Wants, Expectations, and Strife, Part 1

What do you expect out of Life?

I find myself getting upset over  every little thing that does not go my way. This is a problem to me because,  as the bible says, it is "the little foxes that spoil the vineyard".  This little foxes being the anger and frustration that continually poisons  my days and my relationships.

I find myself expecting perfection  from myself and others, which creates a lot of frustration because this,  obviously, never works out. Let me be clear, this is not a logical expectation.  I do not wake up in the morning and decide that my day is going to be perfect  and everyone will perform and behave perfectly. Logically, I know that  this life and this world are imperfect, but emotionally I do not.

At an emotional level, I find myself  frustrated when things, events, others, or myself do not work out or perform the way  I envisioned them. Even though I do not think that perfection is possible,  I certainly do expect it. This is what I call an emotional habit. I believe  people in the psychological world may call this the "subconscious", or "automatic  thoughts."

"What causes quarrels and  what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at  war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and  cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do  not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend  it on your passions." James 4:1-3, ESV

And how many of our friendships,  marriages, churches, offices, etc, are plagued by this quarreling and fighting  that James is talking about? What examples are we setting for the lost  world out there? Are we showing the kind of love that Jesus showed to the  lost? Why or why not? Is it, maybe, that we are living selfish lives, and  this selfishness makes us angry and bitter people?

I must admit that if I were on  the outside looking in, I would not be attracted by what can be observed  in a lot of churches nowadays. Christ is very appealing, the love that  He expresses is definitely attractive, but His Christians (myself included)  and the love they express are a different matter. Why is the difference  between us and our Christ so vast?

Can it be because we are more focused  on ourselves and our "wants" than Him?

How to Meditate, Part 3

The scriptures need to be the centerpiece of your meditation, second only to Jesus Himself. Since meditation is all about changing the attitudes of our hearts, we need a measuring rod to tell us what needs to be changed. This is the role of scripture, to teach us right from wrong, so we can prayerfully, humbly, and confidently approach the Lord and ask Him to minister to our hearts in these areas.

Finally, Christian growth is a process that starts when we come to know God and ends when we finally see Him face to face. Either by death or the rapture, that is the only way to achieve perfect maturity as a Christian.

"Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure." 1 John 3:2-3, ESV

Mditation, then, is an ongoing process of growth that the Christian should embrace. It incorporates the mind as well as the heart and spirit, and it is all about growing closer to Christ. It is about submitting different aspects of our lives to Him, one by one, until our entire hearts have been completely submitted to Christ and He rules over every single area.

"Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass. And He will make your uprightness and right standing with God go forth as the light, and your justice and right as [the shining sun of] the noonday." Psalm 37:5-6, AMP

Like the rising of the sun described in Psalm 37:6, this process takes time, starting slowly, and shining brighter until it reaches its peak. So, I encourage you to be patient with yourself. Likewise, this process is very systematic. So, I encourage you to device a "meditation plan". Identify the major areas of your life that need to be submitted to the Lord, make a list of them, prioritize them, and then start applying the scriptures to them one by one. Once the list is complete, make another one, and start the process all over. You will never run out of things to put on the list, and if you do, just ask the Lord for His guidance. He will be able to fill your list.

Make room in your plan to go back and review those items that you have completed. This is called "maintenance." As we go through life, our environment, the people that we come into contact with, and the hurts and pains of life, will all have an effect on our minds and hearts. So, this, along with repentance, is a vital part of our growth. The continual washing of our feet as we walk through this dirty world (see John 13:10).
Keep in mind, however, that the goal is never to become sinless or perfect. The goal is simply to grow closer to Jesus and to build a closer and more intimate relationship with Him. To open your heart to His love and grace and train your mind and heart to trust in Him regardless of the outward circumstances of this world. After all, we are called to "be in the world, not of it".

