I recently returned from a week-long business trip, which turned out to be an unbelievable experience. A conference with some of the nation's most successful salesmen and lecturers, combined with what promised to be some very fruitful sales calls, meant that this would more than likely be a great trip. I had very high expectations, but upon arriving at the hotel, my enthusiasm quickly dwindled. To put it plainly, the hotel was far from luxurious, and I wasn't thrilled about staying in one of its rooms.
Nonetheless, I reluctantly accepted a key from the lady at the front desk and made my way toward the room. Warily, I opened the door and took a peek inside. It wasn't encouraging, and I hesitated to step into the room, letting the door shut back. I paused for a minute to reflect on the situation. This was going to be a week-long stay, and I didn't want to be living in squalor the entire week, so I decided that it might be worth my while to invest a little time up front to make the hotel room a comfortable place to stay. I opened the door again, and this time I stepped in, taking in my surroundings and a deep breath at the same time.
I glanced at the stark white walls, smudged with grimy fingerprints from past guests, and I thought to myself, "This simply won't do." After all, I was going to be staying in this room for 5 whole days. I grabbed the telephone book and looked up the closest hardware store. It was within walking distance, so I put on my coat and headed toward the store. I picked out a nice shade of wine-colored red paint, bought a gallon and some painting supplies, and made my way back toward the room. I started to get excited, thinking of how great it would look on the wall. What a difference it was going to make! It took me all evening to finish, but when I stepped back and surveyed, it gave me chills. It looked absolutely incredible, although I realized that the cheap paintings that had been up before would have to be replaced with some nicer artwork. I decided I would get to that later, but after a hard day's work it was time to hit the hay. I had a big day planned for Tuesday.
I woke up bright and early, excited for my next project. If I was going to stay here for 4 more days, I wanted it to be perfect. What needed attention right now was the flooring. The hunter green commercial carpet, spotted with old gum and various other stains, was the obvious thing to tackle next. I grabbed a fraying edge of carpet from the corner of the room and pulled at it. It came up more easily than I expected, but as I looked around, I realized it was going to take a lot of work for me to get all the carpet up, given that I was going to have to work around the furniture. I grabbed the phone book again and found a local contractor who was willing to take care of it that morning, and I booked him on the spot. He showed up shortly thereafter, and after making sure he knew what to do, I headed back to the hardware store to pick out my flooring.
I picked a nice medium shade of laminate wood flooring. I didn't want to be ridiculous, so I staved off the urge to splurge on the luxury hardwood flooring, though it was what I really wanted. But the laminate turned out to be the best choice because the store was able to do same-day installation, so I went ahead and settled for it. Back at the hotel room, the workers began to install the new flooring, and I decided to go out for the afternoon so that I wouldn't be in their way. I returned a few hours later to find gleaming wood floors, beautifully contrasted against my wine-colored walls. I wished now that I had taken before pictures, because no one would have believed the difference! I went to bed that night smiling, overjoyed with how my room was turning out.
I woke up Wednesday morning realizing that I probably needed to do a little work on my finances, just to make sure that I would have enough money to finish this project. I was almost halfway through my visit, so I didn't have much time left to accomplish this remodel, and I couldn't allow low funds to get in my way. I spent the entire day watching the stock market and talking on the phone with my personal investor. It seemed a little like a wasted day, but after several beneficial trades, it paid off, and I knew my finances were sitting pretty. I could finally relax, knowing that I would have enough money to make my room into the nicest room in the hotel, and I slept soundly that night.
The next morning I woke and assessed the room, looking for what needed to be done next. I had only 2 days left to transform my room into the perfect hotel room, and that meant I needed to get busy! I noticed how shabby the furniture now looked. It was obviously cheap furniture, and it paled in comparison to my colorful walls and shiny new floor. Furniture shopping was definitely the plan for the day.
I shopped for hours and hours. I mean, I didn't want to be absurd and spend loads of money on outrageously luxurious furniture, but I wasn't exactly looking for particle-board either. A girl's got standards, you know, and I wasn't about to settle for boxed furniture in my room. It took me several hours, but I finally found the perfect bed set, along with a table and chairs that complemented it well. I also found some excellent paintings to replace the old artwork, and a couple of designer lamps for the nightstands. The lamps and paintings were a little pricey, but I knew it would be worth it once I saw the whole package together. The best thing about it was that it was all in stock, so they were able to deliver it in the time it took me to get back to my room.
The delivery guys did a great job of putting together and arranging the furniture, and they even loaded off the old junky furniture. It took me a little while to get the paintings hung and the lamps set up on the nightstands. I stepped back and took a look around once I was finished. It was breath-taking, but I quickly realized that the comforter and sheets looked terribly pitiful now, compared to all my new furnishings. I headed out to the closest home store and picked out a new bedding set. I slept so well that night on my brand new 1200 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets!
