One of my favorite Bible stories is that of Zacchaeus, the "wee little man" (Luke 19:1-10). He was both literally and figuratively "up a tree" when he met Jesus. At some point in our lives, we all find ourselves "up a tree" like Zacchaeus, looking for a way out of our desperate situation.
Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus. Maybe he had heard that Jesus wasn't like other religious leaders, or perhaps he was just curious. Quite probably he longed for redemption and restoration into God's family. Nevertheless, Zacchaeus knew he would have to be proactive if he was to see who Jesus was (Luke 19:3-4). Like Zacchaeus, when the Holy Spirit begins to work in our hearts, we will have a strong desire for God. We may not know exactly what we're looking for, but we're driven to seek for "it." We will do anything and look everywhere to find the piece and the peace that's missing.
Because Zacchaeus was small in stature, he climbed "up a tree" rather than stay "down on the street," among the crowd, hoping to see Jesus. When we seek what's missing in our lives, our ability to see is obstructed by the crowd of distractions of this life. We try things and come up empty. We have to look "up" and shift our vision from what's around us to what's above (Colossians 3:2).
Jesus knew Zacchaeus was waiting, looking, and longing to know him. When he passed by the sycamore tree, Jesus looked up and told Zacchaeus to hurry down because he must abide in his house today. One definition of the verb must is to be compelled. Zacchaeus' desire to know Jesus compelled Jesus to move into his heart and life. When we seek Christ, we find him (Luke 11:9-10). He dwells within us, and we are never the same.
Zacchaeus received Jesus joyfully. He found whom he was seeking, and his life was changed. He repented and made restoration (Luke 19:8). When we receive Christ, we are forgiven, and he comes to abide in and with us. We become new (II Corinthians 5:17) and know joy (Romans 14:17; 15:13). We change what we've been doing and want to live a life that honors God.
The religious leaders of the day rejected Jesus because he associated with sinners like Zacchaeus, but Jesus came for the lost. About Zacchaeus' conversion, Jesus proclaimed, "This day is salvation come to this house.... For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:9-10). Heaven celebrated (Luke 15:10)!
Eventually, we all find ourselves "up a tree" (Romans 3:23), but when we acknowledge we're lost, we will find Jesus waiting to abide with us (John 14:23). We will know we have found Whom we were seeking.
Lord, you promise that when we seek you we will find you and that when we call for you, you will answer. Help us to look up to you. Thank you for being our Redeemer and for restoring us to your family. Amen.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Parenting - Examining the Culture of "Entitlement"
Read the daily newspaper, watch any news show, scan the internet blog posts, or watch people in public and you will no doubt see people who believe themselves to possess the "gift of entitlement." Just this morning, headlines shared the news that insurance fraud is up during these desperate economic times. A tiny little "human interest" story was tucked into one page relating the actions of a thrill-seeking 60-something male who walked through a Walmart thumping little kids on the head with his keys. Stories of robberies are sprinkled among accounts of "nations warring against nations." All of this makes for some pretty dismal reading and gives people like me the opportunity for deep reflection on what's at the root of all these situations. Not to over-simplify or minimize the gravity of any of the aforementioned (and the millions not mentioned) accounts, I do believe that the source lies in the hearts of people. Human nature tends toward a "I deserve this" mentality. When let run its course, this "gift of entitlement" produces hurtful results, both for the "entitled" and those who are it's victims.
The Bible begins with a vivid example - Adam and Eve. Eve decided God was holding out on her, denying her and Adam access to the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. You know the outcome; Eve felt "entitled" to have her eyes opened, so off she went to test the fruit and invite Adam to join her. We have struggled with the knowledge of good and evil ever since. Arguing that no one but Eve was hurt in this little transaction is impossible!
