Are we the exception or the rule?

I think almost all Christians love Tim Tebow. For those who do not know, he is a Heisman Trophy-winning football player who was drafted to play quarterback in the National Football League. His career as a professional player was short-lived. Since then he has worked some as a broadcaster. But what he is known for above everything else is being wholly devoted not just to his faith but to Jesus Christ himself. As a player, he seldom was interviewed that he did not mention his gratitude and undying love for his Savior. He explains to anyone who listens the reason for his ability and success as well as dealing with failure in a way that is honoring to himself and Christ. This is an example of a typical interview with Tebow. . .

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ulQyXGsIM1k

In the sports world Tebow is synonymous with Christianity. Christ is woven into everything he says and does. Why is that such a big deal? Shouldn't that level of devotion be the rule for all Christians instead of the rare exception of a few? We may excuse ourselves for not expounding the wonderful aspects of Christ by thinking, "I can't do that because I do not have someone sticking a microphone in my face and questioning me about the success or failure of my daily activity." This is true. But our love for Christ should be so deep that everyone we come into contact with knows what He has done for us and the depth of our gratitude. The fact that Tim Tebow's openness about his faith is an anomaly is part of the problem with the church today. We live a life separate from Christ even as Christians. We have our salvation tucked away in our pocket not on visible display for all to see. Wouldn't people think we were odd if we talked about Christ all. . .the. . time? Wouldn't we alienate people? If that is the argument isn't it even more challenging for Tebow who professes his faith in front of millions who could would be openly hostile toward him because of his faith? Don't you see? His love for Christ is much deeper than any accolades he could ever receive from any person.

So the simple fact is this, Christians elevating Tebow because he is so open about his faith is very sad. Why is that exceptional? "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." Matthew 5:13. We are ALL to be salt and light not just those who have achieved a level of fame. Tebow has not confounded many because of his athletic ability. He has touched multitudes of lives for Christ by his unflappable and unapologetic devotion to his Savior. "I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, And will not be ashamed." Psalm 119:46. That is the way he lives. But he should not be the exception! How much will the children of God impact this world for His glory if when people saw us their first thought was Christ. It is not athletic ability that makes it possible for Tebow. What separates him from others in this area is his willingness to be emptied of himself so he can be filled with Christ. His world is consumed with thoughts and devotion by moving to a position that is closer to Christ.  



It all comes down to the depth of our love for Jesus.  We are equipped with the same supernatural stuff as Tim Tebow. We must tap into that, devote our lives to the advancement of the kingdom. "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;" 1 Peter 2:9. We are to proclaim HIS praises, not our own! We must live like the royal priesthood, who are victorious over our enemies. So many people, even Christians aspire to be in the limelight. Fame is such an enticing draw that ensnares many. Even those who are uncomfortable receiving attention should desire that Christ be magnified. There is room for only one spotlight in a Christian's life and it must shine squarely on the glory of Jesus Christ.  It is clear that Tim Tebow only wants the spotlight on Christ and would welcome others to do the same.  Christ deserves it and we should desire it.  

It's no accident

We are all born with different personalities, skills, gifts, and abilities. There has been a long and heated debate in the world of Psychology as to whether we are born a blank slate, or if our personality is all predetermined before we get here. John Locke (1632-1704) established the blank slate theory or tabula rasa; the theory that when we are born we have no predetermined tendencies. How we turn out is determined strictly by our experiences. Arguments supporting personality traits that are hardwired into our DNA, however, have been defended, dating as far back as Plato. Of course most educated people agree that in actuality it is a combination of both these theories that makes up who we are. It is similar to the question, "Where does God's sovereignty end and my free will begin?" That is a question that will make you crazy trying to articulate an answer.

 

Volume after volume could be written filling numerous libraries trying to hash that out and in all reality we cannot know the answer definitively. We do know however, that we have a purpose designed by our Creator before the foundation of the world was laid. There is a specific plan for us. This is not some vague nonspecific plan. They are divine appointments of lives we are to touch and impact for the kingdom of God. There are hearts prepared by Christ for that moment when we are used to drive the point home, to show Christ's grace and undying love for us, to make them see the glory that is Christ manifested in us. That is why living our lives emptied of ourselves so we can be filled with Christ is so important. So we can be spilled out for a divine purpose. "A man's heart plans his way but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9. If we are not willing to be accessible to Christ, He will accomplish His desires in His own way. Do we want to be the guy on the team who does not want to be called in to score the winning goal? We already know that all battles we enter for Christ have been won. It's not like he is going to call us in and then we will miss the winning field goal! 

