Reading Hebrews 3:7-11
"Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts..."
In chapter two we were encouraged to "pay more careful attention to what we have heard." Attention is the first step towards transformation but this passage shows that transformation does not follow automatically from attention. We can give God our full attention so that we hear and understand his heart but fail to be changed by it. The rich young ruler asked Jesus a very insightful question and received an answer that led him to ask an even deeper and more personal question. Jesus gave him an answer that would have been transforming and the rich young man understood the answer in its depth, which is why he went away sad. Having grasped something of who Jesus was, having understood his own heart and the heart of Jesus, and having fully grasped Jesus words to him he chose to walk away. "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts...". It is at the point where action and obedience is required that we may surrender and release all or we may hold to what has become our God and walk away with sadness. This drama is playing itself out over and over again in the lives of people who have heard Gods voice. This is not about those who do not hear from God. This is about people who know the voice of God and say 'no.' 'This is a hard saying, who can hear it?'
Having heard and said "no" it is impossible to avoid going away sad. Attention to the word accompanied by affirmation of the word is transforming, liberating, and life-giving.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Friday, October 28, 2005
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Drift
Reading Hebrews 2:1
"We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away."
Drift is a problem for anyone who has somewhere to go. (Of course there is the proverbial 'drifter' of the classic Western movie but this is actually a totally unrelated phenomenon - more akin to the Biblical 'lost'). The drifter, or potential drifter, of Hebrews 2 is someone who has found a path in life that is full of hope and promise. Drift in this case threatens to lead us away from great gain and into great loss. The emphasis here, however, is on drifting away because the writer wants to remind us of all that we have found in Jesus. Jesus said "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Drifting away from my rest in Jesus and back to weariness and burden is not something I really want to have happen. Jesus said, "If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink...streams of living water will flow from within." Drifting away from living water and back to unquenchable thirst is not something I want to have happen in my life. We could go on and on with this but you can see how much we would want to avoid drift.
The writer tells us that there is only one solution for the problem of 'drift' and that is 'attention.' Attention is a cultivated state of elevated awareness. The word "attention" has deep roots in the history of Christian spirituality. Many traditional spiritual exercises begin with a call to attention before God. Attention is a relationship enhancer. All of our relationships are enriched through attention. Attention to the words of God is the way to keep from drifting away from every good thing that I have come to enjoy in and through Jesus. The writer says that we must "pay more careful attention. The problem is not one of hearing or even of being able to repeat back what we have heard. The problem is that most of the time we are only half listening to God. We give assent: "yes, yes, I heard you." The challenge is to listen in such a way that when God speaks we "get it." We get what his heart is, we get his logic, we get his deep desires for us and for our life.
The project for this next week: try to listen more intently to the voice of God as you read his Word. Your relationship will deepen and you will inhibit the drift away from God. Try to expand this to include all of your other relationships. Become as conscious as possible of how well you listen and of how prepared you are to respond warmly and lovingly to what you have heard.
"We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away."
Drift is a problem for anyone who has somewhere to go. (Of course there is the proverbial 'drifter' of the classic Western movie but this is actually a totally unrelated phenomenon - more akin to the Biblical 'lost'). The drifter, or potential drifter, of Hebrews 2 is someone who has found a path in life that is full of hope and promise. Drift in this case threatens to lead us away from great gain and into great loss. The emphasis here, however, is on drifting away because the writer wants to remind us of all that we have found in Jesus. Jesus said "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Drifting away from my rest in Jesus and back to weariness and burden is not something I really want to have happen. Jesus said, "If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink...streams of living water will flow from within." Drifting away from living water and back to unquenchable thirst is not something I want to have happen in my life. We could go on and on with this but you can see how much we would want to avoid drift.
The writer tells us that there is only one solution for the problem of 'drift' and that is 'attention.' Attention is a cultivated state of elevated awareness. The word "attention" has deep roots in the history of Christian spirituality. Many traditional spiritual exercises begin with a call to attention before God. Attention is a relationship enhancer. All of our relationships are enriched through attention. Attention to the words of God is the way to keep from drifting away from every good thing that I have come to enjoy in and through Jesus. The writer says that we must "pay more careful attention. The problem is not one of hearing or even of being able to repeat back what we have heard. The problem is that most of the time we are only half listening to God. We give assent: "yes, yes, I heard you." The challenge is to listen in such a way that when God speaks we "get it." We get what his heart is, we get his logic, we get his deep desires for us and for our life.
The project for this next week: try to listen more intently to the voice of God as you read his Word. Your relationship will deepen and you will inhibit the drift away from God. Try to expand this to include all of your other relationships. Become as conscious as possible of how well you listen and of how prepared you are to respond warmly and lovingly to what you have heard.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Thanks for Nothing, God!
