Christians often talk about being used by God. But being used often connotes someone selfishly taking advantage of other human beings and their freedom. Besides the negative connotations, it also implies passivity.
God called Moses his friend and Jesus calls us friends. Friends don’t use each other. When they do it’s called betrayal. As friends of God, we are called to participate with the Holy Spirit in his ministry of love, not to be passive puppets whose strings are pulled whenever God needs something done. God is our Father and calls us his children. As parents, we wouldn’t use our children and I believe God doesn’t use us either.
Christianity is participation in the life of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God wants people who freely love and follow him. That’s why he gave us freedom of choice: the choice to obey or turn away, the choice to love or not. He gave us freedom to work with him or not. We are not forced, but allowed to make our own decisions.
It might sound like simple semantics to some, but words are important and have power. Participation has a much more positive feel and is motivating. To think the Creator of all things wants us, by choice, to participate in what he’s doing in this sad, fallen world moves us to want to get involved. When we participate we have a real sense of accomplishment–not out of vanity or selfish pride, but knowing we’ve made a contribution and pleased and delighted the only one whose opinion counts for anything. Will God say well done to someone he used? Why would he reward a puppet on a string? Do we really love someone who uses and controls us? Or do we resent him or her?
Let’s change the way we think of and talk about working for God and serving his people. Let’s not ask God to use us, and let’s not think of ourselves as being used. Rather let’s see our ministries and work for the Kingdom of God as fun, exciting, loving participation with our friend Jesus.
Little Deaths
Putting broad biblical principles into practice can be a bit overwhelming. The concept of dying to self is one such principle. It’s a fundamental aspect of being a Christian, but it can seem so general. It helps to narrow it down a bit to a focused starting point.
Any act of self-denial could count as dying to self, so we might want to start with little things, just to get in the habit. Not picking up the phone when you know you should be doing something else is one way. Food is an obvious one – do I eat those chips or have an apple? Denying ourselves these things may not feel like we’re really dying to self – and it’s so easy to ignore our resolve to stop reaching for the phone and the chips.
I have discovered a little, daily death (I know, but better late than never) that I can actually do. It even feels like dying to myself – to my need to be right, to my desire for attention, and to protect and defend myself – and that is to keep my mouth shut. No one can tame the tongue (James 3:8), but death by closing the mouth goes a long way toward bringing a modicum of control to the problem.
Dying to self isn’t something we do once; rather it’s a matter of many little deaths every day. If we can figure out where to start and then stack up those little deaths every day, we just might become more like Christ in his death and thus share in his resurrection.
Glorious Scars
No one gets through life without scars. Some are small, others are large and some are disfiguring. We don’t like them but they are part of the story of our lives and remind us of dumb mistakes, accidents or even attacks. One man wears his scars as a reminder to us of how he emptied himself of power and glory to become one of us in our suffering and death (Philippians 2:6-7).
The scars of Jesus are still visible on his resurrected and glorified body. He showed them to the disciples so they would know he really was the one they saw crucified (John 20). When they told Thomas, who hadn’t been in the room, about seeing Jesus, he said, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe” (John 20:25, CSB). A week later, Jesus showed him the scars, with no recrimination. Thomas could only respond, “My Lord and my God!” (verse 28).
His scars show us not only that Jesus’ physical body was resurrected, but that he is still one of us. We see what our new bodies will be like, as he has promised (Philippians 3:20-21). Not only that, but his healed wounds are a promise of our healing, redemption and glorification with him. The scars of Jesus are glorious and continue to tell the story of his life, death and resurrection, and for us who live in him, ours as well.
The Discipline of the Lord
When my children were small, we were blessed to have both sets of grandparents living next door. While I appreciated the built-in babysitters, it was the relationships they had with each other that made such a difference in their lives. Once while my parents were watching the kids, an occasion for a spanking occurred. As my son learned, a little spanking went a long way, especially when administered by my dad. One little swat was all he needed to adjust his attitude. It was a lesson my son remembered for a long time and only strengthened their relationship.
