Do You Finally Believe?

Do You Finally Believe?

If you’ve been following this blog at all then you know that I like rugby. If you’ve been following the “Chaplain Malcolm Rios” blog then you know that the 2011 Rugby World Cup was recently played in New Zealand. The Kiwi’s national team, the All Blacks, have always been favorites in matches because of the legacy they have continued to build upon over the years as the team who has won the most international test matches.

I few weeks ago I wrote in my blog about the New Zealand / Argentina match. Because the matches were played in New Zealand and because interest for rugby has not increased exponentially in the U.S., Americans were forced, for the most part, to watch all the matches over the internet, World Wide Sports, or only three times televised on NBC. The beauty of technology is that because we have smartphones we also have apps and “there’s an app for that” absolutely applied to the Rugby World Cup.

The app was great because it not only allowed you to see the Pool Play brackets but you could track scores, get news feeds, keep up with player stats, and get merchandise if you were so inclined. Because the games were being played in a different time zone, we could know the score before we could actually watch the game in some instances. The New Zealand / Argentina match was one such match.

http://chaplainmalcolmrios.blogspot.com/2011/10/all-blacks-and-word-of-god.html

Knowing the score was great but I really wanted to watch the match. The legendary All Blacks were playing the incoming member of the Tri-Nations tourney. The Tri-Nations championship would be no more. Now South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand would have to compete with Argentina … the last major player in the Southern Hemisphere.

So, in this match, it was safe to say that Argentina were the underdogs. New Zealand won the match but Argentina played well. I don’t know if you’re like me at all but sometimes, despite what you already know, you want an outcome to be different. You know it can’t and won’t be but it makes you wonder, “What if?” That’s how I felt watching that match!

But then I thought, “Man, most of us walk through life thinking that same thing! We think that despite what the Book says, we can change things. Something different will happen because we’re special.” HELLO! If you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior then you know how the story ends and you understand that just as important as the ending is, how you play the game is every bit as important.

The crazy thing is that Satan spends a great deal of time and energy influencing people to buy into the lie that they will (1) face no consequences – “living easy, living free,” (2) they are immortal – “season ticket on a one-way ride,” and (3) that his way is the best way despite “going down, party time, my friends are gonna be there too.” And unlike what the Stones tried to sell us, time is not on our sides.

And despite how you or I feel throughout this thing called life … God will win. We will win! “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world” (1 John 4:4). We persevere because of the power of the Holy Spirit living in us!

http://chaplainmalcolmrios.blogspot.com/2011/10/jaws-of-death.html

Let’s go back to that deception that Satan uses so effectively. The other day, I was in Wal-Mart with Angus and on the way out we stopped in the little game area. Since he’s only two, he can’t play any of the games but he is drawn to the bells, whistles, prizes, and the Claw (just like his daddy). I’m always drawn to the Claw – like those little aliens in Toy Story.

But what really got me is that Angus was drawn to it. He liked playing with the toggle. I don’t think he really understood, much less cared, how the thing worked. I, on the other hand, stood there and was amazed at how God uses simple things to illustrate deeper principles. It’s almost like having a parable explained to you by the Man, himself.

Everyone who knows the Claw knows that it’s rigged; kind of like Vegas. The house always wins. You might think you’re the shiznit because you’ve grabbed something in your lifetime but I think the odds of anyone actually getting anything into the prize chute are stacked against you higher than the odds of you winning $100 million in the Tennessee Lottery!

But we still play it! And even worse … we kid ourselves into believing that we are going to actually win! The Claw of Death is like the life we so often try to live. It’s also similar to the match between New Zealand and Argentina. We know who’s going to win (in this case, the house) yet we keep trying to beat it. Sorry, sweetie. It ain’t gonna work!

We think that we can beat the system. We think we can enjoy sin – live a life of sin – and we’ll be alright. For instance (and I’m not bashing Zac Brown as bad as I was Bon Scott and my boys from AC/DC), take the song, “No Hurry.”

