The Power For One

As Jesus prepared for the end of his time with his disciples on earth, he offered up this prayer to the Father: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (Jn 17:20-21).

That we, as followers of Jesus Christ, be one is the indisputable desire of our Lord. That we instead have been divisive and factious instead is the undeniable fact of history. The Church is divided into denominations, the denominations are divided into factions and the factions are divided into yet smaller, more finely divided groups.

The story is told of one Reformed preacher among the Puritans that said to his wife one day, "I believe that we are the only two truly regenerate people left on this earth and as of late, I am beginning to be suspect of you."  True story or not, the sentiment has been carrying the day.

Yet, we know that divisiveness and judgment of one another in Christ is anything but being in Christ. Divisiveness is being "anti-Christ."  I am not saying we are the antichrist of Scrioture but I am saying that the antichrist has a foot-hold in Christendom.

But why?  Why is this so?  How is it that we have fallen so far from the express will of our Lord Jesus Christ?  It is so because we have tried to create unity by insisting on conformity in word and deed instead of allowing the transforming power of love seal us together. How do I know this?  The Bible tells me so.

I know, historically we have focused on uniformity but look at what Jesus had to about the oneness in John 17:20-21 above: "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one---that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them" (Jn 17:22,26).

Do you see the foundation for being one?  One word: LOVE!  It is love alone that allow us to see beyond our differences to the common heartbeat for Jesus. When we love someone, we look past the differences being linked by something more powerful uniformity can ever be: a common heart.

This is the draw of a mother to her baby, a man to his wife, the glue of families. People who love each other don't insist that each other walk in lockstep, they are locked together by their deep feelings for one another, by their desire for each other's companionship, by their common love for the Savior.

The two founders of the Nineteenth Century Restoration Movement, Campbell and Stone, could hardly be more different in their approach to spirituality. One left-brain the other right. But Stone once said as he contemplated the flaws of Campbell, "I have thrown over them a blanket of love that I may see them no more."  This is the hope of the Church which is the hope of our world coming together in Christ - our nation and indeed our world can learn to be ONE if we can learn to LOVE. Jus' Say'n.

The Rest Of The Story

I always loved Paul Harvey's "The Rest Of The Story" news broadcasts in which he would in which he would share something from history, leaving out a fact until the end when he would say. "And now, the rest of the story."

The rest of the story was what completed it.  To leave that part out was to miss a crucial element. During the recent presidential campaign, much of the news regarding he candidates, I noticed, was left out, presenting what the media wanted us to hear rather than reporting the entire story.

Used cars are generally sold with a history of their "selling points"minus anything that takes away from that narrative. The courtship process leading up to marriage generally highlights the best point while minimizing or shielding the unappealing ones. It has been said that if everyone delivered I marriage what they sold while dating, there would never be any divorces. Sounds legit.

This missing part is one of the greatest reasons for misunderstanding or misinterpreting of Scripture.  For instance: "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours" (Mark 11:24) has been use to promote the "Name it and claim it" prosperity gospel in which you can insure being healthy and wealthy.

However, many find that doesn't pan out regardless of how much they ask God in prayer - that they don't get whatever they've asked for. Part of the reason is they are not looking at what the "Therefore" in the passage is there for.  Let's look at the rest of the story::

Mark 11:[22] “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. [23] “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. [25] And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

In the surrounding verses, we see the keys of faith in God, not doubting and a forgiving spirit or godly spirit. Asking in a selfish way with a lack of faith in God's power and goodness will result in you not receiving your requests: James 4:[2]" … You do not have because you do not ask God. [3] When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives …"

We must rust God and not self, asking in light of his glory and will rather in our greed and willfulness.  We "must 'seek first the kingdom and all these things will be added" (Matt 6:33)m not seek our wants out first.   

Now you know the rest of the story and you can begin to ask God for those things you believe he would want you to have, seeking his will over your own. Then you can start receiving the good God wants to shower you with.   Jus' Say'

The Gathering

Ancient Israel was all all about bringing the remaining Jews from exile back into the fold, they wanted to be made whole and would welcome any word the prophet Isaiah had to share about a gathering of God's People. Isaiah indeed did have such a message but it didn't end where they supposed: "The Sovereign Lord declares---he who gathers the exiles of Israel: “I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered'" (Isa 56:8).

Israel's picture of who God included in His Kingdom and theirs were not parallel. They included those who were cut of the same cloth as themselves but they did not realize that their cloth was but a square on the larger quilt of God's gathering. Their were many other squares which God would sew together: "And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants...these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer...for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations" (vss. 6-7).

God does not intend that just you and yours or me and mine or even us and ours to be included in His House - God's intention is universal in scope for God is "...not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Pet 3:10). God is the Father of all mankind and welcomes all who desire to come home.

The key is God's invitation, the lock is our acceptance. No one is barred from His Kingdom that accepts Hus invitation regardless of race or gender or ethnicity or color or class - all who accept God's invitation are welcome into the Gathering, even though you and I may not recognize them or acknowledge their standing.

That doesn't mean everyone is included into the Gathering for the Word plainly says, "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God---children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God" (Jn 1:19-13).

While the lock is man's acceptance, the Key is God's call.  If a lock does not accept the key as it is shaped, the key will not turn the lock. God will not force our lock open but if we accept Hus calling, He will open the door and fill us with Hus Spirit. Not only us but all who accept Hus call.  

You and I, as Christians, do not get to decide whose heart God unlocks, that is between them and God. But, we are instruments of God's calling, if we are faithful.  And, through us, God's call and Hus gathering is accomplished - even when we are not fully aware of who that may be. It is not our job to judge - ours is but to witness. God is fully responsible for the gathering.

Watch And Pray

Several decades ago, I was told the story of Restoration preacher, Raccoon John Smith sitting down with a Methodist preacher friend for a glass of ale. The Methodist, I was told, asked to pray over the ale and Raccoon John bowed with him. However the Methodist's prayer was so long that Raccoon went ahead and drank his ale. And, as the Methodist continued for some time, he drank his as well.

Finally, after what seemed an interminable amount of time praying, the Methodist preacher raised his head from prayer to find his empty glass of ale. Surprised at the disappearance of his ale, he questions Raccoon , who simply replied, "The Lord said, brother, to 'Watch and pray.'"

That, of course, is not exactly what Jesus had in mind when he said,  “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt 26:41), but it does humorously illustrate the point of watchful prayer in which one is alert to the unseen spiritual battle that is raging all around us - the battle for his heart, mind and soul.

Satan doesn't mind if you "say a prayer" but he is up in arms against one who is prayerfully communicating with the Father, mindful of God's glory and his own humanity. The one who simply says a prayer isn't engaged in the battle and is walking into the Enemy's camp having laid his spiritual weapons and armor down.  He is no threat and has no defense against the devil.

But one who pays attention to Satan's reaction to God's work and brings those concerns to the Father is a prayer warrior who is a danger to the Evil one's world and challenges his power over it. By watching and praying, we can direct our heart, mind and soul to the Father's throne; carrying our cares and concerns to lay at His feet, receiving power from on high.

The idea is to looks within yourself and around you as well, noting how you or others in your world are being attacks and specifically lay those things before the Throne. Don't just memorize prayers, remember who and what requires favor from God. And then, prayerfully and carefully bring those before the throne.  Watch and pray. Jus' Say'n.

Merry Christmas

"Merry Christmas!"  Regardless of political correctness, despite religious differences, unapologetically I wish you a Merry Christmas.  I wish you a merry Christmas as an expression of my faith and my good will toward you. Whether you believe in Christ or even have a religious bone in your body has nothing to do with my expression of good will.

If I were Orthodox Jew, I would wish you Happy Hanukkah!  If I were Muslim, I would wish you Happy Ramadan!  If I were secular African American, I would wish you Happy Kawanzaa!  On the flip side, I do not expect a Jew, Muslim, Secularist or whatever else but Christian to wish me Merry Christmas. I would accept their expression of good will coming out of their faith story, not my own.

Additionally, I don't expect any sort of greeting, in particular. I am not offended if someone just nods their head or smiles or does nothing at all. No one is required to greet me or return my greeting. If it were a friend, who ignored me, I probably would feel slighted and likely ask them what was up but otherwise, I would have no dog in the hunt and therefore would not shoot off my mouth, so to speak.

While I don't personally believe that Christ was born on December 25th, convinced it was more likely sometime in late spring or early summer, I'm ok with picking a day to celebrate a date we can't nail down with certainty. People without birth certificates have often just picked a day to celebrate. Does it really matter?  The point is celebrating the fact one is alive. And, I believe Jesus Christ is alive!

