Me? or Us? Part 1

I am struck more and more at the focus in the Scriptures on the church as a whole in comparison to us as individuals.  Somehow I missed it for most of my life.  No doubt, we are addressed as individuals and are called, each one, to follow Christ.  We obviously can’t just be swept along and saved because of someone else’s faith.  We are each called to have faith; each called to obey.  Yet “in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body…for the body does not consist of one member but of many.”  Even in the Old Testament, which in so many ways was a shadow of what was to come, God deals with the children of Israel as a whole.  There are individuals in the OT through whom God speaks to the people, but the Jews, as a nation, were his “inheritance,” his “heritage.”  Not one individual, but the nation. 

When we are baptized into his body, we lose our old identity.  We gain a new one.  We are no longer lost, but found.  We are no longer individual sinners “digging our own wells” and worshiping created things.  We are a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” living for and serving God.  All three of those words:  race, priesthood, nation, describe a group or a body of people.  If I am saved, then I am a priest, yes.  But I am a priest within a priesthood.  I am supernaturally linked to each and every believer in Jesus Christ.  Whether I realize it or not, whether I act like it or not, whether I like it or not, I am no longer a maverick.  I am an integral part of Christ’s eternal church.  I am not on a secret, reconnaissance mission just between me and God.  I don’t have special orders from him and I am not his favored soldier. 

We have many and bountiful blessings because we are Americans.  But one disadvantage we may experience as Americans is the rugged individualism that has been hammered into our culture and our brains.  This mindset, sometimes blatant, sometimes subtle, encompasses thoughts like, “I will do it all by myself,” “I keep my cards close to my chest,” “If she wants help, she can ask,” “Her sin (or spiritual sickness) does not affect me.” 

We have lived a life of independent self-will but upon receiving salvation and growing in sanctification, we are to live out our oneness.  That should be the focus and the direction of our lives.  But if we aren’t aware these truths, or if we deny them, we will not have the right focus, and not only will the church suffer, we will suffer.  My new identity now stems from oneness with God through Christ having received his Spirit to dwell in me.  BUT there is more.  This new identity also includes me losing myself, denying myself, and no longer living independently, smug in my relationship with God, but interdependently with the body of Christ. 

Judge not...

I saw the movie, Son of God, the other night.  It was good.  I really enjoyed it and was inspired by it.  Of course there were some inconsistencies with the gospel account (which movie portraying Jesus has not had inconsistencies?), but the message was on track: Jesus came to seek and save the lost, gave his life as the perfect lamb to be sacrificed for us, and rose from the dead.  It kind of troubles me that some are adamantly opposed to seeing the movie.  These are not atheists I am talking about or those resistant to the Christian faith.  They are Christ followers.  Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion or conviction, but let’s make sure our convictions line up across the board.  This is a movie about Jesus.  It isn’t heretical or blasphemous.  If you know your Bible, you will see that some dialogue and events are not word-for-word accurate.  If you don’t you’re your Bible, the movie just may inspire you to go and read it more.  If you refuse to see it because of inconsistencies with the Bible, may I challenge you to ask yourself these questions:  What inconsistencies with the Bible are in my life?  And what am I doing about them?  Am I willing to watch movies or t. v. shows that are full of immorality; bad language, lots of skin, adultery, senseless violence, deceit, etc?  Am I more tolerant of bad character and worldly morality than I am of some poetic license in a movie about Jesus?  Am I more vocal and outwardly critical of the movie, Son of God, than I am about other ungodly movies that I have not only watched but endorsed?  As Christians, this cannot be.  We are hypocrites if we condemn this movie and condone movies that not only are void of Christian influence but are blatantly immoral.  As Christians, we need to have a unified front for things that are godly and against those that are immoral.  If we chide the Christian movie that may not have awesome special effects or Oscar-worthy acting, then we are critical and judgmental.  If we choose not to see it, that is no one’s choice but ours, but let’s don’t berate it unless we also plan to hold the same standard of scrutiny over other movies, television shows…and our lives.

Feed Me!

This body of flesh does NOT want to die!  We are so "attached" to it.  And it puts up a hell of a fight when we deny it.  This body wants to feel good.  It wants to be powerful.  It wants to be right.  It wants to be first.  It wants to be dressed nicely, fed delicious food, stimulated by touch and excited by sights and sounds.  This flesh is sensory driven!  We want to feel good, and we want our senses to feel satisfied...if not indulged.  

