God's kind and compassionate heart

I grew up with a harsh view of God. Perhaps it was my own lack of understanding - I am not blaming anyone for that perception. But, I was afraid of him and I was sure that I could never measure up and that his view of me was always negative and judgmental. I felt that I always needed to prove myself somehow but knew that I always came up short. I doubted His heart for me and I could not have been more wrong. In fact, His heart is always leaning into us with love, concern and compassion.

Hebrews 4:14-16, says this. “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of Grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

As a human, Jesus faced all the issues we face. He understands our situations and temptations. He knows what it is to live with doubt and despair or joy and success. He had the same relational issues with others that we have. Some embraced him while others vilified him. In becoming a man in the incarnation, he intentionally chose to step into our broken humanity with all the limitations and issues we face. 

But here is an amazing thing. When Jesus went back to heaven, he took with him his body. Now glorified, but the God who created us, became one of us, and died for us will forever keep his  human form because He chooses to identify with us. 

And here is what the writer of Hebrews wants us to know. The same Jesus we read about in the Gospels is as accessible to us today from heaven as he was in the incarnation. His compassion, concern, understanding, mercy, grace, help, forgiveness, acceptance and love are the same today from heaven as they were from Galilee. His heart was for people then and His heart is for you today. He is for us, not against us. He understands us fully. He is available to us constantly.

 

Therefore, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” What do you need today? He is inviting you into his presence. Where are you broken today? He invites you to come to Him for healing. What sin do you struggle with today? He invites you to confess it and find forgiveness. What fears or concerns do you carry in your heart today? He invites you to lay them at His feet. When we come to Jesus, there is no shame but understanding and forgiveness and help.

Don’t buy into lies about God. He is for you not against you. He is available, not distant. He is loving, not harsh. He gets you and he gets me. He understands our weaknesses and empathizes with us. He cares deeply for you. Today! Right now!

My own journey brought me back again and again to the gospels and to those passages where His heart for us is disclosed. Pay attention to them. Live in the grace found there and know that He is for you.

Don't Quit

The Christian life is, as Eugene Peterson so eloquently put it, “A long obedience in the same direction.” It is a marathon, not a sprint and the finish line is that day when we meet Jesus face to face.

But, there are times of fatigue. Times when we just want to take a break, withdraw into ourselves and put aside our long obedience for a while. After all, it takes energy and discipline to keep going in a marathon and in this quest to follow Jesus. All of us have the temptation to slow down in our followership, take a break from the race and focus on what we want rather than on what God wants. Besides, people let us down, even fellow believers. It is easy to become discouraged and tired.

I think this is a special temptation as we age, thinking, we have done our time, done our ministry and now we can relax. Actually it is in these years when we have the most to offer given our experiences and history. It is not the time to slow down in doing good. It is the time to continue our long obedience in the same direction.

This is why Paul writes to the Galatian church with these words during those times when we are tempted to slow down in our long obedience. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:9-10).

I find Paul’s words helpful here. He wants us to continue to do good and not give up in doing good for all people but especially those who are believers - our spiritual brothers and sisters. One of the things that Christians should be known for is Tov - the Hebrew word for goodness. Unfortunately that is not always the case. In fact, the amount of vitriol and unkindness among believers can be very discouraging. Just read social media.

But you and I should be known by our goodness and kindness toward others. Acts of kindness toward one another is a character trait of God whose kindness toward us is never ending. When we engage in acts of goodness toward others we follow the example of Jesus who never tires of blessing us in too many ways to count.

This week, think about how you can practice Tov or goodness toward those around you. In fact, pray daily that God would give you at least one opportunity to do good to others in practical and tangible ways. Paul says that if we do, “at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we don’t give up.

Don’t quit. Keep going and you will be blessed as you bless others.

Jesus never tires of blessing us. His faithfulness to us ought to spur our faithfulness to others. Be a source of goodness to someone in your world this week. Encourage them as He encourages you.

