What's Going On?

What’s Going On?

“The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.  He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.”

Religious people.  That’s who the Pharisees and Sadducees were in Jesus’ day.  They were the religious leaders who were always concerned about people following the law to the point of oppression.  They taxed people heavily, dealt underhandedly with the Romans to further oppress the Jews, they ostracized people and felt threatened by Jesus’ ministry, because Jesus preached to the people they used to control.  He was giving them words of life that could open their eyes to the freedom and choice they actually had in this life, without feeling so oppressed by those in charge.  The Pharisees and Sadducees were educated, powerful and scared of what might happen if the people actually listened to Jesus as he gained more and more popularity. 

Last night I watched the election results with a group of people, most of whom I didn’t know until last night.  In the house were blacks and whites, old and young people, all hoping for an Obama victory.  When I looked on some of the news programs I saw the people at the Mitt Romney gathering and the people at the Barack Obama gathering, all hoping for a victory for their candidate.  I couldn’t help but notice that the Romney camp looked like they were majority white, whereas the Obama camp was shockingly diverse.  I kept thinking that the Republicans don’t get it yet. I’m not sure they even want to get it yet.  But something is happening and it’s happening now.  You can no longer see the world from one perspective.  There are other people here around you and they have a voice too.  And in those voices is an incredible power.  And in this country, we have the right to speak and to let our voice be heard, and I think that those who have been ignored for a long time are starting to see that. 

Barack Obama is not Jesus.  Let’s be clear.  He is not the Messiah, not the Savior.  Nor is he the Anti-Christ as many claim him to be.  He is Barack Obama, the son of interracial parents, raised by a single mother, reared in a home with his grandparents, educated in American Universities, organizer of low income communities, friend to some of the wealthiest people on the planet, husband of an educated, African-American woman and father to two African American young women.  He plays basketball, smokes Newport’s, walks with a stroll, inspires a crowd with his charisma, is politically savvy and has a way to make you feel like somehow you are related to him.  (He’s my uncle in my head).  But what he represents is important.  What he represents is something that was prayed for a loooooooooong time ago by people who are no longer alive to see it come to pass.  He represents a sign of our times.  And if we are not careful, we will miss what God is saying and revealing in this season. 

The voice of the minority is important.  Regardless of what you think about Obama’s politics, do not miss what God is doing.  It would be easy to get caught up in the negative aspects of what has happened in this campaign or to focus on the loss of Mitt Romney.  But don’t miss God.  If you miss God here, you are going to end up like the Pharisees and Sadducees, persecuting the one God is using to further reveal His kingdom.  Which coincidentally, is not with the voice of the majority, but is found amongst the minority (See Matthew 5).  The kingdom of God is with those that society at large oppresses.  The kingdom of God is with those who are dealt a bad hand in this life.  The kingdom of God is with those who have been downtrodden.  And those people exist in the United States.  They are not just in other “poor” countries. The ones who don’t have access to healthcare; the ones who need a helping hand in order to get a decent education; the ones who live in danger everyday because there are no jobs in their community; the ones who even with education cannot get hired; the ones who struggle to feed their families everyday.  You know, the 47%.  Technically 47% is a minority. Seemingly unimportant.  But collectively they matter. Apparently, an additional 3% of the "other" folk decided to go along with the Obama program this time based on the popular vote numbers.  Somebody has to listen to their voices.  Most of them didn’t feel like Mitt was that guy.  He couldn’t connect to that voice.  He didn’t make those voices feel like they mattered.  And they do.  And it is about time that the people with those voices realize it.

