One Sunday morning at church the pastor stood before his congregation and picked out three individuals from the crowd. He called them forward to stand in a line beginning with the youngest and ending with the oldest.
The first was a child of six. She was a small girl with curly brown hair and beautiful dark eyes. She stood there twisting and wiggling from side to side excited that she was called up but still feeling shy and self conscious. The pastor got down on one knee to be on her level.
“Honey” he asked. “ Has anyone ever really hurt you and made you really really sad?”
The little girl’s eyes widened as she looked at the preacher. “Uh huh” she answered looking very serious. The pastor placed his arm around the girl’s shoulders and asked “Can you tell me what is the baddest thing that someone ever did to you and made you very sad?
She placed a finger on her chin and appeared to be in deep thought for a moment. Then looking at the pastor she blurted “There was this boy at school. He was really big.” To emphasize her statement she reached her arm as high in the air as she could. “He was really mean. He pushed me down on the steps when I was getting off the school bus.“
“Oh that was really bad” the preacher responded.
Encouraged by his sympathy the child went on “Yeah it hurt really bad. I hurt my knee.” With that she picked up one leg to show which knee had been injured.
“Boy that was really mean of him wasn’t it” the pastor comforted.
“Yeah” she answered. Then she dropped her chin a little and spoke softly “everyone laughed at me. The preacher gave her a little hug before he spoke again.
“But look at you now” he said. She looked up puzzled. “It’s all better.” He tapped what had been her injured knee. Her eyes suddenly sparkled again as a big smile came across her face.
“Yup” she chirped as she once again began to twist and wiggle from side to side. “And that boy got in trouble.” The congregation burst into laughter.
“As well he should have” the pastor responded. The congregation continued to chuckle as the child made her way back to her seat.
The pastor then moved to the next person. He was a man in his mid to late thirties with slight wisps of gray beginning to show in his hair. The pastor had specifically chosen this man because he was aware that he was going through a particularly difficult period.
“Mike” the pastor began “You heard me ask Honey if something really bad had ever happened to her. Can you tell me if anything really bad has ever happened to you?”
The man dropped his head shaking it slowly from side to side. “Pastor, I don’t know where to begin. It seems like just one thing after another. I lost my job. My house is going into foreclosure. My kids stay in trouble. I pray and pray for God to help me get through. But as soon as he answers one prayer something else happens. I am trying. I have to believe God is going to fix it all. But it is hard. I really try though.”
The pastor placed his hand upon Mikes shoulder. “Son, you hang in there. Keep on trying. Keep on praying. God is never far away”. With that statement the pastor dismissed him to return to his seat.
Now left alone, was a frail ninety year old woman sitting in a chair at the front of the room. The pastor approached her and pulled a chair alongside her. He reached out and took her small weathered hand in his.
The sweet looking little lady cocked her head to one side and looked at the pastor. “Preacher don’t you be asking me if anything bad has ever happened to me. You don’t have enough time here for me to tell you what I’ve been through.”
With that the congregation burst into laughter. This tiny little creature that looked so vulnerable had just taken command of the situation. The pastor was caught off guard as he laughed with the congregation.
“I bet you have Sister” he chuckled. “Can you just share a little of what you have been through.”
The little woman looked deeply into his eyes and spoke with a timeless confidence. “ I have lived. I have loved. I have lost everything and gained more. I have had feasts and known hunger. I know Pain intimately. He has walked with me throughout my life. But I have known unbounded joy. I learned hope and trust for they don’t come easy. I have had blessings beyond measure. I have salvation. Above all I have a God who has proven that there is nothing He cannot deliver me from. There is no hurt he will not heal. There is no need he cannot fill. He has proven to me that I have absolutely nothing to fear.”
The atmosphere of the room was filled with the unwavering certainty in her voice. The pastor gave her a careful hug thanking her and dismissed her to return to her seat. For several moments the room was quiet.
Seasons
There is an order to all things. I am often asked “why do bad things happen to Christians. Why can’t young Christians just quickly grasp the concept of faith? And if you have enough faith doesn’t God just fix everything?”
No matter what age you are or what stage of life you may be in the hardship or tragedy you are enduring seems like the worst you have ever been through. There is no life that is not touched at some time by tragedy and repeated hardship.
