Sometimes being broken isn't a bad thing. Sometimes it just means that the old can't hold the new. It hurts all the same, but sometimes God allows us to break in order to make room for the new and allow it to grow. It may still be caused by sin on some level in these cases, and likely that sin is what would have hindered our growth if things would have remained as they were.
The strange thing is, that the more we've encountered Christ and His love and the more ready we are to grow, the less it hurts. When I've experienced all that Christ has to offer and how much better it is than what anyone or anything else has to over, the more I am willing to embrace that brokeness if it leads me closer to Christ. I become more ready to throw off everything that hinders me in my walk with Him and to keep my focus on Him. He is my prize. Even if I lost all else, He would still remain. And He is greater than all else. He satisfies even the deepest longings of the heart. If He's leading me out of something, I can trust that it's for my good and that He's leading me into an even better place to bear fruit. And there's a strange sense of peace that accompanies this brokeness, a peace that helps me let go and move on.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015
Unmet Expectations
I'm one of those increasingly common people in their mid-twenties who is single, still living at home, and still trying to finish school. I don't live up to society's expectations, or at least not American society's expectations. In Taiwan it is normal for a single person to live at home until they get married. I haven't lived up to my expectations for myself either. This is definitely not what my high school self saw my life looking like.
However, there are good things my high school self didn't foresee either. She didn't see mission trips to Taiwan, Niger, and France. She didn't foresee helping plant a church and helping build that church's youth ministry, kids ministry, and drama team or serving a two year term on the leadership council or leading a mission trip to France through that church. She never envisioned getting to participate in making a decision to purchase property for the church. She never envisioned getting to love on foster kids for a week every summer or helping kids from abusive situations at the Justice Center. She never thought she could break free form her insecurity and other issues. She never envisioned helping Burmese refugees. She never imagined the ways she would come to trust God and take risks for Him. Yet all things and more have happened.
By society's standards, it doesn't appear that I am super successful. But I think God is proud of me. I think He is there saying,"Well done, good and faithful servant; keep going!!!" After all, his own Son failed to meet a lot of expectations, as well.
Many of the Jews of Jesus' time expected the Messiah to be a military leader who would free them from Roman rule. Instead He came to free them from sin. He didn't fight Roman rule and even told them to give to Caesar what was Caesar's.
He didn't meet His family's expectations for Him either. There were times they were embarrassed by His behavior and thought He was crazy.
The religious leaders expected someone who followed their strict rules. Jesus broke some of the rules when keeping the rule would have made the rule lose it's purpose.
Peter expected Jesus not to die. He got majorly rebuked for it.
The Jews expected a great king. They got a man who died a humiliating criminal's death on a cross after being crowned with thorns. "King of the Jews" was meant to be an insult. Those that had followed Him with high hopes for the future were left confused and disappointed.
They expected Him to stay dead, but on the third day He rose from the grave!
Peter was probably expected to spend his life as a fisher of fish and not a fisher of men. Paul could have been a high up Jewish religious leader, but instead he gave his life to preaching the Gospel, even when that meant being followed and nearly stoned to death by mobs of angry Jews and imprisoned. The name "Christian" began as an insult. Yet these are the people who turned the world upside down because they put Christ above everything else.
Here's the thing: some of the things that the world considers success are good things. But Christ is better, and sometimes following Him requires us to sacrifice some of those things. Maybe temporarily, maybe permanently. Many of us are familiar with the story of Jesus and the rish man in Mark 10:17-31:
"
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’[a]”
20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[b] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
And about the costs Jesus said are associated with following Him in Matthew 8:18-22:
"18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”"
When Jesus began His time of ministry, He gave up His home and job. He dedicated His time to minsistry and had followers that offered material support. Not all of us will be called to this, but some of us will. We will all be called to sacrifice something to follow Jesus. Let's be willing to make those sacrifices. Let's also support our brothers and sisters that are making those sacrifices and celebrate with them as they hit God's milestones, even if they don't always hit society's.
