When in the Valley...

Who doesn't have "valley experiences?"  Having those moments of anguish, desperation, and hopelessness are part of being human.  How we respond in those times is up to us and, in large part, determines our future.

I'm feeling especially sentimental today as I reminisce about June 25, 1988.  On this day a quarter of a century ago, I lost my brother and his wife to a fatal car accident.  Life hasn't been the same.  That defining moment shaped who I am and where my life is today--from, literally who I married to my testimony of God's goodness when I speak at gatherings.  I would not choose such a tragedy in order to accomplish the last 25 years, but I do recognize how God has used that horrific event for His glory time and time again.  

We've heard it said that tragedies can likely either bring people closer together or push them further apart, and I believe this pertains to peoples' faith in God as well.  My family could have chosen the road of hard-heartedness toward the woman who was responsible for the accident or tried to escape one another when confronting our own pain as well as one another's was just too difficult to endure.  We could have cursed God and abandoned our faith in Him and His Sovereignty.   I am thankful I can say today, 25 years later, satan did not have his way!

Instead, we soaked in every testimony of how my brother and his wife had touched a life.  We understand that several of their peers recommitted their lives to Christ. Their story was included in a book and we anticipate hearing one day in Heaven the stories of those who were encouraged by the words of that author, pastor, and friend.  My mom led numerous grief classes over the years touching likely hundreds of lives, many turning to Christ for the first time as a result. For myself, it was the catalyst for me to break off a destructive engagement and transfer colleges, which eventually led me to my husband, for which I'm so very grateful. I wish our family would not have had to endure the pain of these last 25 years. I wish my children and husband could have met my brother. However, I know God has used the tragedy for His glory so my soul is at peace and I, too, can sing the song sung at their funeral--albeit with tears in my eyes--"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow!"

Just because we serve God Who can do anything, does not mean He will keep hardships and injustice away from His children.  Joseph had been betrayed by his brothers, and yet he declared, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20).  With all the tragedy Job endured, never once did he curse God (Job 3:1), and God blessed Job's faithfulness by lavishing on him more than before.  To be a true follower and servant of God means we are to have the same heart of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when faced with a "fiery furnace:"  ^"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us...But even if He does not, we want you to know...that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up"--in other words, they would not deny their God.  Their commitment to God, even when all looked hopeless, proved to changed the heart of a king and the course of history.  "King Nebuchadnezzar said, 'Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in Him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way'" (Daniel 3:28-29).

When we can look loss and hopelessness and tragedy in the face and, with a soft and pure heart, still recognize God as Almighty Deliverer and Restorer, God will show His faithfulness in our heart and even the circumstances surrounding us.  Our hearts my break to the point of seeming disrepair.  But when we cry out to God and place our confidence in Him, He promises to use those trials to bring Him glory, and in doing so, will bring light and peace and healing to our soul.  Like the three friends, we are able to be a testimony of God's faithfulness where hard hearts and stubborn wills of onlookers may turn and bow to the sovereignty of the one true God.

Satan tries his hardest to use circumstances against us, to cause us to lose faith and question God's authority.  Ephesians 5:15-17 says, "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is."  If we determine in our hearts to see His Hand at work in every situation, we can be His vessel to bring Him glory and impact far more lives than we can imagine.  

What is "Passion?"

I had an interesting conversation with a couple people last night whom I don't know.  It was via Facebook regarding a comment a mutual friend posted.  This mutual friend quoted AW Tozer:  “We may as well face it: the whole level of spirituality among us is low. We have measured ourselves by ourselves until the incentive to seek higher plateaus in the things of the Spirit is all but gone… [We] have imitated the world, sought popular favor, manufactured delights to substitute for the joy of the Lord and produced a cheap and synthetic power to substitute for the power of the Holy Ghost.”
-AW Tozer (Of God & Men, 1960) 

I felt I must respond because that is exactly where I am these days, and really the reason why I wanted to start this blog.  I resonated with AW Tozer.  My response was brief, but seemed to trigger some strong feelings:  "Even Christians have succumb to manufacturing spirituality when all we really need is to have true passion for Him."
It wasn't long before I received a direct response to what I thought was a pretty cut-and-dry statement.  I mean, how could someone argue with Tozer's quote and my little response?  A good thing is that it caused me to evaluate my own beliefs and ask the Lord if I am off in my thinking.  Here are two that came back-to-back and the discussion that followed: 

--------------
Se:   Forgive me, but all you guys talking about "all we need is passion for Him" and the like: that's what the Tozer quote is about. What in the world does that even mean?

