I love theologians. I love books, I love listening to sermons. I can read Charles Spurgeon, C.S. Lewis, St. Augustine, J.I. Packer, John Piper, or Carolyn Custis James 'til the cows come home. Matt Chandler and Mark Driscoll could win my ear for hours each day listening to their wisdom and passion for the gospel. But, eloquent as all these men and women are, none hold a candle to my main man David.
I truly believe that the psalms contain some of the most beautiful words in the English language; housed in a book devoted to songs and prayers in praise and exultation of the Lord.
But, perhaps my favorite verse I've found recently is Psalm 119:103, "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth."
It's a simple verse, but it blew my mind. Now, I don't like honey, so it took me some thinking to get past that part. But as I thought about it, I began to look into the context of David's words. Honey was probably the sweetest of all temporal things back then. Dessert and sugar in general were not as common as they are in American society. Honey was a sweet, sweet, delicacy.
Which got me thinking, the sweetest and richest of all foods to me is chocolate, and I am fairly certain that if chocolate existed back then the verse would say, "... sweeter than chocolate to my mouth."
Mind blown. Nothing is sweeter than chocolate to me, and yet David recognizes that God's word is!! Honey is David's chocolate. The greatest, sweetest, most amazing thing David can taste in his mouth is not so delicious God's word to his ear.
I got so excited by this revelation that I ran to tell a friend excitedly proclaiming to her that I hunger for God's word, I salivate for it, and it feeds my soul in a way nothing else can. Over and over I gleefully told her, "God's word is sweeter than chocolate!!" Seriously, this should be particularly striking if you're a woman, as we seem to have a special place in our hearts reserved for this dark, delicious treat.
My joy continued and I started reading commentaries on this particular verse, to which I believe Charles Spurgeon had the best response,
"How wise it will be on our part to keep the word on our palate by meditation and on our tongue by confession. It must be sweet to our taste when we think of it, or it will not be Sweet to our mouth when we talk of it."
He took a verse I loved and derived a totally different meaning from it, but I love his interpretation, too.
Lord, thank You for Your Word. For giving us something so rich and so sweet that it leaves us thirsting for only You and Your life-giving water. Thank You for using Your son David to remind me that even the most amazing earthly goods pale in comparison to You. How sweet it is to be loved by You.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Greener Pastures
This summer has been an interesting one. I’ll be around Bloomington for 12 weeks… amazingly, of those twelve weeks, I’ll only be here (in Bloomington) for one full weekend. It is a busy and crazy summer to say the least. Yet between all the work, all the grad classes, all the trips to Indy, Evansville, and California, the Bible studies, the coffee dates, and the friends, God has been by my side, graciously and lovingly revealing to me His majesty.
My words do not do His words, nor His works, justice. But I hope it will give you just a glimpse of the glory that is to come (Rom 8:18). Below are just a few instances of the thousands of little ways God has demonstrated His power in my life this summer.
---
Tonight, I was sitting at the Bakehouse with one of my Bible study girls, heavy into a conversation about God, the men in our lives, and how to be Godly women for them, when a little 3-yr old boy Mee-shee joined our conversation. With little warning he left his mom and dad, wandered to our couch, and plopped himself between us. Introducing himself, and his monkey, Adichay, with hug after hug. He would joyfully jump from one of our laps to the other, falling into us, smiling at us, laughing with us, and just laying there in our arms. We were both shocked at how outgoing this little toddler was.
After playing with him for a while and a brief conversation with Mee-shee’s mom, we found out he was autistic. His mother was literally in awe that he felt so comfortable around us. She said because of his autism Mee-shee is terrified of strangers. She’d never seen Him trust anyone like that.
It may not seem like much of a story, but it left me with an incredible realization. The Holy Spirit is alive and well in a 3-year-old autistic boy. He could discern what was good and pure and be drawn to it. What child-like faith (Matthew 18:3). A poor boy prone to fear, and in the presence of God He was not just at peace, he was jovial and completely surrendered.
God reveals His majesty in adorable little boys. He also reveals His majesty in commanding storms.
For the last week or so Indiana has been wrought with severe summer storms. Dear friends dealt with the tragedy of having their own house struck by lightning and catch fire while they were still inside (praise God they made it out alright!). And the storms culminated into two mega storms on Monday and Tuesday night. Each night the city sat under severe storm, flash flood, and tornado warnings. Monday night winds reached over 45 miles per hour, closer to 60 in some locations. There were approximately 9,000 lightning strikes every half hour. Tuesday the storm rolled in so ferociously and rapidly that the mall was evacuated, and the IU emergency alert was activated urging all students on campus to seek immediate shelter.
I was downright giddy these couple days. I grew up in Texas watching tornadoes with my mom, so this devious weather was like home to me. It reminded me of home in Texas, but it also reminded me of home in my Father.
Who but the Lord can make the winds move with such might? Even the winds obey Him (Matthew 8:27, Luke 8:25). These storms were beyond powerful, some of the most forceful I’d ever seen and it just brought me over and over again to the feet of the Lord, in awe that He has the power to destroy this world.
It’s humbling to understand His power and wrath. It is perhaps more humbling to understand His grace.
When I woke up the next morning to run, the world was a completely different place. All around me on my run I saw the remnants of the storm. Branches, twigs, leaves, and mulch paved the sidewalks, violently plucked from their former homes. Countless trees had been uprooted, toppled over and completely blocking a few roads. Still, the sky was a brilliant blue and the sun was shining brightly through fluffy white clouds.
“Though sorrow may last through the night, His joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5.
Lush flowers and abundant greenery surrounded my run, possibly outnumbering the fallen wood. Even in death, God opens doors for life to enter.
His majesty is revealed in commanding storms, but it is also revealed in delicate flowers.
I’ve always been fond of flowers, plants, and the way God shows his love for us through nature. I can scarcely wait for the day I’ll have a garden of my own. Over and over I’m blown away by the countless metaphors God uses in comparing us to the plant world. Last summer I went on the most amazing run where I saw the beauty in this leafy green world and finally understood just what my Papa had been trying to teach me for so long. My trip to California reminded me of that great day.
I’m blown away by the different kinds of flowers and plant-life we have here in the Midwest, but California puts us to shame. Day after day I saw more exotic, vibrant, strange flowers than I knew existed. As soon as I got home from my trip I searched my old e-mails to find what I’d written about my run just one year before:
We (people) are so much like plants. God, in His infinite wisdom, knew this and wrote about it often in His book. I’d be willing to bet that at least half of the books in the Bible (and probably more) make some metaphor comparing us to seeds, plants, fruit, vines, or the harvest. This makes sense for the time as well. I’m sure farming was one of the most common career paths in antiquity, so God wisely used metaphors His beloved creatures could relate to. Because we are less directly connected to the land nowadays, I think we sometimes miss out on the beauty of the farming metaphors.
Plants are an incredible thing to me. They begin as this tiny little seed. Even colossal sycamore trees start this way. And you sow these seeds (which Jesus had something to say about) and when they’re sown well, it means the seed has landed in a place where it is surrounded and overwhelmed by good soil. So this little seed is then hidden from the world in its first stage of life. Not until it’s began to sprout does it peak out from the ground, showing the world it’s ready. This strong little bud has been nourished well in the dark, in the quiet, but from this point on, the sun (Son) and light (John 14:6) become crucial to its existence. So much so that without them, the plant would wither and die.
And so plants grow. Slowly. That may be my favorite part of the metaphor, how slowly we grow. You never see the change happening. You can’t watch a plant grow. You’ll never see the moment a flower bud opens, because there isn’t one moment. The entire growth of a plant is a process. A continual process that never ends. So long as there is sun, water, and nutrients, a plant never stops growing.
There are seasons when flowers are in bloom, and seasons where they shed their buds to allow for new growth the following season. And yet, the plants grow on; sometimes they grow on their own. Even the most beautiful branches can grow ugly and unruly when they are not pruned. This is a difficult process, because good, healthy branches are being cut back. It’s painful for the plant, and involves strong, violent instruments. It’s for their good, but that doesn’t change how much it hurts.
