Kingdom Moments

(Adapted from an email I shared with the faculty and administration of the school of which I am employed...)

Question: How many things can you remember from yesterday?  Think about it.  How many details?  Restart your day in your mind.  Try to walk through as many conversations, distractions, meetings, tasks, to-do list items checked off, etc.  Try to make it all the way to bed time last night.

How much do you remember?  I bet you remember some of the highs of your day...like the taste of your home-cooked lasagna or maybe the breeze blowing while you took a walk around the block.  I bet even more you remember some of your difficulties of the day.  Maybe your plans didn't go through as you expected.  Maybe you received a hard phone call or email.  Perhaps you ended the day on a sad note, only to wake today revisiting the stinging emotions.

But amidst what you recall...let me ask another question.  How many kingdom moments do you remember?  How many times do you remember focusing your attention upon the Lord?  Whether while driving or walking from class to class?  How about the times you helped someone yesterday see Jesus in a new way or a real way amidst their circumstances?  When did you acknowledge His glory in creation as you saw the beautiful sunset or the smiles in the precious children we have the privilege to teach?  The reason I want you to remember those moments...is because those moments could potentially matter for eternity.  Far beyond the memory of yesterday...Christ's impact through you could have eternal ramifications for someone else around you.  

As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16).

I pray that if yesterday was not showered with those kind of Kingdom moments...then may TODAY be different.  May today be a day filled with moments that matter for eternity.  That when this day is done, we will look back and remember God's handiwork amidst the craziness of our day.

May today matter for tomorrow.  For eternity.

4Hisfame.

Joy in the Moment

While driving the family van the other day, I had a beautiful experience with my middle and oldest sons.  My mind was preoccupied with a thousand to-do's, concerns, and prayer needs.  Selfish wants.  Praises here and there.  Thoughts on my Maker were rare in this particular outing.  I felt a heaviness in my spirit.  How to accomplish it all?  How to remember to pray for this and that?  And so forth.  My mind was going way faster than the van.

But then the Holy Spirit worked.  Many people say God doesn't force Himself upon us.  I tend to disagree.  I believe the Maker has the right to invade the lives of those He has made when and how He chooses.  As was this moment.  The Spirit had me look up into my rearview mirror to catch a glimpse of something special.

Joy.  Fantastic joy.  

Where?

On the faces of my two boys.  They were smiling and radiating with something that was very foreign to my thought processes during that drive.  The view was so stunning that it forced me to stop focusing on me (because essentially that was what was happening) and to take in the moment.

Out of the speakers blared a song from the movie the boys were watching - whereby an animal was being saved.  People were happy and emotional in the movie (I wasn't watching it - I have just seen it before - I do try to be a safe driver :).

And it was contagious.  And my boys were expressing that reality of joy that life was precious.  That great things are taking place.  That life is not all bad (although we live in a fallen world - God is still working redemption through the fabric of history).

They didn't see me watching, but I just stared.  In awe.  They were tapping into something at the ages of five and seven that I was choosing to ignore at thirty-six.  And because of their smiles, I experienced joy also.

It was contagious.  These two precious gifts that God had given me are a source of expressing joy by the Spirit within me.  I mean, as Paul wrote in Romans 15:13 - "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."  And man, does God give us reason after reason to abound in hope by the overwhelming joy and peace we have in believing in Christ!
 
And then...the thought came rushing in:

Do others experience joy when they look at me?  Am I a contagious source of joy for others to experience Jesus?

Conviction.  Yet, comforting.  I get to play a part in my Maker's plan to display the reason for joy, the source for joy.  Jesus Himself.  No matter the to-do's.  The wants.  The busy thoughts.  I get to express the ONE worth experiencing - and this holds such eternal ramifications.  I want JOY Himself to be displayed in me.  And when others see, may they too sense the contagiousness of His joy in my life. Through my life.  In spite of my life.

And with that, I looked back to the road ahead.  Still driving.  Still thinking.  But now...smiling.

Friendship - thoughts to consider...

In teaching, I have often instructed students and learners that I believe the three most abused words in our English language are:

Love

Hate

Friend

I love Taco Bell.  I love God.  Love just cannot have the same magnitude of meaning in the first sentence as compared to the latter.  This week, the subject of friendship has been put before my face repeatedly. I have even been asked, "Lance, do you consider [insert names] to all be friends of yours?" Intimate question. Relevant question. Eye-opening question.

