Finding Joy!

Yesterday, something really fun happened in my life.  My favorite baseball team growing up won their playoff series and advanced in the playoffs.  Last year, I had a great deal of joy as they made it all the way to the World Series for the first time ever (up until that point, they had won a total of one playoff game, and had never advanced).  For those who may be wondering, my favorite baseball team is the Texas Rangers.

I remember growing up and finding a great deal of joy and happiness when the sports teams I supported did well.  When my favorite football team, the Dallas Cowboys, had some good years in the 1990s, I celebrated, and in many cases, my joy in life ebbed and flowed depending on how well my teams did.  When they won, I was happy.  When they lost, I was sad.

That's what makes it a bit incredible now.  I'm happy for my baseball team, but my joy and happiness does not depend on how well or poor they happen to be doing.  While I would still consider myself a big sports fan, I have come to realize that joy in life comes from many different things, and especially, from my relationship with God and my fellow believers.

In a letter to Christians in a town called Philippi, Paul writes that they should "rejoice in the Lord always."  (Philippians 4:4)  When I daily think that God has made me, and He has molded me to be the person that I am, I find a lot of reasons to rejoice.  I am given the opportunity to work and use the gifts that He has given me, and I strive to do so in a way that points to Him.  So I find joy that my life, in some small way, points to my God.  I find each day that I stand in need of His forgiveness, grace, and mercy, and rejoice to find that He has a never-ending supply of those to pour into my life because of Jesus and the cross.  Each day, I find countless opportunities to be a neighbor to others, to demonstrate love for my neighbors in so many different ways, and I take great joy that I recognize some of them and see God's hand at work when I do so.

I also see how God pours out joy into my life.  I see it when I spend time talking to my wife, and discovering daily just how much God loves me by having her share my life.  I see it when I have regular interactions with people that I enjoy being around, with whom I enjoy talking, and being able to share in their joy, even as I share my joy with them.  I see how God has created many relationships through my frequent runs, and how He has opened the door to many wonderful conversations through those relationships. 

All of these bring much greater joy to me now than how well my baseball team may ever do.  Yes, if my Rangers win the World Series, I will be jumping up and down, and may even buy a T-Shirt to remember the occasion.  But no matter how happy that kind of event might make me, it pales in comparison to the daily joy that I see God providing around me, through me, and to me, in so many ways.

Do you really NEED it?

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content."  Paul, in Philippians 4.

"But Mom, I neeeeed it!"  Who hasn't been in a store and heard a child say something to that effect?  Or, for those who are parents, who hasn't heard their child say that several times?  I remember watching a mother one time, after her child had said this, who tried to convince her child that he wouldn't die if he didn't get what he wanted.  But it didn't seem that logic really helped that young one to understand that he didn't really "need" what he wanted.

How do we tell the difference between what we need and what we want?  Is it possible that much of what we think we need in life really are only things we want?  And then, if we should happen to have more than what we merely need, do we start to think of those extras, those luxuries, as needs that we cannot live without?

I'm not going to proclaim myself an expert on this.  I'm just as guilty as anyone on confusing needs and wants.  It seems that I still have a long way to go in learning to be content in all things.  I also have grown to realize that I will not suddenly get to a point in life where I no longer desire to go above the basic needs of life.  This desire to have more, to have my wants fulfilled, will be with me until I die. 

That's why Jesus and the cross means so much to me in my life.  I cannot overcome my desire for more.  Only God can do that, and He has done it in Jesus.  In some way, I cannot wait until God brings me to His everlasting realm, where I no longer have that desire for my wants, but rather, live in the fullness of God's riches.  But until then, my prayer is that God will help me learn more about contentment in my journey with Him. 

Reaction to the News: Protests in NYC

I'll admit up front that I am not a huge watcher or reader of the news.  Usually the only times I see the news are on the treadmill at the gym and those mornings and evenings when I want to find out what the weather will be like.  Nevertheless, there are times when a particular news story strikes me and makes me think about things.

That happened to me yesterday as I was signing in to my Yahoo account.  I noticed a headline about protestors in New York, which had led to something like 400 arrests over the weekend.  The reason for the protests: a few college students started the protest about 3 weeks ago to protest how big businesses were influencing the government, which, in turn, was passing bills which would help those businesses that were helping fund their campaigns.  What started out as a few students has led to the huge debacle that caught my attention.

