First Christmas

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Luke 2:10

Yesterday was my baby boy’s first Christmas. At eight months old I’m not sure if he understood all that was going on and he’s still working on the true meaning and all but he had a great day. And it was a joy for our family to enjoy that with him. Simeon enjoyed playing with wrapping paper, bright colours and being around family all day.

It was also the first Christmas for a friend that I met just three days ago. Actually, it was his first Christmas as a believer in Jesus. I always enjoyed Christmas when we lived in Japan as we got to be part of many young Japanese people’s first Christmas after becoming a friend of Jesus. It’s like the lights are truly on – not just in the shops.

My new friend has had a rough couple of weeks with some tricky stuff happening in his family, but somehow God has used this season of his life to find him. This man who had never been to church just felt to start praying and asking God for help. On Thursday he visited an outreach of the church to ask someone to pray with him. That night he met with myself and another friend and we were all very encouraged.

It was such a blessing to me to spend time with him and take him to church for his very first time for a Christmas morning service. Sitting next to him and kind of experiencing it alongside him was a real joy for me, like hearing it afresh made the message of Christmas so alive. Knowing his story has reminded me again just what lengths God will take to make Himself known to someone with an open heart.

My friend has come to realise personally that God is with him. Jesus was born in flesh like ours. It was the real first Christmas. Jesus was called, ‘Emmanuel’ which means, ‘God is with us’.

That’s something to be joyful about.

Holding hands through the waves

My Zoe knows how to enjoy life. I will never forget how she laughed hysterically as our plane flew through some nasty turbulence as we approached Darwin airport. Today, on holidays down on the south coast, I learned again from my precious, well-named, four-year-old.

We walked down to the beach and the kids wanted to get into the surf straight away. The waves weren’t all that big but the forceful white water could reach their shoulders and easily knock them over.

Zoe held my hand, jumping and giggling as she braced for each wave. I even tried holding both hands, letting her body flow and bob in the foam – she loved it!

Her trust in me is complete, there was absolutely no doubt in the strength of my arms to hold her and keep her safe. She could risk the waves easily - and joyfully.

What risks could you take, what adventures could you enjoy if your trust in Him was as complete?

Peace & Joy

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:4-9

It’s the end of the year. Time to push through as the light at the end of the tunnel comes into full view. It’s a great time of year, but it’s a stressful time of year.

There’s the general busyness of it all – finishing things, buying things, going to things, planning things, making things special and family events. For me, it’s looking back at the year and all the goals and good intentions I had at the beginning of the year and feeling the weight of them bear down on me as the end of the year looms. This can easily bubble under the surface and give me a bad day or two.

What’s challenging your peace?

Christmas is a time when people hope for peace and wish peace on each other, but it can feel so far away. There is no easy way to peace. Working so hard or eating so much that you hit a wall and drop into a coma is not peace. There is no short-cut.

Again I have been encouraged to believe, to rejoice, to pray and to think well. Then peace comes like a guard for our hearts, peace that we know and feel but can’t really understand – the peace of God – because He is with us.

This is the time of year to remember and know that Jesus is called Emmanuel – God with us. He came and lived real life as we do, and He offers us eternal connection with Him.

I pray you’ll have a peaceful, connected and joyful Christmas season.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

Learning to enjoy

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:17

Some things are very easy to enjoy. I have found that other things are worth working at to enjoy.

It may not be your cup of tea but it is definitely mine. I love to relax and watch test match cricket while reading a good book (maybe even an average book). That’s something that I enjoy very easily.

When I first started swimming each week I liked it but I wouldn’t have said that I enjoyed it. After swimming regularly for a while and finding a rhythm I really started to enjoy it. Being in the water has become something that I look forward to and jump into.

I have real issues with sand. I hate sand. I hate the way it feels on your skin and how it gets in all sorts of places. When it gets on my fingers and under my nails it’s like I can feel it in my spine. But when we go to the beach there’s nothing my kids enjoy more than to play, dig and build in the sand.

I must say I was very slow to begin and when I did it was begrudgingly. I knew that I should overcome my discomfort and engage. I didn’t find it easy but soon enough I forgot about myself and started to make tunnels and add the features that only dads can.

I learned to enjoy playing in the sand. I would have thought this was impossible. I just needed a good enough reason and to take a chance.

What do you need to learn to enjoy?


PS - again, I would love your comments on this blog, and also, check out a new new blog project that Sarah and I are doing at http://notwant.blogspot.com/

So, how’s that joy thing going for ya?

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

A good mate asked a fair and pertinent question. After a year of thinking and writing about it, do you feel more joy? I would have loved it if I could give an emphatic positive response but the answer, and the journey, has not been that simple.

I started the year with a thought that I wanted to test, now I realise that my faith was the thing being prepared for testing. My thought was that if all I’ve read about joy in the Bible is true and God is faithful, then joy should be possible in any moment, in any circumstance.

My sense of commitment to (and enjoyment of) writing this blog has given me a chance to pause regularly and come back to the thought that I began with. Sometimes it’s been easy to feel and recognise the joy, but I guess I’ve learnt more from the times when it hasn’t been obvious, or when I’ve had to fight for it.

There has been many times this year when joy has come easily – the birth of my new baby boy would be number one. But there have been many quiet moments over the year when I have needed to put away doubts or negative thoughts or selfishness. I’ve had to deliberately choose to believe, and then the joy has come. At times, this has been quite difficult.

The variable is faith. It is my faith that has been tested and (hopefully) grown throughout the year. My joy journey (you can make a bad pun with a Chicago accent – “my joyney”) hasn’t been the stroll through the flowers that I envisioned at the beginning of the year, but it has been a wonderfully rich and fruitful season nonetheless.

I know that my faith for joy has increased. I believe that joy is possible, that God keeps it available, freely available, but without trusting Him there will be times when it is impossible to feel.

God is good, and He is completely faithful. And I am thankful for the journey. I believe that He wants us to experience and be filled with joy. It is one of the wonderful results of trusting and believing in Him.

What do you believe about joy?

Just as I felt led into this journey, I am now sensing that this chapter is closing. I hope to keep learning about joy (and experiencing it), but I think new writing adventures are coming.

I would really appreciate your feedback. I really enjoy writing and encouraging people and I’d like to keep learning how I can do both better. Feel free to comment at http://geenotes.blogspot.com or email me at markgee@gmail.com.

Watch out! Joy-thief about!

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

Your joy is a precious commodity and there are thieves that are keen to take it from you. There are thieves such as envy, worry, pride and doubt. Any of these can rip-off your joy and leave you down for days – or longer. I have found that fear is a biggie. In fact all the thieves are really working to take away your faith which is the basis for your joy. One thief on which I am an expert is self-pity.

I haven’t become an expert by observation. Self-pity is an issue with which I have had to battle head on – on more than a few occasions. During a significant battle on holidays once, God spoke to my heart about self-pity and it’s effects on me after I got a tick. That nasty little thing was hard to diagnose, hard to find and hard to remove. At first you don’t notice it, then it starts to sting. The tick grows as it feeds on you, and as it slowly releases its poison.

What triggers self-pity in you?

My birthday is coming up this week. I don’t know about you but it seems that these occasions can cause us to reflect with a perspective that is selfish and negative. I woke up the other day feeling a little flat. It took a little while longer before I had diagnosed another flare up of the self-pity infection.

It’s easy to start to feel sorry for yourself, there’s even a kind of comfort that we can feel in it. But joy cannot exist with self-pity. And it’s only a matter of time before your self-pity will help you to justify being grumpy with others.

It’s no good nursing the tick – you have to get it out before a sting becomes a sickness. Holding on to some claim or right to feel sorry for yourself will only hurt you and your relationships. Let it go. Be grateful. Think about how you can make things better for other people.

Is a thief threatening your joy today?

Joy to Share

And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

Joy makes you generous. It opens your heart and prepares you to share what’s inside. That helps the joy to become contagious.

The churches of Macedonia were praised for their rich generosity in the context of severe trial and extreme poverty. Even though they were in difficulty they had overflowing joy. They will forever be known as people who didn’t give in to self-pity in their trials but had great faith that overflowed as joy.

A heart of joy is open and ready to share that treasure inside. In their joy the Macedonians didn’t wonder about their own future but trusted God and looked to share even their finances with others. They had a strong desire to give and they gave beyond their ability because they had real faith and joy.