Things happened last night that may slip right by people who are focused on what didn’t happen.  Even if you don’t agree with what happened, look for God in it.  NBC News said this: “Finally, it was an historic-making election. With Obama’s re-election, we now have the first time since Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe that Americans have elected three two-term presidents in a row… Tammy Baldwin will become the Senate’s first openly gay member… The Senate will have at least 19 female members -- the most ever -- and there’s a chance that number could increase to 20 if Heitkamp wins… Maryland and Maine became the first states to approve of gay marriage at the ballot box… And initiatives to legalize marijuana passed in Colorado and Washington state.”  The minorities mattered last night.  They have always mattered, but now maybe more people will pay attention.  And unless the minorities somehow stop speaking, they will continue to make sure you know they matter.  Somebody better start listening. 

You can let religious law blind you: Abortion, gay marriage, marijuana legalization, etc.  Or you can take a step back and see the bigger kingdom picture. There is always a battle in the spiritual realm.  But you cannot see it with natural eyes (John 3:3).  The more people who participate in the bigger battle, the closer we come to Jesus’ earthly reign.  All over the world, people are starting to learn that the empowerment of the minority is a worthy fight.  And the minorities are learning that we are a stronger force together than we are apart.  Can we keep it going? Time will tell.  But I will tell you this:  Don’t pride yourself in only looking at the signs of what you may think may be the world going to pot.  Because then you will miss seeing how heaven is also coming to earth at the same time.  God is always bigger than politics.  And yet, speaks in politics too. We need to learn how to listen and stop talking so much. 

**Bible Study Tip:  Read Matthew 15 and 16 in light of what I wrote here for more perspective and if you want to discuss I’ll be happy to have that conversation. 

To God Be The Glory

To God Be The Glory

“For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” Romans 11:36

America we have a problem.  We keep confusing the cultural ways of our existence with the kingdom of God.  It’s hard to know the difference at times because even from our pulpits, we declare the American way instead of the kingdom of God.  Americans are a consumer culture.  That is a harsh reality.  Our economy is based primarily on our spending habits.  When we spend money and buy things, then the leaders of our country say that we are doing well economically.  We almost went into a huge crisis when people started actually saving money after the 2008 stock market crash.  And the savings rate was only up to 8% then!  Normally it hovers at less than 3% because we spend all we get and then some (hence our debt crisis).  But the reality of our economy is that we are always being conditioned to spend more money.  But not on worthwhile things.  We are conditioned to spend money on things to consume.  Clothes, jewelry, electronics, food, you name it, we are always being shown an advertisement to increase our desire to consume.  Not to invest or save or donate it, but to blow it on stuff.  This presents a problem in our prayer lives if we do not become aware of it up front.  Because we are likely bringing into our prayer lives, our desire to consume things.   

When we pray and ask God for something, we may assume that when he gives it to us, it will be for our consumption.  Maybe we are praying for a new job or for a relationship or a house, or anything.  We petition God to give these things to us.  We are going to the creator of the universe and making our requests known.  But who in Scripture ever got something from God to use exclusively on themselves and God found it pleasing?  Not Abraham, Joseph, David, Hannah, Mary, Jesus, Paul, Peter, or anyone I can think of off hand.  Sometimes, God just gave them “stuff” out of His goodness, but those things that they had a deep desire for and prayed over and over about were not for them, but for God’s glory.  And that means they couldn’t do whatever they wanted with it.  They had to use it for eternal purposes.  God gave them an answer to their prayer for His purpose, not theirs.  But that also means that when we pray for something and do not get it, we trust that even that answer is for God’s glory.  Either way God will glorify himself. 

Now for a human being, we would say that someone who only does things for their own glory is egotistical.  Everything is about them and how great they are.  And that would be true of God if God wasn’t the Creator of all things and deserved to be worshipped and adored.  We might accuse God of making everything about Him, but if God created everything, then it really is all about HIm.  There is nothing that cannot glorify God.  No circumstance is without opportunity to glorify Him in some way.  No object on the planet is immune to being used for the glory of God. And nothing you receive from God in prayer is for you alone.  Good, bad or indifferent. Even if you enjoy it, remember that it is for God’s glory and not your consumption.  Don’t confuse the American way with the kingdom of God.  If God affirmatively answers your prayer for something, then be assured that the plan you have for it must be open to being changed. 

