For the last couple of months at Highview, I have been teaching through the book of 1 Peter with three other guys. 1 Peter is a really great book, full of fantastic lessons and many challenging passages. One of the themes that Peter continues to return to in the book is the importance of having our minds oriented rightly. In chapter 1 he tells believers to "gird up the loins of your mind", and then again in chapter 4 there is the instruction to "arm yourselves also with the same mind" (speaking of Christ). All of this instruction is given in the context of the message of the book itself, which is to prepare believers for how to deal with persecution. Today we dealt with 1 Peter 4:12-19, which again contains instruction with regards to how we are to think. We are told to "not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you". The question today's teacher posed to us at the beginning with regards to thinking about this was simple, but profound:
What do we expect out of life?
Simple, and obviously can be answered in a variety of ways, with things like happiness, family, a home, lasting relationships with friends--none of these are bad answers, per se. I believe however the real question should be:
What should we expect out of life?
I believe, in particular for the believer, the answers to that question should be quite different. The passage that prompted my thinking in 1 Peter is actually telling believers that they should not think it strange when they are tried; they should expect that as part of being followers of Christ. What else should we expect? If we are truly followers of Christ, there are some interesting answers to that question. If we are followers of Christ, we bear His name, we are indwelt of His Spirit. This world hated and still hates Him--not because of any specific thing He has done, I would contend, but simply because of who He is. He is holy; this world is sinful. We should expect the same treatment, to the degree that we are faithfully living for Him. I do not mean that we are to go out and look for suffering, or that if we are not being constantly harassed for the sake of Christ then there is something wrong with us, but certainly I believe there is a disconnect between what we do expect from life (happiness, peace, etc.), and what we should expect, given whose we say that we are.
The other aspect of what I believe we should expect is related to the post I put up entitled "The Intolerable Compliment". We are loved by our Creator, more so than we can even understand. As I talk about at greater length in that entry, we are loved too much by Him for Him to simply leave us alone. God works on us, to conform us to the likeness of His Son for His glory. We should not expect the reshaping process to be without difficulty. Too often I find myself concerned with having a life that is comfortable at all times, in every area. I tend to lament difficulties, stress, conflict. Certainly when those things are the product of my own sinful behavior I should lament them--more than lament; I need to repent and seek the face of God. That said, when things are not all smooth sailing, when life is challenging me and not going as I expect it, do I perceive this as being the divine work of God, "...that the genuineness of my faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:7). I take this as a personal challenge: What should I expect this day?
Sunday, August 29, 2010
An Intolerable Compliment....
What follows below is a reflection of mine after reading The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis. There is a section in it in which he talks about the love of God being an "intolerable compliment", and that set me to thinking and reflecting. Thinking on this in light of some other events, subsequent Bible studies, etc., have given me reason to want to reflect more on the concept, and so to help in following those, I thought it would be helpful to post this out there. I wrote this in July 2009, I believe:
“The Intolerable Compliment” is probably one of the most unusual terms for something as profound as the Love of God. Certainly for C.S. Lewis to talk about it in this way is something to be pondered. Unusual as it is, I am finding that the more I meditate on God, my own humanity, and the revelation of Scripture with regards to the true nature of the Love of God, the more accurate and thought provoking I find this phrase.
Certainly the fact that God loves His created beings is a compliment of the highest order. Scripture is clear (particularly where human beings are concerned) that there is nothing at all lovable about fallen creation. We as human beings since the fall have only become more depraved, selfish, focused purely on our own most base instincts and desires. Deceived in the beginning, we still let it happen today, and in fact perpetuate lies and mistruth about our Creator. It is in spite of all the changing that we have done for the worse that the love of God has not changed in the least. Most profoundly He has demonstrated this in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. More than not deserving love, we have in fact made every effort to reject it, but our opinion on the matter does nothing to sway Sovereign God.
