One80 Today

A Change Of Pace

Last week was one of those weeks that started off at a moderate pace and then quickly turned into a sprint.  Monday and Tuesday were busy but by the time Wednesday rolled around my plate was full and beginning to overflow.  These are the types of weeks where God reminds you that I need to lean on Him and not rely on my own strength.  I wish I could say that I quickly realized that I needed to lean on Christ from the very beginning, but, as usual, I started taking things under my own control ( I know…I’m the only one who does this).  It wasn’t until Saturday afternoon after a morning full of college assignments in microcomputer applications, lunch and jumping into the finishing touches of my sermon and the student ministry family morning I had planned, that I realized how mentally stressed I was becoming.  I stopped, finally, and said “Jesus take over, I’m letting go of the wheel, it’s time for you to drive.”  I went upstairs, changed into my running clothes and told Julie I would be back in a couple of hours.  I left my phone at the house, drove to my in-laws, got out of the car, and after some chit-chat with the best in-laws in the world, I took off.  Even though I am still overweight and struggle sometimes, the run I embarked on turned more into a relaxing, peaceful time alone that gave me the opportunity to remember who is in control of everything.  It’s funny, when we turn to Christ and rest in Him how the priorities in our lives change.  I find myself in the most curious of times thinking I have to run and run and be in control and make sure everyone knows that I’m so busy and that I’m killing myself trying to be everything to everybody all the time that I forget that I am nothing without God.  All I’m doing is showing my stupidity.   I wasn’t created to be in control of everything, I wasn’t created to spend every waking hour making sure God and everybody else knows how awesome I am and how I can neglect the most important things in life in the name of being busy.  Jesus set an example for us.  Jesus often withdrew and found the time alone that He needed to relax and just spend time with His heavenly Father.  It’s when we start thinking we have all of the answers and we are in control of all things that we cease to be what God has called us to be.  I don’t find it strange at all that in I Peter 5 verse 7 when Peter reminds us to “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you,” that in the next verse he says to “Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  We can get so busy that we cease to see that Satan has robbed us again of the blessings that God has given us because we have our priorities mixed up and think that business is godliness.  Being impressive to others because of the amount of time we spend in the lime light showing others that we are worthy of their praise is fine if that is what your after.   But, if as a Christian, your priority is allowing God to shine through you, and allowing Him to get the glory for everything that happens in your life, then maybe it’s time for a change of pace.

Three Things I Know About Life

Sometimes I am so overwhelmed by God’s love that I all I want to do is sit back and cry because I can’t believe how much He loves me.  While the head knowledge is always there, the times when Jesus really reaches down and blesses me humble me and make me realize that I serve an all knowing, all loving, God that wants nothing but the best for my life.  I have experienced this on many occasions from my sons being born, to the day I married my best friend.  Those moments are special, those moments are from God, and sometimes they come in the most quiet hours of your life.  Sometimes they come in magnificent moments standing with thousands of brothers and sisters in Christ, and sometimes they are in the quiet moments just before sunrise in the middle of the woods.  In those moments God reveals Himself plainly to us and all we can do is sit back and soak it all in and praise Him for His love.  I love those moments.  While those moments are special and remarkable we also have those moment where we feel all alone and our prayers are bouncing right back off of the ceiling of the room we are praying in.  It’s a frustrating feeling that makes you want to go outside and scream for God because you don’t feel like He’s listening.  I don’t like those moments, but because I am human and I live in a fallen world they happen.  Through the good times and the bad times I’ve learned a lot, but there are three things I know about life that I want to share with you today.

1.  Life is hard - Jesus was the example of this for sure.  We have problems and we live in a fallen world.  From the inception of sin at the very beginning of time we started this struggle and this world continues to be twisted and turned around.  Those of us without a relationship with Christ seek to answer our own questions and solve our own problems, only to turn around and find that we’ve created another one that needs to be solved.  Those of us with a relationship with Christ live with the knowledge that we are sinners that struggle with understanding why things have to be the way they are and why sometimes it seems like all we do is struggle with the situations around us.  There’s no doubt about it, life is tough, but then that’s why Jesus came.  To comfort us.  To love us.  To show us that even while there is pain and hardship that He will always be there.   Life is hard, but we have a Savior that understands and is there for us all the time.  Jesus said in John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me, you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.”  That’s the first part of the verse, but the second part leads us into the second thing I’ve learned.

2.  Life is better when you know who is in control. One of the main things I enjoyed about my short time in the Army was I always knew who was in charge.  I knew who to report to, I knew who to answer to, and I knew where to go when I had a problem.  Much like the Army, we know who we need to go to as well.  In the second part of John 16:33 Jesus says, “But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”  What an awesome statement!  Do you know what that means?  That means that I serve the God that is control of everything that goes on!  Jesus has overcome the world!  Next time you are in the middle of a hard situation and the person in front of you starts to let you have it, take a deep breath and realize Jesus is right there with you and is watching everything.  Jesus has overcome the world!  Jesus has everything under control.  Are you worried about the economy?  Relax.  Jesus is in control.  Are you worried about our political situation?  Guess what, Jesus saw it coming before you did.  Are you worried about your job?  Jesus knows you need to provide for you family better than you do.  Jesus is in charge.  Take your hands off of the wheel, give it to Him and let him lead and guide the way he knows best.  Things will work out a whole lot better for you, I promise.  It may not be quick, or easy, but Jesus will get the victory, so you can relax, because Jesus has got this!