Thank you for nothing, God! Thank you for doing nothing about the things I am suffering because you know that the place I have to get to is through these sufferings. Thank you for not answering me when I pray to you because you want me to learn to trust you even when you are silent. Thank you for denying me those things I think I need so that I can see that I need you most of all. Thank you for occasionally sticking your foot out and tripping me so that I don't spend my whole life on the run. Thank you for the vacuum at the center of my being that refuses to be filled with any of the things of this world for this is what Solomon speaks of as "eternity in the heart." Thank you for nothing. Thank you for everything.
Double Homicide in Church: God Wanted for Questioning
Acts 5:1-11
Reflection: on things kept secret from myself, others, and God.
Reflection: on things kept secret from myself, others, and God.
Monday, October 24, 2005
"...but whoever listens to me will live..."
Continuing to read Proverbs 1:29-33
"...BUT whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
God has nothing but the best in mind for us. He does not want us to have the short circuited life that we keep on choosing for ourselves. He has opened the door to the whole universe, to the entire created order, to wonder, and to abundance of everything. If we listen to him we can have it with peace, and freedom from fear and anxiety. Of course something as big as a universe is filled with risk and high stakes options. For the one who listens to God the Universe is an Everest to be climbed, exhilarating despite the frightening heights, unpredictable weather, and short supply of oxygen at the higher elevations. We are drawn upward in God to enter into everything his creation has to offer. I haven't ventured too far yet but I hear God calling and I know that he is out there waiting for me on every towering peak, in every shadowy valley, in all of life's desert places, in every conversation where I encounter his image and reflection. What he wants for me is beyond anything I am even capable of dreaming of. Too bad I can so rarely let go of the little world of my own dreams and jump into the ocean of his will for me.
The "but" at the beginning of these last couple of phrases is a big hurdle to get over. If it were only as simple as that... Oh, I would live a much bigger life if only I would "listen" to my God. I can hear all too well but it is so hard to "listen." Hearing is physical and I'm in reasonably good physical shape but "listening" is spiritual and I'm a little out of shape in that department. I am so terribly inclined to listen to me that I can only listen to God through a series of filters that I have constructed for what I think are my own best purposes. The only way I will throw out those filters and let God speak unhindered is if I really trust Him. Imagine someone not trusting God. I mean, if you can't trust God who can you trust? But isn't this the real obstacle to my moving from being an arm chair spiritual adventurer to actually getting up and leaving this safe little world by the front door? If I want to apply what I am learning from this little paragraph that I have found at the beginning of a book of wisdom I will have to confront my lack of trust in God. I am not "listening" because in the end I believe that I always know better than God what is best for me. This is a nice little insight but insight is not transforming. Doing is transforming. My next opportunity comes when God says "get out of the boat" and I jump in the water.
"...BUT whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
God has nothing but the best in mind for us. He does not want us to have the short circuited life that we keep on choosing for ourselves. He has opened the door to the whole universe, to the entire created order, to wonder, and to abundance of everything. If we listen to him we can have it with peace, and freedom from fear and anxiety. Of course something as big as a universe is filled with risk and high stakes options. For the one who listens to God the Universe is an Everest to be climbed, exhilarating despite the frightening heights, unpredictable weather, and short supply of oxygen at the higher elevations. We are drawn upward in God to enter into everything his creation has to offer. I haven't ventured too far yet but I hear God calling and I know that he is out there waiting for me on every towering peak, in every shadowy valley, in all of life's desert places, in every conversation where I encounter his image and reflection. What he wants for me is beyond anything I am even capable of dreaming of. Too bad I can so rarely let go of the little world of my own dreams and jump into the ocean of his will for me.
The "but" at the beginning of these last couple of phrases is a big hurdle to get over. If it were only as simple as that... Oh, I would live a much bigger life if only I would "listen" to my God. I can hear all too well but it is so hard to "listen." Hearing is physical and I'm in reasonably good physical shape but "listening" is spiritual and I'm a little out of shape in that department. I am so terribly inclined to listen to me that I can only listen to God through a series of filters that I have constructed for what I think are my own best purposes. The only way I will throw out those filters and let God speak unhindered is if I really trust Him. Imagine someone not trusting God. I mean, if you can't trust God who can you trust? But isn't this the real obstacle to my moving from being an arm chair spiritual adventurer to actually getting up and leaving this safe little world by the front door? If I want to apply what I am learning from this little paragraph that I have found at the beginning of a book of wisdom I will have to confront my lack of trust in God. I am not "listening" because in the end I believe that I always know better than God what is best for me. This is a nice little insight but insight is not transforming. Doing is transforming. My next opportunity comes when God says "get out of the boat" and I jump in the water.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
"...the complacency of fools will destroy them..."