Heaven knows that I ain't perfect

I've raised a little cain

And I plan to raise a whole lot more

Before I hear those angels sing

(Gonna get right with the lord)

But there'll be hell to pay

But I ain't in no hurry

            Kenny Chesney says it just as well: “Everybody want to go to heaven but nobody want go now.” Taken with a little bit of humor, the lyrics are a lighthearted look at how life is most often lived by everyone … yep, even the Christians. We have that same attitude that our penance is to “give a little bit” to CYA (cover your arrogance).

I said, “Preacher maybe you didn’t see me

Throw and extra twenty in the plate

There’s one for everything I did last night

And one to get me through today

It’s absolutely nuts that we continue to kid ourselves and call ourselves believers when we in no other way give our lives to the Lord! Am I perfect? No but that’s not an excuse to continue in ways that do not glorify the Lord.

”It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward” – Hebrews 11:24-26.

            And just in case you forgot this one: “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” – Romans 6:23.

http://chaplainmalcolmrios.blogspot.com/2011/10/rugby-world-cup-2011.html

            So, we’ve talked about knowing the outcome of the game and we’ve talked about allowing ourselves to be caught up in the lies that we can actually win the game that Satan is trying to pull us into. Now let’s talk about winning the game and how to “get ‘er done!”

For the 2011 Rugby World Cup Championship match, New Zealand faced France. France has always given the All Blacks a tough time. For some reason, a mental block seems to come into play during their matches. This time seemed no different. France seemed to be on every move that the All Blacks attempted to make. The phases were shut down time and time again.

The beauty of this match was that I didn’t know who was going to win. (I found out later that it was not a live feed that afternoon. The game had streamed live at 3 a.m. that morning). I was rooting for the All Blacks but, as I said before, France played well the entire game and in all actuality, I thought they would win. Ultimately the All Blacks went on to win the game 8 – 7. Obviously, it was a low scoring game but the game itself was what head to head is all about.

It was a great match because the two teams that deserved to be there this year were there and they were evenly matched. Neither team gave much ground to the other. Only two tries, an extra point’s field goal, and a field goal were scored. Everything else was blood, guts, and glory! The last five minutes of the match were testimony to the strength, teamwork, determination, and resiliency of the All Blacks. Ultimately, they wanted it more and they proved it by a strategic hold at the end of the game. Things clicked for them in that last five minutes in a way that exemplified everything that they had accomplished throughout the tourney.

Their struggle to win this final match reminded me of the words that Paul wrote to the Romans. Allow me to break it down like this:

Romans 5:1-5

1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

·         The All Blacks organization had painstakingly selected the players for the 2011 RWC team. Once chosen, these guys – who were already the best in their field – trained to become even better and unified as a team. They were “made right.” They were ready to play at the first whistle.

2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

·         Because of the preparation – the pain they had endured to be ready for the RWC – the All Blacks defeated every other team in their Pool Play. They were poised to enter the elimination rounds with no loses. They were in a place of “privilege” and were “confidently and joyfully” looking forward to sharing the glory.

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.

·         Elimination rounds were challenging but the All Blacks continued on their relentless pursuit of the Ellis Cup.

4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

·         Everything they did, everything they had experienced to this point, led them to – prepared them for – this final match with France. They had endured. The strength of their character as a team was evident. And their hope became the momentum that carried them to victory.

5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

·         All Black hope, confidence, and conditioning carried them to a victory that will be talked about in rugby circles for years to come. It was a show of strength – a show of rock solid resolve.

Paul wrote these inspired Words of God. And God is so good to remind us more than once of He has in store for those who believe. Like that rugby match, we will face trials. We might even think we’re going to lose from time to time but God encourages us otherwise. “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” – John 16:33. The funny thing is He said that because of the previous two verses. “Jesus asked, ‘Do you finally believe? But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me’” – John 16:31-32.

Ultimately, that’s what we have to ask ourselves. Do we finally believe or have we scattered, gone our own way, and left him alone? Are we like the Israelites in Judges? “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes” Judges 17:6; 21:25). Are you doing what’s right in your own eyes or do you finally believe?

