I remember like it was yesterday; the break up. Candy machine rings, origami laden love notes, and tireless telephone calls seemed to dissipate into oblivion.
How naïve a 10 year old could be when his grade school girlfriend was headed to junior high? A heart once melted by her long standing pony tail was now filled with fury toward boys with facial hair.
Why is the break-up so difficult to bear?
The past always seems more glamorous than it really was. Seriously. We scratch our heads and wonder what went wrong. We never fought, argued, or disagreed. Every date was heavenly; eternal bliss. Or so we thought.
The present always seems more painful than it really is. Contemplating our very existence we begin searching for a reason just to live. Looking to that relationship to 'complete me,' we now feel lost and desperate for something to numb the pain.
The future always seems for more fearful than it really will be. This is our new lot in life; single. We place a label on our lives as if we'll never measure up, be good enough, or find our true soul mate.
The truth is, God is asking us to initiate the break-up. And the sad reality, we've so glamorized this relationship that we've ignored his blatant appeal to get out. We're confident that nothing could be better. We've become so familiar with this setting that we're unwilling to escape what we know to be an unhealthy place for ourselves.
And this is why so many people will never enter the relationship God is calling us to engage. Because we're content to believe that dating ourselves is far more appealing, far more satisfying, and far more rewarding than the relationship He's inviting us to consider.
The glamour of pride and selfishness, dating myself if you will, has only masked the damning effects of separating myself from Christ. But the pain of breaking-up is necessary to see the distance between me and the one who holds the greatest affection for me.
The break-up will always be a difficult cross to bear. But it's one that's worth any amount of pain to sustain a life of commitment, submission, and obedience to the greatest lover of all; Jesus, the one who gave His life for me. He will always grant the faith necessary to trust His faithfulness.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Friday, June 19, 2015
Sin is Fun
She saw that it "was good for food, a delight to the eyes, and was to be desired to make one wise."
In a moment of complete vulnerability she abandoned what she knew to be true to appease her craving for a moment of ecstasy. The fruit of that tree would certainly satisfy her appetite. It was appealing; dressed in shimmering colors of majestic goodness.
Who are we kidding to say sin isn't fun? Craig Groeschel says, "if sin isn't fun then you must not be doing it right." Sin is fun...for a season.
Most of us have either become disgusted by such behavior or we've indulged in it ourselves. It either sickens us that others seem to benefit from manipulative deception or we've become a pawn in this masquerade of lucrative living.
"Then the eyes of both of them were opened."
Andy Stanley says, "Sin always comes pre-packaged with a penalty." You cannot do what you want without the interference of its inseparable consequences.
"They sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths."
They believed the lie, justified their actions, and blamed others for their mistake. Then, they made a poor attempt to redeem the situation with what would eventually disintegrate under the elements of shameful living.
Our rebellion can always be traced back to our attempt to out-maneuver God's design for our ultimate happiness. But as one pastor said, "Sin will always take you further than you wanted to go, cost you more than you wanted to pay, and keep you longer than you wanted to stay."
"God made for Adam and his wife garments of skin and clothed them."
However, the most incredible result of our rebellion is not the temporary satisfactions of our wayward living or the overwhelming shame of our distress, but the excruciating path God is willing to travel to reconcile us back to Himself; even the death of His son.
In a moment of complete vulnerability she abandoned what she knew to be true to appease her craving for a moment of ecstasy. The fruit of that tree would certainly satisfy her appetite. It was appealing; dressed in shimmering colors of majestic goodness.
Who are we kidding to say sin isn't fun? Craig Groeschel says, "if sin isn't fun then you must not be doing it right." Sin is fun...for a season.
Most of us have either become disgusted by such behavior or we've indulged in it ourselves. It either sickens us that others seem to benefit from manipulative deception or we've become a pawn in this masquerade of lucrative living.
"Then the eyes of both of them were opened."
Andy Stanley says, "Sin always comes pre-packaged with a penalty." You cannot do what you want without the interference of its inseparable consequences.
"They sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths."
They believed the lie, justified their actions, and blamed others for their mistake. Then, they made a poor attempt to redeem the situation with what would eventually disintegrate under the elements of shameful living.
