My blog moved

My blog has recently moved.  If you’re still pulling up this page, then you’ve come to the wrong site.  My new blog is at http://www.mattwoodford.org which redirects you to mwoodford.typepad.com

See you there.

Mat

 

Imagine

Imagine….

The day has finally arrived for your trip.  You’ve heard things about how incredible your destination is going to be from your travel agent.  The flyers and brochures all indicate that this a “must see” kind of place.  You carefully recheck the instructions provided by the tour company.   No cameras, no change of clothes…not even cash or a credit card will be required.  You can’t imagine going to a place so “naked” but the thought of traveling so light almost seems vacation enough.

You slip on your shoes just in time to hear the horn of the limousine honk outside your door.  You take one final look in the mirror and then quickly shuffle outside.  What greets you seems rather odd.  Instead of a stretch Lincoln or Hummer your ride is a yellow school bus…an old yellow school bus.  The driver, an older gentlemen waves to you to hurry up and so you board the bus.  Nearly every seat is full but you are able to find one next to a rather large woman near the back of the bus.  She doesn’t seem to mind that you’ve interupted what she had been reading.  You notice some of the words on the page and you quickly recognize the material.  It is a list of “do’s and don’ts provided by the travel company.

You settle in to your seat.   As you finally have a moment to look around you sense both an air of excitement and anxiousness with the passengers on the bus.  Many are talking, some are laughing and others are just sitting.  Nearly 15 minutes have now passed.  The roar of the bus tires, the hot air blowing through the small windows and the small portion of the seat you have been allowed to sit on has increased your own irritability.  To be honest you were already on edge before you left home.  Who signs up for a trip not even knowing where you are headed? 

The conversation have reached a fever pitch on the bus.  To your own amazement you quickly realize that no one on the bus has a clue about where they are headed.  Like you they were encouraged by their travel agent to go.  Apparently their are others as crazy as you are.  That thought gives you some comfort.  Whatever fear you had before is now somewhat calmed considering you are not going alone.

After nearly an hour the large lady next to you finally speaks.  She demands that you look out the window.  You don’t hesitate.  Leaning over her and peering out the window you are aghast.  Not only are your eyes wide with disbelief your mouth, almost without control, lets loose a piercing scream.  Fortunately the rest of the passengers on the bus don’t even hear you because they too have been startled by what they are seeing.

Some on the bus are now in tears.  Others have shielded their own eyes.  Most, however are still staring out their windows in disbelief.  Passengers near you are now questioning whether or not the bus driver is lost.  Surely this cannot be the right way.   Why would anyone take this route? 

The air is putrid.  Some try to close their windows but realize that hot, sticky air is the only ventilation.  The woman next to you speaks again.  Her face is ashen with fear and streaked with the trail of the tears she’s been crying.  She speaks clearly but with emotion.  She tells you she must get home.  She can’t take one more look out the window.  You offer to sit next to the window and so you exchange places.   You instinctively take her hand and remind her that hopefully soon the bus will get us to the nice place the brochure had described. 

Of course you don’t even believe your own words.  Frightened you peer out the window again.  You blink quickly to remove the tears from your own eyes.  You refocus.  You didn’t even know there a place like this.  How can so many people be suffering so?  Why isn’t someone doing something?  Why is it so dark outside?  Why would anyone want to go to a place like this much less drive past it?  Why didn’t someone warn you and the others that this was the route?

Suddenly the bus comes to a screeching halt.  No one wants to get off.   In fact there is an errie silence that has come over the passengers.  The bus driver opens the door.   A cloud of dark smoke enters the bus.  The air is still.  The heat inside of the bus is rising.  No one moves.  The worst however is the shrill groans that everyone now hears.  The screams must have been their all along, but the noise of the bus tires on the pavement and the roar of the diesel engine must have masked it.

