More Than a Cliche

In our community, separate gatherings for men, women and teens have become an established part of our worship and focus on Good Friday.  It’s wonderful to see The Church in our community come together in worship and reflection on the sacrifice of Jesus on this day.

About 12 years ago, I took some of the kids from our youth ministry to the Youth gathering.  I was excited to be a part of this worship, and to hear Robin Cole – part of the infamous Steel Curtain defense of the Steelers in the 70’s and early 80’s – share his faith story and encourage us in our walk with Jesus.

Robin shared his faith journey with us that morning, recounting how as a young man he came to trust in Jesus as his Lord and Savior and how he overcame a very rough and tumble childhood and teen years.  I don’t remember all the specifics, but I do recall that he shared with great passion about how God had changed his life and delivered him from a gang infested community in Compton, CA.  I was really impressed with his faith and his trust in Jesus.

And then his talk took a nosedive into the cheesy motivational speech, telling the kids, “You can be anything you want to be.”  As I heard him speak, I was thinking, “Sure, that’s easy to say when you’re a 6’3” stud linebacker who has been given incredible strength and athletic ability.”  This isn’t to minimize what he had overcome, or the hard work that he invested in becoming a great NFL linebacker. 

But as I looked around at the room, I saw a bunch of scrawny middle school and high school kids, the biggest of whom might weigh 150 pounds dripping wet.  My immediate thought was, “So you’re telling us all that if we want to be an NFL linebacker, we can be?” 

And then he did it.  He dropped the Philippians 4:13 bomb on us: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”  The ultimate cliché of the Christian world.  If you just work hard enough, you can do anything.  If you just believe in yourself enough, you can do anything.  If Jesus is your Lord and Savior, everything will fall into place for you. 

It’s sad and a little troubling to me that so many people – of course mostly with good intentions – have robbed this verse of its power and meaning in an attempt to motivate people.  It is a verse of great promise and hope for us in our struggles in life, but it is not a cliché about doing whatever we want to do and being whatever we want to be.

You might recall, as I wrote last week, that Paul is writing the Book of Philippians from prison and encouraging his friends at the Church in Phillipi to keep up the work that God has begun in their lives, despite their outward circumstances.  In today’s reading from Philippians 4, Paul really brings it all together for us and helps us to see that Philippians 4:13 is much more than a cliché. 

In v.4, Paul says these words to his friends: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

From prison.  In chains.  Beaten and battered.  And not in a prison with 3 square meals a day, cable TV and a recreation area funded by taxpayers.  Through Paul, God tells us that we can always choose to have joy no matter our circumstances.  Choosing joy, and choosing to see the big picture of what God has done and continues to do for us in Jesus Christ, is not a cliché and is not based upon our circumstances.  No matter where we find ourselves in life, we can choose to be joyful because of what Jesus has done for us.  This is the foundation for knowing and believing and living out the truth that we can do all things through the strength of Jesus.

Paul goes on to talk about this reality in greater detail.   In v.11, he says, “ . . . for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances,” and in v.12 he reminds us that he is familiar with hardship.  The key to Paul’s faith in such situations, and the key to faith for us in difficult circumstances, is knowing and believing that even in the hard times, Jesus is our source of joy, contentment and strength. 

Jesus isn’t our Genie in a Bible that gives us whatever we want or allows us to do whatever we want to do.  Jesus is our source of life and power; our source of grace and mercy; and our source of contentment as we seek to live a life that glorifies and points other people to Him as we become like Him.

Doing all things through Christ is about doing all things FOR Christ.  Are you struggling to maintian your integrity because you're disappointed with your circumstances?  Jesus will give you the strength to maintain it.  Are you struggling to maintain your faith and keep moving forward in becoming like Jesus because God is humbling you?  Jesus will give you the strength to maintain your faith and to keep moving towards him.  Are you struggling to maintain your holiness and righteousness because you're being mocked and scoffed at?  Jesus will give you the strength to maintain it.  

Jesus will give us the strength to glorify Him in EVERY situation in life when our overwhelming desire and focus in life is to bring Him glory. In every situation in life – whether good or bad; easy or difficult – we have two choices.  We can honor Jesus and reflect his glory or we can honor ourselves and be consumed with selfies and self-promotion.  When we choose to live for Jesus, we can be confident that by his power and strength, he will give us all that we need in every situation in life. 