3.  My relationship with God is not based off of my goodness. This is wonderful news for every believer in Christ.  Guess what, you don’t make the cut, so you can stop trying to act like you’re good enough to earn God’s favor!  You can do nothing to add to or take away God’s love for you.  You can’t be good enough to make it into Heaven, and you can’t be bad enough to not make it!  This should take some pressure off of your shoulders.  I’ve watched for years as people struggle and beat themselves to death because they feel like they have to maintain this unrealistic personality that makes them good enough to earn God’s favor.  You will never be that good.  If God’s favor, grace, and forgiveness is based off of what you do, you will never make it.  Now before you accuse me of heresy let me explain.  This does not mean we can just float through life doing what we want.  A true lover of Christ does not want to do that anyway.  This does not mean we can just act like we will because God loves us and we are Christians so it’s all good.  What this does mean is that while we are to follow Christs example as best we can, we will never be good enough to meet His standards.  While talking to the rich young man in Matthew 19 Jesus was trying to explain this principle.  The rich young man thought he needed to “do” something in order to gain God’s favor, grace, and forgiveness.  Jesus quickly explained in verse 17 “There is only One who is good.”  Guess what, it’s not me, and it’s not you.  Stop playing the game.  Nobody is “good.”  The only good in me, and the only good in you is Jesus.  When we realize this it gives us the freedom to live in the knowledge that we can strive to please God, strive for the perfection that we want, and rest in the arms of Jesus when we fail.  The only standard we need to worry about is the standard God sets for us, and not the standard that a person sets for us.  Our responsibility is to God first.  When we finally realize this, authenticity happens, and masks fall off.   Stop trying to be someone you aren’t!  Jesus loves you just the way you are!  Don’t let anyone else push their “good” standards off on you as if you need to impress those around you with your goodness.  There were people in the Bible who tried to do this regularly, we call them Pharisees.  They were good in people’s eyes and failed to meet God’s standards.  You will never be that good.  Do your best, stay connected to Christ through prayer and praise, and let Him handle the rest.  Jesus was perfect, God is perfect, we need to strive for perfection, but realize we are not perfect!

Rest in these things today as you realize life is hard, God is in control, and God loved you so much that He sent Jesus because He knew that was our only hope!  We don’t have to trust in ourselves, or in someone else, we can trust in Jesus who is the only way to Heaven!

Authenticity

This morning as I drove into the office an overwhelming sense of concern began to surface as Christ began to speak.  After contemplating what really makes a difference in the lives of students and their families one word continued to surface.  Authenticity.  Growing up in church I watched Christian leaders who had it figured out and others who did not.  Unfortunately the ones who did not live authentic lives hold a place in my memory just as much as the ones who did.  Make no mistake, the Christian life is tough.  When we live lives that others see as fake we make it tougher.  When we say one thing and live another, we make it impossible for the attractiveness of Jesus to shine through to those who do not believe.  Everywhere Jesus went He was the same.  One of the biggest struggles for students and families in the church is to live real, authentic lives that reflect Christ.  Oh sure, we’re good as saying it, but the lack of living it makes all the difference.  I guess the reason I am so convicted in this area is because of the huge impact I saw of this in my life, and the lives of unbelievers who said, “see I can live just like they do, I don’t need Jesus.”  When we are real, when we are authentic at school, at work, and in church, then it shows.  When we are not, that shows too.  When we say we love everyone and treat one another like trash it shows.  When we say we care about everyone and then we sit in church and hope maybe somebody on a crazy whim might stop by, it shows.  When we live one way at church and then live another way at home, it shows.  I’m praying for a change in this in my life and I pray that you are making a change in yours too.  James 1:26 says “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.”  I’m praying so hard that my religion does not turn into a worthless show for others and my boys grow up seeing a father and husband who lives authenticity in his family, his community, and his church.  I have to ask myself if that is what I am reaching toward or if I have bought into a cheap facade of religious activity that does not change lives?  It starts with me, and it starts with you too.  What does your Christianity look like?  Does it look like Christ or does it look like a cheap mask?  I’ll be asking myself this question on a pretty regular basis from now on….I hope you will too.

Summer Time….Closing Out With A BOOOMMM

Obedience over sacrifice

This week I had the incredible opportunity to spend time with two great leaders who I admire tremendously.  We went to their usual place for lunch and, as they often do, the conversation led to the state of the church and where we go from here.  As we started the conversation I started to understand, once again, the significant concern for the church today in America.  I took away some great knowledge as I always do, and once again, left amazed at the amount of wisdom these two Godly men presented.  I wish I could say we sat in that little food chain and solved the problems of today’s church’s…….but we didn’t.  I came away asking myself the question about what I would be willing to do if it meant that the unchurched in America were reached.  Then I broadened my thinking into other nations and started asking myself the same question.  The answer that kept popping up in my mind was whether or not I would be willing to sacrifice everything I had in order to reach these people or was my sacrifice limited to what I thought needed to happen.  The answer became crystal clear once again as I read 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 and my heart ached inside me as I looked at the fact that I really give nothing up.  If anything, I protect what I have and risk nothing.  I struggle with this issue and I know SO many others do as well, but the fact of the matter is, if I’m not willing to give up everything of myself and everything I have to reach others for Christ, I’m being disobedient.  I can no longer allow the scripture to be taken out of context on this so that I can make myself more comfortable about being complacent and apathetic.  Obedience over sacrifice.  I must, WE must, as believers in Christ, do whatever we have to do to make ourselves available to reach those who do not have a relationship with Christ.  I fully expect to be tested on this.  Satan does not roll over and just give in.  What will you choose to do?  We can call ourselves followers and then take our own path or we can obey and chose to follow Christ and all that He stood for.  My prayer for you and for me is that we do not give in to the misinterpretation of scripture to justify ourselves, but that we follow, with all our heart, and allow God to move in our communities, nation, and world like never before.