Who is your Thorn?

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.  Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:7

No one likes to have negative or sinful things about them pointed out.  Sure, we may say that we welcome correction or reproof, or that we are open to learning more of our weaknesses and shortcomings, but deep down, it really is something we resist.  We not only fail to go out of our way to find those who can point those out to us, often we actually shy away from anyone who would share those sins, weaknesses, and shortcomings with us.

Yet, there are few things more valuable to our growth as Christians than to have someone lovingly point out a sinful action or behavior, or a habit that we have that hinders others, or a weakness that we may not want to consider.  When such things are pointed out to us, we have the opportunity to address that issue and to grow from it.  I know personally that I have benefited from having this done for me any number of times, sometimes on matters of minor importance and at other times on matters that deeply affected me and others.  Each time, I have grown in my Christian faith and in the living out of that faith because of such encounters.

Truth be told, having someone do this for us is much like a thorn in the flesh.  To be honest, I made use of the verse above because it somewhat fit what I was looking for from a Bible verse for this post, rather than being the specific thing that Paul was talking about.  However, I do believe that we would tend to look at someone bringing a word of correction or reproof as a thorn.  It's something to avoid.  It keeps us from becoming conceited.  It may or may not be of Satan, but it does serve to remind us of the humility that God looks for in His people.

So the simple question tonight is, who is your thorn?  Who is that person that could address a sin issue, a weakness, or a correction, and that you would be open to their words?  Some might say it's your spouse, and there is something to that.  However, while it's good to be open and honest as a married couple, you usually want to focus on building up and strengthening each other.  Yes, at times that means addressing issues, but I would suggest that you don't necessarily want the person who is your thorn to be your spouse.

Consider, though.  Who is that person who can address that sin issue in a firm, yet caring way?  Who is there that you know who could correct something that you have done, and you won't build up a wall of pride to prove them wrong (or, at least, not too high a wall)?  Who could poke you in a way that hurts, but that serves to draw you to humility and care, and so the pain they inflict is something that you are thankful for?

If you don't have such a person in your life, perhaps it's time to look for that.  WARNING: doing this WILL be damaging to your pride and ego.  You are not perfect, and you will have some holes punctured in you.  Yet, when this is done in a caring way toward you, you can start to address these areas and grow as a Christian, which benefits you, the whole Body of Christ, and ultimately all of your neighbors as well. 

Self-Awareness and Reflection

For a moment, I want you to do something that is a little strange sounding.  Think back to the last real difficulty or challenging moment that you had.  As you think back to it, I want you to consider a couple of things.  First, what were the specific challenges that you faced?  In what ways were you prepared for it?  In what ways were you unprepared?  What could you have done differently and perhaps seen a different result?  As you think through these questions, perhaps even close your eyes and re-imagine the situation, or write down your reflections upon it.

I have come to believe that reflection is something that we do not attempt nearly enough in our lives.  We go through a situation, we quickly brainstorm an idea or two, or simply do the first thing that pops to mind.  Then, once the situation has come to its conclusion, we move along to the next one.  What's lacking in all of this?  Taking time to reflect.

If we take a few moments to reflect in the midst of the situation, we will likely come up with another direction or two that we could take.  Further reflection can even provide us with an opportunity to see how each of these different approaches could lead to different results.  Just a little reflection in the midst of the situation not only provides alternative avenues, but even the chance to consider if the avenue we are taking will lead in a direction we would like.

Additional reflection at the end also lends itself to bearing fruit.  When we look back, we can see the various points at which we could have gone a different direction.  We can reflect on if we made a good choice, a bad choice, an informed choice, or an uniformed choice.  We can also take that opportunity to reflect on what we learned and what the situation has taught us for the next encounter we have.

Several recent studies I have read show that taking time to reflect is actually one of the best ways to ingrain what we learn from a situation.  This is, for example, the power of journaling.  We reflect and write down what happened, what our thoughts were, what our reactions were, and what we could have done differently.  In doing this, we learn so much more than if we didn't take the time to reflect.

Taking this reflection approach also permits us to become more self-aware, to know who we are, what our strengths and weaknesses are.  Reflection can also allow us to learn what our "trigger points" are.  When we are struggling with a sin, reflection can help us learn of how we react leading up to the sin, and perhaps can serve to give us clues on how to battle against that sin in our lives.  Reflection also permits us to confess to God, knowing that He assures of us our forgiveness in Jesus, and to come to a greater awareness of our sins, faults, and flaws.  In doing this, we come to a more realistic picture of who we are, and I am convinced that doing this will also grow us in appreciation for God's gift of Jesus and our baptism, which connects us to Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

Building this habit into daily life is not easy.  I have tried and, while I do it quite often, I also find many times where I fail to reflect well.  In the end, my times of reflection have served to grow my appreciation for God's Law and will, as well as to more fully understand the depths from which Jesus has rescued me.  I pray that taking time for reflection may do the same thing for you. 

