After working from 5 am to 1 pm straight I stumbled upon these thoughts I'd written a year ago! They got me out of my chair and off on the most awesome biking adventure with Jesus ever!
He led me on a new trail ...to a plantation I've never been to before where I spent a couple hours checking out the different front porch chairs as I dialogued with Him while reading through my Bible, ...to a bookstore where I read the first chapter of a book written by a woman who'd survived the Rwanda massacre and through Jesus found strength to forgive, ...then on a new way home that took me by an old African American graveyard ...and we ended up in an amazing community rose garden - where hundreds of roses of all different hues were blooming like crazy. Is my soul ever refreshed!
And I probably would've missed it all if I hadn't read this...! Thank you Lord!
Last summer was intense. I wrote a Bible study one step ahead of the 100 staff and students using it, met with six women and helped my husband provide five meals a week (one for all 100 people) and direct a summer training program. I honestly thought, “As long as I spend good time with the Lord and with my husband I’ll be fine.” So each day I took care to enjoy extended time with Jesus and with my husband. By the end of the summer my relationship with them both was strong. But I was not.
Spiritually and relationally my life had been enriched, but emotionally I was depleted. It didn’t take long until that began impacting everything else!
When I opened up the Word, I felt dry inside. It was hard to concentrate. How could I feel so close to the Lord yet be struggling so? When I cried out to the Lord for understanding He gave me the analogy of a car. You can have a tank full of gas, and an engine in top working order but if the battery goes dead you aren’t going anywhere. That battery represented my emotional well-being . I’d neglected to recharge my battery throughout the summer.
Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” There are times in following Him when we need to sacrifice sleep, food and fun. But doing that on a regular basis is not denying myself, it’s denying my humanity. I am not God. I was created with limits. And with needs!
This past year has been a journey of recovery – and learning how human I am.
It’s also an adventure in learning what I spent last summer neglecting – namely, the power of pleasure.
God created pleasure and it was good. He created us to need pleasure. But more than anything He created us to need Him. We get in trouble when our priorities are misplaced. When we pursue Him first, there is incredible pleasure. As the psalmist says, “In your presence there is fullness of joy.” (Psalm 16:11). But when pleasure takes precedent, when it becomes what we primarily seek, what was created as good gets warped…and becomes destructive.
Pleasure was never meant to be the goal, but rather a blessing received on the way. One that is powerfully potent. In it’s proper place it recharges and refreshes… especially emotionally. We need this. We were created to need this. Seritonin is a chemical that is released in our bodies when we experience pleasure. Without pleasure this becomes depleted and weariness, lethargy, and depression set in.
True, perverted from its original goal, pleasure can wreck great havoc in a life. Recognizing this, pleasure often gets a bad rap and is neglected.
It wasn’t even on my radar screen as a need.
But here’s the kicker – I need to be emotionally healthy to do what God has called me to do, to be available to Him. I need pleasure to remain emotionally healthy. But if I make it my goal to pursue pleasure that doesn’t do the trick! I need to follow God first even in this. So you’d think making time alone with Him a priority would have taken care of this!
But there is an enemy who is so deceiving who does not want my battery charged. In his hands is a potent tool called, “should.”
For example, last week I needed to pick up a charger for my phone. On the way back the thought came to mind, “What fun to stop in at the apple barn and get an apple dumpling.” I love those! But then I thought, “Everyone else is working so hard to get this summer training program going, I should return and see what I can do to help.” And what was crazy – there ended up not being anything for me to do when I returned! I drove right by God’s gift to me.
Because I haven’t valued pleasure, I’ve been an easy prey to rob. And it doesn’t just rob me, when I get emotionally depleted it robs those around me too!
Last summer I walked right by many of God’s provisions.
Now I am crying out, asking Him to give me a heads up so I don’t fall prey to the "shoulds."
(NOTE:written after reading Gary Thomas' book Pure Pleasure - highly recommend!)
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Stay In Your Lane!
"But we will not boast about things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you." 2 Corinthians 10:13
The Greek word for measure "metron" means a measure of capacity.
The Greek word for rule "kanon" literally means a reed or a cane - anything straight used in examining other things. In this context Paul uses the word "in a figurative sense to the thing or quantity measured or to the portion of the Lord's field which he had as it were measured out and allotted to be cultivated by himself." (The Complete Word Study Dictionary)
Every believer has been given a measure of influence or a portion of authority in the building up of God's kingdom that is to be cultivated by him. Every part needs to be effectually working their portion for the body to be built up.
Walk in the way God's called you, fully effectually, cultivating what He distributed to you - the whole body benefits when this happens! ...and the whole body hurts when it doesn't. Not only because of the person who doesn't do his part, but also when others overextend beyond the portion God's distributed to them!