Think about it this way.  This is a promise straight from the heart of God to us.  Do you think this is a cliché to Him, or does He really mean it?  My hope and prayer is that in my life, and in yours, that this would be more than a cliché and that it would be a source of strength, hope and power for us as we seek to live for the glory of Jesus. 

Consumed With Selfies and Self Promotion

In case you’re not up to speed with the digital age and current trends in American/Western culture, a selfie isn’t about sex.  A selfie is a picture you take of yourself with your phone or mobile device to post to Facebook, Twitter or other social media platforms.  The occasional selfie isn’t bad – after all, social media is a way that we connect with friends and others in our lives and share what’s going on in our lives.  It’s fun to see pics of my friends enjoying life and having a good time.  And I enjoy taking pictures of my kids and our family, and sharing with friends the things that are happening in our lives. 

But for a follower of Jesus Christ, we really need to ask ourselves what we’re promoting in our lives.  On social media.  In our relationships – at home, at work and in our communities.  In a culture consumed with selfies and self-promotion, have we become consumed with those things or are we consumed with bringing glory and honor to the name of Jesus Christ above all else.

The Apostle Paul was acutely aware of this struggle in his own life, and in today’s reading from Philippians 3, God uses him to speak to us about this very thing. 

Backtracking for a minute to yesterday’s reading from Philippians 2:3-5, Paul writes these words: “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.  You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”

If anybody in history was every worthy of being consumed with selfies and self-promotion it was Jesus.  The perfect and sinless Lamb of God.  And yet as Paul describes what the attitude of Christ is, that we should reflect in our lives, he uses words and phrases like this:

           

 He gave up his divine privileges (v.7)

            He took the humble position of a slave (v.7)

            He humbled himself in obedience (v.8)

            Died a criminal’s death on a cross (v.8)

Giving up on the idea of promoting ourselves and our own self-interests is no easy or small thing, but it’s a necessary thing if we’re going to live for Jesus and die to ourselves.  Especially when we think we’ve got a message, product or service that we believe in and think would benefit others. 

Paul was a man with a highly impressive spiritual pedigree and had every reason to promote himself.  In Philippians 3:5&6, he lays out his impressive qualifications with regard to the strictest adherence of the Jewish law. 

But in v.v. 7&8, he tells us what we need to hear: “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.  Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ . . .”

Here’s something that makes a lot of nice, well behaved Christians squirm.  The words that we read as “worthless” and "garbage" in the original Greek text is “animal excrement.”  Cow patty.  Doggy doo.  Pig slop.  Go ahead and let that sink in for a second. 

All the things that we think make us self-important are crap.  When we are consumed with selfies and self-promotion, we are rolling in crap.  When we are consumed with work titles and recognition; making more money; climbing the corporate ladder; having the biggest and nicest toys in the neighborhood and whatever else we can do to build up our egos, we are rolling in crap. 

The one thing – the Only Thing – worth promoting in our lives is Jesus Christ.  In v.9, Paul promotes the fact that it is Jesus that has made him righteous, and not all of the hard work he did to keep the law.  In v.v.9&10, Paul promotes the fact that his desire in life is to really become one with Christ; to know Christ and to live by the power that raised him from the dead.  Paul promotes the value of suffering with Jesus and sharing in his death by dying to our desire for self-promotion so that we will experience fully the resurrection. 

That’s a pretty radical way to live, and an incredibly difficult life to promote. 

Humble as always, Paul admits in v.v. 12-14 that this is a daily, life-long battle for him.  He’s not there yet.  You and I aren’t either.  So how do we get there?

We focus on what really matters: eternal things and not temporal things. 

It doesn’t mean we have to be poor – God’s Word never tells us that poverty is a requirement for righteousness or holiness.  Enjoy what God has given you in the material realm – financial wealth; a nice house and the ability to live a life of financial stability.  But realize that there’s not going to be a U Haul behind the hearse at your funeral.  Enjoy what God has given you, and share it with others so that they can be blessed. 

It doesn’t mean that we live as desert monks and never enjoy life – the life of Jesus was full of rich, life-giving relationships; shared meals and shared experiences with friends.  Take pictures and share the fullness and richness of the life that God has blessed you with on social media, but be sure to equally share what Jesus means to you and how you are being transformed by his power.