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." Romans 15:13, ESV

How to Meditate, Part 2

Once we have identified those areas God is leading us to work on, we need to understand the underlying needs from which this issues stem. Is it a desire to be loved that is causing this problem? Is it a lack of trust in God? Is it a need for attention? Is it selfishness? Is it a combination of these or other aspects? This is what I think the Lord was trying to tell us when he said:

"Consider well the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established and ordered aright." Proverbs 4:26, AMP

Once the underlying heart issue is identified, then we can start to meditate on those attributes of God that address that need. Even though all the different aspects of God should be studied and meditated upon, I have found that there are three major areas of the character of God that I tend to focus on. I do not know if these would help everyone in the same way they help me, but they certainly do seem to address most of my heart problems. They are:

The Goodness  of God: His love and kindness, good intentions, and plans towards us (including the way in which he disciplines us).
The Wisdom of God: His knowledge of what was, is, and is to come. His knowledge of the things that are hidden in our hearts, even from ourselves. His knowledge of our past and future and what He wants for us. His way of thinking and making decisions that include this knowledge that escapes our understanding.
The Power of God: His ability to perform and bring to pass that which he has purposed. His control over ever situation, at every time, everywhere, in every way. His omnipresence.

These three can then be applied to each area of your life to produce change in our hearts. This list is by no means an exhaustive list of God's character. This could not be done in such a short essay. For a better study on God's character, let me suggest a book called "The Attributes of God."My small group and I are going through it at the moment and it has proven to be a very beneficial study.

If you would like to start meditating but need guidance, let me suggest that you start by looking at the sermon of the Mount (Matthew 5-7). If you read these few chapters carefully, you will notice that they do not speak specifically about our behavior but of the attitudes of the heart. Inspect your actions and your heart and identify one or two of the areas mentioned in this sermon that the Lord would have you improve upon. This should not be hard to do. You probably already know what they are because the Lord has been convicting you about them. Then dig a little deeper and try to understand what your heart is looking for. Once you understand that, just meditate on the attributes of God that will minister to that need.

Romans 12:2, Philippians 4:8, Isaiah 26:3, Proverbs 4:23-26, Romans 12:1-2, Proverbs 17:22, Deuteronomy 4:9, Deuteronomy 6:6-9

-G

How To Meditate, Part 1

To some, meditation is something done sitting cross legged at the top of a mountain by highly spiritual people. But this is not exactly the Biblical idea of meditation. So what do the scriptures say about this?

"And these words which I am commanding you this day shall be [first] in your [own] minds and hearts; [then]  You shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them penetrate, and teach and impress them diligently upon the [minds and] hearts of your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.  And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets (forehead bands) between your eyes.  And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:6-9, AMP

From the Deuteronomy scripture above, we can see that meditation should be a way of life. Something that we do throughout our lives. A similar concept can be found in Philippians 4:8, where we are told to keep thinking about everything that is excellent and praiseworthy. and at the beginning of Romans 12, where we are told to sacrifice the entirety of our being as "spiritual worship" to God,  and then to be transformed by renewing our minds.

First and foremost Christian Meditation should always be done in communion with God. It is Him who produces change in our hearts. Knowing Him and building intimacy with Him is what will produce those results that our hearts yearn for so desperately. So the change of our heart's attitudes can not exclude God. It is something we do with Him and with His leadership. He knows our hearts better than we do. So meditation always start with asking God to reveal the sinfulness within us and show us those areas that He wants to change in us. The scriptures say:

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom)." 2 Corinthians 3:17, AMP

When we meditate we are opening our hearts and lives to the spirit of God. When our heart, which are in bondage to sin come into contact with the spirit of God, they are set free. From His Spirit, love, peace, joy, and every good thing flows into our hearts. To the point where this overflows into every aspect of our lives and becomes a blessing for everyone we come into contact with.

"The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45, AMP

-G

How To Change Your Heart

I admonish you to use wisdom with what I am about to say. If you have not done so, please read my article on Religion vs. Relationship and keep that in mind as you read through this section.

Lets just start by saying that nothing can be done with absolute perfection. Attempting to have a perfect heart is setting yourself up for failure, so I would suggest that if you decide to apply what we will be talking about today, that you do so with an attitude of grace and patience towards yourself. On the same note, regardless of how much you change, it will never be enough to attain salvation or any degree of righteousness on your own strength.

Having said that, even though we might not reach a state of perfection, that does not mean that we should not work towards improving our relationship with God. Though the effects from meditation and changing your heart will produce a mindset and perception that will make your life much more pleasant and enjoyable, I encourage you to not let that be the sole motivation behind your meditation. You should approach this as an act of worship towards God (see my article on What is Worship). The results that will follow will be just that, the results that come from a closer relationship with Him.