To the extent I am taking on someone else's responsibility it will inhibit my ability to effectually cultivate what God has distributed to me!
"For we stretch not ourselves beyond measure..." 2 Corinthians 10:14a The Greek word "huperekteino" means to overdo, carry too far, to extend or stretch out excessively or too far.
Considering this, it is vital to ask:
What field have you assigned to me Lord?
And what does it look like to effectually cultivate it?
And are there ways I am overextending myself? Trying to cultivate a field that you haven't assigned to me?
Today at lunch Bob Evans shared his wife's story of the need to stay in your lane...
There was a foot race, with numerous runners. Ironically the very last person to finish the race was the one who won!
All the other racers who finished ahead of him were disqualified for lane violations. Not staying in their lane cost them the race!
To run well the race God has marked out for me I must "stay in my lane!"
The Greek word for measure "metron" means a measure of capacity.
The Greek word for rule "kanon" literally means a reed or a cane - anything straight used in examining other things. In this context Paul uses the word "in a figurative sense to the thing or quantity measured or to the portion of the Lord's field which he had as it were measured out and allotted to be cultivated by himself." (The Complete Word Study Dictionary)
Every believer has been given a measure of influence or a portion of authority in the building up of God's kingdom that is to be cultivated by him. Every part needs to be effectually working their portion for the body to be built up.
Walk in the way God's called you, fully effectually, cultivating what He distributed to you - the whole body benefits when this happens! ...and the whole body hurts when it doesn't. Not only because of the person who doesn't do his part, but also when others overextend beyond the portion God's distributed to them!
To the extent I am taking on someone else's responsibility it will inhibit my ability to effectually cultivate what God has distributed to me!
"For we stretch not ourselves beyond measure..." 2 Corinthians 10:14a The Greek word "huperekteino" means to overdo, carry too far, to extend or stretch out excessively or too far.
Considering this, it is vital to ask:
What field have you assigned to me Lord?
And what does it look like to effectually cultivate it?
And are there ways I am overextending myself? Trying to cultivate a field that you haven't assigned to me?
Today at lunch Bob Evans shared his wife's story of the need to stay in your lane...
There was a foot race, with numerous runners. Ironically the very last person to finish the race was the one who won!
All the other racers who finished ahead of him were disqualified for lane violations. Not staying in their lane cost them the race!
To run well the race God has marked out for me I must "stay in my lane!"
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Optimists Beware?!
I am a die hard optimist! And I've always considered that to be a benefit. Or I did... until today!
In Jim Collins' book Good to Great he shares about an interview he had with Admiral Jim Stockdale. He was a prisoner of war for eight years and during that time was tortured 20 times. When Jim asked him how he made it, he explained:
"I never lost faith in the end of the story," he said, when I asked him. "I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade."
When Jim asked him, "Who didn't make it out?" He replied,
"Oh, that's easy," he said. "'The optimists.”
"The optimists? I don't understand," I said, now completely confused, given what he'd said a hundred meters earlier.
"The optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, ‘We're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they'd say, ‘We’re going to be out by Easter.' And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then "Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart."
Another long pause, and more walking. Then he turned to me and said, "This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be."
Can optimism really be a handicap?! According to Admiral Stockdale, yes!
When my Jim was sharing this with me today I recalled how Tom Yeakley shared in his new book The Character of a Leader there are four things that keep people from finishing strong: sin, distractions, getting tired and giving up.
And it dawned on me - when do I most feel like giving up? When the wind is knocked out of my sails. And when does that occur? When I'm broadsided by pain or trials or unexpected complications.
I tend to get excited about a lot of things, expecting the best case scenario... like with summer training programs. I love summer training programs! I grow so much through them! And I love getting to develop deeper relationships with people around me!
I forget that some of my deepest pain has come during stp's - that's been the source of the growth - and it's come through people. Put 100 people who, though holy and blameless in Christ, still battle indwelling sin, in close proximity for 2 months and you are bound to have issues!
But without fail, whenever the next stp comes along all I'm thinking of is the good stuff. Small wonder when the first conflict happens I'm flat on my face, totally deflated.
Today I realized that is the downside of my optimism. I do have faith that God will get me through! But I also need to take into account the facts - perhaps if I do I won't be so broadsided when hard times come - and instead of wanting to throw in the towel perhaps I'll be more prepared to embrace them and grow through them.
It looks like i now have a new discipline to learn: the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of my current reality, whatever they might be!
Jim Collins calls this The Stockdale Paradox - that you need both faith and facts.
I call it a revelation I'm still chewing on!
In Jim Collins' book Good to Great he shares about an interview he had with Admiral Jim Stockdale. He was a prisoner of war for eight years and during that time was tortured 20 times. When Jim asked him how he made it, he explained:
"I never lost faith in the end of the story," he said, when I asked him. "I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade."