Many people object to spanking these days but at the same time believe the discipline of the Lord is similar to spankings. They imagine God has a huge paddle – with holes in it to make the swats sting more – and he wields it often and with great gusto.
Many, including the Jews in Jesus’ time (John 9), believe God’s discipline comes in the form of physical illnesses or other big trials. But Jesus said in John 9:3 that a man’s blindness wasn’t the result of sin, but so that the works of God would be displayed in him. Because of the love embodied in God’s triune nature, we know he is not holding a paddle in anticipation of punishing any of us. Rather, he is gently and slowly giving us glimpses into his loving mirror. He shows us things about ourselves, traits we maybe weren’t aware of and wish we didn’t have. Of course, it hurts. It’s painful to have your image of yourself shattered and to find out you need a lot more work.
The discipline of the Lord can indeed be painful but it’s nothing to fear. We can thank God for his gentle and loving yet incisive work in our hearts, because everything we experience at the hand of God is done in love for our growth, so we can be more like Jesus – and all without a paddle!
It Ain’t Over
Yogi Berra, the famous baseball legend, said a lot of things that made people scratch their heads and sometimes laugh. In 1973, when his team was way behind, he came up with the phrase, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” His team rallied to win the division title and though many have forgotten that, his words live on as a statement of hope and optimism.
When Jesus was crucified, his mother, disciples and followers thought it was all over. They’d had such high hopes for the one they had come to believe was the Messiah, the one who would save them and usher in a new and wonderful kingdom. But their hopes were dashed when he was tried, convicted and executed on the cross. One of the thieves who was crucified with him asked if he were the Messiah, why didn’t he save himself and them? He was but he didn’t. If someone had quoted Yogi Berra at that fateful moment, he would have been met with a certain amount of scorn. It was over.
But it wasn’t over, was it? It was an end but it wasn’t the end. It was finished (John 19:30) but it was just beginning. Hours later, Jesus got up, wrapped his head cloth into a neat pile, and walked out of the tomb. He stepped out of eternity to become one of us and then he stepped out of a tomb to show that it wasn’t over then and it isn’t over now. Because he conquered the grave, death doesn’t mean it’s over for us either. In him, we will also step out from our temporary tombs to live in the light of his glory forever.
He is risen! Happy Easter!
Our Momentary Troubles
Sometimes a phrase sticks in your head for years and every now and then, it pops to the surface, often when you need it. One such phrase from a sermon I heard when I was in college has been on my mind lately. I suppose it’s because I’ve lost several friends over the last year and I’m missing them.
I don’t remember the subject exactly, but the pastor said to hang our troubles against the backdrop of eternity. I’m sure the accompanying verse was 2 Corinthians 4:17-18: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (NIV).
In my imagination, I picture a dark sky, glittering with stars, stretching out forever in all directions and all of human history flashing by like a meteor. The backdrop of eternity – it makes everything seem small and insignificant in comparison – or at least less traumatic. Hanging everything against the backdrop of eternity and keeping an eye on the unseen can help us maintain an eternal perspective, as well as endure our momentary troubles.
It’s All Real!
As children, many of us played pretend. My sister and I used to go down to our basement, hang sheets on the furniture and play all kinds of silly make-believe games. We let our imaginations run wild as we sang on the stage, acted in plays and movies, traveled around the world and became any character we could think of or make up.
Reading books fueled my imagination and I gobbled them up as fast as I could. I began reading science fiction as a child and to this day, I am fascinated by stories of time travel, extra-terrestrials, parallel universes and, of course, space travel.
My favorite bit of science fiction, as you know, is Star Trek. But less well-known is my favorite spoof, Galaxy Quest, which makes fun of everything Star Trek. I’ve watched this hilarious movie over and over and I laugh every time.
One of its many memorable scenes is when the captain calls from the spaceship to enlist the help of one of the nerdy fans of the Galaxy Quest television show. The crew is in trouble and needs to know how to enable the self-destruct sequence. Brandon, the poor kid who has been cast aside by the captain several times and told the show is only make-believe, blathers on and on that he knows it’s not real and he isn’t a total brain case. The captain interrupts him with “It’s all real!” and he says, “I knew it!”
