"Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering, and injustice when He could do something about it.”
“Well, why don’t you ask Him?”
“Because I’m afraid He would ask me the same question.”
(Anonymous) -a quote from A Hole in the Gospel, by Richard Stearn, President of World Vision.
___________________________________________________
This was an eye-opening quote that I read yesterday. Please go read the remainder of the post where I saw it.
Showing posts with label Purpose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Purpose. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
The First Step Is...
...admitting it. Or at least that's what I've always heard. And there must be some validity in that because after admitting that I have no idea what I'm supposed to do next, I received inspiration.
I have a new series of posts coming up on spiritual gifts. I hope it will be educational, insightful, stirring, and helpful in all of us finding out better what God wants us to do.
Right now it's just a plan floating around in my head, but my research has already begun and it seems to be coming together nicely. God is awesome, you know?
So, stay tuned...it starts on Monday!
I have a new series of posts coming up on spiritual gifts. I hope it will be educational, insightful, stirring, and helpful in all of us finding out better what God wants us to do.
Right now it's just a plan floating around in my head, but my research has already begun and it seems to be coming together nicely. God is awesome, you know?
So, stay tuned...it starts on Monday!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Hurry Up and Wait
It has been forever. I know. I would apologize, but I haven't felt very inspired to write over here and frankly, I would rather just wait until inspired than to fill this blog with mindless drivel just for the sake of posting something.
The talk lately is of resolutions. What do you want to accomplish? What do you want to do differently? Who do you want to be? It's a fresh opportunity to start over, you know.
I hate new year's resolutions. I think I just hate the principle of them. Why not change because we truly feel a need to change? Why does a new year bring about a reason to change? Maybe that's why I'm not very good at keeping resolutions.
And I'm not very good with making changes.
Don't get me wrong. I make them frequently. My problem lies more in sticking with them.
You see, I'm easily influenced. Give me a good emotional story, a good heart-warming tale, a good fuzzy memory, and I'm likely to buy whatever you're selling me. This is evident in the fact that we own a timeshare that we're currently trying to sell.
Too often I hear pleas to help somewhere or do something different. I hear stories that inspire me to want to be a better person. I jump on the emotional bandwagon and then when the newness wears off, I feel disappointed and ashamed that I no longer want to work for this goal...especially when I can see that it truly is a worthy cause or a wise goal.
Then I begin to wonder if it was me that God was speaking to or did I just assume that? If God did speak to me, am I now letting Him down by falling away from it? What does He want from me?
And you know...I'm just not sure.
Sure I know I'm supposed to be a good wife and helpmate for Chip. Yes, I know I am to bring up my children in the ways of the Lord. Those are "givens." What else does He want me to do?
Volunteer for children's ministry? Did that...liked it...but it doesn't seem to fit into our life right now. Write on this blog? Did that...liked it...haven't felt like I've had much to say in a while. Sign up for a women's Bible study? Did that...liked it...can't seem to get into the groove again though.
What is it that God wants from me? I have no idea. That's my problem. I really need to be still and listen. So that is my goal for now...to wait on Him. To see what He opens up for me. To rely on Him to establish the timing for what He needs me to do. To hopefully grow in Him more than I dreamed possible.
Until then, I'll be waiting I guess.
The talk lately is of resolutions. What do you want to accomplish? What do you want to do differently? Who do you want to be? It's a fresh opportunity to start over, you know.
I hate new year's resolutions. I think I just hate the principle of them. Why not change because we truly feel a need to change? Why does a new year bring about a reason to change? Maybe that's why I'm not very good at keeping resolutions.
And I'm not very good with making changes.
Don't get me wrong. I make them frequently. My problem lies more in sticking with them.
You see, I'm easily influenced. Give me a good emotional story, a good heart-warming tale, a good fuzzy memory, and I'm likely to buy whatever you're selling me. This is evident in the fact that we own a timeshare that we're currently trying to sell.
