His life is such a hope for the rest of us, is it not? His story, from beginning to end is a series of highs and lows. (Simon) Peter, along with his brother Andrew, is the first we see called to discipleship by Christ. Jesus calls him Peter which means “Rock”. He is rebuked when Jesus says to him, “Get behind me, satan.” (Yipes!) He walks on water. He denies Christ. He is restored by Christ and on the day of Pentecost we see him give the first sermon where 3000 people are saved.
It seems our friend has “finally” gotten things straight. No more ups and downs. All he needed was to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and Peter gets off the spiritual yo-yo…. Right? Wrong….
As we watch his AD ministry unfold, we realize that Peter has some prejudice issues that he must work through and in Galatians 2:11 we see Paul flat rebuke him to his face for his weakness and insecurity – and in the presence of other Christian leaders.
I love this passage….because it shows us that even the greatest of our spiritual leaders are still a work in progress. And that is a comfort to me. I love it because it shows that our journey with the Lord – for our whole lives – is a process.
I love that when God saw Peter, He saw past his impulsive, hot-tempered, weak-willed personality traits and straight to his passionate, loyal, risk-taking, enduring, teachable and loving character. I love what Beth Moore says in her book “Jesus, the One and Only”: She says that Peter may have been able to deny Christ to others, but that he could never deny Christ to himself.
Oh how we are – that we so long for Jesus but allow our rotten flesh to get in the way time and time again. Do you ever wonder – “will I ever get it right?” “Is there any hope for me?” Maybe that’s just what Paul was talking about in Romans 7. His conclusion was – that-yeah, there is hope for me – Jesus. It was Paul who told us it’s by grace that we’re saved, not of ourselves. So it’s fitting that it would be Paul who would stand up with confidence and set Peter straight in front of their associates. I have a feeling that it was a rebuke well given and well received. Because we always see Peter bounce back Always…. And that’s the hope of it.
In the end we see this beloved apostle die a death as dramatic as the life he lived as he is martyred for Christ, crucified, upside down.
Can a huge, passionate, unyielding and faithful heart dwell inside a weak, flawed and thin sack of flesh? I think so. I think Peter shows us it can. Peter was always in process. I’m thankful for the example. It offers me hope.
Ultimately, I believe that Peter’s life was governed by two things: One, that he knew that God unrelentingly loved him and two, that he so desperately loved God.
Psalm 103:8-14
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust….
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
When the going gets tough....
By definition the word “perseverance” is not a feel-good word. It means “steady and continued action or belief, usually over a long period and especially despite difficulties or setbacks.” Not a word I hope to have to use often to describe my state.
But as Christians we do talk a lot about perseverance, don’t we? Usually, in ministry to OTHERS or when we are not actually having to persevere. We talk about persevering in our walk with the Lord, persevering through difficult circumstances, persevering to reach the goal – as Paul says, “I press forward.” We love to talk about it, listen to inspiring preachers preach about it and when our friends are struggling, we love to give them the pep talk of all pep talks – you can do it! And we believe it - for them. But what happens when the opportunity to persevere comes to our doorstep? (I said opportunity on purpose. ROAR!) What happens when circumstances enter our lives that distract us, slow us down or just plain bring us to our knees? What happens when it’s my turn to persevere? Suddenly, the idea looses its romanticism. It becomes gritty, hard-core, and raw and at 30 years old I cannot yet say that I have persevered without it being extremely ugly.
I mean, think about the epic war films. The hero starts out strong, passionate and riled up, but by the end of the movie, he either dies a gruesome, martyr’s death or if he sees the victory, he’s beat up with some serious battle scars that were accrued along the way.
Perseverance is difficult but a necessary part of our lives as Christians because inevitably there will be times we want to throw in the towel. We may get frustrated and discouraged, not understanding or seeing the plan of the Lord. We may have to fight our flesh that wants to return to the habits of old. Sometimes, we just get tired and don’t have the high and passionate emotions that make our pursuit of Christ easy and enjoyable.