If you have been praying for a house, then if God gives it to you, be prepared to listen to God’s plan for it.  Even if that means giving it up.  If you have been praying for a spouse, then be prepared for that relationship to be used for God’s glory.  And that might mean that things get rough before they get better. If you have been praying for a new job, then be prepared to trust that God will bring glory to Himself out of that situation.  This does not always mean that things turn out the way you want them to.  It does mean that God will be glorified.  How much peace you have in the process will depend on how you see the situation.  And it will take work to see and trust that God will bring glory to Himself out of some of these things.  We just have to remember that it is not about us.  It never is.  Don’t take it so personal ( if that’s possible).  God is not punishing you.  God is not mad at you.  God is not just being mean for no reason. God is not feeding your consumption habits.  God is bringing glory to Himself so that people will see Him for who He is in the midst of your situation.  He is worthy.  Abraham had been praying for a son, whom God promised him he wold have by his wife Sarah.  When he finally had the son (at 100 years old) he was then asked to sacrifice him on the altar.  Abraham had to be willing to give up the very thing that he had been praying for and desiring  for so many years in order to accomplish a greater spiritual task.  Centuries later, we are still using this example to demonstrate the type of faith that God is pleased with.  Hannah prayed and prayed for a child and finally she was blessed with Samuel.  But she promised God that she would give him over to God’s service if she was given the child  And she did.  She sent her son away to live with Eli the priest to be used in the temple as a priest of God.  She was willing to give up the very thing that she had been praying for in order to fulfill a higher spiritual purpose.  Can you say the same? Can you give up the thing that you most desire to be used for God’s purposes and not your own?  Whatever plans you have for that job, that money, that man or woman, that child, or that house are subject to change.  Are you open to that? Do you understand the glory of God enough to know that it will happen anyway?  Even if the story does not go according to your plan.  God will get His glory.  And it is not through our consumption of the things we have been praying for.  But their eternal purpose, which we may not always understand or even like.  In the end, the glory belongs to God and God alone.  

A LIfe We Don't Deserve

A Life We Don’t Deserve

“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.  I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:7-11 NIV

I think Malcolm X said it best. “You’ve been bamboozled! Hoodwinked! Run amuck! We didn’t land on Plymouth Rock. Plymouth Rock landed on us!”  Except the rock that landed on me was the Rock of Ages, Jesus Christ.  We have been sold a bill of goods by the prosperity teaching, “God wants you to be wealthy”, “become a Christian and everything will be great”, kind of preachers.  They must have forgotten about this book in the bible, and a host of other books that speak to the contrary.  The prosperity gospel works great if you are not a true follower of Christ, but maybe just a church goer.  It works fine if you ignore the actual call to participate in the sufferings of Christ so that you can participate in His resurrection power.  It works fine if you want to still be under the law.  Because then you get what you deserve.  You get what you work for.  What you put in is what you get out.  That’s a perfect gospel for American churches.  Land of the free.  Home of the brave.  It makes for a wonderful campaign to tell people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and make something of themselves.  But that argument does not hold water in the kingdom of God.  Why?  Because none of that stuff matters.  What you have done is irrelevant if you live a life of grace. 

Now I know that we want things both ways.  We want to be forgiven of our sins, even though we deserved death and when we are forgiven, we want to be able to proceed to only have good things happen in our life because we are “good people” who deserve it.  I get it.  I want that too.  But the problem is, following Christ, that is not what happens.  We can’t always get what we think we “deserve” because what we deserve from God is actually death.  If God flipped that around so that we don’t have to take that eternal punishment, then why do we want things to flip back the other way so that we can always get what we think we deserve when we think it’s good for us.  So to be clear, we don’t want what we deserve when it’s bad, and we do want what we think we deserve when it’s a good thing.  Right. Let me know how that works out for you.