Focusing on eternal things means that we realize the high price that Jesus paid for our salvation and that we live to reflect that reality in our own lives.  Focusing on eternal things means that we promote and live out the reality of a resurrected life, bearing witness to the reality that Jesus changes and transforms lives today, just as He did 2,000 years ago.  Focusing on eternal things means that we don’t find our fulfillment in crap, but that we find everything we’ve ever wanted and needed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Focusing on eternal things means that Jesus is everything to us!

When You Feel Like Giving Up

My son Isaac is a pretty good athlete, and most sports that he tries come naturally to him.  With some reluctance, and after a lot of thought and conversation, my wife and I agreed to let him start playing tackle football when he was 7 years old and in second grade.

He was so excited when we told him that he would be allowed to play.  It’s something that he had wanted to do, since he was about 4 years old.  One of his best friends had older brothers who were great football players for our local youth football program, and his dad was one of the coaches, so Isaac and his friend always talked about playing for the Saxonburg Spartans.

A few weeks before practice starts each summer comes the equipment pick up night, where all the boys from age 7 through 13 are properly fitted for helmets, shoulder pads, other equipment and practice uniforms.  Isaac put on a brave face as he squeezed his head into a helmet for the first time, and felt the pinch on his ears and forehead, but when we got home putting the helmet on and taking it off caused a few tears for the first couple of days.  To get him used to running around in full pads before practice started, we’d do some conditioning and football drills out in the yard each evening.

Finally, the first day of practice came.  For the first 40 minutes, the 7 and 8 year old boys on Isaac’s team were physically pushed harder than they’d ever been pushed.  They ran laps around the field, and did a series of strength and conditioning exercises, followed by a series of sprints.  And it was hot that day – in the upper 80’s. 

As the boys were sent for their first water break, there were lots of tears and looks of panic on the faces of the boys who were playing football for the first time.  For Isaac, it was even worse.  Although he had never had asthma before, he was on the brink of what could only be described as an asthma attack.  He couldn’t catch his breath and was gasping for air, because he was so emotionally worked up.  This was far harder than baseball, soccer and basketball practices and games that he had sailed through with ease since he was 4 years old. 

After my wife and I got him settled down and back to a normal breathing pace, I pulled him aside.  I reminded him that we weren’t making him play football, and that he had chosen to do this on his own.  But I also knew that he was only 7 years old and told him that if this was too hard for him that he could quit and walk away, and we’d sign him up for soccer again.  He insisted that he was going to do this because he wanted to do it.  He wasn’t going to quit. 

The rest of the practice was almost as tough as the beginning.  There were tears from many of the boys, and several of them, including Isaac, had to come to the sidelines for breaks a couple of times.  Each time he would come, I would ask, “Are you sure you want to keep going?  Are you sure you want to do this?”  I love watching my kids play sports, but I also don’t make them play sports.  Sports are supposed to be fun, and if they’re miserable, I’m not going to make them keep going.  But he fought through the tears and the emotions, and made it through his first practice. 

After that first practice, he began to really pick up on the game of football.  By the second game of the year, he was on the field for every snap – playing tackle on offense, linebacker on defense and working on the kick-off and kick-return units.  He was on the field for every snap of every game.  Now in his third season, he’s one of only two 9 year olds on the 9 & 10 year old team that’s a starter on both offense and defense.  And he plays important positions – center on offense and outside linebacker on defense.  Football is his first love in sports now, and as I watch him practice and play, the only thing I can think is that he was made for this. 

And I was the one that wanted him to give up.

That’s a longer story than I usually tell in my blog posts, but I hope you’re still reading because this is such an important concept in our life of faith.  And we see that in today’s reading from Philippians 1.  Philippians has been called the Book of Encouragement because of the circumstances surrounding the Apostle Paul when God spoke these words to The Church at Philippi through him.  You see, the book of Philippians was written by Paul when he was in prison.  And he was in prison because of his faithful obedience in preaching the Good News all over the world. 

Paul is writing these words in the midst of what could have been a time in his life where he gave up on his calling from Jesus to preach the Good News.  And yet we don’t find a single word of pity or regret from Paul.  All we find is encouragement and joy to keep on pressing on in the life of faith when we feel like giving up.