The other thing I love about plants is how different they all are. There are some that are made to provide sustenance, fruits and vegetables; there are some who bring beauty to the world, flowers; some who are meant to protect and defend, poison ivy, thorns; some give us rest with their shade, trees; and still others provide healing, aloe leaves. It’s unreal how many billions of different shapes and sizes plants come in, all with their own unique purpose. Still, no matter how different, all plants bear their makers lush, life-giving, green image. Unbelievable!
My final thought from this stream-of-consciousness run was the harvest. I think it’s interesting the tool used to harvest crops. In Jesus’ time the tool was the sickle, the creepy thing the Grim Reaper carries. How interesting that in our confused misrepresentation we have made death look so scary. That the tool God uses to cut us down and bring us home has become scary and violent looking.
“Consider the lilies of the field, see how they grow. They do not labor or spin.” They just grow. Lilies (and all plants really) have it right. They’re simple and unaffected. They are so incredibly fragile and vulnerable, having to rely solely on the Son to give them light, water, and to prune them when necessary. The lily has absolutely no say in its own life, it just grows. See now why I love considering the lilies? They’re a constant reminder of how I should be living my life.
I’m reading a book right now that describes flowers well; the narrator is explaining how crops don’t need us to grow, they just need sun and water. “[God] must have lacked faith in mankind’s follow-through capabilities, on the day He created flowers.” The same could be said of us. We have terrible follow-through. That’s why we’re dependent on the Lord and not ourselves.
God's majesty in children, storms, and plants. Only He could be found in such unique places all at once.
Praise be to God that He who knew no sin became sin, so that through grace we could experience the blessings and righteousness of God in everything! (2 Cor 5:21)
He is in everything, and He is my everything.
My words do not do His words, nor His works, justice. But I hope it will give you just a glimpse of the glory that is to come (Rom 8:18). Below are just a few instances of the thousands of little ways God has demonstrated His power in my life this summer.
---
Tonight, I was sitting at the Bakehouse with one of my Bible study girls, heavy into a conversation about God, the men in our lives, and how to be Godly women for them, when a little 3-yr old boy Mee-shee joined our conversation. With little warning he left his mom and dad, wandered to our couch, and plopped himself between us. Introducing himself, and his monkey, Adichay, with hug after hug. He would joyfully jump from one of our laps to the other, falling into us, smiling at us, laughing with us, and just laying there in our arms. We were both shocked at how outgoing this little toddler was.
After playing with him for a while and a brief conversation with Mee-shee’s mom, we found out he was autistic. His mother was literally in awe that he felt so comfortable around us. She said because of his autism Mee-shee is terrified of strangers. She’d never seen Him trust anyone like that.
It may not seem like much of a story, but it left me with an incredible realization. The Holy Spirit is alive and well in a 3-year-old autistic boy. He could discern what was good and pure and be drawn to it. What child-like faith (Matthew 18:3). A poor boy prone to fear, and in the presence of God He was not just at peace, he was jovial and completely surrendered.
God reveals His majesty in adorable little boys. He also reveals His majesty in commanding storms.
For the last week or so Indiana has been wrought with severe summer storms. Dear friends dealt with the tragedy of having their own house struck by lightning and catch fire while they were still inside (praise God they made it out alright!). And the storms culminated into two mega storms on Monday and Tuesday night. Each night the city sat under severe storm, flash flood, and tornado warnings. Monday night winds reached over 45 miles per hour, closer to 60 in some locations. There were approximately 9,000 lightning strikes every half hour. Tuesday the storm rolled in so ferociously and rapidly that the mall was evacuated, and the IU emergency alert was activated urging all students on campus to seek immediate shelter.
I was downright giddy these couple days. I grew up in Texas watching tornadoes with my mom, so this devious weather was like home to me. It reminded me of home in Texas, but it also reminded me of home in my Father.
Who but the Lord can make the winds move with such might? Even the winds obey Him (Matthew 8:27, Luke 8:25). These storms were beyond powerful, some of the most forceful I’d ever seen and it just brought me over and over again to the feet of the Lord, in awe that He has the power to destroy this world.
It’s humbling to understand His power and wrath. It is perhaps more humbling to understand His grace.
When I woke up the next morning to run, the world was a completely different place. All around me on my run I saw the remnants of the storm. Branches, twigs, leaves, and mulch paved the sidewalks, violently plucked from their former homes. Countless trees had been uprooted, toppled over and completely blocking a few roads. Still, the sky was a brilliant blue and the sun was shining brightly through fluffy white clouds.
“Though sorrow may last through the night, His joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5.
Lush flowers and abundant greenery surrounded my run, possibly outnumbering the fallen wood. Even in death, God opens doors for life to enter.
His majesty is revealed in commanding storms, but it is also revealed in delicate flowers.
I’ve always been fond of flowers, plants, and the way God shows his love for us through nature. I can scarcely wait for the day I’ll have a garden of my own. Over and over I’m blown away by the countless metaphors God uses in comparing us to the plant world. Last summer I went on the most amazing run where I saw the beauty in this leafy green world and finally understood just what my Papa had been trying to teach me for so long. My trip to California reminded me of that great day.
I’m blown away by the different kinds of flowers and plant-life we have here in the Midwest, but California puts us to shame. Day after day I saw more exotic, vibrant, strange flowers than I knew existed. As soon as I got home from my trip I searched my old e-mails to find what I’d written about my run just one year before:
We (people) are so much like plants. God, in His infinite wisdom, knew this and wrote about it often in His book. I’d be willing to bet that at least half of the books in the Bible (and probably more) make some metaphor comparing us to seeds, plants, fruit, vines, or the harvest. This makes sense for the time as well. I’m sure farming was one of the most common career paths in antiquity, so God wisely used metaphors His beloved creatures could relate to. Because we are less directly connected to the land nowadays, I think we sometimes miss out on the beauty of the farming metaphors.
Plants are an incredible thing to me. They begin as this tiny little seed. Even colossal sycamore trees start this way. And you sow these seeds (which Jesus had something to say about) and when they’re sown well, it means the seed has landed in a place where it is surrounded and overwhelmed by good soil. So this little seed is then hidden from the world in its first stage of life. Not until it’s began to sprout does it peak out from the ground, showing the world it’s ready. This strong little bud has been nourished well in the dark, in the quiet, but from this point on, the sun (Son) and light (John 14:6) become crucial to its existence. So much so that without them, the plant would wither and die.
And so plants grow. Slowly. That may be my favorite part of the metaphor, how slowly we grow. You never see the change happening. You can’t watch a plant grow. You’ll never see the moment a flower bud opens, because there isn’t one moment. The entire growth of a plant is a process. A continual process that never ends. So long as there is sun, water, and nutrients, a plant never stops growing.
There are seasons when flowers are in bloom, and seasons where they shed their buds to allow for new growth the following season. And yet, the plants grow on; sometimes they grow on their own. Even the most beautiful branches can grow ugly and unruly when they are not pruned. This is a difficult process, because good, healthy branches are being cut back. It’s painful for the plant, and involves strong, violent instruments. It’s for their good, but that doesn’t change how much it hurts.
The other thing I love about plants is how different they all are. There are some that are made to provide sustenance, fruits and vegetables; there are some who bring beauty to the world, flowers; some who are meant to protect and defend, poison ivy, thorns; some give us rest with their shade, trees; and still others provide healing, aloe leaves. It’s unreal how many billions of different shapes and sizes plants come in, all with their own unique purpose. Still, no matter how different, all plants bear their makers lush, life-giving, green image. Unbelievable!
My final thought from this stream-of-consciousness run was the harvest. I think it’s interesting the tool used to harvest crops. In Jesus’ time the tool was the sickle, the creepy thing the Grim Reaper carries. How interesting that in our confused misrepresentation we have made death look so scary. That the tool God uses to cut us down and bring us home has become scary and violent looking.
“Consider the lilies of the field, see how they grow. They do not labor or spin.” They just grow. Lilies (and all plants really) have it right. They’re simple and unaffected. They are so incredibly fragile and vulnerable, having to rely solely on the Son to give them light, water, and to prune them when necessary. The lily has absolutely no say in its own life, it just grows. See now why I love considering the lilies? They’re a constant reminder of how I should be living my life.