It is at that point that I begin to see what is so intolerable about this grand compliment. What makes it so intolerable is that on so many levels we really do not want God to love us (not in the perfect way that He alone is capable of anyway), in spite of the fact that ultimately we need this love. It is intolerable because the Love of God is perfect. It is an oft repeated phrase that “God loves us as we are, but too much to leave us this way”, and this is a good way to begin to think of just how incredible is this love of God. God Himself is omniscient, omnipotent, Holy--He knows everything, has power over everything and seeks what is best for His creation. The reality is that what is truly best for us is Him--a reconciled relationship in which we (who were created for His glory) can fulfill that purpose. So it is in our immature, selfish understanding of love we think that if God loves us He should give us what we want, when we want it, not ask questions--what that describes is not God, but rather some sort of cosmic doting wish-granter. It reveals the depth of our own ignorance that such a reality entices us at all, because right away it is obvious that me getting what I want may be exactly the opposite of what you want, and so now someone will be unhappy, and is back in the dilemma of thinking they are not really loved in the beginning.
The truth is quite the opposite. God loves us, and it really has nothing to do with us at all. We cannot impress to earn it, and even when we shake our fist and insist we do not want it this love does not go away. It protects us when we need protection, comforts us when we need encouragement, wounds us when we need to be hurt, all to the Glory of God. Before we encounter Christ, this love is the great romance of God seeking to woo His children. Once we are reconciled by the blood of Jesus, this love is preparing us, making us the perfect bride for the grand marriage banquet of eternity.
To be loved this way can be intolerable at times. I think of the story of Lazarus in John 11. Jesus knew Lazarus was sick, knew that he would die, still he tarried before going to see Mary and Martha. I hear the pain (but also the faith) in the words of both Mary and Martha as independently they said to Jesus, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died…” They knew he was the Son of God, even if at that point they did not fully understand what was encompassed by that statement. They were his friends, they loved Him--how could he have let Lazarus die? Indeed it would have been loving to heal Lazarus, but was it not a greater demonstration of love that He both affirmed their faith, and gave them even more in which to hope by bringing Lazarus back from the dead? Now they understand (intolerable as it was) that the one who loves them is willing to undo death itself to prove this love. In answer to the statement “If you had been here…” Jesus says “It is because I was there that your brother died”.
I struggle to handle such a love, because in truth there are times that I just want to be left alone. Is it not enough for God that He has saved me, justified me for eternity? It is not, and praise be to God. His love insists on sanctifying me, that ultimately when I am glorified it will be so much the better, for me, but really for Him. Because it will bring Him much glory, it will more greatly satisfy me, since that is the purpose for which I was created. So it is that regardless of what I am enduring, how I wish I could hide, how I have wept over pain in my life, it is because of the fact that God loves me that I am going through it, that I am able to go through it. He will accomplish what is best for me, even when I am too weak, too unlovable to handle it. That is a truly intolerable compliment.
“The Intolerable Compliment” is probably one of the most unusual terms for something as profound as the Love of God. Certainly for C.S. Lewis to talk about it in this way is something to be pondered. Unusual as it is, I am finding that the more I meditate on God, my own humanity, and the revelation of Scripture with regards to the true nature of the Love of God, the more accurate and thought provoking I find this phrase.
Certainly the fact that God loves His created beings is a compliment of the highest order. Scripture is clear (particularly where human beings are concerned) that there is nothing at all lovable about fallen creation. We as human beings since the fall have only become more depraved, selfish, focused purely on our own most base instincts and desires. Deceived in the beginning, we still let it happen today, and in fact perpetuate lies and mistruth about our Creator. It is in spite of all the changing that we have done for the worse that the love of God has not changed in the least. Most profoundly He has demonstrated this in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. More than not deserving love, we have in fact made every effort to reject it, but our opinion on the matter does nothing to sway Sovereign God.
