directions

I can’t get over the inevitable feeling that we are all heading in the wrong direction.

Seemingly we push closer to what “feels” good, but not what is actually good. We need Christ in our lives but we just stand in one place in this life while saying how good He is.

Here’s the awesome part; Christ died for you.

If you need to, please go back and read that last sentence. It is not a typo nor is it grammatically incorrect in any way. There is nothing illegal or illegitimate about it. It is the truth.

The most important piece for you to recognize from that statement is the word “you”. Yes, Christ died for you. He also died for me. Go look in the mirror real quick then come back. The same person you just looked at is the person that Christ died for.

If you could really grasp that and then do something about it, you would scream from the top of the closest mountain top. You would literally walk outside and tell people you have never met. Wouldn’t you? You wouldn’t? Am I the crazy one?

Maybe I don’t know what I want; maybe I’m the one confused. Christ did die for me right? Am I really headed in the wrong direction?

Where did I lose track of the story? I was following along and then what, did I stop paying attention? I go back to the story teller and listen for more, there is so much to the story and I can’t get enough so I listen as often as possible but sometimes I get pulled away.

I want nothing more than to stay in the midst of the story and be wrapped in the effect. The parables are riveting, the lessons are captivating. The narrator often speaks directly to me, no kidding! Yet there are times when something leads me off in the other direction, I get distracted.

I hear the part about how He died for me and I jump up and down inside. Sometimes I tell others but it doesn’t seem right. Shouldn’t there be more to this commission? Shouldn’t I be atop the mountain shouting, regardless of my circumstances? I know I am broken but that is no excuse.

Inspiring others comes at a cost, some listen and others don’t, but I feel led to inspire. I have written what feels like so much and yet it is nothing really. I cannot express the love of my savior with mere words. Nothing I could ever do will ever compare to a single day of Christ in my life, but He has the power to make me powerful for Him and His kingdom.

So, why not run around outside and tell others? Why not be bold and share the good news? What are we afraid of, rejection? We get a single chance here in this place to leave a mark, to leave a legacy. I suppose I could be satisfied to leave it with my children but that’s not good enough for me, I want more.

The “more” that I seek is based on what I have been given. Something so undeserved that it goes beyond human reasoning. I cannot explain nor should I try. Instead I will say that His grace covers all.

I may be unsure of running outside and screaming it out loud for now, but somehow I am destined to share the good news. So I keep writing, I keep talking, I keep moving.

Through everything that this life might throw at you, there is one thing that can never be taken away and that is your faith. I continue to be struck with that fact as I traverse my days. What would mean infinitely more would be the chance to share that faith with those who doubt or do not know.

I am convinced that many are headed in the wrong direction. I pray for proper direction in my life that others might see Him who is the way, the truth and the life.

This time I finally see the reason I can’t do this alone. My faith alone is tinny compared to the power of God. My prayer is simply that my faith would be on display as an example of how great God is.

He takes you as you are, so turn around and head in the right direction.
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My life is not mine, and yet it is mine to live for Him. Peace to you all.

D

angst

Why the angst? Why do I get so riled up when someone disagrees with a specific philosophy or political view of mine? Who knows, but it’s driving me nuts. I need a better creative outlet; I don’t get to this often enough.

It would be one thing if the disagreements were only about one subject but unfortunately there are several. I have made if fairly clear how I feel about war but there are other things I am passionate about as well, I just don’t talk about them publicly as much.

For instance, I see huge problems with self righteousness, but I don’t want to come off the same by saying anything, so I clam up. I also battle right wing fundamentalism in the church and how it’s one way or the highway for so many whose primary form of religion is some windbag on AM radio, who doesn’t care one iota about your relationship with Christ.

Another huge problem I have is Americanism. That term is broad so let me narrow down my beef. In America there are a great percentage of people who expect certain rights, regardless of whether or not they know what they are, why we have them, how we came about getting them or the specifics by which they are written. As Americans we are entitled to certain rights as citizens. One particular thing that irks me to no end is that quite a few so called Christians that I know are more concerned with their American rights than their Christian rights.

I have written about this before but today it seems different. In light of the recent tea bag parties it seems apt to discuss this again. Certain Americans have forgotten what they are fighting for and have decided that if they just “fight” then something good will come of it. If we complain loud enough about something, we will get some new magical right.

The absurdity of this boggles my mind as I read the Bible and then try and transfer that data to my daily life. I am reminded of so many things that I need to be doing in this life but the number one thing is to put Him first and not in any other place. God comes first, not after the bill of rights.

I have to honestly say that my citizenship of this country means far less today than it ever has, especially when I consider who my fellow citizens are and who they continually paint themselves to be. If your faith comes first, if your love of God comes first, then you will be compelled to live a different life; one for others and not for yourself. You will find that the most important right you have is the right to follow Jesus. You will find that the greatest freedom you have is your freedom to live for Him.

Think carefully about what it means to be an American. Would you give up your gun for Him? Would you lay down your freedom of religion to follow Him? Priorities are the key here and right now I am hearing some very backward priorities from people who claim to love Christ. It’s time to check yourself.

Most importantly, it’s time to check in with Him and be reminded of which kingdom you are really a part of.

My life is not mine, and yet it is mine to live for Him. Peace to you all.

D

Peace in these times

I have heard it said that peace is unattainable. I have heard that peace is the opposite of war and that war is unavoidable so therefore peace is not possible. I have heard that the number one foe of peace is fear.

Of those three statements, the only one that has any credibility is the last one. Fear is of course our greatest enemy, especially when it comes to peace. Standing in the gap between fear and peace is Christ, our job is to meet Him there and trust Him to deliver us from this enemy.

