Tag: Living for God

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Being Grounded In A Subversive World

sub•vert (səb-vûrtˈ)

  • v. To destroy completely; ruin: “schemes to subvert the liberties of a great community” (Alexander Hamilton).
  • v. To undermine the character, morals, or allegiance of; corrupt.
  • v. To overthrow completely.

Whether we like it or not, we live in a world filled with subversion. Everywhere we go, people want to undermine common sense in order to warp reality to fit their own ends.

Specifically, I’m talking about definition #2: “To undermine the character, morals, or allegiance of; corrupt.”

You have to understand that in order for morals and character to be undermined, there have to be morals and character there to begin with. You can’t subvert or corrupt something that doesn’t exist. Continue reading “Being Grounded In A Subversive World”

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I’m A Lousy Supervillain

I’m a really lousy supervillain.

No really, I am. I haven’t taken over a single country. Not even a city. I haven’t robbed any banks, and I haven’t defeated any self-righteous heroes with orphan complexes. My minions are more interested in Korean soap operas and Barbies than doing my dark bidding. I still don’t have any orbiting laser satellites or nuclear bombs.

So what’s a supervillain to do? My grandiose plans for World Domination just aren’t coming to fruition. Every day that I don’t achieve some new feat, I feel like a failure.

But I’ve come to realize, these are lies I tell myself.

The truth is, I’ve accomplished quite a bit, according to anybody’s standards. Nothing that would make the ten-o’clock news, but still, I’d like to think I’m more than just a regular guy with no ambition. I’ve actually got some things to show for my work. But the danger comes when I tie my self-worth into what I’ve done, and not who I am.

What makes me valuable as a person? Continue reading “I’m A Lousy Supervillain”

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Success And Failure: Rest And Laziness

I hate sleep. And much for the same reasons, I love coffee (and caffiene in general).

But try as I might, I can’t shake the fact that I need sleep. I need rest. And I’m not comfortable with that, really. I always feel like I’m missing out on something. I’m always thinking about some cool project, idea, story, song, or something I’d like to have time to work on. I feel empowered when I accomplish things, and God has gifted me with the ability to do some amzaing things. Like being a dad, a writer, a musician, an inventor, an avid cyclist, etc.

Lately, I’m beginning to believe that when God commanded man to rest on the Sabbath, it applied to more than just one day a week.

God knows we are made to be workers. We are innately capable of working tirelessly if the proper motivations are in place. For years, I was ridiculed and singled out by my school teachers for being “lazy” because I didn’t give a rip about history or math. Or homework. The truth was, as a genius-level child, I was bored to tears. I hated homework because I generally got the concepts and understood them fully in class. I didn’t want to practice something I already knew. I was ready to move on to something more exciting! I was the farthest thing from lazy, but they couldn’t understand that. Continue reading “Success And Failure: Rest And Laziness”

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Need Vs. Want

There are times when people (Christians specifically) need to seriously take a look at what they’re asking and whether or not it’s appropriate. There are, believe it or not, some times when you need to think about Jesus outside of church. I’m seeing a tendency for Christians today to go into “incognito mode” when they’re discussing anything not directly church-related. We compartmentalize Jesus and God, so that even mentioning them outside of a church building is seen as “inappropriate” or a “Jesus juke.”

But I’ve heard this so many times, I’m going to step on some toes. This just shows that we have superficial faith. In reality, God is involved in every area of our lives, whether we acknowledge it or not. It would be foolish of us to pretend otherwise. I see this predominantly in Christian circles where people are asking recommendations on some sort of new expensive toy or luxury. We don’t ask if it’s wise to get something like that. We effectively suppress the teachings of Jesus in order to not offend anyone.

This is comparable to secular consumerism today. Is it okay to demand that our food be ethically treated before we kill and eat it, but not okay to ask if someone’s food choices are wise? Is it okay to demand our electricity be cleanly produced (because environment!), and yet pay no heed to ecology when we purchase disposable (and toxic) electronic devices, all designed with planned obsolescence? So it shouldn’t surprise me when I see people claim “Jesus is Lord!” and then proceed to pamper themselves with luxury. Continue reading “Need Vs. Want”

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Who Do You Want To Be?

Recently, I stumbled across a sermon series by Bill Hybels, called “Simplify.” I listened to it, thinking all the while it was going to be full of useful advice on how to simplify our lives… pretty obvious, right? He talks about simplifying finances, simplifying your schedule, simplifying your job, and so forth. For the most part, I was right.

Except that in one of the messages, he says something to the effect of “Don’t ask what you should do; ask who do I want to become? And when you schedule your life around that idea, the rest will fall into place.”