For many, heaven, eternal life, God and Jesus, all sound like science fiction, made up to make people feel better or give them hope this life isn’t all there is. For others, Christianity and its promises may sound too good to be true. Many dismiss it all as poppycock and its followers as addlebrained. Even Christians can sometimes wonder, just a little, in the backs of their minds, if it’s really true.
When Paul addressed those in Corinth who were refuting the resurrection, he told them if there is no resurrection of the dead then Christ has not been raised, which would mean Paul and the other apostles were lying. In that case, our faith would be futile and we would still be in our sins, which leads to this discouraging observation: “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:19, NIV). He goes on to say in verse 20 that Jesus has indeed been raised from the dead. In the New Living Translation it’s called a fact and in The Message it’s affirmed as truth.
The truth of Jesus’ resurrection has inspired many to lay down their lives over the centuries and continues to motivate Christians all over the world to die daily in his service. We are convinced by the eyewitness accounts, the assurance of the Holy Spirit, the evidence in all of creation and the solid conviction in our hearts that yes indeed, it’s all real!
Decorating with Diamonds
When I lived in southern California, a rainstorm was a major event. Our area was a high desert so we got a little rain in the winter, but by late spring, everything had turned brown and wildfires were the norm. But here in Oregon, it rains a lot. When we first moved here, I bought a rain gauge and the clerk laughed at me because here, she said, they measure rain by the foot, not the inch.
Sometimes after a rain, the sun will come out and the raindrops in the trees sparkle like diamonds. I always pause in wonder and watch them twinkling like jewels. It’s an amazing sight, almost as if God is showing off his creativity.
When I see rain diamonds, or the stars twinkling like diamonds in the night sky, I think of David, who said in Psalm 63:2, “I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory” (NLT). As he looked up in wonder, he was no doubt describing the sanctuary of God’s dwelling place – his whole creation, beautifully crafted from the deep well of his imagination.
Next time it rains, keep your eyes open for rain diamonds, stand still in awe of our great God and drink in his strength and glory (MSG).
Writing it Down
Some time ago, I put a graphic of a Brother Lawrence quotation on my tablet. I didn’t know it would be so apropos for my word this year. “Let all our employment be to know God: the more one knows him, the more one desires to know him.” Experience has shown me this is true. The more time I spend reading the gospels, the more I want to get deeper into them.
One way I’m trying to do this is to write down every statement that describes who he is, not on an electronic device, but by hand in a journal. It helps to write out the words, as it’s a slower way to get thoughts down and helps me think through what I’m discovering.
Old-fashioned journaling seems to be going the way of cursive writing, but it’s still a great way to “reflect, contemplate and more fully digest the things of life” (gotquestions.org). Sometimes we forget what we read or think about as quickly or quicker than ice melts. Writing it down helps us remember – or at least we can go back and read it again, and then remember.
For overfull brains, journaling might just help sort through all of the information coming at us every day. It’s also a seldom-recognized spiritual discipline to augment prayer, meditation, gratitude, spiritual formation and listening to God’s voice through the other disciplines. It’s not rocket science and it’s nothing to be afraid of – try it, you’ll like it.
Revealing Jesus
When we don’t know someone very well, we can form opinions about them that may not be true. We sometimes listen to what others are saying, or we hear rumors or we come to wrong conclusions based simply on appearance. Even though we all know it’s wrong, we still tend to judge a book by its cover.
The same is true when it comes to Jesus. People think and say all kinds of things about him, without really knowing him. I was like that for a large part of my life. I was told things about him and since I didn’t know him for myself, I believed what I heard.
In Jesus’ day, rumors and gossip flew like pigeons. Jesus, knowing this was the case, turned to Peter with a question. “‘But you,’ he asked them, ‘who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’’ Jesus responded, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven’” (Matthew 16:15-17, CSB).
Getting to know Jesus has to begin with asking God to do for us what he did for Peter – reveal him to us. We then need to keep asking that as we read the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, we will be able to see him there. The Holy Spirit will help us see him more clearly and experience who he is, so we can know him for ourselves.
Jesus - Son, Savior, God 