Indefinitely Remaining Stationary

            As a youth director I am sure of the fact that I am going to be asked some questions that are hard to answer.  One of those questions I have already been asked more than once by some of our youth is: “How do I find/know what God wants me to do with my life?”  This question is especially hard to answer quickly and concisely.  The implicit expectation in this question is that whatever it is that someone will be doing they want to be successful, while doing meaningful, work.

            The best quick and concise answer that I have come up with so far comes from Jesus (always the best place to start) in John 15:5: “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (ESV)

            What God really wants you to do with your life is abide in Him so that He can simultaneously abide in you.  When you abide in Him you will be successful (bear much fruit) and what you do will be meaningful.  

You know that the world around us is full of people not abiding in Christ while still doing plenty of stuff, so Jesus did not mean you can literally do nothing without Him.  Instead, you can do nothing that is transcendental.  You can do nothing for Him or His Father, Kingdom work, which as Christians is the only meaningful work.

            So what’s the point?  It is: if you are not abiding you aren’t really looking for the answer to, “How do I find/know what God wants me to do with my life?”  In fact, if you don’t begin abiding, you can’t find the answer.

            Abiding is defined by Webster in his original 1828 dictionary as “to dwell, rest, continue, stand firm, or be stationary for anytime indefinitely.”  I love the term indefinitely that he tacks on the end there.  It implies that you don’t know how long you will be there, because guess what?  You don’t!  When you choose to become a Christ follower and abide in Him, you give up your right to determine where you go, what you do, and when.  You are to indefinitely remain stationary in Christ.  Then He will show you what you can do for Him, and it will be Christ abiding in you that makes your work successful and meaningful, because you can do nothing.

The Office Door War

Julie has been a part of my life for a long time. She is the mother of one of my best friends. She was the "mom" on my mission trip crew. She is even the only person in this world that can out-cough my mom. Julie is also the reason why I can't go in to work on Mondays.

You see, Julie is the financial secretary here at Christ Church, and we share an office. Thank goodness we don't share a desk or I think I would have to work at a pew in the sanctuary. Anyway, with the finance "office" aka desk & computer in the same room as the youth desk & computer Monday mornings are tricky if I'm around because that is when she needs to concentrate on reviewing all of the financial information for the week.

This "conflict" has led to numerous go-rounds about who's office it really is. Every time Julie comes into the office now, regardless of what day of the week it is, I always make a show of packing up my stuff and saying "I have to leave now, I'm now in the finance office." Luckily, Julie is a great sport about all of this and plays right along.

A couple weeks ago, I changed the plates on the door around because they are mounted one above the other "Youth" and "Finance." I started placing the finance plate above the youth, and Julie keeps changing them back.

All too often I feel like I am doing the same thing with the door of my heart. When I am in "youth pastor" mode I make sure I get to my heart's door and put "Jesus" in the top slot and move "Jon" to the bottom. Way too often though, after I am out of "Youth" mode, and am at home, out with friends, driving in traffic, or whatever situation I get in I very quickly change the plates around so that Jon is back above Jesus. Why do I do that?

I have screwed up way too many times in my life, and so have you, to keep placing myself back on top! The more I stay connected everyday to my Father though I find that my stays on the top of the "Office Door War" are both less frequent and shorter in duration. Ultimately I long for the day when "Jon" is permanently nailed into place on the door below Jesus, and my wife, and others, and yes, even Julie. Where is your name plate on the door of your heart?

YOLO

What is eternal life?  What does it look like?  It obviously doesn’t end, but when does it begin?  The most obvious answer that comes to mind immediately is that it is spending the forever-future with God in heaven.

All Christians believe (or at least should) that the answer to those questions are in the Bible, but is it ever dealt with directly and clearly or are we left to piece it together from clues in different places?  Thankfully we are told directly what eternal life is.  The answer is found in John 17:3.  Just to review, John is the author of the book, not the star/hero/focus of it - that would be Jesus.  If you have a fancy, gold-edged, don’t-take-that-on-your-camping-trip version of the bible, then every word of John 17:3 is in red, meaning that Jesus aka God is saying it (so good luck telling me I am wrong later):

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

No streets of gold, nothing about after you die ­­­____ will happen and nothing about singing with the angels.  Does that mean there won’t be any of that? No, Jesus has told us he is going to prepare us a place, but that is not the eternal life that is given to us.

Let’s have a quick English lesson:  if you knew something it happened in the past, if you will now someone that occurs in the future, and to know something is happening right now.  By those rules of grammar, our eternal life is happening right now!  When you have accepted Jesus your eternal life begins at that moment!  It is still happening now… and now… and now.

Now think of a friend that you know.  What does it take to get to the point that you know them as well as you do?  Do you spend time together?  Why do you spend that time together?  Not because you have to, that’s for sure!  It’s because you care about them and want to spend that time together.  What happens if you try to make plans to spend that time together but it just doesn’t work out that day?  Do you just send them a unhappy emoji and wait for a few months before you feel really guilty and cry at their door begging forgiveness?  Absolutely not!  You just try again the next day, and the next day.

Why do we act one way with all of the people we know as our friends but treat God completely different? We know them by loving them, caring about them, spending time with them because we care and love them, and we try or (brace yourself) work on that relationship.  But when it comes to knowing God and Jesus, which is what eternal life is according to Jesus, we act the exact opposite.  Whose idea was friendship anyway?  How have you been caring, trying, and spending time with Jesus? 

Are you living out your eternal life right now?  Remember, if your eternal life is happening right now, #YOLO takes on an all new meaning.

There's Just Something About a Truck

Philippians 1:6 - And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 7:1-5 - “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

A really good friend of mine finally brought home his pride and joy to show off to all of us.  I wish you could see just how proud he is of his 1964 Ford F-100.  If you saw this thing driving down the road however, you would not be so proud to be seen in it yourself.  There are at least three different shades of paint on it, all of which are very faded because they are all sanded down, and there is not one speck of anything shiny of new on the entire vehicle.  The passenger door is opened on the inside by winding down the window with a pair of vice grips and opening the door from the outside.  I am also very sure that the smell of mothballs is so strong inside that truck that you can smell it two cars back while driving down the road.

You should see Matt’s eyes light up as he tells you all about his truck though.  “There is not a speck of rust on this thing!”  “Look under the body. Look! Is that not the cleanest you’ve ever seen the bottom of a vehicle?!” “There isn’t anything wrong with this vehicle mechanically.  All I have to work on is the cosmetic stuff.”

I love that our God looks at us in the exact same way that Matt looks at that truck.  Don’t get me wrong, most of us, especially me, have way more work required than just cosmetic stuff.  My point is, when the Father looks at you He can see the full restoration that is in the works.  When someone looks at your life and says, “What a piece of junk,” God says “They are my pride and joy.”

The ugly side of that equation, and part of God’s ongoing overhaul on my life, is that I am all too often the person looking at others and only seeing the peeling paint, rust spots, pitted chrome, and vice-grip window cranks of their lives and determining that they are not of much value.  I am sorry to say it.  I pray every day that God will finish His work in me. 

What rust spots do you have that need God’s restoration work?  I pray that He will go to work on them today.