When Jim asked him, "Who didn't make it out?" He replied,
"Oh, that's easy," he said. "'The optimists.”
"The optimists? I don't understand," I said, now completely confused, given what he'd said a hundred meters earlier.
"The optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, ‘We're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they'd say, ‘We’re going to be out by Easter.' And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then "Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart."
Another long pause, and more walking. Then he turned to me and said, "This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be."
Can optimism really be a handicap?! According to Admiral Stockdale, yes!
When my Jim was sharing this with me today I recalled how Tom Yeakley shared in his new book The Character of a Leader there are four things that keep people from finishing strong: sin, distractions, getting tired and giving up.
And it dawned on me - when do I most feel like giving up? When the wind is knocked out of my sails. And when does that occur? When I'm broadsided by pain or trials or unexpected complications.
I tend to get excited about a lot of things, expecting the best case scenario... like with summer training programs. I love summer training programs! I grow so much through them! And I love getting to develop deeper relationships with people around me!
I forget that some of my deepest pain has come during stp's - that's been the source of the growth - and it's come through people. Put 100 people who, though holy and blameless in Christ, still battle indwelling sin, in close proximity for 2 months and you are bound to have issues!
But without fail, whenever the next stp comes along all I'm thinking of is the good stuff. Small wonder when the first conflict happens I'm flat on my face, totally deflated.
Today I realized that is the downside of my optimism. I do have faith that God will get me through! But I also need to take into account the facts - perhaps if I do I won't be so broadsided when hard times come - and instead of wanting to throw in the towel perhaps I'll be more prepared to embrace them and grow through them.
It looks like i now have a new discipline to learn: the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of my current reality, whatever they might be!
Jim Collins calls this The Stockdale Paradox - that you need both faith and facts.
I call it a revelation I'm still chewing on!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Delighting in Delay? Rejoicing over Resistance?!
I don't think I'll ever read Exodus 1-12 in the same way!
God gives Moses a job to do - to lead His people out of Egypt. But then Moses encounters resistance - formidable resistance - in the form of Pharoah who refuses. And God clearly gives Moses a heads up this will happen so we know this hasn't taken Him by surprise! (as if anything could ever take Him by surprise!)
Much is accomplished during the 12 plagues that follow - the Israelites see God in action, doing the miraculous on their behalf and the Egyptians get to know that God is greater than any of their gods. They both have the opportunity to know that He is the Lord.
But I never thought about what God is doing through this in Moses' life, especially using this to grow Him in character.
Few things frustrate me like being given the responsibility to lead and then encountering resistance! God tells me to do something and I want to get it done (usually! :0). How wild to think God has a purpose in the very things that get in the way and hinder me from doing what He's told me to do - especially to think that purpose may be to grow me in my character!
Moses spent 40 years in the desert because of a character flaw - he was impatient. As a leader he took matters into his own hands, murdered an Egyptian and had to flee. And what's crazy - he thought he was helping! He intended good, but his lack of character thwarted his attempts not only to do good but even to serve as a leader at that time.
Now God calls him to return to Egypt and lead His people, but he needs a crash course in character development not only to lead them out of Egypt... was he ever going to need patience to endure leading them 40 years in the wilderness!
But you don't grow in patience doing Bible study! Studying the Bible we learn that suffering produces endurance! (Romans 5:3)
Waiting, delay, is definitely a form of suffering - as Proverbs 13:12 says "Hope deferred makes the heart sick." Especially when people are putting pressure on you and upset because things aren't happening easily, especially when they experience their trials worsening as a consequence!
These light and momentary trials are achieving for us a glory that far outweighs them all! Why? Because they are opportunities for transforming us, our character, to become like Christ.
What if Noah waiting 100 years wasn't about needing time to build the boat or even to give sufficient warning to the people, what if God was using this to grow him as a leader?
Or even David having to wait to become king? Was this his character boot camp?!
If we lead out of who we are, then such "training" is vital!
May I not take it personally and not give in to fear or lash out in anger when I encounter resistance, even people hindering me from doing what God's called me to do. Instead may I submit to the discipline and recognize it for the training it is - as a gift from God. Trusting Him that nothing can thwart His purposes.
Of course other people are going to sin and fall short in their character! Many times my delays come as a consequence of this. Could it be God is not only at work growing me in my character but also them in theirs through the same situation?!
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." (Romans 15:13) ...even in the midst of delays and frustrating circumstances!
God gives Moses a job to do - to lead His people out of Egypt. But then Moses encounters resistance - formidable resistance - in the form of Pharoah who refuses. And God clearly gives Moses a heads up this will happen so we know this hasn't taken Him by surprise! (as if anything could ever take Him by surprise!)