During these times our brain knows what is right – the difficulty is trying to get the rest of our person to line up with our knowledge. It’s during these times that we have to “walk out our faith.” We have to “go through the motions” without having good feelings accompany our behavior. This is time when you just DO what you KNOW is right. There is not one thing glamorous about it, but good things come from it. Though you don’t “feel” it, if you persevere, this is the time that you go through intense and deep spiritual growth. You may feel like your prayers are bouncing off the wall, but they are not. They are being heard. And you are giving God the opportunity to display His faithfulness in your life.
One of my favorite Scriptures is Psalm 103. I love it because it talks about the compassion of the Lord and how He does not treat us as our sins deserve. But my favorite part is verses 13 & 14:
“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” “He remembers that we are dust.” - I love that.
If your perseverance has become ugly, if you have fallen, get back up. The Bible tells us “Though a righteous man fall seven times, seven times he gets back up.” I love a story from one of my mentors. He said when he first got saved; he had such a problem with cussing. He could not stop cussing, but he was determined to not let that detour him from the new life he found in Christ. He said that he determined in his heart that, if need be, he would be the cussing-est Bible reading Christian there was. He said it took about a year before he was delivered from the habit of cussing. But he did not let that deter him from his walk with Christ. By no means am I promoting free license to just “sin and serve God” but our walk with Him is definitely a process. Don’t let anything be an excuse to quit the race.
God knows our capabilities, our limits and our weaknesses. He knows and He is in our corner as we persevere. Cry out to God, unload on Him, be honest with Him – tell Him exactly how you feel, but don’t quit. There doesn’t have to be any superficiality with God. He knows “where you are” anyway. He is not waiting for you to fail. He’s cheering you on and establishing your path for success. If you don’t believe me, take the time to stop and read Romans 8. In my opinion, this is the most encouraging chapter in the entire Bible. It’s like a shot of B-vitamin for the soul. So take your vitamins, don’t give up and don’t delay. Persevere.
But as Christians we do talk a lot about perseverance, don’t we? Usually, in ministry to OTHERS or when we are not actually having to persevere. We talk about persevering in our walk with the Lord, persevering through difficult circumstances, persevering to reach the goal – as Paul says, “I press forward.” We love to talk about it, listen to inspiring preachers preach about it and when our friends are struggling, we love to give them the pep talk of all pep talks – you can do it! And we believe it - for them. But what happens when the opportunity to persevere comes to our doorstep? (I said opportunity on purpose. ROAR!) What happens when circumstances enter our lives that distract us, slow us down or just plain bring us to our knees? What happens when it’s my turn to persevere? Suddenly, the idea looses its romanticism. It becomes gritty, hard-core, and raw and at 30 years old I cannot yet say that I have persevered without it being extremely ugly.
I mean, think about the epic war films. The hero starts out strong, passionate and riled up, but by the end of the movie, he either dies a gruesome, martyr’s death or if he sees the victory, he’s beat up with some serious battle scars that were accrued along the way.
Perseverance is difficult but a necessary part of our lives as Christians because inevitably there will be times we want to throw in the towel. We may get frustrated and discouraged, not understanding or seeing the plan of the Lord. We may have to fight our flesh that wants to return to the habits of old. Sometimes, we just get tired and don’t have the high and passionate emotions that make our pursuit of Christ easy and enjoyable.
During these times our brain knows what is right – the difficulty is trying to get the rest of our person to line up with our knowledge. It’s during these times that we have to “walk out our faith.” We have to “go through the motions” without having good feelings accompany our behavior. This is time when you just DO what you KNOW is right. There is not one thing glamorous about it, but good things come from it. Though you don’t “feel” it, if you persevere, this is the time that you go through intense and deep spiritual growth. You may feel like your prayers are bouncing off the wall, but they are not. They are being heard. And you are giving God the opportunity to display His faithfulness in your life.