Christian meditation has one objective, only one, an no more than one. The objective is to become closer to God, growing in intimacy with Him, and learn to love and trust Him more. Everything else flows out of that. Sinlessness can not be produced from meditation. Righteousness can not be produced from meditation, that can only be obtained by faith alone. Likewise, peace can not be directly produced from meditation, however, this will be a byproduct of meditating on the right things. Christian meditation will help you build your intimacy with God as you change your perceptions of God, yourself, and the world. That is where peace and joy come from, as a byproduct of meditation, but not as a direct result of it. Some will argue that we can not do anything to build our intimacy with God, but the bible is clear that some level of initiative is expected from us in this area.

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." James 4:7-8, ESV

With emphasis on "draw near to God, and he will draw near to you", one can conclude that we should at least, attempt to draw near to Him. Personally, I believe that if there really are any result that can be achieved, they are because he caused them to happen, not me. But I also believe that my initiative is a way of expressing to Him my desire for a closer relationship, and that is what He is really looking for to begin with.

There are a lot of concepts about meditation out there. Most of those concepts have some sort of spiritual aspect to them, rightly so. Meditation should involve all aspects of the person Spirit, Soul, and Body. But, what is Christian Meditation? If you are a regenerated (born again) Christian, your spirit has been re-made in the image of God, and the spirit of God is actually living in you, but your mind and your flesh have not been re-made. Meditation is training you mind and heart to work in a way that is pleasing to God in order to bring it into agreement with the Holy Spirit living within you. This is what I believe the Lord is trying to tell us in Philippians 4:8.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8, ESV

Whether you realize it or not, you meditate on a very regular basis. Worrying is one form of meditation. I should know, I do a lot of that. Worrying (which is different than concern, in my mind) is meditating on the wrong things. When you worry, your mind as well as your heart are involved. Meditation involves both the mind and heart. It involves your thoughts as well as your will, your emotions, and your attitudes. The result is a changed heart, which leads to changed behavior.
Today, I want to challenge you to start meditating on those aspects of your life that the Lord has convicted you about.

Lord, I ask that you reveal to us our sins, our idols, and that you help us submit those to you. Guide us as we seek to do your will and worship you, change our hearts so they may be pleasing to you. Make us men and women (respectively), after you own heart! Amen.

How to Keep the First Thing First

There are so many things fighting for our attention, some are very worthy, such as family and your spouse, children, work, ministry, friends. Some are not as worthy of our attention, but we give it to them anyways. Such as entertainment, material stuff, and hobbies. Notice that non of these things are sinful or bad in and of themselves, and some people would argue that they are needful, with which I would agree to some degree. But they are not Jesus. So how do we keep Jesus First in our lives?
There are no problems with any of these things. As a matter of fact, everyone should have all of the things mentioned earlier, to some degree or another. Entertainment, friends, hobbies, material things, are all good things. All of them were created by God. And He does want us to have and enjoy them. It is when they take and exaggerated place of importance in our hearts and lives that they become bad things. They become idols!!!

The key to keeping Jesus first is not necessarily in what we do, but in how we do it. It is a matter of heart attitude. I can keep Jesus first when I am spending some quality time with my friends, or doing our monthly budget with my wife (in which case I not only need to keep Him first, but I need to hold on to Him, by faith, with all my strength), or while I am at work, or church, or lunch, or at any other point in life.

"In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:6, ESV

Note that this passage says "in all your ways", not some, not most, but all of them. Whether you are at work, church, with friends, family, being serious, or entertaining, all of them. I fully believe that it is possible to keep Him first in any area of life, as long as it is not sin, of course.

"But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7, ESV

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am working at becoming free from a perpetual sense of fear, anxiety, and insecurity that is mostly related to finances. As part of this struggle, I often find myself stressing and worrying at an unconscious level. I can be sitting at my computer, doing the best job that I know to do, with the intentions of achieving the best results I can, and I am still anxious and worried. It seems that I am just anxious as a matter of Habit. This is a heart issue. When God looks at me, he can see that I am working hard, and that I am focus, everyone can see that. That is the "appearance" that verse is speaking of. However, God can see much more than that. He can see my heart, and He can see that I am not working for Him or for His Glory. He can see that I am working for myself, for money, for stuff, for food and shelter, for all those things that I should be trusting Him with. This heart issue that I struggle with is also know as idolatry. I am literally worshipping money, and worshipping myself. Worshipping money because I am trusting in money and what money can buy instead of trusting that God is my provider. Worshipping myself (also known as pride), because I am trusting in my own skills and ability to provide for myself. Needless to say, as often as I find myself in this condition, I repent and ask God for His help in overcoming this sin.