However, there are good things my high school self didn't foresee either. She didn't see mission trips to Taiwan, Niger, and France. She didn't foresee helping plant a church and helping build that church's youth ministry, kids ministry, and drama team or serving a two year term on the leadership council or leading a mission trip to France through that church. She never envisioned getting to participate in making a decision to purchase property for the church. She never envisioned getting to love on foster kids for a week every summer or helping kids from abusive situations at the Justice Center. She never thought she could break free form her insecurity and other issues. She never envisioned helping Burmese refugees. She never imagined the ways she would come to trust God and take risks for Him. Yet all things and more have happened.
By society's standards, it doesn't appear that I am super successful. But I think God is proud of me. I think He is there saying,"Well done, good and faithful servant; keep going!!!" After all, his own Son failed to meet a lot of expectations, as well.
Many of the Jews of Jesus' time expected the Messiah to be a military leader who would free them from Roman rule. Instead He came to free them from sin. He didn't fight Roman rule and even told them to give to Caesar what was Caesar's.
He didn't meet His family's expectations for Him either. There were times they were embarrassed by His behavior and thought He was crazy.
The religious leaders expected someone who followed their strict rules. Jesus broke some of the rules when keeping the rule would have made the rule lose it's purpose.
Peter expected Jesus not to die. He got majorly rebuked for it.
The Jews expected a great king. They got a man who died a humiliating criminal's death on a cross after being crowned with thorns. "King of the Jews" was meant to be an insult. Those that had followed Him with high hopes for the future were left confused and disappointed.
They expected Him to stay dead, but on the third day He rose from the grave!
Peter was probably expected to spend his life as a fisher of fish and not a fisher of men. Paul could have been a high up Jewish religious leader, but instead he gave his life to preaching the Gospel, even when that meant being followed and nearly stoned to death by mobs of angry Jews and imprisoned. The name "Christian" began as an insult. Yet these are the people who turned the world upside down because they put Christ above everything else.
Here's the thing: some of the things that the world considers success are good things. But Christ is better, and sometimes following Him requires us to sacrifice some of those things. Maybe temporarily, maybe permanently. Many of us are familiar with the story of Jesus and the rish man in Mark 10:17-31:
"
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’[a]”
20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[b] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
And about the costs Jesus said are associated with following Him in Matthew 8:18-22:
"18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”"
When Jesus began His time of ministry, He gave up His home and job. He dedicated His time to minsistry and had followers that offered material support. Not all of us will be called to this, but some of us will. We will all be called to sacrifice something to follow Jesus. Let's be willing to make those sacrifices. Let's also support our brothers and sisters that are making those sacrifices and celebrate with them as they hit God's milestones, even if they don't always hit society's.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Catalyst
There are a few common phrases that I absolutely hate when it comes to things that are contrary to God's will. They include phrases like, "It's normal," "Everybody does that," "That's life," and "That's just who I am." These are all phrases that serve to take away our responsibility and pretend like we don't havepower to do anything about whatever is being spoken of. I don't think God will accept these answers when asked why we didn't do anything to help change some of the things that are contrary to His will but have come to be seen as normal.
Porn has become normalized. Instead of fighting it, it is common for people just to expect that men will view porn and in many cases view them as odd if they don't. Not appropriatley dealing with conflict has been normalized. It has the power to damage and even end relationships, but it's viewed as a normal part of life and rarely seen as something that needs to be changed unless perhaps violence is involved. Only investing in the people we want to invest in and not those that God puts in our paths that might be a challenge to love is seen as normal and totally accepted. Being so busy that we don't have time for what's actually important and not having solid priorities is seen as normal and even as a good thing. It's seen as just a part of the way the world works when some people suffer from lack while others have beyond what they need, and I'm not just talking about material things here. It's also not uncommon for us to rationalize having more by saying that we did something to earn it and the other person didn't. Rarely is failing to keep one's word thought of as an issue, and if someone is hurt by that, they're considered to be too sensitive. This is just a small list of things that have become rationalized as being normal.
We have the power to change these things and that power begins with acknowledging that they're not just normal. They may be normal in the sense that sin is normal, but that doesn't mean that God approves of them. We have the power to refuse porn and there is help for those who need it. There are healthy ways of conflict that can help build relationships if we are willing to learn and practice them. Loving is a command- a call to action that is based on God's love and not our feelings about a person; we can show His love to the people that are difficult for us to love. We can choose our priorities and fix our schedule around them. We don't have to be so busy all the time. It may require sacrifice, but we don't have to be so busy. We can generously give to those who lack what we have extra of. We can do what we say were going to do and be more aware of what we commit to. Al of these things require sacrifice on our part.
Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice to help us change these things- His life. The Holy Spirit work in us to change these things. Jesus gave us an example of how to live that flew in the face of everone's definition of normal in some way, both then and now. Jesus was a catalyst. He didn't care about normal; His mission was to change people's hearts and have them embrace Kingdom values instead of the norms of a fallen world. Sometimes they're the same, but sometimes they're not. I've focused on the things that are normal that need to be changed, but there are also things that may not be normal that should be embraced. Sometimes those go hand in hand with rejecting the things that are normal and not beneficial. Jesus challenged the status quo and not just for the sake of challenging it. He wants for His followers to be catalysts as well. His disciples did an excellent job of this and turned the world upside down. We can do the same if we are willing to examine the Bible and our traditions and rely on God's truth instead of norms. The Holy Spirit is waiting to help us.
I want to be redeemed from anything which is considered normal but is not like God's character. I believe Christ died to redeem me from that. I alo believe that redemption is meant to lead me to participate in Christ's redemptive work in the world in whatever ways He leads me. I believe that as I become healthier in my walk with Him, it will affect those around me. Some may not like it and choose to leave. Others may stick with me and God may use it to redeem areas of their lives as well and we can grow together. I think that's a beauty of Christianity that we miss out on because of "normal".
Porn has become normalized. Instead of fighting it, it is common for people just to expect that men will view porn and in many cases view them as odd if they don't. Not appropriatley dealing with conflict has been normalized. It has the power to damage and even end relationships, but it's viewed as a normal part of life and rarely seen as something that needs to be changed unless perhaps violence is involved. Only investing in the people we want to invest in and not those that God puts in our paths that might be a challenge to love is seen as normal and totally accepted. Being so busy that we don't have time for what's actually important and not having solid priorities is seen as normal and even as a good thing. It's seen as just a part of the way the world works when some people suffer from lack while others have beyond what they need, and I'm not just talking about material things here. It's also not uncommon for us to rationalize having more by saying that we did something to earn it and the other person didn't. Rarely is failing to keep one's word thought of as an issue, and if someone is hurt by that, they're considered to be too sensitive. This is just a small list of things that have become rationalized as being normal.
We have the power to change these things and that power begins with acknowledging that they're not just normal. They may be normal in the sense that sin is normal, but that doesn't mean that God approves of them. We have the power to refuse porn and there is help for those who need it. There are healthy ways of conflict that can help build relationships if we are willing to learn and practice them. Loving is a command- a call to action that is based on God's love and not our feelings about a person; we can show His love to the people that are difficult for us to love. We can choose our priorities and fix our schedule around them. We don't have to be so busy all the time. It may require sacrifice, but we don't have to be so busy. We can generously give to those who lack what we have extra of. We can do what we say were going to do and be more aware of what we commit to. Al of these things require sacrifice on our part.
Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice to help us change these things- His life. The Holy Spirit work in us to change these things. Jesus gave us an example of how to live that flew in the face of everone's definition of normal in some way, both then and now. Jesus was a catalyst. He didn't care about normal; His mission was to change people's hearts and have them embrace Kingdom values instead of the norms of a fallen world. Sometimes they're the same, but sometimes they're not. I've focused on the things that are normal that need to be changed, but there are also things that may not be normal that should be embraced. Sometimes those go hand in hand with rejecting the things that are normal and not beneficial. Jesus challenged the status quo and not just for the sake of challenging it. He wants for His followers to be catalysts as well. His disciples did an excellent job of this and turned the world upside down. We can do the same if we are willing to examine the Bible and our traditions and rely on God's truth instead of norms. The Holy Spirit is waiting to help us.
I want to be redeemed from anything which is considered normal but is not like God's character. I believe Christ died to redeem me from that. I alo believe that redemption is meant to lead me to participate in Christ's redemptive work in the world in whatever ways He leads me. I believe that as I become healthier in my walk with Him, it will affect those around me. Some may not like it and choose to leave. Others may stick with me and God may use it to redeem areas of their lives as well and we can grow together. I think that's a beauty of Christianity that we miss out on because of "normal".