There’s something about being joyful that makes you want to share it, whether it’s a great joke you just heard, a great thing that happened or a great smile you just received.

Because of their joy in trial, the Macedonians were ready to give themselves, to give what they had, and to share their joy.

I’d like to be more like the Macedonians, to have such faith and trust in God that I would have joy in the most difficult times, and to be a person who would be ready to share the joy.

Who’d like to be a little more Macedonian this week?

The Opposite

“…sorrowful, yet always rejoicing,” 2 Corinthians 6:10

What’s the opposite of joy?

I’m glad to receive some wise teaching at church. My pastor has said that if you ask God for patience, He’ll probably give you situations to learn patience. If you ask God for wisdom, you may well end up needing to make some very difficult decisions.

I started this year (and this blog) with the desire to search out this joy thing and the feeling that I would learn a lot. I didn’t expect the opposite. It’s been a great year, but it has also been an oddly difficult year. I’ve been surprised how often I’ve had to push through feelings of negativity and even despondency.

Paul seemed to get this. On more than one occasion Paul wrote sorrow and joy in the same sentence. He wrote joyfully from prison. Through hardships he found great riches in his soul and in his work. He knew what it meant to learn and express joy in the opposite context. Paul and his friend Silas once rejoiced their way out of prison.

Habbakuk’s stoic statement shows that he also understood that joy is possible, even when there is no evidence to support it.
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
(Habbakuk 3:17-18)

I am beginning to realise that those who show joy, real and consistent joy, aren’t that way based on some chance of disposition. Rather, perhaps they have learnt their lessons through pain and difficulty, without bowing to self-pity and doubt.

God is a good teacher, and even better, He is a faithful Father. He has been with me in each moment, often reminding me that joy is only a breath away. First comes trust, and faith – then joy can come.

How is God using your current challenge to achieve the answers to your prayers?

Rejoice!

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

Rejoice!

It’s a protest against everything that is coming against you. It’s an act of defiance against everything that makes you want to give up. It breaks the chains.

Rejoice!

It’s an offensive attack against the darkness. It shines a light that cuts through. It overcomes. It is an effective weapon.

Rejoice!

It’s a choice. Succumb to seductive thoughts of discouragement or decide to look beyond yourself and praise.

Rejoice!

It’s the outworking of a heart that trusts. We can rejoice because we know He is good, that despite the circumstances, He is faithful.

Rejoice!

It’s an act of faith when you are waiting for the breakthrough, as you wait for the feelings and the blessings to come. It’s a posture of expected victory.

Rejoice!

The risk of searching and the joy of finding

And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' Luke 15:5-6

Jesus was often accused by the religious of hanging around with the wrong kind of people. One time when He was challenged He shared three similar stories, they all involved loss and they all involved joy.

In the first story a shepherd leaves 99 sheep to search for one. In the second story a woman searches desperately to find one of ten coins. And in the third story a son walks away from his father. In each case the loss is personal, Jesus again made it clear that He preferred to focus on the lost sheep rather than those that thought they had it all together.

Each story ends with joy. The sheep and the coin are found, and the son returns. Those that had lost something become full of joy and it spreads as they invite others to rejoice with them.

Leaving 99 sheep to search for one is a risk. Waiting hopefully for a lost son puts your heart at risk. Jesus identified Himself and His own intentions as He described the shepherd, the woman, and the father. The challenge for us is whether we will cut our losses or risk our heart, time or reputation for others who are lost.

Sounds like a risky and uncomfortable life. Especially for a guy who’d rather go barefoot than look for socks. Imagine always having that look like you’ve lost something. But there’s hope – all three stories ended with a party.

It helps me to remember that I was lost. I have been lost in anger, loneliness, bitterness, self-pity and sin. Without Jesus I would be lost.

What risk are you willing to take?

A Father's Desire

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:11

My little one, Simeon, is now six months old and has had a nasty cough for the last two weeks. At times he has become quite uncomfortable as he struggles through a cough, but I have been impressed that at almost any other point he can manage a huge smile.

In fact, I remember such times with all my kids, as babies, where they would smile through sickness, and I would be impressed and glad. I have noticed though that this changes a little as they get older, becoming more likely to be frustrated and impatient with sickness (like I am).

The ability to smile through pain and discomfort is quite a mature character trait. It takes the ability to see beyond that temporary circumstance. It takes the capacity to see beyond yourself. It takes the faith to believe in someone beyond yourself. As we start to doubt, as we grow in knowledge and experience it can become more difficult to simply believe – and smile.

Just as I desire for my kids to have joy, God the Father wants our joy to be complete. That kind of joy, mature and complete, is beyond temporary happiness. It comes from knowing and trusting in Him. And that kind of faith produces joy.

My son’s simple trust in his parents means that he can express joy even when he’s feeling unwell. God’s faithfulness and love are the reasons that we can smile through difficult times.

God is blessed and impressed by when you have smiled through the hard times. When was the last time you did that? Remember and imagine God smiling back.

Looking to laugh

“A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.” Proverbs 17:22

Life gives us many opportunities to stir up joy or to sink into despair. Every day we make choices to reinforce the negative or we can look to laugh.

A few evenings ago I needed to hit the supermarket quickly to get some necessary items. One of my speed-shopping strategies is to leave the trolley at the end of an aisle to go and grab a few things. Problem was when I returned I took someone else’s trolley and didn’t realise till I was at least fifty metres away. It could have been very embarrassing. Thankfully the owner, who I found looking aimlessly around the deli section thought it was amusing too.

On another busy day I may have added that to a list of things to be annoyed about. I’m glad I chose to laugh. Life often gives us opportunities to laugh.

Why not look to laugh? What could you do today to laugh more?

Decide to see things the funny way. Be ready to laugh at yourself.

Don’t keep the funny stuff to yourself. Share it with others and spread the joy. My wife loves it when I come home from work and remember all the funny things I said that day (ok, maybe she’s laughing at me).

Choose well. We often choose a comedy because we know it will give us a laugh. You can choose to spend time with funny, light-hearted people.

Don’t take life too seriously. Stir up some laughter in yourself. If there’s an opportunity to make a joke – go for it! It doesn’t matter if it’s lame (truly, I’m a dad – I know this!). Make fun – just don’t make fun of others.

I hope you have a few extra laughs today.

Here’s a link to the funniest thing I’ve seen for a while:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKMkiypIPvc

What makes you laugh?

Share the joy

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully”. Romans 12:6-8

There is a park around the block from our house that we enjoy taking the kids to. It’s just a simple park like any of the other well-used, slightly vandalised municipal parks in our suburb. But there is something different about it. A couple who live across from the park have added some love to it, and I think some joy too.

Every part of the park is surrounded by flowerbeds. Around the council’s mundane bushes and park benches colour springs out. The flowers and their routine feeding also attract many birds to the park. I once saw them whistle and a whole flock of rainbow lorikeets came to have a feed.

Today, as I spent time with my daughter at the park I started to really appreciate the work that they have put into the park. They have done something which they are good at, and I presume that they enjoy, and added something to the place. They are using their gift to beautify their world and bless others.

What can you do to share the joy?

Are you good at making music, encouraging others with your words, or baking? Do you excel at making jokes and making others smile? Do you love to give to others or help people?

How can you use your gifts to stir up joy around you?

Living Sent

“The seventy-two returned with joy…” Luke 10:17

In what must have been quite a favourable season for the message of Jesus, seventy-two men sent out by Jesus returned full of joy. We don’t actually get a full report of what the seventy-two got up to (we just get Jesus’ instructions and feedback) but I can imagine and relate to why they may have been joyful. Some of my most exciting experiences in life have been when I have been “sent.”

They went out in obedience to Jesus and the purpose that He challenged them with. There’s nothing like knowing that you’re doing what you should be, something of significance. Jesus told them to travel lightly and to follow favour. He told them not to take it personally when people rejected His message. They came back having enjoyed the spiritual authority that came with using Jesus’ Name.

Just as the Father sent Jesus into the world, so He sent out His followers. I have always enjoyed a sense of clarity, challenge and fulfilment when I have felt that sense of being sent out, entrusted to bring Him to others. Inside an established church we can easily become distracted by petty issues and offences, we are loaded up with the tools and resources but they remain largely unused.