To: Se: thanks.  We Christians often say things without thinking them through. Passion is, of course, something that comes and goes and ebbs and flows. It may be a good starting point, but it certainly can't be all we need. When passion wanes, we need to seek emotional experiences to recharge it...and end up seeking the experiences, which is part of what Tozer is talking about.  We need passion, surely. We need commitment. We need self-discipline. Truly, as Tozer wrote, we need the Holy Spirit...without Him, everything else is a placeholder and a poor substitute.
---------------
Hmmmm...  It shocked me to realize that someone would argue that we can assume and even expect passion to wane.  And when it does, we must look for emotional experiences to recharge it?  Interesting, but I do not believe Biblical.  Of course, I felt compelled to respond...

---------------

Me:  T, we must not assume it is impossible to live with passion daily.   It's actually scriptural and the very basis of my personal relationship with Christ. If I don't sense a passion to love the Lord and express that in my every day life, there is something wrong and I hope the Holy Spirit quickly pricks my heart. Romans 12:11: "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord" (NIV) or in the Message: "Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame." Passion for the child of God should not come and go, ebb and flow. If we recognize it is waning, an "emotional experience" may seem to recharge it temporarily but if that is the case, then one may question whether it was a true passion to begin with. I'm not implying by any means that Christians won't have times of doubt or "dry spells"--many of God's greatest ambassadors struggled with such things. But at the same time, they did not wait for the next emotional experience to pick them up; rather, they cried out to God. The very act of crying out and waiting for Him can be an act of passion.

Se:  Sharon - it seems that you, through biblical interpretation, have placed a burden on us too great to bear. What if we don't have that passion? What does that mean?

Me:  S, good question.  I believe most of us are missing out on our potential in Christ for lack of passion. We often settle for a mundane, ineffective Christian relationship. The Holy Spirit wants to fill us with power. He can only do that when we are focused on Him, desiring to learn from Him, and then applying what He has revealed to us. I think of how so many of us can plan for weeks, adjust our schedules, and walk into a ball stadium to cheer on our favorite team but when it comes to setting time out for God each day or singing songs of praise or helping out/giving love to a neighbor we are bored and only do so out of duty. When we desire to do those things out of sincere love for Him, giving Him our best rather than what is left of our day or finances, THAT's passion.

Se:  Sharon - no offense, but it sounds like the paradigm you are working from is one of sacrifice. This god requires my passion or he won't bless me. That isn't the paradigm I see Jesus teaching. Though it is obvious that in order to experience God, it would be necessary to seek to experience God, but when done authentically, I think it is often done from a place of deep doubt and pain. What you're describing is as the ancients described the gods - requiring sacrifice to be appeased. God requires nothing of me and yet everything He has is mine. I may come limping and crawling with no passion at all - but that is grace and the only God I care to know.

Me:  If we don't have that passion, we are missing out on God's "abundant life" He has promised and our effectiveness dwindles. We can still be assured of salvation, praise the Lord. I just know for me that I've experienced both--the lack of passion as well as having that hunger for more of Him--and I much rather have the peace and hope and relationship it brings.  Funny, I hadn't thought of it as a sacrifice. For me it's out of deep love and gratitude because I WANT to serve Him and receive all I can from Him, not because I feel I am sacrificing anything (although that's Biblical, too). Maybe that's where the difference is--sacrifice vs. desiring after Him.

-----------------

This is a more lengthy installment than usual but one I think important for us each to ask ourselves:  "What is passion as it relates to my relationship with Christ?" "Does it 'ebb and flow' in my life?"  "How do I keep 'fueled and aflame?'"  And "How is that fervor being expressed outwardly in my life?"  Some important questions to ask the Holy Spirit and then listen for His answer.

Renew Your Mind

Romans 12:2  "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will."

Oh, how Christians must be set apart and not be molded by the world or culture! The culture can easily sway our convictions if we don't continually RENEW our minds. That means regularly choosing to walk that narrow path, otherwise we'll be easily taken down the broader, destructive road of the evils of this world.

As we renew our mind and continue to set it firmly on Him, we will then be able to test and approve (readily recognize) what His will is. If we are following the crowd, it will be much more difficult--if not impossible-- to know what His will is. I remember confronting a teenager about how she and her friends would only purchase one unlimited-ride bracelet to the carnival at our local fair. She and her friends had made the one bracelet large enough so they could take it on and off and share it, having paid only one unlimited-ride admission between all of them. Her reasoning was that she "wasn't convicted about it." My guess would be that she was not living a daily relationship with Christ, that she wasn't seeking Him and His direction, nor renewing her mind in His Word. I'm afraid that lack of conviction was because she had been listening to the crowd which led to being swayed in her convictions and taken down the broad road of manipulation, self-indulgence and sin.