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
The Ministry Of Kindness
I'm beginning to think that kindness may be a huge overlooked ministry in America. I frequently hear public transportation workers get yelled at, mostly over things that aren't their fault. I frequently witness difficult passengers. I've been approached by a homeless person who considered someone willing to listen to him and pray with him to be as good as money. Being friends with doctors has opened my eyes to how difficult and thankless their job can be. Being friends with pastors has opened my eyes to how difficult and thankless their job can be.
We're pretty good at making it known when we don't like something. We're good at telling people how wrong we think they are. We're good at being angry.
But what if we became good at being compassionate and encouraging instead? How would things change? I'm finding that even a little bit of thoughtfulness and kindness can go a long way. It might make someone's day. People may look forward to seeing you again. It might pay off for you too as you earn favor with people. It's a simple way to be the hands and feet of Jesus, but one that is too often neglected. It's not some grand act, but it's powerful. It's simple and small, but a big way to show someone Christ's love for them. Listening, thanking, smiling, being patient, etc. are all ways that we can be Jesus in the flesh in the midst of a hectic day. Let's be people that stand out for being kind and practicing even the smallest acts of love.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Mentoring
Today's a special day to me. It marks the 3 year anniversary of the first time my mentor and I got together for mentoring. I got to get together with her for mentoring this week. I also got to get together and catch up with an incredible young woman I used to mentor and I've had the privilege of watching grow in her faith over the years. She's currently going to school to be a youth leader. I'm pretty proud of her.
Me and my mentor. I love her and am super grateful for her and the way she's invested in my life over the last 3 years!
The mentoring relationships I've been in- whether as the mentor or mentee- have brought me some of the greatest joy. There have been incredible moments. There have been tough moments. There have been a ton of moments that fall somewhere in between. All of them have helped me to grow. They've taught me to love better. They've been safe places for me to take risks and grow- more so on the mentee side with this one. I've been a part of formal mentoring relationships where we've committed to a mentoring relationship and I've been a part of many more informal mentoring relationships.
There's something highly beneficial about close, cross generational relationships. Both people in the relationship seem to benefit from it. It's a great way to develop faith as older generations pass on what they've already learned and younger generations are eager to learn from the older generations. It can mean the world to someone to know that someone else is willing to invest in their life and it is highly rewarding to watch someone grow as a result of that investment.
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21) One of the best investments we can make in this life is an investment in the life and faith of a brother or sister in Christ! Mentoring is a great way to store our treasures in Heaven!
Is Social Media Bad?
Social media has a tendency to get a bad rap. But is social media the problem?
I recently witnessed some people respond to some insensitive comments only to be told by countless people that they were too sensitive and if they couldn't handle it, they shouldn't be on social media. Here's the thing, though- Facebook didn't post those comments- a person did. And the fact that it's on social media doesn't make it acceptable. The problem is not that people are too sensitive to be on social media; the problem was people behaving unkindly.
I would argue that social media in and of itself is neutral. It is what we make of it. The real "problem" is that it brings our heart issues into the light. The real problem is that we blame those problems on social media instead of realizing that we have some issues we need to work on and then dealing with them.
Luke 6:45 says that the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. What do our posts reveal about our hearts? It's not always bad; sometimes they reveal the good, too. But the bad ends up there , too. What could we gain if we had the courage to examine our hearts and change what needed to be changed? With the knowledge that Christ already seen the bad parts and loves us just as much anyways? With help from some Christian brothers and sisters who will stand by us and support is while we work on it? The Christ part is guaranteed; the second part requires that we also step up and be willing to stand alongside others as they grow.
Sometimes looking in the mirror is hard. We don't always like what we see. The good news is that God is making us more and more like Him; like His image. We all have some ugly to face, but if we're willing to face it and submit it to Christ, He'll give us the best makeover ever! We'll look more like Him. And gradually, there'll be less and less ugly and more and more beauty. But we have to be brave enough to look in the mirror and own up to what we see. And we need to see Christ there with us waiting for us to let Him turn it into something beautiful.