My faith makes more sense when the difference between the church and the world is obvious. I know what it’s like to be surrounded by a population of millions who have no idea what Jesus has done for them. It can be overwhelming, but at the same time the call becomes more clear, God’s Word, with issues of salvation, persecution, multiplication, just makes more sense in that context.

CT Studd, famous cricketer and missionary, put it this way, “Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.”

This is not so much a matter of geography or demographics but it is a matter of perspective. Anyone who has put their hand up to Christ’s Commission has this opportunity to live on the cutting edge of His Kingdom.

The very first thing Jesus said as He sent the seventy-two out was, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few” (Luke 10:2).

Are you ready to get working? Would you like to have the joy, the satisfaction and the challenge of living ‘sent’?

Faith and Physical Evidence

“…other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than what was sown.” Luke 8:8

I am writing from Darwin where our team from PCS and my family has been for the last four days. In our very first devotions time up here I asked the team – why are we excited? How do we know that it’s going to be a significant time here in Darwin? What is our evidence to support the idea that we’re really going to make a difference?

Our faith itself is the evidence. God plants a thought, an idea, or a possibility in our hearts about the future. It is just like a seed that is planted in soil. When we look at the soil we cannot see any evidence of the seed. All that potential is locked away inside the seed, hidden in darkness under the ground.

But the seed is a promise. We cannot control the potential and we cannot make it grow. We can only focus on the condition of the soil and give it the very best chance. And in the Maker’s time, the seed breaks through and starts to show what it and He can do.

Five days in and I am glad to report that we have seen some of our faith seeds sprouting. We were given the opportunity to do a sausage sizzle, serve pancakes and then do a concert at a local middle school. Of course the food was popular, but the response at the concert, the positivity and openness that was there showed us that the church here in Darwin will have many more chances to partner with that school.

It is exciting to be involved in a faith adventure like this; and it is a joy to see seeds bear fruit as our faith and God’s favour combine. The students on the trip (a fantastic bunch) have seen the results of stepping out of their comfort zones to bless and connect with others. We have also had the chance to see the wonderful, strong tree of a church that is being planted here in Darwin by Troy and Nicole Davis. It is thrilling and fulfilling to be part of such a risky and purpose-filled adventure.

What seeds do you have in your soil?

Be encouraged. Your faith is the evidence (Hebrews 11:1). Look forward to the joy if seeing those seeds sprout into healthy plants and strong trees.

Surfing the excitement wave

Anticipation. Excitement. Hype. Sure they come and go, but when they are there it’s a lot of fun. It’s a chance to surf the wave, enjoy the ride and make decisions just before they need to happen.

In two days I will be travelling to Darwin with my young family and a great team from my school. None of us have ever been to Darwin and everyone is quite excited about the opportunity. We’re looking forward to getting on the plane and going to an exotic place where we can see crocodiles and meet lots of interesting people.

For me, I’m excited about our plans coming together, and I really enjoy the way they come together when a bunch of people share a purpose and trust each other. We have been planning all year and now the opportunities are falling into place. We also have a sense that the details will fall wonderfully into place as we get there.

Nerves are always part of doing something new. I am glad that for all our team members, we will be doing new things that are outside our comfort zone. For some it’s acting in dramas, for others it’s being part of a team like this, for two of us it’s taking three kids under six on a plane!

But nerves are always mixed with excitement, and we get to choose how we will manage that. We choose what we will call it.

I think we’re going to have a lot of fun. There’s something very special about being part of a team that it focussed and well-prepared. We’re getting to work with an experienced team up in Darwin from whom our team will learn a lot. And we trust that God has a great purpose for us as we go to serve Him, we anticipate His favour and blessing on what we do.

I thank God for things to get excited about. I thank God that we can look forward and choose to anticipate great things happening.

What can you get excited about today?

What great things could happen in this season of your life?

If you’re the praying type, please pray for our team as we travel to Darwin (22-30 Sept). Pray for our safety and for great opportunities in schools, in Aboriginal communities – especially with young people and kids.

And if you’re the reading type – you can follow our travel blog at:
http://darwinadventure.tumblr.com/

Light troubles – Weighty Glory

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 2 Corinthians 4:17

We have a lot to look forward to. Both in this life and, with Jesus, in the life that will continue, there is more to look forward to than we can imagine. It is so easy in the day-to-day for our hopes to be limited and even dashed because of our focus on the temporary. But we are invited to consider the glory that is beyond this life – a weighty wonderful glory.

I love it when Ps Tom Messer from Arizona shares at our church, as he did yesterday morning. He is in a stage in life where he is enjoying counting his grandchildren and even his great-grandchildren. Ps Tom is a sage. I enjoy his preaching not just for what he says but for who he is and the manner in which he shares.

Ps Tom seems unfettered by the temporary. He is unconcerned with pleasing people and he is comfortable to challenge people. There is no drivenness about him but a sense of simply walking with Jesus. Of course he has faced in his life many hardships and difficult seasons, but now he can enjoy much of what has been achieved by them – and he seems to have a sense of eternity about him.

Seeing a good man in such a glorious stage of life helps me to look beyond temporary troubles. I can see in Ps Tom the result of a life of believing and not giving up and all the achievement in character that goes with that. I am thankful for sages, and I hope that I can become one.

You are invited to focus on the eternal in disregard of the temporary things that will compete for your attention. The important things are hard to see but a life of faith will help to train your eyes for that kind of vision.

And you are invited to see your current troubles as temporary, light and small. This is a correct perspective. When you focus on your troubles they become big enough to fill your vision – they become everything you can see.

Know that God is achieving glorious results through your temporary troubles.

What is your temporary trouble achieving for you in your future?

Joy’s bridesmaid

"I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Mark 9:24

Focussing on joy in this blog this year has been well, enjoyable. I have happily been meandering around thoughts and topics as they have come across my heart. I like finding alluvial gold. As I learnt in Primary school about the gold rush, that’s gold that you find on the surface rather than mining for it. I haven’t sought to mine the scriptures or other people’s ideas on joy but rather see what God shows me next as I try to simply seek Him rather than ideas for a blog.

There is one thought that I have kept finding again and again, something that I think has become a theme among my thoughts on joy. Here it is. I believe that joy is totally dependent on faith. Okay perhaps you’re a few steps ahead of me and that was more obvious than earth-shattering, but let me continue.

Without believing in something or for something or in someone I don’t think that joy is possible. When I am feeling full of faith then I find that joy is already there, it’s easy. At times when I am struggling with doubt, joy is difficult even to imagine. Doubt is a joy-thief. It stops our joy and rips us off.

I’m not suggesting that joy is the goal of faith. Faith is about who and what we believe in. But joy comes with faith. Faith makes it possible to smile even when there is evidence that you should not. I guess then that joy is a handy indicator for faith.

I have learnt that being blessed or counting my blessings isn’t enough to precede joy (otherwise everyone in Australia would be full of joy, right?). Without a spark of faith, we can’t feel the benefit of the blessings, it’s like our heart trying to read with its eyes shut. Without faith we cannot see that some One has designed that blessing because He delights in us.

But with faith - faith that overcomes insecurity, faith that breaks self-pity, faith that brings hope to despondency – we can have joy too. Believing helps us to smile. Once again we see that this great narrative is about our hearts and about a Heavenly Father who cares for them deeply.

What do you do to increase your faith?

Couldn't wipe the smile off my face

God, I will follow you because you died for me
Gave to me your life to set me free
Anyone who asks shall receive
Jesus in your heart
It's time for you to start
Giving God all the glory
‘More than a man’ Stryper 1986

Throughout that day I couldn’t help smiling whenever I thought about it. Whenever I’d remember where I was going that night I would chuckle to myself. That day was last Thursday – and the reason, that had a lot to do with a band called ‘Stryper’.

Back in ’89, when I was in Year 7 I went to my very first concert, and Stryper was the band. It was at the State Sports Centre and I remember it was so loud that my ears rang for two and a half days. It was great!

Now Stryper is what you would call a ‘glam-metal’ band. The music was loud and heavy but the image involved hair that was as big as it was long, tight leather clothing and even make-up (if you’re still unsure, think ‘Kiss’). Stryper’s trademarks were being completely decked out in yellow and black (their clothes, the instruments and the stage); and their Christian lyrics, backed up by throwing Bibles out at the crowd during the show.

