No “Easy-Button” For Forgiveness

Have you ever seriously tried to forgive someone who wronged you?

If you have, you KNOW there is no “Easy-Button” for forgiveness.

Forgiveness: means to “give something up!” It’s letting go of the poisons that are accompanying the hurt: anger, hatred, disgust, bitterness, fear, resentment, self-pity, depression, confusion, alienation.

Forgiveness is a decision to move forward instead of backward.

By not…

Dwelling on it and bringing it up continually

Talking to others about it with every opportunity.

Allowing bitterness to further hurt relationships and hinder love.

To let Christ’s peace, Christ’s word, and Christ’s name be the reality around which we order our lives; we need to consider seriously the following…

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. – Col. 3:12-14 the msg.

Ultimately, forgiveness looks better on you, and is better for you, no matter how difficult it might be to put on!

Love Is Not Efficient

Times are tough.  Buckle down.  Be efficient.  Do more with less.

Yeah, we’re all hearing a lot of that these days. But before we all become super-efficient pieces of a super-efficient machine let’s take a moment for pause.

There is a downside of efficiency in our culture.

While we benefit from the technology and culture of efficiency in many ways, there are certain parts of our lives where more efficiency will not benefit us. In our pursuit of efficiency we talk of “saving” time and “making” time but still everyone seems to not have enough of it–especially when it comes to cultivating more healthy relationships.

Love is not efficient!

You can’t do more with less of it.

You can’t short-cut it to maximize it.

“The human heart does not need a more efficient technology or culture to grow; it needs ‘INEFFICIENT’ LOVE.”

Some examples of how you might love with an “inefficient” love:

• Waste lots of time just loving those you love–without regard for time or productivity.
• Gives someone more love than you think they might deserve–overspend it on them.
• Hangout with the people you love with no intended purpose but just being together.
• Love gratuitously, and with a love that doesn’t ask for anything in return.

Instead of loving at the ‘lowest possible wattage,’ make a ridiculous sacrifice and love extravagantly.

God-Sized Desire

Albert Einstein–who was not a follower of Christ–felt the wonder of Jesus in a way some who do (follow Christ), unfortunately, do not. After reading the Gospels, He reflected:

I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene….No man can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word.

I desire to experience the reading of the Gospels in that way. I’m just wondering why my experience with the “luminous” Jesus of the Gospels can some times seem less “pulsating” then Albert’s experience.

Most of us have a sense of a God-shaped hole in our hearts that can only be filled by God’s actual presence in our lives. But, shouldn’t we have a God-sized desire to fill it? Do you ever feel like you don’t desire God enough?

I just realized that I somehow think that a “desire for God” must originate out of what I create myself. I often feel like I should desire God more but don’t quite know what I’m to do about it. Then, I’m reminded:

The desire for God comes from God.

We don’t have to somehow muster up on our own a manufactured desire. We can rest in whatever measure of desire God has given us at the moment, and simply ask God to reveal himself; in our lives, and in the ways that open our hearts to an increased desire of His person and life-giving presence.

Also, a God-shaped hole can only be filled by God himself. So, I’m learning that I can’t cram any image of God into his spot. I must trust that he desires to fill the spot that he obviously reserved for himself, even more than I desire it filled!

“Continue seeking God with seriousness. Unless He wanted you, you would not be wanting Him”-C.S.Lewis

“ I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.” Jeremiah 24: 7

Rest For The Soul. Really?

Been wrestling with this since my last post a few days ago…

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,  for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Rest for our souls? Really? How do we experience it, and, what might that actually mean?

I’d love for it to mean…

• freedom from every fear
• the supply of every need we might have
• the fulfillment of every good desire

But, HOW Jesus? I don’t fully “get it,” but I do want to!

Could it be the “HOW Jesus?” is blocking me from fully “getting it?”

Perhaps what I really want is to be in control. Then I can just order my own version of rest with ‘the formula.’ “I’d rather just hold it for myself–as opposed to being dependent upon you for it–if I’m being really honest, Jesus.”

Wait. Is the only way to “get it” participation in the invitation to “Come To Jesus”? Could it be entire surrender to Christ is the “HOW Jesus?” of perfect rest?

Is that “getting it?”: giving up one’s whole life to Him, for him alone to rule and order?

Sometimes I think I’d rather have some kind of impersonal [scientific, theological, or philosophical] information from Jesus, rather than rest from Jesus’ very own presence in my life; doesn’t HE control that and Not Me!?

“We don’t live our lives by information; we live them in relationships in the context of a personal God who cannot be reduced to formula or definition.” –Eugene Peterson

So, enduring rest for the soul ["and fully getting it"] can only be found in enduring nearness to Christ.

We will know it only as we continually draw nearer to Him!

Next-Generation Motivational Speaker

Learn how to “stay positive” from this next-generation motivational speaker.

Matt Foley would be proud!

The Road of Weariness

When I think of weariness, I think first of physical weariness. We experience that after enduring a long day, week, or season of exerting ourselves too much physically.

Physical weariness is easy to recognize and generally is quickly corrected with the right amount of rest & diet.

However, I think emotional and spiritual weariness are much more difficult to recognize, and they take greater recovery time because of the subtlety that often allows them to go undetected for longer periods of time.  These kinds of weariness are just as real as the physical, but the prescription for me is often more than just a simple good night’s sleep or day off.

I’ve learned the following about my own emotional and spiritual weariness…

1. I grow emotionally weary when I try to control people and things to do what I’d prefer they should.
2. I grow spiritually weary when I attempt to do things “by myself” without God’s direction, power, love, wisdom, or knowledge.