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Childlike Faith
Today I spent a portion of my drive listening to children's music on a Christian radio station. It reminded me of the songs we sing at Royal Family Kids Camp. In fact, one of the songs was one that we sung at Camp 2 years ago! Sometimes there are some pretty cheesy songs thrown in; they are for kids after all. But there are a lot of songs that do a lot for my faith. They're songs about the simple, yet core concepts of the Christian faith.
"Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, they are weak, but He is strong."
"Faith to see beyond what I can see. Faith to know that You will do great things. I will trust You, Lord; I'll always believe, as I hold on to my faith, Jesus, You are holding on to me."
"He knows my name. He knows my every thought. He sees each tear that falls and hears me when I call."
I heard one today that I couldn't find the lyrics to, but it had a line about imagining where we would go if we would follow where He leads.
These songs are so simple, yet so profound. Yet so often we take the profound for granted because of the simplicity. I think adults need to internalize these simple truths just as much as children do. We need to hear them often. They're comforting. Some express joy and some express sorrow. All express the truth that God is with us and for us. There's a sense of awe towards God. There's a sense of childlike faith- a very simple trust in a good God who looks after us.
The sad thing is, so many of us grow out of that childlike faith. Those who weren't raised in the church may not even get the chance to experience it. While our faith should definitely mature, there's a childlike faith that we are meant to hold onto. Jesus spoke of it Himself. These songs present the basics of our faith. If we believe them and accept them with the childlike faith that God is good, He is with us, He is for us, etc., I think it would drastically change the way we live out our faith. But what are the implications for our faith if we neglect these basic foundations of it?
One of the gifts I've received as a volunteer at RFKC is the gift of childlike faith. Each year, it develops a little more, especially with the songs. The kids at this camp are all in foster care, which means that they've all experienced some sort of trauma. How can we ask kids to put their faith in words like these if we can't? Does my life show that I believe these words? Is my life changed because of that? My prayer for all the kids at camp is that theirs would be. And I pray that ours would be as well. These aren't meant to be just songs. They carry truths that should shape our view of God and the world- not just truths we confess, but truths that we live out. RFKC pushes me to do my best to live those truths out before those kids for the week that I am with them. To show them that God is all of the things the songs claim He is instead of just telling them. Their lives are filled with crushed hopes. I want them to know that when they put their hope in Jesus Christ, they are putting their hope in something real. In the one person who will never fail them. And I want to do the same. My faith becomes more tangible to me. My faith matures as I learn to practice childlike faith. But sometimes maturing in faith means growing into childlike faith instead of growing out of it.
One of the most beautiful things about camp is witnessing the faith of the children. It's such a glimpse of Heaven! There's just something about childlike faith that makes me yearn for it even more...
Monday, March 2, 2015
When Freedom Hurts
What do you think of when you think of Christ setting you free? I think I'm beginning to realize that I usually tend to think of Him setting me free from things I don't like. I'm only beginning to realize that sometimes He also sets us free from things that we love and care about deeply, things that may even be good, but that hinder our growth. Those are often the things that can have the strongest grips on us and keep us in bondage merely by the fact that we don't want to leave. Yet if we don't leave, we may not experience all that Christ has in store for us.
Sometimes we may not even have to leave. We may just have to reach the point where we are free enough to be willing to leave and trust God with the results. Following Him into freedom may mean letting go of something we cherish or it might make it better. What's important to the freedom process is that fear is replaced with faith.
I love the song "Painting Pictures of Egypt" by Sara Groves. So often, we like the Israelites, paint pictures of Egypt and leave out what it lacks as God tries to bring us into a better place. Freedom didn't come easily for the Israelites. They had to leave all that was familiar to them for the unknown. All they had was what God had told them. All they needed was that and the faith to believe it. But they struggled and clung to the ways they knew and many of them never got to enter the Promised Land because of it. Freedom is difficult. How often do we hear that? How often are people truly set free from all that hinders them from what Christ has to offer, especially the things they want to cling to? When we reach the point where it hurts to stay but we're scared to go, will we stay and continue to be hurt or will we trust Christ and follow Him to freedom?
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