One of my favorite Scriptures is Psalm 103. I love it because it talks about the compassion of the Lord and how He does not treat us as our sins deserve. But my favorite part is verses 13 & 14:
“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” “He remembers that we are dust.” - I love that.
If your perseverance has become ugly, if you have fallen, get back up. The Bible tells us “Though a righteous man fall seven times, seven times he gets back up.” I love a story from one of my mentors. He said when he first got saved; he had such a problem with cussing. He could not stop cussing, but he was determined to not let that detour him from the new life he found in Christ. He said that he determined in his heart that, if need be, he would be the cussing-est Bible reading Christian there was. He said it took about a year before he was delivered from the habit of cussing. But he did not let that deter him from his walk with Christ. By no means am I promoting free license to just “sin and serve God” but our walk with Him is definitely a process. Don’t let anything be an excuse to quit the race.
God knows our capabilities, our limits and our weaknesses. He knows and He is in our corner as we persevere. Cry out to God, unload on Him, be honest with Him – tell Him exactly how you feel, but don’t quit. There doesn’t have to be any superficiality with God. He knows “where you are” anyway. He is not waiting for you to fail. He’s cheering you on and establishing your path for success. If you don’t believe me, take the time to stop and read Romans 8. In my opinion, this is the most encouraging chapter in the entire Bible. It’s like a shot of B-vitamin for the soul. So take your vitamins, don’t give up and don’t delay. Persevere.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
"Someday" Begins Today
We are coming up on the last couple of chapters of our study, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. I hope everyone is getting as much out of this as I am. Have you started a goal list?? Large or small - the first step to tackling our goals is to be able to visualize them, to know what they are. And large or small - they are accomplished one step at a time. Like we talked about, brainstorm it, categorize them and add some in just for kicks!
Do you always get the same food at the same restaraunt every time you go? Try something new! Do you always get butter peacan ice cream but eyeball the mint chocolate? I DO! Get the mint chocolate - there will always be another chance for the same old same old....but if there's not - then you stepped out and will not have the question, "what if?".
That's one of the MAIN goals of our lives - to live without the "what ifs"....to minimize our regrets and maximize in faith and opportunity. Mark Batterson tells us at the end of our lives it's not the regrets of action that will haunt us, but the regrets of inaction - what we should have done but did not, the opportunities we let get away or never pursued.
What's on your lists this week? What are your personal goals - in ALL the areas of your life; spiritual & ministry goals (we've all got a ministry), career goals, relationship goals, educational goals, financial goals, family goals, "just for kicks-fun" goals and on and on....and what are the steps you've begun this week to meet those goals?
Remember, time moves on regardless of what we do with it, so lets make the most of it and begin living our "somedays" today!
Do you always get the same food at the same restaraunt every time you go? Try something new! Do you always get butter peacan ice cream but eyeball the mint chocolate? I DO! Get the mint chocolate - there will always be another chance for the same old same old....but if there's not - then you stepped out and will not have the question, "what if?".
That's one of the MAIN goals of our lives - to live without the "what ifs"....to minimize our regrets and maximize in faith and opportunity. Mark Batterson tells us at the end of our lives it's not the regrets of action that will haunt us, but the regrets of inaction - what we should have done but did not, the opportunities we let get away or never pursued.
What's on your lists this week? What are your personal goals - in ALL the areas of your life; spiritual & ministry goals (we've all got a ministry), career goals, relationship goals, educational goals, financial goals, family goals, "just for kicks-fun" goals and on and on....and what are the steps you've begun this week to meet those goals?
Remember, time moves on regardless of what we do with it, so lets make the most of it and begin living our "somedays" today!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Getting Started....
What does it mean to begin? Depending on what we're beginning it can be relieving, frightening, exciting, nerve-wracking, uncertain or all of these at the same time, especially when beginning something new means exiting familiar territory and venturing into the unknown. Some meet this with anticipation and confidence knowing that the experiences that lie ahead will be worth any of the little bumps in the road. Others, who prefer the well beaten path, look at unknown territory as an unavoidable and unwelcome burden that must be borne.
