Love the good...

Week 9:

Amos 5:14-15 ¹⁴ Seek good, not evil, that you may live.  Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is.  ¹⁵ Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts.  Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.

Through my years of parenting, I have heard Christian child rearing experts talk about teaching our children to love the good.  In doing so, we will build a moral warehouse in our children’s heart.  Loving the good is not just for children.  I can benefit from loving the good as well. 

For me and my profession, I spend a lot of time redirecting the negative.  What happens for me is that I tend to focus on the negative.  I catch myself demanding perfection in many aspects of my life with little grace for imperfection.  I notice myself seeing only what is incorrect and negative and not focusing on the positive and things that are right.  In fact, as I do some reflection, I notice that negative is a small percentage of what is really going on.  Yet, I allow this negative to demand most of my attention. 

For the most part, I feel like I do love the good but do not focus much on the good.  So, my question to myself would be, “Do I really love the good or just love the idea of good?”  If I am focused on the negative most of the time, it is hard to have a love for the good.  I am clouded by the evil.  I do hate evil, yet I let it be a focus for me.  I see evil every day in our society.  I am bothered by it.  I judge people’s character by it.  Yet, there is very little I can do about the evil.  I can speak against it.  I can teach those around me to avoid it.  However, only God can defeat the evil.  Still, I focus on how bad things are and let it affect my emotions, judgments, and decisions.

This passage reminds me how I am to love the good.  I am to seek the good.  It is life.  The negative sucks the life out of me.  Where there is good, God is nearby.  It is good for me to hate evil but not focus on it.  For me, to love the good is to focus on what is good.  I’ve been working on my practice of trying to “Catch them doing something good.”   Overcoming the remnant of focusing on the negative is a difficult task.  However, as I am intentional about catching the good, I notice the good things more. This reminds me of Philippians 4:8 “⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” 

One other piece that has helped me to love the good is the practice of looking at the core of the person.  He/she may have taken part in something evil, yet he/she is still good at the core of his/her being.  God’s love is still flowing toward his/her life.  When I see the good in a person, it helps me to separate the evil deeds from the character of that person.  This fits the old adage, “Love the sinner and hate the sin.”  I know that this phrase is quite overused; yet it is important to see into the person like Jesus did.  I must condemn the evil and point out the choice of the person while still loving him/her.  I also can be there to walk alongside the person as he/she deals with the consequences of the choice.  This helps me to love the good and see the good.  And, hopefully I have helped them see the good that God has placed inside of them as well.  It is good to recognize our poor choices and even feel some convicting guilt to move us back toward the good.  However, a continual shame and withdrawal of love causes a person to believe he/she is evil at his/her core and believe there is no hope. 

Seeking the good, loving the good, noticing the good versus focusing on the negative, following the evil, and condemning the person brings life.  This practice brings life for my soul as I focus on the positive.  This practice brings life for the other person’s soul as I love him/her for who he/she is and not for what he/she does.  I am challenged to love the good in this way.

Questions/challenges:

1.      What is the negative in your life that you focus upon?

2.      What are some of the positives that you may be missing in the cloud of negative?

3.      How does loving the good play out for you in your life?

4.      In what ways can you better seek the good?

5.      What will help you to focus on the positive?

6.      This week, keep a record of how often you focus on the negative versus how often you focus on the positive.  At the end of the week, bring this list before God and ask His guidance and blessing on you going forward.

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Dwelling with the sacred...

Week 8:

This week, spend time in meditation over this passage.  Follow the instructions below the passage as your guide.

Psalm 15

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
    Who may live on your holy mountain?

² The one whose walk is blameless,
    who does what is righteous,
    who speaks the truth from their heart;
³ whose tongue utters no slander,
    who does no wrong to a neighbor,
    and casts no slur on others;
⁴ who despises a vile person
    but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
    and does not change their mind;
⁵ who lends money to the poor without interest;
    who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

Whoever does these things
    will never be shaken.