Does God Repel People?

"After this, many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him."  John 6:66

As we journey this season of Advent to the manger and celebrate the birth of Jesus, one thing we often see is that a lot of people come to celebrate the day in worship.  Typically, there are two times of the year when quite a few people who claim to be Christian will attend worship: Christmas and Easter.  Two big days, to be sure, and when you think of it, these are two days where we celebrate big things that God has done, the first in sending His Son into the world, and the second, when the Son wins the victory of death and the grave.

Yes, we love to hear those kind of themes.  We love to hear that God loves us, which is probably why John 3:16 is the most well-known Bible verse.  And it is an undeniable fact.  God does love this world, and especially His human creation. Yes, it is significant that God's Son was born in the manger in Bethlehem.  Yes, it is extremely significant that God's Son rose from the dead.

Yet, God would also have us know that there is much more to Him than those three things we've hit on so far.  In fact, I would actually encourage you to read through the whole chapter of John 6 to get an idea of why the verse quoted above came about.  Jesus taught some hard things.  He taught things that don't make sense to human ears.  And in this, He very much shows us His nature as God.

There is much that God chooses not to explain to us.  If you ever read through the book of Job, one thing should stand out in the end: God doesn't explain why the things that happened to Job happened.  When Jesus encounters the man born blind later in John's account of the Gospel, Jesus says that the man was born blind to demonstrate God's glory (think for a moment about being born with a significant handicap, so that Jesus could demonstrate who He is by your healing.  For many of us, we wouldn't really want that, right?).  Throughout the Scriptures, God says that His people are going to suffer, and many even die, for being His people.

That kind of thing doesn't exactly serve to draw people closer to God, at least on the surface.  In fact, it would seem to be the kind of thing that, if you focused exclusively on it, would repel people.  Shoot, even bringing it up will repel a lot of people, who don't want to think that God might use hard times, trials, and even suffering and death to advance His message of Good News.  Is it that God wants them repelled?  No, but He also knows that His will and design isn't going to be universally adored, sadly.

Does God repel people?  Well, yes, if you think that some people are always going to be repelled by the truth, and by having high standards.  Yet, that is the God who reveals Himself to us, but who holds Himself to that high standard, as He redeemed us through the Son's life, suffering, death, and resurrection.  Thanks be to God for that!

Significant at Every Moment

Each of us can look back and recall times where others have been highly influential in our lives.  They are the kind of moments that stand out to us.  The pat on the back that a father gave to us, which boosted us on to bigger and better things in life.  That professor who used something of ours as an example to the class, which made us strive for more.  That person who spoke well of something we did, and we happened to overhear or hear secondhand the good that they praised in us.  These moments are highly influential.

As we think about our lives as Christians, we recognize that Jesus has touched us with many significant moments.  Though I was baptized as an infant a mere month old, I still look upon that great gift from God as a highly influential event.  A simple word from my mother, who, upon me saying that I was thinking of entering the ministry, told me that a lot of people that I had grown up with wouldn't be surprised at that.  A college student who mentioned that our time together in God's Word was really causing him to think about his life, right and wrong, and who he was as a child of God.  All of these have impacted me in such a way that I wanted to continue growing, so that others would benefit.

The thing is, as Christians, every interaction with others is an opportunity to bring something significant to that moment.  We carry God's eternal Word, His saving truth, and His light and forgiveness with us.  Just think what kind of influence that means that we can bring to every moment of our lives.  Sure, we could be a bit overbearing if we tried too hard to bring that significance in, but if we approached each encounter with another with the humility in recognizing that God could use us to influence that person right then, we might be surprised just how influential we really can be.

Sadly, like you, I have missed a great number of those opportunities in my life.  That is why I am also so thankful that I have forgiveness from a Savior who not only saves me from the bad/evil that I do, but also from the good that I leave undone.  And my prayer is that the Spirit opens my eyes to those opportunities, so that I can be influential for our Lord in those moments.

When Dark Is The Road Ahead

I recently read an interesting take on that most popular of Psalms, Psalm 23.  Many of you may know it, but it would be worth reading again before you read on in this entry.

