FOLLOWING THROUGH

We live in a world which makes it very easy for us to “chameleonize” our lives.  It’s acceptable and we’re even expected to be inconsistent and uncommitted and masked.  And when we don’t get our way or we disagree, it’s understood that we become combative and opposite.  And this spills over into our relationship with God.  Sometimes we simply don’t follow through with what He says to do in His Word.  Dare I use the word “disobey”?  The downside of disobedience, whether it’s through passivity or rebellion, is that we consequently don’t receive all that God wants to give us – such as His counsel, provision, inner strength, motivation, His affirmation, the warmth of His love, joy, peace, patience, etc.  So I say let’s get DREAMIE!  And I don’t mean sleepy.  I’m thinking just the opposite.

Here’s what I mean:

57 You are my portion, O Lord; I have promised to obey your words.
58 I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.
59 I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes.
60 I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.
61 Though the wicked bind me with ropes, I will not forget your law.
62 At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws.
63 I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts.
64 The earth is filled with your love, O Lord; teach me your decrees.

Psalm 119:57-64

Verses 57-58 express our desire to be obedient and to experience God’s promises fulfilled in our lives.  The following verses express what we can do about it.

Let’s use “DREAMIE” as an acronym based on these verses in order to follow through with God’s Word in our lives.

D – Dictate your feelings.

v. 62 At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws.
Who feels like getting up at midnight to give thanks to the Lord for His righteous laws?  The point is that we command our feelings to give thanks and obey God’s Word even when our feelings don’t feel like it – any time of the day.

R – Relate to other obedient Christians.

v. 63 I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts.
Build friendships as a support team with those who are committed to following Jesus and growing more in their relationship with Him.

E – Evaluate your ways.

v. 59a I have considered my ways...

A – Activate the process of spiritual transformation by making appropriate choices.

v. 59b … and (I) have turned my steps to your statutes.

M – Meditate on God’s truth.

v. 61 Though the wicked bind me with ropes, I will not forget your law.
Put God’s Word in your mind and heart in order to remember it when the heat is on.

I – Intake God’s Word by being teachable.

v. 64 The earth is filled with your love, O Lord; teach me your decrees.

Keep learning God’s truths.

E – Expedite the transformation of your life by acting promptly.

v. 60 I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.

Get DREAMIE!

HOPPING vs. SHOPPING

Church hopping was the subject of an article that was carried nationally recently (Rose French, “Spirit moves 'church hoppers,'” Star Tribune, July 14, 2012).

What is “church hopping?”  It’s going from one church to another without committing to any one church for any significant period of time.  This makes it different than legitimate “church shopping.”

James Emery White reflects on what Betsy Hart writes saying that hoppers reflect a growing tendency to decide, after they have officially joined a particular church, that “Oh, that pastor down the street is a little more high-energy than mine,” or “Gee, the music here isn’t really meeting my needs right now,” or “I really am not crazy about that new singles director.”

So they hop from church to church.

The hard-core hopper never even makes an initial commitment. They perpetually float between churches, pursuing a Beth Moore study at First Baptist, youth group at First Methodist, weekend services at Hope, Grace, or Community Church, marriage enrichment events at…well, you get the picture.

What’s driving this?

For some, it’s simply the consumer mindset of our culture at work.

As Hart writes, “Church ‘hopping’ is the ultimate ‘all about me’ experience.” They take from various churches whatever it is they perceive to be of value without committing to any one church either to serve or support.

For some, it’s insecurity.

They have to be wherever they think it’s “happening” in the Christian world.  Some Christians constantly church-hop to the “next” thing in church life.  They move from one church to another, looking for the next hot singles group, the next hot church plant, the next hot speaker, the next hot youth group.   Sometimes they end up full circle where they began, because their original church suddenly became “next.”

For some, it’s spiritual gluttony.

They want nothing more than to be “fed”, and when they feel they’ve eaten all a church has to offer, they move on where there is the potential for more food – as if that is what constitutes growing in Christ or being connected to Christ.

For some, it’s refusing accountability.

A pattern of sin is pursued, or a choice made, and they leave for a place where no one knows, and no one asks.

For some, it’s avoiding stewardship.

If they aren’t committed to any one church, there is no obligation to give or serve at any one church. They can float above sacrifice without guilt.

For some, it’s emotional immaturity.

A decision is made they don’t agree with, a building campaign is initiated they didn’t vote for, a staff change is made they didn’t like, so they take their marbles and go play somewhere else.

None of these reflect well on the person leaving, which implies that anyone who leaves a church is somehow in the wrong, and that is not fair.  Truthfully there may be times to not simply hop, but leap. If there is scandal that is simply not addressed, doctrinal heresy, or patterns of abuse, you should leave. 

But for the typical hopper, it’s not time for self-justification, but loving admonition.

First, church isn’t about you. Sorry, but it’s not. It isn’t one of many stores in a mall that exists to serve your spiritual shopping list. Church is a gathered community of believers who are pooling together their time, talent and resources to further the Great Commission.  Find one and start investing your life.

Second, the very nature of authentic community is found in the “one anothers.” Love one another, serve one another, encourage one another.”  This cannot happen apart from doing life with people.  You need community.