What drives your actions?  Why do you find yourself perusing the pantry two hours after eating dinner?  Is it your tummy that’s empty...or your heart?  Why do you reach for the radio or your ipod in the car?  Does 20 minutes of solitude make you restless?  If so, what’s behind the restlessness?  Could it be unsettling thoughts that are normally quieted by outside noise?  Why do I respond impatiently to people?  I have a “right” to feel respected and heard, don’t I?  Why when we find ourselves with an hour of free time do we flip on the t.v. or laptop rather than enjoy conversation with family or read a good book?  Could it be that we default to a more passive behavior that requires less engagement of our minds or hearts? 

The body cries, “Feed me!”  “Comfort me!”  “Entertain me!”  But it is a fiendish cry.  One with a hellish origin.  A cry which originates from an insatiable appetite.  And only results in cries for more, and more often.  We cannot say, “One last time and that’s all.”  Our flesh will not be satisfied with “one more.” 

Yet in denying our flesh, we are not to numb our senses.  God gives us good things to enjoy.  We are not expected to live in a monastery and deprive ourselves of all good things, which is asceticism.  Even harsh treatment of the body is limited toward stopping indulgence.  In fact, we can swing toward strict discipline and depriving ourselves and still be overly focused on the body.

Then what do we do?!

Do not despair!  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!  He will deliver us.  Our focus is not on our bodies; our wants, our drives, our rights, our sin, our failures.  Our focus is on Jesus.  We lift our eyes off of us and fix our gaze on him.  With eyes on Jesus, we endure the death of our flesh.  We nail it to the cross.  Daily…sometimes hourly.  When sin comes knocking, we don’t answer. 

We have agreed to give all to him.  We seek every day to please him and to let him hold our hand.  We bring our hearts to him empty, seeking to be filled by him.  Open wide your mouth.  Taste and see that the Lord is good. 

The desires of our flesh are denied, not to make us miserable but in order that the Spirit of love and life can take control.  We defer to Jesus since he knows what is best for us.  Our fleshly feeding frenzies will be abandoned to  rich, spiritual food that satisfies.  Our self-improvement, self-actualization, self-gratification, self-focus and self-abasement will give way to the gentle but firm hand of the Potter.  He has been there, and he knows what we are going through.  Only his nail-scarred hands can make us into his likeness.

 

A Lesson from a Flower

There's a little yellow flower that I observed this morning in my backyard. It's about the size of a quarter and looks kind of like a daisy, but all yellow. Well, to be honest, it's a weed that sports the little bloom. But that yellow flower was praising God this morning and encouraging me to do the same. The sun had just come up over the horizon and was shining brightly on the waking earth. I was sitting on the patio drinking my coffee and journaling a prayer. I looked out on the yard and saw a lone flower standing tall; well, about five inches tall, with its pretty yellow face angled toward the sun. It was a breathtaking and precious sight which will remain with me. I thought about how this flower stood, so peaceful and bright, as it gazed silently toward the morning sun. It spoke to me about how all of creation was made to praise and honor the Creator. There is so much praise that goes on around us in nature that we miss. We must be still and quiet so we can hear...and see it. I couldn't take my eyes off that little scene. I wanted to be like that flower, standing in silence with reverence and humility, opening up to the warmth of the sun and reflecting it's beauty; a little burst of sunshine itself. That flower reminded me to be still and let the Son shine upon me every morning and fill me with His warmth so that I can reflect His beauty.

Weary Yourselves

I ran over 12 miles yesterday as part of my training for a half marathon. It wore me out! Today I am shuffling around, favoring a sore knee, strained Achilles and tight hamstrings. Pretty weary is how I’m feeling.

This morning I read Isaiah 43:22. “Yet you have not called upon me, O Jacob, you have not wearied yourselves for me, O Israel.”

I got to thinking, I can wear myself out doing a lot of things. But do I wear myself out for God? Where do I pour my energy? How do I spend my time? Do I expend myself for God to the point of feeling worn out? In prayer? In serving others? In resisting sin?

Not that I should go around over-committing myself to a lot of activities for God. But am I on my knees wrestling in prayer for the concerns of others? How much energy am I expending in my resistance to sin or do I easily give in? Jesus resisted to the point of shedding blood. Does my resistance even bring about shedding a tear?

It’s a paradox, this wearying ourselves for God. He wants all of us. All that we are. Calling on him and wearying ourselves for him requires sacrifice, effort, and focused attention. Yet, when we come to him, he gives us rest. Matthew 11:28-30 We may experience a few sore spiritual muscles, but our strength is renewed and our hope restored. That's a sweet deal!

Hungry for Heaven

I think when we get to heaven, it will be familiar; surprisingly familiar, but unbelievably better than we could ever imagine.

