"For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:3,4
So, if Christ is our life and we say our life sucks, what are we really saying? Christ sucks? Christ stinks (using a more sanitized word)? When we really believe that Christ is our life, our outlook will change. We will seek nourishment from the Christ-life in and around us. We'll be much more content and much more loathe to say our life sucks.
Mar 31, 2008
Mar 27, 2008
Christ is our life
"For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:3,4
Early Easter Sunday morning billows of disappointment swept over me. The disappointing waves were courtesies of a storm that brewed for days. I just had to be in church even if I'd be alone; my husband and daughter had miserable colds.
I stepped out of the house into a glassy blue sky, drenched by sunshine. Ah . . . . I inhaled the crisp air. Refreshing. All of a sudden, I forgot my disappointments. After a 10 minute sunshiny drive, I slid into the back pew of a beautiful church I'd never attended.
There I heard chapter three of the epistle to the Colossians. The words "Christ who is your life" overtook me. I sat understanding that I was trying to squeeze life out of situations, and when these situations didn't produce the life I wanted, disappointment followed.
Lately I've been disappointed a lot.
Yet when I heard these verses anew, I realized anew that if Christ is my life, it doesn't matter what situations I find myself in. He who is my life will give me life in the midst of disappointment if I would but look to him for life, not circumstances. This truth is an idea I've comprehended but needed to experience afresh.
Early Easter Sunday morning billows of disappointment swept over me. The disappointing waves were courtesies of a storm that brewed for days. I just had to be in church even if I'd be alone; my husband and daughter had miserable colds.
I stepped out of the house into a glassy blue sky, drenched by sunshine. Ah . . . . I inhaled the crisp air. Refreshing. All of a sudden, I forgot my disappointments. After a 10 minute sunshiny drive, I slid into the back pew of a beautiful church I'd never attended.
There I heard chapter three of the epistle to the Colossians. The words "Christ who is your life" overtook me. I sat understanding that I was trying to squeeze life out of situations, and when these situations didn't produce the life I wanted, disappointment followed.
Lately I've been disappointed a lot.
Yet when I heard these verses anew, I realized anew that if Christ is my life, it doesn't matter what situations I find myself in. He who is my life will give me life in the midst of disappointment if I would but look to him for life, not circumstances. This truth is an idea I've comprehended but needed to experience afresh.
Mar 18, 2008
Contentment
"But godliness with contentment is great gain." I Timothy 6:6
What is contentment? Are you content?
What is contentment? Are you content?
Mar 11, 2008
Faithful and True
"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. 'He will rule them with an iron scepter.' He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." Revelation 19:11-16
Is God faithful when he seems unfaithful to you -- that is, when you've loved him and obeyed him to your utmost yet your entire world still falls apart (like Job's did)? In that instance is he true, that is, is he who he claims to be in the Bible?
Most of us would quickly reply, "Why of course he is!" But when our world actually falls apart, when what we never dreamed would happen happens, do we treat God like he is faithful and true or does our faith fall apart with our world?
If you are committed to following Christ a time will come when he strips everything away, maybe all at once. At that moment will you say with Job, "though he slay me I will trust him" (because you know he is faithful and true even though your circumstances seemingly contradict what you believe about his faithfulness and goodness to you)?
It is difficult to honestly declare that God is faithful and true when our world falls apart. But God wants to bring us to the point where we know and feel he is faithful and true despite the onslaught of slaying circumstances. More than anything, God wants us to trust that he is who he says he is.
God tests our trust.
Is God faithful when he seems unfaithful to you -- that is, when you've loved him and obeyed him to your utmost yet your entire world still falls apart (like Job's did)? In that instance is he true, that is, is he who he claims to be in the Bible?
Most of us would quickly reply, "Why of course he is!" But when our world actually falls apart, when what we never dreamed would happen happens, do we treat God like he is faithful and true or does our faith fall apart with our world?
If you are committed to following Christ a time will come when he strips everything away, maybe all at once. At that moment will you say with Job, "though he slay me I will trust him" (because you know he is faithful and true even though your circumstances seemingly contradict what you believe about his faithfulness and goodness to you)?