Outside the bus you can hear the screams of children and adults alike.  No one is brave enough to look out the window now.  The sounds of pain grow in decibel.  Many around you are shouting at the bus driver.  They want to go home.  They demand that bus start moving again.  The panic and terror on the bus however, pales in comparison to what they hear from outside.

Just as suddenly as the door had opened it now closes.  The bus driver starts the bus.  The sounds of the noisy bus bring relief.  Within minutes the scenes that had so terrifed you are now fading in the distance.  

Some on the bus start singing.  The expressions of joy return to the faces of those near you.  The talking on the bus is filled with excitement.  The lady next to you perks up and says that she can hardly wait to get to the destination.

Within minutes the bus stops again.  You recognize the scenery outside.  You are near your own home.  You voice what others are thinking.  You yell to bus driver.  Why are we back home?  I thought we were going on a trip?  What are you doing?  And with passion in your voice you remind him that this has been a trip from hell.

Suddenly the silent bus driver speaks.  He says, “no my friend this has been a trip to hell”…

Imagine if our hearts were broken about those who face a Christless eternity.  

Imagine if the church would wake up and reach this generation.  

Imagine if you would conquer your fear and speak to your neighbor.

Imagine if the church stopped worrying about the stuff that didn’t matter and focus on the people God has called us to reach.

Just imagine… 

 

Somethings Wrong

Just this week I read something that confirmed what I already thought.  The news, while not surprising was however, sobering.  The denominational headquarters in Illinois for our church reported this:  “Last year our churches did not have such a good year of evangelistic growth.  As a matter of fact, our numbers weren’t ascending but rather descending.  In 2006 we recorded the fewest number of baptisms since 1950!”  Talk about bad news.  How is is possible that the largest protestant denomination in America is declining in the most important stat:  changed lives?

Somethings wrong!  That statistic reflects a problem in the local church.  Most of the churches in our denomination are declining or plateaued…and yet the population of America is growing.

Somethings wrong!  The local church has forgotten it’s mission.  Pastor’s and leaders have been so focused making sure the members are happy that the mission of reaching people has been lost or ignored.  I remind our staff regularly that when a church is more focused on who it’s trying to keep rather than who it’s trying to reach, that church has become a part of the problem.

Somethings wrong!  The local church has become like a Michael Vic house party.  Big dogs fighting bigger dogs…a lot of barking about nothing…and wounded bodies everywhere.   And what are we arguing over?  Reaching our neighbors for Christ? NO!  Rather the church in America is fighting over stuff that doesn’t matter (methods & music) while thousands around us face a Christless eternity.

Somethings wrong!  The church has forgotten the object of our affections and worship…Jesus Christ.  Instead of the person of Christ, we have become engaged in the iconic idoltry of the images of our faith:  the cross, the bible, the hymn book, the name of our denomination, the programming…and the list goes on.  Maybe the world has a hard time seeing our Jesus because we’ve clouded His image and influence.

Somethings wrong!  This generation of Americans are growing up without Christ.  The Church has lost its touch with them because “we”…not the gospel…have become irrelevant.  Just ask yourself this question:  What year is it at your church?  Most churches in America are stuck in a time warp that is decades old.  Our culture can’t see or hear Christ because we’ve demanded that they find him on our terms:  sing our music, dress in our dress, etc.

Somethings wrong!  The model of most churches is a model that is broke.  The definition of insanity is this:  doing something the same way over and over again and expecting different results.  The denomination I’m a part of is either in denial or paralyzed in fear.  The old model of church is broke and no amount of tweaking will fix it.  Jesus talked about new wine in old wine skins…the church needs a fresh encounter with the God who serves new wine!

Somethings wrong!  So what are we going to do about it?  Keep reading the blog over the next few days and I’ll be sharing some ways I believe we can begin to right the ship and return to the central purpose of the church:  the Great Commission.

