Wait till you are older. Act your age! Oh grow up! You’re too old to be doing that. Wow no wonder we grow up with “issues” with such good advice as this!
You know I think they are all wrong. The issue is to grow younger as we grow older. Huh?
Didn’t Jesus say unless you become like a little child you could not see the kingdom? “Oh but that is not what He meant.” Really?
You see I really believe He meant what He said. The challenge is to grow older and yet guard my heart. To always come to Him with that childlike dependence and sense of wonder. To trust Him as little children trust their elders.
Wonder. When was the last time someone told you to grow in wonder? I hope I am learning to grow young in wonder. I look for Him in the places a child might find wonder. Ever notice a baby in stroller look at you with that wide-eyed wonder? Children tend to see the world with wonder. And then we tell them to grow up or life robs them of the gift.
So yesterday I saw and heard His wonder at guitar store as and incredible guitar player played incredibly loud through and incredible amp. I saw Him in a bluebird so blue it took my breath. I heard Him in a friend recount their painful childhood only to respond, “If my family only knew what I know of Jesus”.
Once when my son was younger we went to visit Natural Bridge. It is quite a view and very much amazing. Coming back from walking the trail there we came upon the view of the rising moon under the arch of the Bridge. “Man I forgot my camera,” I bemoaned. My son said “you can’t catch that on camera Dad.” Wow.
Driving home from the trip my son said, “Did God make Natural Bridge?” “ Yes He did” I replied. “Hmm. if it is that awesome to see, what’s it like to see God?” His question broke tears of joy to my eyes and has haunted me since.
May I grow in grace and real relationship with Jesus. May I grow older, but never grow old.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Friday, June 8, 2007
Its Not About Me...But it is For Me
The popular phrase “Its not about me” is true. There is a grand story that God is telling and it is bigger than me. There is a life with Christ that far exceeds my self motivating, self serving, my self, self, self agenda.
But you know that is not the whole story.
One abuse or distortion I have seen is the thought that I am expendable. All God really cares about is His glory. If that means I must be miserable so be it!
Or what about the distortion that basically translates “God loves because He has to but doesn’t really like me. After all it is not about me”
And this one is really sick. You have to go through the religious exercises and programs of your church however boring, misguided, unloving, because, well it is not all about you.
Hmm..Does that sound like Ephesians 2:1-10? Especially verse 7!
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
You see there was one who was expendable. There was one who laid down heaven and the right to be God and became man. There was one whose passion for the Father took Him to the cross. And the Father’s passion was us.
So you see it is not all about me and yet it is for me. As Jesus said it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. God delivered me from my selfish narrow agenda into a much bigger, grander one …the glory of God…the joy of the Trinity,
It is not about me. It is about Us.
But you know that is not the whole story.
One abuse or distortion I have seen is the thought that I am expendable. All God really cares about is His glory. If that means I must be miserable so be it!
Or what about the distortion that basically translates “God loves because He has to but doesn’t really like me. After all it is not about me”
And this one is really sick. You have to go through the religious exercises and programs of your church however boring, misguided, unloving, because, well it is not all about you.
Hmm..Does that sound like Ephesians 2:1-10? Especially verse 7!
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
You see there was one who was expendable. There was one who laid down heaven and the right to be God and became man. There was one whose passion for the Father took Him to the cross. And the Father’s passion was us.
So you see it is not all about me and yet it is for me. As Jesus said it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. God delivered me from my selfish narrow agenda into a much bigger, grander one …the glory of God…the joy of the Trinity,
It is not about me. It is about Us.
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