Teach us today to love.
We pray it often.
We pray it flippantly.
But today, my friends, let's pray it deeply.
And today, my friends, let's pray it slowly.
To love at great cost.
To love at great loss.
To love sacrificially.
To weep with others as they weep.
To smile with others as they rejoice.
To give an ear when others need to be heard.
Let us be all things to all people.
Let the introvert mingle as an extrovert if that is what is required to show love.
Let the extrovert retreat to solitude and silence if God desires it so that they might see more clearly.
Let the scholar do his work in the dirty street.
Let the pastor read something of theological substance.
Let the snob learn to be a servant and reach out to all.
Let us pray earnestly.
Let us be a people who confess daily.
Let us be profoundly repentant.
Let us be a people who cling to the cross.
Let us shout of our Lord's mercy and grace.
Teach us today to love deeply.
Teach us to pray it more deeply.
And teach us to pray it more slowly.
May we decrease so that God's image in the world may increase.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Does Your Soul Pant for God?
I wrote this one rather quickly, so you'll have to take it as is.
"So I'm deeply troubled and deeply vexed." That's how I would truthfully open just about every talk I would ever give. Or I would open it with, "The Lord is great in mercy."
I gave some thoughts this past weekend to our leaders, giving them a window into my devotional life. I think it's important for your leaders to see you as you wrestle with yourself before the Lord. Below are some elements that I included, to help our leaders understand the honest struggles I have when I approach the Bible.
Psa 42 starts out as follows... "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." So I stop myself after v.1 and ask myself if this is true of myself. Do I long after God, like a deer longs for water? Do I thirst after and pant after the Lord like a deer pants for the streams? I stop, reflect, and pray, because often times it's not true of me. Therefore, at times when I'm distant from the Lord, I believe I have in a sense disqualified myself from any consoling and comfort that the Psalm can provide because I cannot identify with the Psalmist's heart disposition before the Lord in v.1. I cannot say, "this is a Psalm for me." Because it's not true of me. It's not talking about me. Because in the naked honesty of the moment I cannot say, "I pant after God." So I cannot move on, until I confess before the Lord, and ask Him to rekindle the fire in my heart. Psa 42:1 is beautiful. But we must be honest when it's not true of us.
Also, I spoke about how I wrestle with myself to be "totally present" when I read Scripture, and wrestle with myself to prevent my mind from wandering all over the place. It's heard enough to hear from God when we're paying attention and concentrating and praying fervently, much less attempting to hear from God when are mind is spinning in multiple directions.
An additional passage that I used was from 2 Corinthians.
"Are they servants of Christ?-- I speak as if insane-- I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure." (2 Corinthians 11:23-27)
It was plainly evident that Paul sacrificed himself so that He could love God and love his neighbor. In order to love, it comes at a cost. So I read this passage and think, "what was going through the mind of Paul that would make him come to the conclusion that living that lifestyle would be a good idea?" Living the lifestyle of a disciple of Christ makes no sense to the world, no sense at all! Why put yourself into a sacrificial lifestyle if you don't have to? Answer: Paul knew God's love, and therefore was compelled to love others sacrificially as God had loved him. How do we get into the mindset of living as a disciple of Jesus? Answer: Ask yourself the following question all the time. "Am I making decisions that demand me to live a crucified life?" After all, the goal has always been, "That I may know the Savior, and Him crucified." God's disciples made conscious active decisions where they sacrificed themselves to others, we must follow in their footsteps and do likewise.
May God's mercy keep you.
"So I'm deeply troubled and deeply vexed." That's how I would truthfully open just about every talk I would ever give. Or I would open it with, "The Lord is great in mercy."
I gave some thoughts this past weekend to our leaders, giving them a window into my devotional life. I think it's important for your leaders to see you as you wrestle with yourself before the Lord. Below are some elements that I included, to help our leaders understand the honest struggles I have when I approach the Bible.
Psa 42 starts out as follows... "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." So I stop myself after v.1 and ask myself if this is true of myself. Do I long after God, like a deer longs for water? Do I thirst after and pant after the Lord like a deer pants for the streams? I stop, reflect, and pray, because often times it's not true of me. Therefore, at times when I'm distant from the Lord, I believe I have in a sense disqualified myself from any consoling and comfort that the Psalm can provide because I cannot identify with the Psalmist's heart disposition before the Lord in v.1. I cannot say, "this is a Psalm for me." Because it's not true of me. It's not talking about me. Because in the naked honesty of the moment I cannot say, "I pant after God." So I cannot move on, until I confess before the Lord, and ask Him to rekindle the fire in my heart. Psa 42:1 is beautiful. But we must be honest when it's not true of us.
Also, I spoke about how I wrestle with myself to be "totally present" when I read Scripture, and wrestle with myself to prevent my mind from wandering all over the place. It's heard enough to hear from God when we're paying attention and concentrating and praying fervently, much less attempting to hear from God when are mind is spinning in multiple directions.
An additional passage that I used was from 2 Corinthians.
"Are they servants of Christ?-- I speak as if insane-- I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure." (2 Corinthians 11:23-27)
It was plainly evident that Paul sacrificed himself so that He could love God and love his neighbor. In order to love, it comes at a cost. So I read this passage and think, "what was going through the mind of Paul that would make him come to the conclusion that living that lifestyle would be a good idea?" Living the lifestyle of a disciple of Christ makes no sense to the world, no sense at all! Why put yourself into a sacrificial lifestyle if you don't have to? Answer: Paul knew God's love, and therefore was compelled to love others sacrificially as God had loved him. How do we get into the mindset of living as a disciple of Jesus? Answer: Ask yourself the following question all the time. "Am I making decisions that demand me to live a crucified life?" After all, the goal has always been, "That I may know the Savior, and Him crucified." God's disciples made conscious active decisions where they sacrificed themselves to others, we must follow in their footsteps and do likewise.
May God's mercy keep you.
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