Notice, as you work through the Psalm, about the relationship that David describes between himself and God.  At the first, things are good.  God is leading David to green pastures and still waters, and he speaks of God in the third person.  "He leads me...He makes me."  When life is good, so often God becomes third person to us.  He's out there.  He's doing things, but it isn't quite as personal.

But notice how the language changes as the valley of the shadow of death appears.  Though I walk through the valley, YOU are with me.  YOUR rod and YOUR staff, they comfort me.  When life was good, God was third person.  But then, when life gets challenging, when threats appear, suddenly the move is made to God in the second person.  YOU.  As though talking to someone walking along beside, not up there merely watching from above.

It's amazing how dark and difficult times bring out a much closer relationship between God and His people.  And it almost makes you think, especially when you read through much of what God, of what Jesus, tells us about life in this world.  You will have trouble.  Life will not always be good.  And you almost have to wonder if that's not actually some part of God's grand design.

If the dark times draw us closer to God, don't you think He might put them before us so that we become closer to Him?  What more fervent prayer is there than the one Jesus prayed mere hours before He was crucified?  It's hard to be closer to God than when you are walking down the dark road and all you have is Him to lean.

I face occasional dark times in my life and ministry.  What I have found is that they usually end up strengthening my relationship with God in Jesus even more.  I hate going through them.  They are wrenching to the stomach, they lead to sleepless nights, and the like.  However, more often than not, I find myself talking to God at those times even more.  Could it possibly be that He would actually want something like that, so that I would be closer to Him?

Maybe David was on to something.  Maybe the dark times pull us closer to Jesus, and that's where we find ourselves relating to Him even more.  Or, maybe, that's where He reminds us that the price was high that He paid for us, but He sees that price as one well worth paying.

I Struggle With Myself

Before you read on today, you may find it helpful to review the words of Romans 7:13-25.  (I believe you can simply scroll over it in this blog entry and read it.) 

There are times in my life where I find myself in a struggle.  It's the kind of struggle that I'm pretty sure most of us are acquainted with.  We know the good and right thing to do.  We even want to do the good and right thing.  But when the moment arrives, we don't do the good and right thing.  Our friend confides something in us, and for some reason, our mouth has a hard time keeping it quiet.  We see the lady whose groceries have just fallen out of their bags as she's loading them in her car, but we really don't want to be bothered to stop and help.  We know that others will not like the language that comes from our mouths, but we fail to put the filter into place and just allow those words to slip out.

I could add many more things to this list, some much more terrible than the ones I have already mentioned.  But that's a struggle we find ourselves in.  We know what's right, but we fail to do the right.  We know something is wrong, and we try not to do it, but we cannot keep it from slipping out.  It's not a unique battle to any one of us.  We all go through it.  And as we read these words, it should also be comforting to know that Paul went through the same thing.  (As a brief aside, I know we often tend to make the biblical people more holy than they really were in their lives, and sometimes think that they didn't go through the same struggles and doubts that we do.  Rest assured, there were not somehow more super-human than us.  They went through the same things.)

I want to do the right thing, the good thing, but so often I find the wrong thing, the bad thing, actually taking place.  It's the struggle that I have with myself, and that you have with yourself.  And for those who are Christians, God tells us that we shouldn't be surprised at this struggle.

When God made us His very own in the washing waters of baptism, we suddenly found ourselves in a new position.  The old, sinful self was still very much alive and present within us, as it had been since we were conceived.  But now, something new was present.  The new life, the new creation that we are in Jesus, came to be present within us as well.  And suddenly, we became a battle ground.  These two fight against each other.  As we live our lives, sometimes it seems as though one is winning, and then the other one seems to gain the upper hand.  It's kind of like the kid's game of tug-o-war.  One minute the Spirit and our new life seems to pulling harder, and then the next, our sinful nature seems to gain more strength.

Over the next few weeks, I want to spend some time reflecting on these two "selves" that we find within us as Christians.  Different parts of God's Word speak to one or the other, and sometimes to both.  We apply the things we read in the Bible to each one in different ways.  And so I intend to walk us through some of these differences, since there is a lot of confusion out there in our world when it comes to talking about our life in Christ Jesus.  As always, throughout these moments of me thinking out loud, I welcome your thoughts, comments, and questions.

Dealing with the Rain

In my last post on Friday, I mentioned that I was about to run my first ever full marathon.  I had intended to write something here for you all on Saturday, but I found that my need to let my body and mind recharge took priority over quite a few other things.  So, today, I give you a few nuggets from it.