Much is accomplished during the 12 plagues that follow - the Israelites see God in action, doing the miraculous on their behalf and the Egyptians get to know that God is greater than any of their gods. They both have the opportunity to know that He is the Lord.
But I never thought about what God is doing through this in Moses' life, especially using this to grow Him in character.
Few things frustrate me like being given the responsibility to lead and then encountering resistance! God tells me to do something and I want to get it done (usually! :0). How wild to think God has a purpose in the very things that get in the way and hinder me from doing what He's told me to do - especially to think that purpose may be to grow me in my character!
Moses spent 40 years in the desert because of a character flaw - he was impatient. As a leader he took matters into his own hands, murdered an Egyptian and had to flee. And what's crazy - he thought he was helping! He intended good, but his lack of character thwarted his attempts not only to do good but even to serve as a leader at that time.
Now God calls him to return to Egypt and lead His people, but he needs a crash course in character development not only to lead them out of Egypt... was he ever going to need patience to endure leading them 40 years in the wilderness!
But you don't grow in patience doing Bible study! Studying the Bible we learn that suffering produces endurance! (Romans 5:3)
Waiting, delay, is definitely a form of suffering - as Proverbs 13:12 says "Hope deferred makes the heart sick." Especially when people are putting pressure on you and upset because things aren't happening easily, especially when they experience their trials worsening as a consequence!
These light and momentary trials are achieving for us a glory that far outweighs them all! Why? Because they are opportunities for transforming us, our character, to become like Christ.
What if Noah waiting 100 years wasn't about needing time to build the boat or even to give sufficient warning to the people, what if God was using this to grow him as a leader?
Or even David having to wait to become king? Was this his character boot camp?!
If we lead out of who we are, then such "training" is vital!
May I not take it personally and not give in to fear or lash out in anger when I encounter resistance, even people hindering me from doing what God's called me to do. Instead may I submit to the discipline and recognize it for the training it is - as a gift from God. Trusting Him that nothing can thwart His purposes.
Of course other people are going to sin and fall short in their character! Many times my delays come as a consequence of this. Could it be God is not only at work growing me in my character but also them in theirs through the same situation?!
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." (Romans 15:13) ...even in the midst of delays and frustrating circumstances!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Con-ca-te-what?!!!
Concatenation: (noun) a series of interconnected things or events, the action of linking things together in a series or the condition of being linked in such a way.
To think I never even knew such a word existed! (though I've sure seen it's effect! :0)
We just met the other day when I was praising God while crawling through Stephen Charnock's masterpiece, The Existence and Attributes of God. Charnock writes...
God's "providence hath a concatenation of means with a prospect of something that is future: as in Joseph's case, who was put into the pit and sold to the Egyptians in order to his future advancement and the preservation both of his father and his envious brethren." (p. 430).
It is pretty mind boggling to think of all that had to converge for this story to happen. And God not only planned, but orchestrated it all! Was He ever busy concatenating!
How I love this about God! So amazingly He weaves things together. I first noticed it in college. How one semester after another God would highlight a theme which treasures from different classes would address. And still today, nearly a quarter of a century beyond that, I can be reading a variety of books, watch a movie, pick up a newspaper and still God is at work linking them together in the most fascinating ways.
Initially I don't always know what the theme is. But when I take time to look back and review, periodically asking, "What's the main thing God's been teaching me?" that's often when it clicks. And once again I'm in awe! He is such an amazing concatenator! So I'm going to post on here lessons that at the time may seem random, eager to see how God may be at work concatenating!
If nothing else, perhaps I'll learn this word... and enjoy it as something new I can praise God for! :0)
To think I never even knew such a word existed! (though I've sure seen it's effect! :0)
We just met the other day when I was praising God while crawling through Stephen Charnock's masterpiece, The Existence and Attributes of God. Charnock writes...
God's "providence hath a concatenation of means with a prospect of something that is future: as in Joseph's case, who was put into the pit and sold to the Egyptians in order to his future advancement and the preservation both of his father and his envious brethren." (p. 430).
It is pretty mind boggling to think of all that had to converge for this story to happen. And God not only planned, but orchestrated it all! Was He ever busy concatenating!
How I love this about God! So amazingly He weaves things together. I first noticed it in college. How one semester after another God would highlight a theme which treasures from different classes would address. And still today, nearly a quarter of a century beyond that, I can be reading a variety of books, watch a movie, pick up a newspaper and still God is at work linking them together in the most fascinating ways.
Initially I don't always know what the theme is. But when I take time to look back and review, periodically asking, "What's the main thing God's been teaching me?" that's often when it clicks. And once again I'm in awe! He is such an amazing concatenator! So I'm going to post on here lessons that at the time may seem random, eager to see how God may be at work concatenating!
If nothing else, perhaps I'll learn this word... and enjoy it as something new I can praise God for! :0)
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