Cross references:

1. Psalm 15:1 : Ex 29:46; Ps 23:6; 27:4; 61:4
2. Psalm 15:1 : Ex 25:8; 1Ch 22:19; Ps 20:2; 78:69; 150:1
3. Psalm 15:1 : S Ex 15:17
4. Psalm 15:2 : S Ge 6:9; S Ps 18:32; Eph 1:4; S 1Th 3:13; Tit 1:6
5. Psalm 15:2 : Pr 16:13; Isa 45:19; Jer 7:28; 9:5; Zec 8:3, 16; Ro 9:1; S Eph 4:25
6. Psalm 15:3 : S Lev 19:16
7. Psalm 15:4 : S Job 19:9; Ac 28:10
8. Psalm 15:4 : S Dt 23:21; S Jos 9:18; Mt 5:33
9. Psalm 15:5 : S Ex 22:25
10. Psalm 15:5 : S Ex 18:21; S 1Sa 8:3; Ac 24:26
11. Psalm 15:5 : S Job 29:18; Ps 21:7; 112:6; Ac 2:25; Heb 12:28; 2Pe 1:10

You will be reading this passage three times following the guidelines below:

1.  First reading.  Read the passage through, one time, slowly.  Pause between each clause.  After you finish this first reading, be silent for a minute or two.

2.  Second reading.  Read the text slowly once again, pausing between phrases.  But this time pause even longer and be aware if any of the words or phrases that catch your attention, or seem to stand out in some way.  Make a mental note of those.  After you finish the second reading, write down those special words or phrases.

3.  Third reading.  Reread the passage up to the word or phrase that touched you in some way.  When you reach that word or phrase, stop and repeat it a few times.

4.  Pondering.  Reflect for a while on the phrase that moved you.  Repeat it a few more times.  Let the words interact with your thoughts, your memories or any other Bible passages that come to mind.  Let it touch your heart, desires and fears.  Begin to wonder, “What might God want to say to me specifically”?

5.  Prayer.  Turn that last question into a prayer, asking God, “What is the word you have for me in this passage, God?  Is there anything you want to say to me today?”  Listen.  Write down anything you sense God might be saying to you.

6.  Rest.  Be still and silent for a while.  Enjoy being in the presence of God.  In this step you move from doing to being.  Simply be for a while.

7.  Response.  Ask yourself and God, “What am I being called to do as a result of the word I have been given?”  Perhaps you are feeling challenged to love God more, or to accept some aspect of who you are, or to serve someone you know or to begin changing some aspect of your character.  Whatever it is, write it out.  “Today God is calling me to be a more ______ person.  Be with me God and teach me how.”   Thank God for the word and the calling you have been given. 

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Commands rooted in love...

Week 7:

Deuteronomy 6:20, 24-25 ²⁰ In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?”  ²⁴ The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. ²⁵ And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.”

Commands, stipulations, decrees, laws, guidelines, rules, discipline, obey…it all sounds daunting, discouraging, and negative at times.  Why do those words, especially associated with God’s Word, seem to be overbearing at times?  Why do they come across as negative to so many?  Furthermore, why do so many (me included) follow these out of fear for much of our lives?

LAW

A lot of this depends on our narrative of God.  For most of us, our parents and earthly authority figures have taught us about rules, laws, discipline, etc. and in most cases out of love.  However, there are those times where the discipline we have received has been accompanied by a withdrawal of love.  Now, as I say this, I recognize that our parents and godly authority figures have led us as best they could.  This withdrawal of love is usually based out of a hurt heart on the part of our authority figure.  Out of those hurt feelings, he/she protects the heart by withdrawal.  As a parent, I make mistakes.  I am flawed and at times within my discipline, I withdraw my love.  That is not my intent; however, out of my own wounds, insecurities, and limited knowledge, I have made this mistake.  I also realize that some of my readers may have had an upbringing that was quite painful and their caregivers were intentional in withdrawal of love.  For that, I feel tender. 