Continuing to read Proverbs 1:29-33
"...the complacency of fools will destroy them..."
Complacency: the Black Hole of the spirit. How many hopes, dreams, and ambitions have been swallowed up and crushed into invisibility by its powerful gravity. The most dangerous aspect of it is that complacency is not an unpleasant experience, quite the contrary. I have read that if you are caught out in freezing conditions without adequate protection you will pass through a period of pain and extreme cold to a place where you begin to feel warm and sleepy and all you want to do is sit down and rest for a while. Complacency at this point is certain death. It is at this point that you have to make every effort to rouse yourself.
In my complacency I may no longer get the connection between the match (which is fun to play with) and the fire (which burns down the house). The "fool" in the Bible is not a low functioning or mentally challenged person. The fool is the one who fails to acknowledge God, who fails to connect act with consequence, who looks to his own self for the moral compass in life. The fool is the person who builds a city but has no walls or boundaries to protect it.
No matter where you are at in your spiritual journey or how hard it has been: Don't sit down now. Rouse yourself. "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Ephesians 5:14). This verse is followed by "be very careful, then, how you live." I may feel comfortable in a very lost condition but it doesn't mean that I am safe.
What will I do today to get on with my journey?
"...the complacency of fools will destroy them..."
Complacency: the Black Hole of the spirit. How many hopes, dreams, and ambitions have been swallowed up and crushed into invisibility by its powerful gravity. The most dangerous aspect of it is that complacency is not an unpleasant experience, quite the contrary. I have read that if you are caught out in freezing conditions without adequate protection you will pass through a period of pain and extreme cold to a place where you begin to feel warm and sleepy and all you want to do is sit down and rest for a while. Complacency at this point is certain death. It is at this point that you have to make every effort to rouse yourself.
In my complacency I may no longer get the connection between the match (which is fun to play with) and the fire (which burns down the house). The "fool" in the Bible is not a low functioning or mentally challenged person. The fool is the one who fails to acknowledge God, who fails to connect act with consequence, who looks to his own self for the moral compass in life. The fool is the person who builds a city but has no walls or boundaries to protect it.
No matter where you are at in your spiritual journey or how hard it has been: Don't sit down now. Rouse yourself. "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Ephesians 5:14). This verse is followed by "be very careful, then, how you live." I may feel comfortable in a very lost condition but it doesn't mean that I am safe.
What will I do today to get on with my journey?
Saturday, October 22, 2005
"For the waywardness of the simple will kill them..."
Continuing to read Proverbs 1:29-33
"For the waywardness of the simple will kill them..."
Waywardness is the tendency to wander off without really giving your destination any thought. If life is meaningless there is no such thing as waywardness. No path means anything and no destination is any better than another. Waywardness is only a problem for those who believe that life has meaning and value and who believe that some choices are better than others. It is a particular problem for those who believe in the existence of a God who has revealed something of his character and of his plan for his creation.
A tendency to waywardness means constant delays in my journey to love, joy, peace and freedom. Enough waywardness will "kill" this journey altogether. Waywardness has nothing to do with spontaneity or serendipity. It has to do with undercutting my own future and my own best desires for myself.
There are a few things I need to know about this in order to protect myself. The first thing is, what are those areas in which I am most likely to go astray? If I know myself at all I can list them all very quickly. The second thing I need to know is why I choose to take a path that is destructive for me. This is more complex and requires a deeper level of honesty. Here I will have to admit to myself what my real values are (as opposed to my stated values), what my beliefs about the likelyhood of consequences are, and what I think the wayward behavior is going to do for me (i.e. my reward system).
In the end what we have is a clash of values. I think my waywardness will enrich my life, God thinks it will kill me. One of us is wrong.
"For the waywardness of the simple will kill them..."
Waywardness is the tendency to wander off without really giving your destination any thought. If life is meaningless there is no such thing as waywardness. No path means anything and no destination is any better than another. Waywardness is only a problem for those who believe that life has meaning and value and who believe that some choices are better than others. It is a particular problem for those who believe in the existence of a God who has revealed something of his character and of his plan for his creation.
A tendency to waywardness means constant delays in my journey to love, joy, peace and freedom. Enough waywardness will "kill" this journey altogether. Waywardness has nothing to do with spontaneity or serendipity. It has to do with undercutting my own future and my own best desires for myself.