I woke up Friday morning feeling great after an excellent night's sleep in my near-perfect room. There were a few loose ends that I was hoping to wrap up, but I started to think I might need more time. This was my last day, and I wasn't sure I could turn 'near-perfect' into 'perfect' in just one day. I reached for my phone to call the front desk, intending to ask for an extension on my reservation, but my phone began ringing before I could dial. I checked the caller ID and saw it was my boss. "Good morning!" I answered, in a chipper tone. My new room made me happy, and I couldn't help that it showed up in my voice. My boss's tone, on the other hand, was a bit less animated and far more austere.
He immediately began pounding me with questions. He wanted to know why I hadn't made it to the conference and why I hadn't scheduled any sales meetings with any of the local customers, let alone made any sales. I let him know that this had been a very busy week for me, transforming my ordinary hotel room into my dream hotel room. It dawned on me that pictures would be very helpful in explaining to him, so I told him that I'd have to give him a call right back, and I hung up. I took a quick picture of the room, being careful to include all the new and enticing amenities. I quickly texted it to my boss, gave him a few minutes to receive it, and then I called him back.
I expected him to be pleased when he answered, but he seemed even more perturbed. What was this guy's deal? I was so sure that when he saw how great the room looked, he would realize that this had been a very productive week for me, and I would be in for a verbal pat on the back. But instead of praise, he seemed to have more than a few harsh words to give. He was unreasonably angry with me, and among all his ranting, the only word I was really able to make out was 'idiot.' I guess I just don't get it. I thought he would be happy for me that I had taken this room he paid for and turned it into a beautiful haven. After all, this new room made me very happy. I guess you just can't please them all.
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While I'm certain you know that this story is wholly fictional, extreme and utterly absurd, I fear that very few will acknowledge the degree to which this illustration often models our spiritual lives. I just want to remind my fellow Christians that we're sojourners here. This world is not our home. That is to say, this world is not our eternal home. Our citizenship is in heaven according to Philippians 3:20, and as citizens of heaven, our focus is on the eternal, not the material. Our duty on earth is to fulfull our eternal purpose, not to enrich our earthly lives as in James 5:5.
When our time, talents and resources are dedicated to beauty, pride and material gain, we're doing nothing more than remodeling the hotel room that is our life. We invest in this temporary space, only to leave it behind when this vapor of our life vanishes. (James 4:14) And while I don't wish for anyone to infer that any of life's luxuries are inherently evil, and I certainly am not implying that I have this all figured out and in control in my life, I do hope that we take time to consider where our treasure truly lies. Because where our treasure is, our heart is as well. Where is your heart?
19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 6:19-21
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
God of My Everything
As a general rule, my posts tend to flow from what God is teaching me, something that God has brought to my attention as I'm studying His word and which He seems to be repeatedly pressing on my heart and mind. But maybe you've noticed that my blog has been rather silent lately. I've had a lot on my plate of late, and I've been leaning heavily on this crutch. We've recently moved, found out that we're expecting our fourth child in February, found opportunities to get involved within our new church home, and I've begun homeschooling the boys to prepare them for kindergarten. But truth be told, I've been trudging along through the midst of a spiritual valley, a dry spell in my Christian walk, and it feels as though God hasn't had much to say to me at all lately.
It's difficult for me to wake up early in order to have my quiet time before the kids get up. The burning hunger for God's word feels as though it has temporarily waned. Amidst the good days, there are often days when I struggle to pray, becoming easily distracted by my thoughts and my environment, and it feels as though the prayers that I do utter are often merely bouncing off the ceiling. The joy which was so pronounced just weeks ago has been displaced by dullness, and the aching desire for God's presence which made me anxious to wake up in the morning in order to talk with Him and read His word has been replaced with a sense of obligation. I've spent many mornings examining myself, asking God to search me to see if there is any wicked way in me (Psalm 139:23-24), and I've come up empty-handed, finding no reason, no besetting sin, aside from the doubts and selfish thoughts that have reared their ugly heads in this valley. There have been many mornings over the last few weeks in which my prayers have been flooded with confessions of doubt and lack of desire for Him, and this morning was one such morning.
In the past, this is the point at which I would give up, the point in which my growth in Christ would become stunted. In the past, the fresh green growth of my spring would have become frost-bitten by a premature winter, withering this branch, and precluding the growth of fruit in my Christian walk. But this isn't the past.
I've had one of Bebo Norman's newer songs on my playlist for a while, and it has somehow managed to elude me until this morning. This song spoke volumes to me this morning: God of My Everything - Bebo Norman. The essence of the song is that God is the unchanging God of everything about me. He's the God of my strengths, God of my weaknesses, God of my mountain-tops, and God of my valleys. He's the God of my mornings when I anxiously desire to seek Him, and the God of my mornings when I seek Him out of reluctant obedience. He always has been, and He always will be the God of My Everything.