The ages of 18-25 is, I think, a time of high uncertainty and volatility in our lives. It is full of beginnings. If you think about it, it really is a small window of time in which most of our decisions will be made that act as catalysts for the next 50 or so years of our life. There's got to be a word for it - I just don't know what it is... but think about it, for 18 years we live in an incubator (so to speak). If not our parents, there are societal regulations that basically tell us exactly how to live our lives. We know what time to wake each morning, how to dress, where to attend class - in school we're moved from room to room (like cattle, more or less) and the pattern repeats itself, from about 5 years of age to 18. Sure, there are a few high points; braces, special achievements, romance, driver's license, first job, bank account, etc. And we may deal with some low points; family strife, abuse, unexpected illness, disappointments in relationships - romantic and non-romantic, etc. But on the whole, the life we live for 13 years is extremely predictable. We have to apply ourselves to excel but we don't usually have to think further than 2 weeks ahead.
The last 55 or so years fall into a similar pattern, just flip-flopped. Now we are the responsible adult. It's our children that we herd through life. Adult life may be less predictable than adolesence, but not by a huge percentage. (Maybe it should be.)
Then, sandwiched in between our first 18 years and our last 55+ is this 7 year (give or take a few) time span that's like a concentrated stick of dynamite wherein lies at the hands of the most inexperienced adults, some of the most important decisions that we will ever make. It's really mind boggling. By 19 or 20 we must know what occupation we want to be doing for the next 55 years and we complete our training for the rest of our life in the next two or less depending on our vocational choice. By about 25 (approximately) we are to have chosen our life partner (i.e. spouse). In this process we have to excercise incredible patience, wisdom and foresight or just really hope to get lucky because in our society it's everyone picks his own the best she knows how.
Many have already begun families by the end of the 25th year and so the journey has begun full force.
Now, of course, this is not the way it MUST be done. It's just the way it so often is. And all I'm saying is, Man! That's a lot of decision making for someone who has been hand-led for 18 years up to this point.
Whether or not these decisions are made during this time span, I think that they still rest on the minds of those who are at this life point. These can be heavy thoughts, coupled with the burden of feeling like life is starting all over again; a new routine, independence, personal decision making, personal responsibility, realizing that the buck now stops with me, the task of recreating my social circle (my friends that had been there since kindergarten are gone), new faces, new places. It can be daunting.
But if we can look at the glass half-full, it is definately also a time to let our roots grow very deep, to establish who we are in this world and the person we hope to become. Instead of coming off the block like it's a 100-meter dash, I say lets start slow, like it's a 26-mile marathon. I'm not saying we should not enjoy ourselves - actually, I think we get more enjoyment when we pace ourselves anyway. I'm saying, know that the journey is a long distance race not a sprint and we need to make wise choices in the beginning so we don't have to pull out of the race early. Let's look at it like this, the decisions that we make today will either be wise investments that will give us a return in the future or debt that can take decades to pay off.
For many, this is the first taste of personal freedom and so the motto is "drink deeply". We forget what Paul said, "While all things are allowable, not all things are beneficial (good for me)."
Life is an incredible teacher; listen and learn. Learn things the first time - we shouldn't be like a headstrong child who tries again and again to get away with what he knows is wrong. Learn vicariously - that means learn from other people's mistakes. And above all, trust the Lord. Learn from experience that God's way just is the BEST WAY. Psalm 1 tells us, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly or stands in the way of sinners or sits in the seat of mockers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree planted by water which yeilds it's fruit in season and whose leaf does not whither. Whatever he does prospers...." If you feel uncertain, if you feel restless, if you want a challenge, plant yourself in the middle of God's word and presence. Let it be your comfort and your confidence. Let it be your compass, your answer in this time of decision-making. And one of the greatest assets of living our life in Him, is that regardless of today - tomorrow is a new beginning!