I’m reading a book right now that describes flowers well; the narrator is explaining how crops don’t need us to grow, they just need sun and water. “[God] must have lacked faith in mankind’s follow-through capabilities, on the day He created flowers.” The same could be said of us. We have terrible follow-through. That’s why we’re dependent on the Lord and not ourselves.
God's majesty in children, storms, and plants. Only He could be found in such unique places all at once.
Praise be to God that He who knew no sin became sin, so that through grace we could experience the blessings and righteousness of God in everything! (2 Cor 5:21)
He is in everything, and He is my everything.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Dear Studly Men of God
It's been far too long since I've posted anything. Unfortunately, intensive five-week grad classes take up too much time for me to blog. I have a back-logged list of ideas, but until then, I plan on posting some old stuff I've written. For some reason God has led me back to my archives lately and I've learned a lot. I read some works and am shocked and impressed that I actually had some Godly wisdom back in the day. Other times I'm a little embarrassed how off base I was, but can rejoice in God's mercy that He's rescued me from so many false idols.
My senior year of college I led a group of junior women in Bible study, and spend some time with them studying what it meant to be a woman of God. To do so, I challenged many of my brothers to write us letters, encouraging us for what we do well but holding us accountable for things we could do better. This is Christian women in general... not just my girls. The response was incredible.
As a thank you, my girls and I brainstormed and responded with a letter for them. A letter addressed to our Christian brothers, encouraging them for what they do well, but challenging them in areas they could do better.
-------
Dear Studly Men of God :)
There is much to be said about the relationship between a brother and sister. Perhaps no men are as protective of the women in their lives as a “big bro” is to his “li’l sis.” Brothers have a kind of furious love for their sisters, wanting nothing but the best for them and going to the ends of the earth to make sure they are always protected and cared for.
The love between a Christian brother and sister is not so different. And we are so blessed to have so many big brothers, constantly looking out for us. You bless the women in your lives with your thoughtful and protective nature. In a world where women are constantly objectified, we all find refuge and shelter in men like you. Men who walk girls to their cars no matter how far away or what hour, men who give up their seats, who let women go before them in line, who hold open doors, and who walk on the side of traffic, just to be safe. Men who don’t whistle at girls, but instead offer simple but heartfelt compliments.
As women, we constantly feel that we are not enough or are too much, all at the same time. You are always there to not only accept us… but to point us to the only One who matters. You offer us all such unconditional, Christ-like affection, loving us just the way we are, but too much to let us stay that way.
Similarly, sisters see their brothers at their best and their worst, and love them anyway. A sister is her brother’s witness. She is his partner in crime, agent, biggest fan, teacher, defense attorney, and his shrink. Still, some days, a sister is the reason a brother wishes he was an only child.
And for those times, we not only apologize, but offer this letter to help you understand what Relient K refers to as, “the complex infrastructure known as the female mind.”
When Adam Met Eve (The Original Harry and Sally)
The question posed was what Christian men could do to better serve us, as Christian women. First and foremost, your answer is baked into the question. “Be a man of God.” Us women can, and will, regal you with all kinds of other guidelines and ideas about how to act towards us, how to love us well, etc. But to be honest, all of that comes second to you loving the Lord (Matthew 22:37-39).
God created us for you! And of course, to glorify God. But listen to his words in Genesis 2:18, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” How amazing is that, that God created us as the perfect compliment to you? That where we are weak, you are strong, but that the opposite is true as well. Where you shine in strength and courage, we meet you with grace and compassion. And where we lack in hope you meet us with perseverance. That means that second to needing God, we need YOU!
We want to be your friends. You have such a different perspective on God and life than we do, and we need that. We sincerely want to hear about how you’re doing, we want to pray for you and with you. We want to engage in conversation with you that goes deeper than discussing the latest episode of The Office. However, anyone who has seen When Harry Met Sally knows how difficult it is for a man and a woman to be “real” friends. We do believe these relationships are possible, but they can be hard work, and are sometimes tricky.
Use caution with giving us too much attention or spending much one-on-one time with us, as we can (and will) probably take that the wrong way. That being said, don’t be afraid to invite us along when a group is planning on getting together. Solid, wonderful, God-glorifying friendships can grow between a guy and girl, but “the friend zone” is not a place you can get to overnight. If you try, we will probably mistake you “just being a good guy,” for you “being a cute boy that is totally into us.”
When You’re Just Not That Into Us
There is nothing so encouraging to us women as the unconditional way that men accept each other. That is not to say that you don’t have your differences, but you all rise above it in a manner most women only dream of. Perhaps without knowing it you all live and breathe Paul’s explanation that “love keeps no record of wrongs…”
If there is one thing Christian women are envious of men for, it is same-sex friendships. Most of you love manly bonding time. We, on the other hand, often respond to “girl’s nights” with shrill screams and complete and utter horror.
We are constantly battling pettiness, jealousy, gossip, and slanderous remarks that destroy female fellowship. It is an age-old story for a woman to spend most of her time surrounded by men because it is only among them that she feels she can truly be herself. Your example is a constant encouragement for us to work on our own same-sex friendships. As women, we could all take note of the inviting love you show nearly everyone you meet.
That being said, while it is important for both you and us to have time and fellowship apart from each other, Christian guys sometimes get so wrapped up in manly bonding that you not only rejoice at the thought of not having girls around, but often scoff when we come back into the picture. We are so glad that time with your brothers is so amazing, but be careful not to discourage your female friends while praising the males in your lives.
The Romance of Dance
The Bible doesn’t provide a one-size-fits-all program for us. Our lives are too different, our circumstances too unique, and our God too creative to have only one formula for romance. The same is true for dancing. There is the waltz, tango, foxtrot, rumba, and swing, to name a few. The dances often look nothing alike; coming from various cultures and consisting of vastly different steps. However all dances share a certain set of rules. Without these rules, the dance would be a devastating challenge.
The man starts on his left foot, and the woman starts on her right. The man always leads. He is supposed to lead her to the point that she is almost blindly following him. Now, let’s superimpose the idea of relationships into this image. When a man will not step up and lead in the dance, the woman is blinded as to where they are going. Don’t misunderstand us; while it is natural for women to be lead in the dance and in relationships, we are not saying it is up to you to do all the work. A woman must know her own steps or it doesn’t matter how well you lead. Likewise, there are times when women have to correct their dance partners for not leading or for leading the wrong way. Sometimes if the woman does not stand up and say something she would be lead astray.
One of the most common complaints of women is that the guys they are dancing with rarely hold them like they are supposed to. This means that you must be firm, but not hurt her. In leading the women that are in your lives, please be considerate of us and be gentle. Hold the women in your lives like you would something that is precious—tight enough that you won’t drop her, but loose enough that you will not break her.
Timidity is something often associated with guys when it comes to both dancing and relationships. It takes courage to be the one who leads. It makes you vulnerable to one of your greatest fears… failure. Being timid means to be insecure, afraid, to lack confidence. Timidity is present when one has not mastered their art.
Dancing is awkward when either party is out of step. It is awkward for the guy (we would imagine) when a girl is taking more initiative than him. And it’s awkward for the girl when she is having to lead. This is often the result of one, or both partners, attempting to dance before getting the proper lessons. And, since it is up to you gentlemen to do the asking, it would help us out a lot if you not ask us to dance until you are ready to do so (i.e. are no longer timid). We’re not asking you to be perfect, but if you have not taken the time to learn the way the Creator of the dance meant for it to look, thing start to get messy. And worse, painful.
Partners can bump heads and step on each other’s toes. Ask almost any girl and she will probably have more than one story about the bruises she’s received after being “dropped” mid-dance by a guy that asked her to dance before he was ready (or knew how) to catch her.
Now, that may have been hard to follow, so we’ll exit the dance floor now and explain further:
Where you all struggle with physical lust, we match you with emotional lust. We do certainly struggle in sins of the flesh, but our sin more often lies in giving our hearts away. And while it is our job to guard our hearts, we need your help.