Weariness can be a result of thinking I can control people, places, and things; which I cannot. And, believing I somehow know better than God what’s best concerning me without remaining open to his larger perspective and greater purpose.

Weary? Think about this as a starting point:

It’s our weariness that Jesus uses to invite us back into the welcoming heart and rejuvenating spirit of God.

Jesus asks, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me.”

“Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.”

“Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” —Matt 11:28-30 the msg.

It seems the road of weariness leads us straight to God!

Water Cures

I’ve been reading online about the wonder of water www.watercure.com and of all its benefits if we only drank it more regularly. The author of this website [Dr. B.] claims that human beings are not sick but thirsty.

“I did not invent water. I only discovered its importance to health and wellbeing. As a doctor, I ask you to give water a try.” Understanding dehydration will empower you to become much healthier…” –Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.

Now, I don’t know if water cures everything that Dr. B. claims it does,  however,  I do drink plenty of water and feel more healthy when I do. I think it’s worthy to note Dr. B’s argument:

“Water is the basis of all life and that includes your body. Your muscles that move your body are 75% water; your blood that transport nutrients is 82% water; your lungs that provide your oxygen are 90% water; your brain that is the control center of your body is 76% water; even your bones are 25% water.”

Reading about this really got me thinking about how the word “water” is used in the scriptures and how significant it is.

Water is first mentioned in Genesis 1:2 [the 1st chapter of the bible], and last mentioned in Revelation 22:17 [the last chapter of the bible], and flows 722 times between those pages; a fascinating study if you have the time.

Interestingly enough to me, some words of Jesus seem to parallel spiritually with the wonder of water that Dr. B. claims benefits us physically.

“whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” –John 4:14

Perhaps water cures in more ways than we might originally imagine!

It seems wise to take both Dr. B’s and Jesus’ words seriously because dehydration both physically and spiritually is real.

But may you also know, so is the living water that can truly cure us!

The Imperfection Of Human Love

We all need love to survive.

Friends, moms and dads, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends, children; we die–at the very least in spirit–without it. Yet, the love we can give to one another is limited at best and often broken in part by our own brokenness.

• Some have been hurt, wounded, or abused and find it difficult to love without fear.
• Some hold jealousy, resentment, or vindictiveness in their hearts contaminating the purity of their love.
• Some are so self-centered and narcissistic they can love no other than themselves.

I could go on, but the truth is this…

We ALL love with an imperfect love. And when we’ve been wounded by imperfect human love, we must turn to the source of whom that love begins with anyway.

“In order not to be destroyed by the wounds inflicted by that imperfect human love, we must trust that the source of all love is God’s unlimited, unconditional, perfect love, and that this love is not far away from us but is the gift of God’s Spirit dwelling within us. ” –Henri Nouwen

We should all be aiming for an improving love that looks much more compellingly like that which God originally loves us with. But, let’s also be clear on what and where the source of that perfect love comes from, and ask there for some help!

My Dad’s Been Gone 32 Years

32 years ago today my dad lost a battle with cancer at age 34–I was 12.

I’ll never forget the morning my mother sat us down to tell us he had passed, it was the single most painful day of my life to date.

But that traumatic event has largely shaped who I am today in some very positive ways.

Here are a few that come to mind today as I reflect back:

• I learned that life is too short to take any day or any person or any thing for granted. All of life is a gift and should be received with much gratitude [the joyful and the disappointing parts too]. When I’m grateful, I’m most fully alive!

• Being the oldest of four [two younger brothers and a sister], I learned quickly and instinctively to love, lead, and care for others in crisis moments even though I too was wounded myself. I think I became in that moment what Henri Nouwen calls a “wounded healer.” That ended up being a good incubator for a pastoral calling that was emerging out of my life.

• I learned that “faith in God” means abandoning outcomes that do not turnout the way I’d hope and yet still trusting God anyway. We all put faith in something. I can have faith in God or desired outcomes…but they are not the same!

• I experienced the self-sacrificial love of a mother that embodied the very nature of Christ so her children would know and experience Christ’s presence daily despite the overwhelming sense of loss.

• I learned that although I no longer had an earthly father, I was not fatherless.

God is a capable “father to the fatherless” ps 68:5. God’s words are true and he never leaves us alone!

I’ve grown to understand and trust that no matter how dark the darkness, devastating the loss, or deep the despair, God is never distant but always near.

Three Thoughts and Prayers for Someone:

If you’ve lost a father or have been abandoned by one, know that God’s near and can heal you.

If you’re a father, and not acting like one, pray for God’s help and know things can change.

If you’re a wonderful father to your own children, please pray for opportunities to reflect the heart and love of God to those who are fatherless and who need to know they’re not alone.

Needing Some Father’s Love?

Play this video clip and I pray God’s Spirit will visit you and you’ll know He’s near!

Next Generation Leader’s Training

One of my favorite theologians, thinkers, and pastors is NT Wright, the Bishop of Durham. I love the wisdom and message he offers here to the next generation of christian leaders.

I’ve learned much at bible college and seminary for which I’m grateful for [totaling five+ years of my life in all]. But I think NT just summed up in ONE MINUTE what I spent YEARS hoping to learn:

How can I best follow Christ and pastor, and then inspire others to do the same?

Of all the “complicated schemes” that I’ve either been introduced to through training or just picked up myself–of what I should be working at and developing as a follower of Christ, christian leader, and pastor–these are so refreshingly simplistic and yet vital:

• Know the bible in its original language and context inside and out as thoroughly as I can.
• Get on my knees and learn how to pray for God’s world, work, and people.
• Learn how to love people.

The bible, prayer, and loving people!

I still have much to learn but these inspire me. Praying they inspire you, too!