Live Responsibly!

What does 'Live Responsibly' look like in this life?  

Driving, at times can be relaxing...when there aren't other drivers on the road that is...which is obviously very rare.  Other times when we drive there are drivers which test our patience  am i right?  The driver behind is riding your bumper and thinks you're driving too slow, speed up and you become just like the driver behind you and get annoyed with the slower driver in front of you.  It's a never ending cycle of frustration.  Isn't it interesting that colds and virus' aren't the only things that are contagious?  Don't believe me?  Just hang out with a person who is always sour long enough and you too will become sour.  Spend time with one who is constantly angry and you too will find your temper (and blood pressure) becoming higher.  Emotions and attitudes are also contagious.  The opposite is also true.  Spend time with a loving and level headed person and soon you will long to act and behave in that same manner.  

I'm reminded of the beer commercials during sporting events that reminds us to 'Drink Responsibly'...I'd like to adapt that concept, not for the consumption of alcohol, but rather for living our day to day lives...we ought to LIVE Responsibly!  After all, who is responsible for the choices we make? We Are!  You and I are responsible!  We can't shy away from the fact that when we make choices, we have to live with the consequences.  We can't blame others for the destinations of our choices.  We have to take responsibility for our lives...we have to live responsibly!  

It is true that we shouldn't live by our emotions, but at the same time we ought to be wise in the company that we keep.  After all we are responsible for our actions not someone else.  When we live responsibly we start to recognize the triggers that can set us on a path that can and will lead to our destruction.  When we live responsibly we begin to grasp just a fragment of what's at stake in this life.  

What living responsibly isn't:  

1) Boring

Living responsibly doesn't mean we can't have fun or enjoy life, in fact the opposite is true.  When we live responsibly we will not only grasp the importance in life but also enjoy life a little more...maybe we laugh a little deeper, we relish the company of healthy influences and we invest in its enjoyment.  

2) We stop risking

Sorry, that's not true either.  When we live responsibly we take calculated risks but in different ways.  No longer are we not thinking of the consequences but we are taking risks for others.  By that I mean we will extend ourselves to others who might need positive change in their lives but they don't recognize it yet.  In our Christian worldview that means we are sharing the love of Christ with those who haven't heard or experienced it yet.  We take risks for others instead of ourselves...these types of risks are far more rewarding and far reaching that the risks with selfish desires attached.  

3) We lose friends

Perhaps this is a half truth, because when we live responsibly we will find that some friends will simply walk away from us...but we will also gain friendships with deeper ties and firmer foundations.  Living responsibly (as a Christian) will force us to put on godly lenses in our living and lifestyles.  When we do, and we recognize the paths that God wishes us to travel on, we too will be joined by other sojourners on the journey.  This comradely will impact our lives like nothing before it.  The fellowship of believers is something everyone needs, and a sense of belonging will stem from these relationships.

 "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,  for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe"  (Philippians 2:12-15 NIV) 

Living Responsibly will impact not just our lives but the lives of those around us...so how about it?  Will you allow the infection and emotions of others to effect you, or will you take the initiative to impact your world for God?  The choice falls to us...no one can force us to take this bold step of faith.  Live it out loud and take this great leap of faith for yourself and for others!  

 Philippians 4:8 (NIV) 
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

A Spiritual Intervention

The door opens seemingly by itself, could it be a ghost?  No, Bilbo Baggins reappears after sliding The Ring off of his finger.  He has just shocked all of the Hobbits in the Shire as he vanished from sight at his birthday party.  Now, placing the ring in his pocket for safe keeping he goes to his sitting room to collect his things.   But Gandalf is waiting for him with questions.  Finally Gandalf confronts Bilbo about the ring and, for his own sake, to give up the ring.  Bilbo reacts with aggression, not a part of his normal temperament.  Then he seemingly talks to himself as he strokes the golden ring in his hand; “my precious”…he whispers to it.  Gandalf seems to grow taller as the room darkens as his voice booms in the small hobbit home, “Bilbo Baggins, do not take me for some conjuror of cheap tricks…I am not trying to rob you, I am trying to help you!”