And though He may appear so differently to me right now, He hasn't changed, and He hasn't moved. The God of My Everything is immutable. There is no variation in Him, or even a shadow of change. (James 1:17) He loves me as much in my valleys as He does on my mountain-tops. And He has promised me that when I call on Him and seek Him, that He will hear me, and I will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:12-13) If I draw close to Him, He will draw close to me. (James 4:8) If I wait on Him, He will renew my strength, and I will soar. (Isaiah 40:31) This light affliction is just for a moment, but it will bring about in me an unfathomable eternal glory. (2 Corinthians 4:17) And the next time that I'm standing on the top of the mountain, He will be the God of My Victory.
I'm so thankful for His promises, for His word, for the mountains that I've been on, for the way in which He spoke to me this morning, and for this glimpse that He's given me of the next mountain that I will climb. And I'm so intensely looking forward to the journey from the valley to the mountain-top. But most of all, I'm looking forward to making this journey with the loving, faithful, immutable God of My Everything at my side.
It's difficult for me to wake up early in order to have my quiet time before the kids get up. The burning hunger for God's word feels as though it has temporarily waned. Amidst the good days, there are often days when I struggle to pray, becoming easily distracted by my thoughts and my environment, and it feels as though the prayers that I do utter are often merely bouncing off the ceiling. The joy which was so pronounced just weeks ago has been displaced by dullness, and the aching desire for God's presence which made me anxious to wake up in the morning in order to talk with Him and read His word has been replaced with a sense of obligation. I've spent many mornings examining myself, asking God to search me to see if there is any wicked way in me (Psalm 139:23-24), and I've come up empty-handed, finding no reason, no besetting sin, aside from the doubts and selfish thoughts that have reared their ugly heads in this valley. There have been many mornings over the last few weeks in which my prayers have been flooded with confessions of doubt and lack of desire for Him, and this morning was one such morning.
In the past, this is the point at which I would give up, the point in which my growth in Christ would become stunted. In the past, the fresh green growth of my spring would have become frost-bitten by a premature winter, withering this branch, and precluding the growth of fruit in my Christian walk. But this isn't the past.
I've had one of Bebo Norman's newer songs on my playlist for a while, and it has somehow managed to elude me until this morning. This song spoke volumes to me this morning: God of My Everything - Bebo Norman. The essence of the song is that God is the unchanging God of everything about me. He's the God of my strengths, God of my weaknesses, God of my mountain-tops, and God of my valleys. He's the God of my mornings when I anxiously desire to seek Him, and the God of my mornings when I seek Him out of reluctant obedience. He always has been, and He always will be the God of My Everything.
And though He may appear so differently to me right now, He hasn't changed, and He hasn't moved. The God of My Everything is immutable. There is no variation in Him, or even a shadow of change. (James 1:17) He loves me as much in my valleys as He does on my mountain-tops. And He has promised me that when I call on Him and seek Him, that He will hear me, and I will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:12-13) If I draw close to Him, He will draw close to me. (James 4:8) If I wait on Him, He will renew my strength, and I will soar. (Isaiah 40:31) This light affliction is just for a moment, but it will bring about in me an unfathomable eternal glory. (2 Corinthians 4:17) And the next time that I'm standing on the top of the mountain, He will be the God of My Victory.
I'm so thankful for His promises, for His word, for the mountains that I've been on, for the way in which He spoke to me this morning, and for this glimpse that He's given me of the next mountain that I will climb. And I'm so intensely looking forward to the journey from the valley to the mountain-top. But most of all, I'm looking forward to making this journey with the loving, faithful, immutable God of My Everything at my side.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
The Pursuit of Righteousness
"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed."I Peter 2:24 (ESV)
I've been studying through the book of I Peter lately, and last week I came across the verse above. Sometimes it seems like a verse jumps off the page and slaps you around a little bit, and this was one of those verses. The majority of this verse is paraphrased from Isaiah 53, an incredibly beautiful chapter which is quoted on multiple occasions throughout the New Testament and which speaks of Christ's sacrifice for us. Isaiah 53 is certainly among my favorite passages, and it usually stands out supremely in my readings, but this morning I couldn't help but pay particular attention to the rest of the verse: "that we might die to sin and live to righteousness."
Many of us often spend time thinking fondly on how Christ has saved us from eternal condemnation, which is certainly something to be thankful for. We consider how He has saved us from hell and freed us from the bondage of sin. We see the beauty of Isaiah 53 in it all, and we're appropriately filled with gratitude for the many things that Christ has lovingly saved us from. But how often do we ponder on what He has saved us to? We glory in what's been done for us, meanwhile we skim right past the response God requires of us, which is to acknowledge His gracious gift of salvation by, in turn, dedicating ourselves to pursuing righteousness.
