Quick heart check, fellow American Christians. I just did a search for some inspiration as I wrap up a recap video for my church, and at the front end of the first video I found, I heard the phrase "I am head over heels in love with my church." It is a good thing to love the Church - Jesus loves the Church and we are even commanded as men to love our wives "as Christ loves the Church," so that must be pretty powerful. Now, I don't really need to mention names but I have seen a lot of things with this "I love my church" phrase on them - t-shirts, mugs, logos, and the list goes on. I assume these churches want people to come to their services and meet Jesus, which is a good thing.
Here's the rub. Do you (do I) love your (my) local church more than you (I) love Jesus? Have we placed our respective churches above God in priority? Do our churches feel more like social clubs or entertainment venues than the hands and feet of Jesus? It's easy to do; when the reason for what you do becomes assumed, it's not so far away from becoming forgotten or ignored. Programs, the excitement of serving as a community and seeing God work in our communities are all good things, but when it becomes primary to God, Himself, there is a problem. I don't know the heart of the person who made the statement in the video, the church's doctrine, or what happens there on a weekly basis so I am not claiming this person has his priorities messed up - the video was simply a catalyst.
So, please consider the question. If you aren't sure of the answer, or the answer is "yes" I am sure you are not alone because there are many days when, if I am honest with myself, have to answer "yes" to the question. It is at that moment that I have the opportunity to repent, and God (whose love is unconditional and eternal) picks me up, forgives me, cleans me off, and I start to follow Him with the right perspective again.
I will close with this, and I am in the same boat, folks - bringing people to church is not the only way to share the Gospel. It starts with loving people the way God loves you (and them). In fact, believe it or not, some people share their faith when they are in places nowhere near a church (okay, that was a bit sarcastic - I apologize). My point is that we can't be a one-trick pony by relying solely on our pastors to do the work when it comes to sharing the Gospel, and we (myself most certainly included) need to constantly make sure our priorities are right and true.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
All of This
Life feels out of control most of the time - at least to me. I try to find ways to fool myself into believing I am in control of at least most of it, but that only lasts for a while. Sometimes I try to ignore the fact that I really am not in control of my life (not to be confused with my behavior, actions, thoughts or feelings), but that does not last long at all.
No matter what, I always come back to the truth that a loving Heavenly Father who is waiting for me to come rest in His arms and let Him be in complete control.
In the hustle and bustle of American culture, rest is both undervalued (at times even scorned as laziness) and in great lack. I must admit, I have made myself a victim of this American restlessness. While I can focus on the same three seconds of video for hours at a time, I don't like not having something to do. I get antsy; start to feel lazy and bored; look for something to do - even if I've done the same thing (a favorite is mindlessly looking at my phone) ten times in 30 seconds. I have always thought of this as a result of a strong work ethic and a drive to be successful, productive and an effective contributor to society. And the heart of the issue is that all too often, I tie my worth as a human being to all of those things.
What I have learned is that while a good, strong work ethic is important - restlessness is not a symptom. It is actually a symptom of my desire to control my life, my world and my experiences. I feel like I need to make things happen, or they'll never happen. The earth will stop spinning and lives will be ruined.
What God has reminded me in His still small voice tonight is that I have never been and will never be in control. I am His child and He's paid all the bills, put all the laundry where it belongs, edited all of the videos, written and sung all the songs, posted all the blogs, and loved all of my friends and family perfectly before I had a chance to second-guess myself for the very first time.
There is a line in a song by a band I admire and enjoy that says
"I have a hard time remembering all the things I'm supposed to remember, and a hard time forgetting all the things I'm supposed to forget."
Too many times, I've been that man. Remembering and forgetting in reverse order. Tonight, God reminded me in a whisper that He is in control and I can rest in the finished work of the Cross and the fact that He will always help me remember.
No matter what, I always come back to the truth that a loving Heavenly Father who is waiting for me to come rest in His arms and let Him be in complete control.
In the hustle and bustle of American culture, rest is both undervalued (at times even scorned as laziness) and in great lack. I must admit, I have made myself a victim of this American restlessness. While I can focus on the same three seconds of video for hours at a time, I don't like not having something to do. I get antsy; start to feel lazy and bored; look for something to do - even if I've done the same thing (a favorite is mindlessly looking at my phone) ten times in 30 seconds. I have always thought of this as a result of a strong work ethic and a drive to be successful, productive and an effective contributor to society. And the heart of the issue is that all too often, I tie my worth as a human being to all of those things.
What I have learned is that while a good, strong work ethic is important - restlessness is not a symptom. It is actually a symptom of my desire to control my life, my world and my experiences. I feel like I need to make things happen, or they'll never happen. The earth will stop spinning and lives will be ruined.
What God has reminded me in His still small voice tonight is that I have never been and will never be in control. I am His child and He's paid all the bills, put all the laundry where it belongs, edited all of the videos, written and sung all the songs, posted all the blogs, and loved all of my friends and family perfectly before I had a chance to second-guess myself for the very first time.
There is a line in a song by a band I admire and enjoy that says
"I have a hard time remembering all the things I'm supposed to remember, and a hard time forgetting all the things I'm supposed to forget."
Too many times, I've been that man. Remembering and forgetting in reverse order. Tonight, God reminded me in a whisper that He is in control and I can rest in the finished work of the Cross and the fact that He will always help me remember.
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