DISAPPOINTMENT

For years I have believed in a God that loves me, but is disappointed in me quite a bit of the time.  In my head, I know God’s love.  In my heart, I question if He loves me all the time.  Where does this come from?  I have projected onto God how I have been handled by my authority figures.  I have taken earthly mistakes and assumed that God treats me the same way.  And, sadly, I have taught my children the same lesson.  My intent here is not to cast blame or make those of us who have enforced God’s law without love feel guilty.  I would like to see myself and others walk a new walk in God’s love.

I have tried very hard to make God’s Word practical to life.  Of course, many times I become Pharisaical and push God’s teachings with a hardline approach.  For the most part, I have lived life teaching a practical approach.  God has reasons for his commands, laws, stipulations, and decrees.  After all, He created us; wouldn’t He know what is best for us?  I appreciate what Henry Blackabay says in Experiencing God:

God loves you deeply and profoundly.  Because He loves you, He has given you guidelines for living so you will not miss the full dimensions of the love relationship.  Life also has some land mines that can destroy you or harm your life.  God does not want to see you miss His best, and He does not want your life destroyed by foolish choices…That is the purpose of God’s commands.  He wants you to receive life and have it abundantly…When God gives you a command, he is not restricting you.  He is freeing you.

LOVE

God loves us.  His commands are rooted in love.  He created us, knows us, and wants what is best for us.  He sent Jesus to die for us so that we can enter into a relationship with Him.  There are two books that have helped me shape this view of God.  The first one is The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith.  This book helped me to see the way I have viewed God.  The second book is Gateways to God by Dmitri Bilgere.  This book has helped me begin a journey of believing in and living in God’s love for me.  My encouragement to you is to look at what you believe about God’s commands and God’s love.  Look at how God has loved you and how His commands are rooted in love.

Questions/challenges:

1.      Who in your life has shaped your narrative of God?

2.      Where in your life do you feel God has punished you?

3.      From that punishment, how did you feel about God?

4.      What parts of your life do you feel are a disappointment to God?

5.      Identify the earthly authority figure where you picked up this idea of being a disappointment to God.

6.      This week, notice where you feel unloved by God.  Ask Jesus to come into that situation.  Sit in silence and listen for Jesus.  What truth is He telling you about God’s love?

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Times of trouble...

Week 6:


Proverbs 24:10 If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!

I was reading out of Proverbs 24 with my group the other night and this one verse seemed to stand out for me.  I noticed how James 1 and Romans 5 came to mind about facing trials through perseverance.  My thoughts began with knowing that trouble is inevitable, and trials in life will happen.  I thought about how I have reacted in times of trouble.  I noticed how strong a message this little verse seemed to deliver.

If I falter in times of trouble, then am I weak?  Do I lack strength when the hard times come and I crumble?  Should I be preparing for trouble so that I may have the strength to stand?  Wow!  What is this verse saying to me?  Here is what comes up for me around this passage.  See what you think.

The first thing that comes to mind is the passage in I Corinthians 12:10 where the Apostle Paul is delighting in his weakness for it there that he is strong.  The idea is that he has humbled himself to the point that Christ is his strength.  He cannot boast in his own actions, but Christ living in him.  Maybe I am to falter at times in order to lean on Christ Jesus.  Maybe I am to know that I am human and not God through a time of trouble.  So, sometimes my strength needs to be small.

 Another thought for me is around preparation.  I think about Jesus talking about when He will return.  I think about how He does not even know the time of His return.  So, His charge is “be ready”.  I think that charge also inspires me to be prepared for times of trouble.  I am not saying that I should look upon things in a negative light or live a life of fear of trouble.  I am saying that I need to continue to prepare my heart for times of trial.  The more I study, the more I practice God’s Word, and the more I train my heart and soul; the better prepared I become.


Still, another thought for me is around routine and repetition.  As I prepare my heart and soul, I do so in a routine.  I practice what I believe enough to feel strength and confidence in my faith.  When I was an athletic coach, I practiced my teams through situations and routine.  There were times where unapologetically, our practices were boring.  We took routine groundball after routine groundball.  The result of that routine and repetition was my teams could make the plays in games as if they were second nature.  Because of that confidence, many times my players would make extraordinary plays.  The other part of our practice would be spent on placing them into as many situations as possible in order to prepare them for just about any bad thing that could happen in a game.  It was this kind of work that made my teams successful and able to work through adverse situations.  The same goes for my life.  I’ve seen it enough to have the strength to overcome.