One of the first things I should tell you is that it rained.  Not that nice, gentle rain, but a downpour.  About 5 minutes before we started, we all got drenched, and it was like that for the first 2-3 miles.  It stopped for a bit, and then, around mile 8, it started up again, lasting through around mile 17 (oh, and throw in a little pea-sized hail along with it).  Once again, it was that drenching, downpour kind of rain.

I actually found that the rain itself didn't bother me too much.  It helped keep my body from having to work so hard to keep cool.  In a way, the rain served as sweat.  This helped keep me fresh for the rest of the race, which, believe me, I needed.

Once I had finished, and as I was thinking about a nap on the couch in the early afternoon, I thought about life as a marathon, and the role of the 'rain' in life.  We have sayings, such as, when it rains, it pours.  In other words, when bad things come, they just seem to dump down on us.

And yet, I really do think that those rains serve a great purpose in life.  They give us the strength we need when life wears on.  If we didn't have those rains, we would expend unnecessary energy on things that don't really matter.  But the rain forces us to focus on what is important, and that, in turn, gives us a means of dealing with things down the road.

I needed that extra energy once I hit mile 22 or so.  There were times when it was a struggle to keep one foot moving in front of the other.  And yet, I cannot help but think that the rain saved my body quite a bit of energy that it would have spent on trying to cool me off.  That energy was needed later on in the race, and so I am thankful for that rain.

When we think about life, we recognize that 'rain' will come.  God never promised us a nice, easy, care-free life.  Instead, He prepared us for the inevitable rain that will fall.  His intention in that is that we learn that He has truly created us with a wonderful body, soul, and mind which can learn, adapt, and grow, especially when we encounter the rain.  And then, what we learn from those rainy experiences gives us wisdom to know how to better handle situations later in life.  The rain focuses us on what is important, and gives us the means of dealing with life when similar situations arise later.

What 'rain' in your life has given you strength now, as you look back on what you endured?  Where all do you see God's hand, not only in taking care of you, but in growing you to be everything He created you to be?  And just in case you recognize those times you have also failed to grow from the rain, remember that Jesus did what He did on the cross and in His resurrection just for you.

For those who are interested, I did meet both of my goals, of merely finishing the race, and of finishing in under 4 hours.  My time was 3:58:01. 

The necessity of Temptation

I was intrigued by one of the Bible readings that we had this past Sunday during worship.  We were reading from Matthew chapter 18, and one of Jesus' points in there stuck with me as I read it, and has continued to present itself in my mind. The sentence in particular is from verse 7.  In that verse, Jesus says "For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom temptation comes!" 

That little phrase, "it is necessary", has just stuck in my mind.  I have to admit that I have wondered about the necessity for temptation.  It seems to me that this goes all the way back to the creation of the world and the temptation of Adam and Eve in the garden.  One thing that I have been asked a number of times is something along the lines of, "Why did God allow the serpent to tempt them?"  And Jesus' statement above seems to provide the answer.

"It is necessary that temptations come."  I've thought quite a bit about the need for temptations, and what purpose they could possibly serve.  So far, here is what I have come up with.

Temptations are necessary in that they reveal who/what our true love is, and to what we are truly dedicated.  Think of it like this, using Adam and Eve as an example.  If they did not have the temptation of the tree which God had said not to eat from, they would not have had a means of demonstrating their love and dedication to God.  There would not have been any alternative.  Or think of it when it comes to a loved one in your life.  If they were the only person in the world, would you have any choice but to love them and be with them?  But, having the temptation of others in the world gives an opportunity to demonstrate true love to that one.

This is why Jesus' next statement there is so powerful.  "But woe to the one by whom the temptation comes."  Temptation seems to be necessary to reveal true love and dedication, but the one who tempts another away from that love and dedication is working contrary to God's will and command.  In other words, that person is bringing God's judgment upon him/herself. 

When we remember that temptation also serves to reveal our true love and dedication, either toward God or toward those we love in life, it gives us a powerful reason to battle against the temptation.  Doing so reveals our love and dedication, and serves to strengthen that love and dedication.  So the next time you find yourself facing a temptation of some kind, remember that you also have the opportunity to reveal your love for God and/or another in the face of the battle.

Being Weary

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace."  Jesus, as paraphrased in The Message

Every once in a while it happens to all of us.  We put a lot of effort into something, only to see a minimal return.  We get frustrated.  We put our all into it, and the results seem too meager.  We try again, only a little harder, and nothing changes (or if something changes, it seems that the results are even less).  We wonder if it's all worth it, and feel our hopes fall, our energy drained, and our life spent.