Too often I hear pleas to help somewhere or do something different. I hear stories that inspire me to want to be a better person. I jump on the emotional bandwagon and then when the newness wears off, I feel disappointed and ashamed that I no longer want to work for this goal...especially when I can see that it truly is a worthy cause or a wise goal.
Then I begin to wonder if it was me that God was speaking to or did I just assume that? If God did speak to me, am I now letting Him down by falling away from it? What does He want from me?
And you know...I'm just not sure.
Sure I know I'm supposed to be a good wife and helpmate for Chip. Yes, I know I am to bring up my children in the ways of the Lord. Those are "givens." What else does He want me to do?
Volunteer for children's ministry? Did that...liked it...but it doesn't seem to fit into our life right now. Write on this blog? Did that...liked it...haven't felt like I've had much to say in a while. Sign up for a women's Bible study? Did that...liked it...can't seem to get into the groove again though.
What is it that God wants from me? I have no idea. That's my problem. I really need to be still and listen. So that is my goal for now...to wait on Him. To see what He opens up for me. To rely on Him to establish the timing for what He needs me to do. To hopefully grow in Him more than I dreamed possible.
Until then, I'll be waiting I guess.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
What Was Jesus Actually Saying?
So, I have to make a comment about the video I posted yesterday. Yes, I like Stephen Colbert. Yes, I (sometimes) watch his show. He truly cracks me up. I have no idea what his personal relationship with Christ is, but he frequently makes Christian-centered comments and does not apologize for them. Since that really isn't a good way to be popular in mainstream media in America, I have to believe that he believes himself to be a Christian. It's really between him and God though.
Now, one thing that stood out to me during the interview was Bert Ehrman's use of the crucifixion stories as defense of his argument. I agree that none of the gospels tell the exact same story, but I've never really had a problem with that. If four people witness a lecture of any topic, they will all remember different points that stood out in their minds as informative, important, or just mind-provoking. I feel this is the same thing with this particular historical and spiritually monstrous event. One of the scriptures he used in his defense stood out to me.
A few Easters ago, the pastor at the church we were attending did a series of the "Seven Sayings of Jesus from the Cross" leading up to Easter Sunday. It was quite informative, I remember, and I was caught up in every detail he was teaching. However, only one of those sermons stuck with me for the next 3 (I think?) years...the one concerning "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)
I had always read it for what it said and taken it for Jesus being in pain and bearing the weight of our sin and enduring the hardship of taking on a physical body to save our miserable selves. There was suddenly a new perspective after this particular sermon though.
Let me preface this by saying that yes...Jesus must have been in terribly excruciating pain. He was not happy about his current situation although He was there willingly. Maybe God did have to turn His back on His Son for a short time because Jesus became sin. Maybe Jesus did feel abandoned. If God had turned His head for those moments, it must have been terribly lonely for Jesus who was enduring not only the physical anguish, but spiritual and emotional anguish for being apart from His Father for the first time. That all makes sense. I won't deny that was happening.
However, maybe either separately or in addition to those things, something else more profound was happening.
Maybe Jesus was telling His followers (and those who were just onlookers) something along the lines of, "Remember who I am."
How so?
Well, He was quoting scripture.
You must remember that the Bible had not been compiled in its current form so there were no chapters and verses to quote scripture by. The psalms were a well-known, often-recited collection of poems that were not organized in any real order. The Jewish people knew them, typically, by the first line of the Psalm itself. For instance, the 23rd Psalm was known as "The Lord is My Shepherd" psalm and so forth.
Did you know that Psalm 22 starts with the very words "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" Everyone of the Jewish faith looking on would know this. Maybe His words were meant to bring their attention back to these words. Why would He do that? Lets look at the prophecy contained within those verses (the highlighted items are evidence that things are occurring to Jesus just as David's psalm declared):
Now, one thing that stood out to me during the interview was Bert Ehrman's use of the crucifixion stories as defense of his argument. I agree that none of the gospels tell the exact same story, but I've never really had a problem with that. If four people witness a lecture of any topic, they will all remember different points that stood out in their minds as informative, important, or just mind-provoking. I feel this is the same thing with this particular historical and spiritually monstrous event. One of the scriptures he used in his defense stood out to me.
