Archive for January, 2012
Pass the Wine
It’s a curious way to begin a public ministry. It appears Mary was invited to a wedding in Cana. Jesus and His Disciples went with her. They weren’t special guests, just friends of the family. In that culture a wedding celebration could last a week! Being good hosts was important to the family. The happy couple would exchange vows, the ceremony would end and the feast would begin.
They weren’t likely a wealthy family but for this wedding they spared no expense. Imagine the potential for embarrassment when the punch bowl ran dry. Mary was close to this family. Close enough to notice and be concerned when the wine ran out. She told her son. His response was respectful, but less than enthusiastic. “Woman, what does your concern have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”
The story implies Mary was asking Jesus to do something about it, but it’s not clearly stated. Neither was Jesus being dismissive. He was simply saying this wasn’t His wedding. The celebration wasn’t about Him. His time would come to reach, teach, preach and work wonders, but in His estimation, this was not that time.
Mary, too, was respectful, understanding, yet undeterred. She goes to the servants and subtly motions toward Jesus, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
That’s good advice.
My mom gave me similar advice. I grew up attending church. I often questioned the things I heard or saw. My mom would sometimes answer, “Even if a person doesn’t believe in the spiritual truth or the supernatural reality of Jesus you can’t deny the practical benefits that come from making wise choices based on His teaching. If you do what He says, your life will be better.”
The servants took Mary’s advice literally. They filled those water pots all the way to the brim with water, just like Jesus said. The containers held somewhere between 20 and 30 gallons.
You may know the rest of the story. The servants take the ‘water’ to the Master of the Feast – think ‘Wedding Coordinator’ – who takes one drink and declares his amazement that the couple had held back the best wine for the end of the celebration rather than the beginning. The water had turned to wine!
Jesus didn’t seek or receive credit from the couple or the crowd, yet He provided for them ‘exceedingly abundantly’ more than anyone could ask or think. I see this happen today. Someone will try to live by the ‘Golden Rule’. A charity will feed hungry people in an impoverished country. A family will adjust their lifestyle so they can get out of debt. The principles they apply have their source in the teaching of Jesus. The benefit they experience come from living according to His principles, yet He neither seeks nor receives credit. And that’s okay. Who gets the credit isn’t really the point. It’s as simple as a mother’s advice.
“Whatever He says to you, do it.”
You may have doubts about the spiritual truth found in Jesus but it’s hard to deny the practical benefit of living by His teaching. Put it to the test and see if it’s not true. Don’t take my word for it. Read the Bible, specifically the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John), to discover what He taught and how He lived and then apply those principles to your life.
As you follow His lead I believe your quality of life will change and eventually you’ll come to the same conclusion the Disciples did. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Whatever He says to you, do it.
Stopping Jesus
Have you ever prayed with such passion and persistence that you stopped God in His tracks? (Matthew 20:32)
That’s what these two blind guys did on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem. People tried to silence them. But the resistance of the crowd only increased the resolve of the blind men. I don’t know what’s more remarkable, that they cried so loudly that Jesus stopped or the question Jesus asked when he turned to speak with them.
“What do you want me to do for you?”
Seems obvious. You are the Son of God, right? Yet these men don’t hesitate. “We want to see.” Jesus makes it so, and their lives are never the same again.
What are you praying today? Will you pray with passion and persistence? When the time comes what will you ask Jesus to do for you?
Will your request open your eyes or the eyes of others?
People may try to silence you. Disappointment may discourage you. Let the resistance you face increase your resolve. God’s not afraid of your questions. He welcomes them. But get ready. When the answer comes, the way you see the world will never be the same.
Me, We, Them
I’ve heard it said you should never doubt that a small group of committed individuals can change the world. Do you know why?
It’s the only thing that ever has.
With nothing more than a noble idea, ink and a pen 56 men sign their name to the Declaration of Independence and a nation is born!
In a small town on the Sea of Galilee four men carry their paralyzed friend to the roof of a house where a popular preacher is teaching the crowd. They open a hole in the roof, lower their friend, and a miracle happens! The preacher heals the man! Their paralyzed friend picks up his bed and walks home.