Another story involves a man, Haman, who had been elevated by King Ahasuerus to second in command. Haman really embraced his "gift," to the point that when Mordecai, a devoted follower of the God of Israel, refused to bow down to him, he finagled a King-decreed punishment for Mordecai and all Jews - they were to be killed! Haman had nothing to lose and everything to gain; he felt he deserved this kind of honor. This is a fascinating story of self-deception and what happens when an individual is convinced of his invincibility. The short version is that Haman's moment of glory - the one for which he is most remembered - was his hanging from the gallows he had built for Mordecai! Not only was Haman destroyed, so were his ten sons and hundreds of enemies of the Jews. One man's sense of entitlement led not only to his own demise but to that of others.
Buying into the notion that self-serving actions don't hurt self and others is deliberate self-deception that leads to ruin. It's sin. It comes from the heart. Mark 7:20-23 provides a bleak picture of the heart of man, the desires that reside there that defile. Among the list are things like theft, covetousness, pride, deceit, and foolishness. Any one of these can lead people to convince themselves that they are justified in whatever they are doing because they "deserve it." The thought of the hurt to others and to self is buried deep and ignored. The results are destruction.
We can be seduced by the experiences in our lives to become one of the many who claim the "gift of entitlement," taking matters into our own hands, or we can turn our attention to God's word and what he promises. Matthew 10:30-33,39 and 16:24-27 promise that we are of great value and if we take up the cross of discipleship we may lose our lives for Christ's sake but we will also gain them and be rewarded by our Heavenly Father. Earlier in Matthew we're promised that our obedience in secret will be openly rewarded by God (6:1-8), and we're warned to "lay up treasures" in Heaven because "...where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (6:19-21).
We may be be tempted to get out ahead of God and take what we believe to be ours, but we need to wait! Self-promotion leads to self-destruction. We only hurt ourselves and others. God promises great things for us, not only in this life but in the one to come, if we will trust him (I John 3:1-2,22; 4:4; 5:14-15).
Lord, I'm impatient. I sometimes want what I want NOW and assume that I have a "right" to it! That's not your way, though. You have instructed us to put others before ourselves and to trust you to take care of all our needs. You know when we need promoting and when we need to stay where we are. You know when to reward us and how. I pray for a heart that is fully surrendered to you and strength to remain humble. Amen.
The Bible begins with a vivid example - Adam and Eve. Eve decided God was holding out on her, denying her and Adam access to the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. You know the outcome; Eve felt "entitled" to have her eyes opened, so off she went to test the fruit and invite Adam to join her. We have struggled with the knowledge of good and evil ever since. Arguing that no one but Eve was hurt in this little transaction is impossible!
Another story involves a man, Haman, who had been elevated by King Ahasuerus to second in command. Haman really embraced his "gift," to the point that when Mordecai, a devoted follower of the God of Israel, refused to bow down to him, he finagled a King-decreed punishment for Mordecai and all Jews - they were to be killed! Haman had nothing to lose and everything to gain; he felt he deserved this kind of honor. This is a fascinating story of self-deception and what happens when an individual is convinced of his invincibility. The short version is that Haman's moment of glory - the one for which he is most remembered - was his hanging from the gallows he had built for Mordecai! Not only was Haman destroyed, so were his ten sons and hundreds of enemies of the Jews. One man's sense of entitlement led not only to his own demise but to that of others.
Buying into the notion that self-serving actions don't hurt self and others is deliberate self-deception that leads to ruin. It's sin. It comes from the heart. Mark 7:20-23 provides a bleak picture of the heart of man, the desires that reside there that defile. Among the list are things like theft, covetousness, pride, deceit, and foolishness. Any one of these can lead people to convince themselves that they are justified in whatever they are doing because they "deserve it." The thought of the hurt to others and to self is buried deep and ignored. The results are destruction.
We can be seduced by the experiences in our lives to become one of the many who claim the "gift of entitlement," taking matters into our own hands, or we can turn our attention to God's word and what he promises. Matthew 10:30-33,39 and 16:24-27 promise that we are of great value and if we take up the cross of discipleship we may lose our lives for Christ's sake but we will also gain them and be rewarded by our Heavenly Father. Earlier in Matthew we're promised that our obedience in secret will be openly rewarded by God (6:1-8), and we're warned to "lay up treasures" in Heaven because "...where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (6:19-21).