The trust of the child is unquestioning but it is also unproven and is without an intimate relationship with God.
The trust of the young adult is tenuous, strained, struggling, ebbing and flowing. Compare it to exercising muscles, stretching your limits, with muscle aches as you develop strength and ability.
The final result is the life proven by Christ and our God. Confidence in Gods abiding love and steadfastness can only be gained by circumstances in which he can prove himself. There are no short cuts to becoming spiritually mature. The child cannot become the seasoned Christian without the journey through young adulthood.
As you make the journey you will find that you look back on the scar from your pain and will see that you are alright. The scar itself will be a reminder that God heals, God strengthens, and God will get you past all pain.
I can tell you without a doubt if you live long enough you will have pain, hardship, illness and tragedy. But I can also tell you that there is NOTHING my God cannot bring you through. God is a loving God. He does not bring pain to you. But He will use every hardship and suffering as an opportunity to prove His love to you and strengthen your relationship with Him. Trust Him. Seek comfort,solace, and guidance in Him in all things.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Inadequate
In a young ministry, you begin your mission with vision, passion and assurance that you are doing God‘s will. However in most cases as you move forward and begin to encounter disappointment it is easy to become discouraged. I have recently experienced another disappointment in our ministry which resulted in me feeling like a failure, heartbroken and inadequate.
As I prayed for guidance, I asked, “God could I have been so wrong in your direction for my life?” I questioned my ability to perform the task laid before me and even the vision itself. I prayed that afternoon for God to speak to me. I prayed for guidance and assurance that I was doing His will and not mine in His name.
A sleepless night lay ahead for me.
God reminded me that these feelings and doubts are not new. He gave me this example throughout the night.
MOSES
Most of us know who Moses was. The son of a Hebrew slave who had been adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter and eventually delivered Israel from the hand of Egypt. According to history Moses spent 40 years in the house of Pharaoh. He is described as a princely figure of a man with a commanding presence. After he killed an Egyptian taskmaster he fled to Midian.
Moses then endured 40 years of a sense of failure. He knew 40 years of rejection from not only the home in which he had grown up, but from the peoples that he had tried to embrace by his ill fated action. He has run away from facing his problem. He lives with guilt, confusion, as well as a sense of betrayal to both the mother who had nurtured him and the one who bore him. He is a coward, a criminal, and a failure.
It is odd that the bible does not mention in the early portion of Moses’ life that he had a speech problem. This is only brought to attention when God calls him to serve. Scholars have different ideas about what the true problem was. It as been widely accepted that he stuttered. Some scholars believe he had an inability to articulate certain sounds. Still others believe that he was just slow in verbal responses and not comfortable speaking to people. Regardless of which problem it was, it was a source of insecurity for him.
Yet God called him. God not only called him to a purpose but he had a one on one audience with him. This coward. This criminal. This failure who couldn’t even speak for himself was called to lead a nation. Not only was he called to lead a nation but to also confront one of the most powerful leaders in the known world. His response in paraphrase “ I am not adequate.”
Yet through God, this inadequate man lead a nation to freedom. He then led them for another 40 years through the wilderness. Many times in the 40 years he was told that he was wrong. That he was still inadequate. But he took one step at a time. He didn’t try to plan the outcome He merely took one step and then another walking in the faith that God would do what He said He would .
As I wrestled with God about this example, I whined “God you gave him a burning bush, a stick and miracles, and a helper, and …” His response was “ Yes I did. Why do I have to repeat myself?”
Asking God for reassurance every time there is disappointment is not faith. Faith is not having to have the plan laid out for you. Faith is not knowing the end result before you start. Faith is knowing you cant do it by yourself. Faith is taking that step in spite of inadequacies even if you have to carry your heavy heart in a bucket. Faith is not quitting. You can take a breather now and then. Sometimes you have to wait for God to part the seas.
So ok, I am not the best at anything. I may not even be very good at anything. But what I want to be is faithful. I may not have a PHD attached to my name but what I do have is a heart full of praise and a desire to serve.
So when the fire and passion of the vision begins to cool, find the courage to walk on faith. God honors his faithful. Fix your eyes ahead and take one step…….