I realize that money has always been a matter of concern for us as humans.  Even back in the biblical times, Paul had to warn the young Timothy that the "love of money is a root of evil."  But more and more, it seems that this nation has become all about money and profit.  Sports leagues disagree about how to divide up billions of dollars.  Politicians try to spur on the economy because it helps raise money.  We get regular reports on how much money presidential hopefuls have raised for their campaigns.  Even many "Christian" books are written on how God wants everyone to be rich and wealthy, and how to get that way in X number of steps.

Jesus said that, where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.  Sadly, much of western culture now seems to have their heart set on their treasure.  401k's, savings accounts, checking accounts, all of these now seem to be used to determine how much a person is worth.  And I find that very sad.

This single-minded pursuit of wealth and money contributes to the "I'm in it for myself", individualistic mindset that has come to be identified with most of Western society.  And that, more than almost anything, is why I cannot say that North America is a Christian society.  Throughout the Bible, we find God's constant refrain of caring for others, being part of a community, looking toward the needs of others, and being a good neighbor to others. 

To be honest, there is much sin everywhere in the world, and North America is no exception.  That is really where the stark contrast of God's good news in the Gospel carries a truly different message.  You are not valued because of how much money you have, or how well-off you are.  You are valued because God has loved you so much that He would willingly empty Himself to win you back.  Rich or poor, healthy or sick, influential or not, God values you infinitely more than He values your net worth.

That is truly startling news in a culture defined by the pursuit of wealth and individualism.  It makes the proclamation of God's Gospel message so vitally important, and yet, so foreign in our all too human ears.

A Few Random Thoughts

This week, quite often I have found it difficult to focus on whatever I happen to be working on.  Sadly, that has even applied to my blog entries this week.  So today, I'm just going with it, and so we have a few random thoughts.  Feel free to react, to criticize, or to jump on board with the scatteredness!

• I've been thinking a lot about appreciation.  I think most of us have a tendency to feel under-appreciated at times.  We would really like someone to notice what we are doing and to tell us that they appreciate us and that we are doing a good job.  Truthfully, I think that our society doesn't do a good job encouraging people to be sincerely appreciative of others, and that takes a great toll on us, especially when it goes on for a long time.
• I've also been thinking about what it means to be a community, especially a community of faith.  It seems to me that most of us tend to think of our faith communities as basic social gatherings that may occasionally throw something religious in.  But as I have been reading about what all a community can be, I have come to see that the faith community is a place to share burdens, to be encouraged and strengthened, and to be there for the others in the community more than to be there to get something out of it.  

These are the two primary things that have been floating around in my head, and about which I have been trying to figure things out.  Really, I have been much more concerned with the practical application of these things.  How can I teach others to be more forward with their appreciation for others?  How can I not only teach others about what a true community looks like, but actually guide them in taking steps to truly living it out?  I recognize that these things may not solve many problems, but I do tend to think that, if we have a safe haven where these kind of things are reality, it would go a long way toward battling against the hopelessness and uselessness that so many people seem to be going through these days.

Are you "on guard"?

"we have spoken freely to you...our heart is wide open."  St. Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:11

When we meet someone new, we usually don't open up and pour out everything that we think.  We tend to watch how we act around that new person, waiting to see if they are "safe" for us to truly be ourselves around.  As we get to know them better, and as we discover their level of trustworthiness, we tend to open up a little bit more.  We inevitably come to a point where we discover that we can trust them with certain things, and feel free to express those things to them.

And yet, at the same time, we all tend to guard our hearts.  Right now, there are probably things inside you (ways you think, certain actions that you have done in the past) that you have not shared with anyone in your life.  There is probably a part of you that would really like to find someone to share those with, but you just aren't sure who is out there that you can be that open and honest with, who won't turn on you and be judgmental and condemning toward you because of those things.

We all have our hearts "on guard" to one degree or another.  We have varying levels of openness with different people in our life.  Some, we feel more open toward, and others, we have a hard time opening up at all.  We live "on guard".  And we start to see how people tend to live up to or down to the level of trust that we have placed in them.

I simply cannot imagine a world where we have no fear of being open with each other, where we don't have to be "on guard" at all.  And yet, that is the promise of the new life that Jesus promises that we will receive when we leave this life, which is tainted by the sinful nature, and come into our inheritance that He has promised through our faith in Him.  An existence where we have no need of being "on guard" with each other.  An existence where we find hope and encouragement, even for those things that are our deepest and darkest secrets.