A few Easters ago, the pastor at the church we were attending did a series of the "Seven Sayings of Jesus from the Cross" leading up to Easter Sunday. It was quite informative, I remember, and I was caught up in every detail he was teaching. However, only one of those sermons stuck with me for the next 3 (I think?) years...the one concerning "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)
I had always read it for what it said and taken it for Jesus being in pain and bearing the weight of our sin and enduring the hardship of taking on a physical body to save our miserable selves. There was suddenly a new perspective after this particular sermon though.
Let me preface this by saying that yes...Jesus must have been in terribly excruciating pain. He was not happy about his current situation although He was there willingly. Maybe God did have to turn His back on His Son for a short time because Jesus became sin. Maybe Jesus did feel abandoned. If God had turned His head for those moments, it must have been terribly lonely for Jesus who was enduring not only the physical anguish, but spiritual and emotional anguish for being apart from His Father for the first time. That all makes sense. I won't deny that was happening.
However, maybe either separately or in addition to those things, something else more profound was happening.
Maybe Jesus was telling His followers (and those who were just onlookers) something along the lines of, "Remember who I am."
How so?
Well, He was quoting scripture.
You must remember that the Bible had not been compiled in its current form so there were no chapters and verses to quote scripture by. The psalms were a well-known, often-recited collection of poems that were not organized in any real order. The Jewish people knew them, typically, by the first line of the Psalm itself. For instance, the 23rd Psalm was known as "The Lord is My Shepherd" psalm and so forth.
Did you know that Psalm 22 starts with the very words "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" Everyone of the Jewish faith looking on would know this. Maybe His words were meant to bring their attention back to these words. Why would He do that? Lets look at the prophecy contained within those verses (the highlighted items are evidence that things are occurring to Jesus just as David's psalm declared):
Psalm 22
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Deer of the Dawn." A Psalm of David.
1 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?
2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent.
3 But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
5 They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
6 But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
7 All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying
8 “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”
9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.
10 I was cast upon You from birth.
From My mother’s womb
You have been My God.
11 Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have surrounded Me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me
13 They gape at Me with their mouths,
Like a raging and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It has melted within Me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue clings to My jaws;
You have brought Me to the dust of death.
16 For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced My hands and My feet;
17 I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
18 They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.
19 But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!
20 Deliver Me from the sword,
My precious life from the power of the dog.
21 Save Me from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen!
You have answered Me.
22 I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23 You who fear the LORD, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.
25 My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.
Let your heart live forever!
27 All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
28 For the kingdom is the LORD’s,
And He rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.
30 A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
31 They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this.
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Deer of the Dawn." A Psalm of David.
1 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?
2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent.
3 But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
5 They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
6 But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
7 All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying
8 “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”
9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.
10 I was cast upon You from birth.
From My mother’s womb
You have been My God.
11 Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have surrounded Me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me
13 They gape at Me with their mouths,
Like a raging and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It has melted within Me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue clings to My jaws;
You have brought Me to the dust of death.
16 For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced My hands and My feet;
17 I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
18 They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.
19 But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!
20 Deliver Me from the sword,
My precious life from the power of the dog.
21 Save Me from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen!
You have answered Me.
22 I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23 You who fear the LORD, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.
25 My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.
Let your heart live forever!
27 All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
28 For the kingdom is the LORD’s,
And He rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.
30 A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
31 They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this.
So, my personal conclusion, which others also share is this: yes, He most definitely was in deep anguish in ways that we will never understand. However, I think that in His final moments before death, He was still bringing the message that He was God's Son...He was making it clear, that He was the long awaited one. He was still about His Father's business.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
What Are You Doing Here?