I celebrate that fact in my heart and through expressions of my faith all year long, but I do like the special emphasis in December, commercial though it may be. I believe the words of the prophet Isaiah, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (9:6), were fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ. So I celebrate and express goodwill from my faith.

How you express goodwill or if you do at all, is your choice. Whether you accept the faith basis of my goodwill or not is also irrelevant - it is an expression of mine, not yours. So, say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings or whatever your faith informs you to do. Or, say nothing at all. But please, let's all get over this childish, whining and complaining about offensive wishes of goodwill.  Accept the goodwill of another or not, but don't expect him/her to speak from your faith or lack thereof.  Jus' Say'n Merry Christmas!

Presidential Prayers

I didn't vote for Barak Obama - twice.  But I prayed for him thousands of times over the past eight years. Why?  Why would I pray for someone I did not think was right for the job?  Why would I pray for a President I felt was doing more harm than good?  Why would I pray for someone I wished had not gotten elected in the first place?

Why?  Three reasons: 1) He was President in the first place, 2) I wanted him to be a successful president and most importantly 3) God told me to. I'm not saying I came to like his socialistic agenda or his divisive style of governance, but I am saying I accepted the fact that he was my President and I lifted him up in pray even though I was not down with his presidency.

As with President Obama, I hear people saying of president-elect Trump: He's not my President!  Yeah, well actually he is. And to claim that he is not (as of January 20th) is a bit like saying, "This is not my weather!" just because you didn't ask for it or appreciate it. While I didn't vote for Obama and maybe you didn't vote for Trump; God arranged for both of the to be placed in office:

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God" (Rom 13:1).

That being so, this biblical imperative come squarely the into play: "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people---for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior" (1 Tim2:1-).

So, what am I saying?  Regardless of whether you voted for Trump or not, despite any doubts you may have about his fitness for the Office, God has allowed him in that position for the time being and as God's children, we have a responsibility to pray for his success as President.

Disagree with him, make your voice heard, write to your representatives, vote against him and his platform when possible - but pray for the President of these United States!  Pray that he will make good decisions, pray that he will used by God for good, pray that God, through our President, will bless America and the world.  Jus' Say'n.

The Spirit

I was talking to a man recently, whom I found to be quite annoying. Most of what he sad I found to be incredulous and he was obviously deflecting any attempt to drill down to the truth. Yet, we talked for more than an hour and ended with him insuring I would be coming back and securing my phone number.

How was that possible?  How is it that he could not sense my angst and my disbelief?  Because it was not me in charge of the conversation, it was the Spirit of Christ. I wasn't there to make myself feel warm and fuzzy, I was there to help support this family whose loved one is dying. I was trying to see him and respond to his hurt from the Father's perspective, not my own.

He is a man about to lose someone he has known and loved most of his life. He is a man used to being in control and now finds he has no control at all. He is hurting and afraid, and trying hard to deflect the pain of that reality. His annoying image was only a projection meant to prop up his personal world that s crumbling before his very eyes. I didn't need to feel warmly toward him, he needed me to share the love of Jesus with him.

The action point was not my feelings about his mannerisms but Christ's call on my life: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Gal 6:9-10).

In my flesh, I could easily grow weary of this individual but in the Spirit, there exists a love that will not back up, back down or back away. That Spirit allows us to do what we would not do, go where we would not go and be present for one we would not want to be with. This is the Spirit of love, this is the Spirit of Christ, by which we as Christians are to live. Jus' Say'n.

The Gathering

A fellow worker with whom politically I could hardly be further distanced and even theologically there is a good degree of separation, asked me to come in early to work so that I could pick him up after dropping his vehicle off to have new tires put on it.

Why would he ask me?  Why would he expect someone with so many geo-political, sociological and theological differences to go out of his way to help?  Because, despite our sundry differences, we share one overriding unifying factor: We serve the same Lord!

No, we don't walk in lockstep in our theological or political journey but we are both doing our best to follow Jesus Christ. Despite any differences, we mutually come together on the most important rallying point in life: Jesus Christ is King!

He has no doubt and I have no reservation of this mutual calling and heartfelt response to the voice of the Master, regardless of our intellectual musings. We are different in thought patterns but identical in heartbeat. We, from our different backgrounds and intellectual shaping, are cast from the same discipleship mold.

This, I believe is the answer to the political divide of left and right in our country - to stand in the central truth of Christ as King regardless of who is president, of binding faith over blinding faculty and the polar draw of love over the polar differences of logic.

Read with me from the prophet Isaiah: "And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all...these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer....for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations" (56:6-7).

Do you suppose all these foreigners were in agreement on all their intellectual considerations?  Do you suppose they had no social or political disagreements?  What was the specific binding point Isaiah pointed out?  All who "bind themselves to the Lord."  Read the passage again. Do you see it?  The unifying call Isaiah offers is to "love and serve the Lord."  

How about we try to do that?  Not everyone will. Not everyone even calls on the name of the Lord in this country. But what if all who do call on his name did so together in the similarity of heart regardless of the dissimilar thoughts of the mind?  What if the right and the left held hands over the Central Truth of the King Jesus?  Jus' Ask'n. 

Just One

On my way home from work yesterday, my preacher and I were talking about how important it is that we use whatever avenues we can to teach the non-negotiable truth that Jesus is the one and only way. This morning my Bible reading took me to two places that express that same truth.

First in John 3:16-18, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

And then, Matthew 26:39,42,44-45, "Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'  He went away a second time and prayed, 'My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.'  So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.  Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, 'Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.'"

The message is clear: Jesus was sent into the world to suffer death because there was simply no other way for man to be saved. Apart from him, we stand on our own and that foundation will not support us. There is no other way: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

If there was another way, God the Son would not have went to the cross. If there were another way Gd the Father would not have sent him. If there were another way, God the Spirit would have revealed that instead of the singular truth: "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (Jn 14:6). Jus' Say'n. 

Praying To Hear

I was reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes this morning and was struck with the words found in the first verse of chapter 5: "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong."

The beginning words, "guard your steps," is much the same as us saying, "watch where you are going."  The prophet is warning us, as we approach God, to be considerate of where we are going - before the very throne of God.

So why warn us about going before God?  Doesn't His Word invite us to "Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence..." (Heb 4:16)?  Certainly it does but not a confidence that comes from ourselves, rather one that comes from the Lord.

The point then is not to be fearful in approaching God but rather to be mindful.  Specifically, the prophet is warning us not to come before God with preconceived ideas of what is good and right or already having determined what God should do.  Instead, approach Him with an open heart, seeking what is good and best and right.

Consider how we approach God in prayer, telling him what we need and what others ought to have instead of seeking to find out what God wants from us and/or for us.  The difference is in calling for the Lord and calling on the Lord. Calling for is how one address a servant while calling on is subservient.

God is not a genie in a bottle for which we summon to do our bidding. Goes is the Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer and Judge of the universe. We need to approach Him with a humble spirit, asking for his guidance, for his will, for his answers to our needs, our desires, our direction.

So, the point is to be careful to,approach God with an open heart rather than an open hand.  We need to come before him asking where and how we are to go rather than telling him where and soliciting his help in getting there.

It is not that should never ask God for those things we want but rather we ought to approach him with a humbleness that "seeks first the kingdom of God..." (Matt 6:33a)  knowing that  "...all these things [earthly needs] will be given to you as well" (Matt 6:33b).  Jus' Say'n.

Thanks For That?

When I was young, my mom would tell me to be thankful in hard times that we had food too eat, that we had clothes to wear, that we had a roof over our heads.  During the hardest of times, she would point out that there were others around us who would gladly change places with us.  Regardless of the hardship, she encouraged us to be thankful.

What she said made sense and I had no doubt that she was right.  She was, after all, Mom.  And, I had heard of the starving children in Africa as well as the ones in China who were responsible for the fact that I had to eat everything on my plate.  How could I not be thankful when I had what others were dying without?

However, what God calls us to is deeper than just being thankful for what little we have, He calls us to be thankful even when that little is taken from us, even if we should be the desperate and starving ones for whom we were told to remember when we felt sorry for ourselves.  The Bible tells us to, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess 5:16-18).

More than that even, the Bible tells us to even be thankful for difficult times and the very difficulties themselves: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds" (Js 1:2).  Be thankful to the point of joyfulness for times of trials and the very hardships themselves?  What is the sense of that?

The sense is 1) God said so and 2) hard times enrich us with good character: "because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance" (v. 3).  And, the character developed in this hard times serves to mature and complete us: "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (v. 4).

