Here’s an exercise for you: In a room without windows, open the door and turn on every light in the room and then measure the radius of light that one of the lights appears to be giving off. Next, close the door and turn off every light except the one light that you measured. Now measure again the radius of light that one light appears to be giving off. See the difference? A single light appears so much brighter and is much more evident when there is more darkness surrounding it. How can this simple observation apply to our lives, and specifically our lives as Christians? We are called to be a light to the world and to witness to those who live in darkness. Missionaries have been sent all to most of the world and in many places Christian influences can be found, but we are called to continue reaching and expanding even into the dark areas. It is good to build and strengthen churches that already exist, but our light will seem brighter and have a more noticeable difference in a place where only darkness exists. I believe that we as Christians are called to reach those places in complete darkness before spending our focus on existing Christian communities and churches. It is our duty to ensure that every area of the globe has at been touched by light and then strengthen the not as bright areas until the world is growing in unison and praising God together.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Seek the Willing
So often I know that I’ve been incredibly discouraged when a friend wouldn’t receive the gospel and becomes resistant. Something that I’ve struggled with is spending too much time on those whose hearts are hardened instead of utilizing that time with ones who are willing to hear the gospel. I believe Jesus modeled this perfectly when he was choosing his disciples. As he was calling people to be his disciples, he chose the willing. Everyone that the Bible mentions him calling out to came and followed him. However, when people such as the rich young ruler and the man who wished to burry his father. When they sought Jesus out and asked him questions, and he answered them. But when they responded with resistance to what Jesus said to them, he did not waste his time on them but rather spent it speaking to those who were truly willing to hear whole-heartedly what he had to say.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
The Point of Rhythm is to Follow it in Time
In the beginning....
How many times have you heard that one before? It begins the Bible in Genesis and also the book of John, it has begun countless monologues, stories, plays, songs, and many other forms of literature. Why is it so important and why does it continually reappear in the literature with which we are familiar? Could it be because that's the way things are supposed to be? Like they were, in the beginning?
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.... And God said.... And it was so.... And God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:1, 9-10). When God created the world, He created things good; the world was at equilibrium and shalom existed, in the beginning. Have you ever seen August Rush? Remember how everything had its own unique sound, but everything worked in harmony and time with what surrounded it? This is what the world was like, in the beginning. Everything with its own uniqueness; everything in perfect harmony, in perfect rhythm; everything existing working together to produce a beautiful sound to bring God glory.
Then man sinned.
Immediately a chord was struck that brought dissonance and a beat was struck that offset the entire song. One wrong note, one wrong beat and the masterpiece was ruined. But it doesn't end there, now man's noise continues to produce a disharmonious, irregular sound with the rest of the world. Shalom was ruined.
But luckily for man, God could fix the dissonance that man had created. He could create perfect harmony. To do this, He sent His Son to die a painful, humiliating death - we all know how that story goes. By putting our faith in God and striving to live a Christlike life, we are harmonizing to the melody of God's love and following His rhythm.
"The point of rhythm is to follow it in time, to listen to the beating in your mind. Remember if you seek then you shall find...." - Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Seventeen Ain't So Sweet
Sunday, December 13, 2009
What else can I give?
Well, it's been a while, but rest assured, God has been working wonders in my life! Here's something I wrote the other night about something God had really laid on my heart:
I cannot do this anymore. God, I just cannot. There is no telling how many times I have heard someone say “God never gives us more than we can handle,” and honestly, that’s one of the biggest lies I have ever heard. God will give us more than we can handle, especially people like me: strong willed, driven, take-on-the-world mentality kind of people. This could not be a clearer example of God giving me too much for me to handle. I have done everything I can, I am at the end of my rope. I want so badly to be able to do this right and fix it, but I cannot. And that is the hardest realization of it all. I cannot do it. God intended it to be too difficult for me.
So what now? I am stuck in a situation that I physically, emotionally, and spiritually have poured my entire self into and seen no results. I have nothing left to give, nothing. “What a hypocritical thing for me to say. Is there really nothing left to give? Of course not, there is always something more to do” is what I constantly find myself thinking and saying. In some sense, that is the truth. There always is more to give. However, it is not of myself. I do not like this realization very much. I have nothing left to give.
I feel like right now Satan is standing right in front of me with a blow horn screaming “You cannot do anything! You are incomplete. This is too much for you. You are a failure You have nothing left to give.” At the same time, God is standing right behind me, whispering into my ear “You cannot do anything! You are incomplete. This is too much for you. You have nothing left to give - but I do!” I feel the stinging in my face from my own hand and the nausea building up in my stomach as I come to realize that both of them are telling me the truth. I cannot do anything. I am incomplete. This is too much for me. I’d even venture far enough to say I’m a failure - I mean, look at all of these times I have tried to fix it and look at how many times I have been cut deeper as a response - I have failed. I have nothing left to give. But throughout this entire process I have forgotten that God can do anything. He is complete. This is not too much for Him. He is not a failure. He will always be able to give.