There are a few things I need to know about this in order to protect myself. The first thing is, what are those areas in which I am most likely to go astray? If I know myself at all I can list them all very quickly. The second thing I need to know is why I choose to take a path that is destructive for me. This is more complex and requires a deeper level of honesty. Here I will have to admit to myself what my real values are (as opposed to my stated values), what my beliefs about the likelyhood of consequences are, and what I think the wayward behavior is going to do for me (i.e. my reward system).
In the end what we have is a clash of values. I think my waywardness will enrich my life, God thinks it will kill me. One of us is wrong.
Friday, October 21, 2005
"...they will eat the fruit of their ways..."
Continuing to read Proverbs 1:29-33
"...they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes."
You don't plant a fruit tree one day and come out looking for something to eat the next. The fruit is a long time coming, you can grow your trees and see no harvest, you can even enjoy the beautiful blossoms in the spring. One day, though, there it is in all of its abundance. It is this way with the lifestyle we live. If we hated knowledge, chose not to fear God, rejected his advice, and spurned his rebuke, one day the harvest will be there in full fruit. It is too late when you have spent years growing apple trees to decide that you want to eat oranges. So...
"...they will eat the fruit of their ways..." I won't eat the fruit of someone else's way or the fruit of my parents ways or the fruit I have dreamed of eating. I will eat the fruit, and only the fruit, that I have planted and cultivated and waited for. To eat it is to make a meal of it, it is what is on the table, it is what was prepared and it is the only thing that is available now.
Note that "...they will eat the fruit of their ways..." This is about the choices that I've made. It is not about my circumstances, not about how my parents treated me, not about "getting the right breaks." These "ways" are whole patterns of thought and behavior that have become so habitual to me that I no longer reflect on them or even notice them. These are patterns of self-destructive choices. These become the norm for me and doing anything else comes to feel uncomfortable and unreal. Any "way" can become completely normalized, can become a natural part of the system of my life. Only letting God speak continually to my life can illuminate these terrible paths. Only being willing to let God call black, white (because this is how it will seem to me) will start me on the path to change, only careful vigilance will keep me on the right path.
"...and be filled with the fruit of their schemes." "Filled..." It comes to take over everything. The consequences reach into every area of living. This comes to be so even though at first these destructive ways may be kept secret, may be confined to just one area of my life, may not have even begun to touch on my reputation. Seeds are designed to grow. The acorn is not an acorn forever.
Often I will not stop practicing my destructive ways because I am convinced that these ways are really harmless, won't hurt me, or are only hurting me and no one else. The most destructive choices can seem perfectly harmless after they have been practiced for a while.
If I'm going to be the watcher on the wall of my life then I had better be willing to acknowledge where the wall has been breeched, or some day I may find myself completely overwhelmed by the enemy. God is extending himself to spare me from all of this. Do I want His help?
"...they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes."
You don't plant a fruit tree one day and come out looking for something to eat the next. The fruit is a long time coming, you can grow your trees and see no harvest, you can even enjoy the beautiful blossoms in the spring. One day, though, there it is in all of its abundance. It is this way with the lifestyle we live. If we hated knowledge, chose not to fear God, rejected his advice, and spurned his rebuke, one day the harvest will be there in full fruit. It is too late when you have spent years growing apple trees to decide that you want to eat oranges. So...
"...they will eat the fruit of their ways..." I won't eat the fruit of someone else's way or the fruit of my parents ways or the fruit I have dreamed of eating. I will eat the fruit, and only the fruit, that I have planted and cultivated and waited for. To eat it is to make a meal of it, it is what is on the table, it is what was prepared and it is the only thing that is available now.
Note that "...they will eat the fruit of their ways..." This is about the choices that I've made. It is not about my circumstances, not about how my parents treated me, not about "getting the right breaks." These "ways" are whole patterns of thought and behavior that have become so habitual to me that I no longer reflect on them or even notice them. These are patterns of self-destructive choices. These become the norm for me and doing anything else comes to feel uncomfortable and unreal. Any "way" can become completely normalized, can become a natural part of the system of my life. Only letting God speak continually to my life can illuminate these terrible paths. Only being willing to let God call black, white (because this is how it will seem to me) will start me on the path to change, only careful vigilance will keep me on the right path.
"...and be filled with the fruit of their schemes." "Filled..." It comes to take over everything. The consequences reach into every area of living. This comes to be so even though at first these destructive ways may be kept secret, may be confined to just one area of my life, may not have even begun to touch on my reputation. Seeds are designed to grow. The acorn is not an acorn forever.
Often I will not stop practicing my destructive ways because I am convinced that these ways are really harmless, won't hurt me, or are only hurting me and no one else. The most destructive choices can seem perfectly harmless after they have been practiced for a while.
