What do you see?
A believer's passionate desire for knowing and sharing the kingdom of God and Jesus
is their "calling" to full-time ministry. The Holy Spirit
ordains (invests with ministerial/priestly authority and confers holy orders on)
every believer. The direction or focus of each person's calling is varied; Paul to the gentiles, Peter to the Jews, Billy Graham to the masses, Mother Teresa to children in calcutta slums. The world knows these names but most living out their calling are never known outside the lives they touch. Their passion isn't recognition or compensation, but being used to bring life and truth to those who come their way in the ordinary jobs, schools, clubs, teams of life. Their stories are like one of a young person tossing a few of the million sand-dollars washed ashore, back into the ocean. Some would say the young one is accomplishing very little while another sees millions of young ones working beaches all over the world.
Our worth...to God.
I was camping with some dudes a few weeks ago when our tent conversation turned to spiritual things and this thought.
Without the life of Christ we have no worth to God.
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That means lost folks have no worth to God and believers have no worth apart from the life of Christ within them.
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Hold on here, what about God designing each one of us, creating us specifically, personally, individually; how can God create something that is 'wonderfully made' and assign no worth...and...for that matter...How can God love everyone in the world and not assign worth to them?
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well...
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What if God's agape love doesn't require the object to have worth? What if God's agape love isn't initiated by the worth of the object but rather by His love itself? What if unconditional love is just that, unconditional; whether you have worth or not makes no difference, God loves you and everyone else irregardless.
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and...
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What if our worth is tied to fulfilling our purpose? We were created to enjoy and experience relationship with God. Apart from the life of Christ that is impossible; we are worthless with respect to the purpose for which we were created.
Say you're a cyclist and you spend thousands putting together the lightest, stiffest, fastest bike just like Lance Armstrongs, but it doesn't have a chain. What's it worth to you?
.All have potential, but without the 'life' that enables their fulfillment of the purpose for which each was created, they are worthless...beautiful, hand crafted, intricate, loved by their creator...but worthless.
Nothing
I was reading Job yesterday, interestingly or not, I never have before. This verse struck me.
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Job 3:25 The worst of my fears has come true, what I've dreaded most has happened.
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Jesus showed me there is nothing to fear (be scared of, dread), nothing...because He is the source of all my needs.
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He showed me I shouldn't fear losing my
- life, because He is my life.
- family, because He is my eternal Father, Jesus is my brother and I have countless other brothers and sisters in Christ.
- physical abilities, because He is my only ability and I can do all things through Christ.
- mind, because He has given me His, the mind of Christ.
- financial capabilities, because He has given me everything I need for life and godliness.
- reputation, because apart from Him I have nothing worthy of a reputation.
- fellowship/relationship with Him, because there is nothing that can separate me from the life of Christ.
- wordly possessions, because He's shown me they are merely wood, hay & stubble.
- significance in this life, because He is my soul source of significance, purpose & meaning.
What has he showed you?
Is Jesus trustworthy enough to replace your fears?
my comments to another blogger who referenced John Scalzi's list about 'being poor' (click link bar for John's list).
Being poor is having all the materialistic things, confidences, capabilities and services John (click link) alludes to 'not having' but no meaning (to know Jesus), no purpose (to bear His fruit), no unconditional acceptance & love...you could be Brad Pitt, Queen Elizabeth, Bill Gates or George W. Bush and still be poor...IMHO.
"Nickel & Dimed - great book" reminded me of the times we took the calculator to the grocery. We don't have to do that now but we also don't have to spend all that we make on ourselves either. That's what I think Jesus was talking about (Mark 10:25-Rich/Camel)...it's difficult for someone who's got more than they need for daily survival to 'walk in the way of God, kingdom of God, spiritual world because they 'seemingly' don't need God.
In the same way it's difficult to walk in the kingdom of God if you're focused on what it means to be without sufficient monetary resources.
I don't think it's spiritually heathly to focus on our material existence poor or well to do.