 

Boundaries

All of us know people who are in pain.  Their pain may be self-inflicted…the result of poor decisions and bad choices.  It may be that their pain was put on them by someone else…abuse, unhealthy relationships, etc.  These people may be someone in your family or a close friend or even a co-worker.  For sure though they are near enough to you that you feel the collateral hurt of their pain.  It is true:  hurting people hurt people.  Daily you might even find yourself confused as how to help them or what words to say.  On some days you would even rather choose to avoid them. 

If you’re like most people you’ve watched just enough episodes of Dr. Phil to feel empowered  to offer advice.  Secretly you’ve even scoured the Internet to see if Oprah had a show about their kind of pain so you would have the tools to handle it.  Unfortunately though you’ve probably already discovered that most people in pain aren’t looking for your advice.  They have heard it all before and for whatever reason they have chosen to remain in the self-destructive habits that produce their pain.  And if you’re not careful you’ll be sucked into their painful world.  That is exactly what it means to be co-dependent.  Instead of being a friend with perspective, you become a captive in their confusion.  Before long, if you’re not careful, their sickness becomes your sickness.  How can you avoid this dilemma?  Healthy boundaries. 

Bill Hybels says it this way:  “People without relational boundaries are exposed and vulnerable to whatever relational virus comes their way.  If they are relating to a powerful person, they can easily be manipulated or abused.  When they are confronted by a needy person who says, ‘Help, help help!’ they are powerless to say no.  They are prime targets for people who like to heap guilt o others. 

If you live without relational boundaries long enough, one of two things usually happens.  First, you begin to shrivel up and die inside.  You have a hard time identifying your feelings and preferences because you spend all your time playing doctor to those people in your life with relational viruses.  If you do this long enough, you can lose your personality all together.  The second result of living without relational boundaries is that you become a bitter, anger-filled person.  You keep a veneer of civility and concern for others, but you are resentful of being used by so many people.”

Let me give you some good advice I’ve learned and try to practice daily when it comes to relating to people in pain:

1.  Create flexible boundaries that function in your life like an invisible force field.  They protect your heart from losing it perspective.  The person in your life that is in pain needs a healthy friend…not someone mired deep in their pain.

2.  Don’t work harder on the solutions to their pain than they do.  You can’t fix anyone.  All change in our lives begins with us.   Start there and allow the change in you to be a strong example of God’s power for them.

 

Refrigerator Rights

I’m reading a new book entitled, “Refrigerator Rights:  Creating Connections and Restoring Relationships” by Dr. Will Miller and Dr. Glenn Sparks.  I heard Dr. Miller speak recently at Willow Creek Church during a Small Groups Conference General Session.  Since Dr. Miller says it better than I can, let me share his words with you…

“Imagine that I come to your home for a first-time visit.  We’ve never met before.  We’re strangers having a cordial, introductory conversation.  You have invited me into your kitchen, and we are sitting together at the table, in the initial stages of getting acquainted.  Now, suppose I get up open your refrigerator, pull out the makings for a sandwich, and start putting them together.  Let’s face it:  Even if you said nothing, you would be surprised and probably affronted.  Strangers do not open your refrigerator without asking.

But let’s change the scene a little.  Let’s say I’m your brother, come for a visit.  While we’re catching up on the news, chewing the fat, I get up, open your refrigerator, and grab a cold soda.  Are you upset?  Of course not.  Strangers don’t have refrigerator rights, but family members do.

How about this situation:  Suppose you and I have been next-door neighbors for three years.  During that time we’ve become good friends.  We’ve celebrated together when good things happened.  You invited me to your daughter’s graduation party.  We’ve supported each other during times of difficulty.  You came to my father’s funeral.  So when you visited my house on a hot summer day, you asked for a cold drink.  “Help yourself,”  I said, waving at the refrigerator and pointing out where the glasses are.  I just granted you refrigerator rights–and so acknowledged that our relationship had turned an important corner.  We were more like family.  Refrigerator rights refer to the deep, intimate connections that we have with family and the closest friends.