We may be be tempted to get out ahead of God and take what we believe to be ours, but we need to wait! Self-promotion leads to self-destruction. We only hurt ourselves and others. God promises great things for us, not only in this life but in the one to come, if we will trust him (I John 3:1-2,22; 4:4; 5:14-15).
Lord, I'm impatient. I sometimes want what I want NOW and assume that I have a "right" to it! That's not your way, though. You have instructed us to put others before ourselves and to trust you to take care of all our needs. You know when we need promoting and when we need to stay where we are. You know when to reward us and how. I pray for a heart that is fully surrendered to you and strength to remain humble. Amen.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Parenting - Exposing the "I'm Only Hurting Myself" Myth
Every day I see the fall-out from parents who have somehow convinced themselves that the lies they are telling themselves about the way they are living life won't hurt anyone other than themselves. I know young people who don't believe they are worth anything because they've been abandoned by their parents. Some of them are raising themselves because their parents are self-absorbed and choosing to satisfy their own desires rather than be a parent. A few of them have no place to call home because their parents are nowhere to be found, and then there are the ones who have every material thing and "opportunity" they want because parents have chosen to "buy them off" to excuse their guilt. Whatever the case, the kids are broken and hurting, and mom and dad are responsible regardless of what they may tell themselves.
Before I get too self-righteous about what other parents do to their kids, I have to admit that I failed too. While I invested heavily in the well-being and spiritual development of my children as they were growing up and as they suffered through a divorce at ages nine and eleven, my daughters saw their mom choose to "do life my way" for a season. We don't have to talk about it for me to know they were hurt by my lapse in living true to how I raised them. The bottom line is this - none of us can lie and think we're only hurting ourselves. That's not how it works!
Genesis 37:17-36 is the story of Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers and their subsequent lie to cover up their evil. Before they ever "did the deed," they had hatred in their hearts for Joseph (Genesis 37:4). This grew in their hearts making the conspiracy against him an easy transition. The brothers settled for making money off the sale of Joseph to slave traders. Then they had to come up with a lie to tell their father Jacob, and in the moment, I'm sure they believed they would never be "found out."
That's how these things work. Something starts to grow in our hearts, takes root, and then when the opportunity presents itself, we take action thinking we won't hurt those we love the most. Sometimes we're foolish enough to think we won't even hurt ourselves (Isaiah 44:20). The Bible says our hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). We don't set out to intentionally hurt our children, ourselves, or others we love, but we do.
Rarely, when we're in the moment of conspiring to do wrong do we count the cost. We don't stop to consider what one lie will cost us and those we love. We do the wrong thing, and then try to find a way to cover it up. The truth always comes out, though, and sometimes it is revealed in ways we can't predict.
Joseph's brothers came face-to-face with the "big reveal" when they sought help in Egypt during a time of famine. They discovered their brother alive and well and in the position to be their deliverer or their executioner (Genesis 42). Eventually, the brothers had to tell their father Jacob that Joseph was alive and well and living in Egypt. Their evil was turned to good; God placed Joseph where he could help his family when they needed him most, and He brought Joseph back together with his father (Genesis 45:25-28; 46:29-30).
There are consequences, natural outcomes, of what we choose to do or not do, but thankfully, we have a Heavenly Father who loves us so much that He provides a way of salvation (Psalm 50:22-23). He calls us to repent, to turn from our wrongdoing (I John 1:9-10; Acts 3:19). The consequences of sin don't go away just because we repent, but He restores us to himself and sets us on the right path again and will lead us in making restitution.
