"Everybody wants to be transformed, but nobody wants to change" - Frederica Mathewes-Green (BeliefNet video: Fasting To Gain Self-Control).
If I were to put the statement above in my own words, I would say, "Everyone wants the resurrection, but nobody wants the cross". All of us want the glory, the power, the easy kindness of Christ, the gifts, the blessings and the gifts (and I'm not necessarily referring to the spectacular, the glorious, and the magnificent), but we all want it without cost, without a battle, without Gethsemane, without having to give up anything, without any discomfort - without the cross. I'm that way, too. But, in truth, authentic Christianity can not be experienced without experiencing the cross in our daily lives.
Biblically, transformation is something done to us by Another, God the Holy Spirit. We cooperate by two means: 1) gazing on Christ, and 2) agreeing with Him. "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed (passive tense; something done to us) into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this come from the Lord who is the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:18, ESV). "Be transformed (again, passive tense) by the renewal of your mind" (Rom. 12:2, ESV). While gazing on Jesus, the Spirit transforms us into His image and likeness. But the renewing of our mind requires that, as Christ reveals to us His mind on a matter, we agree with Him and adopt His mind as our own. This is the meaning of the word, confess, in the scriptures: to agree with. That's simple enough. But what about change?
Change happens as we embrace the cross. "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34). What is the cross? Anything or anyone that brings my choices down to this: my way or His way? my life or His life? my comfort or His pleasure? my will or Your will? Really, the question always comes down to: me or You?
Only a few verses before, Jesus tells the disciples that he's going to the cross. Peter, who just moments earlier was given the awesome revelation and confession that Jesus was the Messiah, rebukes the Lord for speaking about the cross and says, "God forbid it! This will never happen to you" (Matt. 16:22). In so many words, Peter was saying, "What you're saying is not of God! And besides, I will never let this happen to you." Jesus' response is sharp and deliberate: "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man" (Mark 8:33). Ouch! Then, He says the verse quote in the paragraph above: If you want to follow me, take up your cross - don't avoid it.
As we embrace the cross, we simply say, "Yes!" to Him, to His way, to His satisfaction. And when we say yes to Him, He says yes to us. The cross is the door to the experience of the resurrection. The cross is the way of change. When we refuse the cross, we refuse to change. When we embrace the cross, we agree with Him and we change. Through the cross, we come face to face with the biggest changes needed in us: trusting obedience and humility. The cross is God giving to us the biggest opportunity for real and lasting change. And it's always our choice.
Transformation is easy; just gaze and agree. Change is hard...but it's necessary...and it's worth it.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Small Things Matter
Small things matter. How we respond to the small things determines how we respond to the big things.
The Song of Songs says, "Catch the little foxes".
Jesus said, "He who is faithful with little will be faithful with much".
"If you mind your pennies, your dollars will take care of themselves."
But, what are the small things? Well, for me, it's a small thing to wash the dishes for my wife. It's a small thing to spend some time playing with my sons. And yet, these are the things that I often feel like are interruptions to the more important things, like watching a movie, reading the bible, or praying.
Henri Nouwen once said, "I used to get upset and frustrated at interruptions to my work; then, one day, I realized that the interruptions were my work."
Thank you, Lord. Forgive me for refusing the small things, for not seeing your divine provision and will therein. Make me like you...a Lover obsessed with the small things.
The Song of Songs says, "Catch the little foxes".
Jesus said, "He who is faithful with little will be faithful with much".
"If you mind your pennies, your dollars will take care of themselves."
But, what are the small things? Well, for me, it's a small thing to wash the dishes for my wife. It's a small thing to spend some time playing with my sons. And yet, these are the things that I often feel like are interruptions to the more important things, like watching a movie, reading the bible, or praying.
Henri Nouwen once said, "I used to get upset and frustrated at interruptions to my work; then, one day, I realized that the interruptions were my work."
Thank you, Lord. Forgive me for refusing the small things, for not seeing your divine provision and will therein. Make me like you...a Lover obsessed with the small things.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Wisdom from the Fathers
St. Augustine, speaking of a martyr: "And as many sufferings as he endured before he died for Christ, so many offerings did he make of himself unto Christ".
My sufferings are silly when compared to torture and martyrdom; and yet, for one so weak in faith and love, they are true sufferings. Sadly, however, I fail even in such small things. When my sons clamor incessantly for my undivided attention; when someone is on "my last nerve"; when my wife gets irritated at me and throws me that look; when things simply do not go the way I want them to - I fail to make an offering of myself unto Christ. Instead, I scream and kick, scratch and claw, bitch and moan, all for the sake of keeping my own "life"; and in so doing, I forfeit the glory that Jesus wants to give me within the trial, the suffering, the ordinary.