As I have pondered each of those names, praying through them intentionally, I believe He has given me several insights to share on the subject of friendship, especially as I have praised God for the friends He has placed in my life.

1.  "I don't need friends.  I'm perfectly fine on my own."  FALSE.  Friendship is an invaluable part of our walk through our time on this earth.  Community (even at different levels of intimacy and significance) is also essential for the growth and sanctification of the believer.  We need others.  Now, I'm not saying that we have to have a ton of friends or even a lot of them; unfortunately, Facebook has added to the distortion of the meaning of "friend."  But it is worth asking, if the Lord Jesus needed friends - good friends - how much more do we?

Mary, Martha, Lazarus.  Three siblings that were close to the heart of the Lord Jesus (see John 11:5).  Obviously then, it was the will of the Father for Jesus to have those relationships with them, for as we know, He did nothing more and nothing less than God's will.  Who are the people meant to be in my life?  In your life?

2.  The will of God must always come before the desires of friendships.  This is one of the hardest things with which I think Christians struggle.  I know that I put the "needs" of my friends before what I know the Lord desires me to do.  His will MUST trump what we think is best.  For example, when Lazarus, His friend, died, how would one suspect that Jesus would respond?  Immediate departure to be with grieving loved ones.  However, the Scriptures state that He waited four days for His arrival on the scene (see John 11:17).  Why?  Real friends would drop everything to care for their friends.  But, as the story unfolds, we learn that Jesus responded this way so that they "would see the glory of God" (John 11:40).  Do we put the will and glory of God before the will and desires of our friends?  May we always check to make sure God is the ultimate priority in our friendships.    

3.  True friends are willing to speak truth to one another no matter the cost.  Many times I have told my wife that I strongly dislike having to "always" share hard truth with people I love, or brothers I disciple, or friends in my life. Yet she is faithful to remind me that this part of my life is an extension of the ministry of Jesus Himself, who did share hard truth with others whenever necessary, whether friend or enemy.  As in the case again with Jesus and one of the before-mentioned siblings, Martha, Jesus rebuked her for being busy with many things.  As she prepared to serve Jesus, Martha missed the main point of sitting at the feet of Jesus as her sister, Mary, did; she listened and worshiped as He taught  (see Luke 10:38-42). Martha expected him to stand by her side and rebuke Mary for "laziness," but He stood by Mary.  For Mary did what was most profitable at that moment; Martha let anxiety consume.  Jesus spoke what was hard to build up and refine His friend.  Do we?

4.  On the other hand, true friends affirm and encourage when one is right or obedient.  As in the previous instance, not only did Jesus correct Martha, but He also affirmed Mary.   She was busy doing the right thing.  I think this is huge.  Affirming with what is right in the Lord's eyes, not necessarily what we think is right in our opinion or feelings.  We must encourage friends to know God's voice and walk accordingly, only then to offer words of affirmation after they follow through with His desires.  

5.  True attitude of friendship, as in the attitude of Christ, is not "Will you be my  friend?" but instead, "I will be your friend."  As Paul quoted Jesus in Acts, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).   True friendships involve a giving of oneself for the betterment of another - it is not for the sole benefit of the betterment of self.  This is perhaps the one point that is tumbling most in the caverns of my thoughts and emotions.  In analyzing those that are or aren't to be in the inner circles of my friendships, this fact causes me to further consider how I am treating and loving others as a friend to them.  At the end of the day, am I really more concerned with who are my friends, or instead, what kind of friend am I?

I'm sure most of this is common sense Christianity for those experiencing genuine friendships.  However, I have just observed so much recently in my life and in the lives of others that would cause one to question the existence of authentic, truly selfless friendships.  

May Jesus do this work in me.  Make me a friend to others that honors His character.  May He do this work in us - so that He is MOST glorified through the display our Christian friendships present for the world.

The Heat is ON

At some points today, I'm pretty sure my body has undergone some temperature shocks as I have moved from the arctic tundra of my office to the blazing heat of southern Louisiana crouching at the door, waiting to consume me.  My body doesn't know whether to thaw out or chill out?!?!