Finally, I cannot discount the Holy Spirit of God living inside of me.  Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would come and He lives inside of us when we believe in Jesus.  That gives me strength when I feel I do not have strength.  I am able to stand strong on the Spirit in times of trouble.  I would venture to say that if my strength is small, it is because I am not relying on the Spirit. 

It is through weakness, preparation, routine, repetition, and the Holy Spirit where I become strong enough to handle a time of trouble.  My faith is partially based on this strength.  Thank God that he has given me this gift.

Questions/challenges:

1.      How did this passage land for you?

2.      What were your initial thoughts and reactions?

3.      Where do you find your strength in time of trouble?

4.      Give an example of a time of trouble where you faltered.

5.      What did you learn from that time that may have created strength for the next time of trouble?

6.      This week, look at your routine.  Do you spend some time preparing for time of trouble?  Maybe you do and just do not realize it. 

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Am I like Jonah...?

Week 5:

Jonah 3:10-4:2 ¹⁰ When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.  4 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. ² He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.

For years, I was taught that Jonah ran away from God’s call because he was afraid of the people of Nineveh.  It wasn’t until a few years ago that I learned that Jonah was not afraid of the people of Nineveh, but afraid that God would be gracious to such an evil city and its people.  The people of Nineveh were evil to the core and brutal to those they defeated.  They beheaded men and stacked the heads outside the city.  They skinned people alive and laid the skins on the walls.  They impaled men with spears and left them standing for all to see. 

The belief is that Jonah did not want the city of Nineveh to repent.  Jonah knew that God was gracious and would forgive.  So, Jonah ran.  I catch myself feeling like Jonah.  I watch as many deny God, deny His law, mock His goodness, continue in a life of sin expecting God’s grace to cover, etc.  What do I want for those?  Many times I want God to smite them with His power and might.  I want God to punish and show them who He is.  Yet this does not match the Gospels and Jesus teaching that I should go and “make disciples”.

There are certain sins that tend to bother me more than others.  Some sins, I have a tolerant attitude toward and have compassion for the “sinner” around.  Other sins, however, trigger a strong reaction in me.  I will avoid the offender like a plague.  Yet, all sin is equal in the eyes of God.  All sin separates us from a Holy God.  Jesus even pointed out to the Pharisees; those without sin, to cast the first stone.  I recognize that many times I am like Jonah and do not want those “sinners” saved.  From that recognition, I realize that for much of my Christian life, I have made my morality and judgment my Christianity. 

Growing up in this materialistic culture, I have fought the immorality I have observed.  I have been hurt by it, jealous of it, and afraid of it.  Therefore, I have built this moral life with an attitude that I would not be like “that”.  And, out of that self-righteous morality, I have become condescending and judgmental at times.  I am not saying that I shouldn’t be moral.  I am not saying that I should not hate sin.  But, I have built my Christian life off of this morality and not a Spiritual walk.  So, am I like Jonah?  Do I avoid being Jesus to others because of my morality and judgment?  Do I run the other way when God places people in my life that I have strong opinions about their morality?

Where do I go from here?  One, I need to learn from Jonah.  If God is calling me to face what I have strong feelings about, I am not to run.  Look how that turned out for Jonah.  God knows best and He loves His children; to the point of giving them a chance to repent.  Two, even though my morality is based on Biblical truth and that truth is right, I am to set aside my personal judgment for the sake of the Gospel.  The key is to be honest about my opinion without pushing the “sinner” away with a judgmental, self-righteous attitude.  I’ve been on a theme lately of loving relationship.  Love the person(s), looking past the sin without condoning the sin.  All the while, I must realize that my life is full of sin, just different sin. 

I am challenged by this balance in order to reach more for Jesus.  I am thankful that stories like Jonah are in God’s Word to help me to see my life and how I need to improve.