And now, the hard part: handing over the reigns. Not only can this horse not be broken if I do not hand over the reigns, but I also cannot get off without being hurt more if I do not hand them over. I want so badly to be able to give more, but I am already empty. I have no choice but to give it to God and to let Him give what I cannot. Have you ever heard someone say “easier said than done”? This would be a perfect example of that. And it makes no sense. How dare I sit here and think “Just give it to God and He will take care of it all, He can do that kind of thing - it is just who He is” and truly believe it, but at the same time refuse to give it to him?
The answer is simple, but I feel like it should be much more complex. I’m trying to turn something as simple as addition into integration by parts, chopsticks into Mozart, Dr. Suess into Shakespeare, or doggy paddle into butterfly. That is how my life is when I refuse to let God solve my problems. The difference between God and myself here is that He can look at the problem and see 2+2 when all I see is a mess of numbers and symbols. Both problems are essentially the same because they both equal 4, but I have the complicated method of solution and God has the easy one.
This entire week I have been praying that God would help me love, that He would help me stay strong, that He would show me what to do. That prayer has been comfortable for me, but it is not what God has wanted. He does not want to help me love, help me stay strong, or show me what to do. What He wants is for me to let Him love through me, to be weak so that His strength can show, and to not do anything but be amazed at how much He can do.
I said earlier that I think it is seemingly hypocritical to not give anything when there is so much more to be given. The only problem with giving more is that what is to be given is not my own. It is God’s, and only He can give it. Throughout this painful process, I have come to realize that there is only one more thing I can and should give - I have to give up.
This was written on 11 December 2009, and tonight (13 December 2009), God placed the major stepping stone in place that was needed in order to fix this problem in my life. If you trust God with everything, He will never let you fall!
"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." Psalm 40:2
I cannot do this anymore. God, I just cannot. There is no telling how many times I have heard someone say “God never gives us more than we can handle,” and honestly, that’s one of the biggest lies I have ever heard. God will give us more than we can handle, especially people like me: strong willed, driven, take-on-the-world mentality kind of people. This could not be a clearer example of God giving me too much for me to handle. I have done everything I can, I am at the end of my rope. I want so badly to be able to do this right and fix it, but I cannot. And that is the hardest realization of it all. I cannot do it. God intended it to be too difficult for me.
So what now? I am stuck in a situation that I physically, emotionally, and spiritually have poured my entire self into and seen no results. I have nothing left to give, nothing. “What a hypocritical thing for me to say. Is there really nothing left to give? Of course not, there is always something more to do” is what I constantly find myself thinking and saying. In some sense, that is the truth. There always is more to give. However, it is not of myself. I do not like this realization very much. I have nothing left to give.
I feel like right now Satan is standing right in front of me with a blow horn screaming “You cannot do anything! You are incomplete. This is too much for you. You are a failure You have nothing left to give.” At the same time, God is standing right behind me, whispering into my ear “You cannot do anything! You are incomplete. This is too much for you. You have nothing left to give - but I do!” I feel the stinging in my face from my own hand and the nausea building up in my stomach as I come to realize that both of them are telling me the truth. I cannot do anything. I am incomplete. This is too much for me. I’d even venture far enough to say I’m a failure - I mean, look at all of these times I have tried to fix it and look at how many times I have been cut deeper as a response - I have failed. I have nothing left to give. But throughout this entire process I have forgotten that God can do anything. He is complete. This is not too much for Him. He is not a failure. He will always be able to give.
And now, the hard part: handing over the reigns. Not only can this horse not be broken if I do not hand over the reigns, but I also cannot get off without being hurt more if I do not hand them over. I want so badly to be able to give more, but I am already empty. I have no choice but to give it to God and to let Him give what I cannot. Have you ever heard someone say “easier said than done”? This would be a perfect example of that. And it makes no sense. How dare I sit here and think “Just give it to God and He will take care of it all, He can do that kind of thing - it is just who He is” and truly believe it, but at the same time refuse to give it to him?
The answer is simple, but I feel like it should be much more complex. I’m trying to turn something as simple as addition into integration by parts, chopsticks into Mozart, Dr. Suess into Shakespeare, or doggy paddle into butterfly. That is how my life is when I refuse to let God solve my problems. The difference between God and myself here is that He can look at the problem and see 2+2 when all I see is a mess of numbers and symbols. Both problems are essentially the same because they both equal 4, but I have the complicated method of solution and God has the easy one.
This entire week I have been praying that God would help me love, that He would help me stay strong, that He would show me what to do. That prayer has been comfortable for me, but it is not what God has wanted. He does not want to help me love, help me stay strong, or show me what to do. What He wants is for me to let Him love through me, to be weak so that His strength can show, and to not do anything but be amazed at how much He can do.
I said earlier that I think it is seemingly hypocritical to not give anything when there is so much more to be given. The only problem with giving more is that what is to be given is not my own. It is God’s, and only He can give it. Throughout this painful process, I have come to realize that there is only one more thing I can and should give - I have to give up.
This was written on 11 December 2009, and tonight (13 December 2009), God placed the major stepping stone in place that was needed in order to fix this problem in my life. If you trust God with everything, He will never let you fall!
"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." Psalm 40:2
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