The truth is, when we accept to live our lives under grace instead of the Law, we will always be living a life we don’t deserve. And sometimes that means incredible favor with God and man, while other times it means suffering when we don’t deserve to do so.  And to make it worse, sometimes we have to choose to suffer as an expression of our faith in the God we know.  Just like Jesus.  He didn’t do anything that deserved death, but chose to do it anyway for our sakes.  And if we live a life where we accept this as our salvation, then sometimes we will have to do the same.  God will put us into some “unfair” situations that we don’t deserve to be in but choose to stay in for the sake of God’s glory.  We are partakers of Christ’s suffering, on purpose.  But the promise from God is that if we participate in His suffering, then we will also participate in His resurrection.  That is our hope.  That by choosing to “die” we will live forever.  We will know the power of never being able to be die again.  We will be raised up if we choose to continue to suffer for the sake of the Gospel.  It’s a hard thing.  Don’t be fooled.  It is HARD.  But God gives you what you need to go through it.  You have the grace for it, and to many you will look foolish.  You probably look foolish to yourself.  I look foolish to myself for choosing to suffer for something I didn’t do or don’t deserve to suffer for.  For feeling the pain of someone else’s sin. But love demands that we do this.  It is in seeing the unjust suffering that we get the revelation of God.  Many people followed Jesus when he was doing miracles in the towns and preaching about the kingdom.  But those stories of what he did may have become just stories centuries later of a nice man who had special power.  But the story of a man who suffered while he was innocent in order to ensure that we all would have an opportunity to come to know God intimately has lasted for centuries and the power of it still works today. 

If we are followers of Christ, just know that it won’t always be easy.  The love that you have received from God will have to be given to someone else in order for them to have a chance at also getting into relationship with God, and for you to remain in close relationship. You will always live a life you don’t deserve, good or bad.  But you will also have more power than any human being could ever have.  That is resurrection.  To see life come out of dead situations.  To see life rise again when everyone thought the final nail was driven into the coffin.  When you even thought, that it was all over.  But soon, life will come again.  We have to continue to have faith.  And if we want to be mature Christians, we have to do these things.  We are not children who want what they want, when they want it and throw a tantrum when they don’t get it.  Like Paul said, “All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.” Philippians 3:15 NIV.    

Smoke and Mirrors

Smoke and MIrrors

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”  Matthew 23:23 NIV

          The internet has been a buzz with the whole Chick-Fil-A issue.  Dan Cathy articulated his view on gay marriage and those views cause a protest around the country that sent supporters of his view to his stores and haters of his view to demand that his stores be boycotted.  I don’t particularly care for either side of this argument as I think they are both flawed.  I’m still going to eat Chick-Fil-A, not because I support his view, but because I like their food and their commitment to allow their employees off on Sunday.  I liked them so much I considered franchise ownership. Out of all of the businesses I support with my dollars, I do not know the political viewpoint of the owners.  What I do know is how they treat me when I walk through the door and how their business supports or hurts the community. 

          On their appreciation day last week, Chick-Fil-A posted unprecedented sales nationwide as thousands of supporters stood in long lines and demonstrated their solidarity with the fast food chain.  Good for them.  People ate good chicken and a Christian values based company received valuable financial support for taking a stance on a political issue.  We all know that money talks, so putting your money where your mouth is (pun intended) goes a long way. Which brings me to another issue that this highlights for me.