I can’t really explain why, but that little question made me stop and think. What is it that I want to become? Why am I wasting time on doing things that have nothing to do with what I need to be? Why do I do those things? Continue reading “Who Do You Want To Be?”

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Pray All The Things!

If you’ve been paying attention over the last few years, you may have noticed a disturbing trend in the Church. It’s sort of what happens when the culture you live in is overrun by people who value relativism and hate the truth. It’s where you believe that positive thinking literally makes things happen, and that everybody has “a little bit of God in them.”

This really scares me. People like T.D. Jakes, Joyce Meyers, Kenneth Copeland, and Joel Osteen are telling people “God will bless you financially/physically if you’re truly faithful” but let me tell you, people… this is not what Jesus said.

Kenneth Copeland says:

The fact is, you really haven’t prayed in faith if you pray about something, but don’t take it. If you get up from prayer saying, “I don’t have it. I’m still sick, I still feel bad,” then you didn’t take it…and you certainly don’t have it.

Joel Osteen says:

God has already done everything He’s going to do. The ball is now in your court. If you want success, if you want wisdom, if you want to be prosperous and healthy, you’re going to have to do more than meditate and believe; you must boldly declare words of faith and victory over yourself and your family.

And we could go on and on. How much emotional crippling damage has this done to people’s faith? It totally takes God’s will out of the equation. Can you imagine telling the Apostle Paul “I’m sorry, but God’s not going to heal the thorn in your flesh because you haven’t prayed in faith.“ Or maybe telling Peter “Sorry, if you had declared words of faith and victory, you’d be rich and comfortable right now instead of being martyred upside-down on a cross.”

What if God doesn’t want you to be rich in this life?

What if God doesn’t want you to be comfortable in this life?

What if God doesn’t want you to be healed in this life?

The truth is, God doesn’t need us to be healthy or rich for us to serve Him, for us to worship Him, for us to glorify Him.

And we aren’t called to do anything else. Continue reading “Pray All The Things!”

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The Myth Of “Abundant Life”

“Abundant Life” as we’ve been taught it, by the modern Church, is a myth.

If you’ve ever heard someone say “God has blessed me with a new _____! He’s given me life more abundantly!” then you’ve been exposed to the lie. In today’s climate of soft theology and relativism, this kind of thinking is rampant, it’s destructive, and it’s wrong.

I debated on whether to even write this, as it’s a hard topic to swallow. Take, for instance, my article on Technology In the Church. I knew as I was writing it that it would ruffle some feathers, because it clearly calls out believers to put their money where they claim their faith is. That makes people uncomfortable. But I’m okay with making people uncomfortable.

The Christian life is not about human comfort. If it were, we could discard the entire book of Job. Or Acts. Or the Gospels. Or pretty much the whole Bible. In the book of Job, the Bible says Job was righteous in every way, and yet God allowed him to be afflicted. All throughout the Bible, there are stories of righteous people suffering and enduring hardship. The thorn in Paul’s side. Lazarus’ death. Job. King David. The disciples. Even Jesus himself.

If God were in fact trying to make everyone comfortable, then what would the point of that be? We know God doesn’t change. We know God allows suffering in righteous people. Therefore, it is wrong for us to assume God wants us to be comfortable. Comfort does not honor God. He allows us to be comfortable, in the same way he allows us to endure suffering. To God, it’s just a part of life, not the goal in and of itself. It’s not a reward for being “good enough.”

“But doesn’t God want me to be happy?” Continue reading “The Myth Of “Abundant Life””

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Reflections On Wisdom

I was recently shocked to discover that someone had been reading my blog, and actually used it as motivation to accomplish something great. I immediately panicked. Why? Because I don’t view myself as a particularly wise person. Intelligent? Yes, under certain circumstances I’d call myself “smart” but that doesn’t have anything to do with Wisdom. I know lots of devastatingly intelligent people who don’t have the wisdom to keep from wrecking their lives. One of my favorite writers, in fact, continually flaunts his MENSA qualifications and IQ score, and yet he’s lambasted as a bigot (and several other nasty monikers) because he’s hot-headed, stubborn, and generally unwise. His skill in writing is second to none (in my opinion) but as a person, I wouldn’t really like him.

So what’s the difference, really? You might think Wisdom is just the application of being Smart, but that’s not the case. But if Wisdom isn’t the same as intelligence, what is it?

Wisdom – the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience

I especially like the phrase “application of experience.” So, by definition, can you be wise without experience? No, you can’t. But so often we try to bypass the whole time requirement of wisdom, and substitute Brains instead. Because, if we’re smart, gosh darn it, we should be able to make the right decision every time, right? If I think about it enough, the answer will come to me.