In Philippians 1:6 Paul writes these words to the Philippians: “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

Those are incredible words of hope and promise for us when we feel like giving up and throwing in the towel.  Chances are very good that the problems and trials that you’re facing are much bigger than making it through your first football practice.  I’ve been praying this week for people in my church and community whose trials are much bigger than this. 

I have a friend who is in his second year of an extremely demanding but important job in education.  His responsibilities are absolutely staggering, and he’s finding that the first year honeymoon where everybody gives the new guy some grace is ending.  I have some friends who have been struggling in their marriage for years.  Despite brief periods of good times and progress, it seems that the hard times and set backs are just as frequent.  I have a friend whose 3 year old grandson started chemotherapy for a brain tumor this week, and the prognosis for his healing is grim. 

These are certainly times when giving up would be understandable.  And yet for the Christian – the person who knows what it means to be called by God to the grace of Jesus Christ – there’s something much bigger going on in these situations. 

Even when we feel like giving up, God doesn’t give up on us.  He is the one who has chosen us (See Ephesians 1) to be in Christ.  He is the one who sees where we are and knows the plans that he has for us.  He is the one who has begun a work of faith in our lives and will continue to complete that work of faith in our lives until we die or until Jesus comes back.

A little later in Chapter 1, even Paul admits that he struggles to maintain this kind of hope and faith in the midst of his trials.  In v.v. 20-24, he talks pretty bluntly about thinking about how wonderful it would be to escape the pressures and trials of this life and to be in heaven with Jesus.  In v.20 he says this: “And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.”

Paul’s overriding goal in life was to bring honor to Christ, no matter the circumstances he faced.  And that should be the goal of our lives as well.  Sometimes there are situations in life in which we just need to walk away and hit the reset button, but sometimes there are situations in life which call for great perseverance and resolve in bringing honor to Jesus above everything else. 

The people whose faith impress me the most are the people who get this and have lived it out. They are heroes to me as they seek to live for the honor and glory of Jesus when everything within them and everybody around them is saying, “Are you sure you don’t want to quit?  We would understand.  It would be easier.”  They are heroes to me as they seek to faithfully walk in faith and believe that God is doing something greater in their lives by making their faith more complete as they endure struggles instead of giving up.

Paul concludes Chapter 1 with these words in v.30, “We are in this struggle together.  You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.”

Every day might be a struggle for you to keep going, to keep walking in faith.  But you’re not alone.  There are other people who have been where you are, and would love nothing more than to walk with you through your struggle.  There are people who haven’t been where you are, but will walk with you and pray with you.  And even greater than that is the reality of the promise of Hebrews 4:14-16 that Jesus is with us and understands the struggle.  And in the midst of your struggle, his desire and his will is to give you grace and mercy from the very throne of God. 

"So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."

Be a Real Man

A few weeks ago, I wrote about some thoughts in response to the whole Twerking Miley incident at the MTV VMA’s.  You can read it here.  As Miley continutes to twerk her way through life, Robin Thicke, who shared the stage with Miley and was the recipient of her twerking, continues to get a free pass.  He gets a free pass because it’s OK for men to act like disgusting pigs in our culture.  It’s more than expected.  It’s encouraged.

Robin Thicke has rocketed to the top of the pop charts in the past few weeks with his song Blurred Lines.  It’s disgusting.  If you feel like throwing up, you can read the lyrics here.  This is what passes for entertainment in our culture today.  I think Blurred Lines was at #2 on the Billboard charts this week.  Our culture loves it.

Our culture loves it because our culture doesn’t understand what a real man looks like.  Our culture loves it because there is a serious vacuum of real men in our culture.  Real men that love Jesus and respect women.  Real men that live lives of honor and integrity.  Real men that take seriously the calling of Jesus on our lives.

In today’s reading from Ephesians 5, God’s Word lays the smack down on men.  For me personally, there is nothing in Scripture that is harder to live out than what God demands of married men who love Jesus.  I don’t write today because I’ve figured it out how to be an Ephesians 5 man.  I fall woefully short along with the vast majority of men in our culture today.  Although Paul is specifically addressing husbands in v.v. 25-33, this exhortation is for unmarried men who are dating as well.  If you’re not married, insert “girlfriend” or “women in my life” where Paul says “wife.”     

So what does it look like to be a real man, according to God’s Word? 