God Loves You

          I once knew a boy who had heard about the love of God at a very early age. At an early age, it’s very easy to accept what people tell you about God’s love. To tell you the truth, it’s easy to accept about anything at an early age because you haven’t been influenced by much other than your parents, siblings, relatives, and young friends and for the most part, all of them are looking out for your best interests.

          Anyway, as this young boy grew up he began to allow other people and situations to influence him and his relationship with God began to waver. The boy began to really question the motives of people’s hearts and actions when it came to following God: Why do people say they love God just on Sundays? Does God really love me? Do I really love God? What difference does loving God really make in my life? But in reality, what he was doing was questioning the motives and attitudes of his own heart.

          As you can imagine, by allowing these questions to continue in his heart, the boy moved farther and farther away from his relationship with God. As a teenager, the boy tried to completely throw God out of his life. But no matter how hard he tried to disregard God and no matter what he did to fill his “God-shaped hole” with sex, drugs and alcohol, adventure, music, and indifference, God always remained, waiting with open arms for that time when the boy might come to his senses and return to his first love. It took 27 years for the boy to realize that he’d hit rock bottom and he’d done it all on his own.

          Folks … there are signs of God’s love are all around us: the majesty of the Smokey Mountains, the peacefulness of Cummins Falls, the beauty of the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean, and the splendor of a Colorado sunset. They are all part of God’s Creation, all expressions of His overflowing love for each of us … something that man has yet to duplicate or clone.

We are part of God’s creation. But we are set aside from everything else that God has created. God loves us so much that He’s given us the choice, the freewill, to love Him back. That’s how we’re different than anything else He’s created. But we, like Adam and Eve and every person in between, so often choose to ignore God rather than to have a relationship with him.

Just in case you didn’t know, God has a Covenant with Humanity. The Bible is the love story of His Covenant – a love story with humanity despite our sin and choice to ignore Him. And all He wants, His heart’s desire, is that you and I have a mutual love relationship with Him. God offers us this relationship: a relationship of based and built on grace. Through Jesus, God offers this transforming relationship with us. Jesus models a life transformed through relationship with God. It is something given freely yet not deserved or worked for. That is grace defined and it breaks down like this:

God offers a friendship based on grace.

God pursues us throughout our lives.

And God’s grace stems from God’s unconditional love – His grace through our faith.

Here’s the kicker:

We can never be too good or too bad for God’s grace.

And nothing can separate us from God’s love.

There are numerous reasons why the boy I’ve spoken about … and we … ignore God’s love. Ignorance is one reason. The boy didn’t quite understand the relationship that God was offering. All he saw was religion and from an early age he didn’t want religion, rules, or “cans and can’ts.” He was ignorant to how a relationship is totally different from a religion. His ignorance of relationship made his desire to be in control stronger.

If the boy didn’t give in to someone else’s “ideas” of how he should live his life or to whom he should give his life, he could be in control and make decisions based on his own truths. By being in control, he was neither accountable to nor responsible for anyone else, particularly, a God who he’d “never seen, spoken to, or heard from.”

Ignorance and his desire to be in control only led to more doubts about the reality of God and His existence. He’d ask questions like:

Was a loving God merely a figment of somebody’s imagination cause all I see through religion are fear, guilt, and shame?

God is only for weak people who need a crutch. Why do I need Him? Everything that I’ve ever accomplished in life has been because I’ve had to drive to accomplish the task.

And if God is so great, trustworthy, and cares so much about me, why does He let bad things happen to me?

What have I done to make God want to get even with me?

So the boy’s doubts eventually led him to fall under pressure from others who were ignorant as well. He went with the flow most times – spread his wings, sowed his wild oats. Sometimes he led others astray. Either way, he moved farther and farther from God. He allowed himself to be molded by his “friends and heroes” because choosing to follow God only made him feel less cool, out of touch, and restricted. Peer pressure can do deplorable things to a person when that person has decided to say yes to certain activities and no to God.

But there are definite results of ignoring God’s love. There are costs one will eventually have to pay. As I said before, the boy felt a deep-seated emptiness that he tried to fill with things: relationships, alcohol, drugs, sex, music, indifference but the more he tried to indulge, the less he felt fulfilled. No “feel-good” experience could truly make him feel good. Pain and guilt consumed him as he chose to live against God’s image in him.