We can and ought to be thankful in all circumstances, to be thankful even for the challenging circumstance, to be content regardless and to joyfully face whatever the world may throw at us, even when life seeks to take away our joy.  As Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4-13, we can rejoice and be content in all circumstances because "Christ strengthens us."

In the difficulties, even due to the circumstances, Christ is with us and gives us strength to take what the world gives and find reason to give thanks to God - even for that, that thing you are facing that seems too much to bear.  Yes, even that.  Jus' Say'n.

Enough

I remember the old Popeye the Sailor Man cartoon character getting fed up with the abuse of one bad character or another (usually Brutus) and decrying, "Enough is enough and enough is too much!"  Sometimes that is precisely the case where one has had enough of something to reach the "I can't or will not take this anymore!" state of being.

However, generally speaking, enough, is the state of being adequate in which one has enough food to eat or enough gas to make it home or enough money to make it through until next payday.  Enough generally meets the required need sufficient for the cause.

To go beyond enough can bring us into abundance and that can be a wonderful thing.  Having enough money to make it to payday is a good thing.  Having additional money to put aside for a rainy day is even better.  Having enough food to feed your family is wonderful.  Having enough food to share with others is more than welcome.

On the other hand, going beyond enough can reach a point of diminishing returns or even disastrous outcomes.  Eating enough food to satisfy hunger is a good thing.  Eating beyond enough that amount can lead to discomfort, weight gain and even a disease like diabetes.

The point is having an awareness when enough has been has been provided and stopping before one has had enough.  Yesterday, I was talking to a young couple trying to come to terms with a terminal diagnosis.  At one point, the wife said, "Thank you so much for saying that.  It has really helped me." Hearing those words and seeing that her husband was beginning to look very tired, I replied, "And there is where I will leave it for today."  I wrapped our time up with prayer and she walked me to the door again expressing how much she appreciated my visit.

I had more stuff to share with them but to have done so would have risked moving them getting from having enough to having had enough.  There is a big difference.  In Luke 22:36, contrary to what many might believe, Jesus insisted that his disciples arm themselves for self-defense as he sent them out.  When he told them to make sure they had a sword, "The disciples said, 'See, Lord, here are two swords.' 'That's enough!' he replied" (vs. 38).

Their two swords was enough to provide an acceptable level of self-defense.  For them to have carried more could have marked them as armed for a rebellion caused people to suspect them being up to no good.  Enough discipline provides needed training in a child's life but to go beyond enough can cross the threshold of abuse.  Enough is enough but having had enough is too much.

Well, have you had enough of this blog or did I give you enough to help?  I think I must stop here and allow you to reflect on that very notion.  I hope you always have enough but seldom reach the point of having had enough.  'Nuf Said."

Different But One

In response to something I said a while back regarding the "Black Lives Matters" movement, an African-American individual I've known for some time told me that I'd never understand what it was like to be a black man in this country.  My response was that I agreed but that he would never understand what it was like to be this white man.

He and I come from the me generation but our color gave us different experiences.  He faced some hardships that I did not have to face, but I have faced loses that he has yet to face.  I don't know what it means to grow up in an inner city ghetto but he doesn't know what it's like to live in the country without electricity or indoor plumbing.

I didn't grow up having to depend on government assistance.  He didn't have to hoe a garden, wring chicken necks and chop wood for survival.  I'll never quite understand black life in the hood; he'll never quite understand white life in the woods.

I will never know what it's like to sit in an over-crowded class in an under-funded school with an over-worked and frazzled teacher trying her best under some of the worst conditions.  He will never know what it is like to sit in a one-room school with one overwhelmed teacher trying to teach eight separate grades at one time without even the convenience of an indoor toilet.

The simple fact was that both of us had our own difficulties and challenges that the other will never quite understand.  It would be easy to say that one or the other had an advantage.  But the truth is that we both had some advantages and disadvantages not shared by the other.  His life was difficult in ways I'll never understand and mine was equally a mystery to him.

But what we share in common is a Savior that fully understands us both, "who has been tempted in every way, just as we are —yet he did not sin" (Heb 4:15).  We both serve a God who invites us to approach his "throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (v. 16).

Our color and our culture and our childhood do not provide common ground upon which we can stand but our common commitment to the Christ provides a rock foundation upon which we both can and will stand for eternity in a oneness of spirit that the world can never truly understand.  Jus' Say'n.

Too Much

I was talking with a surviving veteran widow yesterday morning, who was asking me what she could do about the fact that Social Security was going to take back some money that was apparently overpaid for a few months and the VA had informed her there would be a change in how they paid her.  She wanted to know what she could do to mitigate the combined assault on her meager income.

I went over her income and allowable deductions and tried to anticipate what the VA would or would not do, but there was simply nothing I could see that she could do to preempt what was about to happen.  She finally said to me, "If they take the full amount out or the VA change is against me, I just don't know what I'll do."

What do you do about something that is out of or beyond your control?  What do you do when nothing within your power is powerful enough to effect the change you want or hope or need to see?  You stop trying to "lasso the moon."  When something is beyond your reach, it's time to stop reaching for it and turn to one who can.

I was in Sam's the other day and a very short woman turned to a very tall man and asked, "Would you hand me that box?"  The box was a good foot or more beyond this little old lady's reach and she wasn't wearing any Nikes, reaching or jumping was simply not going to happen.  She made a better choice than just continuing to stretch or hop, she put it into the hands of someone who could reach it.

When Jesus shared the parable comparing a rich man entering the kingdom and a camel passing through the eye of a needle, his followers asked, "Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God" (Lk 18:26-27).

The answer becomes clear: While it is impossible for you and I to attain the unattainable, it is not for God and therefore we must stop reaching for the unreadable and turn to God, who is always within reach.  As Jesus promised, "Come unto me, all who are heavy burdened [pressed beyond your ability] and I will give you rest [provide the help that gives you relief], take my yoke upon you [let me provide the extra pull that is simply too much]...you will find rest for your souls [I will help you do what you cannot do]" (Matt 11:28-30).

When you've done all you can do, gone as far as you can go, reached the limit of your ability, it's time to turn it over to God who can bless your effort and provide the additional help or strength or resource to accomplish the good He would have in your life.  Jus' Say'n.

A Thorny Issue

A thorny issue for many Christians rises when God isn't answering their prayers or doesn't seem to be or isn't answering them as they deem appropriately.  Facing the death of a loved one, a financial meltdown, a personal health issue, a failing marriage, a job loss, or whatever life challenge lies before you; why doesn't God fix it?

There you are, a child of God, facing a painful situation and your prayers seemingly go unheeded.  Why would God simply ignore you?  The simple answer: He wouldn't.  God does not ignore His children: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us---whatever we ask---we know that we have what we asked of him" (1 Jn 5:14-15).

God hears and God answers but "according to his will" not ours.  While we may not understand it or like it even a little bit, God determines how your prayer ought to be answered, not you.  You turn to God in your pain or need and ask Him for what you think is the proper remedy but that doesn't mean God agrees.  And God, not you or me, knows what is best, all things considered.

That is where we often times miss the boat.  We pray with our personal circumstances or the circumstances of those we love in mind.  God, however, answers mindful of circumstances we don't have in mind.  Our vision and understanding is limited but God's is not.  While we may be thinking of the pain, He may be looking at the gain.

The apostle Paul prayed three times for "a thorn" to be removed but God refused saying, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor 12:9).  Without going too deeply into the theology of the passage for sake of time, Paul's perception of a terrible hindrance was actually an opportunity for God's power to be more fully evidenced in his life.

It wasn't just about Paul but rather how the Lord could bring about the most good in Paul's life, good that Paul might otherwise have missed and benefit he might never have realized.  Whether Paul understood the timing or the reasoning was not the point - God is always good and is always right.

However, his answers reflect all things considered, not just the things near to us, dear to us or clear to us.  Just like a loving parent might refuse to give a child the candy asked for, presenting something green instead.  Or prevent them from running after their ball that is rolling toward a busy street. So God looks beyond the moment, beyond our sight, beyond our ability to fully grasp and answers accordingly.  When God's answers feel thorny, it's because there is a point behind them.  Jus' Say'n.

One

The old Beatles' song lamenting "One is the loneliest number" certainly rings true in the sense of being out on your own with no one to love or support you.  Being part of a community is a basic need that humanity shares.  There are very few true "lone wolves," most preferring and even needing to travel in a pack.

