The past couple of weeks have brought some amazing opportunities for growth...God's timing never ceases to amaze me; He knows exactly what I need to hear, when I need to hear it. Although challenging, such messages are also answers to prayers and great encouragement to my heart in the midst of seemingly constant 'business'. Especially in times when I feel stuck in between what my heart desires to do and fulfilling commitments to routine tasks, these messages also provide me with a gut check of how I could and should be living and growing through each and every day.
Opportunity 1: Last weekend, I was blessed to join a group from church for dinner; this group included a sweet couple that spent numerous years on the mission field and hold such profound wisdom from life's experiences. I was humbled to sit around the table in a beautiful home of another couple who welcomed a few extra guests that evening, a few whom I highly respect and thank the Lord for placing in my life, as well as a couple of new folks whom I admire for their service within the church. I have been praying for God to open up opportunities to soak in wisdom from others who have served in ministry and missions; thus, an answered prayer and incredible blessing to share an evening with this group! Out of the entire evening, however, there was one statement, one question that penetrated to my core with conviction and has continued to resonate as I look at my daily life. This nugget of wisdom came from the sweet couple I first mentioned: "If you are not boldly sharing the Gospel and reaching the lost where God has you now, how do you expect Him to use you on the mission field 1,000+ miles away?" Let that sink in.
What excuses am I making? What limitations am I placing on myself from perceived barriers to share? How am I actively challenging myself to reach those in my sphere of influence here?
God's Word commands us to go locally and globally; He has each of us right where He desires us to make an impact for His Kingdom both now and wherever He leads us next!
Opportunity 2: Last night, I participated in Secret Church - an intensive Bible study to help bring awareness to those who go boldly in the midst of persecution around the world. Truly, we take so much for granted in America regarding the access to Christian resources and the freedom to meet with fellow followers of Christ. The focus of the evening was "The Cross and Everyday Life". Given my question from opportunity #1 and tug-of-war in the midst of the end of the semester business, this intense and focused time could not have come at a better time. David Platt, the pastor who leads this time of teaching, adequately describes the 6+ hours as trying to drink from a fire hydrant, advising to try to keep up and process later. To say the least, I have a good bit of processing left to do, but there was a key point from the first teaching segment that connected with this resonating question. And, really, I'm still trying to wrap my mind completely around this point.
His point (one of many...) was that so often when we think of the cross and our salvation, we focus on the concept of Christ dying for our sins...with emphasis on ourselves. But, the cross is not ultimately about me...it's all about the uniquely qualified and sinless sacrifice that was the full expression of God's character and value, the obedience of Christ to God to die a substitutionary death so that I/we can experience and access God for all eternity. Thus, I am the beneficiary of Christ's obedience to God; yes, He took my place and His blood covers my sin...but, He didn't do it for me, He did it in obedience so that His name could be glorified.
My finite mind cannot grasp on to the full magnitude of this foundational act of obedience. Yet, as I/we are called to be Christlike...does this not then imply such full and radical obedience to the commands He has given me/us through His Word? As this first teaching segment closed, we heard from those who serve in highly persecuted areas...where Christianity goes against the laws of the country. One thing the man said was that it is simple...we need to go back to THE Book...God's Word to instruct our daily living.
So, connecting these two questions/concepts...strategic and intentional impact for the Kingdom is a result of understanding a fraction of what the cross means to our daily lives reflecting Christlike obedience to the instructions given to me/us in His Word.
This is no light matter...it is one to be covered in prayer daily, to seek His Word with a hunger and desire to hide it in my/your heart, and to ask God to guide us step by step into radical obedience of His commands in the normal routines of everyday life.
(Thankfully, the remaining sessions focused in on the 'how'...so, much to process for application.)
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Rest...His Command
In our 24/7 on-the-go culture, rest seems to fall to the wayside far too often. There's always more to say 'yes' to, one more thing to do from the ongoing list, and opportunities to do errands practically at any hour of any day of the week. We try to function on the least amount of rest we need, simply to achieve more, be entertained more, etc. Though far from where I'm learning I would like to be, I've been working on getting better at including intentional rest and reflection into my schedule, and not being so concerned with everything that just "has to be done" on my to-do list. To say the least, it's a slow process. I still find myself working on homework or running errands when I know I should just rest. And, when rest is not prioritized, it inevitably makes itself present through a surprise nap or limited creative brain function. Rest is one of those things that we've read about so many times we can easily lose the context or importance of its meaning. Enter this past Sunday morning...a great discussion in our Young Professionals Sunday School class regarding rest. Want a convicting lesson? Simply take something like rest and bring the culturally acceptable behaviors into the light and scrutiny of the Biblical commands on the topic. Gut check and work to be done! Here are a couple of the take-aways for me:
1. A day of rest was exemplified by God. Did God need a day of rest? No...but, He knew we would need it, so He demonstrated what rest is to look like on a consistent basis. Even when we feel fine, we don't know what is to come that we may need some extra rest for...He knows.