We are responsible for dealing with the consequences and for making restitution to those we've hurt. Just as Joseph's brothers couldn't give back what they had taken away from Jacob and Joseph, we alone can't restore what we have taken from ourselves and from those we love, but God can! He will provide the healing, strength, and wisdom we need to do the right thing. He has a plan to make something whole and beautiful out of the brokenness (Psalm 147:3; II Corinthians 5:17-21).
Lord, I admit that I have failed you. I decided to take my own path and that hurt you, people I love, and myself. Thank you for forgiving me and restoring me to you. I know that you can take the messes we make and turn them into something beautiful, that you will heal the hurts and make all things new, and that you can use us to help others. You don't leave us alone to make restitution.
Heavenly Father, we pray that you will shine your light of truth into our lives, reveal any deception that may be there, and cause us to turn full-face into you. Give us the courage to face those we've hurt, to admit our wrongdoing, and seek their forgiveness. Direct us through your Holy Spirit.
Thank you, Lord, for your perfect healing.
Before I get too self-righteous about what other parents do to their kids, I have to admit that I failed too. While I invested heavily in the well-being and spiritual development of my children as they were growing up and as they suffered through a divorce at ages nine and eleven, my daughters saw their mom choose to "do life my way" for a season. We don't have to talk about it for me to know they were hurt by my lapse in living true to how I raised them. The bottom line is this - none of us can lie and think we're only hurting ourselves. That's not how it works!
Genesis 37:17-36 is the story of Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers and their subsequent lie to cover up their evil. Before they ever "did the deed," they had hatred in their hearts for Joseph (Genesis 37:4). This grew in their hearts making the conspiracy against him an easy transition. The brothers settled for making money off the sale of Joseph to slave traders. Then they had to come up with a lie to tell their father Jacob, and in the moment, I'm sure they believed they would never be "found out."
That's how these things work. Something starts to grow in our hearts, takes root, and then when the opportunity presents itself, we take action thinking we won't hurt those we love the most. Sometimes we're foolish enough to think we won't even hurt ourselves (Isaiah 44:20). The Bible says our hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). We don't set out to intentionally hurt our children, ourselves, or others we love, but we do.
Rarely, when we're in the moment of conspiring to do wrong do we count the cost. We don't stop to consider what one lie will cost us and those we love. We do the wrong thing, and then try to find a way to cover it up. The truth always comes out, though, and sometimes it is revealed in ways we can't predict.
Joseph's brothers came face-to-face with the "big reveal" when they sought help in Egypt during a time of famine. They discovered their brother alive and well and in the position to be their deliverer or their executioner (Genesis 42). Eventually, the brothers had to tell their father Jacob that Joseph was alive and well and living in Egypt. Their evil was turned to good; God placed Joseph where he could help his family when they needed him most, and He brought Joseph back together with his father (Genesis 45:25-28; 46:29-30).
There are consequences, natural outcomes, of what we choose to do or not do, but thankfully, we have a Heavenly Father who loves us so much that He provides a way of salvation (Psalm 50:22-23). He calls us to repent, to turn from our wrongdoing (I John 1:9-10; Acts 3:19). The consequences of sin don't go away just because we repent, but He restores us to himself and sets us on the right path again and will lead us in making restitution.
We are responsible for dealing with the consequences and for making restitution to those we've hurt. Just as Joseph's brothers couldn't give back what they had taken away from Jacob and Joseph, we alone can't restore what we have taken from ourselves and from those we love, but God can! He will provide the healing, strength, and wisdom we need to do the right thing. He has a plan to make something whole and beautiful out of the brokenness (Psalm 147:3; II Corinthians 5:17-21).
Lord, I admit that I have failed you. I decided to take my own path and that hurt you, people I love, and myself. Thank you for forgiving me and restoring me to you. I know that you can take the messes we make and turn them into something beautiful, that you will heal the hurts and make all things new, and that you can use us to help others. You don't leave us alone to make restitution.
Heavenly Father, we pray that you will shine your light of truth into our lives, reveal any deception that may be there, and cause us to turn full-face into you. Give us the courage to face those we've hurt, to admit our wrongdoing, and seek their forgiveness. Direct us through your Holy Spirit.