Questions/challenges:

1.      What are some of the sins you cannot stand?

2.      How do you handle those whose lifestyle you disagree with?

3.      Where do you feel like Jonah when it comes to God’s mercy on others?

4.      Where are you like Jonah; running from what God is calling you to do?

5.       Pay attention this week to your “sin” triggers.  Notice how you feel.  Find the source of why that triggers you.  Notice whether or not you want to be like Jonah or are willing to step in where God may be calling you.  Ask God to show you a clear direction.  Take it.  

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Hypocrisy, integrity, and missing the mark...

Week 4:

Psalm 51:3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

I like the KJV translation of this verse:  For I acknowledge my transgressions:  And my sin is ever before me.

I have been reading of late some of the comments, news articles, blogs, etc., of those who have a deep dislike for Christians, Christianity, and what they call the hypocrisy of the Church.  One thing that has really stood out for me is the misuse of the word “hypocrisy”.  I always understood the definition of hypocrisy to be not living or acting in the way you profess to be long term.  Remember, long term, we will come back to that.  I read recently a popular Facebook share that says, “Not going to church because of ‘hypocrites’ is like not going to the gym because of ‘out of shape people’.”  At first I found that funny.  Upon further thought, this type of statement even though true, may not help me much when trying to reach the faultfinder.

I have observed two things around this use of the word “hypocrisy”.  First, the faultfinders of Christianity take any inconsistency amongst Christians and label that as hypocrisy.  Now, mind you, we have hypocrites in our churches; no doubt…but, not to the extent of the accusations.  Secondly, it appears that anything that Christians quote from the Bible that goes against what the faultfinders take part in their lifestyle warrants their accusations.  They just do not want to be told they are living an immoral life.  Again, there are those in our churches who point out the sin to the “outsider” while living a life of indulging in similar, if not the same, sin.  Either way, the use of the word to me is a loose definition.


So what are the faultfinders observing?  Two things come up for me:  Integrity and missing the mark (which is how many scholars define sin).  Again, I realize that we all have a level of hypocrisy in our lives (and if you looked into the lives of the faultfinders, then you would find it in their lives as well).  And there are levels of hypocrisy in our churches.  However, when looking into the lives of most Christians, long term (there it is), there is little hypocrisy and more issues around integrity and unwanted sin. 

Integrity is basically walking your talk.  The Crucible Project looks deep into integrity and helps us as men work on aligning our inside with our outside.  Our actions should match our emotions.  When we keep agreements, we are in integrity.  When we make choices, they should line up with how we profess to live.  So, in many cases, what is being called hypocrisy is really an issue of integrity.  Many times I am out of integrity regarding my walk with Christ.  This does not make me a hypocrite.  Over the long term, I am in integrity more than I am out of integrity.  I would argue that this is the case for most Christians.

Missing the mark is how many describe sin.  God has a standard.  He set laws in motion for humankind to live by.  I don’t think God created His laws just for authority sake (even though He could if He wants, He’s God).   God create us, He knows us; He knows what is best for us and our souls.  That is why His laws are in place.  When we violate one of God’s laws, we are missing the mark.  When I disobey, I am missing the mark.  The target is holiness and perfection.  When I come up short, I have missed the mark.  When shooting at a target, several things can come into play to miss the bull’s eye.  I can be distracted, I can flinch, my sights can be off (I didn’t set them right to begin with), I can pull instead of squeeze the trigger, I don’t take into account the wind, etc.  Living life in the kingdom is like this.  Replace the shooting analogy with living in holiness.  Can you see the factors that make you miss the mark?  Unfortunately, the faultfinders see us miss the mark and label the miss as hypocrisy. 

The sad part is that when the faultfinder sees what he/she perceives as hypocrisy, he/she is done with the Christian, the person, or the group.  So, when you or I run into a faultfinder, we are labelled before we ever open our mouths.  Usually, in this case, it is more about the faultfinder than it is about us.  If we are living the “long term” within how we profess we are, then we may have made a mistake, but we are not hypocrites. 