          There is no question that we have morality issues in this country and in the whole world as a matter of fact.  But let’s start with the immorality of our laws and policies that govern our country purposefully marginalizing other people for the benefit and profit of a few.  Justice, mercy and faithfulness are the more important issues of the law (according to Jesus).  Is it right for a man to be persecuted and threatened with boycott for expressing his political stance on a morality issue? No.  He has the right to express that opinion and people have the right to agree.  And the gay rights activists also have a right to express themselves as well.  That is the beauty of the 1^st amendment.  Both sides can express themselves without fear of government persecution.  Dan Cathy has “Christian Values”.  Well, I would say that he has a certain set of Christian values.  I personally am a follower of Christ with kingdom values. Sets of rules and moral regulations do not take precedent over what I believe to be the weightier matters of the law.  Rules about this and that do not do a whole lot to advance the kingdom agenda, because if you use the kingdom agenda, you will find that the rules also get followed because the more weightier matters were handled. When you lead with rules, you get more condemnation, not more justice. 

           But what about really putting our money where our mouth is.  So if we believe what the bible says, then shouldn’t we be putting more money into those organizations that support issues of justice, mercy and faithfulness?  How about going out to DONATE the cost of a meal at Chick-Fil-A to an organization that fights to bring equality to our educational system and get rid of these laws that put less money into inner city schools and more into suburban schools?  Or how about protesting the payday lenders that are looking to keep people in a debt trap by charging 369% interest rates and are trying to enter into Pennsylvania as we speak? Or what about unequal lending practices that have been going on in minority communities, charging higher interest rates to people of color which several large banks have just been sued over?  Or what about boycotting those companies who have been presented with data that tells them that the work they are doing is directly affecting the health and well being of the communities they are working in, but who continue to work in these areas anyway.  They are blatantly ignoring the warnings that their drilling, construction, etc, is causing cancer and other diseases, but they figure that the money they would pay out in lawsuits is less than the money they make by continuing, so they ignore it? 

          Do we get up in arms about these issues of justice and mercy and faithfulness the way we do about gay marriage?  Here is another question. . .if the issue is truly about gay marriage, would the same people who went out and supported Chick-Fil-A have done the same if the owner was Muslim?  Selah.

I’m not saying Dan Cathy should not be given support for expressing his Christian beliefs.  I think that the appreciation day showed that people do care about the financial health of an organization that has not been silent on their faith. And I will continue to support Chick-Fil-A.  But seriously, Christians, can we start looking at the weightier matters of the law and stop voting on these morality issues for our government?  We are playing right into the hands of those who hold the majority positions.  Distract them with “morality” and they will miss the bigger picture and things can stay exactly as they are. 

In Not Of

In and Not Of . . .?

“He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."- Matthew 13:33 NIV

Ok.  I have been wrestling with this scripture for the past few weeks.  God keeps bringing this up to me in random spaces throughout my day.  Maybe I’m getting dressed or eating or even in the middle of having a conversation, I keep hearing this.  I think that after a few weeks now I am starting to understand what it means.  At least what is might mean for me and where I am at this point in my life.  The kingdom of heaven is like yeast. . .

What is yeast?  Most people nowadays probably don’t know what yeast is or what it does.  Who makes bread from scratch anymore?  Who has time?  I can remember a few times as a kid when my mom made bread or at least dough and I got to see yeast at work.  I keep saying that when I get some more time (yeah right) I’m going to make bread from scratch.  That’s right up there on my list with gardening, yoga and all of the other things I constantly say I’m going to learn.  But I like to try to connect better with biblical references if I can.  If I am going to use this book as an integral part of my faith and my life then I should be able to connect with some of the things that are possible.  Yeast is one of those things.  It’s still available and still does the same thing. It makes dough rise.  But it only works if you work it into the dough.  Having yeast apart from the dough leaves the dough flat. 

Jesus is saying that the kingdom of heaven is like yeast.  It’s like that thing that is mixed in with the rest of the dough to make it rise.  It’s like the stuff you cannot see but has a huge impact on where it is mixed in.  It’s like the invisible force in the middle of the dough that causes the dough to go higher than it would without the yeast. 