When that happens, where do you go for refilling?  The answer for many people is to get away from the burdens of life.  Plan a trip.  Take a sabbatical.  Just drop out.  For others, the answer comes in trying to get fulfillment by doing something else.  Take up a new challenge.  Find a new hobby.  Do something extreme.

I firmly believe that there is a place for some of these things in life.  For example, in just a couple of weeks, I am taking up a new challenge in running a full marathon for the first time in my life.  Sometimes that break from routine, or succeeding at that new challenge and riding the wave of accomplishment, can snap us out of the doldrums.  But even then, it's only temporary.

I really like how Eugene Peterson puts Jesus' words at the end of Matthew 11 in The Message.  "I'll show you how to take a real rest...learn the unforced rhythms of grace."  Most often in life, we find our source of renewal and strength in the relationships we have.  How much greater is it when we find that renewal and strength in the relationship with the God who has made us and redeemed us?

This isn't to say that you are going to completely recover from being burnt out by going on a prayer retreat, or some other kind of spiritual renewal.  There is a time and place for those, but if those are the only times you spend with Jesus, you'll find that your renewal is, again, only temporary.

Renewal and new strength comes when we find ourselves in a regular relationship with Jesus, who shows us those unforced rhythms of grace.  Instead of waiting til our tank is empty, a regular relationship with Jesus is more like filling up the tank even when it is still mostly full.  Jesus doesn't intend His grace to fill us only when our tanks hit empty, but instead, it is to be as though we are hooked up to a refueling tanker throughout life.  That constant relationship with Jesus keeps the tank full.

That's the relationship Jesus has with you.  His death and resurrection has already secured God's grace for you.  As a question worth pondering, I encourage you to think about this.  When you find that you are empty and spent, do you have places in your life where you are pinching off God's grace to you in Jesus?

Physical, Spiritual, and Mental Discipline: Tying Them Together

Over the last several posts, I've spent a lot of time on these three.  Before moving us into the fourth area of discipline (emotional), it seems like it would be good to bring these three we've looked at all together.

As we look at the way we operate as humans (the way God created us to be), we recognize that we cannot easily divide ourselves to talk about one part of what we are as though it doesn't affect the rest.  When our bodies hurt, we often have a difficult time concentrating, and those moments also tend to bring us to low points spiritually.  On the other hand, when we introduce greater health to one of these areas, it has a tendency to spill over into the others, as well.  (I've noticed this in that my running has helped to sharpen both my thinking and my spiritual disciplines.) 

That's the tie that these three have together.  When we are unhealthy in one area, it's likely to affect the other areas too.  I can't really think of a greater example of this than what you can see on the TV show, "The Biggest Loser".  Often you see the contestants breaking into tears at what might seem minor things, but it's because they are crashing through the mental or spiritual barriers that have often led to their lack of physical discipline.  Breaking through those barriers is tough, and often should not be done alone, and yet, as we find the strength to do so, we suddenly start to see a better picture of the whole person that God created us to be.

I have to admit that discovering where we are unhealthy in these areas is not often easy, nor is it painless.  Uncovering and then confessing our areas of unhealthiness or weakness will never be easy, much less the task of overcoming it.  And the reality is, we will never fully overcome any of these while we live in this imperfect, broken (i.e. sinful) world.

Yet, God gives us means in our life and in our battle to strengthen these areas of life.  Dealing with these also provides a reminder to just how great life will be in His kingdom when all these areas of life are brought into perfect alignment as we live with God forever, through faith in Jesus.

Spirituality and Meditation

"I'm spiritual, but not religious."  "I believe in Jesus, but not in the church."  Perhaps you have heard these expressions before, or even thought them yourself.  In the current day and age, many seem to perceive that being spiritual and being part of a Christian church simply are not compatible.

I have recently began to take a great interest in what it means to be spiritual and to be a Christian.  As a Lutheran Christian, I am looking at these from that particular perspective.  Thus, part of my "research" has been in looking at what Martin Luther had to say about being spiritual and a Christian.

Essentially, Luther summed up the development of the Christian's spiritual life by centering it on God's Word.  He specifically looked at texts such as Psalm 1:2, "...his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night."  From such meditation, and from looking in-depth at Psalm 119, Luther came up with three primary "rules": prayer, meditation/reflection, and then the struggle with the Word and the world.

We'll spend time this week looking at each of these, and considering how they play a part in the spiritual life of a Christian.  I welcome your thoughts on what it means to be spiritual and a Christian.