Last Thursday morning I bought a ticket online to go and see the band that night in the city. The same bunch of guys who went back in our teens were getting together again to see Stryper 22 years later. Throughout the day I’d think about seeing everyone again and seeing the band and I would laugh to myself. This was going to be a lot of fun. And I wasn’t disappointed. During the concert I couldn’t help feeling a lot of joy.

It was so good to hang out with old mates. What a blessing it is to have shared experiences with great people that you still enjoy being around. The concert had given us a great excuse to get together – some of us hadn’t seen each other for more than 15 years! It was surprising that things hadn’t changed more – mostly just a few more silver hairs and photos to show of our kids. I realised I am now old enough to become nostalgic about being a teenager. It’s great to remember that there are things worth remembering.

The band played an excellent show! I wasn’t expecting a lot, they are all pushing fifty and I hadn’t even listened to their music for literally decades. But the band blew us away. You could see that the guys in the band were enjoying themselves. They were doing something that they love and were purposed for. They were proud that they had created something of a legacy with their music, and they were still around and ready to enjoy it.

I really felt blessed when I remembered the way that the band, its music and lyrics, influenced me as a young teen. Even though I hadn’t heard the songs for such a long time, the words of the choruses would came back to me as they sang and take me back to when playing those songs (on a cassette tape *chuckles*) would fire up my faith. The simple, catchy lyrics taught me simple things about salvation and living as a Christian. I thank God for Stryper and the way their songs gave me strength through that time.

And now I have another great memory to thank God for. Stryper songs have been playing in my head since the concert and I don’t mind at all. It seems that the ringing in my head has now stopped and I’m thankful for that too.

If you get all nostalgic for a moment, what can you look back on and be thankful for?

Tears for joy

When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion,
we were like men who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like streams in the Negev.
Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.
He who goes out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with him.
Psalm 126

Exile is not fun. The Israelites, God’s chosen people, I think it’s fair to say, a proud people, were forced into exile in Babylon. By force they were separated from their homeland and the places that were important to everything they believed. They mourned and wondered if God had given up on them.

There are times of exile that we go through in our lives. There are times when we seem far away from where we thought we’d be. There are times when we feel like we’re on our own or when things just don’t make sense.

This Psalm reminds us that there are hard times like that – but that those seasons of exile will come to a close. The next season is coming, a new season is coming. Now as we start to feel the air warming up and the days starting to stretch we know that Spring is ever so close, we also know that Winters of exile will pass away.

I wonder if during their exile, they ever thought they’d sing such a song – truly a song of joy. They came back proclaiming God’s power and faithfulness as their joy overflowed. There is hope that those in exile will return and that those who mourn will laugh.

When in the middle of a Winter season, it is easy to wonder what the point of it is. We can be encouraged that they came back, “carrying sheaves.” Even though they couldn’t see it or feel it during Winter, the seed was in the ground, in good soil, waiting for its time to break through to fruition. We cannot see with our eyes what God is planning to reveal in the next season. But we can hope, believing that Winter is indeed a productive season.

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.

Don’t just cry tears – sow them! If you are in a Winter season, a season that feels like an exile – be encouraged. Know that your tears are not wasted and that your time of difficulty is not in vain. God is faithful in every season, whether we can see the evidence or not.

Invest your tears in pursuit of God. Dig deep in difficult times, knowing that your hunger for Him will always and ultimately be satisfied. When everything else feels like a mess, focus on Him – He does not change, He will always be with you, and His plan for you is good.

Invest your tears in real growth in your character. It’s more than a cliché. God uses these times to make the changes that we can’t see until the next season when we start to see their fruit. It is in these times that He can move the furniture around in our soul and prepare us for the next stage in our pursuit of Him.

Consider it joy

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James 1:2-3

Hard times are hard. Trials are not fun – just ask some current Year 12 students if you’re unsure. To consider trials joy seems nonsensical. To “count it all joy” seems ridiculous.

There are many other things that we could easily consider trials to be – awful, miserable, difficult or horrible. We could count it as pain, gloom or doom.

But we do have a choice. We cannot always control or predict or make the trial stop but we can choose the way we look at the trial. It is easy and even attractive to be swallowed up in negativity as we consider and describe a difficult time.

And we can choose to focus on the benefit of the trial, that is, the growth that takes place in our faith and perseverance. No trial is fun, but by focussing on the good fruit that it will bring, we can consider it joy. It is a posture of faith, to believe that there is a point to the pain even when we can’t feel it.

I couldn’t say that I’ve ever considered a difficult season in life pure joy, but with a bit of perspective I can see what I’ve gained from them. Now and then when I’m going through a trial, when I can see clearly, I start to be able to consider it joy. When you can feel that sense of hope it is easy to face the trial or fight the battle, and it becomes easier to trust the One who will see you through it.

You decide how you will consider the trial. You get to choose.

Can you think of a benefit from a difficult time from your past?

Joy complete

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:9-11

Complete joy. Imagine that. That’s what Jesus wants for you. Jesus wants His joy to be in us and for our joy to be complete. We waste time thinking that God wants us to feel bad, heavy, guilty or ashamed. He wants us to remain in His love, and live full of joy.

Joy mixed with doubt or fear isn’t complete joy. Eighty percent joy isn’t complete joy. This concept of “complete” joy comes up half a dozen times in the New Testament. Perhaps it was a saying in their language and culture. Jesus and others expressed the desire for joy to be complete; perhaps we could say, “whole” or “finished” or “total”.

As a father, I love seeing complete joy on my kids. My image of this is them playing and giggling with abandon, free of anything that would hinder or dilute the joy. It is my desire for my kids to have joy without fear.

Jesus told us how we can have complete joy. He made it very clear that it is in His love that we receive His joy. His love, our joy. His love precedes our joy.

Can you remember that spark of joy that came when as a teen you heard that someone ‘likes’ you? The idea that someone has noticed you, chosen you, and is ready to express their affection for you makes you feel pretty special. The idea that the Creator of the universe knows us personally, that He has noticed you and chosen you is so wonderful that it is hard to believe.

I recall a time when in my late teens I had been carrying the weight of the world for a while. I was holding it together on the outside but feeling pretty lost inside. At the right time, my youth pastor said he had something to say that he felt was from God to encourage me. It was simply, “God loves you.” In that moment I received His love again. The burdens were gone. I was overwhelmed with joy.

Receive His love. Consider it. Meditate on it. Let it fill your thoughts. Let that understanding be refreshed in your heart and in your soul.

Your Heavenly Father wants you to receive and remain in His love. And He wants your joy to be complete. His love overcomes fear.

Unconditional. Unfathomable. Unstoppable.

How can you deliberately remain in Jesus’ love today?

Be a fan

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayer for all of you, I always pray with joy…” Philippians 1:3-4

I realised I’m not a real fan of the Australian Cricket Team. They’re the team I go for, but I always expect them to win and I’m quick to rubbish them when they are doing poorly.

Lately I’ve considered how much I enjoy being a real fan of people. There are quite a few people in my life that I consider myself to be a fan of. I’m not talking about famous people that I look up to, but people in my life that I easily believe in and look forward to the successes of.

It actually gives me a whole lot of joy to be a fan of people I know. It blesses me to see the best in people and to watch their potential unfold. A few times now I’ve seen that happen and felt that excitement for someone else for the future ahead of them.

Now that I realise that it brings me joy to see the best in others, I like to consider how I could deliberately favour people, by speaking well of them to others, by praying for them, or by encouraging them personally.

I get the sense from Paul’s letters in the Bible that he was a real fan of some of the people in his life. He wrote about the joy of thinking of them, praying for them and seeing them. Paul likened it to the joys of parenthood, believing in people as if he was their own father cheering from the sidelines and celebrating their victories.

It has done my heart good to believe in people. If I can honestly enjoy another person’s journey and be excited about someone else’s potential then it is going to multiply joy in my life. Enjoying others’ success is way better than envying it.

Who are you a fan of?

PS – Joy became part of our family today. We have a new member of the family in the form of a beautiful little bunny. Josiah suggested the name ‘Joy’ and Zoe suggested ‘Lily’. Sarah decided on ‘Joy Lily’. Of course I love the name. Certainly a year of joy for the Gee family.