I’ve been struggling with this scripture because I have been trying to become more concrete on my own calling and purpose in this world.  I know that I am called as a believer to represent the kingdom of heaven here on earth.  But it’s hard to know exactly what that always means when there are always so many people who think they have it right.  I go back to scripture and prayer and see something that makes me thing that the way I was going about it in the past was all wrong.  This leads me to think that the kingdom of heaven is about a kind of integration without losing your power or purpose.  I think most Christians think about separation from society. 

I work in one of the most corrupt industries possible: Money.  And being a Christian and working in this industry will test your faith on many occasions.  I have often wondered if I was to come out of it in order to demonstrate my commitment to my God and the kingdom of heaven.  Can I be a Christian and be in a corrupt industry like this?  But recently I have begun to see that the entire world is corrupt.  There is no such thing as a pure industry.  Not even the church!  So where would I go?  I would have to probably be like the Amish and completely separate from society if I wanted to even come close, and even they cannot completely separate.  I can recall going out to Amish country for a client meeting and staying at a hotel where I met a man who was preparing for a sales meeting with a group of Amish farmers who sell tobacco to his company.  So they make a living selling tobacco to big corporations.  Nobody is completely separate.  And we are not called to be completely separate.  We are called to be in the mix and cause things to rise.  But in order to do that, we have to maintain our properties as leavening agents and not forget why we are here. 

I’m not in the financial industry to make money for my own consumption purposes.  There is a bigger purpose.  Sometimes it’s hard to be here and watch so much corruption and see the systemic evil that exists in this world manifested in the world markets.  But after 12 years in this industry, I can honestly say that I do not feel called to leave.  There is something that I am called to do in it, but not become a victim of its seduction.  They lure you in early with flexible schedules, high incomes and a lifestyle that most people envy. And if you are not grounded in who you are and whose you are, it is easy to become just another financial professional, selling the lies of the industry.  But in order to remain as yeast, I have to stay connected to my source.  And if I do, I cause everything around me to rise.  So even in the midst of corruption, the kingdom of heaven is still at work.

Maybe the answer is not to live your life trying to separate yourself, but maybe the answer is to live your life for God and allow God to separate you for His purposes. People will notice the difference and you will bring an aroma that is the sweet smell that is so desperately needed in this world of all of what the kingdom of heaven is on earth.  Jesus called himself the bread of life. He is what we are able to feed people if we would allow ourselves to be used in the midst of a dying and corrupt world.  But if we always choose to try to separate ourselves, we miss the opportunity to influence in the way that the kingdom is supposed to work.  It’s not about you.  It’s not about me.  It’s about God and His kingdom.  We bring the kingdom with us wherever we go.  We bring the yeast because God gave it to us to spread around. We are called to be in the world and not of the world.  As hard as it is, I think I will continue to do just that. 

Getting Out of the Way

Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:24

            Every Saturday I play basketball with a group of women who live out on affluent suburbs of Philadelphia.  We get together every week and spend about an hour together.  I am the only one who lives in Philadelphia proper.  We play at a Catholic church where one of the women attends.  They are all such nice women and several of them are juggling both careers as well as family obligations.  I’ve gotten to know a few of them over the course of the last few months since I have started playing.  They are pretty successful but rarely ever talk about their professional lives while we are on the court.  During that hour it is just about basketball.  Then afterwards, we occasionally share more information about our personal lives.  Most of the women already knew each other, and I was the newbie.  This past Saturday as we ended our game, one of the women was extremely stressed out and needed to talk about it for a while.  A few of us stuck around afterwards to hear her get some things off of her chest and a couple of the women gave her some advice.  As I listened to her source of stress, I realized that what she is struggling with was not the circumstances that she was dealing with, but the mindset of having to do it all on her own. 