It is difficult to honestly declare that God is faithful and true when our world falls apart. But God wants to bring us to the point where we know and feel he is faithful and true despite the onslaught of slaying circumstances. More than anything, God wants us to trust that he is who he says he is.
God tests our trust.
Feb 27, 2008
Isolation Sickness & Spiritual Health
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25
What happens when we are isolated from the body of Christ (even other denominations), or from people in general? Mal perceptions. In the absence of healthy others, ill-informed emotions and opinions emerge. We desinegrate into neurosis, perhaps without even knowing. It is impossible to be spiritually, emotionally, or physically healthy when we spend all of our days alone because there's no one to tell us we're wrong, in left-field, no one to encourage us when we need it most.
Life-giving nourishment comes from being immsersed in the body of Christ. Probably the only reason that we would withdraw from the body is if we're homebound for one reason or another. Otherwise, let us not merely attend church, but immerse ourselves in the body...let us spend out lives together. Our health depends on it.
Life-giving nourishment comes from being immsersed in the body of Christ. Probably the only reason that we would withdraw from the body is if we're homebound for one reason or another. Otherwise, let us not merely attend church, but immerse ourselves in the body...let us spend out lives together. Our health depends on it.
Feb 21, 2008
O death, where is your sting?
I've been stung by the death of one our closest friends. Carole died overnight in her sleep. I talked to her two weeks ago, telling her how much I loved her and her husband, Christy, and how thankful we were to spend part of our Christmas vacation with them. Carole said, "We love you too, come again anytime." We said our good-byes. Little did I know it was the last time I would say good-bye to her.
She and Christy were the most hospitable and generous people I have ever met. If they saw a need, they met it. We received two laptops from them, as working poor graduate students, we couldn't afford our own--we never asked for them. We didn't have internet, we used it at their house or at the church. Did we need a car? "Use the Bravada" even when we never asked. "Are you hungry? There's some food in the fridge or stay for dinner. We'll order pizza or get subs from Wegman's." "Do you need a place to host youth group events, come to our house." "Do you need to print things off or pictures? Use our paper free of charge." They had a community pool--parents and youth could come anytime. I never knew who I'd find in the pool during the summers when I stopped by. In the winter, all had access to the hotub. We spent countless hours at the Mathewsons talking about God, theology, the mundane, church, people, policies, computers, food, dancing with the stars--innumerable conversations. We did youth work there. We knew the dogs and they knew us. It was a home away from home. Being there I realized--this is how the church is supposed to be--comfy--in peace and sharing whatever we have with those who are in need, or just those who happen to show up on our doorstep that day. Encouraging one another.
If we had to tally line-by-line all the material things they gave us and pay them back, it would be in the thousands. Although we were extremely close, they showed love and generosity to hundreds, maybe thousands of people. They were parents to the badly parented. Friends to all. All sorts of students, people and acquaintances were free to roam in and out of their house any time-- day or night. You don't believe me? Well jazz musicians from Eastman School of Music could be found in their living room playing the piano and all sorts of instruments at 2a.m. and beyond. They were listening ears full of great advice and wisdom.
Why did Carole have to die so young? She was in her mid-fifties. There's plenty of more times that we and hundreds of others will need her and Christy. She was a smiling face, with a speaking voice of an angel--that greeted us when we stepped into the living room. She had her first two grandsons born this year and another on the way in a couple of weeks. Her grandkids won't know the love we experienced. It doesn't seem fair. I know her ways will live on through her children and Christy, but still.
God says to all of us, "Do not mourn like those who have no hope." We're not prevented from mourning, only from hopeless mourning. If there is no after-life, if this is all there is--how depressing. We really will never see those who died in Christ again.
But, Jesus says that he came to give us life...not only life in this life, but life after death (John 11:25). There is some comfort in that for those of us who are mourning. But none of us is ever ready for when death knocks on our or another's door.
I am almost 30. Not guaranteed another day of life. Perhaps half my life is gone already. There is so much to do! So much to be! So much love to give and receive! So much to experience. I know that I will never do and be and love and experience as much as I want to.
But it reminds me that life is precious. We can't waste it being depressed (I am not talking to those with chemical imbalances) or fighting. It is to short for that.
O Lord Jesus! Help us to live, really live, really love, to really be, in this short life--it is a passing breeze that does not return.
