Years ago my wife and I established the habit of getting away for two weeks as a family to a quiet place. Part of this vacation was recalibration. We evaluated life together and talked about what changes might be needed. We settled down, got some perspective, bonded as a family in an unplugged environment, and sought God’s guidance for our lives in the coming year. The results were as small as agreeing to stop watching the television news in the evenings as part of our routine and as large as working through major changes in the flow of life. The time to reflect and to evaluate was a lifeline for us.
In his book “In the Name of Jesus,” Pastor and teacher Henri Nouwen offered an evaluation of his own life as he passed fifty years of age. Having just turned the big 5-0, I resonate to his reflections and believe that his words can help lead all of us into some healthy recalibration. Allow me to highlight three areas of personal evaluation:
Performance vs. Personhood.
Nouwen said, “As I entered into my fifties and was able to realize the unlikelihood of doubling my years, I came face to face with the simple question, ‘Did becoming older bring me closer to Jesus?’ After twenty-five years of priesthood, I found myself praying poorly, living somewhat isolated from other people, and very much preoccupied with burning issues” (pp. 9-10).
Isn’t it strange how life can become all about “proving something” instead of developing into a better person? A focus on activities and achievements can supplant the focus on character and faith development. Religious know-how and busyness can become substitutes for a genuine and meaningful relationship with God the Father. As a good Father, He doesn’t look to you for a list of personal accomplishments. He looks to see signs of reciprocated love and indications of a life lived as His redeemed and grateful child.
How can you rediscover your life as a child of God and be rid of the burden of striving for worthiness in the eyes of the world? As you’ve grown older, have you also grown closer to Jesus?
In parts two and three of this blog post, I’ll continue Nouwen’s self-evaluation and look at the areas of Coasting vs. Character development and Resistance vs. Repentance.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Doing Nothing
Former Hootie and the Blowfish lead singer, now country artist, Darius Rucker has a new song out called "Got Nothin'." In the song he details how he has nothing left to offer as a relationship falls apart. It's a sad song, but it reflects an important reality in our relationship with God. We've got nothin'; He's got everything. We're dead in our sins; He makes us alive with Christ (Ephesians 2). We sit around and do nothing; He gives growth to the church.
Wait a minute! That's not what the Bible says. The Bible says that we plant and water (1 Cor. 3:6). The Bible says that we are God's fellow workers (1 Cor. 3:9). The Bible says that we're sent (Luke 10:2-3, Mark 16:15, etc.). The Bible says that we are to let our light shine (Matthew 5:16). The Bible says that we don't sit around and do nothing.
Recently I was told that challenging believers to action was doctrinally unacceptable. If that's the case, then the Bible is doctrinally unacceptable.
There's a message in the church that is confusing and immobilizing God's people. Instead of allowing grace and faith to flow into the works God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10; the book of James!), the message of grace is being used as an excuse for immobilizing the church. Justification is being used in place of sanctification. The message is: "You, dear people of God, are justified by grace alone! Therefore, you are justified by grace alone." The refrain goes on with the announcement of the free atoning work of Christ. But sanctification is neglected, omitted, and removed from the message. Walking in the newness of life, being a new creation in Christ--His ambassador, living in the power of the resurrection with the knowledge that our labor in the Lord is not in vain is excised from the proclamation of the Good News. Only half the news is given and the church sits on its hands, doing nothin'.
But as the redeemed people of God, we've got somethin'! We are called, gathered, enlightened and sanctified so that we can declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). By His grace, God shares His mission with us. He makes us fellow workers. He entrusts us with His Word and sacraments, not so we can sit in fear that Kingdom action might get messy, but so we can go out into the world with these tools and see the darkness shrink back and the gates of hell buckle in the wild and messy adventure of God's Kingdom action.
If we really stand for truth and purity of doctrine, let's take the gift of a sanctified life seriously. Let's give a voice to faith that works. Let's stop doing nothing.
Wait a minute! That's not what the Bible says. The Bible says that we plant and water (1 Cor. 3:6). The Bible says that we are God's fellow workers (1 Cor. 3:9). The Bible says that we're sent (Luke 10:2-3, Mark 16:15, etc.). The Bible says that we are to let our light shine (Matthew 5:16). The Bible says that we don't sit around and do nothing.
Recently I was told that challenging believers to action was doctrinally unacceptable. If that's the case, then the Bible is doctrinally unacceptable.
There's a message in the church that is confusing and immobilizing God's people. Instead of allowing grace and faith to flow into the works God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10; the book of James!), the message of grace is being used as an excuse for immobilizing the church. Justification is being used in place of sanctification. The message is: "You, dear people of God, are justified by grace alone! Therefore, you are justified by grace alone." The refrain goes on with the announcement of the free atoning work of Christ. But sanctification is neglected, omitted, and removed from the message. Walking in the newness of life, being a new creation in Christ--His ambassador, living in the power of the resurrection with the knowledge that our labor in the Lord is not in vain is excised from the proclamation of the Good News. Only half the news is given and the church sits on its hands, doing nothin'.
But as the redeemed people of God, we've got somethin'! We are called, gathered, enlightened and sanctified so that we can declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). By His grace, God shares His mission with us. He makes us fellow workers. He entrusts us with His Word and sacraments, not so we can sit in fear that Kingdom action might get messy, but so we can go out into the world with these tools and see the darkness shrink back and the gates of hell buckle in the wild and messy adventure of God's Kingdom action.
If we really stand for truth and purity of doctrine, let's take the gift of a sanctified life seriously. Let's give a voice to faith that works. Let's stop doing nothing.
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