The scene is epic within the story spun by J.R.R. Tolkien, “The Lord of the Rings”.  Gandalf is having an intervention of sorts for Bilbo.  The Ring, can and will impose its will on those who possess it…they may at first believe they control it but soon enough it will control them.  Bilbo Baggins’ mood change is evidence of this as Gandalf tries to reason with him.  He bares his teeth and snarls like an animal…he is possessed by what he possesses within his hand.  Bilbo needs help, he needs someone stronger than himself to find the strength to relinquish that which he is now a slave to.

Isn’t that a great picture of what sin does to us?  We begin by dabbling, believing we are in control.  But we quickly realize that we don’t possess sin, sin possesses us.  We hold it in our hands, in our lives and we lack the strength to relinquish control because we are slaves to it.  ^“Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:34-36 NIV) We need a source of freedom.  We need a spiritual intervention, one who has resisted life’s temptations and has paid the price of our redemption: Christ himself!  Jesus, the Son of God, comes to us and says give it to me!  Give me your burdens, your sins, your enslavement.  Without His help we snarl and wail like animals lost within their own entanglements.

“I have come that you might have LIFE, and have it abundantly!” -Jesus (John 10:10)

What are you holding onto that you have yet to relinquish to the Lord?  Don’t be a slave to what you possess any longer!  Do not let the trappings of sin keep you from experiencing freedom and abundant life!  When we allow the Lord to take from us our sin and shame, we WILL be free!  So let go of it!  Don’t allow it to poison your life any longer!  You have One who cares and loves you and He wants to give you His strength and support.  Let Him help…the shackles of sin can be released immediately with His strength on your side!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOdhYU1s9cc]

Burn the Ships!

The smell of smoke fills the nostrils and tears up the eyes.  The view on the beach is disturbing, the ships are on fire as the smoke coats the air and blocks out the sun at mid-day.  A sense of panic strikes at the heart of the sailors now marooned on this foreign soil.  Soon, realization will set in.  To find their way home, they have to move forward. 

Infamous conquistador Hernando Corte’s is well known for his brutality when conquering and claiming the Aztec lands for Spain.  He will forever go down in the annals of history as a conqueror that nearly wiped out an entire civilization in his day, but there is one saving act of leadership that begs to be examined.  When Cortes’ ships landed in the new world, to prevent mutiny he ordered his ships burned and sunk.  Imagine for a second being a sailor on one of those vessels and upon landing in this foreign environment your leader burns the only mode of transportation home.  Your world comes crashing in, and the only way home is forward without retreat.  It’s forward and never backward.

In a very practical sense, we ought to consider burning the vessels of doubt that reside within our faith in God.  These modes of transportation will only move us backwards into our old sinful lives instead of transporting us forward into a deeper relationship with our Father in Heaven.   Burning the ships of doubt has a motivational value that boldly declares that our purpose and our faith is all or nothing.   As an Ambassador for Christ in this world, there is no escape route or exit plan to abandon the cause of Christ!  We are either all or nothing; doubt can’t exist in the same place as our faith. 

If we have doubt and fear present, perhaps it’s time to burn the ships.  One might argue that fear is a part of our faith, rightly so…but it ought to be the fear (reverence) of the Lord not the fear of what the world might do to us within this cause for Christ!  These two types of fear are different.  Doubt on the other hand is something Jesus even confronts His disciples on… “Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 8:26)   

Burn the ships…move forward in your faith and trust in the Lord for guidance, protection and strength!  He will never leave us or forsake us! (Deut. 31:6) 

ps

"Who do you think you are? "

“Who do you think you are?”  I heard this from one of my sons just the other day as he was sent to his room and was expressing his outrage at the sentence that I had just handed down to him.  He yelled it at the top of the stairs just after stomping up each step like a charging Elephant.  His comment kind of brought me up short, who was I?  In a moment of tears and anger, my son had struck a chord in me.   It wasn’t so much the situation at hand, he certainly needed to be sent to his room (consequences of poor behavior), but it was an existential question that got me thinking literally “who do I think I am?”