If I'm going to be the watcher on the wall of my life then I had better be willing to acknowledge where the wall has been breeched, or some day I may find myself completely overwhelmed by the enemy. God is extending himself to spare me from all of this. Do I want His help?
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
"Since...they spurned my rebuke"
Continuing to read Proverbs 1:29-33
"Since...they spurned my rebuke..."
Knowledge...advice...rebuke. There is a progression here, from the general to the personal, from teaching to direction to correction. Rebuke is the last stop before the consequences of our actions must finally take effect. For this reason rebuke is a gracious action, a generous intervention. I have been stung by God's rebuke but I am so thankful that it arrested me before the full fruit of my foolish choices were realized. If we push aside the rebuke we are going over the edge, no doubt about it. In Romans chapter one Paul shows that pushing God away in our choices takes us through a series of downward steps: "Therefore God gave them over... (v24) ... Because of this, God gave them over to ... (v26) since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to ... (v28)."
The person of "self-control" learns how to avoid rejecting God's rebuke.
No one likes to be told. We become offended at being corrected. We aren't going to take it. Rebuke is another serious blow to our pride. Usually, by the time we are rebuked, it means that we have seriously stepped out of line. To accept the rebuke, then, forces a radical change upon us. But I don't want to change, I'm still enjoying my rebellious ways and I have all kinds of reasons to justify them. The rebuke hangs in the air while I go on and on until... Until the "since...then" process has come to its end point. Can I repent at this point and stop the process? This is a very good 'theoretical question.' But here is a better 'non-theoretical' question: When I let myself go to the point where I am fully engaged in my behaviors will I want to repent and give them up? The first question assumes that the further along I go the more free I will be to give up the behaviors. Just the opposite is true, I become more and more trapped by my own choices.
"Do not be deceived...whatever a man sows, that will he also reap." Galatians 6:7
"Since...they spurned my rebuke..."
Knowledge...advice...rebuke. There is a progression here, from the general to the personal, from teaching to direction to correction. Rebuke is the last stop before the consequences of our actions must finally take effect. For this reason rebuke is a gracious action, a generous intervention. I have been stung by God's rebuke but I am so thankful that it arrested me before the full fruit of my foolish choices were realized. If we push aside the rebuke we are going over the edge, no doubt about it. In Romans chapter one Paul shows that pushing God away in our choices takes us through a series of downward steps: "Therefore God gave them over... (v24) ... Because of this, God gave them over to ... (v26) since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to ... (v28)."
The person of "self-control" learns how to avoid rejecting God's rebuke.
No one likes to be told. We become offended at being corrected. We aren't going to take it. Rebuke is another serious blow to our pride. Usually, by the time we are rebuked, it means that we have seriously stepped out of line. To accept the rebuke, then, forces a radical change upon us. But I don't want to change, I'm still enjoying my rebellious ways and I have all kinds of reasons to justify them. The rebuke hangs in the air while I go on and on until... Until the "since...then" process has come to its end point. Can I repent at this point and stop the process? This is a very good 'theoretical question.' But here is a better 'non-theoretical' question: When I let myself go to the point where I am fully engaged in my behaviors will I want to repent and give them up? The first question assumes that the further along I go the more free I will be to give up the behaviors. Just the opposite is true, I become more and more trapped by my own choices.
"Do not be deceived...whatever a man sows, that will he also reap." Galatians 6:7
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
"Since they would not accept my advice..."
Continuing to read Proverbs 1:29-33
"Since they would not accept my advice..."
The "since" awaits a "then." God's advice is the only thing that can enable us to avoid the "since...then" process. It is the only thing that can prevent the inevitable flow of consequences that arise from our poorly informed choices.
It is a remarkable fact that God offers advice to anyone willing to listen. We have a multi-billion dollar self-help industry. Obviously there is a big market for advice. Yet God complains that his advice has not been accepted. Unless I view myself as a very rare exception I have to ask myself why I am so reluctant to accept God's advice about how to live in this world. There is something in me that is all too ready to reject God. Yes, in me. It would help to identify some of those things that make me so resistant to the advice of God through his word. A few things come to mind immeditately:
1. I want to be in control of my life.
2. I believe that I know myself and my circumstances better than God does.
3. I think that following God's advice will deprive me of all kinds of enjoyable experiences.
4. I think that God's ways are just too hard.
These reflect a set of myths that I live by:
1. I am in control of my life.
Result of living out this myth: My life is always out of control.
2. I know what is best for me.
Result of living out this myth: I keep making the same stupid mistakes.