Our rebellion can always be traced back to our attempt to out-maneuver God's design for our ultimate happiness. But as one pastor said, "Sin will always take you further than you wanted to go, cost you more than you wanted to pay, and keep you longer than you wanted to stay."
"God made for Adam and his wife garments of skin and clothed them."
However, the most incredible result of our rebellion is not the temporary satisfactions of our wayward living or the overwhelming shame of our distress, but the excruciating path God is willing to travel to reconcile us back to Himself; even the death of His son.
Tuesday, June 02, 2015
Life is More than a Game!
Life is a game. Life is a test. Life is a journey.
Absolutely! We can make one or all of these metaphors resonate with the various stages of our life.
But if there's anything I've learned in life it's this; sometimes the world's antics can sabotage our thinking in a way that allows its subtle messages to rob us of the fullness of life that we were meant to live.
I'm convinced that God's design for the human frame is to acknowledge Him as the greatest prize in life and that our pursuit of Him should become our greatest priority. And I'm also convinced that He intends for us to make this journey together with those whom we've built healthy relationships nurtured by strong convictions, similar interests, and shared experiences.
Absence will not make the heart grow fonder.
A life void of God's presence will not engage a heart full of life and purpose. If anything it will cause our heart to deceptively chase empty illusions. A life of isolation keeps the secrets of our past hidden deep within our heart where they continue to gnaw away at the potential for growth and security.
Absolutely! We can make one or all of these metaphors resonate with the various stages of our life.
But if there's anything I've learned in life it's this; sometimes the world's antics can sabotage our thinking in a way that allows its subtle messages to rob us of the fullness of life that we were meant to live.
I'm convinced that God's design for the human frame is to acknowledge Him as the greatest prize in life and that our pursuit of Him should become our greatest priority. And I'm also convinced that He intends for us to make this journey together with those whom we've built healthy relationships nurtured by strong convictions, similar interests, and shared experiences.
Absence will not make the heart grow fonder.
A life void of God's presence will not engage a heart full of life and purpose. If anything it will cause our heart to deceptively chase empty illusions. A life of isolation keeps the secrets of our past hidden deep within our heart where they continue to gnaw away at the potential for growth and security.
Silence doesn't strengthen our relationships.
Communication simultaneously holds the greatest value and the greatest risk for developing our relationships with God and others. God longs to hear from us and He is desperate to share His love with us. Our silence only perpetuates the confusion for a loving and secure relationship that we all desire.
Communication simultaneously holds the greatest value and the greatest risk for developing our relationships with God and others. God longs to hear from us and He is desperate to share His love with us. Our silence only perpetuates the confusion for a loving and secure relationship that we all desire.
Distance doesn't merge, it only divides.
Choosing to separate ourselves from God sends the message that we can independently control the outcomes of our own situations; dividing our allegiance between Him and our idols. Creating space will simply press a wedge more firmly between us and those whom we truly desire to know and be known.
Make time.
Living a life full of selfish desires, filling all of your time to please yourself, will leave you empty and void of meaningful experiences with others. The greatest gift we can ever give God and others is our time.
Living a life full of selfish desires, filling all of your time to please yourself, will leave you empty and void of meaningful experiences with others. The greatest gift we can ever give God and others is our time.
Create space.
Our jobs, schedules, and hobbies bombard us in a way that we feel the weight pressing in on our soul that we feel robbed of our rest. We must learn to build into our routines the little moments of space where we can breathe and simply "be."
Our jobs, schedules, and hobbies bombard us in a way that we feel the weight pressing in on our soul that we feel robbed of our rest. We must learn to build into our routines the little moments of space where we can breathe and simply "be."
Plant stakes.
The common denominator for cultivating healthy relationships is memorializing significant moments as shared experiences with others.There have been moments in both my relationship with God and with others where I've planted stakes in the ground to remember as significant moments that I choose never to forget.
The common denominator for cultivating healthy relationships is memorializing significant moments as shared experiences with others.There have been moments in both my relationship with God and with others where I've planted stakes in the ground to remember as significant moments that I choose never to forget.
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