In the familiar story of Esther we see an interesting exchange between she and Mordecai. "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14. God used an unlikely queen to save the entire Hebrew nation. If she had not been willing however, they would have been saved some other way. God was going to bring the Messiah, the Savior, into the world for our redemption through these people. "Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David," Luke 2:4. No Jews, no David. No David, no Messiah. Don't you see, my friend, there is so much more to our existence than just us. We affect multitudes of lives. The people, the souls, with whom we come into contact is no accident. We have to recognize the value of our existence because of the master scene writer who orchestrates the whole production. He saw before us and knows who and what will come after us. But He will accomplish His will with or without us.

In order to be instruments in the hands of the master we must be close to Him, learning His heart, listening for His voice. Living a spirit filled life is no accident. God does not pick greater things for a select few while the rest of us live a mundane spiritual existence. "But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary." 1 Corinthians 12:20-22. Those who are "the star of the show" are those who have emptied their lives of their own desires and are fully at the disposal of Christ. Not believing the lie that Satan so craftily seduces us with that in order to be happy we have to get what we want and have some say over our circumstances. Our circumstances have eternal significance just like Esther's. Our God today is the same God who orchestrated her influencing the heart of a king, who allowed Moses to lead the Israelites across the Red Sea, and who through the disciples cast out demons, for heaven sake! He hasn't changed!

Our lives are not a series of accidents and coincidences. We are to glorify Christ and thwart the enemy every day of our lives in an active way, by proclaiming Him to those in our path, through our words and our actions, as well as having a prayer life of significance. Be the child of God who is ready and eager to be the one to make the play; the one who is listening and stirred to action by the master's voice. He will do great things for His kingdom through all who are willing, we only have to be close enough to Him to hear the call.

Hot Mess Club

I am so blessed to have the greatest group of close knit-friends. We are an encouragement to each other and take seriously the responsibility of interceding for each other in prayer. What I find so amazing is the tremendous diversity of giftings we possess. God has anointed our relationships for grace to be extended, wisdom to be revealed, love to be expressed, exhortation to be spoken, confidentiality to be strictly guarded, and grief to be shared. Spiritual growth is looked for in our hearts. We were affectionately dubbed the "hot mess" girls. We acknowledge that we are each struggling and striving to glorify Christ in our lives, our jobs, our marriages, and to our children. At times this is an overwhelming task. As I study and try to seek out the depths of what God wants my life to look like I realize that His will is not for me to settle for being a "hot mess."

I strongly feel that to pretend our lives are perfect is often a stumbling block and a discouragement for many who have a hard time keeping things from spiraling out of control. Sometimes Satan takes dead aim and sucker punches us and we are left on our backs in a heap of an ugly mess that we cannot fix, full of pain, shame, and heartbreak. There are periods of our lives that can most certainly be described as a great big, sticky, hot, mess. But as children of God, that is not how we are to be defined. When we begin to accept that label for our lives we are settling for less than what God has in store for us. Picture Christ standing over our life, which is in turmoil and chaos, and gently speaking to us and saying, "Yes, my child this is the way I designed your life to be." He desires great things for us and we are not defeated by the onslaught of the enemy. It may feel like we are, but we are not. "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith." 1 John 5:4.

Our group is a safe place to fall, when one of us has been maligned and knocked senseless by the enemy. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 2 Corinthians 1:3-5. But what kind of support are we if we settle in for the long haul on the ash heap of despair? Our lives are to be beautiful landscapes of the supernatural ability to overcome adversity for the glory of Christ! Satan is thrilled when sit in our hot mess and invite others in with us, under the pretense of being members of the hot mess sorority. Because then he has managed to cripple the power of the almighties warriors by convincing us we have been defeated. And on top of that the countless witnesses who are watching our warriors, wondering to themselves, "Why do I need God? He doesn't seem very helpful."

Please, dear friend, do not mistake this for a "name it and claim it" type philosophy you hear so often from the prosperity speakers. There is more to acquiring the supernatural ability to overcome than just deciding to. The main key is growing closer to Christ. When we see our lives through His eyes, and have a clear picture of His love for us, we understand more effectively the power that dwells within us. "Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4. That is a promise! We just fall short on the "delight[ing] in the Lord" part. When we delight in the Lord we are focused on Him and want what He wants. When we eliminate our own selfish desires and are passionate about accomplishing Christ's divine purpose for our lives, it makes us realize that cleaning up our hot mess is not only possible but necessary for the great work for which we are designed. "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Romans 8:37.

This life is messy and Satan knows just how to inflict the most pain possible into our soul. We are blessed to have people in our lives to hold us when we are broken. And how much more are we blessed than to have those same people love us too much to allow us to tarry there too long. Above all that, we have Christ who will sometimes even let us be knocked down so HE may be magnified by raising us out of the ashes, more confident of His power, and stronger than we were before. "Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness [or in the hot mess], The Lord will be a light to me." Micah 7:8. All this just so those around us can say, "Wow, only Christ could do that."

