Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. I trust in You, my God! Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord Point out the right road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me for You are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in You. Remember O Lord your unfailing love and compassion which you have shown from long ages past. Forgive the rebellious sins of my youth…Archive for joy
serve –> love –> joy –> Christ
UPDATE: check out the GTI ‘volunteer training manual’ as well!
NOTE: Apparently my new frequent blogging style is to read some little ‘thing’ from someone else’s posts, and blog about them… like this. Oh well…
Two points stood out for me when I read Creating communities of grace:
(5) Eat and drink with broken people
The Son of Man who receives all authority in Daniel 7 comes eating and drinking (Luke 7:34). Jesus eats and drinks with sinners. It’s a powerful expression of community. We think we are enacting grace if we work among the poor, if we serve them. But we are only half way there. It is not really grace because we still act from a position of superiority. We think we are humble when we serve. But we have missed the dynamic that is going on. What we really proclaim is that we are able and you are unable. I can do something for you, but you can do nothing for me. Think how different the dynamic is when we sit and eat with someone. We meet as equals. We share together. We behave as friends. We affirm one another and enjoy one another.
(7) Focus on the heart
What’s your agenda for change? All too often we focus on behaviour. We can list the behaviours we would like someone to stop or start. But Jesus says our behaviour comes from the heart (Mark 7:20-23). Our focus needs to be on the heart. Our job is to help people love God and treasure Christ. In Philippians 1 Paul says the aim of his ministry among them is their joy (1:25-26). He wants them to find joy in Christ – only then will people turn from the pleasures of sin. I do need to describe a life that pleases God. But my job is not to go round telling people to reform their lives or change their behaviour. My job is help people find joy in Christ.
Jesus – I pray that our adventure in serving with those around Richmond who are without a home or are poor be less about me and more about You. May we all recognize our humble roles and not as superiors. May we get to know those we meet *as friends* not acquaintances. May we not focus on what they ‘need to do’ and instead just love them where they are at … to find joy in Christ.
what is unity?
May we all truly know “unity” with whatever we consider our ‘church family’. May we all feel truly loved and able to share our struggles and our blessings with each other – with others actually interested in these ‘little things’ in our lives. May we think of others better than ourselves as well! And through all this when (not if) we fail, let us show grace to each other.
We read and talked about verses 3-4 in our daily devotion this morning and it couldn’t have been at a better time in our lives … but I’m including a bunch from Philippians 2:
Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.
who’s been loving the heat?
Weather has been a doozy here on the East Coast for a week or so, until this morning when it finally cooled off due to scattered rain last night. Temperatures without factoring the heat index of around 103 degrees (F in case anyone reads this that may be thinking temp in Celsius…). At least in my neighborhood it is so wooded that usually it’s about 5-10 degrees cooler, but still quite hot. High humidity as well, so with the heat index it’s just insane. I’ve taken the heat before and managed, but man it was hot. And I just haven’t gotten around to getting my car’s A/C fixed, so it’s really noticeable when driving. I think it’s mid 90s today though … much better.
NOTE: Bear with me, I’m going to be a little more long-winded for this one!
I’ve just started reading the book of Job, and here’s this guy who all his livestock stolen, farmhands and servants killed, and sons and daughters dead from a storm knocking down a house. And you thought the heat was unbearable huh? So what does this guy Job say?
I came naked from my mother’s womb,
and I will be stripped of everything when I die.
The Lord gave me everything I had,
and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!
That’s quite a low spot, and he doesn’t blame God? Hmm. Now one could take this two ways, and think as someone who believes in a God and someone that doesn’t, but I’m not going to consider the second – just as someone who believes in a God. It seems really really easy and definitely expected to praise God when we’re at a high in life – you know, blessed with a house, blessed with kids, a wife, a job, fun times, friends, family, etc. Pretty much 99% of those who may come across this post – you’re blessed in numerous ways (but maybe not all). And I’m betting in your prayers that you thank God for at least some of these blessings.
But let’s say you’re wife leaves you, something unexpected happens and a child dies, you get in a car wreck and become disabled. What says you then? I have no room to even guess what that may be like. I have family in dire straits and very hard times that I talk to frequently, but I’m quick to point out I have no clue what it must be like. Will you praise God?
Consider this verse:
But Job replied, “You talk like a godless woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.
Is God good? Well duh of course – I sure wouldn’t believe in my God if he wasn’t good! But the question is – why do we have bad things happen? Personally I don’t really have much of a clue on this topic, but I do happen to know a guy and we had a pretty lengthy conversation over it, which just so happens to be over this topic. Here are my ‘notes’ if you will (feel in any blanks please Tim!):
- We sometimes cause pain on ourselves.
- sometimes God uses pain/illness to serve a purpose.
- sometimes God uses pain/illness to bring Him glory.
This person mentioned a book by C.S. Lewis “The problem of Pain” as something to consider if you haven’t read it. He talked about some scripture from Job and Ezekiel that I can’t fully recall, but now that I am looking through Job, I see a section in my Bible (not part of scripture – just the notes below) titled “When we suffer” with 6 questions to ask ourselves when we suffer, and what to do if the answer is yes:
Q: am I being punished by God for sin?
A: confess known sinQ: is Satan attacking me as I try to survive as a Christian?
A: call on God for strengthQ: am I being prepared for a special service, learning to be compassionate to those who suffer?
A: accept help from the body of believers; trust God to work his purpose through youQ: is my suffering a result of natural consequences for which I am not directly responsible?
A: recognize that in a sinful world, both good and evil people will suffer; but the good person has a promise from God that his/her suffering will one day come to an end.Q: is my suffering due to some unknown reason?
A: don’t draw inward from the pain; proclaim your faith in God, know that he cares and wait patiently for his aid.
What I find interesting is that a lot of times when I’ve been at a low point in my life, I’m totally thinking why God? Why me? What did I do? But when I’m down visiting and maybe sharing some stuff with the homeless, they will be quick to praise God. Might be living by the river, or in an abandoned home, or sleeping in a park, but they praise God. Don’t get me wrong – not everyone I’ve met does; many feel they have no hope. But some really are an inspiration with their faith in their God.
From this somewhat-related post – Joyful Even On a Crappy Day:
What is it that you are going through that you have seen no way to be joyful through? Remember that as Jesus carried the cross He counted it all as joy to do the will of His Father. I don’t think any of us has ever literally carried the weight of the world on our shoulders as He did, nor will we ever. Shouldn’t we be able to be joyful regardless of what we are going through?
What’s funny is that when I was a kid I lived in the DFW metroplex in Texas, and had weather like this all summer long – humidity and everything. It didn’t bother me that much. And like the weather, it seems kids have the ability to have faith in things unseen. I guess that’s why we need to become like little children, huh?