As I prayed for guidance, I asked, “God could I have been so wrong in your direction for my life?” I questioned my ability to perform the task laid before me and even the vision itself. I prayed that afternoon for God to speak to me. I prayed for guidance and assurance that I was doing His will and not mine in His name.
A sleepless night lay ahead for me.
God reminded me that these feelings and doubts are not new. He gave me this example throughout the night.
MOSES
Most of us know who Moses was. The son of a Hebrew slave who had been adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter and eventually delivered Israel from the hand of Egypt. According to history Moses spent 40 years in the house of Pharaoh. He is described as a princely figure of a man with a commanding presence. After he killed an Egyptian taskmaster he fled to Midian.
Moses then endured 40 years of a sense of failure. He knew 40 years of rejection from not only the home in which he had grown up, but from the peoples that he had tried to embrace by his ill fated action. He has run away from facing his problem. He lives with guilt, confusion, as well as a sense of betrayal to both the mother who had nurtured him and the one who bore him. He is a coward, a criminal, and a failure.
It is odd that the bible does not mention in the early portion of Moses’ life that he had a speech problem. This is only brought to attention when God calls him to serve. Scholars have different ideas about what the true problem was. It as been widely accepted that he stuttered. Some scholars believe he had an inability to articulate certain sounds. Still others believe that he was just slow in verbal responses and not comfortable speaking to people. Regardless of which problem it was, it was a source of insecurity for him.
Yet God called him. God not only called him to a purpose but he had a one on one audience with him. This coward. This criminal. This failure who couldn’t even speak for himself was called to lead a nation. Not only was he called to lead a nation but to also confront one of the most powerful leaders in the known world. His response in paraphrase “ I am not adequate.”
Yet through God, this inadequate man lead a nation to freedom. He then led them for another 40 years through the wilderness. Many times in the 40 years he was told that he was wrong. That he was still inadequate. But he took one step at a time. He didn’t try to plan the outcome He merely took one step and then another walking in the faith that God would do what He said He would .
As I wrestled with God about this example, I whined “God you gave him a burning bush, a stick and miracles, and a helper, and …” His response was “ Yes I did. Why do I have to repeat myself?”
Asking God for reassurance every time there is disappointment is not faith. Faith is not having to have the plan laid out for you. Faith is not knowing the end result before you start. Faith is knowing you cant do it by yourself. Faith is taking that step in spite of inadequacies even if you have to carry your heavy heart in a bucket. Faith is not quitting. You can take a breather now and then. Sometimes you have to wait for God to part the seas.
So ok, I am not the best at anything. I may not even be very good at anything. But what I want to be is faithful. I may not have a PHD attached to my name but what I do have is a heart full of praise and a desire to serve.
So when the fire and passion of the vision begins to cool, find the courage to walk on faith. God honors his faithful. Fix your eyes ahead and take one step…….
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
HUNGER PAINS
Stephen King wrote a story some years ago about a man who the more he ate, the thinner he got. No matter how much he consumed, nothing met the needs of his body. He ate everything he could find. He went to doctors who found nothing wrong other than the man was literally starving to death.
Eventually he died from starvation.
As I prepared to go to church this morning I thought “Man my spirit is so hungry today”. It renewed my realization that there is a hunger in man that nothing but God can satisfy. It is sad that so many people are walking around with spiritual hunger pains and they don’t know what it is they are in need of.
We live in a world of excessive consumption. We are constantly consuming media, food, entertainment, excitement, drugs, alcohol, sex, and all manner of self indulgences. We absorb anything that will keep our minds and senses titillated and feeling alive as well as distracted. It is almost like a dieter who must keep busy so they don’t think about food. All the while the hunger pains gnaw at your spirit.
In the past couple of years I have become a avid student of history. I have studied the British Monarchy from its inception to present day and have noted how present day Christianity was shaped by the various king’s views. I have currently been studying in detail about the founding of our nation and the principles upon which it was established. The price paid by the separatists in England just to own a Bible and have the freedom to worship and study God’s word is not taught in our schools. It wasn’t taught to me. Instead we had a glossy picture of pilgrims with big buckles and pointy hats sailing over on ships to plant corn and have turkey with the Indians.