V. 25

A real man loves his wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.  What did Jesus do for His Church?  He suffered at the hands of an angry mob.  He was beaten and mocked.  He was nailed to a cross and shed his blood for the forgiveness of our sins.  Being a real man means that we realize that truly loving our wives is about sacrifice for the benefit of our wives. It doesn’t mean that we don’t have difficult jobs in which we work hard and sometimes late and it doesn’t mean that we don’t have hobbies or interests.  But it does mean that everything else is secondary to the spiritual well being of our wives. 

v.26 & 27

The love of a real man makes his wife (and for the unmarried guy, his girlfriend) holy according to God’s Word.  A woman does not become holy when a man sees her as a sexual object to be conquered.  A woman does not become holy when a man sees her as an accessory to his life.  A woman does not become holy when a man pushes her moral boundaries and encourages her to sin with her body, heart or mind.  A woman does not become holy accidentally. 

A woman becomes holy when a man is intentional about nurturing and encouraging her to grow spiritually and to become more and more like Jesus in holiness and righteousness.  A woman attains holiness when the man that she loves leads her in God’s Word; prays for her and with her; worships with her and serves with her. 

Men, neutrality and indifference about the holiness of our wives or girlfriends is disobedience to God’s Word.  If we’re not encouraging the holiness of our wives, we’re sinning and we need to not only repent, but we need to get serious about being spiritual leaders.

Let me be painfully blunt.  If your relationship with your wife or girlfriend is about an orgasm, you need to grow up.  You’re not a man.  You’re a boy.  You’re not like Jesus at all.  Quit messing around and pulling her away from Jesus, and man up and lead her to Jesus and to holiness.  Quit playing house and put a ring on her finger before God and before the people of God, and pledge your love to her forever. 

The love of a real man for his wife or girlfriend makes her radiant and beautiful – not just physically, but spiritually.  Remember your wedding day when you first laid eyes on your wife?  I remember that moment like it was 10 minutes ago.  I was breathless.  Speechless.  Tears running down my face.   The goal of our lives as husbands is to do all that we can possibly do by the power and grace of Jesus, to bring our wives to that place day by day.  What would it be like if this kind of radiance and beauty wasn’t just a snapshot of a moment long ago in your mind, but was the reality of your relationship with your wife every day?  That’s what Jesus wants us to have in our marriages, and he has tasked us with taking the responsibility and ownership to work towards that. 

v.31

A real man doesn’t run to his mommy (or to the bar, or to his buddies, or to porn and sex with his hand, or anywhere else guys are apt to run) when things get tough.  A real man pursues his wife’s heart every day because the goal of our marriages is to become one with our wives.

Look, arguments happen.  People get mad.  Hurtful words are spoken.  No marriage is perfect – not mine and not yours.  When things aren’t perfect, are you going to be the type of man that bails out because you’re more in love with yourself and having your ego stroked by your family than you are with your wife, or are you going to be the kind of man that fights for the unity of your marriage. 

This is especially important for newlyweds, and is also applicable to women. 

Don’t let your parents run your marriage.  Thank them for their advice if it’s godly, Biblical advice and apply it.  If your mom hates your husband or wife, guess what?  It’s time to tell your mom to shut the heck up.  Your priority is now to your spouse, and not to your parents.  You have pledged to love, honor and serve your spouse until the day you die.  Not your parents.  Honor them and respect them if you they deserve honor and respect, but don’t build your marriage based on what your parents or family thinks.

Don’t let your best friends; drinking buddies; hunting and fishing buddies; fantasy football league; beer league softball team; etc run your marriage. Same principles as above apply. 

A God-honoring marriage is about three relationships.  A man’s relationship with Jesus.  A woman’s relationship with Jesus.  And a couple’s relationship with Jesus.   Sure, the families we grow up in shape us in negative or positive ways when it comes to preparing us emotionally for marriage, and to some extent our friendships and acquaintances do the same.  But in the marriage covenant, a husband and wife must come together as one, as Christ is one with The Church.  The Church isn’t called into existence by the culture.  The Church isn’t instructed and informed by the culture.  The Church doesn’t find its significance from the culture.  The Church receives all of those things from Jesus and Jesus alone.  It’s the same way with marriage. 

I know that many men struggle with the whole loving Jesus thing.  It seems feminine and wishy washy.  Many men have this picture in their minds of Jesus as a hippy in a pink bathrobe.  A man that’s more feminine than masculine.  But God’s Word here in Ephesians reminds us that no man is as strong as Jesus – physically or spiritually.  He is our source of strength, and He alone is worthy of our love and affection, even as men.