Now for the central question of this book:  How many people in your life right now have refrigerator rights in your home?  How man of the people you encounter every day see you unshaven or without makeup?  How many people hear you express yourself in that blunt, unguarded way you do with your family?  How many can you talk to at a real deep, intimate level?  And how many people grant you refrigerator rights?  And how many people confide in you–tell you about the things that really matter to them?

It’s our belief that modern life has been profoundly affected by the loss of refrigerator rights relationships.”

I’ll keep you updated with my thoughts about Dr. Miller’s book in the upcoming days.  If you ever wondered about the real value of small groups and why we need to “do life together” I think refrigerator rights are central.

 

Final Thoughts

I grew up in a church where success was measured by numbers. Every Sunday a Deacon, before Sunday morning church, would change the “scoreboard” that hung on the front wall near the piano. A kind of hush would fall over the room as we waited for the news. It was similar to watching the tote board on the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon…the tension was high. Would our attendance be better than last week? Would more people have brought their Bibles than last week? And the ultimate…would the offering reflect a number higher than last week? If the numbers showed improvement we knew that the Holy Spirit was present that day at our little church.

It was really a silly little ritual. It would be comparable to insisting that the Chicago Cubs were equal to the New York Yankees in baseball skill and history simply because Wrigley Field sold more hot dogs and beer than Yankee Stadium. I’m not doubting that the last part might be true, but that is not how you measure the worth or skill of a professional baseball team. Nor do you measure the success of a church and it’s ministry by focusing simply on the numbers…at least not the ones the little church I grew up in did. Those numbers are more like the things your doctor records when you go for a check-up. Your temperature, blood pressure and heart rate are important. However, if you are chronically ill and those numbers (temp, bp, heart rate) were good, I don’t think any patient would conclude they were cured. Those numbers may be necessary to measure, but they alone do not indicate the real health of a person.

Recent statistics tell us that about 92% of churches in America are plateaued or declining. The number crunchers weren’t just looking at attendance or membership. The most critical number, baptisms/salvations…the numbers that really reflect the impact of our message to our community, are declining. Even among churches that reflect some growth in their attendance and budgets the critical measurement, salvations, is still decreasing. No doubt we may be selling more “hot dogs” than a decade ago… for more profit, but less people are in the stands wearing our team jersey. The reality is that in most churches across America Christians are just gorging more at the trough of truth while those who need to be fed have given up on finding anything worthwhile in our “stadiums”. It’s hard to hear but it’s true. The church, the hope of the world, has become a relic of stale religion and irrelevant to those it was called to minister. And before you blame the culture we must take a long look at ourselves.

Most churches don’t mind reaching people…as long as those people find Christ on the terms of the church. In other words, they must dress like we dress, sing our music, follow our rules and learn our lingo and then…if they have energy after running our obstacle course…we will share with them the secret handshake (prayer) and they can be a part. Of course most in our culture don’t meet relevant Christians outside of the church, so the “marketing” arm of our process hurts us before they walk in the door…if they walk in the door. That brings us back to the stats…most people aren’t walking in the door of our churches. Most don’t struggle with Christ…rather it’s with us. We’ve made the methods and symbols the icons and in doing so have reduced the Gospel to rules, rituals, regulations and requirements. What the world needs to see is not a lit steeple or another cross…they are desperately looking for the manifestation of Christ in His followers. We are the “try before you buy” part of Christianity. And honestly we aren’t doing all that well. Hidden behind the draw bridge of our closed garage doors into the sanctuary of our castle we pray, read our Bible and soak in the brotherhood of our faith. Yet the very ones next door to us and down the street are searching for meaning and purpose.

They can’t find it at the lake or the mall or in addictions, but they are so desperate for the drug called “hope” that they will continue to be pacified with a placebo because we have isolated ourselves. In our efforts to preserve the truth under stained glass and rightness we forgot that Christianity is a contact sport. The church only becomes relevant when the Christians who are a part of it engage their culture rather than run from it. Insulated with Gospel but not isolated from the people who are desperate for a fix. Here’s the neat part. When you and I allow our lives to intersect with those around us in a…real and relevant and relational way…and the church creates right environments without the trappings of religion and in partnership with the Holy Spirit…look out! Lives are changed. Hearts are mended. Truth is accepted. Eyes are opened. Growth…real “scoreboard” kind of growth is celebrated.