Please, please, please do not ask to pursue us if you are not ready. That’s not to say that you need to be ready to propose on the first date, far from it. It does mean that if you are not ready to be in a relationship or aren’t sure of your feelings, then we ask you keep them to yourselves until you better know what you desire. When you act on these feelings without prayer or wise council, you are doing more harm than good to the girl you think is so-darn-cute. Take Solomon’s advice, “Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires”(Song of Songs 2:7).
Be cautious still, even if you are ready to date us. You may have sought the Lord in your decision, but if we’re struggling to guard our hearts before things are “official,” you can imagine how much harder it is when we are in a satisfying relationship. It is very easy for women to turn their significant other into an idol and hold him above God in their lives. We do love to be romanced, we like compliments and your affection. But please help us to see that our identity should be in the Lord, and it is His approval and love that matters.
For those of you who have not been scared away by this letter, and are still set on pursuing that wonderful lady... take a look at Jim Elliot's story of how he pursued his wife. He made romance raw, bold, and adventurous. Men should strive to be like that, on the dance floor and in the relationship. Men should pursue women like Christ pursued the church, vigorously and with all of their heart.
Our challenge is this: Brothers, lead like you would when you are dancing. Don’t lead us astray, running into items or other people that cause conflict. Rather, lead us in the way the dance of life was meant to be stepped. And of course… leave room for the Holy Spirit. :)
Love,
Your Sisters
“Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers,
and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” 1 Timothy 5:1-2
My senior year of college I led a group of junior women in Bible study, and spend some time with them studying what it meant to be a woman of God. To do so, I challenged many of my brothers to write us letters, encouraging us for what we do well but holding us accountable for things we could do better. This is Christian women in general... not just my girls. The response was incredible.
As a thank you, my girls and I brainstormed and responded with a letter for them. A letter addressed to our Christian brothers, encouraging them for what they do well, but challenging them in areas they could do better.
-------
Dear Studly Men of God :)
There is much to be said about the relationship between a brother and sister. Perhaps no men are as protective of the women in their lives as a “big bro” is to his “li’l sis.” Brothers have a kind of furious love for their sisters, wanting nothing but the best for them and going to the ends of the earth to make sure they are always protected and cared for.
The love between a Christian brother and sister is not so different. And we are so blessed to have so many big brothers, constantly looking out for us. You bless the women in your lives with your thoughtful and protective nature. In a world where women are constantly objectified, we all find refuge and shelter in men like you. Men who walk girls to their cars no matter how far away or what hour, men who give up their seats, who let women go before them in line, who hold open doors, and who walk on the side of traffic, just to be safe. Men who don’t whistle at girls, but instead offer simple but heartfelt compliments.
As women, we constantly feel that we are not enough or are too much, all at the same time. You are always there to not only accept us… but to point us to the only One who matters. You offer us all such unconditional, Christ-like affection, loving us just the way we are, but too much to let us stay that way.
Similarly, sisters see their brothers at their best and their worst, and love them anyway. A sister is her brother’s witness. She is his partner in crime, agent, biggest fan, teacher, defense attorney, and his shrink. Still, some days, a sister is the reason a brother wishes he was an only child.
And for those times, we not only apologize, but offer this letter to help you understand what Relient K refers to as, “the complex infrastructure known as the female mind.”
When Adam Met Eve (The Original Harry and Sally)
The question posed was what Christian men could do to better serve us, as Christian women. First and foremost, your answer is baked into the question. “Be a man of God.” Us women can, and will, regal you with all kinds of other guidelines and ideas about how to act towards us, how to love us well, etc. But to be honest, all of that comes second to you loving the Lord (Matthew 22:37-39).
God created us for you! And of course, to glorify God. But listen to his words in Genesis 2:18, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” How amazing is that, that God created us as the perfect compliment to you? That where we are weak, you are strong, but that the opposite is true as well. Where you shine in strength and courage, we meet you with grace and compassion. And where we lack in hope you meet us with perseverance. That means that second to needing God, we need YOU!
We want to be your friends. You have such a different perspective on God and life than we do, and we need that. We sincerely want to hear about how you’re doing, we want to pray for you and with you. We want to engage in conversation with you that goes deeper than discussing the latest episode of The Office. However, anyone who has seen When Harry Met Sally knows how difficult it is for a man and a woman to be “real” friends. We do believe these relationships are possible, but they can be hard work, and are sometimes tricky.
Use caution with giving us too much attention or spending much one-on-one time with us, as we can (and will) probably take that the wrong way. That being said, don’t be afraid to invite us along when a group is planning on getting together. Solid, wonderful, God-glorifying friendships can grow between a guy and girl, but “the friend zone” is not a place you can get to overnight. If you try, we will probably mistake you “just being a good guy,” for you “being a cute boy that is totally into us.”
When You’re Just Not That Into Us
There is nothing so encouraging to us women as the unconditional way that men accept each other. That is not to say that you don’t have your differences, but you all rise above it in a manner most women only dream of. Perhaps without knowing it you all live and breathe Paul’s explanation that “love keeps no record of wrongs…”
If there is one thing Christian women are envious of men for, it is same-sex friendships. Most of you love manly bonding time. We, on the other hand, often respond to “girl’s nights” with shrill screams and complete and utter horror.
We are constantly battling pettiness, jealousy, gossip, and slanderous remarks that destroy female fellowship. It is an age-old story for a woman to spend most of her time surrounded by men because it is only among them that she feels she can truly be herself. Your example is a constant encouragement for us to work on our own same-sex friendships. As women, we could all take note of the inviting love you show nearly everyone you meet.
That being said, while it is important for both you and us to have time and fellowship apart from each other, Christian guys sometimes get so wrapped up in manly bonding that you not only rejoice at the thought of not having girls around, but often scoff when we come back into the picture. We are so glad that time with your brothers is so amazing, but be careful not to discourage your female friends while praising the males in your lives.
The Romance of Dance
The Bible doesn’t provide a one-size-fits-all program for us. Our lives are too different, our circumstances too unique, and our God too creative to have only one formula for romance. The same is true for dancing. There is the waltz, tango, foxtrot, rumba, and swing, to name a few. The dances often look nothing alike; coming from various cultures and consisting of vastly different steps. However all dances share a certain set of rules. Without these rules, the dance would be a devastating challenge.
The man starts on his left foot, and the woman starts on her right. The man always leads. He is supposed to lead her to the point that she is almost blindly following him. Now, let’s superimpose the idea of relationships into this image. When a man will not step up and lead in the dance, the woman is blinded as to where they are going. Don’t misunderstand us; while it is natural for women to be lead in the dance and in relationships, we are not saying it is up to you to do all the work. A woman must know her own steps or it doesn’t matter how well you lead. Likewise, there are times when women have to correct their dance partners for not leading or for leading the wrong way. Sometimes if the woman does not stand up and say something she would be lead astray.
One of the most common complaints of women is that the guys they are dancing with rarely hold them like they are supposed to. This means that you must be firm, but not hurt her. In leading the women that are in your lives, please be considerate of us and be gentle. Hold the women in your lives like you would something that is precious—tight enough that you won’t drop her, but loose enough that you will not break her.
Timidity is something often associated with guys when it comes to both dancing and relationships. It takes courage to be the one who leads. It makes you vulnerable to one of your greatest fears… failure. Being timid means to be insecure, afraid, to lack confidence. Timidity is present when one has not mastered their art.
Dancing is awkward when either party is out of step. It is awkward for the guy (we would imagine) when a girl is taking more initiative than him. And it’s awkward for the girl when she is having to lead. This is often the result of one, or both partners, attempting to dance before getting the proper lessons. And, since it is up to you gentlemen to do the asking, it would help us out a lot if you not ask us to dance until you are ready to do so (i.e. are no longer timid). We’re not asking you to be perfect, but if you have not taken the time to learn the way the Creator of the dance meant for it to look, thing start to get messy. And worse, painful.