With 11 other men an uneducated fisherman joins an unconventional Rabbi. For three and half years they live, work, learn and play together. They come to believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. After His death, burial and resurrection this small group of 11 men continue a movement that spreads around the world. We’re still talking about it more than 2000 years later!
It’s amazing what a small group of people, committed to God and one another can do.
Everyone’s part of a small group. The question is whether or not your group will draw you and others deeper in your walk with Jesus or push you further away from Him. No matter what the nature of your group is, there are three things that influence your decision to take part.
- ME – What I do to live and speak my faith where I am.
- WE – What we do to live and speak our faith where we are.
- THEM – What I do with you to reach them with the gospel.
Said more bluntly -
- What’s in it for me?
- How are we better together?
- Will people outside our group benefit from the activity together?
Take time to evaluate the groups in which you participate. Is your participation all about what you get out of it? Is it all about what you can accomplish together? Is it about how you can affect the lives of others? It’s not healthy for a group to get stuck in any one of these three elements. Is your group stuck or well balanced?
Are you part of a group at all?
Jesus mentored 12 men who changed the world forever. They were a tight group of friends, but they weren’t a closed group. Matthew 10:1-42 gives us a snapshot of one thing they did together. What do you think of the group Jesus assembled and the mission they accomplished? How does that group relate to yours?
Get Some Rest
It’s Saturday.
a.k.a. – The Sabbath Day – a time for rest.
I’ve always pushed myself. I like how it feels to go further than you thought you could go, accomplish more than you imagined possible and do more while the sun shines! There are still new things to see, projects to pursue, another mountain to climb and more interesting people to meet.
I’ll sleep when I’m dead.
But that’s not really what the Bible says.
- Proverbs 23:4, “Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease!”
- Ecclesiastes 3:1, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.”
- Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
- Psalm 127:2, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep.
- Proverbs 3:21 & 24, “My son…keep sound wisdom and discretion…When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.”
Sometimes, the most godly thing you can do is rest.
Inspiration to Change; Motivation to Act
We’re 27 days past the New Year. How are you doing on those New Year’s Resolutions? Do you remember what they were? Have you moved forward, made progress or fallen behind?
It’s seems there’s a difference between the inspiration to make the resolution and the motivation to act. If you’re like me you’re inspired by all kinds of things: a great success story, a new possibility, or even a new tool to help you accomplish your task. These things inspire us. They excite us, but do they motivate us to act? That’s really where the rubber meets the road. Good intentions lead to great resolutions. The motivation to make good choices leads to genuine success.
So often it seems like something prevents us from following through and finding success. The Apostle Paul struggled with this. In Romans 7:15-24 he says he wants to do good but can’t seem to get it done. Instead, he finds himself stuck making the same wrong choices over and over again.
The inspiration to change, the motivation to act; how do we bridge the gap?
I’ve heard it said that people don’t genuinely change until they HAVE enough, KNOW enough, or HURT enough. I can see that it’s true. Maybe the reason you haven’t yet changed is because you don’t have, know or hurt enough.
- HAVE Enough – I used to own a small video production company. We started with 3 VCR’s and a TV. Pause, Play, Record. We’d make really poor quality videos using the only tools available. Over time we gathered more gear. Today, I edit digitally using Final Cut Pro, one of the best systems on the market. Video quality is high definition. It’s professional. I have the right gear. I can’t imagine going back to 3 VCR’s ever again.
- KNOW Enough – A friend of mine lost a lot of weight and told me how he did it. Slowly I began to learn how certain foods affect my body. I exercise marginally more than I used to. Today, I’m 50 pounds lighter. I still eat most everything I want but now I know how to eat it in a way that will keep the pounds off. I don’t think I’ll be that heavy ever again.
- HURT Enough – My grandfather started smoking when he was 9 years old. That sounds bad, but back in his day it was pretty normal. He smoked all his life till one day he went to the doctor. The doctor told him he had a choice. He could quit smoking and live longer or keep smoking and die. My grandfather laid down the cigarettes and lived another 15 years.