However, "one" can be the most inclusive number in the sense of unity or being one in spirit or purpose or fellowship.  There is safety, mutual support and camaraderie when a group pulls together as one.  And, from the outside looking in, there is a message of familial love and group support that is appealing and compelling.

As misplaced as it may be, that is the draw of inner-city gangs that promise a place where one belongs, where one finds safety, support and solace.  But if you take that oneness away, even a church with a spot on message of mercy and grace and salvation has little or no appeal.  People aren't convinced of our Christian claim if we exhibit a fellowship farce.

It is not the message that "we are the one true church" that appeals to the hearts and minds of mankind, it is the mingling of hearts and minds of the church community that proves our case.  As Jesus so plainly put it, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (Jn 13:35).

Perhaps the greatest failure of the Christendom is the lack of that unity, that the church is anything but one having been divided over the centuries into countless denominational groups that approach each other with suspicion and often animosity if they approach one another at all.  With the amount of finger-pointing, bickering and outright condemnation from one church group to another, it is a wonder anyone ever hears the message of Christ.

This "lack of one," this division of spirit, purpose and common regard results in a serious weakening of the church, the family and the nation.  Look how each has deteriorated in our country.  For our country to truly be "Great Again," this oneness is critical.  We need the strengthening of the bonds of fellowship in our families, in the Christian Community and in our nation itself.

Jesus warned us two millennia ago: “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand" (Matt 12:25).  An Lincoln reiterated two centuries ago on the occasion of being selected as Illinois' Republican senator, speaking our against slavery: "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

Nothing has changed since the time of our Lord or of Lincoln.  We face perilous times from a position of weakness that can only be overcome by our coming together in our families, our Christian community and our nation.  Jus' Say'n.

In God We Trust?

It's right there on our currency, "In God We Trust."  But do we?  Or perhaps a better question: In what God do we trust?  In whom or what do we trust?  Well, as a nation born out of a pursuit for religious freedom and one in which 90% are religious and 70% affirm the Christian Faith - it is certainly God or at least a god in whom we trust.  Right?  Yeah, not necessarily.

Being religious doesn't mean that one even looks beyond his own nose to find the object of his trust: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people---robbers, evildoers, adulterers---or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get'" (Lk 18:10-12).

Some people, like the Pharisee above, seem to believe that the axis of the universe runs directly through themselves.  He viewed himself as the center of his world and the source of his righteousness.  He is kind of like the student who only asks a question in order to showcase how much he/she knows.  Or the employee who asks his boss for an opinion only to have an opportunity to give his/her own.  Or the reporter who poses a question only to point out his pre-conceived notion.

Many are so full of themselves that they become a god unto themselves.  Others only project out a bit further to locate their god.  They put their trust in a good education, a good job, good health as glory in how healthy, wealthy and/or wise they may be.  For many, it is no further than the US currency in their pocket or stocks in their portfolio or the amount in their IRA.  Americans, too often look to the money upon which the inscription, In God We Trust, instead of God himself.

Let me tell you from personal experience that the things we possess are only an illusion, which can evaporate in a moment.  I had a business, a new house, money in the bank and a retirement plan that all disappeared as medical bills overwhelmed my late wife and me a losing battle with cancer.  Health, wealth and wise planning did not sustain me.  In the end, none were left.

I was left with but one thing to sustain me - my faith in God. And I found that when I lost everything but faith in Him, He was all that I needed.  God alone is worthy of our trust for God alone will remain when everything else leaves us to our self.  Treasures of earth, just as Jesus warned in Matthew 6:19, will run out rust out or be taken away, but the Treasure of heaven will endure.

While everything else in which we might trust will fade, God alone will never leave us (cf. Jn 14:18) - He is worthy of our trust and He alone will prove trustworthy.  In God We [should] Trust.  Do you?  Jus' Ask'n.

Atheists' Christmas Billboards

I recently saw a news report about atheists putting up billboards denouncing Christmas.  I went to Google and found several examples such as "Who Needs Christ for Christmas?  Nobody!"  Really?  Apart from Christ, there is no Christmas.  If there were no Christ, there would be no Christmas.  Whatever some choose to make of Christmas, it only and ever began because of our recognition of God's Gift to mankind - Christ.

But why do atheists go to so much trouble to debunk the meaning of Christmas if they believe the whole thing to be a myth?  Why is there such a resistance to others celebrating the birth of someone they don't think ever existed?  I don't hear them rearing up against Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny.  No one cares if you believe in myths. They may feel you are foolish or silly or sad, but there is no need to make a big deal of it.

But, there is a need for atheists to make a big deal about our faith in Christ and our celebrating his birth.  Why?  Because they are threatened by our faith.  They are threatened by the very thought of a divine standard of good and evil.  They are threatened by the truth that man is not the zenith of all things, self-made and self-determined.

There is something in them that wars against the very idea of God, of Someone to whom man must answer, to whom man must one day yield.  But if they really believed, in their core, that there was no God, no Christ to be in Christmas, how could they be threatened?  Why wouldn't they simply shake their heads at the silliness of we Christians?  Because, in their core is a spark of divine that begins to burn when the truth is being revealed around them and their inner darkness is challenged by the light.

Man is made in the image of God (cf. Gen 1:27) and that image burns within us even as many try to cover it over and snuff it out.  Regardless of our desire to be other, we are children of God - often rebellious children, but children nonetheless.  It is the reality of God, of His Son of His Spirit that calls our spirits that creates their concern, their hostility, their desire to remove His very name from the public square.

You really can't take Christ out of Christmas, he is the only reason it came to be in the first place.  Atheists and those of non-Christian beliefs of any stripe can choose not to celebrate Christmas just as we can choose to celebrate it.  Why not, in this era of so-called tolerance, do not the atheists just tolerate our choice to worship as we tolerate their choice not to?  Jus' Ask'n.

No Religious Affliation

Before I visit one of my new hospice patients, I read over the admission assessment and the facesheet which gives me a good snapshot of their history.  One of the things I'm always sure to look for is their religious background - it helps me know how to begin speaking to them from a spiritual perspective.

This one particular patient's chart indicated that he had "No Religious Affiliation," which would suggest that he was not particularly religious and would not likely want me to come in quoting the Bible talking about religious things in general.

What I did do was ask him, "How are you doing today?"  He answered, "I'm doing pretty good today."  I then said, "You know, that's just how Jesus said to approach life, one day at a time: 'Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of it's own" (Matt 6:34).

He nodded in agreement saying, "That's very profound."  I nodded back and went on to talk about the fact that while God never gives us more than we can handle each day, that each day has enough but not too much trouble, we often tend to take the worries of tomorrow and the regrets of yesterday, and pile the on top of today's problems - then we come to the breaking point.

We had a very open and productive conversation based, not on religion but on the words of Jesus as a guide.  I didn't ask him about his church background or tell him mine.  I didn't bring up any religious points or have any religious agenda, I just asked him how he was doing and supported his feeling with the words of Christ.

From that point forward, we talked a lot about faith and spiritual truths.  As it turns out, he has a good deal of faith in Christ but not much in the church.  I wasn't there to get him into a church, I was there to give him spiritual support and give rise to his faith, and sharing the words of Jesus is the best way to provide that foundation and lay the groundwork for hope in what can be a hopeless circumstance.

I didn't come to him with a prepared speech or with a particular agenda of what religious truths he needed to hear at that moment.  I came, asking the Holy Spirit for guidance and bringing the light of Christ into the darkness of one's terminal state.  I did not dwell on the fact of his dying but on the reality of his being alive for today and sharing words of life coming from the Source of Life.

You can do the same.  It doesn't need to be a hospice patient who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.  We are all dying and we all have a sense of our mortality. Regardless of religious affiliation, everyone needs to hear the words of life and as Peter said to Jesus, when asked if he planned to walk away from Jesus: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (Jn 6:68).  Jus' Say'n.

Praying Without Words

I have often heard people lament, "I don't know how to pray, I just don't know what to say."?  Perhaps you feel that way yourself.  While the words just seem to roll off the tongue of others, your tongue just seems to roll up in your mouth refusing to allow even a syllable to slide down to tip, let alone an entire sentence to leap into the airways giving voice to your concerns or praise.

So what do you do when you just don't know the words to say or the construct in which to put them?  How does one pray without words, without knowing what to say?  Just say that!  What?  Just begin to praying admitting you don't have the words, that you don't know what to say.

When you sincerely want to communicate with God, you don't have to put together a well planned, liturgically accurate, grammatical masterpiece.  You only need to come before God with the desire to communicate, to open the heart flow between you and our Father.  It isn't what you say, it's why you want to say it.  Sometimes, as Randy Travis put it in song, "You say it best when you say nothing at all."

