It happens so often. I speak to someone and ask the question, “How’s it going?” or “How are you doing?” Often times, the response relates to some struggle, pain, discomfort, or trial the person is experiencing. Almost always the struggle and the pain is genuine. What is often also clear…is that the pain is winning.
Struggles in life are always certain. Jesus promised these
pressures (Greek word- thylipsis) would be part and parcel of our daily
lives (John 16:33). The Scriptures bear numerous accounts of these struggles in
the lives of God’s people. Somehow though, many of God’s people seem surprised
by these struggles and many of these seem to be defeated by them.
What is the answer? Does God intend for our lives to be
miserable, painful existences here for 70, 80, or 90 years until we finally get
to heaven? Are the troubles too big for God? If God really loves us… then why
does He permit our suffering?
Here are two truths:
Struggles are a non-negotiable part of life.
[Full Stop]
Jesus came that we would [present tense] have
life and have it to the full! (John 10:10b) [Full Stop]
Somehow, these two
truths must be reconcilable (no matter how difficult to do so).
The Apostle Paul indicates that these truths are reconciled in our attitude and approach…our focus:
5For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus
as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of
darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the
surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 8we are afflicted
in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not
destroyed; 10always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that
the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for
Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal
flesh. 12So death works in us, but life in you.
13But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is
written, “I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE,” we also believe,
therefore we also speak, 14knowing that He who raised the
Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. 15For all things are for your sakes, so that the
grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks
to abound to the glory of God.
16Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is
decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal
weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the
things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the
things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Cor 4:5-18, NASB)
Paul’s
suffering (a suffering for the gospel by the way…and not the consequence of
unwise or sinful choices on his part) was extreme…yet He considered it “momentary
and light affliction” that produces a “weighty glory beyond comparison” (v.17).
Paul’s
focus was on the future days in His eternal reality. He looked to heaven and to
eternity. In comparison with these realities and in light of the expansive
Kingdom of God…His sufferings seemed light and temporary.
Furthermore,
Paul’s motivation was eternity but His purpose (as He seems to understand it) is
to produce life in others (v.12). Follow the flow of thought if you will: The
glory of God (light) shines out of darkness (Paul’s sufferings) and produces
life in others even as it produces death in him. And that is ok…even desired by
Paul.
My
reflections on this today are multi-faceted:
First…I focus more on my own
sufferings that I should. This is a product of my fallen nature and an area of
my life that must be mastered. How about you?
Second…my focus must be on
eternity. “No one gets out alive,” and no one stays here forever. This world
and the sufferings of it are a temporary state.
Third…my suffering, if approached
with the right focus may result in death in me but also life in others. I am
convinced that the “cotton candy and unicorns” image of life as a Christian
that many try to sell is damaging to the witness of His people, since it is
disconnected from reality. The world we are purposefully desiring to win for
Christ cannot relate to this “pie in the sky” fantasy that if you believe
enough and sow enough faith seed then you’ll have only good things in your
life! Why should they believe it? After all, our King was crucified! Yes…but He
was raised from the dead you may say…which is true…but the resurrection
followed the crucifixion.
So,
choose.
Choose today to focus on reality…on the existence that transcends…then
purposefully yield to whatever it takes for light to shine in darkness through
you today.
In my seminary days in New York, the beginning of each chapel included the singing of the alma mater.
To all the world for Jesus’ sake Where bodies hurt and sad hearts ache Lift high the cross, His love proclaim Mid-America bear His Name.
One thing I noticed, particularly in a school which was focused on training pastors and missionaries: everyone heard that calling through a filter. If you sensed the calling to foreign missions… “all the world” meant panta ta ethne (all the people groups of the world). If you knew that God had called you to local church ministry, it meant the unreached people in your city.
Regardless of one’s filter, the alma mater reminded us, regularly and consistently that we exist for the glory of God and are purposefully deployed in this world to proclaim Christ’s love for the broken and hurting. Our message is simple: “The Cross.”
In “the cross” we see the gravity of sin. In its day, the crucifixion was reserved as punishment for the highest of crimes and the worst of criminals. God’s view of our sin is not that of some little indiscretion but of a capital offense. Only a perfect God could hold such a view…since we, as sinners, are often seeking to minimize the offensiveness of sin. We turn “false witness” into a partial truth or “little lie” as if that were so. Ultimately though, it is the Judge’s judgment that stands, not the person on trial. Sin is horrendous.
In “the cross” we see the substitutionary sacrifice of God for us. He is both JUST (in His judgment of sin) and JUSTIFIER of man (because He assumed the punishment for our sin). His justification was not in response to some sense of merit in us, but according to His own good purpose and predetermined plan.