Partners can bump heads and step on each other’s toes. Ask almost any girl and she will probably have more than one story about the bruises she’s received after being “dropped” mid-dance by a guy that asked her to dance before he was ready (or knew how) to catch her.
Now, that may have been hard to follow, so we’ll exit the dance floor now and explain further:
Where you all struggle with physical lust, we match you with emotional lust. We do certainly struggle in sins of the flesh, but our sin more often lies in giving our hearts away. And while it is our job to guard our hearts, we need your help.
Please, please, please do not ask to pursue us if you are not ready. That’s not to say that you need to be ready to propose on the first date, far from it. It does mean that if you are not ready to be in a relationship or aren’t sure of your feelings, then we ask you keep them to yourselves until you better know what you desire. When you act on these feelings without prayer or wise council, you are doing more harm than good to the girl you think is so-darn-cute. Take Solomon’s advice, “Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires”(Song of Songs 2:7).
Be cautious still, even if you are ready to date us. You may have sought the Lord in your decision, but if we’re struggling to guard our hearts before things are “official,” you can imagine how much harder it is when we are in a satisfying relationship. It is very easy for women to turn their significant other into an idol and hold him above God in their lives. We do love to be romanced, we like compliments and your affection. But please help us to see that our identity should be in the Lord, and it is His approval and love that matters.
For those of you who have not been scared away by this letter, and are still set on pursuing that wonderful lady... take a look at Jim Elliot's story of how he pursued his wife. He made romance raw, bold, and adventurous. Men should strive to be like that, on the dance floor and in the relationship. Men should pursue women like Christ pursued the church, vigorously and with all of their heart.
Our challenge is this: Brothers, lead like you would when you are dancing. Don’t lead us astray, running into items or other people that cause conflict. Rather, lead us in the way the dance of life was meant to be stepped. And of course… leave room for the Holy Spirit. :)
Love,
Your Sisters
“Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers,
and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” 1 Timothy 5:1-2
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Growing Pains
Last night was an incredibly painful day for me, physically, emotionally, and even spiritually.
I went to a Bachelorette party for a close friend and experienced the bitter sting of a broken relationship. One of the other guests and I had a falling out years ago, and I was almost depressed to see that after so long, the sin among two sisters was alive and well. We couldn’t sit at the same table, we couldn’t say hello to one another, we couldn’t even make eye contact. In a room of 15 people, together for about 5 hours, we somehow managed to completely ignore each other and act as though the other girl didn’t exist.
It broke my heart that two believing, God-fearing sisters have not been able to reconcile. So I sat there in pain, all night, very well aware that we live in a fallen world. Desperately praying for God to take away my pain, to heal my broken heart.
We left the bachelorette party around 10pm, and decided to head back to the bride-to-be’s apartment to finish off the night with a movie and some wine. I had given a ride to two other girls, so I went to drop them off before heading back to the party. After I dropped off the last girl, I turned the corner and was t-boned on the driver-side by another vehicle.
As soon as my car stopped spinning I attempted to get out of the car to make sure everyone in the other car was alright, but I couldn’t get out. My door was completely smashed in, my legs stuck underneath the wheel. I began to weep, as I saw the shattered glass all around the street in front of me. I tried to remain faithful, but all I could muster was frustration towards God. I finally started to crawl out from financial difficulties, and two totaled cars later I felt my dreams of leaving for Africa in July fly out my broken front windshield. Spiritually, I was in pain.
After a few panicked minutes I realized if I could shimmy my legs out from under the wheel I could crawl out from the passenger side door. I made it out just as the police and ambulance arrived. Adrenaline pumping, they escorted me to the ambulance, completely unaware my ankles were swollen, burnt, and bleeding. The EMT bandaged me up and when I stubbornly declined a trip to the hospital to be checked out further, they let me out of the ambulance and I began trying to search for God in my car accident.
So I cried out to him, “What do you want me to learn from this God? What was this for? Those girls didn’t really need a ride, so clearly this was all a part of your sovereign plan, but why?”
And as the ambulance drove away I was left alone, sitting on a dark curb, tears streaming down my face, unbelief in my heart, desperately praying for God to take away my pain; to heal my broken spirit.
When I got home later that night, the physical pain finally set in. The adrenaline was gone and I became very aware that my body had just gone through something brutal. It hurt to walk up the stairs, it hurt to be hugged. Two beautiful women came over with ice packs, aloe for my burns, a heating pad for my aching back, and a bottle of ibuprofen. And as I lay there on my bedroom floor, in too much pain to move, I desperately prayed once more for God to take away my pain; to heal my broken body.
God is the god of all comfort (2 Cor 1:3-4), but that doesn’t mean he ends our suffering. It’s like counseling, people come into my office all the time because they want me to make their pain stop, but that’s not my job. My job is to empathize with them, to offer them support and comfort, and to help them understand how to be victorious in the midst of pain.
God is our counselor. So often we come to him with bruised egos, pierced hearts, damaged legs, and we ask Him to take away our pain, (and unlike me, God could if He wanted to), but more often than not, he does just what counselors do, He comforts us by sitting with us in the pain, not by taking it away.
So long as we inhabit this earth, there will always be more pain. Pain was brought into this world very early on. It’s easy to look at the creation story and see all good things; God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1), the sun and the moon (1:16), day and night (1:5), the sea (1:10). But after the fall, the curse of Adam and Eve brought a few uglier things into our world; sin and enmity between men and women (3:14-17), death (3:19), and of course, pain (3:17).
What I love, and what gives me hope, is that the end of days is the complete opposite to the beginning of days. When Christ comes again, the first heaven and earth will pass away (Revelation 21:1), there’ll be no sun or moon (21:23), no night (22:5), no sea (21:1), no sin/enmity (22:3), no more death (21:4), and my personal favorite… no more pain (21:4).
No matter how hard we fight, some relationships in our lives (even with other believers) will remain broken. Some of us, like Job, will lead a hard life with countless hardships, and we will struggle to hold steadfastly to the Lord. Some of us will experience chronic pain in our bones, or joints, or lungs. But rest assured, brothers and sisters, there will be a day…
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
I went to a Bachelorette party for a close friend and experienced the bitter sting of a broken relationship. One of the other guests and I had a falling out years ago, and I was almost depressed to see that after so long, the sin among two sisters was alive and well. We couldn’t sit at the same table, we couldn’t say hello to one another, we couldn’t even make eye contact. In a room of 15 people, together for about 5 hours, we somehow managed to completely ignore each other and act as though the other girl didn’t exist.
It broke my heart that two believing, God-fearing sisters have not been able to reconcile. So I sat there in pain, all night, very well aware that we live in a fallen world. Desperately praying for God to take away my pain, to heal my broken heart.
We left the bachelorette party around 10pm, and decided to head back to the bride-to-be’s apartment to finish off the night with a movie and some wine. I had given a ride to two other girls, so I went to drop them off before heading back to the party. After I dropped off the last girl, I turned the corner and was t-boned on the driver-side by another vehicle.
As soon as my car stopped spinning I attempted to get out of the car to make sure everyone in the other car was alright, but I couldn’t get out. My door was completely smashed in, my legs stuck underneath the wheel. I began to weep, as I saw the shattered glass all around the street in front of me. I tried to remain faithful, but all I could muster was frustration towards God. I finally started to crawl out from financial difficulties, and two totaled cars later I felt my dreams of leaving for Africa in July fly out my broken front windshield. Spiritually, I was in pain.
After a few panicked minutes I realized if I could shimmy my legs out from under the wheel I could crawl out from the passenger side door. I made it out just as the police and ambulance arrived. Adrenaline pumping, they escorted me to the ambulance, completely unaware my ankles were swollen, burnt, and bleeding. The EMT bandaged me up and when I stubbornly declined a trip to the hospital to be checked out further, they let me out of the ambulance and I began trying to search for God in my car accident.
So I cried out to him, “What do you want me to learn from this God? What was this for? Those girls didn’t really need a ride, so clearly this was all a part of your sovereign plan, but why?”
And as the ambulance drove away I was left alone, sitting on a dark curb, tears streaming down my face, unbelief in my heart, desperately praying for God to take away my pain; to heal my broken spirit.