What's interesting though...moving between church buildings or just sitting outside to read a bit (that would be a very, very small amount of time), I can sense the energy being zapped from inside.  Like the heat beckons any ounce of energy to escape my body from each and every pore, leaving me lethargic and almost lifeless in momentum.  And please understand, I KNOW there are so many in the heat.  All day long.  With no arctic tundra for an office or even air conditioning in which to momentarily rest...I simply mention this to paint a contrast of the climate around me.

So the heat settles in.  And besides the sweat pouring down, what else pours out and escapes?  First, my patience.  There it goes.  Next, my Christ-like attitude of contentment.  Complaining has taken hold.  Third, my will to honor the Lord by not letting the temperature gage my desire to do what He has called me to do.  Yep, the heat is too much.  Change of plans - on to my plans.

And at this point, I'm not talking about the heat measured in fahrenheit.  Now, I'm talking about the heat of circumstances that our Lord uses to refine our being.  The heat of intense situations that bring up from the depths within us the things we don't want to realize are still holding residence inside. It's like as the heat rises, so is the ease of putting on display the things we don't want to rise up in our flesh.  

So, as I wipe the sweat from my brow, I ask myself, as I ask you - should the temperature of the trials around us dictate how we respond in the heat?  Absolutely not.  If it does, we are functioning out of our flesh instead of the cool, refreshing life of the Spirit flowing from with us.  And so, within those trials and times that seem too much, when we must with everything within us hold fast to the Spirit of God strengthening us, perhaps we should remember God's Word in James 1:11: "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."  

I believe we can pass the test.  I believe we can withstand the heat.  I believe we can praise Him in the scorching nature of our trials.  And then, when we do get to chill in the calming springs of Christ, praise Him then also.

#4hisfame.

An Overwhelming Presence

There I was, settled in a creaky bunk bed in a state park campground dormitory.  We were on an overnight retreat with some high schoolers from school. But it's not the nighttime wildlife that I consider...not the sound of crickets chirping, or raccoons scrambling through trash cans, or even the rowdiness of guys playing a late night card game. My thoughts turn to the afternoon arboretum hike undertaken earlier that day. 

And while on that hike, amidst the array of plantlife - of fallen trees and hollowed stumps, I recognized a repeated "threat" that continuously consumed my focus.

The overwhelming presence of spiders. I mean, everywhere. Webs stretched across paths with small captured prey caught in the grasp of the arachnid traps.  Ducking, eyes squinting searching for possible silky threads hanging in my path. I continued along the uneven terrain wondering where the next mini-beast would appear.  And not just me...but many others noticed the uncanny amount of eight-legged creatures.  Which carried late into the evening, when prior to an outrageous game of capture the flag...I enjoyed the benefit of watching a black widow spider play capture-the-moth.  The spider won.

And so, there I was again in the coldness of the dormitory.  Laying in the bunk pondering how much my thoughts had been focused on those tiny, yet dark, creatures that had been allowed by God to "overtake" the wooded area.

And it hit me.  This is just what I do on a daily basis.  Not look for spiders, but focus on the "dark" things of life.  Looking for the next spiritual attack.  Focusing intently on the sin so obvious in myself or the lives of others.  Staring unswervingly at the difficulties or hardships along the path of the day.  Recognizing the overwhelming presence of the fallen world around me.

But what do I miss while doing so?  The Maker of all things beautiful.  Focusing intently on the victory of the cross and the power of the Resurrection which overcame the sting and power of sin and death.  Staring unswervingly at the majesty of my Lord who is sovereign over and working intimately in each and every difficulty or hardship.  Recognizing the overwhelming presence of the glory of God in the midst of a fallen world.

How sad...that I spent all that time looking for the tiniest of creatures at the cost of missing the splendor of the environment around me.  And too often, I spend time looking to the past, or the present shame-ridden steps, instead of gazing upon the One worthy of my attention, worthy of the love of my mind, worthy of the worship of my heart.

As the Psalmist declared, so too should we - "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:11).  What a beautiful Truth of which to walk in constant consideration.

So with utter fatigue knocking at the door of my mind, I rolled over in the creaky bunk and praised God for changing my attention from the things of the earth to the Glory of heaven.  And that was how my day ended.  Aware of the overwhelming presence of the glory of God.  May that be how I rest today.  Aware of Him.

#4hisfame.