In “the cross” we find hope. No one is crucified twice. For those condemned (cursed) to die on a tree, once the penalty is paid, it is paid. In Christ’s vicarious (representative) atoning work, each person’s debt is settled.
In “the cross” we find the prescribed response. We look at the Innocent One who took our place, experienced the fullness of the cup of God’s wrath poured out on Him, and as it (the cross) is lifted high, we are called to look upon it. If we do, we feel conviction, shame, and unworthiness. As we hear Him call to us we are drawn. The acknowledgment of our sin and insufficiency of our efforts to atone for our sin are overshadowed by the gracious invitation to yield and KNOW eternal life.
There it was. Another graphic on social media about the Bible. It looked like a flow-chart or a recipe you might find in grandma’s kitchen. “If you need peace…turn to (bible verse). If you’re discouraged…turn to (bible verse). And on. And on. And on.
Lists or guides like this are not bad in themselves. I have a similar reference tool that I use sometimes when counseling. But what stirred my heart was this: “Have we (in our information-saturated society) reduced the Bible to another information outlet merely to be mined for tidbits of information that we think we need?
Imagine with me for a moment. What if my interactions with Jodi (my wife of more than thirty years) were only for such “transactional purposes?” I speak to her when I need laundry. I call her when I want to schedule dinner. She gets a text from me when I have a question about the activities. If this represented the backbone of my marriage communication…how would you evaluate the relationship? You might say, “What relationship? You simply treat your wife like a commodity or a human ATM machine…where you push a few buttons to get what you want out of her!” You’d be right.
The problem is…this is often the relationship we foster with
God through Scripture. We hear a sermon on five or six verses. Then, again the
next week…same pattern. We look up information on children, divorce, money, or
a host of other subjects…only to push the Bible aside afterwards until the next
occasion when we want it to speak to a specific need we have. But where is the
relationship? Where is the time spent listening to God tell us a story about
what’s on His heart? Where is the deep consideration of otherwise random
nuggets of wisdom, poetic pictures of God’s creative work, or stories of His
interactions with a wandering people over thousands of years?
God’s people need
to know Him. We cannot do so without a firm resolve to spend time…without
agenda…just listening to the Lord speak to us…through His Word. An unhurried
encounter with the Divine. A listening ear and a longing heart…simply to know
Him more deeply. This is what the people of God must have!
Consequently, this is why, at Englewood (the church I am privileged to serve), we encourage everyone to be part of a Connect Group, so there is time to reflect on and share about those relational encounters with friends. This is why we use a curriculum structure which walks us through the entire Bible over three years…story by story, not just the stories we think we need or have piqued our curiosity.
If you’re not investing in this…in spending time in the
Lord’s living room listening to His stories and hearing His heart…why not start
today? You don’t know what you might be missing.
Today (Monday)…if you consider Sunday to be the first day of the week, is Day 32 of our churchwide reading plan. Reading through Exodus 10-11 and seeing the final plagues pronounced stirred my heart and mind today on the issue of trust.
If you spend enough time watching the news (regardless of
the channel) you can begin to feel that the world is a “hot mess” and that
there is no hope. If you read the Word of God, you certainly come to a totally
different conclusion…the world is still a “hot mess” but our God is working
according to a completely different perspective…and He is not even remotely
concerned about how things will turn out. He is not hopeless…but offers hope to
those in the journey.
Sign after sign, plague after plague, conversation after
conversation…God continued to offer a way for Pharoah to turn from his
self-will to acquiescing to the voice of God. God was never confused or dismayed,
challenged or discouraged by Pharoah’s resistance; rather, God announced it to
Moses in advance…so that Moses would learn to trust God’s sovereign plan even
more fully.
In the midst of the plagues, God caused the people of Egypt
to see Him and His protection/power as ultimate. The Hebrew God systematically
dismantled the top ten deities of Egypt, one after the other. Each time,
Pharoah became more entrenched in his self-will…but God’s “stock” among the
Egyptians increased. Also, the way the people of God were loved and protected
by God resonated in the hearts of the Egyptian people (Ex 11:3). So much so,
that the people gave gold and silver to the Hebrews willingly before the
Exodus. Finally, the “stock” of the leader, Moses, increased as the Egyptians
saw how he spoke clearly, powerfully, convictionally, and compassionately for
God (Ex 11:3).
Life today is in many way no different. The world is a mess.
Christians are often discounted and even dismissed. This, however, is not the
end of the story. God will prove Himself and His purpose to be unchangeable and
unstoppable. Most believers I know smile at that thought. Remember though…this
powerful movement of God’s demonstrable strength came in response to the cries
of His people after 400 years of slavery in Egypt with increasing persecution
and pressure.
So today…choose:
Choose to trust the purpose of God as good,
since God can be nothing else but good.