Together pleasantly

How miserable and unpleasant it is when brothers live together in disunity!

Very few people enjoy conflict, although some seem to. We are all affected by conflict in some way, especially if you spend any time with other human beings. It can give you a bad moment, a bad day or a regrettable week. Even when we avoid it, the conflict continues on the inside.

What if, for the sake of joy, we considered how we could live in greater unity?

I’m of the opinion that much of our conflict is not about the ‘issue’ that might seem to divide us at a certain time. Rather it is about our hearts and the way we relate to each other. It is useful for us to ask ourselves why we have a pattern of conflict with a certain person or around a particular issue.

How often does it simply come back to fear? Fear amplifies our concern. It makes us find points of difference that don’t actually exist. It makes us respond defensively. Fear makes us want to control the variables in order to protect our interests.

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? James 4:1

Is there anything, within you, that could be causing you unnecessary conflict?

Of course, even though most perfect person can’t stop conflict from coming their way from others. Surely we all have enough difficulty controlling ourselves to know that we cannot control anyone else. I’m very glad that, “Make every effort” wasn’t deleted from the following next verse.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:3

May we be ready to forego our pride; and may we be ready to extend grace to those who aren’t ready to. We’ll need that grace sooner or later as well.

What’s is stopping you from enjoying the “good and pleasant” part of living, “together in unity”?

Enjoy this picture from God’s Word.

How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!

It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron's beard,
down upon the collar of his robes.

It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.
Psalm 133

Wonderful chaos / A spot of joy

Wonderful chaos

Last Sunday I saw it. I could feel it. Pure joy.

We had driven for most of the day. It was our first time to travel so far as a family of five packed into the car. We had all been feeling the effects of so much change over the last few months and were very glad to be heading down the coast to our family’s favourite place in the world.

We had been there for less than an hour but we headed straight down to the beach to let the kids play. And they played. Sand is an invitation to play and they accepted whole-heartedly. They found their own space and started to dive in to the sand and pick it up and dig. They were giggling and running and beaming with smiles. It wasn’t long before the water started to call and they were in it up to their knees, now covered in water and sand.

Sarah ran around with the kids. My beautiful twelve week-old, Simeon, was cradled in my arms in a sling. I stood watching the treasure of my life, knowing that I am the richest man in the world.

In play, in that beautiful place, stress was washed away and joy rose up in our hearts. The whole trip was worth it for just that half hour.

There’s something wonderful about chaos. Just mix sand, waves and kids together - three variables that will always improvise so wonderfully together. You can’t stop the waves. You can’t stop sand from getting everywhere. My kids will always have fun when they play in both.

We need to let go of our attempt to control the variables of life. Real life - real joy - can’t be controlled. It bubbles up and takes us by surprise when we let go, when we play, when we take things moment by moment.

Let go. Embrace the chaos. Let joy overwhelm you.


*********************************************

A spot of joy

Psalm 139

I just enjoyed the best part of a week in my favourite place in the world. It has the beach and it has the bush. In fact it has a lot of empty beaches and a lot of bush full of wildlife. More than all this, my favourite place holds a lot of personal history. In many ways I have grown up there.

I love the beach. There’s nothing like a huge, open beach. And I love it when we have it to ourselves as a family. I love the beaches of the south coast. Beautiful blue water, white sand, and backed by national park. What a great place for getting back to zero. Such a wonderful place for washing the stress away and being reminded God’s love and power are wild, mysterious and immense.

I love the bush there. I have taken countless walk there – through my teen years and now as a father. You can see just enough blue sky through the high canopy of green leaves. There’s enough fern and scrub to hide quiet kangaroos resting in the sunshine. I love the sound of the wind through the trees, it always reminds me of God’s power moving constantly and strongly. Walking in the bush, I always seem to spot interesting surprises.

There’s something about having a special place. A place you go to where you and God have history together. Where you’ve sought Him so many times before and found Him. I’m so blessed to have that place that I always look forward to being there. A place where I have done a lot of growing up, a place where my heart searches and my soul is restored.

Where is your special place?

When was the last time you were there?

Joy for strength

Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
From Nehemiah 8:10

I think it would be more obvious to say that your strength is your joy. It makes sense to me that our health, wealth, talents, relationships make us strong and bring us joy. But God’s advice to His grieving people is that joy from Him is their strength.

The people were weary from defeat and oppression. They were not about to trust in their personal strength and emotional resources. They had nothing. They needed strength, and God offers them His joy.

God’s joy is supernatural.

God’s joy doesn’t have to make sense.

God’s joy comes His way.

God’s joy can take us by surprise.

So how do we get this joy-strength that comes from God?

We seek Him.

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
Psalm 84:5-7

We wait.

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 41:29-31

It’s not an obvious transaction. It has something to do with letting go of what’s bothering us, and our own attempts to make things better. It involves trusting Him.

And it comes. The joy comes. Not from our reason or resources. But from Him.

Let it come.

Fire-stoking

The last time I went camping was in unseasonably cold weather. The fire on the first night was a very popular spot for everyone involved. It was a great place to hang out, tell stories and stay warm until it was time to sleep.

I was the first up in the morning, which isn’t unusual for me. I walked through the camp while things were still and quiet. Dew covered the ground and it was possible to see my breath. I kept my hands safe in my pockets for warmth.

I saw the remains of the fire, now grey-white ash and black logs. But there were a few glowing embers underneath. Seeing that is like being issued a challenge - and I accepted whole-heartedly.

I carefully selected bits of small and dry scraps of wood as kindling and rested them close to the glowing embers. As they became alight I could add some larger sticks and start to rearrange the half-burnt logs to bring them back to fire-life.

Soon there was a steady heat and some real flames. I added the last few touches, a few large logs to burn. I chose gaps where the flame would rise and placed them against and over the structure of the fire. Beautiful heat began to radiate from the fire, enough to feel that contrast of having a warm front and a cold back.

I felt quite satisfied – even proud – to stand there being warmed by quite a reasonable camp fire. The fire was now ready to warm others as they woke uncomfortably from their camping slumber. It was ready to boil water for tea and again become the centre around which all would gather, restored to a quiet morning version of its evening splendour.

I didn’t start the fire, but I recognised the potential in it.

I can’t grow a fire by thinking, but I thoughtfully selected which things to add.

I couldn’t control the flame, but I carefully added each piece of fuel at the right time.

I enjoyed the challenge of building the fire, and I felt great satisfaction in seeing that warm fire and sharing it.

What fire do you need to stoke?

Boat floating

…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:10b

My three year-old daughter Zoe just loves to jump on the trampoline. She can spend what seems like hours jumping, singing, dancing and giggling. She loves it.

What do you enjoy?

I have realised this year that I really enjoy ideas. I enjoy getting them and playing with them and expressing them. I love the idea that other people might be blessed or inspired by them too. It gives me a buzz – in my mind and my heart. It energises me.

So what floats your boat?

It may not seem like a big deal to other people, it may not be obvious to observers. But it gives you life and brings you joy. When you let it, it flows out of you easily.

How could you let God use it in your life to connect with Him and participate in His purpose?

Writing this blog has made me realise how much I enjoy sharing ideas in writing. While I have always thought about writing and enjoyed getting ideas, I would always stop because I didn’t believe I had the time to write a whole book. Realising that I can do what I love just a bit at a time – ten minutes there, half an hour there has set me free to enjoy what I enjoy.

What’s stopping you?

God gives you life to the full. He loves to see His kids enjoying themselves. Take some time today to put a smile on His face.

Desire vs. Demand

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods…
Psalm 63:5

My church is doing a Freedom Fast. For 21 days we are going without “choice” food (sweet, meat, salty, tasty etc.) as Daniel did. The focus is to unify us in prayer for our city, as each person participates as they feel led.

When our pastor first shared about the idea I was intrigued. We would be deliberately forsaking the “joy” of food for a time. It’s a joy - an indulgence that I value highly and experience frequently. It would be a challenge. Does it make sense to avoid joy?

I have looked forward to how my soul would be challenged by such a fast. I am taking this opportunity to find out how much I rely on food for comfort, pleasure, satisfaction and joy – where I should ultimately be leaning on my ultimate Source.