When I got home later that night, the physical pain finally set in. The adrenaline was gone and I became very aware that my body had just gone through something brutal. It hurt to walk up the stairs, it hurt to be hugged. Two beautiful women came over with ice packs, aloe for my burns, a heating pad for my aching back, and a bottle of ibuprofen. And as I lay there on my bedroom floor, in too much pain to move, I desperately prayed once more for God to take away my pain; to heal my broken body.
God is the god of all comfort (2 Cor 1:3-4), but that doesn’t mean he ends our suffering. It’s like counseling, people come into my office all the time because they want me to make their pain stop, but that’s not my job. My job is to empathize with them, to offer them support and comfort, and to help them understand how to be victorious in the midst of pain.
God is our counselor. So often we come to him with bruised egos, pierced hearts, damaged legs, and we ask Him to take away our pain, (and unlike me, God could if He wanted to), but more often than not, he does just what counselors do, He comforts us by sitting with us in the pain, not by taking it away.
So long as we inhabit this earth, there will always be more pain. Pain was brought into this world very early on. It’s easy to look at the creation story and see all good things; God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1), the sun and the moon (1:16), day and night (1:5), the sea (1:10). But after the fall, the curse of Adam and Eve brought a few uglier things into our world; sin and enmity between men and women (3:14-17), death (3:19), and of course, pain (3:17).
What I love, and what gives me hope, is that the end of days is the complete opposite to the beginning of days. When Christ comes again, the first heaven and earth will pass away (Revelation 21:1), there’ll be no sun or moon (21:23), no night (22:5), no sea (21:1), no sin/enmity (22:3), no more death (21:4), and my personal favorite… no more pain (21:4).
No matter how hard we fight, some relationships in our lives (even with other believers) will remain broken. Some of us, like Job, will lead a hard life with countless hardships, and we will struggle to hold steadfastly to the Lord. Some of us will experience chronic pain in our bones, or joints, or lungs. But rest assured, brothers and sisters, there will be a day…
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Monday, April 26, 2010
God in my Waking, God in my Sleeping
A new friend reminded me this afternoon the importance and brilliance of starting your day in prayer and communication with “the sweet guy up there.” I’m willing to bet he had no idea what he was igniting by choosing to share his thoughts with me today. What if all our relationships were marked by an un-filtered desire to share about Jesus?
Simple encouragements like this get my mind going for hours. Someone mentions something they’re learning, or how God’s working in their lives, and it just makes me want to dive head first into scripture and teach myself the same lesson.
So today I started thinking about the beauty and humility of beginning each day professing a need for God. When we wake up, our thoughts come back to life, and it is up to us to decide who will control our thoughts for the day. Are our thoughts from Satan, or are they from God? And more often than not, if our first thoughts of the day are not focused on God, we’ve already allowed Satan a foothold to control our mind the rest of the day.
We believe so many lies on a daily, even hourly basis. Isn’t it about time we stop listening to lies and start speaking truth to ourselves? Psychologically, thoughts are a HUGE part of who we are and they’re incredibly difficult to change. We can spend months treating a client with cognitive therapy, redefining the way they think. And while I am a therapist, I don’t believe we all need therapy, I just think we need to make war on our own minds. Our thoughts are deeply engrained, that’s why we should start fighting the moment we wake up.
But what about when we go to sleep? Lots of people have adopted the philosophy of starting one’s day with quiet time or in prayer, but is it any less important to glorify God at the end of the day?
Yes, in the morning we can start our day off on a good, positive, armed note, but the end of the day blesses us with an amazing opportunity to reflect and give glory to God for the grace we experienced.
And, at the end of the day we get to experience the gift of sleep! As college students, most of us constantly express a love for sleep, but I’d be willing to bet most of us don’t think about how to glorify God in it, or that He is with us, even in this catatonic state.
God created sleep, and that means sleep is good, and has a purpose.
We spend about one-third of our lives sleeping. One-third! That means if we live to be ninety, we’ll have slept for thirty years. It makes you think twice about your bed doesn’t it? Most of us love beds because that is where we may one day become one flesh with another person. We fail to recognize we’ll spend far more time engaging in the gift of God’s rest in our beds, than delighting in the gift of sexual intimacy (sorry boys).
God could have created us without a need for sleep, but in doing so, we’re reminded daily that we are not self-sufficient. God is the only one who “will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4).
So, the next time you’re tired (which happens to most of us daily), don’t curse God and life for exhausting you to the core, pray to God you can view tiredness as a reminder that we are just creatures, not the Creator. And thank God for such a humbling gift.
That being said, don’t take God’s gift of sleep for granted by abusing it, or by trying to do without it.
“Whether we eat or drink, do all things for the glory of God.” 1 Cor. 10:31
Most of us do all waking things for the glory of God, but consider sleep a whole separate category… we like to shirk responsibility for our unconscious thoughts. Our impure dreams are still our responsibility, which makes it all the more important for God to be on our hearts and minds before we drift off.
Like controlling our thoughts during the day, this isn’t an easy task. But it is possible. How crazy and amazing that we can glorify God in our sleep?! In the way we view sleep, and prepare for sleep.
It seems the older and more mature we get, the more we value sleep. I would argue the same should be true in our spiritual life. Except we’ll value sleep less for what it does for us, and more for what it does for our relationship with God.
If we don’t view sleep and the benefits of sleep differently than non-believers, something is wrong. Sleep is more than restoring us for a new day; sleep is an opportunity to be humbled. Our need for sleep is an amazing reminder that we need Christ every day, that we truly can’t do it on our own.
Simple encouragements like this get my mind going for hours. Someone mentions something they’re learning, or how God’s working in their lives, and it just makes me want to dive head first into scripture and teach myself the same lesson.
So today I started thinking about the beauty and humility of beginning each day professing a need for God. When we wake up, our thoughts come back to life, and it is up to us to decide who will control our thoughts for the day. Are our thoughts from Satan, or are they from God? And more often than not, if our first thoughts of the day are not focused on God, we’ve already allowed Satan a foothold to control our mind the rest of the day.
We believe so many lies on a daily, even hourly basis. Isn’t it about time we stop listening to lies and start speaking truth to ourselves? Psychologically, thoughts are a HUGE part of who we are and they’re incredibly difficult to change. We can spend months treating a client with cognitive therapy, redefining the way they think. And while I am a therapist, I don’t believe we all need therapy, I just think we need to make war on our own minds. Our thoughts are deeply engrained, that’s why we should start fighting the moment we wake up.
But what about when we go to sleep? Lots of people have adopted the philosophy of starting one’s day with quiet time or in prayer, but is it any less important to glorify God at the end of the day?
Yes, in the morning we can start our day off on a good, positive, armed note, but the end of the day blesses us with an amazing opportunity to reflect and give glory to God for the grace we experienced.
And, at the end of the day we get to experience the gift of sleep! As college students, most of us constantly express a love for sleep, but I’d be willing to bet most of us don’t think about how to glorify God in it, or that He is with us, even in this catatonic state.
God created sleep, and that means sleep is good, and has a purpose.
We spend about one-third of our lives sleeping. One-third! That means if we live to be ninety, we’ll have slept for thirty years. It makes you think twice about your bed doesn’t it? Most of us love beds because that is where we may one day become one flesh with another person. We fail to recognize we’ll spend far more time engaging in the gift of God’s rest in our beds, than delighting in the gift of sexual intimacy (sorry boys).
God could have created us without a need for sleep, but in doing so, we’re reminded daily that we are not self-sufficient. God is the only one who “will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4).
So, the next time you’re tired (which happens to most of us daily), don’t curse God and life for exhausting you to the core, pray to God you can view tiredness as a reminder that we are just creatures, not the Creator. And thank God for such a humbling gift.
That being said, don’t take God’s gift of sleep for granted by abusing it, or by trying to do without it.
“Whether we eat or drink, do all things for the glory of God.” 1 Cor. 10:31
Most of us do all waking things for the glory of God, but consider sleep a whole separate category… we like to shirk responsibility for our unconscious thoughts. Our impure dreams are still our responsibility, which makes it all the more important for God to be on our hearts and minds before we drift off.