The Apostle Paul closes out his words in Philippians 4 with an interesting phrase. If you’re not careful you’ll read his final greetings and miss it. He says in verse 22: “All the saints send you greetings… here it comes…especially those who belong to Caesar’s household.” Chained to a guard for the last 4 years Paul had a powerful impact. You see Paul had always wanted to go to Rome. He meant to have a crusade. Instead, God put him in a prison where he would write most of the New Testament. He was chained to the palace guard, the Praetorian guard. These were the elite troops of the Roman Empire. They were personally chosen by Caesar. Those were the men who were his body guards. They were the highest paid people of the empire. When they retired after twelve years they were made leaders in Rome. There is not a more strategic group that Paul could witness to if he’s going to reach the Roman Empire.

God puts Paul in Rome and Nero pays the bill and chains future leaders of Rome to him every four hours. In two years at four hour-shifts, Paul would have witnessed to 4,380 guards. These guards had an inside route to the emperor. The result? Even some of Nero’s family became believers. History tells us that Nero had his wife, mother and children killed because they became believers.

The chain reaction of Paul living out his purpose…even while in prison is staggering. One man who chose to focus on Christ instead of his circumstances impacted an entire society. Don’t underestimate the potential of your address or your impact. God has strategically placed you in your neighborhood for a reason beyond just your benefit. You may have moved there because of the schools, or the architecture or the price. But God has bigger plans. Those people right around you are desperate. Their lives and their lawns may both look manicured but are lacking real hope. God has placed you there to be real, relevant and relational…the good news with shoes on. Don’t miss your call. Don’t hide in a holy huddle.

And as Paul said in verse 23, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”

 

Sharing What Matters

I think we’ve made it too easy in the church to help others. Let me explain. I grew up in church and I’ve served on staff now some 24 years…and I’ve witnessed what I’m about to describe hundreds if not thousands of times. Here’s the picture: someone is in need…regardless of the crisis…mental, physical, emotional or relational…regardless of the geography…local, national or international…regardless of relationship…friend, family, fellow Christian or unchurched…we have taught people in the church that we can respond in a couple of ways. The first is simply to write a check. We didn’t mean to imply it, but underscoring our plea for cash we’ve taught people that money solves a crisis. Intuitively we know it doesn’t, but we take up offering after offering…fund after fund…to help a person in crisis. The second way we often respond is to tell people to pray. Spiritually speaking it rolls off our tongues so saint like. And prayer is a good place to begin and ultimately we recognize it is God who is in charge.

But here’s the problem. Writing checks and praying can be very impersonal. While both are necessary they lack the proximity of personal involvement. I can sit very comfortably in my home and send money and even muster a prayer before my dinner for a person in need…and without question I’m helping. Unfortunately though we often stop right there. In essence we relieve our guilt but not our responsibility.

Paul has been writing to a group of believers in Philippi. He’s in a prison cell chained to a 24-hour-a-day security guard. For most of his stay…nearly 4 years…Paul had been doing the encouraging to those on the outside. If anyone prayed for Paul…he was unaware. If anyone sent money to the designated fund: “Purge Paul from Prison” he never got the cash. It may well have been true that churches all over Philippi were having prayer meetings every Wednesday night to pray for Paul. It was possible that the student ministries in those churches stood at local shopping stores with cans to collect a special offering for Paul. It could have been that the missions team in those churches were doing studies about the life of missionaries and were almost ready to launch a new ministry to those serving time. No doubt I don’t the extent of the attention given to Paul’s crisis. What’s worse…Paul didn’t either.