Our Founders recognized that it was important for not only the society as a whole, but for the individual to find strength through the gospel. It was so important that Congress commissioned the printing of bibles to be distributed to every household and to be given in all the schools in the late 1700s. Yet today, we begin spiritually depriving our children at a young age.
There is an old saying “ You don’t miss what you never had”. Children used to be raised with stories of David and Goliath or Jonah and the whale. The lessons of the bible were our inspiration and gave us heroes to emulate. Now our children emulate Spiderman, and Iron Man, while we give them the latest electronic devises available. They never know that Spiderman is nothing compared to a young boy with a sling shot and a heart for God.
Matthew chapter 4 tells us that “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”.
Jesus fasted for 40 days.
What kind of people could we be if we were able to unplug for 40 days? No cell phone for 40 days. No internet for 40 days. Could you survive without television for 40 days? As parents, you could alter your child’s future if you took away the electronic games and television and replaced them with bible stories. Would we make wiser decisions, show more kindness, and have closer family units if we were to electronically fast 40 days? Teach your children to not be consumers of the world but of the word instead.
No house, no car, no iPad or drug, no sex or designer clothes, nothing in this world will ever give you peace. They will never give you strength in time of need. They will never give you comfort when you hurt. They can never give you good guidance and direction. They cannot give your soul salvation. Only God’s word with all its’ wonder, glory, history and truth can satisfy the hunger pains of your soul.
Stephen King wrote a story some years ago about a man who the more he ate, the thinner he got. No matter how much he consumed, nothing met the needs of his body. He ate everything he could find. He went to doctors who found nothing wrong other than the man was literally starving to death.
Eventually he died from starvation.
As I prepared to go to church this morning I thought “Man my spirit is so hungry today”. It renewed my realization that there is a hunger in man that nothing but God can satisfy. It is sad that so many people are walking around with spiritual hunger pains and they don’t know what it is they are in need of.
We live in a world of excessive consumption. We are constantly consuming media, food, entertainment, excitement, drugs, alcohol, sex, and all manner of self indulgences. We absorb anything that will keep our minds and senses titillated and feeling alive as well as distracted. It is almost like a dieter who must keep busy so they don’t think about food. All the while the hunger pains gnaw at your spirit.
In the past couple of years I have become a avid student of history. I have studied the British Monarchy from its inception to present day and have noted how present day Christianity was shaped by the various king’s views. I have currently been studying in detail about the founding of our nation and the principles upon which it was established. The price paid by the separatists in England just to own a Bible and have the freedom to worship and study God’s word is not taught in our schools. It wasn’t taught to me. Instead we had a glossy picture of pilgrims with big buckles and pointy hats sailing over on ships to plant corn and have turkey with the Indians.
Our Founders recognized that it was important for not only the society as a whole, but for the individual to find strength through the gospel. It was so important that Congress commissioned the printing of bibles to be distributed to every household and to be given in all the schools in the late 1700s. Yet today, we begin spiritually depriving our children at a young age.
There is an old saying “ You don’t miss what you never had”. Children used to be raised with stories of David and Goliath or Jonah and the whale. The lessons of the bible were our inspiration and gave us heroes to emulate. Now our children emulate Spiderman, and Iron Man, while we give them the latest electronic devises available. They never know that Spiderman is nothing compared to a young boy with a sling shot and a heart for God.
Matthew chapter 4 tells us that “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”.
Jesus fasted for 40 days.
What kind of people could we be if we were able to unplug for 40 days? No cell phone for 40 days. No internet for 40 days. Could you survive without television for 40 days? As parents, you could alter your child’s future if you took away the electronic games and television and replaced them with bible stories. Would we make wiser decisions, show more kindness, and have closer family units if we were to electronically fast 40 days? Teach your children to not be consumers of the world but of the word instead.
No house, no car, no iPad or drug, no sex or designer clothes, nothing in this world will ever give you peace. They will never give you strength in time of need. They will never give you comfort when you hurt. They can never give you good guidance and direction. They cannot give your soul salvation. Only God’s word with all its’ wonder, glory, history and truth can satisfy the hunger pains of your soul.
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