Thursday, September 22, 2011

Don't be troubled

"Don't be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know where I am going and how to get there." John 14:1-4.

"Don't be troubled." A command. Don't do it. Even when you feel like being troubled. Even when everything around you is crumbling down. Even when evidence tells you to panic. Even when having faith is the most difficult thing, don't be troubled.

"Don't be troubled." An encouragement. Yeah, it's tough and difficult and devastating and pain-filled, but don't be troubled. You have the faith in God to make it through. You have the resources of my Word and prayer and community. You can do this, too.

"Don't be troubled." An acknowledgement. I understand your wanting to panic, to scream, to cry. I see your pain, I feel your fear, I know your weakness, but don't be troubled. I'm here. I've been right where you are and not only can I identify and acknowledge, I have insight. It won't always be like this.

Don't be troubled. Don't be troubled. Don't be troubled. Don't be troubled.

Ask.
Ask.
Ask.




Thursday, September 15, 2011

2 acts

An act of condemnation:
a simple story weaves through, like a ribbon of water cutting through the landscape. the players are few: a man, a woman, and God. The man and woman, roles defined, enjoyed beauty and abundance, love and purpose. And then temptation too strong to resist enters the picture; a snake offers the one fruit forbidden. The man and woman eat. shame begins.

what did that shame feel like? Was it deep and burning; embarrassing and uncomfortable. Indeed, it must have been because the whole human demeanor changed. They covered themselves to mask their shame. They ran away, they hid.

Did Adam realize the weight of that act of betrayal? That act of disobedience? Do any of us really comprehend the potential and the poisonous around us? And yet, this one act changed eternity.

An act of righteousness
another simple story, another act. One man, alone, this time, but no mere man-the God man who came. Jesus. And through his act of righteousness, he made all people right in God's sight, giving them life. No shame. No hiding.

Why do we act as though we are still condemned? Why do we hid? Why are we ashamed?

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

more questions than answers

"Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are food for us-they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation." Romans 5:1-4.

How does this translate? What does this mean? take verse one: we have peace-this peace- does it apply to that moment of salvation, to that ideal of redemption with Christ. Will that peace carry me through the agonizing and gut-wrenching decision making of the mundane? Is it accurate to say, "yeah, I have peace in God through the Lord Jesus Christ, but the everyday agony-that's not peace filled. I'll celebrate that once-peace-at-conversion-moment and I'll long for that eternity-bliss-filled-peace, but here, now, I hold on to the thought of peace?"

And how does confidant, joy-filled-forward-looking-contrast to the struggle and reality of all the assaults. Is it an act? A role I play-just pretending it's splendid and magnificent when at it's core; it's fallen and wild and difficult and uncontrollable.

And endurance, this endurance, this posture of joy, this choice of peace, it's an expectation I must own even with the greatest difficulty? Isn't this too much? To not only account for challenge, but to acknowledge a manufactured joy through it? How do you live like that......faith bringing joy? This laughs in the face of the state of the world around me.

faith, being sure of what I hope for,
faith being certain of what I do not see
and this-what I hope for, and what I do not see-conjures up a facade/reality of peace?

how do I live like that?