He knew right from wrong his whole life. No question about it … but he continued to choose to go against the will of God. He continued to walk his own path at that point because it was in his comfort zone. It was what he knew but he knew no peace. As a result, he had a poor self-image, low self-esteem, and bad feelings about who he was engulfed him. Eventually he thought he was of no worth despite everything he did to make himself feel better. He even contemplated suicide and murder. He hated who he was and he hated others simply for existing in his world. And he hated God for creating him.

Thoughts of eliminating his problems were an everyday occurrence.

Fade to Black

“Life it seems to fade away

Drifting further every day

Getting lost within myself

Nothing matters no one else

I have lost the will to live

Simply nothing more to give

There is nothing more for me

Need the end to set me free”

(Metallica)

The Waiting

Would you think that I am crazy?

If I said I want to die?

Help me Jesus, can you save me?

Nothing here can make me cry

I’ve been thinking about leaving

I’ve been thinking hard and long

Every person that comes near me

Are reasons why I write my song

(Malcolm Rios)

But because certain men and women, who God had placed specifically in the boy’s life, lived what the Bible said, the boy began to see things differently. He was being drawn to accepting the love relationship God was offering him. He began by choosing to be open to God.

And I challenge you to live as though God is real. Be open to it. Believe He communicates and that He will communicate with you. Listen for His still, small voice. Listen to other Christians and what their experiences may offer you in the way of advice and encouragement in your own walk.

You’ve been given an awesome opportunity to hear, first hand, from a wide variety of people who’ve experienced God’s love and you’ll hear about the struggles they’ve faced with their own faiths. Believe that God is waiting for you to talk to Him and He’s eager to listen. Open up to Him. He has the greatest ears and heart in the universe.

I want you to close your eyes for the next few minutes and just listen and think on what I’ve got to say. Take a chance and trust that God has a great purpose for your life. Take a moment to think about all God’s blessings in your life. If you honestly assess them, you won’t be able to take just a moment. God has started something good in you and He will complete that good work!

Take a chance and receive the message being personally delivered to you right now: God wants a relationship with you. Take a chance and imagine what would be different if you were to accept God’s love right now. What would you hope to receive by accepting God’s love? What one thing would you be able to let go of by accepting God’s love?

Folks … the person or people who turned you onto this blog and my heart’s desire are for you to simply say yes to the love relationship God offers. Believe me when I say that saying yes to God is an act of faith. It’s a daily act of faith. We have to decide to offer our lives to God – to put our lives and futures in His hands – not as a religion but as a personal relationship that can be cultivated and developed over a lifetime.

Conversion begins the moment we say yes to God. And “conversion” is allowing God’s love and purpose to turn our lives around, to redirect us. And turning our lives around is a lifelong process but it’s a process we don’t have to go through alone. You can open your eyes now.

If you haven’t figured it out already, the boy in this story is me. At the time I accepted God’s offer of a love relationship, I was an empty, angry man who’d thought that serving in the military, going to college, and filling my body and mind with all sorts of experiences would fill the hole in my heart. None of it did.

A friend of mine knew that I was empty. He asked me, one day, if he could pray for me. My answer was yes but my thoughts were, “What the hell? It couldn’t hurt.” That was the smartest thing I’d done in my life. I was open to God at that point and a week later, I went to church for the first time in 15 years. At church, God, through the preacher, gave a simple salvation message just for me and as the talk ended, I raised my hand, went to the alter, and gave my life to God.

Has it been a walk in the park? To be honest with you … yeah, it’s been good. Sure, there have been some times when life has thrown curveballs at me but for the most part, God has blessed me far more than I deserve, much less, would have ever dreamed of. And you know what, with God; you can still hit a grand slam off a curveball.

I really believed I’d be in prison or dead by the time I was 25 but God has a bigger purpose for me. I never thought I’d find someone who’d share their life with me but last year, God, brought Amanda into my life and two absolutely beautiful children, Sophia and Angus. Tell me that isn’t a blessing.