The winds of change

There are a select few who relish the thought of exploring uncharted territory. These are trailblazers, adventurers, some even dubbed adrenaline junkies. The thought of completely changing the path of their lives is exhilarating. To most of us change is intriguing on some level at least and terrifying at most. The things around us which are routine bring us comfort and feel like a warm fuzzy blanket of familiarity. We are creatures of habit which can be healthy. It can lead to a life that is well-grounded and organized. There also is an aspect to the Christian life to which change is imperative.

 

When we answer the call on our lives to become children of God, it must produce change. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17. As the church has moved toward the tolerant, "lets-not-make anyone-feel-uncomfortable, God-meets-us-where-we-are" end of the spectrum, we lose the driving force that compels us to change and become more like Christ. God absolutely meets us where we are. We have to change or fix nothing in order to receive salvation from Him. After that meeting with Christ takes place however, God demands that we not STAY where we are. The church has left behind the voice that says, drop those chains of bondage to sin and climb up out of enslavement. "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." Galatians 5:1. This is not a suggestion, it is a command. The blood of Christ has released us from the chains that entangle us. "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us," Hebrews 12:1. We are not in chains anymore, we have been freed! But we are living our lives dragging around our chains like Jacob Marley! They have no power over us, yet we hold on to them like Linus' security blanket.

 

They are old, stinking, vile, repugnant, patterns we have formed that must be changed in order to draw closer to Christ. We have a framework of how we live our lives. Trained musicians' hands moves across their instrument after months and years of practice, they strike notes often by instinct without thought of each individual note. It is habitual. We have disharmony with the notes we play in our lives. There are habits of hitting sinful, sour notes that cause discord. It takes practice to bring about the transforming change we so desperately need. We must change our thoughts and then our actions, then become the melodious sonnet that reflects Christ to others. But this is very scary.

 

I look around and wonder what will happen when we make those radical changes to our lives, when we decide to eliminate things in our lives that are self indulgent and for the sole purpose of our amusement. What happens when we purposefully decide to not allow images into our home or our mind, whether from TV or movies or our computer, that are not glorifying to God? What if we realize that if we don't want our children watching something it is not ok for us as adults either? Is it because we are already familiar with debauchery, adultery, profanity, and fornication?  Is it because we are already corrupted with those images and therefore we choose to carry that chain around with us instead of laying it down? "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." Philippians 4:8. What will happen when we carve out time for study and intimacy with Christ? Will we lose our children if we decide that they will not date? Will they rebel if we hold fast to a true yet unconventional lifestyle of devotion to Christ? Should fear of rebellion be reason enough to participate in traditional practices that are even condoned by the church yet go against scripture?

 

What if it just takes me to say, I will not live half heartedly for Christ anymore. I will risk rebellion of my children to maintain the standard of devotion of which Christ deserves. How many Christians are just waiting for someone to lead the way, be the trailblazer, back to the cross? How many are willing to be labeled weird or fanatical even by our church friends? The whole body of Christ may be waiting for me, or you, to stand up and say, I will make the change, I will not carry these chains any longer. Is that what it will take to set a crusade in motion? These changes can only come about by laying down the warm and fuzzy yet vile and rancid habits in our lives. It could cost friendships and even relationships with family members. Others are often even uncomfortable with radical changes in our lives. Is it worth it to be true to God's word? We could end up leading a holy war. Yes, Christ can accomplish that in us, if we are willing.

Great Expectations

Our lives are filled with expectations. In 1860, Charles Dickens wrote Great Expectations, one of the 20 greatest novels of all time.  It is a beautifully written piece of classic literature portraying the struggle, hope, or... expectation... of moral and social advancement. Relationships are built on expectations whether they are verbalized or not. We expect our spouse to be faithful to us, to treat us with respect and kindness. We expect our children to be obedient, (or we should) to work hard and live productive lives. We have expectations from our friends, our co-workers, and even our church. When these expectations are not met it can result in hurt feelings, disappointment, and even anger.

 

The angriest I have ever been at Kevin was a few years ago. I am not the most organized person. It is something I have always struggled with and tried unsuccessfully to accomplish. Kevin was sifting through a stack of mail that was laid on the counter in the kitchen and discovered an unpaid and overdue water bill. One of his expectations of me is to pay the bills. I, neglecting to meet this expectation, caused him frustration and he said, "nothing gets done around here." I can still hear the words echoing in my head. Which is kind of amazing because I think the top of my head came off! Which would make it very hard to produce an echo sound =) I was so hurt, indignant, and offended! How dare he say nothing gets done!   

 

What had happened was he had neglected to meet an unspoken (and very high) expectation I have of being appreciated. Bless his heart, he was completely unaware of the land mine he would set of with those words and apologized later. We can joke about it now but it was no joking matter then. One expectation we should never put on our loved ones however, is expecting them to not disappoint us. Even those who love us the most will make mistakes and disappoint us. We also need to recognize that we, try as we might, will disappoint those we love as well. That is where grace, mercy, and forgiveness come in.