What are you doing here?
Sure, I sometimes wonder why people bother to stop by any of my blogs, but my real question restated is What are you doing here?
It's not a hard question, but you may have problems figuring out an answer. I think this question can really be posed to three different aspects of your life:
1.) How You Got Here - It Can Be a Rough Road
There are many, many people out there that were born into less-than-ideal circumstances. There are those who have been born into broken homes, into drug or alcohol saturated environments, to parents that could not care for you, to parents who did not want to be parents, into poverty, into abusive families, or other atrocities.
Let me tell you something quickly. You were not a mistake. Your parents may not have expected you, but your arrival did not surprise God.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." --Jeremiah 1:5
He knew you were on your way. He knew the situation that you would be faced with, and he allowed it. Do you understand what that means? He doesn't get kicks out of watching innocent people suffer--he has a plan to use your lot in life for his purpose.
2.) You Past Pains - Why, God, why?
Some people, when experiencing a hardship or seeing a painful situation that pierces their heart will doubt the existence of God. The defense of their argument is always something like "why would a loving god allow _______ to happen?" It's a perfectly reasonable question. Don't worry...you're not in trouble for asking.
In fact, you're greatly accurate in your thinking. Your assumption that he is powerful enough to stop it is accurate; in fact, one day he will stop all suffering. He is interested enough in our everyday activities to care about what happens to us. However, ceasing the pain is not always his plan. He might allow it in order to emphasize a need elsewhere; he might want to draw someone nearer to him by allowing them to hit rock bottom to realize they need to look up; he might be teaching us lessons that we can use later in life to positively influence others; he might just be setting us up for a miracle where he is given all of the glory; or he might just be letting us learn the hard way that our bad decisions do have consequences. However, the fact that there is pain and hardship in this world are not proof in the absence of God, but rather in his Sovereignty. You heard me. He is holy. He doesn't do things the way we do. In fact, if we could do better with our lives, he would allow it. We have all seen how well life goes when we try to take the reigns--it just doesn't work. He has our best interests at heart. He can see the horizon that is hidden from us.
I can tell you of a dozen times that I've wondered "why, God, why?" My father suffered from cancer THREE times before it finally took his life at age 60 (acceptance). I have stood face to face with an advanced stage pre-cancer myself (all gone now). I have lived--hollowlike as it was at the time--through a broken and aching marriage (we're good now). My sister was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the ripe old age of 38 (she's living with it...we're still praying). I lost a good friend to a tragic accident while we were both teenagers (more acceptance). These are just a few examples. And I'm only 29 years old.
These situations have not crippled me--they have provided strength. Sure, they have been heart-wretching at times, but I have grown closer to my Lord because I could do nothing but lean on him. I have been able to reach out to others in similar situations, and I truly feel that my influence on others in similar areas is not complete.
Here's the deal--you are not the result of your past pains alone. You can let them determine your life's outcome. You can allow them to take hold of you and suffocate you from without. But you don't have to. You are what you allow yourself to become as a result of these situations. Do you become bitter, angry, hurt, and distant? Or do you grow more whole, stronger, more faithful? It's your decision; you are not a slave to your past.
3.) Your Future - Are You Still Reading This?
If you are still reading this, part of me wants to thank you; another part of me wants to scream, "Get out of here and get to work!"
You see, if you are still breathing, God has a job left for you to do. He hasn't forgotten to take you yet...he's waiting for you to finish the task at hand. You're not being allowed to rest after completing the task at hand--trust me, he has a much more restful place for you when the time is right. You've still got work to do. You may not quite know what that task is, but I would suggest that you at least start seeking out what that task is.
You have been given a gift to share. Find out what that gift is. Keep your eyes open for opportunity. Keep in close contact with God via prayer. Find your spiritual niche. And share it. Share it boldly, share it consistently, share it urgently, share it faithfully.