The Paths of our Lives

All of us are on a path in life. This is certainly the case in our walk with God. That walk starts with some small step toward Him which leads us to take additional steps toward Him. Each step we take gives us the courage and strength and faith to take another further step in our followership of Him.

Growth in our followership of Jesus does not all happen at once. In fact, there is a profound verse in Proverbs that describes this process. The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day (Proverbs 4:16).

I love the first gleam of dawn. You know that a new day is arriving. In the darkness there is a glimmer of light after the darkness of night. Think about the first time you chose to move closer to God. What was the first step you took? What was it that prompted you to take that first step? How did it feel to let go of your own life and choose His life over yours? What stirred in your heart as you took what was a real step of faith. What was it like to take that first step toward him? Why did you choose to do so?

In taking that step of faith you started down a path of followership, but where we started is not where God wants us to end. He wants us to walk down a path that shines every brighter till the full light of day. That is a beautiful description of growth in our spiritual lives. It starts small, like the first glimmer of dawn and keeps getting brighter till it is like the full light of day. That is God’s vision for our lives. It is not static but growing and expanding and getting ever larger.

What is the key to moving from that first glimmer to the full light of day spiritually? Simply put, it is that we follow Him more closely each day. That we delight in His presence more regularly, take greater risks of faith and obedience and are even willing to change our lives to bring them into conformity with His. Each new step takes us from the first light of dawn to a place of greater light.

None of this happens overnight. And that is the point of the writer of this Proverb. In fact there is something deeply beautiful about that first step of faith and obedience we take toward Jesus, no matter how small. It is like the first glimmer of light in the morning that promises a new day. That first step, no matter how small, is something to celebrate.

But even more beautiful is each step we take after that first step because our lives move from a glimmer of God to the full light of God as we choose a long obedience in the same direction. Those who keep pressing forward and go deeper in their love and followership of Jesus shine like the full brightness of the day.

That is what I want and I suspect that is what you want. Let's go from the glimmer to the full light - a little more each day as we press forward in loving Jesus and allowing Him to transform our lives. It is a beautiful path. Not always easy but beautiful.

Father: Thank you for this beautiful picture of my own life. Help me to follow you closer each day so that I move from that first step of followership to a deeper and deeper followership. From the first glimmer of a new day to the full light of day. Amen

A word that has always bothered me

It has always made me wonder when I read a certain word in the New Testament. About God, I understand the meaning of the word. About you and me, especially me, I don’t. That word is “saint.” 

In Philippians, 1:1, Paul opens his letter to the church at Philippi with the words, “To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi.” In his letter to the Colossians, he says, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints.” In Ephesians 1:1, he writes, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.”

The very thought that I am a saint makes me feel uncomfortable because I know me. I know the broken, messed up version of myself, some of which others see and some that I alone see. In either case, I don’t deserve the title “saint,” but there it is in plain sight as Paul writes to the churches. He calls God’s people saints. 

The word “saint” is hagios in Greek and it means “different, otherness or holy.” It also means “set apart”. God is hagios, something we understand, but us? Here is the reason that Paul refers to us as saints. Listen to his words in 1 Corinthians 2. “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ - their Lord and ours.”

There are two things that stand out here. First, when we come to salvation in Christ and make Him Lord of our lives, he sanctifies us. He cleanses us, wiping away our sins of the past and making us new creatures. And then, He calls us to be holy, to be set apart, to be like Him in our character and our life. So there is the reality of His divine work in our life and then there is the call, on the basis of that gift of cleansing and renewal, to become like Him.  Remember that hagios means otherness. We are different because of His work in our hearts and we in turn are called to live differently. In the words of Paul, we are “called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We are not sinless but we are called to sin less. We are called to become more and more like the Lord Jesus who saved us. Through the help of the Holy Spirit this is possible because that Holy Spirit is God who dwells in us. Therefore Paul says in Ephesians 4:1, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” Wow. He says later in Ephesians 5:1-2, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

In those words we see the key to living like a saint. It’s very simple. We imitate God. We live a life of love toward Him and others just as He did toward us. We bring our attitudes, words, thoughts and actions into alignment with His. We are saints by definition. And we are called to live as saints by imitating him.