Oh, how I wish that were the case.

Continue reading “Reflections On Wisdom”

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NaNoWriWon’t, a.k.a. Why We Write

Anybody who knows about NaNoWriMo is now in the throes of writing feverishly, hoping to crank out the elusive 50,000 word novel in 30 days.

I’ve done it. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Cranking out 1,665 words a day takes me about 2 hours, give or take… and that doesn’t include breaks. The real question is, do I have two hours a day to devote to writing a book that I might have to go back and re-write anyway?

Well, no, I don’t have time to waste. And in the grand scheme of things, I have to stop and ask myself, “Self, do I really even need to write another book?” This is a question every writer should ask themselves, really. And sometimes, the answer might surprise you.

What it boils down to is, “Did God call me to write a book?” and if the answer is yes, then by all means, do what you have to do to write a book. Don’t stop until it’s finished! But if the answer is “I don’t know” then you’ve got some thinking to do.

Why do we write? Is it because we enjoy it? Is it because we’d like to make money at it? Do we write just because somebody once told us “Hey, you’re good at writing, you should write a book”? Or maybe, just maybe, it’s your calling. Maybe it’s what God has gifted you to do. You believe your story is going to change somebody’s life, and maybe (probably) change yours in the writing process. But after years of doing things, I’ve realized (i.e. God has shown me) that just because you’re good at something, doesn’t mean God has called you to do that thing.

This will come as a shock to many. It was a shock to me when I realized it. “Why would God give me a talent if He didn’t want me to use it?” That’s also a valid question, one I’ve asked myself countless times. He does want you to use it! But the answer to how we use it lies in where your life is going, and what God has called you to do with your life overall. You see, “writing” as a verb isn’t a calling. You can use writing to do something, to accomplish something for God. But the act of writing in itself isn’t a calling. It’s what you do with your writing that matters. And honestly, if God calls you to do something that requires writing, you don’t have to be the best at it for God to use you. But you need to use your talents to do the will of God.

Just let that sink in for a minute, okay?

So where do we look for motivation? Why are we writing? The only way to know for sure is to seek out what God wants for your life, and make sure you’re doing what God has put you here to do. How you accomplish that is up to you, but you need to find your motivation first. Only then, once you realize why you write, can you find writing freedom.

Are you ministering to people? Are you touching people’s lives? Are you bringing truth to them? Are you filling a need with your writing that you feel God has told you to conquer? Then by all means, get writing! I believe God has given me a reason to write, and so I will do what I can.

(by the way, this post is 580 words!)

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“Joy To the World” Isn’t Just For Christmas

Sometimes, you just have to stop trying to be happy.

Where in life do we balance “being content” with “reaching for more”? Paul says in Phillipians 4:13 that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” He was referring to those who live in plenty, or live in poverty… this applies spiritually and physically. Sometimes we just need to be content with where we are, and understand that God will give us what we need, and get us through.

There are times, however, when being content with misery isn’t going to work. You can say all you want about being humble, but God doesn’t want us to be miserable, either. If there is more misery in your life than joy, there’s a good reason for it… just not the reason you’d expect. The church today (little “c”) has found success in promising people happiness and comfort. And yes, if happiness comes from physical comfort, then they’re very good at making church members “happy.”  But Jesus never promised fame, fortune, or worldly success. Or happiness.

So if that’s the case, where does our contentment, our peace, our joy come from? And what’s the difference anyway? Well, our joy comes from God… not doing things for God, not learning about God, not talking about God. Joy comes from God Himself.

There is no formula. There isn’t a “if X then Y” flowchart. The only way to have Joy is to be in the presence of God. And that looks different for everybody. You may feel closest to God when you pour through scripture. You might feel close to God when you’re singing praises, or helping the poor, or painting a picture. But, it comes with common sense, too. You can’t say “I feel closest to God when I’m downing a fifth of Vodka.” Sorry, but what you’re feeling isn’t God… that’s momentary happiness, maybe. Certainly not Joy, because the funny thing about Joy is that is doesn’t wear off easily. If we spend time with God steadily, it doesn’t wear off at all. And most importantly, Joy from God doesn’t leave you feeling drained, worn out, or hung over.

When you get to the point where you’re trying so hard to be close to God that you’re worn out, you can pretty much bet you’ve left God behind. He’s not in the maelstrom, he’s not in the typhoon, he’s not in the earthquake… God is that still, small voice, calling to you in your exhaustion and misery.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11:28-30 – MSG