What have you been inspired to do? When will you find the motivation to act? Will you wait till you have enough, know enough or hurt enough before you make the right choice?
If you’re a follower of Jesus Christ, God is working in you and through you for His good pleasure. The end of Paul’s story is Roman 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” You’re not condemned by God for your wrong choices. His work has forgiven, equipped and empowered you to make right choices.
Because of sin have you HURT enough? As a follower of Christ you HAVE enough. Through Christ you can KNOW enough. What needs to change in your life today?
The inspiration to change; the motivation to act – find life. Choose well.
Late Nights; Long Days
Have you ever had one of those days? You know the kind. You wake up before your alarm and can’t go back to sleep. Throughout the day you move from one project to another, overloaded with more to do than you know what to do with. You bounce from meeting to meeting solving problems, making decisions, offering opinions, taking in new information. Every person you come in contact with presents another challenge, another opportunity and sometimes another unexpected distraction. You’re fighting a deadline so you decide to stay late. You skip dinner. Later you look back to realize you didn’t really skip dinner as much as forgot about it. You end the day a good 18 hours or more after it started. Your head hits the pillow still buzzing. There’s more to do. Tomorrow will be a repeat of today. There’s no way around it. Those kinds of days can be exhausting.
But what if they weren’t?
What if you poured that kind of effort and energy into the things you do and came out on the other side energized and excited by the work? What if a day like that filled you up instead of tearing your down. Finding this kind of life in the relentless daily grind of your busy schedule isn’t easy, but it is possible.
There’s a scene in Scripture where Jesus has had a rough day. He’s been so busy he hasn’t stopped to eat. The Disciples come to him concerned, “Jesus, you have to eat something!” He simply looks at them and responds, “I have meat to eat you know not of.” He wasn’t being curt, snide or sarcastic. He was being honest. “Yup, it’s been a rough day. Yet, somehow, instead of drained, I feel full!” It’s an example of the sustaining power of God at work.
This can be your story. It’s the story of a person on mission. It’s the story of someone who understands God’s call on their life and the unique shape he’s given you for ministry. It’s amazing what God can do through a person who knows what they’re supposed to do, how they’re supposed to do it and why. It’s remarkable to see how God uses ordinary people to accomplish His extraordinary plan.
How will you finish today? Exhausted and energized or exhausted and used up? The difference is in the mission. The choice is yours.
Philippians 2:17-18, ”Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.”
Every Great Relationship…
You’re probably like me. If you attend church regularly I’ll bet you sit in basically the same place every week. It’s a pattern I’ve followed since I was a kid. Welcoming guests during a worship service is also a typical feature in the churches I’ve attended. We’ll break the rhythm of the service to welcome one another and give the congregation time to introduce themselves to people sitting nearby.
Because I usually sit in the same place I often greet the same people every week. This was true when I was in college too. Every week come in, sing a little, pray together, turn around and shake a hand. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
Then came the day I turned around to shake a hand and saw someone I’d not seen before. There wasn’t a lot of time, but I knew this was someone I needed to meet. I made my way past a few familiar folks and extended a hand, “Hey, I’m Chad. It’s good to see you. I’m glad you’re here.” It was a typical, nonchalant, church service ‘welcome-of-guests’ kind of greeting. She smiled, looked me in the eyes, took my hand and said, “I’m Londa. Nice to meet you.” In that moment, my world changed.
It wasn’t like the movies. There were no fireworks. I didn’t imagine the two of us running toward one another, arms open, on a beach. Time didn’t stand still. But there was something.
What began as an introduction became a relationship. More than 16 years and 4 kids later I’m married to the woman of my dreams!
It reminds of something. Every great relationship starts with an introduction.
- What opportunities will you have tomorrow because of people you meet today?
- What possibilities will you miss simply because you didn’t take the time to get to know someone’s name?