God understands our inabilities, he made us.  When we are unable to pray, "...the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans" (Rom 8:26).  When we can't, He can.  When our words stick to our tongues like glue, the Father retrieves them: "And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God" (v. 27).

The other day, I was talking to a young man who had just lost his bride of four years.  He was in terrible pain, I didn't know anything to say that could take away his pain or even really help in the moment so I just admitted my inability, relying on the Spirit to help communicate my care and concern.  The young man replied to me, "It helps just to have someone to talk to, someone to listen to me.  I appreciate it more than you can know."

I didn't know what words to use or how to put them, but God did.  In that conversation, the Spirit was at work between us and what I felt was of little help turned out to communicate between my heart and his enough so that as we ended our conversation, he said to me, "I would really like it if you would just check in on me again, if we could talk some more."  I assured him I would. Be in contact this week.  And do you know what?  I have no idea what I will say.  But God does.

Prayer is a conversation with God.  Just like between the young man and myself.  We need to communicate with God not because we have words to say but because there is something to communicate.  Let God be in charge of the words, just come to him in the spirit of prayer, just come with the desire to open communication between His heart and yours.  He will make it so.  Jus' Say'n.

Normal

Do you ever feel weird, different or just a few degrees off plum?  Do you ever wish your child wasn't so hyper, so chatty, so quiet?  Do you ever find yourself trying hard to fit into the crowd but just don't quite find a place?  Do you ever feel like a square peg individual in a round hole world?

Would you like to know why?  It is because you're not normal!  There, it has been said.  YOU ARE NOT NORMAL!  By the way, neither am I nor the person down the street or around the world.  While we tend to try to fit in with the herd, we were not made to be another of the same, you were made a unique individual: "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Ps 139:14).

We are not made to be another just like the other, to go with the flow, to be one of the many - we were designed with skills, abilities, bents, attributes and inclinations that make us different - that prevents us from being normal or one more of the same.  Imagine if that were not true.  How boring would life be?  What if your spouse were just like you?  What if everyone at the office were just like you?  What if everyone you knew was just like you?  Are you thinking Zombie Apocalypse yet?

Listen to what the Bible has to say: "Now if the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body" (1 Cor 12:15-20).

We don't have to go along to get along.  We don't need to be like the rest to be a part of the group.  We don't need to be normal - we need to be ourselves, the person God made you, made me, made others to be.  Then we can bring into the group our unique vision, talent, likes, understanding and abilities to enhance the community - to bring what God gave each one of us to the mix.

We don't have to go along to get along.  Instead, we need to bring along those quirky, weird, unusual, different qualities and find a way to fit them into the whole, to find your place in the community not just take up another space.

Who wrote the book of normal?  And why would we want to be normal anyway?  Why not be who God made you to be and add flavor and spice to the world?  Don't be normal, be you.  Don't parrot the party line, add your insight.  Don't just join the crowd, increase the community.  Be the fearfully and wonderfully made individual God made you to be.  Jus' Say'n.

Blessing Bad

In the AMC television series, "Breaking Bad," mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher, Walter White thinks life can hardly get worse with his salary barely covering the bills, his wife getting pregnant as they struggle caring for a teen with cerebral palsy when he is diagnoses with terminal cancer.

As the burdens of life pile up, Walter is weighed down to the breaking point wherein he chooses to turn an old RV into a meth lab on wheels in order to make as much money as he can so he can provide for his family both as he comes to his end and beyond.

Experiencing a number of bad breaks, Walter breaks bad himself and chooses a path that winds up costing him the family that he sought to protect and provide, while turning him into a criminal he never dreamed he would be and hating his life in a way he never imagined.

It is easy to sympathize with Walter's struggle and hard not to applauded his efforts to provide for his family, regardless of the fact that we know how wrong producing such a terrible drug to be released into society actually is and the hurt it causes to others.   There is a sense that he is simply being swept away by forces beyond his control.  Seriously, how can one blame him?

Well, I can't blame him for circumstances beyond his control or his feeling of being overwhelmed and backed into a corner.  But he is responsible for his decision to hang on to his bad fortune, compounding it with bad choices that lead him in a spiraling down pattern of destruction instead of offering them up to God who "...works for the good of those who love him..." (Rom 8:28).

Paul isn't promising that God insures that only good things and good outcomes happened to his children but he is saying that God can bring good out of terrible loss, pain and suffering.  His promise  assures us that far from being the end, that suffering can be groundwork of a new beginning as we "...glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame..." (Rom 5:3-5)

I know what it is like to face a future where there appears to be no way to continue, nothing but loss on the horizon.  I know what it is like to lose my home, my business, my savings, my personal property and even my wife - everything; everything, that is, except my faith in God and his goodness.

Do I understand why it happened?  No, not really.  I do understand how.  But ore importantly, I understand Who, Who it was and is that stands by me, giving me strength and making a way in the  providing "songs in the night" (Ps 77:6).

Here's the point: While we may not know how or even agreed with what God allows, God is in the business of blessing bad - of making good come out of the ashes of evil.  Whatever it is that you are going through, do not choose to go it alone, taking matter in your own hands.  Go with God, and allow him to bless the bad instead of you turning from the good.  Jus' Say'n.

Displacing Fear

Fear is a powerful motivator.  It can cause us to run in a panic or freeze in place.  It can cause us to do things we never thought we would or could.  It can keep us from doing what we know we can and should. Fear can override most other motivators but there is one to which fear must take a back seat: Love!

While a burning building produces more than a sufficient amount of fear to keep us at a safe distance, just watch a mother run directly into that inferno to save a child.  The fact that she is running into harm's way is completely displaced by the fact that the child she loves is in mortal danger.  Staring down the barrel of a loaded gun is normally motivation enough to do just what one is told but not nearly enough if you believe the gunman is about to do harm to your wife or family.

Just how far will you go for your wife, your kids, your friends, your country?  The only limit is the amount of love you have for them.  If there is sufficient love, there is no boundary fear can erect that you cannot cross, no threat you cannot face, no outcome you won't risk.  Fear cannot take you to a place where love forbids nor keep you from what love demands.

Fear loses its power where love abounds: "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love" (1 Jn 4:18).  Even standing before Almighty God, where fear would be the most natural response for a mere mortal, His love and our love for Him leaves no room for it.  Because of love, our fear is displaced and we can "approach God's throne of grace with confidence" (Heb 4:16).

So, here's the deal in facing any and all our fears: God loves us and he "will not leave [us] as orphans" (Jn 4:18 - not 1 Jn 4:18).  Therefore, to the degree we believe in God's power to rescue and in his love for us, that is the degree to which we can displace fear of any and everything.  Even when we "walk through the valley of the shadow of death,  [we] will fear no evil because [He} is with [us]" (Ps 23:4).

Tired of living in fear?  Displace it by living in love, knowing and feeling God's love regardless of the fearful circumstances, assured that God's got this and eternal life is the final outcome of our lives.  Jus' Say'n.

Purpose

In answer to the age old theological question, "Are we saved by faith or by works?", the answer is, "No."  The Bible is very clear in saying, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith---and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Eph 2:8).

We are saved "by grace."  Notice the specific qualifier that follows, "this is not from yourselves."  It is not something you earn or arrange by your power, "it is the gift of God."  As the apostle Paul put it, We are "children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God" (Jn 1:13).

We no more earn or arrange our place in God's family than a baby his/her own birth.  Our salvation is His doing from first to last.  Our part is to accept or reject His gift just as Joshua called on the ancient Israelites to do: "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" (Josh 24:15).

Notice here that the choice is free, there is no earning, only accepting or rejecting.  However, that doesn't mean that faith isn't important for who would accept what he doesn't believe?  And it doesn't mean there is no working for who wouldn't serve the God who created him and in whom he believes?

The point to get here is one of positioning.  It is not whether works or faith have a place but where we place them.  They do not come before the offer of God's gift but after.  God's gift is freely offered and then we believe in Him, receiving his gift and then, having received it, we begin to live and work in his kingdom as a part of his family: "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Eph 2:10).  It is not "do to be created" but "created to do."

What this means is that, in Christ, we all have purpose - work to accomplish that is ours alone.  Someone else may have to do it if we are not faithful to do what God purposes, but it was purposes for us nonetheless.  God charges the husband to be the spiritual leader in the home but if he will not, the wife may have to take the reins.  Your boss my have charged you with getting out a report but if you cannot or will not, he may well assign that task to someone else - but, it was still your responsibility as purposes by your boss.