This attitude is not keeping God first, this is keeping myself first. If I were keeping Him first, I would be working to bring Glory to God. My work would be an expression of Love for God, instead of an attempt at providing for myself. When I do something for my wife, with the purpose of expressing love towards her, there are feelings directed towards her that accompany my actions. When I do something for God, with the intention of expressing my love for him, there should also be feelings and attitudes directed towards Him to accompany those actions.

That is how we keep God first. By keeping the right attitudes in our heart while we go through life doing whatever it is we are doing. Which produces, in my mind, another question: If, as a Christian, I need to keep Jesus First. And keeping Jesus First is a matter of the attitude in my heart then, How do I change the attitudes in my heart? How do I approach life with a heart that seeks to continually express love towards God?

We will discuss the answer to that question on the next post. In the mean time, think about and post your answer to these questions:
What are the benefits from keeping Jesus first in your everyday life?
What is keeping you from doing it?

Related articles: What is worship?, All about Grace Part 1 and Part 2
-g

First things First

I want to be happy, healthy, and wealthy. I want my life to be perfect, free of problems, and abounding in every good thing, and it will be, after I die. Until then, however, I am stuck in this imperfect world, filled with sin and pain. And so are you. In the mean time, however, I stress and become anxious when things don't quite work out the way I want them to. I stress over work, I stress over possible failure, I stress over what might or might not happen that could affect my finances, I stress over just about anything.

Reading the amplified version of the sermon on the mount a couple of days ago, I came across this passage that I wanted to share with you:

"Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?" Matthew 6:25, AMP

The phrase "perpetually uneasy" stood out to me. When I read this particular section of the scripture, I usually read the ESV or the NIV version, but that day I was reading the amplified version, which seems to give additional insight that is sometimes lost in the other translations. The phrase stood out to me so strongly because it describe so precisely how I feel about my life. I feel perpetually uneasy, anxious, and worried. Whether I am at work or at home, even in my sleep sometimes, there seems to be an undercurrent of fear and anxiety about some impending tragedy that might happen at any moment. That is why I read this section of scripture so often, to try to address that underlying insecurity.

As a side note, let me clarify that this passage never says not to save for the future, it only commands not to worry about saving. Other sections of scriptures, such as proverbs, definitely do advice saving and planning for the future. So, please, do keep contributing towards your savings accounts and retirement, just start trusting in God more than in your money.

The larger passage that I was reading at the time is Matthew 6:25-33 and the NIV translation titles it "Do Not Worry." If you read this section carefully, you will notice that it is written in a commanding format. It does not say "I suggest you relax a bit". It is not a suggestion or advice, it is a command to "stop". The passage goes on to talk about three aspects of life: Food, clothing, and storing for the future which, in my mind, all speak about finances. The passage ends with the following statement:

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:33-34, ESV

Which brings me to the point I wanted to make all along. The first priority for a Christian should always be the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness. In other words, your relationship and intimacy with Jesus, not health, wealth, and happiness. Out of your relationship with him flow every good thing that is worth having. Away from him, we can only wither and die. The life of a Christian should be the life of someone that is perpetually connected to Christ. So the spirit and love of Christ can flow through the Christian onto everyone he comes into contact with. It should be one continual, uninterrupted act of worship towards God. From God, To God, and By God.

So far we talked about keeping God first, which is the main priority of a Christina not only in finances, but in every aspect in life. Stay tuned because tomorrow we will be talking about HOW we go about doing this.

Additional Scriptures: Matthew 6:19-24, John 15:5-6; Proverbs 3:5-6, Luke 10:27-28; Romans 12:1