Last week I had the chance to attend an incredibly excellent student leadership day run by World Vision. I was more than impressed by the way that they communicate their message and value the potential of young people and their influence. The thing that affected me most personally on the day was information about how the way I waste food actually affects access to food for the world’s poorest people.

Of course the obvious applications are to do our best to reduce the amount we waste, or to make a bigger difference by encouraging others to do the same. But I was stirred with a different thought. What if we could reduce demand? It is our ability to demand and quite easily purchase whatever we want that drives up prices and consumption.

Demand is fuelled by a great gulf of yearning within our souls. Misplaced as it is, without God, we in the affluent West seek to satisfy ourselves through what we can acquire materially.

There is nothing wrong with desire. It is a beautiful thing that God has put within us to lead us to Him, to others, to purpose. But demand is ugly. We actually believe we “deserve” what we have and what we want, driven by greed and self-pity.

Is your soul satisfied with the real Source?

Do you still search for joy and comfort from elsewhere?

Keen to mess with your demands? If you have a spare 15 mins, check out the “Global Food Crisis” video that messed with me.
http://www.worldvision.com.au/40HF/Videos.aspx

Out of the overflow

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
John 4:13-14

Ever been told to, ‘get a life’?

It really does seem that some people have more ‘life’ than others. For some, life is small, crowded and restrained, while others seem to be boundless, open and optimistic. I have experienced both, but I’d like to have more of the latter.

My workplace is going through a period of particular stress at the moment as the school goes through an inspection. Pressure has been building for quite a few months as we prepare for a few days this week when people will come to see how perfect and compliant we are with our paperwork.

In a season of stress, or a culture of stress, it’s very easy to get caught up in it. It’s like our inner resources are depleted, and we’re running on empty when it comes to our attitudes, emotions and responses.

But surely it doesn’t have to be that way. Real, abundant life, with joy and hope to spare is surely possible. The difference is our source, or how we are resourced to endure and enjoy these seasons.

If the sum total of my resources is myself then I’m going to run out of ‘life’ pretty soon. If it includes a great bunch of friends then it should take a little longer to run dry. We need something, or actually someone, who is way beyond us and our experience, knowledge and power.

God is an infinite source. We could never reach the end of His life, His love, His power and His grace. I want to live out of this overflow of God. (Thanks to my good mate Ric Burrell for saying it often). I want to be fuelled by Him and for that power to flow in all that I do so that it can be about Him and not me.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
Psalm 1:3

I love this picture in Psalm 1. God is like a river. A source that is never ending and always refreshed. We need only to keep our roots in the flow.

So often I need to be reminded of the choice that Jesus presents in John 4. So often I forget how much I need the God-source and wonder why ‘life’ is running out as stress, fear or worry set in.

Like the woman at the well in John 4 we need to continue to make that choice, to seek the living water of Jesus. It’s exciting to think too that this ‘life’ springs up in us to become a blessing to others.

Thirsty?

Choose well.

The Fervour of Favour

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17

I’ve come to realise that favour is a big deal, that it is something worth praying for and seeking out in life. I’ve learnt that as we make plans or decisions and especially as we communicate them, it is of considerable value to have God’s favour. Lately I’ve felt the excitement of having a few plans and communications have that kind of favour.

The word favour is found 150 times in the NIV Bible (although you have to spell it “favor”). It’s a concept familiar and significant with the people of the Bible and within the culture of the Kingdom of God. It’s like a holy X-factor that takes a plan or a person and adds success in that season.

God, our loving Heavenly Father, is always looking to bless us, and indeed, we are blessed according simply to our status as His children. But there is a certain mysterious and wonderful way that God chooses His timing to answer a prayer or breathe on a plan.

I’ve had many ideas over the years that I have thought were fantastic, but they didn’t get anywhere. I remember when I was at uni and doing some volunteer tutoring in a high school, I went along to Sydney Uni’s Christians in Education group to inspire others to do the same thing. It inspired no-one. Looking back I realise that it’s not good to try and inspire a group the first time you meet them, at least that’s how it went for me.

It’s exciting to put an idea out there into the universe, to test it out and see if anyone agrees. It’s really exciting when God breathes on an idea. Then, momentum and interest come naturally without arm-waving and arm-twisting. We can just enjoy the flow.

I don’t think there’s a formula to it, but I think that’s what makes it so wonderful when His favour is there. That kind of success is somewhere beyond our efforts and determination. I think that we can pray for it, and it’s helpful to be using our gifts and pursuing His will, but we can’t force it.

We can do nothing but relax and trust in His timing. God is way beyond delivering a formulaic response to our prayers, I kind of like how the mystery sets us for an authentic relationship with Him and to rely on Him for the results.

What could you pray for now, for God’s favour?

Enjoy people

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet,"have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
James 2:1-4

We all avoid people from time to time. Perhaps it’s seeing them in the supermarket but walking on as if you didn’t. Perhaps it’s avoiding that conversation that you know you should have.

We’re afraid. Sure, we’re busy, we’re focussed, we can only have so many friendships, right? It comes down to the ‘F’ word – fear.

People are different, they act differently to they way that we expect. They don’t always respond in the way that we’d like them to. We can’t control what they are likely to think, say or do.

We hope they will understand, give us a break, or just go along with what we say – but you just can’t always predict the way people will behave. It could become awkward, embarrassing, difficult, conflicting – even time consuming. Why would we want to risk all that?

Funny thing about people is that we’re one of them. We are a wonderful mess of personality, ambitions, past hurts, challenges, and moods. There’s plenty to be afraid of. We’re all different – that can be scary.

What if we decided to check some of those automatic responses and challenge that fear?

We can decide to overlook differences, or even better, to enjoy them. We can look to protect ourselves, or we can embrace the wonderful risks of community. We can look at what we perceive as weaknesses in people and judge and reject as we see fit, or we can ask God to challenge our uneasiness and show acceptance and engagement.

We can bring hope instead of fear into hundreds of potential interactions every week. We can decide to believe in people and even enjoy the differences. I look forward to the life and joy that this will bring in my relationships.

What if we decided to take joy in people? Different, risky, scary, wonderful people?

What if we truly realised how much we require this kind of understanding, and what Christ has already done to extend it to us?

[If you have a few minutes, check out this talk by Viktor Frankl on believing in others.]

Blessed is where you are

Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
Psalm 1:1-3

I like the word ‘blessed’. It’s seems to be a very ‘Christian’ word, but there doesn’t seem to be another in the language to match it. Of course, the word works in many ways but I like the definition that makes ‘blessed’ synonymous with ‘happy’ and even, ‘joyful’.

I thankful that I learnt from my mum that ‘blessed’ is different to ‘lucky’. Luck is about chance, it’s a mystery with no connection to you but the luck itself – it’s about who the butterfly lands on or who the bird poops on (seriously, in some cultures). The results might look the same but the belief or being behind it. I’m glad that my mum always chose to say blessed instead of lucky, I think that’s helped me to keep perspective and give credit where it’s due.

On second or third thoughts, counting your blessings can be a little unhelpful as well. Don’t get me wrong, it has certainly helped me to get out of holes before, but it is that self-pity context that can end up reinforcing the idea that blessing is about circumstances – and things that we can count.

I mean, what if it’s really hard to count more than two or three blessings? What if you live in extreme poverty? What if you’re in a storm? Does that mean that you can’t be blessed?

Can you imagine Jesus waking up in the storm with the disciples freaking out and leading them in a song, “Count your blessings, count them one-by-one …” No, after He calmed the storm He challenged their faith. The challenge was to believe in spite of the circumstances.

If you are with God you are blessed. The only condition is faith.

If you believe in God then you are already as blessed as you can be. He has saved you, given you new life with the promise of life eternally. God doesn’t care so much about the stuff, I think He often uses it to grow our faith. So we are no more blessed when the circumstances are better. We are no less blessed when our circumstances are poor. We have enough grace.

Psalm 84 says, “Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Selah.” Blessed is where you dwell. We have been welcomed in to God’s Kingdom. Let’s live in His presence.

Psalm 1 shows that we can choose to walk, sit, and stand in places that will harm our lives. But we can know where we stand, we can choose to walk with Him and sit in His presence.

Blessed is not mysterious and maybe attainable. It’s not about circumstances. Blessed is not waiting for and receiving the gold ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.