How do I live life around the faultfinder?  First, I cannot become defensive.  This is most difficult for me.  I want to defend myself and my faith which I follow.  However, I really need to listen to the faultfinder.  This does not mean I have to agree with him/her, just listen.  It also does not mean that his/her faultfinding is about me.  I need to own what is true about me and work on being better in that area or blind spot.  The rest can fall back on the faultfinder from which it has been projected onto me.  All the while, I need to seek to understand where the faultfinder was wounded by the Christian/church-attender. 

Secondly, as I made note of throughout Barriers to Truth, I must show love.  I will not move the faultfinder any closer to Jesus without a loving relationship.  I need to love him/her where he/she is in life.  I must have a compassion and empathy for his her wound around Christian/moral people.  He/she has encountered some sense of self-righteousness and possibly some hypocrisy in his/her past.  To draw them closer, I must love.

Thirdly, and possibly most important, I must show them a different person than the ones he/she have encountered before.  I must live the above verse:  Admit my transgressions, keep my sin in front of me, out in the light where it has no power over me.  Own my shortcomings instead hiding behind my condescending church mask.  Live as a redeemed man who owes Christ my life for the price He paid for me.  This does not mean I have to agree with the faultfinder.  I just live what I profess to be and love like Jesus loved and recognize I deserve judgment.  Then I can share the good news that Jesus redeems those who choose Him.

I can choose to battle and argue and continue to push away; or I can choose to create loving relationships and let The Holy Spirit guide me.  This does not mean I do not stand up for my beliefs.  I just don’t always have to swing the sword.  I can stand on the truth and love like I’ve never loved before.

Questions/challenges:

1.      What has been your definition of hypocrisy?

2.      Who did Jesus warn the most about hypocrisy?

3.      What were the signs of hypocrisy in those who Jesus warned?

4.      Explain in your own words the difference between hypocrisy, integrity, and missing the mark.

5.      Where has your lack of integrity appeared like hypocrisy?

6.      How have you handled the faultfinders in the past?

7.      This week, reflect on question #6.  What changes can you make moving forward from where you are now?

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Some Blogs I follow...

Extra:

I just wanted to give some props for some blogs that I follow.  I am somewhat hesitant to do this because there will be some who wonder why I have left them off the list, which is totally unintentional unless you do not blog often.  My list here is of those who are pretty frequent.  Another reason I hesitate is because there will be those who do not agree with some of the blogs I choose.  Do note that I follow these blogs yet I do not always agree with everything the authors write about.  With that being said, here is the list  (Each one listed is linked directly to their blog) :

Gateways to God

Dmitri Bilgere has a unique view of God and His love, grace, and mercy.  Dmitri is the author of the book by the same title.  Dmitri is a workshop facilitator mainly focusing on leading people to experience God’s mercy and grace.  Included on his site is a mini course based on his Gateways to God book.

Unfailing Love

Tom Vermillion is an Associate Pastor of a local Church in my area.  Tom is a blogging machine.  Tom writes frequently about how the Holy Spirit works in the lives of Christians and the Church.  Tom is the author of Born to be Free.

Struggling With God

Steven Smith is a local Youth Minister.  He has some insightful views of Biblical application.  His articles give us a glimpse of everyday life with God.

Men’s Work, Life, Etc.

Jason Bachman writes primarily about Men and Faith.  Jason applies his work in The Crucible Project to everyday life.

Leadership Wired

John Maxwell is one of my all-time favorite authors.  His insight into leadership is second to none.  I have taken many of his “Laws of Leadership” and applied them in my everyday work as well as consulting and coaching.  He is probably most well-known for his book:  The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.

Two other blogs that I am just beginning to follow show some promise for me.  Searching for Tom Sawyer is primarily focused on raising boys to be…boys.  Masculinity has lost its power over the years and the author of this blog gives some insight into that.  All Our Lemmony Things touches some common applications of God’s Word and how God works in our lives.

As I continue to browse the internet, I will come across other Blogs I may list in the future.  For now, enjoy the share.

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Purchase Weekly Devotional Thoughts: Weekly Applications of God’s Word and write a review at:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HRGT9XY 
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