Love, Mercy, and Grace

So far we have discussed Love and Grace, but what about Mercy? According to our last study, the difference between grace and mercy seemed to be unclear, and rightly so since it was a study on grace, not mercy. But now it is time we made this distinction a bit more explicit.
As I mentioned previously, it is my opinion that Grace is just an expression of love. As I have heard it said: Grace is when God gives someone something that they do not deserve. Likewise I have heard it say that Mercy is when God does not give someone what they do deserve; with an implied understanding that this "something" is a negative something such as punishment, or eternal damnation.
If we turn this second definition around, mercy becomes the extension of God's forgiveness and, therefore, a more particular type of grace. Mercy is grace applied onto sin and sinners. A grace that extends (gives) forgiveness to those that do not deserve it. Mercy then is another way to refer to His saving grace. John 10:10 describes a general sense of His grace. In this passage God says that Jesus came to give us a more abundant life.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." John 10:10-11
However, we see in Johns 3:16-17 a more specific aspect of the grace of God. If Jesus came to give us gifts (see Luke 11:13) and a more abundant life, then his forgiveness is another one, and the most significant, of His gifts. This passage is obviously talking about his saving grace, but what it actually says is that God so loved, that He gave.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." John 3:16-17, ESV
We can conclude that if grace is God's giving, then mercy is, specifically, God giving us his forgiveness.
As a closing thought, It is important to mention the difference between discipline and punishment at this point. Discipline, is another expression God's grace, though it might be unpleasant for those on the receiving end of it. Discipline is meant for the good of the one being disciplined, to produce a good and desirable quality in them and for the purpose of teaching. Discipline always has its origin in Love. Punishment, as I use it throughout this blog, is a retribution for sin based on anger. If Divine, this punishment can be referred to as wrath, condemnation , or judgment (not necessarily the "final Judgment"). If human, punishment is also known as vengeance, which is another form of sin.
Thank you Father for your amazing, saving, grace. Thank you for what you did at the cross for us undeserving, wretched creatures. I pray that you show us the extent of our sinfulness, and the true extent of your Holiness and glory, to whatever degree we can possibly understand. Help us grasp the full extent of your mercy to the point where we are transformed in who we are and how we see our lives and you. Help us understand how helpless we are without you, and how impossible it is to re-pay you for your sacrifice so we might understand the true value of it. Amen

All About Grace, Part 2

But grace is not just our attitude towards others, it is also our attitude towards ourselves. I have a hard time with this. I struggle with perfectionism and, therefore, am very hard on myself when I do not perform and achieve my own expectations. But grace is also being understanding towards ourselves. God is not a hash God, he is not a "lightning bolt God", if He went to the trouble to take that savage punishment on my behalf, then why am I punishing myself over something that He has forgiven me of? My counselor would say that it is a sin to treat myself in such a way, and I would agree with him (hence why he give me counsel).
Jesus did not die at the Cross so we could continue to strive to achieve perfection. Even Jesus Himself did not believe that equality with God was something that could be obtained so, why do we try so hard to achieve it? Personally, I think it is a pride issue. There is something deep within that says that we need to do more or be better so we can achieve perfection on our own strength.
"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Philippians 2:5-8, ESV
But, as with every other piece of advice given by God, grace has immense benefits for the one being gracious as well. If we make a habit of extending grace towards ourselves and others, it will have a deep effect in the way we perceive life, in the way we live life and, ultimately, in how much we enjoy life. An attitude of grace is beneficial to the one on the receiving end, as well as the one that is being gracious. All of life should be lived in an attitude of grace, which is nothing more than expressed love toward the undeserving.
What would happen if you adopted this attitude of grace towards yourself, your spouse, your children, the members of your church, your co-workers, your boss, your employees, your business partners, your friends,....?
How much more enjoyable would life be if your heart would automatically react with love, compassion, and grace towards yourself and others, instead of harshness and judgmentalism?
In this article, we have spoken a lot about grace, but you might be thinking that it is a lot like mercy, in which case you would be correct. Stay tuned because, on my next post, I will be explaining my view on the difference between grace and mercy.
A note about this blog: If you read through some of my other articles, you will notice that a lot of what I write assumes a level of perfection. This is because I tend to think a lot in terms of idealistic concepts and express them in such way. However, perfection is not achievable and whatever habit or attitude I might be talking about, please be compassionate and understanding towards yourself if you decide to embark in a journey and embrace change towards those. Leave some room for error for yourself. No one, other than Jesus, can maintain any habit or attitude perfectly for an indefinite period of time, including you and me.

All About Grace, Part 1

Christianity is all about grace, yet people keep insisting in making it about a whole lot of other things. But, what is grace exactly? To understand grace, lets first take a look at love.

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at  wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, ESV

Grace is when you apply this attitude that the bible calls love (which is very different than what the world calls love) to someone that has hurt you, or does not deserve it. Grace is to forgive, and treat others as you would have them treat you, when they mess up. Put yourself into the offender's shoes and ask yourself these questions: If I had done what he/she did, how would I like people to treat me? Would I want people to respond with understanding and forgiveness? Or would I like people to judge me and put me down because of what I did?