            She was a successful research doctor and was recently given another position in a different state.  Both she and her husband are in the medical field and they were preparing to move them and their two small kids to a new world.  The stress of having to pack up and move was one thing, but the constant thoughts she was having about things not going her way and messing up her children’s lives and losing her job and nothing going as planned was another.  And the latter is what caused her the most stress.  Her friends around her consoled her by saying that the worry and stress that she puts herself under is the main reason why she is so successful.  Because she will work hard, success will come, even if she never learns to rest.  I listened to the advice being given and realized that her issue was actually not related to her move or her job.  Her issue was that she thought she did it on her own.  If she did it on her own, then she has to maintain it on her own and as a result, there is a chance that she won’t know how or might mess it all up.  As I walked out of the gym that day, I wondered to myself, where is God in her life?  Does she give God any credit at all for where she is in her life?  Maybe if she did, she wouldn’t be so stressed. 

            I thought about the above scripture as I drove home that day. Jesus told his disciples that it was easier to get a camel through the eye of a needle than it was to get a rich person into the kingdom of God.  And I think this woman is a perfect example of why.  The amount of pressure we can put ourselves under in order to position our lives exactly the way we want it can drive us nuts! We do not possibly have the level of control we want over our lives because there are too many outside factors to consider.  But what if we are under the illusion that we got to where we are on our own and God was just some background entity in our lives doing what we want Him to do? Well, then that is a lot of pressure to put yourself under and what happens when you fail? But living as a citizen in the kingdom of God does not have that level of pressure because you recognize that all things belong to God anyway.  Our success, our failure and everything in between is a part of our journey, and it is a journey that God knows the beginning, middle and ending of.  We are actually pretty clueless until God clues us in.  But, amassing so much success on our “own” without acknowledging God can lead us down a road that ends in stress and sometimes even death.  Think of all of the people who commit suicide because of their inability to maintain control over their lives. I know a few of them. Or how about the strokes and heart attacks people get when they stress themselves out about a lack of control?  If you let go of having to control every aspect of your life and allow God to have His way, then maybe the pressure can come off of you for a while.  But you cannot see the kingdom of God if you are standing in your own way. If you want to play God in your life, then you have to be in control of everything.  However, if you want to let God be God, then you have an opportunity to let go of the need for control and you will actually see the truth:  God has always been with you.  It was not just you doing it on your own.  He didn’t start being God when you acknowledged Him.  He has always been and will always be.  The illusion is that you alone have been responsible for your own success or even failure.  But God is always there.  The moment we recognize that, then we receive the grace that He promised to give to handle whatever comes our way.  We learn to rest in Him and not to have to control everything.  We can truly let go.

            I wish I would have been able to say something to the woman on Saturday about her faith. Her other friends continued to talk to her about practical suggestions for getting things done.  But I wanted to tell her to stop and acknowledge the One who has made her life possible.  The One who gave her the mind to be a doctor.  The One who blessed her with two beautiful children.  The One who gave her a wonderful husband. The One who gives her life everyday. I pray for another chance to see her again before she moves.  She doesn’t even know how much God loves her and has already taken care of things, even when she is working to make them happen.  She can trust God with her job, her house, her marriage and even her children.  But she has to see the kingdom of God first.  And to do that, she has to give God the glory for her life instead of taking it for herself.  Only then, can she be free from the pressure of being her own God.      

Deafness and Discouragement

Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor. Exodus 6:9 NIV

Have you ever had a bad day?  One of those days when nothing goes right, or when you feel totally unappreciated for the work you do.  And then somebody comes along and has some news that was supposed to make you happy, but you don’t respond well to that news.  You just felt out of it.  Yeah, me too.  I don’t know what it is about discouragement that keeps you in that place, but it can be powerful.  Discouragement can prevent you from hearing.  Even if you needed to hear what was spoken.

In the above passage, Moses was sent by God to the Israelites to give them some good news.  God was going to do something about their harsh treatment in Egypt and bring them out of slavery and take them to a land of promise.  He promised them that He would be their God and they would be His people. That meant that he was establishing a very special and intimate relationship with them. The creator of all the universe was talking specifically to them and making them a wonderful promise.  But the passage says that the Israelites could not hear the message because of their discouragement and harsh labor.  They were so used to being in a frustrating and discouraging place in life and working for no results that they couldn’t even appreciate the good news that they were about to be delivered. 