“Father. Thank you for the work you have done in my heart and life. You have made me a saint, one set apart for yourself. Today, help me to imitate you so that I also live like a saint. Amen”

For all who are disillusioned with the church today

 

There is always a good reason to be disillusioned with the church. Congregations can be judgmental, uninviting, selfish, inward-looking, self-righteous, and the most unsafe places to be transparent with one’s own struggles. In many congregations, you are not welcome until you meet the standards they have set up for themselves, which is antithetical to Jesus, who welcomed anyone and everyone into His presence no matter how broken they were. In fact, the gospels say that He was a friend of sinners, something not many congregations can say today. 

Let's be clear that this is not a new problem but one that has confronted the church from the very beginning of its existence. Churches are made up of “saints” who are deeply flawed, sinful, and at various levels of spiritual maturity. The journey from brokenness to spiritual maturity is often messy. I have no further to look than that of my own life, and I am sure that is true for you if you are honest. In fact, many of the letters that Paul wrote to churches, whether in Rome, Corinth, or Galatia, were letters to rebuke or rectify dishealth in those churches. 

The Galatians had allowed legalism to crowd out grace in their teaching and practice. In Corinth, there were power players who wanted people to follow them even as they overlooked egregious sin in their ranks. They were also darn proud of themselves as an educated, cosmopolitan church. In Rome, there were racial tensions between Jews and Gentiles. Such racial tensions have been true from that day to this.

None of these examples nullify the church or the need for a community of believers to grow in grace together. We grow in a community, and it is always a flawed community because we are there. But together, we learn and grow and are challenged by the believers around us to either go to the next level or, in some cases, resist attitudes and actions that don’t please Jesus. Everyone has a right to be disappointed with a church because all of us are in the messiness of moving from the sinful place of our past to greater maturity in Christ.

And here is something to consider. There is no more powerful example than when people see us move to places that are healthy. When we extend forgiveness to those who have hurt us. When we trust God, when the chips are against us. When we choose the hard but obedient road over the easy and expedient road. When we choose to be friends of sinners rather than stay in the comfort of the believing community. Whenever we choose to follow Jesus personally, we challenge those around us to do the same. And that is how the body as a whole matures and becomes like Jesus. Each of us plays a part in that.

There is a short book in the New Testament called Ephesians. It is only six chapters long and is the book where the church is called the Bride of Christ. Take a few minutes this week to read those six chapters, and you will see what God’s vision for the church is. Then, ask yourself how you can live out that vision. You will never be the same, and your church will not remain the same.

If you are a church leader, study Ephesians and read A Church called Tov. While all of us are responsible for healthy churches, no one is more responsible than church leaders. You shepherd under the leadership of the Good Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd, and unless our leadership and congregational culture reflect that of the Chief Shepherd, we are abdicating our leadership.

While there are many reasons to be disillusioned with the church, we should not be contributors to those disillusions. What is amazing is that Jesus Himself does not give up on His church. It is His bride, and He continues to work in our lives and the world through His church - and will till He returns. We may abandon the church, but He never will.

Where Jesus tells us about His own heart for us

 

I meet many people today who have burdened hearts. In fact, I am often one of them. The cares and corners we carry around, the failures that lurk in our backgrounds, the regrets we have or the present challenges we face all conspire to burden our hearts and weigh us down. Even as you hear this, I am sure your own struggles and burdens come to your mind.

There are 89 chapters in the four gospels but only one place where Jesus explicitly tells us about His own heart. And what He says about His own heart has a direct connection to our own burdened hearts. His explanation of His heart is found in Matthew 11:29-30.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Did you see what Jesus says about His heart? “I am gentle and humble in heart.”  These are two characteristics of Christ’s heart that we don’t often think about. The word gentle describes a savior who is kind, compassionate, understanding and gentle in his dealings with us. He will never hurt us or treat us badly. He is a God of mercy and grace for all who approach Him.