It may be difficult to set aside a regular time to meet with the Lord but OUR WALK DEPENDS ON IT! I can SOOOO tell a difference in how I think and behave when I haven't been "connected" to the source of my power. It may seem odd--at least it does to me--but it affects my confidence as well. I seem to face life with more boldness and a knowledge that I am walking in HIS power, being led by HIS desires, instead of my own wishes which fall so far short of God's best.

Let me encourage those who struggle with quieting yourself before the Lord that once you are doing it, I believe you will sense a joy and change in your spirit and you'll begin to long for that time and the change it makes in your life. This is not to say that it will be easy. I tend to believe that anything worthwhile may be difficult or has great cost. Many things vie for our time and attention. I have found that I can face those very things with a better outlook, greater confidence, joy and peace knowing I've done my part in seeking after Him. When we allow every aspect of our lives to revolve around Him, the results are amazing! Try it!

Living Sacrifices

Romans 11:1
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

When do we--or should we--worship? Daily! And if offering our bodies to God is an act of worship, then we must offer our bodies daily! How do we do that? In our activities of each day, no matter how mundane those activities may seem.

Living sacrifices are, well, ALIVE! ACTIVE! What are we to do? In every part of our life, we must make ourselves available to His use, INTENTIONALLY. It won't happen on its own. What are some practical examples? I will name a few areas the Holy Spirit has shown me:

As I pick up/clean up after my family, I choose to serve them (and in doing so, serve the Lord) and not grumble.

As I drive, I must represent Him and keep my spirit quiet rather than be aggravated. 

I need to not be so self-indulgent that I don't leave time, or make time, for Him in my day.

As I interact with others, ask God to direct what He would have me do.

If we are still and quiet before God and ask Him honestly how He would like us to be that living sacrifice, He will speak. Be ready for it. Open your heart and ears and eyes and it will become clear. It is not until we are sacrifices before Him that we can truly worship Him in the way He desires.

Is He Lord?

Romans 10:9-13
These verses essentially say that salvation comes from 1) belief in Christ's resurrection and 2) confession that Jesus is Lord. 

How long has it been since you confessed that Jesus is your Lord? Dictionary.com states that "to confess" is "to own or admit as true, to declare, to acknowledge one's belief or faith in, declare adherence to." How long has it been since you confessed that Jesus is your Lord? 

Which leads to the next question: How is He Lord of your life? Are you living in such a way that He, indeed, is LORD of you? I like what I read about this subject from Covenant Kingdom Ministries: "I believe the apostles of the Bible had a deeper understanding of the concept of Lordship than we do and yet they addressed Jesus as their Lord, or their Lord and Savior. They were all from a culture that understood that to refer to someone as their Lord meant that the Lord was their master, or owner, or supreme authority and that their only function was to serve their Lord. In our society today, especially in our Western culture, we do not want anyone to Lord it over us. After all, we are free and independent people. We must prefer Jesus to be our Savior because that appeals to us -- to be saved from the consequences of our sins -- it is very humanistic. What is really difficult is to say that Jesus is Lord in our lives and really mean it and live it. Not just say it as a Christian slogan."

Is Jesus your supreme authority? Or do you tend to take matters into your own hands? Do you consult Him on every level or do you do what seems right in your own eyes, tinted and tainted by your past experiences and nature?

We may not fully understand what "Lord" entails, but we most likely know what "boss" infers. According to Dr. Charles Stanley, "Boss" can be a laymans term for our understanding of "Lord." Before a person makes a decision for the business, an employee would consult the boss for instruction and approval before moving forward. The same would be for the life of the Christian: to consult our "boss"--our Lord--for instruction and approval. If the boss has a different approach or different direction he would like to go, the employee changes his approach and direction and follows the lead of his employer. Are you confident in your own approach to everyday life or are you seeking direction and approval from "the Boss" and then following and obeying Him? Are you ALLOWING Him to be Lord? If not, you are attempting to place yourself in that position, a position for which we are 
far from qualified.

We must each ask ourselves the two very important and telling questions: Are we confessing publicly that Christ is our Lord, and are we living in a way that acknowledges He is indeed our Lord?