Like controlling our thoughts during the day, this isn’t an easy task. But it is possible. How crazy and amazing that we can glorify God in our sleep?! In the way we view sleep, and prepare for sleep.
It seems the older and more mature we get, the more we value sleep. I would argue the same should be true in our spiritual life. Except we’ll value sleep less for what it does for us, and more for what it does for our relationship with God.
If we don’t view sleep and the benefits of sleep differently than non-believers, something is wrong. Sleep is more than restoring us for a new day; sleep is an opportunity to be humbled. Our need for sleep is an amazing reminder that we need Christ every day, that we truly can’t do it on our own.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
To an Athlete Dying Young
This spring I coached a group of girls for a running race called the Little 50. Teams of four runners compete in a 50-lap relay that mimics both the Indy 500 and the Little 500.
We’ve been getting together a couple days each week for the last few months, training to represent Campus Crusade for Christ, and more importantly Christ himself.
A few months back, I began to wonder what that meant. We want to glorify God with the talent He blessed us with to run. We want to be a witness to the campus through this race. I know the vision; I cast it over a year ago. But, this season, that vision didn’t seem quite right.
How does one share the gospel when you’re competing? You can’t talk during the race and everyone’s too focused to talk beforehand. As a cop out, I always thought that witnessing Christ’s character was enough. So long as we pray before and after, and show good, Christ-like sportsmanship on the track, that’s good, right?
Wrong! Christ’s character, while a great model for how we should live our lives, is not the essence of the gospel. After all, if following his character were enough, he wouldn’t have had to die.
The essence of the gospel is in the sacrifice. God gave up his Son, sent him down to die a painful, horrible, agonizing death in order to pay for our sins. This was a difficult job, and the pain for God began long before Jesus’ death. Like all good parents, God had to discipline His Son.
"It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:7-11
I’m sure this verse strikes a chord with most parents, but for me, it took coaching to understand the weight of what God went through.
I still remember the first sprint workout I put the girls through. I hated it! The girls were tired, and out of breath, and looked like they wanted to die, and I was there, watch in hand telling them to suck it up, they had four more repeats to go. I knew they needed to keep going. As part of their training, they needed this painful workout to be better runners, but I just wanted to give them all buckets of water and tell them to relax, go home, and take it easy.
The gospel takes sacrifice. Runners sacrifice sleep, junk food, carbonation. My girls sacrificed their social lives, and sometimes their muscles and knees to witness the gospel. I think that’s one of the reason’s running is so often used as a metaphor for the Christian life.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I pummel my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
And my personal favorite.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…” Hebrews 12:1
What I love about verses like this is how you must understand the culture in antiquity (and of running) to really feel this verse. In ancient times, runners ran completely naked when they were competing. It gives new meaning to the idea of casting aside every weight, and the sin that clings so closely. Clothing is extra weight, which clings, impeding a runner’s stride. That’s why you see competitive runners today in tight spandex singlets. Running naked is inappropriate; this is the closest we can get.
And that’s what it takes to run a race well for the glory of God. You must shed sin. It’s easy to get distracted out there on the track. When sin entangles us we fight for the perishable wreath, it’s only when we shed our sinful selfishness that we can run unhindered for the imperishable wreath.
So, my girls sacrificed even more than sleep, good food, and social lives, they sacrificed their very lives. Dying to themselves, pushing one another to be better runners, but more importantly, to be more Godly women.
My girls won third place at this year’s Little 50, and while I am proud of them for that finish, I am far more proud of them for starting another race, one that they’re already running well.
We’ve been getting together a couple days each week for the last few months, training to represent Campus Crusade for Christ, and more importantly Christ himself.
A few months back, I began to wonder what that meant. We want to glorify God with the talent He blessed us with to run. We want to be a witness to the campus through this race. I know the vision; I cast it over a year ago. But, this season, that vision didn’t seem quite right.
How does one share the gospel when you’re competing? You can’t talk during the race and everyone’s too focused to talk beforehand. As a cop out, I always thought that witnessing Christ’s character was enough. So long as we pray before and after, and show good, Christ-like sportsmanship on the track, that’s good, right?
Wrong! Christ’s character, while a great model for how we should live our lives, is not the essence of the gospel. After all, if following his character were enough, he wouldn’t have had to die.
The essence of the gospel is in the sacrifice. God gave up his Son, sent him down to die a painful, horrible, agonizing death in order to pay for our sins. This was a difficult job, and the pain for God began long before Jesus’ death. Like all good parents, God had to discipline His Son.
"It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:7-11
I’m sure this verse strikes a chord with most parents, but for me, it took coaching to understand the weight of what God went through.
I still remember the first sprint workout I put the girls through. I hated it! The girls were tired, and out of breath, and looked like they wanted to die, and I was there, watch in hand telling them to suck it up, they had four more repeats to go. I knew they needed to keep going. As part of their training, they needed this painful workout to be better runners, but I just wanted to give them all buckets of water and tell them to relax, go home, and take it easy.
The gospel takes sacrifice. Runners sacrifice sleep, junk food, carbonation. My girls sacrificed their social lives, and sometimes their muscles and knees to witness the gospel. I think that’s one of the reason’s running is so often used as a metaphor for the Christian life.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I pummel my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
And my personal favorite.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…” Hebrews 12:1
What I love about verses like this is how you must understand the culture in antiquity (and of running) to really feel this verse. In ancient times, runners ran completely naked when they were competing. It gives new meaning to the idea of casting aside every weight, and the sin that clings so closely. Clothing is extra weight, which clings, impeding a runner’s stride. That’s why you see competitive runners today in tight spandex singlets. Running naked is inappropriate; this is the closest we can get.
And that’s what it takes to run a race well for the glory of God. You must shed sin. It’s easy to get distracted out there on the track. When sin entangles us we fight for the perishable wreath, it’s only when we shed our sinful selfishness that we can run unhindered for the imperishable wreath.
So, my girls sacrificed even more than sleep, good food, and social lives, they sacrificed their very lives. Dying to themselves, pushing one another to be better runners, but more importantly, to be more Godly women.
My girls won third place at this year’s Little 50, and while I am proud of them for that finish, I am far more proud of them for starting another race, one that they’re already running well.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Queen of Thieves
One of my all-time favorite songs is "Times" by Tenth Avenue North. It's a beautiful dialogue between a sinner and the God of the universe. The lyrics speak to my very heart and soul.
The sinner (me) knows they need God but feels so far from Him, confessing unbelief in a real and vulnerable way. It's beautiful. Most of us doubt, but how many of us go to the Lord in our broken humility asking, "Are you done forgiving? Can you look past my pretending?"
I'm fairly certain most of us think so highly of ourselves that we don't even think to ask this second question. We truly believe we can pull a fast one on God, that we've got Him fooled.
But what I love even more than the sinner's cries in this song is God's response. He doesn't yell, he doesn't rebuke, he simply reminds his beloved son of the truth. He calls him out on the lies he's believed, and says, "No, that's not me. This is."
"I hear you say my love is over,
its underneath, its inside, its in between
the times you doubt me, when you can't feel
the times that you've questioned 'is this for real?'
the times you've broken, the times that you mend
the times you hate me and the times that you bend
Well my love is over, its underneath
its inside, its in between,
these times you're healing
and when your heart breaks
the times that you feel like you've fallen from grace
the times you're hurting
the times that you heal
the times you go hungry and are tempted to steal
in times of confusion and chaos and pain
I'm there in your sorrow under the weight of your shame
I'm there through your heartache
I'm there in the storm
my love I will keep you by my power alone
I don't care where you've fallen, where you have been
I'll never forsake you
my love never ends, it never ends."
But perhaps my very favorite part of the whole song is one simple line, "The times you go hungry and are tempted to steal."
This line always brings me back to the ten commandments and gets my brain going. Some of the commandments seem like common sense to me. Stealing and murder aren't even on my radar of sins I need to worry about. I'm not going to knock over Best Buy anytime soon, and I feel guilt when I kill a spider... so I'm fairly certain I'll never kill my fellow man.