Choose to embrace the difficulties of the day,
knowing they are not final. God has more to say.
Choose to embrace and exalt the provision of God
throughout times of struggle; after all, God is at work demonstrating His power
for others to see.
For the sake of those watching, choose to look
toward the God who delivers, rather
than only the deliverance of God. We
worship Him, not merely what He does that benefits us.
As the sun rises this morning…it is 2019! What promise the day holds! It is a new day…a new chapter…in a new year.
When I woke up this morning, I was skinnier than when I went to bed…more spiritual…happier…more focused and determined…everything was perfect. No. Wait. That’s not right.
I woke up and was pretty much the same guy that went to bed…only with promise. See, when the sun set on 2018 it set the stage for a new day with new opportunities…a new promise. What a gift of grace!
Lamentations 3:22-23 remind us that the Lord’s mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness!
Today is a beautiful picture of promise. Promise of new opportunities…and with them, new responsibilities.
One thing I have learned through the years is that life is a journey, not an event. We do not go to bed broken and wake up whole. We don’t fall asleep with bitterness in our hearts and awaken with love. Life is not a microwave. It is more like a crock pot. So, with that said, let me offer three things that I hope empower us and impress on us to make 2019 a memorable year of purpose.
3 Keys to maximizing 2019
Know that God doesn’t waste any experiences, even the difficult ones; rather, He uses them to shape you toward a prescribed outcome. Romans 8:28-30 reminds us of this truth. Your worst failure, rightly dealt with, can be as formative for you and useful for Kingdom purposes…as your greatest triumph.
Tomorrow is the product of choices made yesterday and today. If yesterday, you were a “bear” of a dad…stomping around the house and thundering away at your kids…and today you apologize, repent, and seek forgiveness from God and from them…tomorrow you’ll still not be “dad-of-the-year” (no matter how many new toys you buy them) but you will be a little further along in becoming the person God is shaping you to be. Stated differently, “reinventing yourself” doesn’t mean you suddenly become someone new, but it does mean that you make a choice to change something…and enough changes result in a reinvented you.
The power to make 2019 better/different/amazing is in your hands. You are not a victim of some cosmic, diabolical scheme of fate. You are not stuck where you are. You are, in one sense, at a crossroads. You can go left, right, or straight. (You can even sit still but someone will start honking at you soon). No one will push you through the intersection and no one is going to magically remove the intersection from your life. What YOU do next determines where you will be in the morning. So, don’t fall prey to the idea that you’re stuck. You are not. You are, however, responsible to make a choice today. So…make it; and, when you get to the next intersection in two hours, make another choice and act on it.
Today is a gift. Receive it as such. Do something with it! If you are wise, and if God “works all things together for good,” you will likely see the value is seeking what He desires for you to DO with today…and do that. I pray today meets all of your expectations!
“There’s no way, pastor, that you can convince me that I should be taken advantage of.”
While I “hear” this occasionally, the sentiment resides in the hearts of far more people than actually speak it. NOTHING within us desires to look foolish. Nothing within us desires to have someone walk over us or take advantage of us. After all, where do “they” get the right to do that?
As I have been thinking about this very idea today in my reflections on the Word…I’ll confess that this is an area I have to grow in. After all, I am an American and as an American, I have a right to defend myself, my property, and my dignity. I have the right to fly a flag above the ground of my heart that declares, “Don’t tread on me!
That said, should I draw from the wellspring of my “Americanism,” or from the wellspring of Christ’s Kingdom?
Question: When Jesus said these things, do we think he was being hyperbolic, ironic, or rhetorical? Was He just making a point or do you think He meant for us to take this literally? Listen:
Luke 6:27–30 (NASB95)
27“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
29“Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.
30“Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.
Jesus would have made a horrible American! He would! He was so bad at it, that He actually said that this prescribed manner of living He speaks of would lead to a greater reward than protecting ourselves from those who might take advantage of us! Listen again:
Luke 6:31–36 (NASB95)
31“Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.
32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33“If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34“If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.
35“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.
36“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Honestly, this seems like too large of an order many days. Perhaps you’re thinking that right now! What if though, it was possible?
What if Jesus had in mind that He was playing chess while we were playing checkers? What if He was working something for good in the life of a thief or a swindler or a boastful bozo who insisted on trampling your rights?
As I am reflecting on this very truth, I am aware of the poverty of my resources to live consistently as this passage indicates. But then again, isn’t that precisely where God desires for me to be…so that He becomes my supply and grace becomes my heart cry…and obedience becomes my all-encompassing life mission?
Go and do likewise.
As always, if you think I may be missing it and you have a more comfortable conclusion based on the Word of God…I’m all ears.
“There’s no way, pastor, that you can convince me that I should be taken advantage of.”
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