3. Sin adds a little colour to my otherwise black and white life.
Result of living out this myth: I'm always asking, 'where is the abundant life Jesus promised?'
4. Doing what I want is the easiest path in life.
Result of living out this myth: I'm always walking a hard path.
I could go on and on.
The Christian life can be complicated or simple:
1. Complicated.
I analyze God's will with respect to every issue in my life and try to decide whether I can live with it or not, whether it will cost me or not, what other people will think of this, what I will lose and what I will gain, etc.
2. Simple.
I decide God's will is always the best thing for me. I take his advice.
"Since they would not accept my advice..."
The "since" awaits a "then." God's advice is the only thing that can enable us to avoid the "since...then" process. It is the only thing that can prevent the inevitable flow of consequences that arise from our poorly informed choices.
It is a remarkable fact that God offers advice to anyone willing to listen. We have a multi-billion dollar self-help industry. Obviously there is a big market for advice. Yet God complains that his advice has not been accepted. Unless I view myself as a very rare exception I have to ask myself why I am so reluctant to accept God's advice about how to live in this world. There is something in me that is all too ready to reject God. Yes, in me. It would help to identify some of those things that make me so resistant to the advice of God through his word. A few things come to mind immeditately:
1. I want to be in control of my life.
2. I believe that I know myself and my circumstances better than God does.
3. I think that following God's advice will deprive me of all kinds of enjoyable experiences.
4. I think that God's ways are just too hard.
These reflect a set of myths that I live by:
1. I am in control of my life.
Result of living out this myth: My life is always out of control.
2. I know what is best for me.
Result of living out this myth: I keep making the same stupid mistakes.
3. Sin adds a little colour to my otherwise black and white life.
Result of living out this myth: I'm always asking, 'where is the abundant life Jesus promised?'
4. Doing what I want is the easiest path in life.
Result of living out this myth: I'm always walking a hard path.
I could go on and on.
The Christian life can be complicated or simple:
1. Complicated.
I analyze God's will with respect to every issue in my life and try to decide whether I can live with it or not, whether it will cost me or not, what other people will think of this, what I will lose and what I will gain, etc.
2. Simple.
I decide God's will is always the best thing for me. I take his advice.
Monday, October 17, 2005
"Since...they did not choose to fear the Lord"
Continuing to read Proverbs 1:29-33
"Since...they did not choose to fear the Lord"
"Choose is a powerful word. It is a building block for the city wall of the believer. It speaks of freedom and purpose. It speaks of a life that is directed, that has clear boundaries and that has established a basis by which things can be accepted or rejected. In this case the choice "to fear the Lord" indicates that I have made a decision to play life by God's rules. Its not important that I have never made such a decision before. I can make it today. I can choose a new path. Its not important that I have made this decision many times before. I must make it afresh today. I must intend it today as straight-forwardly as if it was the first time I set myself in this direction.
As I begin this day and continue in it do I "choose to fear the Lord?" If I don't empower myself by making this choice I will be subject to the phenomena of random choices. These random choices will be based on negative events in my life, emotions, desires, unfulfilled needs, the influence and control of others, the negative pull of the sinful nature. I may be motivated by the best of intentions but the only way to avoid being subject to the risks of random choices is to choose God and his truth afresh each day.
"Since they did not choose..." points towards the consequences that are revealed later in the passage.
"Like a city whoose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control" (Prov. 25:28)
"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)
"Since...they did not choose to fear the Lord"
"Choose is a powerful word. It is a building block for the city wall of the believer. It speaks of freedom and purpose. It speaks of a life that is directed, that has clear boundaries and that has established a basis by which things can be accepted or rejected. In this case the choice "to fear the Lord" indicates that I have made a decision to play life by God's rules. Its not important that I have never made such a decision before. I can make it today. I can choose a new path. Its not important that I have made this decision many times before. I must make it afresh today. I must intend it today as straight-forwardly as if it was the first time I set myself in this direction.
As I begin this day and continue in it do I "choose to fear the Lord?" If I don't empower myself by making this choice I will be subject to the phenomena of random choices. These random choices will be based on negative events in my life, emotions, desires, unfulfilled needs, the influence and control of others, the negative pull of the sinful nature. I may be motivated by the best of intentions but the only way to avoid being subject to the risks of random choices is to choose God and his truth afresh each day.
"Since they did not choose..." points towards the consequences that are revealed later in the passage.
"Like a city whoose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control" (Prov. 25:28)
"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)
Sunday, October 16, 2005
"Since they hated knowledge..."
Reading Proverbs 1:29-33.
"Since they hated knowledge..."