Third, the absence of a ministry you desire may be God’s call on your life to start it, rather than leave to find a church that has it. Remember, every member is a minister, and has been given at least one spiritual gift for service in the life and mission of the church.

Fourth, you aren’t going to agree with every decision the leadership of any church makes, regardless of its structure or decision-making process. You either feel you can trust the character of the leadership, or you can’t.  And being able to trust that leadership doesn’t mean they will always do things the way you think they should. In other words, don’t hop every time you disagree. That’s immature.

And on the other hand, don’t stay and pout or politic, either. Either get on board once the decision is made, if it was one that didn’t breach doctrine or ethics, or find a place where you can.

Fifth, don’t worry about being fed as much as learning to feed yourself. Even more, concern yourself with taking what you already know and applying it to your life, and then helping to feed others who are new to the faith.

Finally, spiritual depth isn’t attained by gratifying your sense of felt needs. It’s receiving a balanced diet of teaching and challenge, investing in service and mission, engaging in worship and giving, living in community and diversity that you probably would not select for yourself. If we simply go to where we are drawn, we will miss out on addressing those areas of life where we are blind.

THE JOY OF GIVING THANKS

… giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. Col. 1:12

Giving thanks to the Lord should always be a part of our way of living.  Why?  Because God has qualified us through Christ to share in the future inheritance of the saints.  Look forward to what God has in store for you, your inheritance as a believer in Christ, all because of what Christ has done.

We give thanks as we pray consistently and fervently for His present work in our lives, which includes spiritual/emotional growth, bearing fruit, increasing in knowing God, strengthened with His power, and transforming to become more like Christ.  In the verses prior to verse 12, Paul says, For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.  And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, … Col. 1:9-12a

Consistent praying leads us to give thanks because of the results of the praying.  The powerful productive work of prayer is emphasized.  If we want a heart full of thanksgiving, then we must live in Christ with consistent fervent praying.

THE EMOTIONS & THE SPIRITUAL

If we ignore the emotional components of discipleship in our lives, we will not mature spiritually.  Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart…” (Matt. 22:37).  He also said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 NLT). 

As we grow closer to God, learning and applying more of His truths, faithfully following Jesus – we will most likely come to realize that whole emotional layers of our lives exist that God has not yet touched.  And those emotional layers, unless dealt with, prevent further spiritual maturity. 

Emotional health and spiritual health are inseparable.  Emotional maturity and spiritual maturity are inseparable.  The emotional stability of homes in America is at an all-time low.  According to George Barna the divorce rate for people who describe themselves as Christians is even higher than for the public as a whole.  It’s impossible for a Christian to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature.  To say it another way:  If we’re not maturing emotionally we’re not maturing spiritually. 

God is at work transforming you as a whole person.  We are more than spiritual beings.  God made us whole people in His image.  That includes the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and relational dimensions of who are and who we’re becoming.  And one day our physical image will be transformed into glorified supernatural bodies like that of Jesus. God made a promise to every Christian:  God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. (Rom. 8:29 Mes). 

In The Cry of the Soul, Dan Allender and Tremper Longman III speak to the importance of listening to and dealing with our emotions:  “Ignoring our emotions is turning our back on reality; listening to our emotions ushers us into reality.  And reality is where we meet God… Emotions are the language of the soul.  They are the cry that gives the heart a voice… However, we often turn a deaf ear – through emotional denial, distortion, or disengagement.  We strain out anything disturbing in order to gain tenuous control of our inner world.  We are frightened and ashamed of what leaks into our consciousness.  In neglecting our intense emotions, we are false to ourselves and lose a wonderful opportunity to know God.  We forget that change comes through brutal honesty and vulnerability before God.”

As believers in Christ our inner world is to be in sync with our outer behavior.  Many people are unaware they are living with a dichotomy between their inner and outer worlds.  The Bible says “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9 NAS). 

For us to really love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength we must know not only God but also our inner selves – the nature of our own heart, soul, and mind.  And we must give time to this. 

Recall what characterized Adam and Eve in their sin:  shame, loneliness, hiding, self-protection, lying, emotional pain.  These also characterize every one of us who has lived ever since. 

It requires a lot of work, energy, inconvenience, time, courage, solitude, and a firm understanding of God’s grace and love to grow in Christ-likeness.  We remain emotional infants until the emotional component of God’s image in us is exposed and transformed through Jesus Christ.  And it’s then that we discover on an entirely new level the love and grace of God, and our spiritual life with Christ flourishes.

WHAT DOES THE NEWS ABOUT CHICK-FIL-A MEAN?

I want to give credit to Dr. James White, pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church, for his insight on the recent news about Chick-fil-A. 

Dan Cathy, president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, gave an interview to Baptist Press.  Correctly saying that there is no such thing as a “Christian business,” he did offer that organizations such as his can operate on biblical principles “asking God and pleading with God to give us wisdom on decisions we make about people and the programs and partnerships we have.”

Then came the match that lit the fire.  When asked about the company’s support of the traditional family, Cathy simply said, “Well, guilty as charged.”  He then went on to say, “We are very much supportive of the family – the biblical definition of the family unit.  We are a family-owned business, a family-led business…our restaurants are typically led by families…We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families.”