The word humble or lowly means that He is always accessible to us. Think of the adjectives that describe God like holiness and righteousness and there are many more. Here is the God of the universe saying to us, You can approach me at any time with any issue because my heart is a heart of humility. Gentleness is who God is. Humble is who God is. It is what makes it so inviting to come to him with our burdened hearts.

And what does He do for our hearts? He gives us rest as we allow Him to carry the burdens that we cannot carry. He invites us into a life of obedience so that we literally find rest for our souls. And because of his gentleness and humility, His yoke is easy and His burden is light. In fact, He loves to reach out and embrace, to heal and lift up the most broken people, the most broken life and come alongside those who carry around loads of pain. His gentleness and humility brings healing and rest for our souls.

Where do you need rest for your soul today? Would you simply come into the presence of the most loving and gentle God and ask Him to give you rest? He will. It is His promise and it is His desire to heal your wounds, carry your burdens, lighten your heart and give your soul rest. 

Staff development: Build a system and culture where success is inevitable rather than merely possible

 

We often say that our organization is only as good as our staff. It is a value that most leaders would embrace but one that many ministry leaders often ignore. Developing staff requires that resources, people, and energy be devoted to that development, and many organizations are too busy or have too many other priorities to see it happen.

The cost of a lack of development is that we eventually lose our best staff, pay a price for a lack of engagement, and leave a ton of talent on the table. My organization wants to surround people with so much development and support that their success is inevitable. In other words, the very culture creates an environment where success is inevitable rather than merely possible. 

Five areas of development are essential for every staff member. Five areas of health: Physical, emotional, spiritual, relational, and skill. Each of these domains has implications for how successful one will be in the work they are called to. Deficits in each of these five areas can keep otherwise brilliant individuals from success and, indeed, set them up for failure.

In addition to these five personal areas, three leadership areas require attention. Self-leadership - how individuals give leadership to their own lives; Team leadership - how those who lead others lead healthy teams, and Organizational leadership how higher-level leaders lead from a perspective of the whole rather than their particular area. All three are vitally important to a healthy organization, but they don't take place by themselves. In fact, if one desires an aligned culture, having standard practices and training in all three areas is critical.

There are five realities to keep in mind in any development process.

First, someone has to own and give direction to staff development. Creating a culture where success is inevitable rather than merely possible means we have a comprehensive plan, a delivery system, and buy-in at the highest levels. This means that a senior member of the organization gives leadership since they have the authority and influence to ensure a plan, along with buy-in and cooperation from all supervisors. In some organizations, this is called the Chief Culture Officer.

Second, this is an art as much as a science. People learn differently, have different areas of strength and weakness, are all wired differently, and come to the workplace with various areas of experience and personal baggage. 

Thus, while there ought to be a common framework around critical areas of testing, learning, and growth, it is also an individual process that requires unique conversation, dialogue, and coaching. That means that not only must there be a plan at the macro level, but there needs to be personal coaching with individual staff members on an ongoing basis. 

Unless the plan includes both standard pieces that all participate in and individualized dialogue and attention, you are unlikely to see the results you desire. 

Third, accountability for personal development needs to be part of the picture. A culture where success is inevitable rather than merely possible means that development is not optional but the responsibility of all staff. Like any other job responsibility, staff members need to have their own plan and be accountable for that plan. In other words, this is not optional, but development is raised to the highest level in any list of job responsibilities - for all staff. 

The development issues should be wrapped into that process for the growing number of organizations that use scorecards and 90-day win cycles. 

Build a system and culture where success is inevitable rather than merely possible with an ongoing paradigm for staff development and growth. You will never regret it.

The Unmasking of Evangelicalism by Scott McKnight

 

The Unmasking of Evangelicalism

Scott McKnight

You may or may not agree but this is a cogent article on the state of evangelicalism as the SBC meets this week in Nashville and conducts its business for all the world to see.