I don't know what all God has or had purposed for me.  I don't know if I fulfill or have fulfilled all that has been purposed.  But I daily see things that God wants me to do as expressed in His Word (love, give, help).  I may never again be called to preaching or missions or the like, but I and you, as children of God, are charged "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Gal 6:10).  Purpose!  Jus' Say'n.

I Am...

If the words "I am" were placed before you and you were being asked to complete the sentence, what would you add?  Would you identify yourself with your weight?  I am fat, skinny, average...  Would you self-identify with your age?  I am old, young, middle age...  Would you fill in the blank with what others say about you - and, if so, from which others?  For instance, Tim Tebow was named a Heisman Trophy winner but was also told by "analysts" that he couldn't throw - from which should he accept his identity?

Some days you feel like a winner, on others you feel like a total loser - which is your identifier?  You've received the "Employee of The Month Award" in the past but lately you haven't even received a pat on the back.  Which employee would you say your are - the best or just one of the rest?  You have a picture of yourself as a beautiful young bride and one as a grey, wrinkled, gravity-challenged great-grandmother?  With which do you identify?  You received metals for weight-lifting, now your broad shoulders have been replace with rotund middle and the most weight you lift is when you get out of a chair.  Which you do you allow to define you?

The problem with most self-identifier, whether we accept them from others or we come up with them ourselves, is that they are opinions based on a reflection in a moment in time.  The speak of aspects of self that are changing and will continue to change.  Young become old and continues to age.  Weight goes up and comes down and goes up or down again.  You may out perform, over achieve or flop entirely depending on circumstances beyond your control or on how well you are feeling at a particular moment in time.  While God "does not change like the shifting shadows" (Js 1:17), we do.

Are age, weight, looks, earning capacity, mental acuity, physical stamina, etc., will all change.  The opinions of other about us will constantly change depending on their perception of what or how we are doing at a particular time in our lives.  How you feel about yourself can go up and down like a yo-yo.  You are a changing entity in a changing environment.  Your identity - the way you would complete the statement, "I am...," necessarily changes too - except when...

...except when you accept the unchanging identity that come from the unchanging God, who "...chose us in him before the creation of the world [and]...In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will" (Eph 1:4-5).  The one identifier that never changes is "I am loved by God!"  This reflection is timeless and changeless.  When someone asks you what you know for sure, you can say, "I am loved by God!"  When you are asked to identify your self, regardless of time or circumstance, you can say "I am loved by God!"  Jus' Say'n.

Loving Me

When asked what was the greatest Commandment, Jesus replied: “ 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matt 22:37-40).

Jesus' answer to the question meant as a test from a religious scholar schooled the one posing it.  His answer was not only correct, it was corrective.  To love God with your whole being is our highest calling and the greatest Commandment but in order to do that one must first love others around him: "Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen" (1 Jn 4:20).

And, before we can love others, we must first love ourselves.  While sounding counterintuitive, self-love is the foundation of godly love.  It also seems odd to suggest that one has to be instructed to love him/herself.  But it is indeed needed for people are often found to be loathing rather than loving self - the real self.

The self we want to be, try to be, hold out as being; that self is fairly easy to love.  But our real self, the self we keep hidden, the self we deny, the selfish self we wish didn't exist - that self we find hard to love and so often do not.  That self we want and want other to believe isn't really us.

Like the Pharisee in Luke 18:11-12 who "stood by himself and prayed: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people---robbers, evildoers, adulterers---or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get,'" we too may try to deny that self even before God.  But like tht Pharisee, we do not fool God even if indeed we might be fooling ourselves.

The fact is that we all "sin and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23), we all struggle with selfishness in our true self, our unwelcome and unloved self, that self we wish didn't exist and we have so much trouble loving.  You know the one I'm talking about, don't you?  Yes, of course you do.

Yet, it is exactly that self that God loves - loves enough to have sent His only Son to die for us (cf. Jn 3:16) that we might forever live with Him.  God knows our true self and loves him/her to the nth degree.  We don't have to hide our true self from God, we don't have to despise our true self.  Quite the contrary, we need to love him/her enough to free share that self and accept the love God has for our true self so that we can truly feel His love.

In fact, in order to truly receive anyone's love, we must learn to love ourselves, thinking ourselves worthy of love.  Not that we should excuse the selfishness but that we should admit it's reality so that we can allow true self to be transformed by God's love and the love of others, even our own love.  Jus' Say'n.

The Lie

From the time we are very small, we are told, "You can be anything you want to be - you just have to work hard and pursue your goal."  And, the idea that everything is within our grasp if we'll just stretch ourselves and reach out for it is both inviting and compelling but it simply isn't true.

Millions of young boys and girls dream of playing professional sports but only a few actually have the raw skill, the physical makeup and the opportunity to even be considered.  How many dream of being Olympic Champions but how few have that drive, have the support and have the resources to make that journey.  While we say any boy or girl can grow up to be President of the United States, there are actually very few that are ever in the position to have even the slightest chance.

The truth regarding a position like the presidency is that "there is no authority except that which God has established" (Rom 13:1).  It is God, not man who determines those positions. With man, there are things that are impossible but not with God (cf. Matt 19:26).  And God does not promise us the ability to do anything we want, he promises us the power to do anything within His will for us:

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us---whatever we ask---we know that we have what we asked of him" (1 Jn 5:14-15).

You can have all that God has desired for you if you will seek and embrace His calling.  But what he has in mind for you may look nothing like success as the world counts success.  Did the leather-wearing, locust and honey-eating John the Baptist look like a success in the eyes of the world?  But was he?  Did the apostles, who were virtually all put to death for their preaching, look like typical successes?  But were they?

Does a man or woman have to be well educated and well off to be a success?  Are all those people, many of whom lost their families and their health in the pursuit of wealth and power, really successful?  On this Thanksgiving Day, is it only the rich, the famous, the powerful that have something for which to be thankful?  Are all of them thankful - do all of them even think they have reason for which to give thanks?

In contrast to the person dream-reaching, wealth-making, power-grabbing Western concept of success, are the powerful words of the apostle Paul: "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength" (Phil 4:12-13).

That same apostle penned, "Rejoice always...give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess 5:16, 18).   The truth, this Thanksgiving and always, is that God has gifts for us for which we are to receive and for which we are to be thankful.  Living in this county is one of those gifts.  Knowing Christ is the greatest of all gifts.  If you live in this country and you have a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ - give thanks to God!

Getting what you want in order to be happy is a lie. Many people get what they want and are terribly unhappy - just look at the failed marriages, the sour businessmen, the therapy bills of Hollywood elites.   Happiness is receiving what God has in store for you, being who God called you to be.  Having what God allows is reason for Thanksgiving.  Jus' Say'n.

Who Am I?

In Twelve Step Programs, it is common to introduce oneself using his/her addiction: "Hello, my name is Larry, I'm an alcoholic or drug addict or sexual addict or over eater or liar."  The notion is to admit what you are as a first step in overcoming your addiction.  I understand and agree with the premise.

However, admitting what one is can often bleed over into who one is.  We can begin to see ourselves as primarily as alcoholics or addicts or liars or losers or fill in the blank with whatever bad trait, compulsion or sin you may be struggling with - the problem of self-identification with the deficit can be defeating and is simply to true.

You may have an addiction but you are not, at your core, an addict.  You may struggle with telling lies, even when the truth would be just as easy to tell, but you are not, at your core, a liar.  You may be able to eat like a pig at a trough full of truffles, but you are not, at your core, an overwater.  All these are flaws or weaknesses or sins you may indeed be guilty of but they do not define you.

Would you like to hear who you are at your core?  Are you ready for the real you to stand up?  Are you ready to look past the mirrors that reflect your flaws, past the fingers that point out your failures, past the memories that reflect your sins and into the eyes of the One who created you, the one One who determined who you really are, the One who made you in His image?

Listen to the One who really knows you, all the way to your core: “In the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'children of the living God'" (Rom 9:26).  Are you hearing that, really hearing that you are "a child of the living God!"  Regardless of all the things you may be struggling with, given in to, chosen to follow, failed at, etc., you are not any of those things, they are things with which you deal - you are a child of the living God!

I don't know if you've accepted your rightful place, if you've embraced who God made you to be, if you've allowed the grace of God through the blood of Christ to cleanse you from all your sins and fill you with His Holy Spirit, but I know that you are a child of the living God.  You may have run away from your roots, you may have denied your true identity, you may have rejected His offer of mercy and forgiveness.  But, nonetheless, you are His child.

