But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say "Let God be exalted!" Ps. 70:4
We know so much. We gather information at a rate that is truly incomprehensible. Boundless sources of data with tools to dissect and analyze it in ways not even possible 15-20 years ago. Yet we miss the truth so easily, so often.
We can break apart the very fabric of the human experience, cure some diseases that were thought to be incurable, and communicate around the globe in nanoseconds, but we struggle to grasp the meaning of the simple, of the obvious, of the essential.
How many times have you heard the name of God? How many times have you spoken it? It is common, too common. Have we developed personal relationships with Jesus, and lost our reverance of the Father.
When I slow down and think about the use of the word "God" in my life, in my community, in my church I find myself quickly passing by the enormity of the name. I think this phenomenon is partly a function of the casual nature of our culture. We are not easily impressed. We do not sustain high, formal standards in our speech, actions nor ideals. Children are often on a first name basis with adults, sometimes even their parents. Persons in authority have so often let us down that even those holding the highest offices seem to be less than they once were. We know better, we would do it better. And we have slowly, but easily lessened the name of God.
When I consider that truth in my own life I feel ashamed. How can I claim to love, honor and glorify God when I don't have the reverance in my heart He deserves. The name of God should be thought of and spoken as GOD! This is GOD. Not "a" god, but GOD! This is GOD who created the heavens and the earth. This is GOD who created light. This is GOD who created mankind. This is GOD who established His covenant with His created people, and then in their moment of greatest peril sacrificed Himself in the form of His son so that He could be glorified through the forgiveness of sin and eternal life of His creation!
Ordinary? Commonplace? Irreverant?
How about...hushed...awed...humbled...joyfully submissive?
July 21, 2009
July 4, 2009
Rejoice!
We live in crazy times. That's not new news. The pace of life has been getting faster. As a young man I starting chasing success. Success as a husband, success as a father, success in my job. To be a good father these days it seems like I have to give hours and hours of time to shuttling between my kids activities. Sports become all consuming...practices, games, practices, games. I attend band and choir concerts, school plays and science fairs. Church youth activities and trips.
Work is worse. I rise everyday at 5:30 a.m. and begin the routine of getting ready for work. During the school year that includes getting the kids off to school and then I'm at work until at least 6 p.m. most days. The pace at work is more frenzied then I remember it being previously. The drive to figure out what isn't working well in these crazy economic times just adds stress to everyone from the top down to the bottom of the team.
Do you ever wonder why? Why do we rush? Why do we get stressed? Why do we build expectations to monumental levels?
The Book of Romans, chapter 5 versus 1-2 talks about our response to the incredible sacrifice of Christ to pay for our sins saying "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."
Do we really believe that? Does that manifest itself in the way we approach our lives in general, or more simply the way we live out each day? I don't think I do. I rarely find myself rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God. In fact, I seldom take time to rejoice in God at all. I'm too busy. I'm too tied up in the "important" things I have to get done each day. And that, is clearly not God's design, but mine.
I need to take that as a challenge to my soul. To truly rejoice in the hope of the of glory of God. To put everything else in my life into it's proper place, which means behind the glory of God. To view that glory as the paramount goal of each moment I live, and to fully know that all of the other challenges, successes, joys and sorrows of my life are but opportunities to glorify Him.
Work is worse. I rise everyday at 5:30 a.m. and begin the routine of getting ready for work. During the school year that includes getting the kids off to school and then I'm at work until at least 6 p.m. most days. The pace at work is more frenzied then I remember it being previously. The drive to figure out what isn't working well in these crazy economic times just adds stress to everyone from the top down to the bottom of the team.
Do you ever wonder why? Why do we rush? Why do we get stressed? Why do we build expectations to monumental levels?
The Book of Romans, chapter 5 versus 1-2 talks about our response to the incredible sacrifice of Christ to pay for our sins saying "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."
Do we really believe that? Does that manifest itself in the way we approach our lives in general, or more simply the way we live out each day? I don't think I do. I rarely find myself rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God. In fact, I seldom take time to rejoice in God at all. I'm too busy. I'm too tied up in the "important" things I have to get done each day. And that, is clearly not God's design, but mine.
I need to take that as a challenge to my soul. To truly rejoice in the hope of the of glory of God. To put everything else in my life into it's proper place, which means behind the glory of God. To view that glory as the paramount goal of each moment I live, and to fully know that all of the other challenges, successes, joys and sorrows of my life are but opportunities to glorify Him.
July 2, 2009
Christmas morning!
I love Christmas morning. It is awesome! Watching my children get so excited in the days leading up to Christmas, and then BAM! it's here and they are ripping open a package and grinning ear to ear because it's the set of paint brushes, or the drum sticks, or the video game they were hoping for. It was the same for me when I was a child. Fun, exciting and full of love.
We all know the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ. Most years, but I can't say every year we put the kids to bed on Christmas Eve by reading the story of his birth from the book of Matthew. What an incredible gift God gave to each of us that follow Jesus. He came to this earth, lived among us experiencing the reality of life and then sacrificed himself for our sins. A "little" better than paint brushes, drum sticks or video games.
Most of my life as a Christian has been lived viewing this gift as the most relevant aspect of Christianity. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Salvation. I have heard countless sermons in church, speakers elsewhere and read in many books that this sacrifice was made for me. That I can have a personal relationship with Jesus. And, it was. And, I do.
But let's look at what Jesus himself said about the reason for his sacrifice. As his crucifixion was nearing he spoke to his disciples saying in John 12:27-28 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour?' No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name."
What I never realized in the first 25 years of my Christian life is that salvation is not for me, nor for you. It is for God's glory. We think so little of God that we put our salvation above His achievement. Above His kingdom. The birth of my life is a gift to me from God. My death and eternal life is as well.
What will I do on this earth in between to bring glory to Him?
We all know the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ. Most years, but I can't say every year we put the kids to bed on Christmas Eve by reading the story of his birth from the book of Matthew. What an incredible gift God gave to each of us that follow Jesus. He came to this earth, lived among us experiencing the reality of life and then sacrificed himself for our sins. A "little" better than paint brushes, drum sticks or video games.
Most of my life as a Christian has been lived viewing this gift as the most relevant aspect of Christianity. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Salvation. I have heard countless sermons in church, speakers elsewhere and read in many books that this sacrifice was made for me. That I can have a personal relationship with Jesus. And, it was. And, I do.
But let's look at what Jesus himself said about the reason for his sacrifice. As his crucifixion was nearing he spoke to his disciples saying in John 12:27-28 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour?' No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name."
What I never realized in the first 25 years of my Christian life is that salvation is not for me, nor for you. It is for God's glory. We think so little of God that we put our salvation above His achievement. Above His kingdom. The birth of my life is a gift to me from God. My death and eternal life is as well.
What will I do on this earth in between to bring glory to Him?
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