It is at that point that I begin to see what is so intolerable about this grand compliment. What makes it so intolerable is that on so many levels we really do not want God to love us (not in the perfect way that He alone is capable of anyway), in spite of the fact that ultimately we need this love. It is intolerable because the Love of God is perfect. It is an oft repeated phrase that “God loves us as we are, but too much to leave us this way”, and this is a good way to begin to think of just how incredible is this love of God. God Himself is omniscient, omnipotent, Holy--He knows everything, has power over everything and seeks what is best for His creation. The reality is that what is truly best for us is Him--a reconciled relationship in which we (who were created for His glory) can fulfill that purpose. So it is in our immature, selfish understanding of love we think that if God loves us He should give us what we want, when we want it, not ask questions--what that describes is not God, but rather some sort of cosmic doting wish-granter. It reveals the depth of our own ignorance that such a reality entices us at all, because right away it is obvious that me getting what I want may be exactly the opposite of what you want, and so now someone will be unhappy, and is back in the dilemma of thinking they are not really loved in the beginning.
The truth is quite the opposite. God loves us, and it really has nothing to do with us at all. We cannot impress to earn it, and even when we shake our fist and insist we do not want it this love does not go away. It protects us when we need protection, comforts us when we need encouragement, wounds us when we need to be hurt, all to the Glory of God. Before we encounter Christ, this love is the great romance of God seeking to woo His children. Once we are reconciled by the blood of Jesus, this love is preparing us, making us the perfect bride for the grand marriage banquet of eternity.
To be loved this way can be intolerable at times. I think of the story of Lazarus in John 11. Jesus knew Lazarus was sick, knew that he would die, still he tarried before going to see Mary and Martha. I hear the pain (but also the faith) in the words of both Mary and Martha as independently they said to Jesus, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died…” They knew he was the Son of God, even if at that point they did not fully understand what was encompassed by that statement. They were his friends, they loved Him--how could he have let Lazarus die? Indeed it would have been loving to heal Lazarus, but was it not a greater demonstration of love that He both affirmed their faith, and gave them even more in which to hope by bringing Lazarus back from the dead? Now they understand (intolerable as it was) that the one who loves them is willing to undo death itself to prove this love. In answer to the statement “If you had been here…” Jesus says “It is because I was there that your brother died”.
I struggle to handle such a love, because in truth there are times that I just want to be left alone. Is it not enough for God that He has saved me, justified me for eternity? It is not, and praise be to God. His love insists on sanctifying me, that ultimately when I am glorified it will be so much the better, for me, but really for Him. Because it will bring Him much glory, it will more greatly satisfy me, since that is the purpose for which I was created. So it is that regardless of what I am enduring, how I wish I could hide, how I have wept over pain in my life, it is because of the fact that God loves me that I am going through it, that I am able to go through it. He will accomplish what is best for me, even when I am too weak, too unlovable to handle it. That is a truly intolerable compliment.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Musings on the Will of God
For the past couple of months my quiet time readings have been in the books of First and Second Samuel. While there are all kinds of great applications to be gleaned from those books, one that has stood out to me in particular has been the unique relationship of David to God with regards to his decision making and actions. Throughout both books, I was struck by the number of times that in the face of whatever challenge might present itself David would boldly ask God, "What should I do?" God in every case responded with an answer, and then David follows up with an equally bold question of, "How should I do it?" in many of those cases. That dynamic has really struck me; we tend to make things a lot more complicated for ourselves when it comes to the will of God for our lives.
We have a tendency to think of God's will for our lives as some kind of mysterious object, cleverly hidden by God somewhere in our lives, only to be discovered by us after much hand-wringing, many mistakes, and a generally ridiculous level of stress at times. I don't see any of that in David's life. I don't see any of that in the life of Christ. What I see in their lives (and others throughout the Bible), is sincere devotion and love for their Lord, and hearts humble to ask what He wants them to do with it.
The temptation in our lives, I believe, is to miss the forest for the trees so to speak. It is easy to become so singularly focused on what specific objective the Lord might have in mind for us that we miss out on all the other purposes He can and does accomplish along the way, each of which was no less divinely appointed. As I look back on my own life the past few years, I cannot say that the Lord specifically told me exactly where I would be right now, nor how I would get there. I can however see many small steps that He led me to take along the way, and now I can look up, look back, and get a small glimpse of just how sovereign my Lord really is.