Blessed is where you are.

Where are you going to dwell today?

Where have you chosen to walk, sit, and stand?

Playing well with others

How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron's beard,
down upon the collar of his robes.
It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.
Psalm 133

There is something great about witnessing a moment when a team plays so well together that it is almost like they are moving as one. Now I don’t simply mean when a team carries off set plays and rehearsed moves like the Harlem Globetrotters (although they are pretty cool). It’s those moments, key moments in a game, in a season, or a career where, through experience and co-operation, people improvise something amazing together.

The same could be said of many sports or the way that actors or musicians can make magical moments together. Gladly we don’t have to only ever be spectators. We experience this kind of joy when we have great improvised moments with our friends, our colleagues, and our family.

I was very encouraged this week to hear and read (in the comments) of how last week’s blog post Delighting in Weakness, really blessed someone. Well of course, it was God and His Word that touches hearts. But the fun thing was the way God used a small improvised team, led by His voice, to show someone that He loves and is looking out for them.

I always smile when I think of my friend, Satoshi Nagasawa, who is a pastor in Kyoto, Japan. We had the chance to work closely together for two years as we started a new outreach in Kyoto University. When we first met I knew barely any Japanese and he knew very little English. But God quickly bound our hearts together and in spite of the language barrier (or perhaps even because we couldn’t rely on language) we were able to work together quite seamlessly. I have many fond memories of sitting side-by-side in an outreach Bible study, often thinking the same thing and reacting the same way, even though we often had to rely on others to translate between each other.

There is no more wonderful and rewarding challenge in working together than a marriage between two different people. Now that my wife and I have three wonderful kids attached to ours we are learning how to work together at a new level. The mornings can be such a challenge to have everyone ready for the day and on time and reasonable happy. But there is such a joy when it all comes together, when life exudes through the activities, uninhibited by the stress of imperfect hearts (read: mine). Then it’s not like a set-play (even though we have rehearsed), it is like a glorious improvised dance.

It’s not that the work gets done, although that’s important. There is just so much to enjoy in the process of working together well. Because when we do, someone much greater is smiling, He touches the moment, working in and through it.

Ah, joy!

Can you think of a moment when you’ve experienced this kind of joy?

How can you play your part with those around you today to bring this blessing?

Delighting in weakness

That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

I’ve read some topsy-turvy things in the Bible, but ‘delighting in weakness’ has to be up there with the craziest. I can imagine and have experienced many responses to weakness – confusion, fear, doubt, frustration – but joy! Imagine looking into the mirror, seeing a pimple, and smiling! Imagine waking up in a wet bed and enjoying the warmth!

But this idea got my attention this week as I looked to this passage for encouragement, forcing me to ask the question, why would anyone speak so positively, even persuasively, about weakness? Why would someone be so willing to embrace weakness as a blessing to his life?

I prayed and I thought. I read the passage again and considered my own experience, and here’s a few possibilities.

TRUST – moments and seasons of realising personal weakness force us to rely on God. The lure of trusting in our own strength disappears and we come closer and come humbly to Father God.

PRIDE – In a similar way, weakness breaks our pride and challenges our ego. This is always uncomfortable but valuable for our lives. Again, we are forced to look to God to form the way we see ourselves.

SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS – We are blessed, and it is easy for us to begin to take the credit. But weakness breaks that lie and we are reminded that it is by His grace that we live, and that is sufficient.

GOD’S POWER – Times of difficulty not only remind us that there is an enemy who is set on destroying us, but that God is powerful and ready to move through and in spite of our weakness.

PRAYER – We need to pray. Times of hardship remind us of this. We tend to forget this in easier seasons. We need to pray because we need God’s help desperately. We need to pray because God is powerful to answer.

Paul knew well how important and potentially dangerous these issues could be.

I would love to have a perfect life. It would be great to eliminate all weakness and difficulty. But God of the universe has a different agenda. He wants us to trust in Him, with our whole hearts and with all of our lives. Where we might easily forget His grace, His power of that we need Him at all; He graciously exposes us to our own weaknesses so that we will keep looking to Him.

How else would we experience and understand His grace and His power?

Be encouraged that God has a good agenda. He knows well what He is doing and He can use your weakness to achieve great things in and through you. Even in your most difficult time, God is working to bless you.

Imagine how God is using that weakness to show His strength in your life. It could be a pain that is emotional or physical. Consider it a blessing. What good things has God achieved through it? Can you imagine delighting in it?

Enjoying others' joy

Rejoice with those who rejoice… Romans 12:15a

Yesterday I enjoyed the wedding of my dear friends, Andrew and Jazz. The best weddings are those that the couple themselves enjoy because the day reflects them and their love for each other. This one certainly did that – right down to the Mario Kart wedding cake!

It would have been difficult to stop smiling all day as the beautiful couple and everyone else were having such a wonderful time. It was clear to see how God blessed the day, the result of much faith and hard work, with an easy sense of joy. And it’s obvious that God has set his favour on their marriage.

In fact I have enjoyed observing a season of favour on their lives throughout their engagement. In times of both anticipation and anxiety, God has been rewarding and gracing them with generous blessing. While a younger generation has been fortunate to watch such a great example of a godly and God-blessed union.

The joy of others is a blessing to us. It’s so wonderful to have chances to catch joy contagiously as others express theirs. Perhaps we can also deliberately choose to take opportunities to rejoice with the rejoicing, to smile with the smiling, and to laugh with the laughing.

What could you do to invite others in on your joy?

How can you apply Paul’s advice to “rejoice with those who rejoice’?

Sweet Relief

A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. John 16:21

Relief feels great.

A few nights ago after some prayer and ibuprofen I experienced specifically a wonderful relief. I had pain in my head for over twenty-four hours and it started to become like a migraine. After resting in the dark for a half hour or so I realised that the pain had gone. Wow. It felt good. Energy came back. My appetite came back. It was nine in the evening but I felt like running.

Last Saturday God gave me a seed of faith to believe that our son would be born that day. I blogged about it. I talked about it. I even started singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him. It had been hard to keep believing. Josiah was induced after being 14 days overdue, Zoe was induced after being seven days late, at that time we were 9 days overdue.

Around midday it was becoming obvious that labour was starting – which was a first for us to experience at home. At 3:30 we arrived in the delivery ward. At 7:30, our beautiful Simeon Elijah was born. Beautiful and big at 5045gms, or 11pounds 2ounces. My wife is amazing!

God answered our prayers in so many ways. We felt so blessed – and so relieved. He came naturally, just before he was due to be induced. He came healthy and strong. And he even looks like daddy!

The joy of salvation is the joy of relief. Jesus has relieved us of being joined forever to the sin-nature, forever bound to evil and its work in our lives. Jesus gives us a brand new life. We walk in that wonderful relief. Phew!

And today Sarah and Simeon came home from hospital after a slightly extended stay due to some minor concerns. When I told the other kids this morning that they would be coming home they danced with joy (ie. like crazy monkeys).

It is such a blessing and such a great relief to have our family altogether and all at home. There’s been a lot of joy in the house today. Lots of laughter. Lots of silliness and crazy dancing.

What a relief! What joy!

Faith, Hope and Joy

I wasn’t going to blog today but God has encouraged my soul – I feel joy and I want to share it. My boy is now 9 days overdue and impatience has been challenging my joy.

A few days ago Sarah read Hebrews 12 and was encouraged by the rhema thought that while we ask God for perfect circumstances, that He is looking to develop perfect faith within us.

We can be so focussed on circumstances, results and achievements that it’s possible to let them define our lives and our joy. God is focussed on our hearts, He is looking to perfect our faith so that we grow in maturity, fully trusting in Him.

The circumstances around the first birth in our family were quite difficult. But we are encouraged to remember that throughout that time we didn’t give up our faith and we didn’t give in to the circumstances. It became our family’s defining moment and testimony of faith. God is good.

Sometimes things don’t happen at the time according to our plans and our prayers. But who are we to say that they didn’t somehow happen according to God’s plans? So our faith, our hope and our joy cannot be limited to times of favourable circumstances.

Our faith, hope and joy are based on the goodness, the power and the promise of God, regardless of the circumstances. So we should keep our eyes on Jesus, who is perfecting our faith – especially in and through difficulty.