May the Lord forgive me, create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me. And He will - for even when I am faithless, He remains faithful. Amen.
My sufferings are silly when compared to torture and martyrdom; and yet, for one so weak in faith and love, they are true sufferings. Sadly, however, I fail even in such small things. When my sons clamor incessantly for my undivided attention; when someone is on "my last nerve"; when my wife gets irritated at me and throws me that look; when things simply do not go the way I want them to - I fail to make an offering of myself unto Christ. Instead, I scream and kick, scratch and claw, bitch and moan, all for the sake of keeping my own "life"; and in so doing, I forfeit the glory that Jesus wants to give me within the trial, the suffering, the ordinary.
May the Lord forgive me, create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me. And He will - for even when I am faithless, He remains faithful. Amen.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Christmas Day
This is the most amazing day. On this day, millions celebrate the Incarnation: Almighty, Uncreate God takes on human form, beginning on the most minute level, and journeys among us. Although He was God and never less than God, He chose to live as man, as if He were never more than man. He became as we are, so that we may be as He is. The Incarnation is Holy God taking fallen, scarred humanity into a passionate, love embrace, and saying to us, "I LOVE YOU! Marry Me. Be My bride."
Say yes.
Merry Christmas!
Say yes.
Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Could It Be...?
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes...for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith" (Romans 1:16-17, NASB).
Could it be that the reason we experience so little of the power of God is because we've embraced so little of His gospel? Or, could it be because we've not recognized what the power of God is given for? I'm not talking about "miracles, signs and wonders" power; I'm referring to the power to just live the gospel in the daily, mundane routine of life. However, perhaps the reason we see so little of the "signs and wonders" is for the same reason: we've embraced so little of the gospel.
The Good News of God, according to the verses above, is: 1) for salvation - not just getting man out of hell and into heaven (although that's wonderfully true), but in getting God out of Heaven and back into man; and 2) the righteousness of God being revealed. Where? In us. Through us. How? By faith; "from faith to faith".
The power of God is given primarily for the purpose of revealing His righteousness in us and through us, enabling us to live the gospel of the Kingdom here and now, to walk in the very likeness of Christ. May we all embrace all of the gospel and walk as He walks, revealing His righteousness. Amen.
Could it be that the reason we experience so little of the power of God is because we've embraced so little of His gospel? Or, could it be because we've not recognized what the power of God is given for? I'm not talking about "miracles, signs and wonders" power; I'm referring to the power to just live the gospel in the daily, mundane routine of life. However, perhaps the reason we see so little of the "signs and wonders" is for the same reason: we've embraced so little of the gospel.
The Good News of God, according to the verses above, is: 1) for salvation - not just getting man out of hell and into heaven (although that's wonderfully true), but in getting God out of Heaven and back into man; and 2) the righteousness of God being revealed. Where? In us. Through us. How? By faith; "from faith to faith".
The power of God is given primarily for the purpose of revealing His righteousness in us and through us, enabling us to live the gospel of the Kingdom here and now, to walk in the very likeness of Christ. May we all embrace all of the gospel and walk as He walks, revealing His righteousness. Amen.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Changes
Changes
Recently, I've asked the Lord Jesus to clean me up, to pierce my soul in order to expose the motives in my heart. He has graciously answered that prayer and I'm truly thankful. But, in a day when the cry of the nation is for change, I find that God is at work doing just that in those He loves. And it hurts.
The Lord is not sadistic and abusive toward us; He wants to bless our lives with much more than we ask for or even think we need. But I forget that good medicine sometimes hurts and/or tastes bad. More often than not, I don't believe that I'm really that sick. But I am. And I need to be healed from my malevolent and infirm condition; I need to change and to be changed.
For the Christian who seeks to follow Jesus, CHANGE is spelled, T-H-E C-R-O-S-S.
It's absolutely necessary.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
A Cause For Joy
"Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all it contains; let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord, for He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness" (Psalm 96:11-13).
Notice here that the judgment of God is a cause for joy to the people of God, not a cause for fear. The judgment of God is cause for joy to those who love Him and who walk in an attitude of repentence; they want things in their lives and their world to be brought into God's order. They want the things that are upside down to be revealed, exposed, and turned right-side up. The judgment of God is exactly that: the Lover of our souls setting us upright (and everything in our lives and world) in His presence and love.
Notice here that the judgment of God is a cause for joy to the people of God, not a cause for fear. The judgment of God is cause for joy to those who love Him and who walk in an attitude of repentence; they want things in their lives and their world to be brought into God's order. They want the things that are upside down to be revealed, exposed, and turned right-side up. The judgment of God is exactly that: the Lover of our souls setting us upright (and everything in our lives and world) in His presence and love.
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