 

When considering our expectations, what expectations do we have of Christ? I'm sure everyone's are different. He lays out clearly what to expect from Him in His word. Some of our expectations can be off the mark. For example, if we expect to not suffer, or for Him to promptly remove our suffering, His word clearly tells us we will suffer. "For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake," Philippians 1:29. We may become frustrated when we are not blessed but we are told, "Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways." Proverbs 8:32. We forget that there are stipulations with our blessings. Many become hurt and disappointed but are not seeing Christ for who he really is. We gain knowledge and insight into our relationship with Christ when we take time to really think about what we expect from Him and then see if those expectations line up with what He has revealed to us in His word. He will not change, he cannot. So, we need to come to expect from Him exactly what He has told us to expect.  Come to love His faithfulness and steadfastness to give us exactly what we need. And even appreciate His chastisement. "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11.

 

On the flip side of that same coin, what are we not expecting from Christ that His word tells we should? We live in an age where we believe God is great but there are just some things He cannot, or for those willing to go out on a limb, will not do. How many Christians have we heard say, and I have been guilty of saying, "well, we can hope." Do we believe that Christ can cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness? "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" 1 John 1:9. Do we believe that He will deliver us from our adversaries? "Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight." Joshua 10:25. Do we believe, really believe, that we are already victorious in every battle we will enter for Him? Do we KNOW that He still changes hearts and brings victory over our life long personality traits that are sinful, divisive, or ungodly? Or in the back of our mind do we still hear that little whisper of defeat saying, I/he/she will never change. We have to shut up that voice with the power of God. Stand on the promises of His word that he WILL deliver and never tire of expecting Him to be true to His word.

 

 

 

Post script: I was going to edit out my own doubt of God's deliverance from my lack of ability to be organized mentioned in paragraph two. I decided to leave it in to show how easily we succumb to the shackles of this life and accept that there are some things we just cannot change. God can change it, expect Him to.

They will hate me.

While attending college I was victim of a public, full on verbal assault by a group of people for my faith. It. . .was. . .AWESOME!! I attended a state school with no religious affiliation. This particular class was Psychology of Religion. It was a graduate level class made up of presentations of different religions by students. We were graded on how well we grasped the religion we presented. The class could ask questions to argue or defend either side of said religion. The only stipulation was that we had to show respect for the presenter. I chose Christianity. When the time came for me to give my hour long presentation OF THE GOSPEL (the whole thing still excites me!!) to a room full of liberally trained young adults, the professor was called away due to a family emergency and told us to carry on and grade each other. 

I entered the classroom and began to explain the philosophy, doctorine, and the psychology of Christianity. Christ's true identity was defined as fully God and fully man. His perfection was showcased in all its glory. His longevity as eternal was celebrated. I was almost giddy as Jesus was presented in all His glory! At the end of the presentation the question/argue/defend session began. It started as skeptical yet intrigued questions. Then the professed agnostic of the class asked the question to end all questions. So, what you are saying is, if someone does not believe in this Jesus, he will spend eternity in hell?!? "Yes, that is exactly what I am saying." 

Well, an emotional explosion of spiritual war erupted in the room at that moment. Angry, volatile, students were enraged by the truth. They spewed venom at the Christ I had described and rejected the message as exclusive and closed minded. There are so many things I could say about that day. I could explain what I said, and tell you the nasty hate filled things that were said to me and about me. But the main thing I remember is suffering for Christ and finding indescribable joy in that. "but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy." 1 Peter 4:3. It was such a privilege to be persecuted for Christ. And I learned that day the supernatural and overwhelming affect it has on our mind. Words cannot describe how wonderful this experience was for my soul.

I started the process of learning another concept that day, which I still struggle with. Love is not enough. Love leads the lost to salvation, but not always. Jesus Christ was the embodiment of love, the very essence of it. The only reason we have the capacity to love is because it has been endowed unto us by Christ. He being love incarnate, could have won all hearts to himself if love were enough because noone has ever been capable of demonstrating love with such completeness. We are commanded to love so, we must extend love to everyone, including the lost. "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you," Matthew 5:44. But extending love will not exempt us from being reviled. The cross is offensive and hated. It insights rage in people. "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you." John 15:18. The more we come away from the world, lay down the desires of our own flesh, or selfish nature, the closer we will draw to Christ. This results in becoming more and more offensive to the world and its culture. To glorify Christ is to offend the world. The lives we are called to as Christians is to be hated by this world. And when we are hated for Christ's sake we have truly accomplished something for the kingdom of God and we have taken another step closer to Christ.