He did not confuse me along the way, He did not trick me. He did not lead me with mysterious inexplicable feelings that I just couldn't shake. Above all, He did not hide from me. He did reveal His character to me through His Word and prayer, so that I could see how He wanted me to live in the midst of my circumstances. He did provide me wise counsel through fellow believers. He did direct the events of my life in ways I could not control, making it clear that His was the hand on it. While there is certainly an element of mystery to those things as I realize I cannot "explain" them in one sense of the word, it is the kind of mystery that inspires worship, not fear of the unknown.
I will not say I have it figured out when it comes to discerning God's will for my life. I will say I have figured out it's not something He wants me to worry about. I am to love Him, to learn from His Word, to listen to the promptings of His Holy Spirit. I have the freedom to ask Him what He wants me to do, and thanks to His Son, there is a relationship there in which He hears and answers. That is not to say there are not some questions of life that seem a little bigger than others, ones in which I would perhaps like the Lord to "speak up". What is comforting (but I tend to forget) is that He doesn't want me to miss Him, He doesn't want me to just blow it while He shakes His head over my inability to find the mysterious will He has so cleverly hidden. What is comforting is that He is in total control, seeing how a particular event in my particular life fits into the grand scheme of eternity. I will get exactly where He wants me to go; there is no mystery to that.
We have a tendency to think of God's will for our lives as some kind of mysterious object, cleverly hidden by God somewhere in our lives, only to be discovered by us after much hand-wringing, many mistakes, and a generally ridiculous level of stress at times. I don't see any of that in David's life. I don't see any of that in the life of Christ. What I see in their lives (and others throughout the Bible), is sincere devotion and love for their Lord, and hearts humble to ask what He wants them to do with it.
The temptation in our lives, I believe, is to miss the forest for the trees so to speak. It is easy to become so singularly focused on what specific objective the Lord might have in mind for us that we miss out on all the other purposes He can and does accomplish along the way, each of which was no less divinely appointed. As I look back on my own life the past few years, I cannot say that the Lord specifically told me exactly where I would be right now, nor how I would get there. I can however see many small steps that He led me to take along the way, and now I can look up, look back, and get a small glimpse of just how sovereign my Lord really is.
He did not confuse me along the way, He did not trick me. He did not lead me with mysterious inexplicable feelings that I just couldn't shake. Above all, He did not hide from me. He did reveal His character to me through His Word and prayer, so that I could see how He wanted me to live in the midst of my circumstances. He did provide me wise counsel through fellow believers. He did direct the events of my life in ways I could not control, making it clear that His was the hand on it. While there is certainly an element of mystery to those things as I realize I cannot "explain" them in one sense of the word, it is the kind of mystery that inspires worship, not fear of the unknown.
I will not say I have it figured out when it comes to discerning God's will for my life. I will say I have figured out it's not something He wants me to worry about. I am to love Him, to learn from His Word, to listen to the promptings of His Holy Spirit. I have the freedom to ask Him what He wants me to do, and thanks to His Son, there is a relationship there in which He hears and answers. That is not to say there are not some questions of life that seem a little bigger than others, ones in which I would perhaps like the Lord to "speak up". What is comforting (but I tend to forget) is that He doesn't want me to miss Him, He doesn't want me to just blow it while He shakes His head over my inability to find the mysterious will He has so cleverly hidden. What is comforting is that He is in total control, seeing how a particular event in my particular life fits into the grand scheme of eternity. I will get exactly where He wants me to go; there is no mystery to that.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Where to begin....
I have often thought about starting a blog, but was never quite sure what I would say, how regularly I would keep it up, and quite frankly whether or not I would have the time for one. Well, as I enter this I'm still not sure what to say, I doubt it will be kept up with any sort of regularity, and I most definitely do not have the time for one of these. Oh well--at the end of the day (this day in particular) it was my buddy Birch that sort of gave me the final convincing necessary, and so in my mind it is fitting that this first entry be somewhat dedicated to him, and just a few of the things he has taught me over the years.