This world is not reality. It is a shadow cast by the Real thing. It is an outline or a form. "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully even as I am fully known." This world is an impression, much like a fingerprint. It is evidence that something greater exists.

The things in this world that are good, like breathtaking scenery, laughter, food, soul-stirring music, sex, friendship, love...their origins are in heaven. They are reflections of the original; simple tastes of heaven that whet our appetites for the Feast that awaits us there.

What is it that we are experiencing when we are affected by beauty? When we wish a time of laughter and fellowship with friends wouldn't have to end? When we feel a soul connection with our mate, or when a beautiful song moves us to tears?

They are glimpses of heaven. They are reminders of our hunger; our longing to be filled, to be loved, to be happy. They are echoes of a Voice that is calling us home. Oh to turn our eyes and ears to heaven...and smile, knowing that is reality; that is where our hearts belong.

Avatar and...Christianity?

Last weekend I saw the movie Avatar with my husband and two of our boys. We had planned to see a different movie but were told it was almost sold out, and since I didn't want a sore neck from sitting down front, we decided to see Avatar. We would be a few minutes late which meant we would miss the previews. Rats! I love the previews.

I figured Avatar was mostly an action, sci-fi film which would appeal primarily to my male companions, and I would silently endure the next three hours. But I was pleasantly surprised. It was definitely an action, sci-fi film, but it was creative, intense and visually stimulating. We didn't see the 3-D version, but the vivid colors and lights seemed to be richer than normal.

What really stayed with me about the movie, (and I am about to discuss the ending in case you haven't seen it yet), was the parallel between Jake's journey and our lives as Christians. Jake starts spending time with the Avatar, which begins as a mission to befriend them in order to eventually manipulate them. But it doesn't take much time for him to become deeply affected by their lives. He sees that they are kind and peace-loving and communicate meaningfully. They live in harmony with their world and each other.

When Jake goes back to the military base and reports his experiences into his webcam, it's clear that his heart is growing softer toward the Avatar world. He longs to spend more time there and less at the base.

Here's the parallel. As Christians, we are living in this physical world and feel fairly comfortable here. In fact, we do what we can to increase our comfort and benefits on earth. We often hope that Jesus won't come back before we've had time to experience certain things! We claim we want to go to heaven, but we don't look forward to it like we might toward a dream vacation with friends and family. For some of us, it's just hard to imagine there is anyplace else where we would feel at home, even if it's heaven. But as we spend more time with God in his "world," we get to know him better and are more comfortable there. And not just more comfortable, but we begin to long to be with him.

We see God's love and compassion for us. We learn about how he desires for us to be near him and how he waits patiently for us. We begin to realize that because of our physical limitations, we can't know and experience him as much as we long to. We must make the final step into his dimension to really know him and fully experience him.

Jake realized that in his desire to be with the Avatar, he was willing to forsake his "human" world and relationships. The Avatar world and its ways were more appealing and fulfilling than his "old life." In one of his latter reports on his webcam, he states that he thought he had always lived in reality, but he realized the world of Avatar was true reality.

Initially, Jake had a body like the Avatar, but he still thought and acted like his human self. As he spent more time with them, he began to think and act like them, and when he found himself back in his world, he couldn't wait to return to the Avatar. I wondered though, as the story developed, how or if Jake would ever truly be one of them.

The more time we spend walking with Jesus, the more we become like him and want to be with him. As we commune with him, yet still limited by our humanness, we resonate with the apostle Paul when he mentions "longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling...For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened..."

Jake did become one of them, finally. It would cost him life as he knew it as a human, but he had counted that cost and knew, without question, that life with the Avatar was what he wanted. In a sort of spiritual ceremony, his human body had to die in order for his new, true life to begin as an Avatar. The transformation was successful and celebration ensued.

I can only imagine that it will be something like this for us. Now we are burdened by the corruption and limitations of our body and our world. But as Christians, we have tasted the goodness of the Lord and long for more. We spend time with him, yet it often feels like we are stepping in and out of that heavenly realm. We long for our experience with him to linger, but we must return again and again. As our walk with Jesus deepens, we begin to look more like him and are able to focus on the spiritual realm more readily. But it's not until we lay this body down in death that we will once for all be transformed with a body like his and be able to forever live in his world with him.

Kudos to James Cameron, the director of the film. His creation of Pandora was captivating. I couldn't help but see, though, how his artistic expression, as creative and cutting edge as it was, was still heavily influenced by the originality of our Great Creator. If a mere man can depict a beautiful and alluring paradise, then what kind of breathtaking views and experiences, designed by God Himself, are in store for us in heaven?! Not to mention forever being with the Love of our life!