If you think Jesus is too feminine for you to love, follow and obey, consider what he endured on the cross.  Take a few minutes and read this article. 

I don’t know any men, and have never known any men, that are strong enough to endure what Jesus endured for us.  Loving our wives as He loves us isn’t about weakness and getting in touch with our feminine side.  It’s about living with super natural strength and power that is far beyond what we’re capable of on our own because of what Jesus endured on our behalf. 

Being a real man is a high and holy calling.  It’s a tough calling that requires frequent self-evaluation, repentance and effort.  It can be uncomfortable to realize that we’re blowing it as men.  I know that I blow it often because I’m so busy with other things.  It’s easier to retreat into ourselves and to withdraw from our wives than it is to love them as Christ loved the Church.  But I know that when I stand before Jesus and give an account of my life, that I want to be able to stand before Him and say that I was a real man.  Not a cheap imitation of what our culture says a man is.  I don’t want to stand before Jesus and say, “Hey, I was a pig, but that’s what’s expected of men in my culture, so, um yeah, let’s just let that slide.”  I don’t want to stand before Jesus and say, “Hey Jesus, I was busy building your church and leading people to you, but I let my wife’s holiness and spiritual growth slide, because . . . well, you know, because she’s a pastor’s wife and can take care of herself.” 

I want to stand before Jesus and hear him say, “David, you were a real man.  You loved your wife like I have loved you.  Well done, my good and faithful servant.”  What do you want to hear him say about your manhood?

What Else Could You Possibly Want?

I’ve probably mentioned this in other blog posts, and I know I have in sermons, but I’m stubborn.  To a fault sometimes.  It’s not the most endearing word in the world, but one of the most frequent and consistent adjectives that my wife has used to describe me is incorrigible.  It’s how I roll.  Sometimes it’s a benefit.  Sometimes it’s a detriment.  When I really, really want something, I usually get it. 

Sometimes to her benefit and sometimes to her detriment, my 12 year old daughter Anna is my emotional twin.  She is tall, slender, graceful and beautiful like her mother.  On the inside, she can be as incorrigible as they come.  Well, not quite as incorrigible as I am, but close sometimes. 

Because we have a streak of incorrigibility, we sometimes (often?) have a really hard time enjoying the moment instead of thinking about what comes next and how we can begin plotting to get it.  Happens to me all the time.  It’s a real struggle for me to be in the moment and to be satisfied with what I have or what I’m doing.  It’s a struggle for her as well.

As a dad, it’s absolutely maddening sometimes.  I can only imagine what it’s like to be married to me.

This is an important thing to think about spiritually as well, and the Apostle Paul drives this home for us in his opening words in Ephesians 1 from today’s reading.  In v.3, he begins his letter to his friends in the Church at Ephesus with these words: “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.” 

What else could you possibly want?

Those are incredible words of hope and promise for us, straight from the heart of God.  Read them again slowly and think about each word, and each phrase.

All praise

Who has blessed us

Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms

Because we are united with Christ

If we know what it means to be united with Christ – in his death and resurrection – we can learn to be absolutely satisfied in every situation that comes to us in life.  Not only can we be satisfied, we can worship God with all praise! 

Do you realize that God has blessed you?  If you woke up and took a breath today, you’re blessed.  If you spent the night in bed with a spouse that loves you, you’re blessed.  If you have a roof over your head, running water, electricity and an internet connection to read this, you’re blessed.  If you were able to go to work today, you’re blessed (even if you hate your job).  If you had the opportunity to pack lunches this morning and get kids off to school today, you’re blessed.  If you have something to look forward today, tomorrow or this weekend, you’re blessed.

But the greatest blessing of all is what we have in Christ.  We don’t just have a little bit of what God wants to give us.  We have EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.  It’s good and right to be thankful for the tangible blessings we have in our lives – food, shelter, family, love and a means to provide for our families.  But more than that, the greatest thing in all the world is knowing that in Jesus, we have absolutely everything we could possibly want.

Our problems in life arise when we forget and neglect that and believe that somehow, in some way, we can find satisfaction for the deepest longings of our hearts in other things.  To put it bluntly, our problems arise from idolatry. 