There is a phrase a pastor of mine once used quite frequently when talking about people of important influence in his life, or in the lives of others. He would say of those people that they "spoke life into him", and that it was important to find those people that "speak life into you". It was a sort of loose reference to the creation process by which mankind was made, the Breath of God animating Adam. In hearing that phrase in the past I always thought it sounded profound, but it had no real impact on me, nor could I really say that I truly understood its meaning. For my part, I thought it would be nice to be such a person, but again, I did not really grasp at its meaning.
Thanks to Birch, I am beginning to understand what it means to speak life into another person. Over the course of my blogging experience, I believe there will begin to be a picture painted of some of the life experiences through which Birch has walked alongside me. Some of them I believe are among the most painful experiences a human being can go through, some of them are among the most wonderful. Many of them are mundane and probably already long forgotten in my own mind. As I try to explain this image of speaking life, I will use an analogy the Lord has been working with me on over the last few days in particular, which is one of life as a series of mountains that we climb. For years now on my journey through them I have had the Lord as my Guide, and Birch as my "sherpa" for lack of a better term. He has carried my baggage for me when it has been too heavy for me, helped me to carry it when it needed to be done by me, all the while making sure that I stayed close to our Guide. He has stopped along the way with me to admire the view, to remind me for Whom it is we are all climbing, and at this particular point, as I am looking back and beginning to grasp just what it is the Lord has really brought me through, there is not a better person on this earth with whom I would have rather shared the experience.
The mountain we have just scaled has been the treacherous, painful one of my divorce. As I stand in Christ, having conquered this mountain by His strength, Birch shares in that victory. As I am beginning my ascent of the steep, scenic mountain that will be my time at seminary (I may revise those descriptive words based on how the climb goes!!), he is already on the trail with me, encouraging me before it even really begins, reminding me once more Who has prepared me, and for what. I do not know what mountains this life yet holds for us, but words escape me to express the gratitude I have for me Lord that He has given me such a climbing buddy as this. He speaks life into me, reminding me of the life abundant we share in Christ. My challenge, to myself, and any who read this: What kind of climbing buddy are you?
There is a phrase a pastor of mine once used quite frequently when talking about people of important influence in his life, or in the lives of others. He would say of those people that they "spoke life into him", and that it was important to find those people that "speak life into you". It was a sort of loose reference to the creation process by which mankind was made, the Breath of God animating Adam. In hearing that phrase in the past I always thought it sounded profound, but it had no real impact on me, nor could I really say that I truly understood its meaning. For my part, I thought it would be nice to be such a person, but again, I did not really grasp at its meaning.
Thanks to Birch, I am beginning to understand what it means to speak life into another person. Over the course of my blogging experience, I believe there will begin to be a picture painted of some of the life experiences through which Birch has walked alongside me. Some of them I believe are among the most painful experiences a human being can go through, some of them are among the most wonderful. Many of them are mundane and probably already long forgotten in my own mind. As I try to explain this image of speaking life, I will use an analogy the Lord has been working with me on over the last few days in particular, which is one of life as a series of mountains that we climb. For years now on my journey through them I have had the Lord as my Guide, and Birch as my "sherpa" for lack of a better term. He has carried my baggage for me when it has been too heavy for me, helped me to carry it when it needed to be done by me, all the while making sure that I stayed close to our Guide. He has stopped along the way with me to admire the view, to remind me for Whom it is we are all climbing, and at this particular point, as I am looking back and beginning to grasp just what it is the Lord has really brought me through, there is not a better person on this earth with whom I would have rather shared the experience.
The mountain we have just scaled has been the treacherous, painful one of my divorce. As I stand in Christ, having conquered this mountain by His strength, Birch shares in that victory. As I am beginning my ascent of the steep, scenic mountain that will be my time at seminary (I may revise those descriptive words based on how the climb goes!!), he is already on the trail with me, encouraging me before it even really begins, reminding me once more Who has prepared me, and for what. I do not know what mountains this life yet holds for us, but words escape me to express the gratitude I have for me Lord that He has given me such a climbing buddy as this. He speaks life into me, reminding me of the life abundant we share in Christ. My challenge, to myself, and any who read this: What kind of climbing buddy are you?
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