It is, after all, why you are here.
Sure, I sometimes wonder why people bother to stop by any of my blogs, but my real question restated is What are you doing here?
It's not a hard question, but you may have problems figuring out an answer. I think this question can really be posed to three different aspects of your life:
1.) How You Got Here - It Can Be a Rough Road
There are many, many people out there that were born into less-than-ideal circumstances. There are those who have been born into broken homes, into drug or alcohol saturated environments, to parents that could not care for you, to parents who did not want to be parents, into poverty, into abusive families, or other atrocities.
Let me tell you something quickly. You were not a mistake. Your parents may not have expected you, but your arrival did not surprise God.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." --Jeremiah 1:5
He knew you were on your way. He knew the situation that you would be faced with, and he allowed it. Do you understand what that means? He doesn't get kicks out of watching innocent people suffer--he has a plan to use your lot in life for his purpose.
2.) You Past Pains - Why, God, why?
Some people, when experiencing a hardship or seeing a painful situation that pierces their heart will doubt the existence of God. The defense of their argument is always something like "why would a loving god allow _______ to happen?" It's a perfectly reasonable question. Don't worry...you're not in trouble for asking.
In fact, you're greatly accurate in your thinking. Your assumption that he is powerful enough to stop it is accurate; in fact, one day he will stop all suffering. He is interested enough in our everyday activities to care about what happens to us. However, ceasing the pain is not always his plan. He might allow it in order to emphasize a need elsewhere; he might want to draw someone nearer to him by allowing them to hit rock bottom to realize they need to look up; he might be teaching us lessons that we can use later in life to positively influence others; he might just be setting us up for a miracle where he is given all of the glory; or he might just be letting us learn the hard way that our bad decisions do have consequences. However, the fact that there is pain and hardship in this world are not proof in the absence of God, but rather in his Sovereignty. You heard me. He is holy. He doesn't do things the way we do. In fact, if we could do better with our lives, he would allow it. We have all seen how well life goes when we try to take the reigns--it just doesn't work. He has our best interests at heart. He can see the horizon that is hidden from us.
I can tell you of a dozen times that I've wondered "why, God, why?" My father suffered from cancer THREE times before it finally took his life at age 60 (acceptance). I have stood face to face with an advanced stage pre-cancer myself (all gone now). I have lived--hollowlike as it was at the time--through a broken and aching marriage (we're good now). My sister was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the ripe old age of 38 (she's living with it...we're still praying). I lost a good friend to a tragic accident while we were both teenagers (more acceptance). These are just a few examples. And I'm only 29 years old.
These situations have not crippled me--they have provided strength. Sure, they have been heart-wretching at times, but I have grown closer to my Lord because I could do nothing but lean on him. I have been able to reach out to others in similar situations, and I truly feel that my influence on others in similar areas is not complete.
Here's the deal--you are not the result of your past pains alone. You can let them determine your life's outcome. You can allow them to take hold of you and suffocate you from without. But you don't have to. You are what you allow yourself to become as a result of these situations. Do you become bitter, angry, hurt, and distant? Or do you grow more whole, stronger, more faithful? It's your decision; you are not a slave to your past.
3.) Your Future - Are You Still Reading This?
If you are still reading this, part of me wants to thank you; another part of me wants to scream, "Get out of here and get to work!"
You see, if you are still breathing, God has a job left for you to do. He hasn't forgotten to take you yet...he's waiting for you to finish the task at hand. You're not being allowed to rest after completing the task at hand--trust me, he has a much more restful place for you when the time is right. You've still got work to do. You may not quite know what that task is, but I would suggest that you at least start seeking out what that task is.
You have been given a gift to share. Find out what that gift is. Keep your eyes open for opportunity. Keep in close contact with God via prayer. Find your spiritual niche. And share it. Share it boldly, share it consistently, share it urgently, share it faithfully.
It is, after all, why you are here.
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