The ages of 18-25 is, I think, a time of high uncertainty and volatility in our lives. It is full of beginnings. If you think about it, it really is a small window of time in which most of our decisions will be made that act as catalysts for the next 50 or so years of our life. There's got to be a word for it - I just don't know what it is... but think about it, for 18 years we live in an incubator (so to speak). If not our parents, there are societal regulations that basically tell us exactly how to live our lives. We know what time to wake each morning, how to dress, where to attend class - in school we're moved from room to room (like cattle, more or less) and the pattern repeats itself, from about 5 years of age to 18. Sure, there are a few high points; braces, special achievements, romance, driver's license, first job, bank account, etc. And we may deal with some low points; family strife, abuse, unexpected illness, disappointments in relationships - romantic and non-romantic, etc. But on the whole, the life we live for 13 years is extremely predictable. We have to apply ourselves to excel but we don't usually have to think further than 2 weeks ahead.
The last 55 or so years fall into a similar pattern, just flip-flopped. Now we are the responsible adult. It's our children that we herd through life. Adult life may be less predictable than adolesence, but not by a huge percentage. (Maybe it should be.)
Then, sandwiched in between our first 18 years and our last 55+ is this 7 year (give or take a few) time span that's like a concentrated stick of dynamite wherein lies at the hands of the most inexperienced adults, some of the most important decisions that we will ever make. It's really mind boggling. By 19 or 20 we must know what occupation we want to be doing for the next 55 years and we complete our training for the rest of our life in the next two or less depending on our vocational choice. By about 25 (approximately) we are to have chosen our life partner (i.e. spouse). In this process we have to excercise incredible patience, wisdom and foresight or just really hope to get lucky because in our society it's everyone picks his own the best she knows how.
Many have already begun families by the end of the 25th year and so the journey has begun full force.
Now, of course, this is not the way it MUST be done. It's just the way it so often is. And all I'm saying is, Man! That's a lot of decision making for someone who has been hand-led for 18 years up to this point.
Whether or not these decisions are made during this time span, I think that they still rest on the minds of those who are at this life point. These can be heavy thoughts, coupled with the burden of feeling like life is starting all over again; a new routine, independence, personal decision making, personal responsibility, realizing that the buck now stops with me, the task of recreating my social circle (my friends that had been there since kindergarten are gone), new faces, new places. It can be daunting.
But if we can look at the glass half-full, it is definately also a time to let our roots grow very deep, to establish who we are in this world and the person we hope to become. Instead of coming off the block like it's a 100-meter dash, I say lets start slow, like it's a 26-mile marathon. I'm not saying we should not enjoy ourselves - actually, I think we get more enjoyment when we pace ourselves anyway. I'm saying, know that the journey is a long distance race not a sprint and we need to make wise choices in the beginning so we don't have to pull out of the race early. Let's look at it like this, the decisions that we make today will either be wise investments that will give us a return in the future or debt that can take decades to pay off.
For many, this is the first taste of personal freedom and so the motto is "drink deeply". We forget what Paul said, "While all things are allowable, not all things are beneficial (good for me)."
Life is an incredible teacher; listen and learn. Learn things the first time - we shouldn't be like a headstrong child who tries again and again to get away with what he knows is wrong. Learn vicariously - that means learn from other people's mistakes. And above all, trust the Lord. Learn from experience that God's way just is the BEST WAY. Psalm 1 tells us, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly or stands in the way of sinners or sits in the seat of mockers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree planted by water which yeilds it's fruit in season and whose leaf does not whither. Whatever he does prospers...." If you feel uncertain, if you feel restless, if you want a challenge, plant yourself in the middle of God's word and presence. Let it be your comfort and your confidence. Let it be your compass, your answer in this time of decision-making. And one of the greatest assets of living our life in Him, is that regardless of today - tomorrow is a new beginning!
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