The newest addition to our family has been rockin' my faith a little. Baby Sloan's only a month old, but he's already messin' with my head! I don't hold it against him, though; I know it's not intentional! (ha)
But it never fails--every time I hold him to give him a bottle, or some comfort, or just some love (he's got those ultra-chubby extra-kissable cheeks on him), and especially when he's sleeping on my chest--I'm struck by not only the awesome responsibility of parenthood, but by the honest and complete trust that he has in me as his daddy.
Then it hits me...this is how I should be with God. Just as our new baby relies completely upon us as parents to provide and care for him, I should be relying completely on my Abba Father to provide and care for me. After I've done all that I can to the best of my knowledge and ability, I need to step back, breathe, relax, and TRUST completely in God for the results.
How much time do we waste because of worry? I'm determined to waste less, and trust more...
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Who Needs Worship
Ever wonder why most churches reserve a significant portion of their Sunday services for the singing of songs? I've had conversations with several people where that "why" question came up, and there are so many answers...God deserves our worship because He's holy, because He's good, because He's done so much for us, and on and on...but that response seems to fall short for many people.
So I'd like to pose some other questions. Do we worship God to remind Him that He's God, because every so often He forgets? Or maybe God has a subtle inferiority complex and requires that we sing to Him at least once a week to boost His ego a bit? And when we worship God, does He actually become more God than He was before we worshiped Him?
What I'm hinting at (if you're totally confused right now) is that I think there's something missing inside of us if we're asking "why" worship (and I can say so, cuz I've been missing it before :-). When we truly catch a glimpse of who God really is, the automatic response of our heart is worship. It's automatic, it's irresistible, and it's authentic. If you've not experienced that feeling, then I dare say that you have not yet seen God for who He really is! (by the way, none of us have arrived...it's a never-ending journey!)
But back to my ridiculous questions: Do we worship God to remind Him that He's God, because every so often He forgets? NO...we worship God to remind US that He's God, because sometimes we seem to forget. Or maybe God has a subtle inferiority complex and requires that we sing to Him at least once a week to boost His ego a bit? Please! We're the ones with insecurities, and through worship, God affirms us as His beloved! And when we worship God, does He actually become more God than He was before we worshiped Him? No--He's "the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb 13:8)...but He does become "more God" within us the more we get to know Him and understand that He's greater than all of our fears, worries, and struggles.
So WHO needs worship? WE do. God is God whether we worship or not! He truly delights in our worship, but He does not need it. We're the ones who benefit. When we choose to honor Him as God and exalt Him above ourselves, there's an intrinsic realization that we were created for this, that we are loved unconditionally, that we were chosen by Him before we ever knew Him. We remind ourselves that He is God, that we are of incredible value to Him, and that with Him, we can overcome anything.
So I'd like to pose some other questions. Do we worship God to remind Him that He's God, because every so often He forgets? Or maybe God has a subtle inferiority complex and requires that we sing to Him at least once a week to boost His ego a bit? And when we worship God, does He actually become more God than He was before we worshiped Him?
What I'm hinting at (if you're totally confused right now) is that I think there's something missing inside of us if we're asking "why" worship (and I can say so, cuz I've been missing it before :-). When we truly catch a glimpse of who God really is, the automatic response of our heart is worship. It's automatic, it's irresistible, and it's authentic. If you've not experienced that feeling, then I dare say that you have not yet seen God for who He really is! (by the way, none of us have arrived...it's a never-ending journey!)
But back to my ridiculous questions: Do we worship God to remind Him that He's God, because every so often He forgets? NO...we worship God to remind US that He's God, because sometimes we seem to forget. Or maybe God has a subtle inferiority complex and requires that we sing to Him at least once a week to boost His ego a bit? Please! We're the ones with insecurities, and through worship, God affirms us as His beloved! And when we worship God, does He actually become more God than He was before we worshiped Him? No--He's "the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb 13:8)...but He does become "more God" within us the more we get to know Him and understand that He's greater than all of our fears, worries, and struggles.
So WHO needs worship? WE do. God is God whether we worship or not! He truly delights in our worship, but He does not need it. We're the ones who benefit. When we choose to honor Him as God and exalt Him above ourselves, there's an intrinsic realization that we were created for this, that we are loved unconditionally, that we were chosen by Him before we ever knew Him. We remind ourselves that He is God, that we are of incredible value to Him, and that with Him, we can overcome anything.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Christian?
I'll never forget the girl who came up to me in high school and asked, "You remember in 7th grade when you told me I was going to hell?" I think I turned beat red and denied it because I really don't remember it, but honestly I wouldn't be surprised if it was true! I was quite the little "evangelist" at 12 years of age...
The church staff is reading a book together called Un-Christian, and it's been really insightful. It's based on actual research done by the Barna Group that has discovered that people's perception of Christianity has changed quite dramatically in the recent past, say 10 years or so, from being mostly positive to being more on the negative bent.
When I think of how I behaved as a good little church boy growing up, I have to say that I'm not surprised. I was quick to judge (and apparently quick to say so too :-), isolated myself from those who didn't believe like me, and appeared like I had it all together. I wasn't a jerk or anything; everyone who knew me liked me, but overall I feel as though I failed to connect with the culture.
Jesus was a person who lived a perfect life, but didn't broadcast it. He knew the darkness in people's hearts, but didn't judge them. He hung out with the riff-raff of society and could care less whether his reputation suffered for it. He lived every iota of what He taught as a picture of total integrity, leaving no room for hypocrisy.
Have you examined how you come across to outsiders? Are people more or less likely to consider faith in Christ after encountering you?
The church staff is reading a book together called Un-Christian, and it's been really insightful. It's based on actual research done by the Barna Group that has discovered that people's perception of Christianity has changed quite dramatically in the recent past, say 10 years or so, from being mostly positive to being more on the negative bent.
When I think of how I behaved as a good little church boy growing up, I have to say that I'm not surprised. I was quick to judge (and apparently quick to say so too :-), isolated myself from those who didn't believe like me, and appeared like I had it all together. I wasn't a jerk or anything; everyone who knew me liked me, but overall I feel as though I failed to connect with the culture.
Jesus was a person who lived a perfect life, but didn't broadcast it. He knew the darkness in people's hearts, but didn't judge them. He hung out with the riff-raff of society and could care less whether his reputation suffered for it. He lived every iota of what He taught as a picture of total integrity, leaving no room for hypocrisy.
Have you examined how you come across to outsiders? Are people more or less likely to consider faith in Christ after encountering you?
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