In order to answer that very basic question, the Lord gave me His response that question.  A moment of epiphany took place within me in my preparation for Good Friday.  I was to bring the message that evening and so my study of God’s word became focused on the crucifixion story.  Prior to the crucifixion story is an amazing yet brief expository examination on the identity of who Jesus was.  Matthew 16:13-16 records this event.  Jesus asks His disciples “who do people say the Son of Man is?”  His question is first what does the common person know about the identity of this Son of Man?  And their response to His question is essentially the Son of Man is a good person, maybe John the Baptist, maybe Elijah, maybe Jeremiah or some other prophet.  It’s a response that essentially declares the people didn’t know who the Son of Man was.  They truly didn’t comprehend what God’s plan was within the identity of the Son of Man.

Then, after Jesus hears their responses He asks them a more directed question…this time it’s personal, intimate, unguarded; “But what about you?”  He asks them looking into their eyes as if He is looking directly into their souls, the very fibers of their created being.  The moment of truth is hovering and hanging upon the completion of Jesus’ question, and slowly He asks it almost as if He’s concerned what their answer may be; “But what about you?  Who do you say I am?”  Imagine Andrew glancing at John, as John frowns and exchanges eyes contact with the others and then finally looks at Peter, who always seems to be the boldest of the group.  Peter, as if prompted by the non-verbal exchange looks back at Jesus and makes his declaration of faith, identity and purpose; “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!”

In a single solitary sentence, Peter makes a statement so bold that to speak it in the wrong place at the wrong time with Pharisees or priests within ear shot would have meant a death sentence.  Peter declares Jesus to be Messiah and God’s Son!  Jesus’ identity is revealed in scripture, confirmed to His followers, and this epic redemption story is about to unfold for all of humanity.   All because that question “Who do you think you are” is answer by Jesus.

Identity Revealed:

Because of who Christ is, revealed to us, we are then able to be identified with Him, who was crucified for our sins and also with His resurrection which is our door by which eternal life is opened to us!
“But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12 ASV)

We now have the right to be called sons and daughters, children of God!  That’s who we are!  If we are members of the body of Christ, then we ought to no longer struggle with this identity crisis!  We are His children!  Christ has been revealed to us, His identity is real and His power as the Son of God has conquered sin and death for us!  When people ask “who do you think you are?”; we can humbly and confidently reply that we are children of the Most High!  Our identity doesn’t give us license to lord it over the world, or judge the world either, but I hope it does provide a measure of peace for our souls.  WE ARE HIS!  If we identify ourselves as Christians, and we also claim that we too are crucified with Christ then our identity is also answered and we ought not to live in crisis over who we are in this world!  (Galatians 2:20)

Who do you think you are today?  This question isn’t asked in a condescending tone, but simply inquiring whether or not you know who you are and more importantly WHOSE you are!

Spinning like a Merry-Go-Round

James 1:5-8 (NIV) 
⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

A few years ago I experienced a very bad bout of vertigo.  I was laying on my bed, looking up and the room was spinning round and around and around.  It was like involuntarily being on a merry-go-round as it spun faster and faster and faster.  It was a very disconcerting thing for me.  I felt sick to my stomach; I had lost control and couldn’t stop this awful ride.  To put it plainly it was hell.  Eventually I had to go to the emergency room and get checked out.  After a series of tests it was revealed that I had a buildup of fluid behind my ear and this was the culprit to my world spinning around. 

Isn’t it funny how such a small thing can become such a problem in life?  I struggled with my world seemingly spinning out of control and it happened that one of my ears had an issue.  It makes you really appreciate and also realize just how delicately balanced our lives and bodies are. 