She and Christy were the most hospitable and generous people I have ever met. If they saw a need, they met it. We received two laptops from them, as working poor graduate students, we couldn't afford our own--we never asked for them. We didn't have internet, we used it at their house or at the church. Did we need a car? "Use the Bravada" even when we never asked. "Are you hungry? There's some food in the fridge or stay for dinner. We'll order pizza or get subs from Wegman's." "Do you need a place to host youth group events, come to our house." "Do you need to print things off or pictures? Use our paper free of charge." They had a community pool--parents and youth could come anytime. I never knew who I'd find in the pool during the summers when I stopped by. In the winter, all had access to the hotub. We spent countless hours at the Mathewsons talking about God, theology, the mundane, church, people, policies, computers, food, dancing with the stars--innumerable conversations. We did youth work there. We knew the dogs and they knew us. It was a home away from home. Being there I realized--this is how the church is supposed to be--comfy--in peace and sharing whatever we have with those who are in need, or just those who happen to show up on our doorstep that day. Encouraging one another.
If we had to tally line-by-line all the material things they gave us and pay them back, it would be in the thousands. Although we were extremely close, they showed love and generosity to hundreds, maybe thousands of people. They were parents to the badly parented. Friends to all. All sorts of students, people and acquaintances were free to roam in and out of their house any time-- day or night. You don't believe me? Well jazz musicians from Eastman School of Music could be found in their living room playing the piano and all sorts of instruments at 2a.m. and beyond. They were listening ears full of great advice and wisdom.
Why did Carole have to die so young? She was in her mid-fifties. There's plenty of more times that we and hundreds of others will need her and Christy. She was a smiling face, with a speaking voice of an angel--that greeted us when we stepped into the living room. She had her first two grandsons born this year and another on the way in a couple of weeks. Her grandkids won't know the love we experienced. It doesn't seem fair. I know her ways will live on through her children and Christy, but still.
God says to all of us, "Do not mourn like those who have no hope." We're not prevented from mourning, only from hopeless mourning. If there is no after-life, if this is all there is--how depressing. We really will never see those who died in Christ again.
But, Jesus says that he came to give us life...not only life in this life, but life after death (John 11:25). There is some comfort in that for those of us who are mourning. But none of us is ever ready for when death knocks on our or another's door.
I am almost 30. Not guaranteed another day of life. Perhaps half my life is gone already. There is so much to do! So much to be! So much love to give and receive! So much to experience. I know that I will never do and be and love and experience as much as I want to.
But it reminds me that life is precious. We can't waste it being depressed (I am not talking to those with chemical imbalances) or fighting. It is to short for that.
O Lord Jesus! Help us to live, really live, really love, to really be, in this short life--it is a passing breeze that does not return.
Feb 19, 2008
Contentment
"But godliness with contentment is great gain." -- I Timothy 6:6
Do we despise what we have because of what we don't have? That's wrong. But isn't it funny how the lack of one thing--a certain deprivation can discolor our world so that we are ungrateful? We become depressed. We hate our lives.
If we go on depressed because of that one thing that we do not have, we are wasting our lives. We are wasting moments of joy. We can be pretty godly--with little contentment. So in that way we're not as godly as we could be.
Are we going to be miserable the rest of our lives because we don't have that job, look, weight, virtue, relationship, money or success? Life is too short for that.
If we find ourselves steeped in a discolored negative world, let us begin to thank God for everything we can possibly think of. When we have a daily posture of gratitude, we begin to see millions of things all around us to thank God for.
Do we despise what we have because of what we don't have? That's wrong. But isn't it funny how the lack of one thing--a certain deprivation can discolor our world so that we are ungrateful? We become depressed. We hate our lives.
If we go on depressed because of that one thing that we do not have, we are wasting our lives. We are wasting moments of joy. We can be pretty godly--with little contentment. So in that way we're not as godly as we could be.
Are we going to be miserable the rest of our lives because we don't have that job, look, weight, virtue, relationship, money or success? Life is too short for that.
If we find ourselves steeped in a discolored negative world, let us begin to thank God for everything we can possibly think of. When we have a daily posture of gratitude, we begin to see millions of things all around us to thank God for.
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