We worship our work.  We worship our money and possessions.  We worship our status.  We worship our accomplishments or the accomplishments of our kids.  We worship at the altars of a culture that is hopelessly lost and broken without Christ’s redemption and healing power. 

Instead of always wanting more than what we have in Jesus, take time today to consider what you have in Him.  We are forgiven for our sins.  We are made right with God.  We are becoming a new creation because we are not defined by our past mistakes and failures.  We have deep healing in our hearts and minds of the scars that have accumulated over the years.  We have access to physical healing and restoration.  We have an advocate in the throne room of heaven that intercedes on our behalf when we are tempted to believe the condemnation of Satan in our hearts and minds.  We have a King who has conquered sin and death and hell. 

We have all of this in Christ!  What else could you possibly want?

If you’re reading this, and you haven’t trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and believed that he died and rose for you, you’ll never have any of these things, and you’ll always find yourself wanting more.  And you’ll never be satisfied – there will always be a hunger, a void and an emptiness that only Christ can fill.

Do Something Good Today

From today's reading in Galatians 6:

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." - v.v. 9&10

What does it mean to be a person that does good?  What is the Apostle Paul talking about here?  If we take a look at the Greek text, we'll see that this means something a little more profound than doing the right thing.

Let's focus for a minute on the phrase "doing good," in v.9.

The Greek word for doing is poieo.  Its meaning goes far beyond just "doing" and touches on the intent in doing.  It means "to be the author of," and "to make something out of nothing."  I've never written a book, but have written plenty of papers in college and seminary; hundreds of sermons and youth group talks and this is my 50-something-ith blog post so I know a little bit about being an author.  An author begins with a vision or a dream of something that he or she wishes to convey to an audience.  Literally, an author makes something out of nothing.

The Greek word here for good is kalos.  Kalos is far more than just "good" or "nice."  Kalos is something that's beautiful and precious and excellent.  Most of the time when we think of things that are beautiful or precious or excellent, we think of things we look at or behold.  Things that have a sign near them that says, "Please Do Not Touch."  But this kind of beautiful, precious or excellent thing is also something that's useful and beneficial to somebody.  This kind of good is something that's very tangible and leaves an indelible mark on the recipient. 

So what Paul is really saying here, to his friends of the churches in Galatia, is this: When you see ugliness, hatred and brokenness; because of what Jesus has done for you and because of who you are in Him; be the author of bringing his priceless and excellent beauty to bear in the lives of people around you.  Because of Jesus, Christians can bring beautiful and excellent useful things into the most hopeless situations that we see.  

Paul continues in v.10 by saying that this doing good should be done for all people - regardless of spiritual maturity, ethnicity or social standing.  And we should place a special emphasis on doing this for our brothers and sisters in Christ.  

Doing good for somebody else - especially when it requires perseverance and effort (if we do not give up - v.9) produces a harvest.  The harvest in our own lives is two fold.  

First, in v.8, Paul says, "the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."  Eternal life isn't just life in Heaven that begins after we die.  Eternal life begins now!  It begins here on earth!  It's the abundant, joy-filled, satisfying life that Jesus said that he came to give in John 10:10.  Our lives are fuller and richer when we sow beauty, love and excellence in the name of Jesus!

The second part of the harvest is that we become like Jesus!  So many people stress about figuring out God's will for their lives.  As if it goes something like this: 

The ultimate will of God in our lives is that we become like Jesus!  It's not some hidden agenda or message that we have to unravel through intense Scripture study and sleepless nights!  If you work in a profession that honors God; choose hobbies and leisure that honor God; choose relationships that honor God; and live in a place that honors God, your primary concern in life should be to become like Jesus!  One of the easiest ways to become like Jesus is to get in the habit of doing something good for somebody everyday!  

Think about the life of Jesus as we read about it in the Gospels.  What did he always do?  He always did good things for people!  More than holding doors and helping old people across the street; he loved people with an irrational kind of love.  He touched people who had never been touched.  He gave value and significance to those that didn't matter to the culture.  He healed people.  He prayed for people.  He forgave people for their sins and gave them eternal life!  Obviously, we can't make people right with God and give them eternal life, but we can do all of those other things that point them to the cross of Jesus and the empty tomb of Jesus, where they will find eternal life.