So it is with our faith as well.  Not so much on God’s end, but our end.  We are often like a merry-go-round in our faith.  We go round and round and sometimes we never come to any decision and we make no long term commitments to God.  Yet God is standing there ready to supply us with the wisdom that we need if only we ask Him.  Why is it that we forget that He’s there?  Why is it that we don’t cry out to God every day when our world seems to be spinning around us? 

I think pride is a part of it.  All too often we feel as if we need no one’s help and if we were to ask it would be a sign of our weakness or inability.  Yet God wants us to call on Him in every season of life, spinning or not.  He knows how difficult life is because Christ lived it.  Jesus came to our level and He can truly identify with our struggles, our temptations, and our pains.  Having this knowledge of His intimate understanding of the human existence, it would be foolish NOT to call upon Him in our times of need and contentment.  Pride shouldn’t play a part in us missing out on His wisdom and strength. 

Lastly, as James writes, we shouldn’t doubt that when we ask God that He will or will not respond.  God is always faithful to those He loves…and guess what?  He loves YOU!  So don’t have second thoughts about God hearing you, answering you or being there for you…He will be there, He will hear and He will answer!  If there’s one place in the Universe that you can place your faith and your hopes upon it’s our Father in Heaven.  He will never let us down! 

A closing word of caution: 

Even though He will never let us down and He hears us when we call, don’t treat God like a good luck charm or a ‘Get out of Jail’ card.  He doesn’t work like that.  His desire is for us to seek Him every minute of every day.  He desires a relationship with us that is so much more than a word of pray in the midst of our troubled times.  God desires our hearts, our lives our love.  When we have this type of relationship He not only intercedes amidst our merry-go-rounds of trouble, but He joins us in the battles and in the struggles. 

Victory in Jesus!

"Thanks be to God who leads us into victory!" What victories are you in need of today? Each of us have struggles, some of these struggles are things we much endure, but it doesn't mean God can't provide a measure of victory in the midst of our struggles.

Do you need to surrender control today? Perhaps it's time to allow God access to your struggles...and He can give you some measure of victory right now...if you let Him.

-Just a thought

Giving up on Easter?

It's April 1st today.  Obviously the store are all preparing for the next big holiday and opportunity to make money.

 The Easter bunnies, Lilies and other 'seasonal' items are on sale at severely discounted prices...it's a steal!  But the thought came to mind this morning, are we giving up on Easter? 

Not so much the Easter eggs or the fancy dresses, but rather the the implication of resurrection in our lives.  Our culture moves at such a fast pace that Easter is literally and figuratively yesterday's news and we move on to the next best thing.  But are we missing out?  Are we losing the true meaning of Easter when we cast our vision on tomorrow and miss out on the sacredness of Jesus' resurrected ministry before the ascension?

  

I think the answer is yes.  I reminds me of driving on the highway.  I like to speed a little, and down I go on the highway making good time, and once in a while I will drive right by an exit that I'm supposed to take.  I have to keep driving up the road, which is out of my way and make a u-turn at the next exit to reach my destination.  So it is sometimes with us, who are immersed in our cultures.  We get up to cruising speed, we're really speeding through life and miss our exit.  We miss the destination all together if we're not careful.  The danger is the meaning of the resurrected Christ vanishes in our fast paced lifestyles.  

When Jesus said I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10) He wasn't just saying words to make us feel better, He truly meant them!  We can have new life, new hope, new peace...but if we speed by this wondrous event at the speed of light we may never grasp it.  

It may be Monday, the day after Resurrection Sunday, but don't be too quick to move onto the next best thing.  Take some time today to reflect on Resurrection, Eternity, Heaven, God's Kingdom here on Earth!  Take your time, ponder it, and allow the peace that passes all understanding fill you today.  Don't give up on Easter just yet...matter of fact, don't give up on it at all.  This event was epic, never duplicated again and Christ invites us to the empty tomb today to participate in this resurrected life and to live it abundantly.