Thinking that success is a set of circumstances, results or achievements will do our heads in and could even destroy our faith. God is responsible for the results. So ‘success’ for us is in never giving up and always looking to Jesus.

Abraham had an amazing promise (a son) in the most ridiculous circumstances (barrenness and very old age). He is remembered as a man of faith not because he had a son (God did that) but because he didn’t weaken his faith (Romans 4:19), and he did not waver through unbelief but was strengthened in his faith in God (4:20).

Abraham was, “fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised” (4:21). The Bible says that this was a credit to him in his relationship with God.

By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.
There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! (Romans 5:1-5 The Message)

God is good. God is able. God is perfecting our faith. Let’s believe.

Joy in the waiting room

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” Jesus in John 14:1

Waiting patiently is hard to do. The feeling of, “I just can’t wait for …” can so quickly turn from excitement to frustration. Like in the Proverb, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (13:12). I guess the truth is that we can find it hard to wait joyfully. Somewhere along the line, and in our default responses, the joy that is possible, and even appropriate, can be lost.

We are waiting for our new baby boy. Everything is ready and we just want to meet him and hold him. He is actually due to be born today. But of course we don’t know exactly when he will be born, so it’s not the same as waiting for a particular time or a given moment. I have such a great reason to be joyful but I’m stilling learning how to wait well.

As we wait it is easy to disengage, to get distracted from the promise because it’s hard to stay excited and keep believing. I can easily stop praying and focussing on it and think about getting busy or getting rest – finding some way to postpone hope and its potential for frustration along the way.

Instead of the joy of expectation we can be ripped off by the risk of disappointment. What if all our prayers aren’t answered? I think that this is where it is so easy to disengage, because fear actually becomes our expectation and it’s easier just to back away from the whole thing.

Fear is a joy-thief. I find that it distracts me, I take my eyes off Jesus and His promises, and then it binds me. Jesus has told me not to let my heart be troubled. I have stewardship over my heart and it is up to me not to say ‘yes’ to distraction and fear.

So I tell my heart to focus. I tell it not to fear. I have a Saviour in whom I can trust. He will be with me in every moment. I tell my heart to believe, to engage. I let my heart be excited. I let my heart receive joy.

I will pray and I will praise. I will engage and enjoy. I know that I will soon meet my son. And I know that my heavenly Father is still looking out for me.

The joy set before Him

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

What was motivating Jesus to endure such brutality?

What was the joy that was set before Jesus?

He knew what was coming. Jesus knew exactly what would be required and what He would go through. He knew the price that had to be paid. It’s difficult to imagine that joy was part of the picture. But Jesus endured the pain of the cross for the joy that He was looking forward to.

When I “go through” some difficulty it is easy for me move towards self-pity and the negative connotations that now go with the word “martyr”. It’s easy to imagine someone tolerating hardship begrudgingly – a little bitter, ready to moan for sympathy.

But this is light years away from Jesus’ emotions and motivation. In the depths of humiliation, torture and even separation, Jesus held on to joy. He could see the reason and not only considered it worth the pain but continued to look forward to what was beyond the cross.

Jesus’ joy was in looking forward to our new birth. He knew that He must die so that we can receive the second, spiritual birth into His Kingdom. The punishment He took for us on the cross and the victory He took over sin and death meant that He could have a proper and everlasting relationship with us.

Jesus’ heart was involved. He looked forward to making us and knowing us and blessing us and spending time with us. This is the joy that was set before Him - the joy of having the opportunity to form an intimate bond with us. He took the initiative through the cross to pursue us!

While I can’t imagine the pain, right now I feel that I can relate to the joy. I have a wonderful joy set before me. My third child is due to be born in the next week. And what a joy it is to think about him. I really can’t wait to meet him. He is part of me. I know him already. I know something of his nature because he shares it with me. I know his name. And I can’t wait to see him and hold him – to know him better and to spend time with him.

Jesus’ joy was in looking forward to our new birth.

Lord, thank You for saving me. And thank You for saving me with joy in Your heart. I’m in awe when I think of what You did on the cross. And to think that you want my joy would be complete. Lord, You are amazing.

Then joy

Then your light will break forth like the dawn…

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer…

Then your light will rise in the darkness…

Then you will find your joy in the LORD…

All these “thens” sound wonderful, don’t they? But something should always come before a “then”. We need to read Isaiah 58 carefully to understand what comes before these ones.

God rebuked His people harshly for their empty spirituality. They would fast in order to please God and yet they would treat the people around them terribly at the same time. Their fasting would go hand-in-hand with exploitation and conflict. (Kind of like when I fast and I get grumpy with the kids when my blood-sugar level becomes too low.)

It’s so for easy for our worship to God – our service, our ministry, our giving to become like the Israelites’ fasting. It can become something we just do out of routine, or even worse for a kind of righteousness. And we can start to wonder – what’s the point? Where’s my blessing? Where's my joy?

We can get it so wrong?

God, through Isaiah told them what He wants:
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD ?
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Isaiah 58:5-7

God doesn’t just want empty routine. Our activity doesn’t impress Him. He wants all of us – completely engaged with His life and mission. Not just our hands but our heads and our hearts as well. Not just to give money but to share our own food with the hungry – and even our whole selves as well (v10).

Instead of considering our actions first, we should put others’ needs first. We can put others first by engaging in God’s will in opposing injustice, slavery and poverty; to see His Kingdom come and His will done here on earth. As we do this, as we give our whole selves, God’s blessing is released to us. It’s not a pay off for doing good things, but it is as we participate in His divine purpose that His divine power is released into our lives.

That’s how the “thens” come. As we shine God’s light into darkness, His light shines deeper into our lives bringing life, healing, fulfilment – and joy!

Giving joyfully

Freely you have received, freely give. Jesus (Matthew 10:8b)

Hans is my neighbour. He is a really generous guy. Since before we even moved in he was looking for ways to help us lend us things that we need. There was the time when I needed an extension lead. And another time when I needed to borrow his wheelbarrow. There was a time when I was between lawnmowers and being able to lend his blessed me heaps. I thank God for Hans.

The other week Hans got my attention from across the fence. He said that his mower had broken down and wondered if he could borrow mine. I replied very positively. I didn’t have to think about. I seriously felt full of joy and literally ran to the shed to get it out and bring it around to his house. And went back inside still beaming and proudly told Sarah starting to realise how much I had enjoyed the opportunity.

I have received freely from my neighbour. And I was so glad to get a chance to give freely back. I think I learnt something about what it can be like to be a cheerful giver (1 Corinthians 9). The only thing I felt compelled by was joy itself.

How much more have I received from Father God! And so freely!

What if I saw opportunities to give to Him this way?

What amazing joy would I experience?!

God has been so incredibly generous to me. What if I truly realised it?

What if I always gave - whether giving money, time, energy or gifts - that freely and joyfully?

Living Lightly

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Jesus (Matthew 11:23-30)

New Year’s and summer holidays are a great time to reset for a new year. And thanks to God, my family has been able to get a bit better at living lightly this year. As we’ve focussed on God together as a family, prayed together and kept things positive we’ve gotten a bit better at smiling and laughing even when a lot seems to be going on.

But as life sometimes becomes full of activity, it’s easy for activity to become the focus of life. We can become engaged with doing rather than being, with the activities themselves instead of the people around us. Life quickly starts to feel busy, heavy and gets out of the wonderful, “unforced rhythms of grace”, that come from the life of God.

But how do we get out of ‘activity mode’? How can we get back to living out of the overflow of real life from God? I’m not satisfied to presume that there is nothing we can do about it. We’re grown-ups. We can say no. We can exercise self-control. We don't have to wait for our emotions to come around.

Jesus invites us to keep company with Him and that He will show us how to really live – freely and lightly. Wow! What an offer! We have an ever-present life coach who knows everything and lives inside us! Sometimes we just need to slow down or step off our activity track to just – be – with Him. When we make intimacy with Him our goal and priority, then we can realise life that fulfils.

The joy of fulfilment is not going to come through activity. I won’t receive joy when I complete my to-do list or by trying to. Living automatically won’t lead me to joy. But we can take joy as we keep company with Jesus. There is joy in His presence.

We don’t have to stand on a hill and wait for the wind to change.
We can take joy.
We can walk with Him and live now.