As a child of God, you are of incredible worth, you have a calling that is above all the world can offer, you have a home waiting for you in your Father's house, you have the power of His Spirit to overcome every sin and flaw and failure you have or have ever been saddled.  Don't accept those deficits as the definition of you.  Embrace God's design in you - be known as a child of God!

Jesus calls those of us who are heavy burdened, by sin or sickness or saddens or selfishness, to come to him and get in his yolk with him so that he can help us plow through those struggles and enjoy the benefit of a co-heir with him (cf. Mt 11:28-30).  He provides the truth to the question, "Who Am I?" - you only need accept your place at the table as a child of God.  Jus' Say'n.

A New Song

As rich and powerful and famous as King David became, he did not live what one would call a "charmed life."  His ups were counterbalanced with downs.  His advances were returned in retreats.  His gains were emptied in losses.  He was anointed king only to be exiled by a jealous king he was to replace.  His own son started a resurrection against him and put him on the run again.  No, his life was not one of continual ease, but it was one blessed by God in, throughout and beyond his struggles.

Listen to the words of David as he describes the depth to which he would sink and what God would do: "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him" (Ps 40:1-3).

In those times when David would sink into the pit and begin swimming in mud, he would turn to God and God would overturn his despair, setting his feet on rock-solid ground once again.  And then, he would give him a new song.  This is an important point to get: When God pulls you out of the mire, he sets you on new ground and gives you a new song.

It is up to you, however, to stand on this new ground and sing this new song.  It is not a time to start looking back like Lot's wife when they were being freed from the pit known as Sodom and was turned into a pillar of salt (cf. Gen 19:26).  Recovering drug addicts often are sunk back in the pit when they hook up with old friends in familiar places.  Formerly abused wives are known to return to the man who beat them and does so once again.

Perhaps the saddest is the one who loses a spouse or a child and sinks into the mire of depression, tearfully lamenting that life can never be the same, which it cannot, but life can be.  And God can give them a new song, a new beginning standing on a rock-solid new way of living that embraces the joy and the beauty and the wonder that God can provide - even after unthinkable loss.

By accepting His new song, we not only find joy again but we give hope to others who suffer loss, allowing them to see the glory of God who breathes new life into a life that has ended and gives new hope when all hope is gone.  Living in the pain of your loss will not be of benefit to anyone, least of all you.  But embracing the new life, singing the new song God has written for you will!  It will allow you to experience the joy of the Lord and allow others to see it in you and be drawn to the Father.  Jus' Say'n.

Maps

We live in a world of GPS (Global Position Satellite) that can track where we are and take us to where we want to go - most of the time.  One of the problems I've found with GPS is that you don't necessarily know where you're actually going or where you actually are because you tend to rely on the little voice in the box to direct you one turn after the other, which works great - when it works.

I asked Siri on my iPhone, the other day, to take me to an address on a street named Black Jack.  Siri promptly took me to a street named Blackjack in an entirely different town, in the opposite direction from the place I actually wanted to go.  My driving experience was doubled on a day when my time was already compressed.

As cumbersome as maps can be, the thing that makes them more dependable is that you can actually see where you are, where you're going and everything in between; as well as everything all around.  You get to see, from the start to the finish, the totality of you journey.  The problem with that, as comforting as it may be to be sure of where you are going and what lies in between is that the mapping out of a journey depends on your skill, which may not be adequate for the journey.

In the journey of life, most would prefer a map over a GPS so we can see what's up ahead at every turn, what we can expect, how things are going and how they we'll be developing along the way.  Unfortunately, life doesn't come with such a map.  We are not privy to everything that's up ahead: "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow..." (Js 4:14).

We know death is up ahead somewhere for "...people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" (Heb 9:27), but we don't know what's in between and it's only in Christ we know what comes up afterward as the apostle assures, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 Jn 5:13).

We can have eternal security, we can know where we are going in Christ, but even in Christ, we are not privy to what may be along the road for he does not lay out a map to detail the journey.  Jesus simply says, "Come, follow me" (Mt 4:19).  We know heaven is at the journey's end but not what may be in between - for that, we must trust in Him.

I use GPS because, as imperfect as it may be, it is measurably better than my mapping skills.  It gets me there faster and easier and more accurately than I would with a map spread out on the car seat beside me.  In life, I follow Jesus because he is always faithful, always true, always dependable.  I know that I can trust him to get me to my final destination regardless of the road conditions or the challenges of the journey.

I don't need a map to plot out a course when I can simply follow the Master.  Jus' Say'n.

Milk or Meat

When I hear of safe spaces, free speech zones (as opposed to free speech period), mid-terms being postponed because election results weren't favorable, counsellors being made available for the same reason, and a general sense of mollycoddling of college students who are preparing to enter into the adult world as leaders and captains of industry, I want to send them a blankie, a bottle of milk and a ticket back to their parents' home for a little more incubation time.

Comparing these young adults to the young men and women of our armed forces, who live in the harshest of conditions, face bullets and IEDs, return to the States with wounds and injuries that have altered their lives forever, is like comparing rising stars and Moon Pies - there is no comparison, only contrast.

Something very wrong happened on their way to growing up to face a world of challenges and disappointments.  In the real world of winning and losing, acceptance and rejection, first and last, top and bottom - they have been conditioned to believe that effort equals outcome, that showing up equals measuring up, that participation equals performance, that everyone is a winner regardless of the numbers on the scoreboard.

For them, to face the fact that their voice wasn't heard over everyone else's is shocking.  For these "not ready for prime time," not quite grown up adults, chewing on the gristle of defeat or rejection or loss or disagreement or challenges to their world view - anything that doesn't result in stroking of their fragile self-images is simply too much.

The simple fact is that at a time in life when they should be sharpening the sword of readiness to enter into a world of in-you-face competition and demands that can be daunting, these young people are being held over in a nursery, suckling on bottles of milk instead.  Their state of being reminds me of the words found in the Book of Hebrews:

"In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!  Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil" (vss. 12-14).

At some point, we have to grow up and accept the fact that things won't always go our way, that we really don't get a trophy just for participation, that we won't always be treated fairly, that others will say and do things we find objectionable, that our ideas will sometime be shot down, that being offended is a part of having sensibilities not a reason to seek out counseling or court action.  At some point, everyone needs to retire the milk bottles and reach for a piece of meat with the bone and chew on the realities of adulthood along with the challenges of life.

Being an adult does come with some heartaches and disappointment, but it also comes with a sene of accomplishment and the development of the mind, body and soul as you face the challenges.  And, the really Good News is that regardless of the battles we may face in this world, Jesus has already overcome this world (cf. Jn 16:33) and offers each one of us the victory over life and death.  Jus' Say'n.

Good News, Bad News

We've all heard some good news, bad news jokes like the one where the doctor who called his patient to tell him that he had some good news and bad news so which did he want to hear first.  The patient said, "Well, tell me the good new first."  The doctor replied, "Our tests show that you only have 24 hours to live."  The patient shockingly replies, "That's the good news?  What then can the bad news be?"  The doctor then says, "I meant to call you yesterday."

Well, bad jokes aside, good news and bad news is a real part of our lives.  The good news may be that you've just got a raise but the bad news is that it throws you into a higher tax bracket.  For young adults the good news of graduating college is met with the bad news of student debt becoming real.  Perhaps you remember Senator Pelosi's good news of many having more time to be with family now that they were cut from full time to part time due to the burden of health care reform on small businesses.

Even the Bible warns of the reality of good and bad news coming together except that with Jesus, the bad news is over-weighted with the good news.  Sooo, what do I mean by that?  Well, listen to the words of the Master:

“A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:32-33)

Jesus warns his disciples that the time was near when he would be arrested and they would all run like rats fleeing a sinking ship - not very good news.  The reality of the cross and somber fact of their lack of faith and courage would soon become evident.  But, there was no need to lose heart because, despite their human frailty, he would carry the day for them, he would snatch victory out of the jaws of their defeat in their behalf - as they were being overcome by the evil of men, he was overcoming that world of evil.

Yes, sadly they could not and would not measure up when push came to shove, but happily Jesus was pushing back against the Evil One with a power that Satan could not resist, and the disciples (including us today) would not become statistics of a fallen world, rather they/we would become, as Paul proclaimed, "hupernikomen" ("more than conquerors" Rom 8:37).  If you sound out the Greek word "hupernikomen," by the way, it sounds like a bit like "Supermen," which is precisely what it means to say.  We are, by the power of the Spirit of Christ, Supermen!