Righteousness is not a hobby. It's not a supplement that we add to our secular life in order appease our conscience by surrendering a small portion of ourselves to God. Righteousness is not merely additive; it's indicative. Righteousness is a life in pursuit of God's righteous character, a life which seeks to be conformed to the righteousness of Christ, a life typified by the righteous fruit which flows from being led by the Spirit. It's a life devoid of sin. And while we acknowledge that we will never achieve perfection in our earthly quest for righteousness, this does not excuse us from purposefully chasing after righteousness.
I'm convinced that one of the largest fallacies of the church in America is our startling ability to separate our secular life from our Christian life. True Christianity shows no such distinction. True Christianity urges us to righteousness and will ultimately seek to reconcile the secular to Christ, intending for the secular to be entirely consumed by the righteousness of Christ.
But how do we do this? How do we pursue righteousness? Psalm 1 gives us two basic characteristics of a righteous man. First, he does not associate with those who exemplify a life of sin. He avoids such associations, recognizing the danger and subtle cunning of sin. Secondly, he delights in the word of God. He thinks on it day and night. It characterizes his thoughts, and it dictates his actions.
This second characteristic reminds me of Psalm 119. The author of this particular psalm desired to be counted faithful and righteous by God, and thus he describes a life dominated by the word of God. He sums it up well in the following three verses:
9 "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."
I picture this psalmist as one who woke up early in the morning in order to pray and meditate on God's word, one whose thoughts were saturated by what he had studied. He sought after God with all his heart, desperately desiring to know Him, belong to Him and be obedient to Him. He was committed to memorizing the word of God, understanding it's amazing ability to convict him, encourage him and ultimately transform his secular life into the life he desired in Christ. I picture him as someone that I would like to be. So here's to being faithful to not only reading God's word, but to diligently hiding it in our hearts, so that we might not sin against Him.
I've been studying through the book of I Peter lately, and last week I came across the verse above. Sometimes it seems like a verse jumps off the page and slaps you around a little bit, and this was one of those verses. The majority of this verse is paraphrased from Isaiah 53, an incredibly beautiful chapter which is quoted on multiple occasions throughout the New Testament and which speaks of Christ's sacrifice for us. Isaiah 53 is certainly among my favorite passages, and it usually stands out supremely in my readings, but this morning I couldn't help but pay particular attention to the rest of the verse: "that we might die to sin and live to righteousness."
Many of us often spend time thinking fondly on how Christ has saved us from eternal condemnation, which is certainly something to be thankful for. We consider how He has saved us from hell and freed us from the bondage of sin. We see the beauty of Isaiah 53 in it all, and we're appropriately filled with gratitude for the many things that Christ has lovingly saved us from. But how often do we ponder on what He has saved us to? We glory in what's been done for us, meanwhile we skim right past the response God requires of us, which is to acknowledge His gracious gift of salvation by, in turn, dedicating ourselves to pursuing righteousness.
Righteousness is not a hobby. It's not a supplement that we add to our secular life in order appease our conscience by surrendering a small portion of ourselves to God. Righteousness is not merely additive; it's indicative. Righteousness is a life in pursuit of God's righteous character, a life which seeks to be conformed to the righteousness of Christ, a life typified by the righteous fruit which flows from being led by the Spirit. It's a life devoid of sin. And while we acknowledge that we will never achieve perfection in our earthly quest for righteousness, this does not excuse us from purposefully chasing after righteousness.
I'm convinced that one of the largest fallacies of the church in America is our startling ability to separate our secular life from our Christian life. True Christianity shows no such distinction. True Christianity urges us to righteousness and will ultimately seek to reconcile the secular to Christ, intending for the secular to be entirely consumed by the righteousness of Christ.
But how do we do this? How do we pursue righteousness? Psalm 1 gives us two basic characteristics of a righteous man. First, he does not associate with those who exemplify a life of sin. He avoids such associations, recognizing the danger and subtle cunning of sin. Secondly, he delights in the word of God. He thinks on it day and night. It characterizes his thoughts, and it dictates his actions.
This second characteristic reminds me of Psalm 119. The author of this particular psalm desired to be counted faithful and righteous by God, and thus he describes a life dominated by the word of God. He sums it up well in the following three verses:
9 "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."
I picture this psalmist as one who woke up early in the morning in order to pray and meditate on God's word, one whose thoughts were saturated by what he had studied. He sought after God with all his heart, desperately desiring to know Him, belong to Him and be obedient to Him. He was committed to memorizing the word of God, understanding it's amazing ability to convict him, encourage him and ultimately transform his secular life into the life he desired in Christ. I picture him as someone that I would like to be. So here's to being faithful to not only reading God's word, but to diligently hiding it in our hearts, so that we might not sin against Him.
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