- Is it possible someone is waiting for you to introduce them to someone else who will change their life forever?
That’s what happend in John 1:35-51. It’s a series of introductions. John the Baptist introduces Andrew and John (who becomes the apostle) to Jesus. They introduce Jesus to Andrew’s brother, Peter. They all go together to get Philip who introduces them to Nathaniel. One by one Jesus is introduced to the men who become His 12 Disciples. Certainly he called them, but that call started with an introduction. What happens next changes the history of our world forever.
Every great relationship starts with an introduction. Who will you introduce today?
The Legacy of Joe Paterno
You’ve seen it in the news. Joe Paterno, 85, died this past Sunday from lung cancer. My prayers are with his family, friends and fans. It’s likely an understatement to suggest this year has been a difficult one for the Paterno family. The way the news reads says it all.
From Reuters…
“Penn State students and supporters laid flowers and lit candles on Monday as they mourned the death of Joe Paterno, who won more games than any other U.S. major college football coach but saw his legacy tarnished by a child sexual abuse scandal at the school.”
Fox News…
“Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno died on Sunday, his family announced, after a two-month battle with lung cancer that was diagnosed near the end of the playing season, just as Paterno was fired as head coach of a team he had served 61 years.”
From CNN…
“What do you do when a wonderful man who made a terrible mistake dies?” CNN contributor and sportswriter LZ Granderson doesn’t know. His article on CNN.com is getting a lot of buzz though, as he walks users through his conflicted emotions and explains the sentiments of those who fall in the middle.”
From ESPN…
“There is, obviously, nothing inherently surprising about Paterno’s death: He was an 85-year-old man with cancer in his lungs who had just endured the worst emotional shock of his lifetime. The Sandusky charges (and Paterno’s firing in the midst of the university’s reaction to them) were included in the first paragraph of his New York Times obituary…”
Triumph and tragedy, this is the story of Joe Paterno. I’m reminded of a quote from a movie, The Dark Knight, “You’ll either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” I don’t believe there’s absolute truth in this quote, however it seems to have some application to this situation. But this was no movie. It was the life of one of the most respected men in college football history whose legacy reads differently today than if it had been written even just a year ago.
It makes me wonder about your legacy. How would you like to be remembered for the worst mistake you ever made?
Marc Antony said it best in Shakespeare’s, Julius Caesar, “The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones.” A legacy is a fragile thing.
There’s a woman in Scripture. We don’t know her name. All history records is that she was caught in adultery, brought before Jesus and the religious leaders of the day and publicly shamed. The intent of the crowd was more than shame. The law of the land declared adultery a capital crime punishable by death. We know the outcome. Jesus deals gently with her as he confronts the blood thirsty crowd. “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” Humbled, the crowd begins to walk away. Yet the legacy lives on. Forever this story will be known as, “The Woman Caught in Adultery”. I’ll ask again, how would you like to be remembered for the worst mistake you ever made?
Your legacy takes years to build and only one bad decision to tear down. You could say this about a lot of things.
- Your marriage – years to build, one bad decision to tear down.
- Your career
- Your relationships with family, friends, coworkers, employees or boss.
How can we possibly get it right?
What if that’s the wrong question? What if the central focus of our effort isn’t the legacy we create, but the story we’re in? Life’s not a movie. You’re not the handsome hero or the evil villain. You are, however, a chapter in the story. The question of your legacy isn’t simply about what you got right. It’s about the story your life tells.
The headline may be, “Woman Caught in Adultery”. But the story is so much more than that. The story is the gentle and loving way Jesus forgives, silences the critics and restores a woman in the eyes of God and man.
The obituary may read, “Joe Paterno, the coach who won more games in U.S. college football than any other coach but saw his legacy tarnished…” But that’s not the story. History is still being written on this one. That may be the title, but it won’t be the story.
Today, if you’re making wise decisions, taking bold action, following God and doing the right thing – keep up the good work. Don’t risk the distraction of temptation or discouragement of the critics.