We are supreme overcomers of everything the world has to throw at us - not by our own power but by  our grit but by His Grace.  What we may be called to face in this life may be more than difficult but what Jesus calls us to is more than can be described.  So, don't be dismayed, don't be defeated, don't be downcast - instead, knowing the victory you have in Christ, "Rejoice always and again I will say, rejoice!" (Phil 4:4).  Jus' Say'n.

Grace on The Run

Do you remember when you first accepted God's grace, when you professed your faith in Him and were buried with Christ in baptism?  Do you remember that feeling of God's amazing grace pouring over you as you received it's chain-breaking, way-making freedom from sin and death?  Where is that feeling of grace now?

Do you sense that the grace of God is pursuing you daily or are you running after it, trying to recapture that moment of being set free; free from sin, free from worry, free from condemnation, free from the striving to do and be what is beyond your ability?  Are you looking back to that day, longing for that moment to return or are you looking forward to another grace-filled day?

What I mean to say is, do you live free knowing grace is always running toward you or are you fearfully chasing after a grace on the run?  Are you resting in God's grace or wresting with a self-constructed grace, which causes you to be constantly on the run, pursuing what is always just out of reach?  Am I making any sense here?

In the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), he was determined to return to the Father, confess his sins and then work to repay and continue paying for them so that his Father would be able to forgive him and continue to accept him as a repentant, sin-paying worker.

His Father, however, filled with love for his son that "was dead and now is alive," was not interested in him working off his debt or continually working to earn his favor.  His father ran to him and covered him with grace.  He gave him a new cloak, a new ring and a welcome home party.  There was no discussion of earning what the Father wished to give freely.

Did you know that He feels the same way about you?  Did you know that His grace is on the run, running toward you not away from you.  He is not waiting for you to become perfect so that you can receive His grace, he is wanting you to receive His grace so that you can be made perfect.

So, if you want to catch to with this grace on the run, stop running and it will catch up to you. You need to "be still and know that [He is] God (Psa 46:10) instead of trying to do what only God can do. Only God can save.

Jesus' disciples, hearing about the camel going through the eye of a needle statement asked, "Who then can be saved" (Matt 19:25) to which Jesus replied, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (v. 26).  Stop running.  Your effort will never be enough.  And, you can't catch what is chasing you.  You have to allow it to catch you.  Jus' Say'n.

Through The Roof

Most everyone has had a "through the roof" moment.   Sometimes our emotions are through the roof, sometimes our workload is through the roof, sometimes it's our expenses, our taxes, our....  Whatever it is, it is generally heading up through the roof not the other way.

However there was one time recorded in the Bible when coming through the roof meant coming down, literally down through the roof of someone's house because the possibility of one someone's physical healing was barred by the crowd at the door.  It has been said that when the door is shut, go through the window - these folks took it a bit farther:

Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on" (Mk 2:3-4).

To say they got radical is an understatement.  They pulled out the stops of conventionality and did what normal folks would deed unthinkable.  But this was not a time for normal, it was a time for through the roof action.  Their friend had one chance of being healed and they were willing to take one very big chance to get him to the Healer, Jesus Christ.

While the ran the risk of being criticized by all, by being charged with destruction of property, being dismissed by the Healer and thrown out by the crowd, they were determined to do whatever they could for this man.  It tells me two things: 1) They loved this guy and 2) they had great faith in Jesus.

Their act of faith, driven by their love, was received and rewarded by the Lord: "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, 'Son, your sins are forgiven'" (Mk 2:5).  If there are two things that warm the heart of God, they are love and faith - especially when they are through the roof.

So, go ahead and be extravagant in your display of love and faith.  Give the shirt off your back and turn the other cheek (cf. Luke 6:27-31), do what only great love and faith will compel you to do.  You may appear a little out there, others may say you are off your rocker but you will know that you are only going through the roof and straight into the heart of God.  Jus' Say'n.

Certain in Uncertain Times

Although I believe partially fueled by an agenda-driven media, partially by special interest groups and partially by progressive ideology that believes anything but it's way is dangerous and evil; to say that we live in uncertain times is to state the obvious.

We don't know "what on earth" is going to happen in our world.  In particular, we don't know what a President Donald Trump will actually do, we don't know what ISIS' next moves will be and we don't know how different the climate may become (of course, since climate has always been in flux; i.e. Ice Ages, we shouldn't be surprised or think we can stop it).  Basically, we can't see around the corner into the future.  Uhmm, is that actually a change in status quo?

The fact that we live in uncertain times is not exactly new.  The Great Depression wasn't exactly a planned even, WWII did to have a certain outcome, Viet Nam did not tun out at all the way we thought and the first African American Presidency did not bring the races together nor could Americans keep their doctor and their insurance plans while enjoying lower premiums.  When have we been able to predict the future with certainty?

This, by the way, is not unique to America or to this era.  When has any civilization been able to live with certainty.  Even during the era of Pax Romona (Peace of Rome), there were uprisings and challenges not planned on and eventual demise that wasn't part of their plan.  This world has always and always will be marked by uncertainty.  As the Bible puts it, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow?" (Js 4:14).  This is Monday, I'm not at all certain where today may take me.

But, I am certain of one thing in the world of uncertainty: God, who is good, is in control of my future and therefore I can rest easy moving forward regardless.  There is nothing in my future that God has not already seen and nothing for which he is not prepared a way for me.  It may not be the way I would have chosen, it may even be more than a little challenging, but I will not be left alone and good will win the day.

Listen to God's promise as recorded by the apostle Paul, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28).  God has always been and always will be faithful to keep his promises - on that you can be certain for "Not one of all the Lord's good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled." (Josh 21:45).  And, we can be certain that He "will never leave us as orphans" (Jn 14:18).

Yes, the world in which we live is uncertain but we can be certain of God who promises, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jer 29:11).  Jus' Say'n.

The Center

Levi, our little Carin Terrier, was at my bedside at 3am this morning, ready for the day to begin - I was not and made him lie back down.  When I got up at 4am, he was ready for playtime and promptly jumped up on my chair and attacked my left hand, trying to draw me into a faux battle.  I wasn't biting and he gave up biting shortly.

At least, it appeared he had given up.  He walked across the room and exited through his doggie door, but he was not through, he was selecting a weapon for battle.  He found his plastic bottle, came racing back into the house and flying up on the chair dropping it in my lap so I could throw it.  I still wasn't biting as I was reading from my Bible, preparing to write this blog and trying to enjoy some quiet time with God.

Unphased by my unwillingness to toss the bottle, he dropped the bottle off the edge of the chair and jumped down on it, pushing it with his nose, grabbing it in his teeth and flinging it into the air to continue the chase.  Levi was not accepting the notion that it was not playtime because, in Levi's world, the axis of the universe travels through him.  His time, his way, his wants - those are the things that matter.  My being asleep or being tired or being busy was not the point and was no excuse.

He has a clear understanding of life, however misguided and often ignored by my wife and myself: What he wants, when he wants it is what must happen for the world to be right.  He simply has not grasped the reality that the world his lives in belongs to my wife and me, that what he gets is what we give or allow, that while we may provide what he wants, when he wants it, we have plans and purposes that will override his desires, however strongly he may feel about them.

He asks for things in various ways including a nip on the hand, a whimper, a scratch on the leg or a long, silent stare as he sits directly in front of us, waiting for us to attend to his wishes.  In a somewhat similar fashion as we come before God, expressing our wishes in prayer, Levi comes before us, fully expecting to receive what he is asking for as his desires are paramount, at least, in his mind they are.

Sadly, as Christians, we act too much like this 7 month old pup.  We too think the axis of the universe is us and our wants, desires and needs are of utmost importance, that not to get what we ask for signifies a need for a realignment of the galaxy.  We pray, God is to listen and then we are to get what we want - that is the proper world order to ore than a few.

The televangelist are there, backing up this world-view with their "name it and claim it" teaching in which we get what we ask for if we just have enough faith (often requiring some monetary faith-seed giving on our part to their ministry).  They quote the Scripture "ask and you will receive" (Matt 7. ) but fail to apply the larger context, which clarifies saying, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us---whatever we ask---we know that we have what we asked of him." (1 Jn 5:14-15).

Did you notice the "according to his will" part?  That clarifies where the center of the universe actually is, not in us but in Him.  We are not the reason, our purpose is not what it's all about, our life is not the center - God's purpose is.  In his purpose, he has room and desire for us.  He wants our best, he wants to give but according to his purpose not ours.  God's Sovereignty, not our desires, is The Center. Jus' Say'n.