The "Since" is ominous and foreboding. It suggests consequences. Something unpleasant is coming, something undefined, undated, but coming nonetheless. More on that later in the passage but for now listen to this inditement: "they hated knowledge." Nevermind "them", what about "me." Am I "them?" Is this another case of "We have met the enemy and he is us?" Although we live in a "knowledge based society" there are still things we do not want to know. Do I want to know what God has to say about my life, about the world I live in, about where the boundaries belong in my life, about how I speak and act, about my secret thoughts and attitudes, about who I hate and who I love. Knowing these things might seem to restrict my freedom of choice so I may choose not to attend to them. There is a preference for ignorance when knowledge threatens to afflict the conscience or stand in the way of sin. Do I have such a preference for ignorance?
This hatred for knowledge can take many forms. I can avoid the venues of knowledge, the places where the truth is communicated clearly, whether that is sitting quietly before the Word of God or gathering with others who are seeking truth. I can visit these venues but tune out, be somewhere else. I can show up and appear to be a lover of knowledge while all the while being its enemy. This is all about being honest before God. It really isn't about other people at all. Its about what is going on at the most fundamental level of relationship, the relationship between myself and the living God. Are we in honest conversation today?
This meditation appears to be about hatred but it is really about love. What do I love? Do I love the voice of God and welcome his life giving words? Do I love his ways, thoughts and attitudes? Do I love his Kingdom more than the Kingdom of this world?
This could be a day in which I celebrate my love for the voice of God.
"Since they hated knowledge..."
The "Since" is ominous and foreboding. It suggests consequences. Something unpleasant is coming, something undefined, undated, but coming nonetheless. More on that later in the passage but for now listen to this inditement: "they hated knowledge." Nevermind "them", what about "me." Am I "them?" Is this another case of "We have met the enemy and he is us?" Although we live in a "knowledge based society" there are still things we do not want to know. Do I want to know what God has to say about my life, about the world I live in, about where the boundaries belong in my life, about how I speak and act, about my secret thoughts and attitudes, about who I hate and who I love. Knowing these things might seem to restrict my freedom of choice so I may choose not to attend to them. There is a preference for ignorance when knowledge threatens to afflict the conscience or stand in the way of sin. Do I have such a preference for ignorance?
This hatred for knowledge can take many forms. I can avoid the venues of knowledge, the places where the truth is communicated clearly, whether that is sitting quietly before the Word of God or gathering with others who are seeking truth. I can visit these venues but tune out, be somewhere else. I can show up and appear to be a lover of knowledge while all the while being its enemy. This is all about being honest before God. It really isn't about other people at all. Its about what is going on at the most fundamental level of relationship, the relationship between myself and the living God. Are we in honest conversation today?
This meditation appears to be about hatred but it is really about love. What do I love? Do I love the voice of God and welcome his life giving words? Do I love his ways, thoughts and attitudes? Do I love his Kingdom more than the Kingdom of this world?
This could be a day in which I celebrate my love for the voice of God.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Taking Responsibility for Myself
When I adopt self-control as a core value I am taking responsibility for my life. I recognize that I have vulnerabilities that need to be defended and I am prepared to invest something in the process. This is not about the iron will, becoming so strong in myself that I can never be fooled into betraying myself. It is about the strong wall, about all the allusions in the Bible to God as "a strong tower", "a shelter", "a refuge", "a very present help in time of trouble", "a rock", etc. My relationship with God is my source of self-control.
Am I aware that there are forces in the world that are very intentionally seeking to destroy every bit of my self-control? Smart advertisers do not simply attempt to get us to purchase one product, they attempt to bring us into a mindset where we will not say no to anything. Billions of dollars are invested annually in assaulting our defenses and in ensuring that we will rarely say no to our wants and desires. AKMA recently drew my attention to a particularly illustrative example of this. You can find the whole post here. This illustration is taken from an advertising mailing for Forth & Towne, a Gap owned chain of women's clothing stores. Here are some excerpts from the mail out:
Am I aware that there are forces in the world that are very intentionally seeking to destroy every bit of my self-control? Smart advertisers do not simply attempt to get us to purchase one product, they attempt to bring us into a mindset where we will not say no to anything. Billions of dollars are invested annually in assaulting our defenses and in ensuring that we will rarely say no to our wants and desires. AKMA recently drew my attention to a particularly illustrative example of this. You can find the whole post here. This illustration is taken from an advertising mailing for Forth & Towne, a Gap owned chain of women's clothing stores. Here are some excerpts from the mail out:
“It’s not just about the clothes. It’s about being inspired. It’s about being indulgent.”