2. Rest is not optional; it's a command. God would not command us to do something is there were not a purpose behind it.
And, the big one for me...
3. Rest is multifaceted. It's physical, mental, and spiritual! All facets of rest are designed by our Creator.
He designed us to need physical rest (aka sleep) for our bodies to function properly. I watched a TED talk a little while back about the purpose of sleep; it's pretty interesting...you should check it out here. The point Russell Foster is making, is that we need sleep on a neurological level to enable our brain's processing and memory consolidation...aka all of the connections our brain makes for future application.
So, if this is the purpose of physical rest...could this also have implications for God's command of a Sabbath rest?
Perhaps it is a stretch, but a stretch that makes a positive impact toward my thought process of rest...therefore it's an implication I'm willing to make. Think about it...if we truly honored the Sabbath rest, we give ourselves time to reflect upon what He has been teaching us in the past week and make those connections for how we can best apply that to our lives. Maybe He wouldn't have to teach us the same lesson multiple times if we protected time for such processing. :) Maybe we could be better servants to one another as "iron sharpening iron" with the insights gained through this protected time. So much potential by keeping this command...
So, what does this mean today? For me, it's translating to better preparation and time management throughout the week...intentionally planning tasks to be completed and protecting a solid block of time to honor the Sabbath. Realistically, the entire day is not going to be blocked off in the coming week...it will be a process of pulling back my random errands and work procrastinated to the last moment to honor the Sabbath with more time for worship, fellowship, and simply being in the Word and prayer more intentionally. So, my goal for this week is to complete homework by Saturday night.
How much more energized could I be throughout the week if I honor the Sabbath rest? How can applying these thoughts positively impact my discernment of time available for other commitments and prioritization of activities?
Bottom line, rest is not laziness or cause for guilt; it's a Biblical command to fuel a productive life for Christ.
OH...and, get this...the Greek word for the reference to the Sabbath rest in Hebrews 4:9 -Sabbatismos - means, "a keeping Sabbath, the blessed rest from toils and troubles looked for in the age to come by the true worshippers of God and true Christians". So, if we are not honoring the Sabbath, how are we different than the rest of the world?
1. A day of rest was exemplified by God. Did God need a day of rest? No...but, He knew we would need it, so He demonstrated what rest is to look like on a consistent basis. Even when we feel fine, we don't know what is to come that we may need some extra rest for...He knows.
2. Rest is not optional; it's a command. God would not command us to do something is there were not a purpose behind it.
And, the big one for me...
3. Rest is multifaceted. It's physical, mental, and spiritual! All facets of rest are designed by our Creator.
He designed us to need physical rest (aka sleep) for our bodies to function properly. I watched a TED talk a little while back about the purpose of sleep; it's pretty interesting...you should check it out here. The point Russell Foster is making, is that we need sleep on a neurological level to enable our brain's processing and memory consolidation...aka all of the connections our brain makes for future application.
So, if this is the purpose of physical rest...could this also have implications for God's command of a Sabbath rest?
Perhaps it is a stretch, but a stretch that makes a positive impact toward my thought process of rest...therefore it's an implication I'm willing to make. Think about it...if we truly honored the Sabbath rest, we give ourselves time to reflect upon what He has been teaching us in the past week and make those connections for how we can best apply that to our lives. Maybe He wouldn't have to teach us the same lesson multiple times if we protected time for such processing. :) Maybe we could be better servants to one another as "iron sharpening iron" with the insights gained through this protected time. So much potential by keeping this command...
So, what does this mean today? For me, it's translating to better preparation and time management throughout the week...intentionally planning tasks to be completed and protecting a solid block of time to honor the Sabbath. Realistically, the entire day is not going to be blocked off in the coming week...it will be a process of pulling back my random errands and work procrastinated to the last moment to honor the Sabbath with more time for worship, fellowship, and simply being in the Word and prayer more intentionally. So, my goal for this week is to complete homework by Saturday night.
How much more energized could I be throughout the week if I honor the Sabbath rest? How can applying these thoughts positively impact my discernment of time available for other commitments and prioritization of activities?
Bottom line, rest is not laziness or cause for guilt; it's a Biblical command to fuel a productive life for Christ.
OH...and, get this...the Greek word for the reference to the Sabbath rest in Hebrews 4:9 -Sabbatismos - means, "a keeping Sabbath, the blessed rest from toils and troubles looked for in the age to come by the true worshippers of God and true Christians". So, if we are not honoring the Sabbath, how are we different than the rest of the world?
The Sabbath (Exodus 31: 12-17)
12 Then the LORD said to Moses, 13 "Say to the Israelites, 'You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. 14 " 'Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people. 15 For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. 16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17 It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested.'"
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