That is what Jesus promises for all who believe that He lived, died, and rose for them.  It's hard to imagine or think of, but it sure is something to hope for.

"Enough problems of my own"

"Am I my brother's keeper?"  Cain, in Genesis 4:9

It's happened to all of us.  A friend or acquaintance approaches us, and they need some help or assistance.  Maybe it's a financial problem they are trying to work through, or a relationship situation and they don't know how to handle it.  They ask us if we have time to help, or the means to help, and the thought runs through our mind.  "I have enough problems of my own."  We have our own relationships we have to work on, our own financial situations to take care of, and it seems that we have no room to add any more to the burden.

It also happens in this way.  We hear of a person we know who went through a difficult, challenging time, and the situation did not turn out well.  We wish that we had heard about it sooner, since we might have had something that could have helped them through the situation.  So we feel guilty that we didn't stay in better touch with them, and kick ourselves for not knowing their needs.

Cain asked the question, 'am I my brother's keeper,' because he was looking to evade his responsibility toward other people.  He failed to recognize that God created us to live in community with each other.  And over the past couple of years, I have been giving a lot of thought as to this sense of community that God created us to live within.  And today, I just want to toss out a couple of thoughts on how this may apply to being there to help others.

Caring for others is not optional in the way God created us, nor in the way that God commands us to live.  We are our brother's (and sister's) keeper, in the sense that we are never to stop caring for them and providing for their needs, as God gives us the means.  Though we may not feel inclined to do so, we recognize that we do indeed have responsibility toward one another.

At the same time, God does indeed provide a limited amount of help and assistance that each of us individually can provide.  That is part of His design, so that the community comes together to provide all together in times of need.  While it may boost our egos to think that we are able to completely help all by ourselves, we also need to recognize that God has made it so that the full responsibility does not fall completely on one person.

We may also find ourselves thinking that we have enough on our plate, and no time to give help or aid to others.  My question to this situation is this: are we failing to let others help us in our need?  Once again, the community God designed is there to share burdens.  While there may be certain parts that we find we simply have to bear on our own, we often simply don't want to ask for help or aid.  We want to think that we can do it on our own.  In fact, we want to prove that we don't need the help of others, and so we deny them the opportunity to play the role of helper and keeper in our time of need.

I cannot help but think that God's design for community is intended to be for our good.  The sad thing is, we so often try to do it alone, and then hold ourselves guilty when we fail to either help others, or let others help us.

"Why?"

"Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?  Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God."  Psalm 42:11

There are times in our lives where the question "why" seems very appropriate.  We hear of things that we cannot explain, such as the death of someone we know or care about, or a sudden loss, or an unexplained illness, and the natural question that comes to mind is, "why"?  After all, it doesn't make sense to us.  And perhaps even more relevant, it doesn't seem fair.

This morning I learned that a classmate of mine from my master's program has died.  In the past year, that makes the third classmate that has left this life and has received their eternal inheritance.  None of these men were much older than I am.  To the outward appearance, none of these deaths make much sense. 

I know that there are many well-intentioned people who would answer the "why" question with something along the lines of "This was God's plan, and it doesn't make sense to us, but it does to God."  I must admit that I don't find any comfort in that.  From my reading of the Bible, death has never been part of God's plan, except for the case of Jesus.  God did not create this world to die, but to live.  God did not create the man and the woman to die, but to live with Him in perfect relationship forever.  It was their choice to go against what God said that led to death.  Death simply is not part of God's plan.

The more, all-compassing answer to the "why" question is the presence of sin in the world.  Why do things like this happen?  Sin is the answer.  And the reality is, when things like this happen, we may find it hard to look favorably at God.  It seems that even the person who wrote the Psalm that I quoted above found it hard to do.  He says, "I will again praise Him," which seems to indicate that right now, at this moment, he isn't praising God.  And yet, he realizes that the question cannot be adequately answered if God is not part of it.  That's why he says to "hope in God," and calls God his salvation. 

The question "why" will probably never be adequately explained to us while we live here on earth.  It's very likely that, when we come into our eternal inheritance, everything will make greater sense.  But in those times when "why" is being asked, when hope seems so far away, we need the reminder of this verse.  "I shall again praise Him, my God and my salvation.  That's why it relies upon God to bring this about, and not upon ourselves.  Thanks be to God for that.