or “murder-mystery” is the staple of my television amusement. Whether it is an NCIS episode, Law and Order, Blue Bloods, or the plethora of new legal dramas that pepper my DVR menu- I like dramas. At the same time, when I watch the current “news” channels or peruse much of what I see on Facebook, my eyes twitch and I begin to sympathize with some of the stars of these made-for-TV crime shows. So, WHY?

In most of the mystery shows, there is a common plot. Someone is murdered…there are one or two likely suspects and a tension as to who the culprit is. Then, 2/3 of the way into the narrative, there is a “plot-twist” and a third option becomes available.

What makes me crazy about most news reports on the cable networks? There is rarely a third option. Either you support (for instance) the President and you’re a person of questionable character that hates women, homosexuals, and the poor; or, you are part of the resistance so you hate law enforcement, accountability and desire for the US to become a socialist state.

This same false dichotomy is often applied to Christian beliefs. A Christian holds a moral objection to homosexuality, abortion, or extra-marital sex and suddenly you must hate all people, desire to institute a theocracy, and want women to become second-class citizens in a patriarchal rerun of Mad Men.

These examples are indicative of the false narrative choices fed by impure motives and rhetorical goals of those who seek to win more than seeking to understand. What if it were possible for there to be a third option?

Is it possible to like SOME of what a person does, disagree with other parts, and still speak and act with genuine respect toward one another? In other words, must I affirm everything about a person if I support some things?

What seems true for most things in life is that we would benefit by looking for a “third option.” Certainly, some ground rules apply, but Patterson et. al. touch on this as it relates to relationships in their book Crucial Conversations. In it, the authors advocate for a culture of trust where dialogue is fostered to improve understanding and promote an environment where parties can work toward a common “win.” That is only possible if we accept that there is a third option to most conflicts, AND finding that third option requires dialogue with charitable assumptions.

We DESPERATELY need this in our culture if we are to experience any meaningful progress. We also need a backbone to require parties to come to the table and accept these ground rules. What I mean is: We should not reward obtuse behavior simply because someone wants to be obtuse. If a Senator becomes an obstructionist simply because he is jockeying for power or didn’t like the President (apart from policy)  we, as the People, should usher him out of office.

The behavior we should reward is dialogue. Information is not our enemy but our friend. We learn when we talk. We may not come to consensus, but we might…especially if we are convinced there may be a third way and reject the “fool’s choice” of a two-choice option.

A Proverb a Day…

by chrisaiken | Jan 8, 2018 | Uncategorized

Last week, I wrote an article on How I would Grow Spiritually in 2018. SImce then, I have shared a few posts expanding on parts of that plan: A Bible Reading Plan and Devotional Diet. Today I want to briefly touch on a third part of my discipline in hopes that you will embrace it as well.

Almost without fail, I read the corresponding chapter of Proverbs with the day of the month. So, today, the 8th, I read Proverbs 8. I have done this for years and the compelling reason for that is simple: A mentor recommended I do it.

I’ve sat in conference after conference that Johnny Hunt has led. I love him as a voice that speaks truth. He has done ministry well and his daily prayer, “Lord, keep me close and clean,” has served as a reminder and, at times, a convictional catalyst in my life. Pastor Johnny reads Proverbs every day.

Here are a few reasons I think you should join me in reading Proverbs:

• Timelessness. Wisdom literature is just that…wisdom. Wisdom is not based on circumstance of the trial du jour. It is, just beyond the reach of these things and speaks to many of life’s situations.
• Short. A chapter takes 3-5 minutes…tops. If you read it slowly. The sayings are usually 2-4 lines and are a collection so they are not always connected.
• Repetition. I have come to realize in my life, that I don’t always need to know NEW stuff as much as I need to be reminded of what I already know.
• Affirmation. Reading the wisdom sayings remind me just how much God “gets us.”
• Memorization. I find myself able to easily memorize these proverbs and God draws them out of my soul, seemingly at just the right time, when they can be used to encourage someone else.
• They make me smile. Sometimes they say stuff about life that makes me want to reply to my Bible…PREACH!
• Necessity. I need wisdom. Daily. In abundance. Forever.

So, if I were looking to get onboard to some wisdom, I’d start today. I have also found it helpful to note a date (month and year) beside particularly impactful verses. Funny…when you look back over a year, you can see certain themes emerging and recurring…and God may use that to tell you something. At least He does with me.