“Develop a fetish for leisure time. . . .” “Show up with an entourage. . . .” “Commit random acts of indulgence. . . . It’s about treating yourself to an experience in shopping where you are the center of attention. Isn’t it about time?”
If we adopt this philosophy of life we will have no walls, we will run out of vocabulary for saying "no" to ourselves, we will be at the mercy of the will of others. Philosophy of life cannot be compartmentalized, this will not stop at shopping. This is not simply advertising, it is social engineering. Listening to God gives us a complete vocabulary that includes both affirmation and negation and that instructs us in the proper use of both. God is about peace, freedom, joy, love, and LIFE. The downside of failing to exercise self-control is that I will be subject to the control of others. How many of my daily choices are really my own and how many have been engineered by other powers seeking to exploit my vulnerabilities, my lack of walls?
Friday, October 14, 2005
Only a Matter of Time
The wise saying that themes this blog may be 3000 years old but it offers to spare the attentive listener a world of grief. The Berlin Wall may have come down and the Great Wall of China may be no more than a historical artifact but the need for walls has only increased in the 21st century. We have gated communities, the Israeli "wall of separation", fire walls for our computers, and walls around most of our valuable and vulnerable assets. The "fact of the wall" in the physical world is a handy metaphor for the need for walls in the world of the human soul.
For the most part walls are a nuisance. Walls are expensive, cause separation, restrict access, spoil the view, and serve no useful purpose 99 per cent of the time. A strong case can be made for the abandonment and neglect of walls.
A city with no walls in ancient times was vulnerable to attack from any enemy on any side. Most of the time the city is safe without a wall, but it is only a matter of time...and then the abscence of a wall is a scenario for disaster. This is the metaphor that Solomon is calling up for us. Even though I may not have put any effort into my spiritual defenses my life can go along quite smoothly, day after day, week after week, but it is only a matter of time...
The spiritual wall is our cultivated relationship with God. This relationship provides protection all the way around the human spirit. Without this wall I am at risk. The fact that I may be doing well without walls is simply the way life works. It only takes one attack to destroy an undefended city. The things that mean the most to me can be lost in a moment because I never anticipated an enemy, never prepared for the surprise attack.
In this wise saying "self-control" is the wall that Solomon has in mind. Self-control is an aspect of our relationship with God, it is listed as a "Fruit of the Spirit" in the New Testament. This is a gift of the Spirit of God that comes from listening to God and being present with God. We are so used to saying "yes" to ourselves and to our desires, desires informed constantly through verbal and visual input that comes to us indiscriminately from ever possible direction. If I believe that freedom is saying "yes" to me without attention to God then my walls are already broken down and I am vulnerable.
The wall is not intended to be restrictive but to enable us to go on enjoying life indefinitely in the space we have chosen, with the people we love, and with peace of heart. Do I think I can say "yes" to any voice that suits my interests at the moment:
"I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpents cunning, your minds may somehow be lead astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ." (II Cor. 11:3) I've been deceived before - never forget that without the wall I will be deceived again.
For the most part walls are a nuisance. Walls are expensive, cause separation, restrict access, spoil the view, and serve no useful purpose 99 per cent of the time. A strong case can be made for the abandonment and neglect of walls.
A city with no walls in ancient times was vulnerable to attack from any enemy on any side. Most of the time the city is safe without a wall, but it is only a matter of time...and then the abscence of a wall is a scenario for disaster. This is the metaphor that Solomon is calling up for us. Even though I may not have put any effort into my spiritual defenses my life can go along quite smoothly, day after day, week after week, but it is only a matter of time...
The spiritual wall is our cultivated relationship with God. This relationship provides protection all the way around the human spirit. Without this wall I am at risk. The fact that I may be doing well without walls is simply the way life works. It only takes one attack to destroy an undefended city. The things that mean the most to me can be lost in a moment because I never anticipated an enemy, never prepared for the surprise attack.
In this wise saying "self-control" is the wall that Solomon has in mind. Self-control is an aspect of our relationship with God, it is listed as a "Fruit of the Spirit" in the New Testament. This is a gift of the Spirit of God that comes from listening to God and being present with God. We are so used to saying "yes" to ourselves and to our desires, desires informed constantly through verbal and visual input that comes to us indiscriminately from ever possible direction. If I believe that freedom is saying "yes" to me without attention to God then my walls are already broken down and I am vulnerable.
The wall is not intended to be restrictive but to enable us to go on enjoying life indefinitely in the space we have chosen, with the people we love, and with peace of heart. Do I think I can say "yes" to any voice that suits my interests at the moment:
"I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpents cunning, your minds may somehow be lead astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ." (II Cor. 11:3) I've been deceived before - never forget that without the wall I will be deceived again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