In Philippians 4:14 Paul writes, “Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.” Apparently someone, after many years, had communicated to Paul that their concern had gone beyond sending money or praying. Paul’s words seem almost tongue in cheek to some who would read his words. I know this from reading the next verse: “Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only;” Paul is clear. Early on the church in Philippi had been a true source of friendship. It went beyond money and prayer…they “shared in (his) troubles.” Real need meeting extends beyond our checkbook and our prayers. If they are the end of our help…they are the front end. Authentic Christian concern is being personally engaged in another person’s crisis of life and sharing in their trouble. It may start in the wallet, but it is demonstrated by the intersection of our life into theirs. It’s personal. It’s close. It’s real. It’s near. It’s listening. And…it’s risky. Ultimately it will cost you something far more than money and a prayer…time.

Paul tells the church at Philippi and reminds us in verse 17 of this important truth: “Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account.” In other words, it’s more than just helping someone else…it’s an investment in our own spiritual growth. Every time you and I personally get involved in someone’s life we grow more like Christ. The ministry of caring is not a mere drive-by. It is a stop-over resonant with care, understanding, empathy and compassion. Paul thanks those who showed care for him in verse 18. And in the later part of that verse he writes, “They (gifts) are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.” Did you catch it? Our gifts of care to others are represent our giving to Christ. Jesus told us this before…“When you have done it unto the least of these…you’ve done it unto Me.” What a powerful spiritual equation of what real giving means.

But you’re thinking: “I don’t have time to get personally involved. I mean I’ve got a life to live and kids to raise and a job to go to and deadlines and debt and….” Paul heard your concern and he writes these powerful words in verse 19: “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Wow! What an amazing truth. We misquote that verse. We take it out of context. We often use it to compensate for our lack of wise financial planning or poor stewardship. But did you see the context for the content? God meets all of our needs through Christ…not when we overspend and overdraw. Not when we simply write the check or pray the prayer for others. God meets all of our needs…time, patience, energy, balance, margin…when we invest in others.

So let me ask you. Why haven’t you invested in your neighbor? Why are you driving into your garage at night and ignoring the very ones God has placed you around? Why are you avoiding the potential impact your life could make in the life of someone you don’t even know…right near you? Why are you avoiding the opportunity to do more than send a check or pray a prayer? Busy? Fearful? Apathetic? Tired? Over-committed? I challenge you to take the risk. Invest in your neighbors. Be the person who demonstrates Christ-likeness. Drop your guard. Despiritualize your vocabulary. Be who you are and meet a need. Lend an ear of empathy. Give a hand of help and hope.

And when you do…God will meet your needs according to the riches of Christ. Why? Because you’ll be sharing what matters most!

 

Contentment vs Comparison

Nothing destroys contentment more than comparison.  If you don’t believe just ride in someone else’s new car.  The leather seats…the “new car” smell..the clean windshield…the high tech, multi-changer CD-GPS-Bose high performance sound…all of these things are like cancer to contentment.  The itch has to be scratched.  And before you know it we have abandoned what we have to pursue satisfaction elsewhere.  It can be a house or new furniture or a vacation we’ve heard about from a friend.  Before long what we were content with just days earlier is now not enough.

It even happens with people.  I know people who have been married for more than 25 years and one day decide the “old model” at home needs replacing.  Years of investment of heart and soul end quickly on the shallow slope of something better.  Relationships are traded in for upgrades much like we shop for a new car.  Lives are damaged.  Hearts are broken.  Families suffer.  Why?  Because we suffer from an acute cases of lack of contentment.