Gasp!   How dare he say that when it comes to families, his support goes with the historic, traditional understanding of millennia that reflects his Judeo-Christian values.  At least that seemed to be the response from much of the media.

The Baptist Press interview was picked up by the Huffington Post, Associated Press, USAToday,  Los Angeles Times and more – most with the phrase “anti-gay” in the headline – fueled by the “revelation” that the privately-owned business donated to Christian groups that opposed homosexuality.

 Of course, overlooked were the millions of dollars Chick-fil-A gives each year to other charitable causes.  For example, they fund foster care programs, schools of higher learning, and children’s camps.  They provide scholarships for the employees to attend college, and this past Friday, they provided free meals for the police force in Aurora, Colorado.

Many on twitter and in the blogosphere immediately labeled them a hate group. Yes, a hate group.  Then the mayor of Boston vowed to block Chick-fil-A from opening a restaurant in the city because it is a business “that discriminates against a population.”

The Jim Henson Company of Kermit and Miss Piggy fame said they will stop providing toys for the fast food chain’s kids’ meals because the company won’t endorse same-sex marriage.  They plan on donating money already received from Chick-fil-A to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).  Ed Helms, star of the sitcom The Office, publicly promised a personal boycott.

 Okay, let’s put our big-boy pants on for a minute.

Cathy never uttered the words “anti-gay” in the interview.  All he did was state, when pointedly asked, his support for the traditional family as outlined in the Bible.

Further, the company made it clear following Cathy’s comments that they had no intention of entering the policy debate over same-sex marriage, and that the Chick-fil-A “culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect – regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender.”

And indeed, there has never even been a hint of discrimination in Chick-fil-A’s history.

So Chick-fil-A is not a hate group, does not discriminate, and is not actively working in the realm of public policy.  It just has personal core values.

But what a mirror this has provided, and the reflection is worth noting.

Fifty years ago, any support of homosexual practice would have ended your business.  Now, the threat to your business is support of the traditional family.

This is what has taken place in American culture.

First, classical Christian orthodoxy was marginalized.

Second, it became ostracized.

Third, it became demonized.

Fourth, it became penalized.

And now the move would seem to be to have it criminalized.

Defining discrimination as disagreement, and then disagreement as a hate crime, is one of the more frightening developments of our time.  But developed it has.

As the Baptist Press reporter has since said of the tempest over Cathy’s remarks, “I don’t understand why that’s a bad thing all of a sudden.  It was not an anti-gay statement.  It was a pro-family statement.”

But that’s the point.  That’s the world in which we now find ourselves.

TAKE COURAGE

When you get discouraged or feel down and begin to entertain negative thoughts, take the time to be reminded of God’s presence and direction in your life.   The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deut. 31:8.  The Lord is already on the road ahead of you and He’ll be there when you get there.  He already is where you’re going to be.  Not only is He already where you’re going to be, He is always with you on the journey there. 

He is preparing the way ahead of you.  That means He is leading you if you’re surrendered to Him and obeying what you know He says to do.  And as you are living surrendered to His leadership, He is going ahead of you working in your relationships, your circumstances, and your life purpose for your good. 

God says He will never abandon you.  He will never leave.  He will always be with you through everything.  When others leave or disappoint you, the Lord stays with you and remains reliable and loving. 

What God wants us to do is take courage and believe in Him.  He wants us to not be afraid or discouraged or anxious.  He has you surrounded and He is leading you.  Go forward and trust that He will be there because He already is.

WAITING ON GOD’S BLESSING

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:  “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Matt. 4:5-7

Jesus was tempted by the devil to jump from the top of the temple and trust God to catch Him and protect Him.  Instead of giving in, Jesus responded by saying that “testing” the Lord God was wrong.

When you face temptation or you go through a difficult time or if it seems you’re treading water and your dreams are not being realized, or your prayers aren’t being answered immediately or the way you thought they would be, don’t be impatient with God and rebel against Him.  That only displeases Him and delays His blessings in your life.

Take to heart some of the things God tells us about how to trust Him through whatever it is you’re going through:

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.  I thirst for God, the living God.  … Why am I discouraged?  Why is my heart so sad?  I will put my hope in God!  I will praise him again—my Savior and my God! Psalm 42:1, 5-6 (NLT)

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. Psalm 40: 1-2 (NLT)

O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced.  Save me, for you do what is right.  … Love the Lord, all you godly ones!  For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes the arrogant.  So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! Psalm 31:1, 23-24 (NLT)

The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid?  Wait patiently for the Lord. … Be brave and courageous.  Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. Psalm 27:1, 14 (NLT)

God will answer you in His time.  His blessings will come.  You’ll know His strengthening.  When it seems you’re not getting a lot of response from God, be persistent in trusting Him.  Accept the fact that God doesn’t do everything on our time table.  Anticipate and rejoice in the future deliverance He will bring.  Rejoice in the past blessings God has given you.  Keep honoring God, keep learning from Him, and keep dreaming of how God can work in and through your life.  And one day you’ll stop and look and see all the great things He has done in your life.