Thank you, Lord, for your perfect healing.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Parenting - Seeking God's Presence: It's a Process - Part II
I am a firm believer in the adage that a person can never get something for nothing! Anything worth having is going to cost. An investment has to be made. The same is true if we genuinely seek to know God's presence and his blessing in our lives. We have to be willing to make the investment, to do what God requires.
When David sought to return the ark of God to the nation of Israel, he tried to do so without the proper preparation; the result was one man dead and David leaving the ark behind. The ark remained with Obed-edom for three months, and while it was there, the family knew God's blessings (I Chronicles 13:9-14). David returned to Jerusalem to make proper preparations to bring it "home."
If we want to know God's presence in our lives, we must first repent of our sins and know salvation (John 3:16; Romans 3:23). Like David, we must remember we serve a holy God and must come before him clean if we expect to know his presence and his blessings. James 4:8 admonishes us to draw close to God because that's when he comes close to us. James tells us to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. Psalm 50:23 proclaims, "Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.” Peter tells us that we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and that we are called to praise him who has called us out of darkness (I Peter 2:9). We are told throughout the Bible to enter into his presence with praise and thanksgiving, calling into remembrance the greatness of God (Psalms 100:4; Psalm 63; Psalm 89:1; Psalm 92:1; Ephesians 5:18b-21).
If we truly do want to know God's presence and blessings in our lives, we will make the investment. We will "get clean," and we will enter into his presence with the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for who he is and all he has done. Then, we will know how truly awesome our God is!
When David sought to return the ark of God to the nation of Israel, he tried to do so without the proper preparation; the result was one man dead and David leaving the ark behind. The ark remained with Obed-edom for three months, and while it was there, the family knew God's blessings (I Chronicles 13:9-14). David returned to Jerusalem to make proper preparations to bring it "home."
As David prepared the people for the return of the ark, the priests sanctified themselves (I Chronicles 15:12). They brought together the skilled musicians and singers to lead worship for the procession bringing the ark back to Jerusalem (I Chronicles 15:16, 25-28). It was a joyful, loud, exuberant procession of praise and worship. David made sacrificial offerings and blessed the people in the name of the Lord (I Chronicles 16:1-3). Then the priests, before the ark, recalled God's greatness and gave thanks and praise to him in a Psalm of Thanksgiving (I Chronicles 16:4-36).
The ark represents God's holiness, and he expected his people to approach it with "clean hands," and while we no longer practice the rituals of the Law, God does expect us to come before him with a pure heart (Psalm 24:3-5), with reverence, and with praise and thanksgiving for who he is. Just as David and the children of Israel went through cleansing and preparation to enter God's presence, so must we.
If we want to know God's presence in our lives, we must first repent of our sins and know salvation (John 3:16; Romans 3:23). Like David, we must remember we serve a holy God and must come before him clean if we expect to know his presence and his blessings. James 4:8 admonishes us to draw close to God because that's when he comes close to us. James tells us to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. Psalm 50:23 proclaims, "Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.” Peter tells us that we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and that we are called to praise him who has called us out of darkness (I Peter 2:9). We are told throughout the Bible to enter into his presence with praise and thanksgiving, calling into remembrance the greatness of God (Psalms 100:4; Psalm 63; Psalm 89:1; Psalm 92:1; Ephesians 5:18b-21).
If we truly do want to know God's presence and blessings in our lives, we will make the investment. We will "get clean," and we will enter into his presence with the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for who he is and all he has done. Then, we will know how truly awesome our God is!
Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?Heavenly Father, you are worthy of all praise and worship. You are awesome. Lord, we crave your presence. Send your Holy Spirit to show us those places in our lives that need "cleaning up" and to bring to our remembrance your greatness. Help us to have a spirit of praise and adoration for who you are and to give you the worship you so deserve. In your name we pray, Amen.
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. (Psalm 24:3-5)
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