When we cave into our fear we pull further away from Christ, but when we learn to turn away from conflict we draw closer to Him.

Jesus came because of life, He came to preserve life. Is not death the opposite of life? When Jesus died on the cross and then rose from the dead, He overcame death. In the same manner we are supposed to overcome death by accepting life in Christ.

Our lives are precious to God. He created us and sustains us. How then can we for one second allow something as sinister as abortion? At the same exact moment, how can children of God accept something as maniacal as war?

We stand on the principles of scripture which we believe are God-breathed. Within these breaths of God we are to be consumed with life and not death. We are to be focused on eternity and not this death that exists here in this fallen world.

We are to forgive others as we have been forgiven. We did not deserve to be forgiven and yet His grace overflows. In fact we continue to fail to deserve God’s amazing love and yet we turn around and fail to forgive others because we don’t think others deserve our forgiveness.

Who are we really?

I keep saying the same things over and over, repeating myself for what, self gratification? It really is gross to think of how much I have written about this over the past three years, but here we are none the less.

I have my bible which has notes upon notes written in it. There are underlined passages that I keep returning to along with a few small snippets of paper that I have kept that are filled with my thoughts. I have asked God to spell it out for me on numerous occasions and He keeps coming back with, “keep writing”.

I have protested a few times as this seems redundant but I am waiting for a particular moment when this will all seem crystal clear, when it will stop being something that I think I get and a few people around me barely grasp.

This is so much bigger than our own immediate lives; it is something that will carry on forever. Our kids and their kids need to hear this and they need to hear it now, not on some epitaph after we’re gone.

Our moment is now; it is today, carpe diem and all that. Throughout history there have been voices that carried above the din, that spoke through the chaos. It is our time to raise our voices in protest to what we are being sold.

In these times we need peace. We have been given the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ and we respond how? By annihilating anyone who does not agree with our own world views? By destroying anyone who goes against our finite views on religion?

GOD IS LOVE. I missed the lines in the bible that say God is anything to the contrary of that last statement and yet there are people out there, worse yet there are Christians out there who would rather put a gun in a young person’s hands, send them off to a foreign land and ask that young person to kill to protect a so called freedom.

As Switchfoot says, “I pledge allegiance to a country without borders, without politicians”. This world has nothing for me if the people who so dearly hold onto their bibles are the same ones that hold onto their guns and their Americanism. Christianity is about following Christ and not the GOP.

This eats me up and yet I know there can be no hesitating on this position. I am standing here today with my faith and a belief that we are called to follow Jesus and then to love our neighbor.

Peace is in knowing that. Showing peace to others is in living it out. We need peace in these times, right now, right here today.
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My life is not mine, and yet it is mine to live for Him. Peace to you all.

D

Self discovery

Finding one’s place among others is seeing yourself among other people, and wondering not only if you fit in but if you make a difference. As men search to not only fit in but be accepted by their peers they are emasculated by a society that wants nothing more than their failure.

Who do we seek to impress? Is it other men, or is it women? Is it society and a perceived impression? Is it our parents that were there for us; or not there for us?

We walk amongst only so many people on a daily basis. We have a unique chance to display to them who we are as individuals, to show others what we stand for. Our place in this world will ultimately be for naught if we leave no lasting legacy with those who were closest to us, especially our families. Instead of being so concerned with what society might say about us, we should question first what our heavenly Father would say, and then our earthly family.

Our families are critical in our daily lives. Some of us have large families and others have very little family at all. Regardless of your situation you must address the relationships you currently have and ask those closest to you for an evaluation. There are two simple questions, and the answers will become your concentration for the rest of your life. Confront the person closest to you and ask;

“Do you see Jesus in me?”

This is profound beyond most anything you will ever ask a member of your family. You are asking something that cuts to the very depth of who you are and asks the other person to search themselves as deeply. Even the most devout family will struggle with this question if they are truly honest, and that is the key, you must be honest with each other.

Depending on the answer, we each need to take steps to determine what it would take for the answer to always be yes, no matter who you asked. If you have a large family, I recommend that you ask at least 4 members. After you ask the initial question, consider asking this as a follow up;

“Why?”

Understanding this is your formula for moving forward in your mission to serve Christ on a daily basis. When you know the “why” people either see Jesus in you or don’t, you can determine your course of action. That exact moment is your opportunity to seize the day and live it for Jesus. Take up your cross and follow Him. Make it your daily goal that others will see Jesus in you and will want that same love in their heart.


My life is not mine, and yet it is mine to live for Him. Peace to you all.

D

screaming

Colossians 3:1-17 (NIV)…
1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.

7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.

8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices

10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

11Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I suppose I could go on about this some more; wouldn’t that be fun?! I keep waiting for this to get old but every time I sit down here I am urged to write more. Sometimes I question the urge and choose not to write. Other times I walk away convinced that my mind is not right at the moment and my mental position is possibly in question. Sometimes I just shake my head and wonder if it makes any difference at all.

Today was one of the times where I was urged and so chose to respond by acting. My inspiration at this moment comes from receiving an email with the verse of the day. I value that email and today was no different. Occasionally I read the verse and delete it. Other times I save it intentionally with the plan to use it in a blog post. Today however I was immediately struck with the desire to scream it out on paper in the form of my writing.

I know that Paul was battling Colosse, an ancient philosopher of his day, but Paul’s words are as important today as they were then. Verse 8 tells us what we are to get rid of, then verse 15 sums up how we are to live following our transformation in Christ.

If you want to scream with me I’ll understand.