If, however, you’ve stumbled or fallen, if you’ve wandered down a path you never expected, don’t give up. Forgiveness is available. Your choices may write the title, but they don’t have to write the story.
2 Corinthians 9:8, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”
Where the Story Ends
Everyone loves a well told story. This weekend millions of people will spend even more millions of dollars at the movies. They’ll see comedies and tragedies, romance and thrillers. We’ll pay our $8, slip into the theater with a bucket of popcorn and an ocean of soda, sit back and relax as we’re introduced to characters who will face unimaginable circumstances and fight to overcome overwhelming odds. We’ll cheer for the hero and boo at the villain. We’ll cry with the heartbroken and laugh at the idiot. We do all this to be entertained. Sometimes, to be distracted. And often to be reminded that, as stressful as life may be, no one has shot at us lately. Nothing has exploded near us. We’ve not been stranded in a frozen wasteland, chased by undead monsters or forced to choose between our one true love and the family fortune. Real life may be stressful, but it’s not as tough as those poor saps we see on the big screen. I find that comforting. Well, comforting and maybe a little disappointing.
Every story follows a similar pattern. It’s a three act play.
- Act 1 – Setup. We’re introduced to a new world and the characters that live in it.
- Act 2 – Confrontation. Our hero falls into trouble that must be overcome.
- Act 3 – Resolution. When all seems lost and against all odds, somehow our hero finds a way.
The setup allows us to identify with and like the main characters. The confrontation makes the story interesting and gives the characters a catalyst for growth. But the resolution…the resolution is why we watch in the first place. The resolution is how they fix things. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s the villain going down in flames, getting his just rewards. It’s our hero’s happily-ever-after. We like to see how things turn out at the end and we like the end to turn out well.
Now imagine if we ended the story early. Cinderella leaves her glass slipper. The magic fades. She returns to be a slave to her wicked step-mother, but the prince never comes. Luke Skywalker meets Obi Wan and decides he’d rather be a farmer than learn the ways of the force and fight with the Rebellion. I don’t think we’d remember the Titans if the players didn’t overcome their differences to win the championship game.
It reminds me of a simple truth. Happily-ever-after is about where the story ends.
Where are you in your story?
God is writing a masterpiece in you. It’s filled with tragedy, triumph, comedy and drama. It’s a story designed to grow your faith, shape your character, and draw you close to Him. It’s a story to be continued.
What chapter do you find yourself in right now? Don’t give up. This isn’t where the story ends.
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:12-14
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
I have four kids. Our schedule is, at times, what you might call ‘insane’. I’m sure it’s not much different from yours. Work, church, sports, music, school, birthday parties – none of it’s complicated just extremely full. All in all I believe we manage well. We’ve gotten used to our schedule. We tend to travel in a pack. It’s fun and sometimes a bit noisy or chaotic, but we get to be together and we like that.
This year Londa and I decided we would do something a bit different. We intend to be deliberate about spending unhurried time, just the two of us, with one of our children at at time while the others run amuck with their grandparents or a sitter. So, last night we got together and took Jaiden on a date. We went to dinner and a movie. We saw ‘Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Up’. It’s about a family that loses their father in the Twin Towers on September 11.
I won’t offer up any spoilers. Instead I’ll simply say, you should see this movie. You should see it with your family. I expect it to win an Academy Award, possibly several. As you watch, consider this: right now, in the community where you live, maybe even in your own household, there are people who experience the same kind of desperation, grief and loss portrayed by the family in this film. They may not have been through a dramatic, nation-wide tragedy like 9/11 but they’ve been through something that has reshaped their view of the world and they struggle to make sense of it all. They’re searching for answers, crying out for relief and looking for the key to what will bring hope back into their lives.
I believe part of why God gave us a family is for moments just like these.
Malachi 4:6 says, “And [God] will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers…”
Take a close look at your family today. Ask God to give you uncommon insight into the hearts of your children and your spouse. Ask for the courage and boldness to make the sometimes difficult decisions necessary to reshape your schedule, say the right thing, offer or ask forgiveness, point the way and start an adventure.