But this one line changed my thinking about God's commands, because it goes beyond the physical act itself and points to the sin of our hearts. God could care less about the material things in this world and who thinks they own them. He reminds us in Luke 6:30, "...from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back." It's a hard truth most of us don't like to think about. Our possessions were never really ours.
That's the problem with stealing. We're all thieves. Everything in this world is God's! And when we steal it doesn't matter that we're taking it out of the hands of a brother or sister, the problem is that we're taking it out of the hands of God.
And this goes so far beyond material things.
The line says, "the times that you're hungry and are tempted to steal." The heart issue is the motive behind stealing. We steal because we're hungry. For something... or someone.
Maybe you've never walked into a store and taken something, and maybe you've never borrowed something from a friend, and conveniently "forgot" to give it back, but have you ever been hungry for God's love and stolen a brother or sister's affection to satisfy that need?
We do this all the time. So many Christians (myself included) think that because we're not fooling around with people and stealing their purity, that we're on the right track. We take flirting way too lightly. When I flirt and seek to gain a guy's attention, I'm stealing! I am not satisfied by God alone. I want validation and love and affirmation from the greatest man in all the world, but rather than getting in the Word or falling on my knees in prayer to be reminded of God's love for me... I run to the nearest guy and accept his attention as a substitution.
And when I do that I am stealing his attention. I'm stealing his eyes from his future wife, I'm stealing his words of affirmation. I'm stealing all this goodness God put in my brother for my own temporary pleasure.
It's okay to be encouraged by a member of the opposite sex, it's okay to be complimented by them. In fact, I'd argue we don't do those two things enough. At least not with pure hearts. Are you loving on a brother or sister to point them towards Christ, or are you loving on them in a way that points solely to you? Are you stealing their gaze from God?
----
It's Little 5 weekend at IU, and for those of you who don't know what that means... it's said to be the greatest college party weekend in the nation. And by weekend, I mean week. And by greatest, I mean darkest.
We sleep when it's dark. And when we're deep in sleep and someone turns on a bright light we groan and seek to shield our eyes. It's almost painful, and we usually yell at whoever turned on the light to make it dark again so we can fall back into our unconscious, carefree state.
The same can be said of sin. When we're deep in sin and someone wakes us up and exposes what we're doing, it's painful, and we want to shield our eyes and go back to our satisfying, yet ephemeral, dreamworld. But God is already winning, and as much as we plead to go back to our sin, guilt and conviction make it so even if we fall back to sleep, but it's not the same carefree, catatonic state we were in.
This morning was a rough one for me. The darkness of this party week lulled me into a deep sleep and God painfully turned the lights on me this morning. Seeing my sin in the light evoked in me such powerful sadness I literally began to shake.
So I turned on some peaceful music in an attempt to calm myself down, when this song came on. "Times." I wanted to crumple under the weight of my sin, and I still do... but I have to hold fast to God's words. I am not past his forgiveness, and he does see past my pretending. He will never forsake me, and his love never ends.
Maybe you're like me, you're still sleeping and you think stealing and murder don't apply to you. But if you've ever stolen someone's affection or killed someone's spirit with bitter words, I pray God will turn the lights on and wake you, too.
"And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, 'So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:40-41
The sinner (me) knows they need God but feels so far from Him, confessing unbelief in a real and vulnerable way. It's beautiful. Most of us doubt, but how many of us go to the Lord in our broken humility asking, "Are you done forgiving? Can you look past my pretending?"
I'm fairly certain most of us think so highly of ourselves that we don't even think to ask this second question. We truly believe we can pull a fast one on God, that we've got Him fooled.
But what I love even more than the sinner's cries in this song is God's response. He doesn't yell, he doesn't rebuke, he simply reminds his beloved son of the truth. He calls him out on the lies he's believed, and says, "No, that's not me. This is."
"I hear you say my love is over,
its underneath, its inside, its in between
the times you doubt me, when you can't feel
the times that you've questioned 'is this for real?'
the times you've broken, the times that you mend
the times you hate me and the times that you bend
Well my love is over, its underneath
its inside, its in between,
these times you're healing
and when your heart breaks
the times that you feel like you've fallen from grace
the times you're hurting
the times that you heal
the times you go hungry and are tempted to steal
in times of confusion and chaos and pain
I'm there in your sorrow under the weight of your shame
I'm there through your heartache
I'm there in the storm
my love I will keep you by my power alone
I don't care where you've fallen, where you have been
I'll never forsake you
my love never ends, it never ends."
But perhaps my very favorite part of the whole song is one simple line, "The times you go hungry and are tempted to steal."
This line always brings me back to the ten commandments and gets my brain going. Some of the commandments seem like common sense to me. Stealing and murder aren't even on my radar of sins I need to worry about. I'm not going to knock over Best Buy anytime soon, and I feel guilt when I kill a spider... so I'm fairly certain I'll never kill my fellow man.
But this one line changed my thinking about God's commands, because it goes beyond the physical act itself and points to the sin of our hearts. God could care less about the material things in this world and who thinks they own them. He reminds us in Luke 6:30, "...from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back." It's a hard truth most of us don't like to think about. Our possessions were never really ours.
That's the problem with stealing. We're all thieves. Everything in this world is God's! And when we steal it doesn't matter that we're taking it out of the hands of a brother or sister, the problem is that we're taking it out of the hands of God.
And this goes so far beyond material things.
The line says, "the times that you're hungry and are tempted to steal." The heart issue is the motive behind stealing. We steal because we're hungry. For something... or someone.
Maybe you've never walked into a store and taken something, and maybe you've never borrowed something from a friend, and conveniently "forgot" to give it back, but have you ever been hungry for God's love and stolen a brother or sister's affection to satisfy that need?
We do this all the time. So many Christians (myself included) think that because we're not fooling around with people and stealing their purity, that we're on the right track. We take flirting way too lightly. When I flirt and seek to gain a guy's attention, I'm stealing! I am not satisfied by God alone. I want validation and love and affirmation from the greatest man in all the world, but rather than getting in the Word or falling on my knees in prayer to be reminded of God's love for me... I run to the nearest guy and accept his attention as a substitution.
And when I do that I am stealing his attention. I'm stealing his eyes from his future wife, I'm stealing his words of affirmation. I'm stealing all this goodness God put in my brother for my own temporary pleasure.
It's okay to be encouraged by a member of the opposite sex, it's okay to be complimented by them. In fact, I'd argue we don't do those two things enough. At least not with pure hearts. Are you loving on a brother or sister to point them towards Christ, or are you loving on them in a way that points solely to you? Are you stealing their gaze from God?
----
It's Little 5 weekend at IU, and for those of you who don't know what that means... it's said to be the greatest college party weekend in the nation. And by weekend, I mean week. And by greatest, I mean darkest.
We sleep when it's dark. And when we're deep in sleep and someone turns on a bright light we groan and seek to shield our eyes. It's almost painful, and we usually yell at whoever turned on the light to make it dark again so we can fall back into our unconscious, carefree state.
The same can be said of sin. When we're deep in sin and someone wakes us up and exposes what we're doing, it's painful, and we want to shield our eyes and go back to our satisfying, yet ephemeral, dreamworld. But God is already winning, and as much as we plead to go back to our sin, guilt and conviction make it so even if we fall back to sleep, but it's not the same carefree, catatonic state we were in.
This morning was a rough one for me. The darkness of this party week lulled me into a deep sleep and God painfully turned the lights on me this morning. Seeing my sin in the light evoked in me such powerful sadness I literally began to shake.
So I turned on some peaceful music in an attempt to calm myself down, when this song came on. "Times." I wanted to crumple under the weight of my sin, and I still do... but I have to hold fast to God's words. I am not past his forgiveness, and he does see past my pretending. He will never forsake me, and his love never ends.
Maybe you're like me, you're still sleeping and you think stealing and murder don't apply to you. But if you've ever stolen someone's affection or killed someone's spirit with bitter words, I pray God will turn the lights on and wake you, too.
"And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, 'So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:40-41
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)