There are so many people in the world who are in this place.  If we transfer this passage to the new testament, then we can also say that Jesus came to announce some good news as well, but so many people didn’t hear him. He said that he came to set the captives free and to heal people’s wounds and to announce that the kingdom of God has come.  But only a few heard him.  And today, there are a lot of people who preach good news that freedom has already arrived but the people can’t hear.  They are working in jobs they hate, for money that is never enough, for people who don’t care.  They have been denied opportunities and have been overlooked for promotions and have been disappointed by people they thought cared about them.  They are discouraged and cannot hear good news.  The people that God calls to preach this good news are often just as discouraged because they don’t understand why people just can’t hear!  “Why won’t they do something?”, they might ask. “How can they just sit here in this miserable life and be ok with it?”  They are discouraged.  And even if God, Himself, sends them a message, they cannot hear it. 

This might sound like a hopeless blog posting, and certainly if I left it there at the hopeless part, it would be.  But since I don’t want anybody to only feel like gouging out their eyeballs after reading a post from me, I’m going to leave you with some hope.  God didn’t leave Israel there.  He sent Moses to Pharaoh, to tell him to let Israel go.  And eventually, he did.  But not before God demonstrated His power in many miracles so that the people would begin to come out of their discouragement.  Because, if they cannot hear, then they probably won’t leave.  Discouraged people need to see something different in order for them to even begin to receive good news. They need a demonstration of God’s power.  Not because they are bad people, but because they have had nothing but disappointment for a long time. And God is faithful enough to send someone to help demonstrate His power to bring you out.

I don’t know if you are a person who is discouraged or if you are the messenger sent to proclaim good news, but in either case, God is able to bring us all out of bondage.  Moses didn’t want to go, and throughout his journey was discouraged himself because of the mindset of the people. But discouragement is often a sign that we need to see something different in order for us to begin to move into what God has already promised us.  Maybe you need to see God’s hand moving in someone else’s life before you can even begin to believe that He can move in yours. But you can’t stay here.  God has promised to deliver His people from bondage and if you are enslaved by anything, you have to leave.  Maybe you need a Moses to guide you, but the Holy Spirit has also been sent to be your guide.  There may not be another person around to help you, but that is not an excuse.  God has probably already demonstrated His power in your life in the past. It is up to you to use that to pull you out of a discouraging place so that you can hear more. 

This is probably one of the reasons why scripture encourages us to encourage one another.  So let me encourage you.  You don’t have to stay here.  And your here can be anywhere: a job you hate; a relationship that is toxic; a financial condition; a mindset; wherever.  God has already promised to deliver you and the time is now.  But you have to get to a place where you can hear the good news. Watch for God to demonstrate His power around you. Maybe not in your life, but in the life of someone else.  Maybe you need to remember how God already brought you through something before and that can encourage you to the place where you can begin to hear what God is saying to you now.  But staying in a discouraged place will only lead to deafness. Don’t think that by wallowing in self-pity you will magically come out of it somehow. God knows you.  And God knows what you need.  And God is faithful to send what you need, even when you cannot hear. 

For all of the Moses‘ out there, remember that God will most likely use you to demonstrate His power to a discouraged people in order for them to get enough strength to begin to move themselves.  But you will not do these things in your own power.  It is the hand of God that will do it.  You may be the vessel, but God is steering the ship.  Don’t forget that. And it is up to all the Moses‘ out there to continue to move in faith so that people are constantly encouraged by what God is doing through you.  You have no idea how many people need to know that God is still in the business of deliverance.  And if we stop moving because the people don’t respond, then we make it about us and not about God.  If you need to, encourage yourself.  That makes it a lot easier to hear what good news God has for you. And God does have good news for you.