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.]
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
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?
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?
Saturday, May 15, 2010
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?
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?
Saturday, May 8, 2010
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?
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?
Saturday, May 1, 2010
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’?
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’?
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