Intimacy vs Knowledge
Through the past 20 years Heather & I have come to know each other well; to the point of finishing each other's sentences, knowing each others thoughts, aware of habits (good & bad) and being privy to each others inmost motivations and desires.
Our knowing each other is the outcome of our doing life together; raising two kiddos, moving to different states, weathering financial crisis, seeking & serving Jesus side by side...going through victories and the defeats, anger & joy, passion & indifference.
I wonder what my knowing Heather would be like if I related to her by:
- Reading her love letters
- Talking with other people 'about' her
- Going to get-togethers designed to celebrate her through reading her love letters and singing her praises
- Listening to others describe/tell about her.
- Doing studies on her love letters
- Serving her through the charities/programs she likes
- Setting aside time every day to do the above in honor of her
but I never, or very rarely,
- Sat with her without any of the above and had quiet conversation with her
- Went on get-a-ways where just me & her went...no one else
- Walked & talked through the mundane daily struggles of life together
- Was present with her during the lowest of lows or her highest of highs
- Fought with her, got angry at her...made up and went on.
- Expressed my thankfullness to her for her 'being' her
- Cried and laughed with her
- Played, went on vacation, explored the world together
Could there be an intimate long-standing relationship without the later based solely on the former?
To know, perceive, recognize, become acquainted with & understand...'you'
John 17:3 3
And this is eternal life: [it means]
to know (to perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand)
You, the only true and real God, and [likewise] to know Him, Jesus [as the] Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), Whom You have sent.
This November Heather and I celebrate our 20th year of marital bliss woohoo! If you asked me to describe her, I could fill a book with attributes and characteristics of Heather that I've come to know through our intimate personal relationship. I wouldn't reference a book about Heather, her children, parents or friends...I would describe her using my personal experiences with her.
In the same way I'm interested in others description of the character and attributes of Jesus using solely experiences from their/your intimate personal relationship with Him.
let the comments begin :)
Personal experience vs impersonal knowledge
We know a lot about God through our reading of scripture, other books, bible studies, discipleship training, sermons and listening to others BUT...what characteristics do you personally know about God that you've learned through your intimate personal experience of Him?
There are many sources outlining the characteristics of God, such as...love, patient, merciful, long-suffering, kind, gentle, just, holy, gracious, healing, atemporal, all knowing, doesn't take into account a wrong suffered, bears all things, never fails, etc.
BUT...which of the above, or others not listed, have you experienced personally? (i.e. You know that characteristic of God because you've experienced it through your intimate personally relationship with Him).
Here's one for me...
His grace (unmerited favor) – When I experienced God's acceptance of me as I was, during my worst moments, in my imperfection, when I’m not even trying…that attribute of God motivated me to know him. I wanted to know someone who favors me so and I found that person in Jesus seven years ago.
Play with Jesus today
As I watched children playing at a playground next to our city library, Jesus brought the following to mind; Faith of a little child (Matt 18:2-4). Children aren’t all caught up with what they’re supposed to “do” or “accomplish”, rather they’re busy enjoying their parents & friends while they learn, eat and play together (Acts 2:42).
Walking in the kingdom of God is simple...we make it so hard...on ourselves & others.
Play with Jesus today...really...play with Him.
maybe we've settled for less...
I was hanging with Jesus in one of our city parks when the workers began to mow and I came to realize; man makes machines to cut everything into uniformity. We look on newly mowed fields and landscaped parks with their man made lakes and fountains in awe of their supposed beauty and it seems worthy...until...well until we are moved to wonder by the surreal uniqueness of an untouched meadow with pristine lakes, streams and wild flowers in the foreground of a majestic mountain.
We don’t control nature; we use nature to control others; individuals, groups and generations.
maybe we settle for less than Jesus has given us.
overflow - overdone
Some paint out of the overflow of seeing the light…some paint because they’re fascinated by paint and their own creative efforts. – this is where I struggle with blogging/writing in general…sometimes I do it out of the overflow of seeing the light and wanting to express what I see, while other times I do it because I admire my own work.
go figure.