In Philippians 4:10-12 Paul thanks the Christians in Philippi for their renewed concern for him.  Apparently it has shown up in tangible ways rather than just on a prayer list  (see vs. 10).  In verse 11 Paul tells us this:  “…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”  Notice he says, “learned”.  Even in Paul’s world contentment was not a natural part of the DNA of people.  Apparently contentment is not unique to a culture with shopping malls and cars that park themselves.  Without electricity or running water, Paul faced the same desire to acquire as we do.  The difference?  He had learned to be content.  I know what you’re thinking.  What course did he take?  Are his notes on “Contentment 101” available at Amazon.com?  Is there a Small Group Training DVD on contentment that we could view?  Paul learned it not in sitting at the Spa but rather in a cell.  He found in his loneliness that Christ was enough.  The material trappings of the 1st century were no more satisfying than those of the 21st century.  Can you imagine Paul writing these words:  “I long for my books and a sweater…a Polo sweater…something in a Spring color…and if possible a leather satchel to keep my books…genuine leather…I heard about the sale at Macy’s….”  We would question more than his sanity.  We would doubt his spirituality.  We would tell him from outside the prison walls that he should trust in Christ alone…emphasizing ALONE.  And then we would leave the prison, head for lunch and stop for some light shopping.

But Paul doesn’t tell us his list of wants and desires.  He skipped the prison fashion show and missed the  latest Fall clothing line in Rome.  Paul knows that what he needs is not a new set of clothes to be “the man”.  Paul wants to be dressed in righteousness so he can become like the “the son of man”.  In verse 12 he tells us his journey of contentment.  He says, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

Paul has been with the haves and the have-not’s.  Paul’s eaten at the buffet and he’s eaten prison food.  He’s lived both in luxury and now in Lock-up.  And yet Paul says he knows the secret of contentment.  It is found in verse 13:  “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”   We love to quote that verse.  We print it on cards and emboss it on plaques.  For many it is the verse they use to do the seemingly impossible.  But remember Paul says its the secret for contentment.  What is he really saying?  The strength to be content is found in Christ.  The weakness of comparison and the greed to grab more can’t be conquered by moving to the country where the nearest shopping mall is a county a way.  Contentment is not possible on our own.  Contentment is so elusive that it requires a dependence on the eternal…or should I say…the Eternal One.

There’s nothing wrong with a trip to the mall or buying a new car or even buying more stuff.  Just remember that  contentment is a character trait that must be nurtured and fed.  Wanting more…looking for better…always pursuing another “thing” can destroy the quietness of spirit that contentment offers.  Trust Christ’s strength.  Let the longings of your heart be met in the one who can quench the thirst.  In fact the stuff we have won’t last.  The only thing we take into Heaven is us.  I want to arrive there with with empty arms so I can hug the one who is worthy.  Remember all we have is really just junk…it’s Jesus that matters!

 

Practice Makes Peace

You have probably heard it said, “Practice makes perfect”. I don’t think that is true. Let me explain. When I was growing up my stepfather was a golf addict. In fact for my 7th birthday he and my mother bought me a set of “Chi-Chi Rodriguez” golf clubs. At nearly every available opportunity I was taken to the driving range to hit a bucket of golf balls. Sometimes more than one bucket. Over and over again my stepfather would tell me how to hold the club…”put your left hand here”…”bend this elbow”…”hold this arm straight”. As a seven year old I wanted to be anywhere but standing over a golf ball on a tee. The clubs were not sized for me…my stance was not correct…I didn’t always keep my eye on the ball. Nevertheless, I hit golf ball after golf-ball. I sliced most. Many looked like a putt rather than a drive. That’s when I learned the falsehood of the statement: practice makes perfect.

In reality, practice makes permanent. I was never going to be a Tiger Woods. Not only did I lack the skills required for golf…and the interest…I lacked a teacher. My stepfather played enough golf not to embarrass himself, but he was not a trainer. His frustration with my stance and swing was obvious. He thought that if I just practiced enough I would improve…I would be better. But I discovered that if I kept practicing the same stance and the same swing, perfection of golf would never happen. On occasion as an adult I have played golf a few times. You guessed it…I still have a poor swing and and a bad stance. All my years of practice didn’t make me perfect…it made those bad habits permanent.

The Apostle Paul understood the value of a good model. He realized that if we “practice” the Christlike life on our own we are on course to repeat the same patterns of mistakes over and over. In Philippians 4:9 he writes, “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.” Paul intuitively knew that Christianity is not a solo journey. He is quick to remind us that in order for us to live like Christ we need an example. His words implore us to both be a mentor and have a mentor.