"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 7:12, ESV

If you are like me, you would likely choose the second of those two options. Then why is it that most of the time people do not behave like this? As a matter of fact, treating other in any other way is, in my opinion, hypocritical. But, since we are talking about grace, let me hasten to add that no one can do this perfectly, and there is grace for that too. I sure don't get it right nearly as much as I would like to.
Grace is God coming down to save a disgusting, filthy, sinful people, and submitting himself to humiliation, torture, and the cross, when He could have stayed in the comfort of Heaven, surrounded by angles singing Him praises for ever more.

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8, ESV

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." John 10:10-11, ESV

For the second and, in my opinion, more important part of this article please, check back on Monday February 27th -g

Religion Vs. Relationship

I skipped church last Sunday. My fourteen month old child was sick and my wife decided that it was best for him to stay home. I could have gone to church on my own, but I decided to stay and spend that time with my wife and son instead. Was that the right decision? Was it the wrong decision? Am I a bad Christian for having stayed home when I could have gone to church to worship? These are all the wrong questions, aimed at making me feel guilty about "not doing enough". The truth of the matter is that going to church can sometime be an even worse decision than staying home. The key is they attitude you have in your heart when making the decision.

I do not believe that Jesus cares much about people going to church just because they feel obligated. I believe Jesus wants people to go to church as an act of worship towards him (see my post on "What is Worship?"), in order to learn and grow closer to him, to experience fellowship with other believers and be encouraged and uplifted. Now, let me clear about this, I do NOT believe that skipping church is a habit anyone should adopt either. I rarely skip church (which is different than not going to church because of sickness or any other legitimate reason) but, when I do, I don't feel guilty about it.
When I first became a Christian, Jesus led me in a study of the difference between what it means to be religious and what it means to have a genuine relationship with Him. I believe that study has made, and continues to make, a big difference in my relation ship with him. I encourage you to undertake that same study for yourself.

I do not judge my relationships with friends based on how much I do for them or they do for me. I judge my relationship with friends,based on the intimacy between us, based on the amount and quality of the time we spend together. If I measure my relationship with my regular friends in terms of the intimacy, time, and quality of our interactions, why then, should I measure my relationship with Christ, who loves me to the point of going to the cross for me while I was still in my sin, in terms of performance and the things I do or don't do for Him? Jesus said:

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for,his friends." John 15:13

None of my friends has done this for me, nor I for them. But Jesus did. He did not die so I could continue to strive to earn my way into heaven. That method had been proven ineffective by thousands of years worth of people trying and failing miserably. No matter what I do or don't do, God will never love me any more or less than He already does.

How do you measure your relationship with Christ (or "Christianity")? Do you consider yourself a good Christian because you do all the right thing, ie: going to church, praying, checking off your to do list? or do you enjoy deep, intimate, open and honest fellowship with this amazing friend, who loved you to the point of giving his own life for you?

People have this same religious attitude towards serving in ministry. They serve with the underlying intention of "being good," or earning credits to make it into heaven. I believe this is the wrong attitude, not because serving is wrong, but because of the motivation behind it. I believe that our service and obedience towards God should be an expression of our love towards Him, not an attempt to earn something. I do not serve and love my wife to get stuff from her (....for the most part), but I serve her because I love and care for her. Last night, in the middle of the night, I knocked a lamp over accidentally and pieces of glass went flying all over my side of the bed, which also happens to be right in front of the bathroom door. This morning when I woke up I did not clean those shards of glass because I was trying to earn brownie points from my wife or child, I cleaned them up because, had I not done so, she probably would have stepped on them and hurt herself on her way into the bathroom this morning. It was out of my love and concern for her, not to earn anything.

Along the same line of thought, my wife and I serve as Community Group ministry directors for the church we currently attend. We do not serve because we believe that we are earning points with God that will facilitate our entry into Heaven. We serve because we have a passion for community groups, and community, and people helping each other grow closer to Christ. I think this is what the bible means when it says:

"...Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." James 2:18

Today I want to challenge you to inspect the motivation behind your actions. Why do you go to church? Why do you serve?

Additional Scripture References: Romans 3:20,28, 4:3, 5:1, James 2:14-26