So how about it?  What good will you do for somebody today or tomorrow?  Start with the people in your own home.  I know, that can be one of the toughest challenges that we face.  The people that live in your neighborhood.  The people that you work with.  The people that you pass on the street.  Maybe it will mean traveling somewhere else in the future because God has laid on your heart a burden to do good overseas.  Wherever you are, there are people in your life who need to see and experience the goodness of God.  Do something good today!

How Do You Smell?

My boiler runs hot.  I sweat.  A lot.  In fact, almost all the time.  Profusely.  Always have, probably always will.  And so I've always been pretty conscious of what I smell like.  I don't always give off the most pleasant aroma.  In fact, more often than not, it's a pretty unpleasant aroma. 

2 Corinthians 2:14&15 talks about the aroma of the knowledge of Christ and the aroma of our lives.   Seems a little odd right?  But Paul is LITERALLY talking about the smell of victory here.  In the ancient Roman world, huge celebrations that were actually called triumphs would be held to mark astounding and empire-expanding military victories.  Even more specifically, they were celebrations to fete the leading general of the military cause.  The triumph procession was huge and splendid, and an integral part of that procession would be the pagan priests swinging their censors full of strong, fragrant and aromatic incense in partner with women who would line the route of the parade with fresh flower petals and blossoms.  

So these triumphs were multisensory experiences, and the fragrance of victory would rise before the conquering leader or general, and surround him on every side.  
  
And so I love how Paul takes this vivid picture straight from the pagan culture and redeems it for Christ.  Christ is our conquering King who goes before us in triumph and victory and we follow behind him, spreading the aroma of his knowledge - his truth AND his grace - throughout the world.  V.15 tells us that among those who know Christ and among those who don't, as we march along in the triumph of Jesus, that we are the pleasing aroma of God in this world. 

And so that's why I ask, "How Do You Smell?"

Does your life smell like Jesus?   Many of you might be thinking, "I wouldn't know.  I can't begin to even fathom what that means."

What that means is this: Are you representing Jesus to the world or are you representing yourself to the world?  In your life, do people see the evidence of a life that's been transformed by Jesus or do they see somebody who hasn't changed at all?

Took me awhile to get here, but this is what part of today's reading from Galatians 5 (which always reminds me of 2 Cor. 2:14-15 and vice versa) is all about really.  The Fruits of the Spirit in v.v. 22 & 23 - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Are these marks of transformation present in your life?  Because if they are - even if the fruit is just starting to bud and show - you are representing Jesus.

If following Jesus for you is just about a Get Out of Hell Free Card, and you couldn't care less about actually being transformed, then you've got some growing up to do.  Because how you smell to the world matters.

One of the best things that I ever read about the work of The Holy Spirit in our lives is this from Pastor Rick Warren, "The Holy Spirit doesn't make us weird, He makes us real."  Living with the Fruit of the Spirit not only smells good to the world, but it's real, practical stuff that changes people's lives for eternity.  Being filled with The Spirit and led by The Spirit is something that every Christian should seek, and as we seek that, His fruit becomes evident in our lives.

When we live lives that are marked by the radical love of Jesus, people smell Jesus. 

When we live lives that are marked by the joy that comes from knowing Jesus, and not the happiness or sadness that comes based on our circumstances, people smell Jesus.

When we live lives that are full of peace - the confident assurance that everything that comes to us is ordained by God because we're in relationship with Him - and not anxiety and worry about every little thing, people smell Jesus.

When we live lives that are full of patience with other people and their sin and brokenness in our lives, walking with them and praying for them in the midst of their brokenness so that we can lead them to Jesus and to repentance, people smell Jesus.  

When we live with kindness and goodness, people smell Jesus.  When we live with faithfulness, gentleness and self control, people smell Jesus. 

If you're a Christian or a follower of Jesus, how you smell to the world matters very much.  Don't think that it doesn't.  Your attitude towards life and towards other people; your desire to seek these spiritual fruits; and your desire to represent Jesus matters.  The Fruit of the Spirit sets the stage for us to use the gifts of the Spirit.  It's the Biblical reality of the old saying, "People don't care what you know until they know that you care."  

If your life stinks of legalism, hypocrisy, anger, cynicism, and arrogance, people aren't going to give you a chance to share the Good News.  But when we take seriously God's desire to produce spiritual fruit in our lives, by the power and grace of His Spirit, we become real people that make a real difference in the lives of the people around us.