Look at his words again: “learned or received or heard…or seen in me…” Did you get his point? We are to be invested in the lives of others. We are to serve as a model of Christlikeness to those around us. This is not a haphazard or random interchange. It is an intentional decision to pour our life into someone else’s. But here’s the neat thing…Paul says when we invest our life in someone else there’s a by-product for us. “And the God of peace will be with you.” Jesus told us that it’s only when we give our life away that we find it.

So what is our responsibility? First, Model Christlikeness. Be an example of what it means to flesh out Christ in your everyday experiences. It’s not about how you look on Sunday…it’s about how you live during the week. Second, mentor someone…intentionally. Don’t miss the powerful partnership of your life poured into someone else’s. Invest in someone. It will be hard. It most likely will be messy. But do it anyway. Paul’s advice is not an option…he says, “put it into practice”.

How many more sermons do you need to hear before you live what you know? How many more Bible Studies do you need to attend before you invest all that truth into someone else? How many people around you need your example? Practice what Paul’s says…not to be perfect…but to experience peace.

I’ve gotta run…I’m late for tee off…

 

Think About It

Just the other day Rachel and I were riding in the car together. I was there physically, but my mind was somewhere else. She was talking to me and I was giving an agreeable “grunt” every few words…my attempt to let her know I was listening. I must confess. I wasn’t. Of course she was not fooled. Finally, after minutes of me not responding she asked the question: “What are you thinking about?” I had been caught. My mind was a million miles away. I was mentally distracted. I was processing an angry e-mail a staff member had received earlier that day; I was thinking through my hectic schedule for the remainder of the week; I was contemplating my words to someone regarding a problem they were experiencing…For sure I wasn’t engaged in the conversation that Rachel was trying to have with me.

I’m sure you’ve had similar wanderings of your mind. Alone in your thoughts but surrounded by people calling your name. It happens. In the seclusion of our cerebrum we contemplate countless scenarios. Our mind often stalls on the negative. We focus on the wrongs done to us. We linger not on the lovely but the hurt. Our thoughts are distracted by temper tantrums rather than truth. And then we roll over and get out of bed.

It is true that most of what we allow our mind to ruminate over sends our heart into retreat. We show up physically to the office or home or with friends but emotionally we are distant or dangerous. The thoughts that have entangled our mind are quickly reflected by our heart. We say a sharp word or give a glaring glance or sit silently pouting while those around are confused by our emotion. What began as a private thought ends up being paraded in public. Before long our heart is hardened by the negative thought patterns in our mind.

The Apostle Paul knew what it was like to be alone in thought. Stuck in a cell with no hopes of parole Paul faced the endless temptation to think negatively. Although limited physically by chains and age Paul was free to chose what he thought about. Nearly 4 years in prison had not imprisoned his mind or his heart. Listen to his counsel to us in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, 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.”

Look at Paul’s mental list of things to think on: whatever is true…noble…right…pure…lovely…admirable…excellent…praiseworthy. It would have been easy to focus on the lies said about him, personal failures, wrongs done to him or others, sin, hate of his enemies, his or others character flaws, his poor treatment or even doubts about God. Paul may be a prisoner of Rome but not his thoughts. He won’t succumb to the solitary confinement of negative thinking. He’s been changed by Christ…and that includes both his mind and his heart.

What’s your mind racing about today? Maybe its a negative conversation you’ve rehearsed in your mind that your tongue can’t wait to express. It might be the festering of hurt done to you or the injustice you’ve felt. Could it be that your mind is soaking in selfish desires or sinful scenarios? Paul would challenge us to change our thought patterns. He would exhort us to drain the mental swamp. He would encourage us to renew our mind. And the result? The heart begins to beat with hope. The tongue is tamed. Our perspective become positive. Relationships are restored. Christ is honored.

Think about it.