I’ve done things, been places, met people, and had my life changed in more ways over the last 15 years because of my relationship with God. He has sustained me and there is no doubt … I say again, there is no doubt in my heart … that God is who He says He is and He loves me … He loves you … like He says He does.

In closing, I, like Adam and Eve, denied God for as long as I could. I hid from God, like them, naked, afraid, and ashamed. I knew I was separated from His love. Yet, God searched for Adam and Eve. He called their names, “Adam, Eve, where are you?” He did the same for me, “Malcolm, where are you? I want a relationship with you?” The same is true for all of you. God is seeing you out and He calls your names as well saying:

• “_________, where are you? I love you and want a relationship with you.”
• “_________, where are you? I love you and want a relationship with you.”
• “_________, where are you? I love you and want a relationship with you.”

God is inviting you to say yes to the offer of a relationship.

What will be your response?

What I'm For

What I’m For

Have you seen the movie or read the book, “Black Hawk Down?” There are a lot of stories of individual acts of courage and honor that came out of that battle. I want to speak of two men specifically who showed the world about character, honor, and self-sacrifice. The world now knows for what these men stood.

            The setting is 1993 in Mogadishu, Somalia. American forces had been tasked to capture Mohammed Farah Aidid's senior subordinates in the Bakaara Market neighborhood of Mogadishu. Things would be a little challenging for the operators because it was to be a daylight raid / extraction.

As fate would have it, even the best laid plans can become chaos. Murphy showed up and everything went south. Two Black Hawks were shot down by RPGs. CWO Michael Durant survived but was taken prisoner. SFC Randy Shughart and MSG Gary Gordon, two Delta operators, gave their lives in an attempt to recover fallen warrior and rescue Chief Durant. Their deaths reflected who they were: the most selfless elite warriors of our nation.

Does the way you live your life reflect the work of Christ in you? Do you ever wonder why people choose to follow Christ despite how they see “Christians” acting? What is it that draws a person to Christ who has never known God or might have been blatantly rebelling against him? What are you doing / not doing to live a life that honors and pleases the Lord? Are you a living representative of Christ? Colossians 1:9-10 says this:

“We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.”

Living a life to honor and please the Lord is made evident by one’s fruit.

“What I’m For”

By Pat Green

I'm for Texas Margaritas and gettin' outta debt
I'm for havin' faith in something that hasn't happened yet
For the shy kid in the corner afraid to ask the girl to dance
For the ex-con outta prison who just wants a second chance
For the inner city teacher with her heart stuck in her throat
Can still see God in every child and never gives up hope

I'm for dusty pawn shop guitars and boxers passed their prime
I'm for soakin' up the wisdom when an old man speaks his mind
I'm for Detroit factory workers when the wolf is at the door
You don't have to guess what I'm against if you know what I'm for

Are you growing in relationship with him so that you know him better and better? Does how you live your life honor and please the Lord? Does how you live your life produce good fruit; fruit that others can see and enjoy?

This is what I used to be told you have to do to be a Christian down south: You can’t drink. You can’t smoke. You can’t chew or dip. You can’t dance. You can’t listen to rock ‘n roll. You can’t you can’t you can’t!!! Well … what about “you can’t have instruments in worship?” “You can’t raise your arms up in worship.” “You can’t dance for joy in church (but it’s perfectly acceptable to act like a complete idiot on a bad call at a ball game).” “You have to wear your Sunday go to meeting clothes to be a Christian.” “You can’t have long hair.” “You can’t have earrings … definitely no tattoos!” “Women, you can’t preach.” “Women, you can’t say anything in church.”

It’s ridiculous isn’t it? The sad part is … we could go on for hours and come up with more “laws” that some of you all are still living under. Colossians 2:20-23 says this:

“You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.”

Keeping the “Law” won’t save you much less help you overcome the desires of your flesh

Know this … somebody out there will probably allow Satan to twist my words in their head. I am not saying go out and do things simply because. No, don’t do that. Don’t continue to sin. Don’t go out and sin more because the preacher man said you could go out with your drinking buddies and tie one on. No, I am not saying that at all … and neither is God, more importantly.

“Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.” – Romans 6:1-8

            Why do we kid ourselves into believing that we can justify the sin in our lives? I’ve never really understood that concept. Even when I didn’t claim Christ as my Lord and Savior, I knew exactly when I was doing “wrong.” I just choose not to have a conscience about my actions. It wasn’t a question of whether I should or shouldn’t make some girl do the “Walk of Shame” after a one night stand … that entire “relationship” was wrong and I knew it!

“Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.” – Romans 6:13-16

Think about it this way: there was a boy who lived in a brickyard. Every day the boy was expected to carry bricks. With the expectation of carrying bricks comes a sense that the more you carry then the stronger you will become. So the boy carried his bricks with great veracity. As he grew he added more bricks. He put on more bricks because he believed he could carry more bricks and carrying them would make him stronger. More bricks, more weight. But something wasn’t right.

The more weight he put on himself, the less effective he was at carrying his bricks. In reality, more bricks just weighed him down to where he couldn’t do anything. His efforts for strength were futile. That which he thought would strengthen him eventually broke him. So what’s the boy to do? Hopefully someone will teach him. Hopefully someone will counsel him. Hopefully some one will show him a better way to move the bricks.

Obviously, there is a better way. “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” – Colossians 3:16-17

You see, the bricks in this story are the Law, and in some cases, the implied law created by man to “gauge” one person against another. The only person we should measure ourselves against is Christ and He alone! A great example of this from the Scriptures involves King David in regards to how he worshiped the Lord. David was a man after God’s own heart. He lived as a representative of God – for God.

“And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment. But as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him. When David returned home to bless his own family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him. She said in disgust, “How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!” David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!” So Michal, the daughter of Saul, remained childless throughout her entire life.” – 2 Samuel 6:14, 16, 20-23.

Do you ever wonder why people choose to follow Christ despite how they see “Christians” acting? I know one Chaplain who I would have never elected as a Chaplain had I been in charge but you know what, God is using him in a way that I will probably never fully appreciate or understand … but he’s being used and Soldiers are being “ministered to!”

What about the ones who have left church because “Christians” are actually following Christ! I’ve been in churches where people have left the church because the pastor felt led to grow the congregation in “prayer circles” so that the CHURCH could minister to its members. I’ve been in churches where people have left because they simply wanted to “justify” the lifestyle their flesh wants to live. “I don’t want to feel condemnation.” So they choose hell over holy??? That makes sense … not!

What are you doing / not doing to live a life that honors and pleases the Lord?

Are you a living representative of Christ? Is the fragrance of Christ pouring out of you? If you claim the name of Jesus Christ then I implore you to live your life to honor and please the Lord. You will be known by your fruit. Keeping the “Laws” won’t save you much less help you overcome the desires of your flesh. You have to give yourself completely to God’s grace. Live as a representative of Christ. Know whose you are!

Self-Image

September 26, 2011

Self-Image

What do you think of when you hear the word “image?” This was the question posed to about 16 or so teenagers over the course of this past Saturday. I like to give the definition of words that I ask so here is the definition of image according to Merriam-Webster: “an imitation in solid form; a visual representation of something; exact likeness; a person strikingly like another person; a tangible or visible representation.”[1] All of these clearly define what an image is although I would argue that an image is just as much something that is used to misrepresent something else … more on that later.

What about what comes to your mind when you hear “self-image?” Self-image is defined as “one’s conception of oneself or of one’s role.”[2] When speaking about self-image we have to ask ourselves (1) who has helped to shape or define who we are or (2) who has influenced or shaped how we determine our self-worth?

How has your family shaped you? What about your friends? What cliques are you in currently or were in you in school? What groups do you associate with outside your normal daily routine, i.e., school or work? Are you a leader or do you simply follow blindly where you’re led? What about the ever present media? What shows do you watch routinely? To what kinds of music do you listen? What books / magazines are you reading?

In processing all that, the question arises: is it any wonder that we have poor self-images? If we took just a small sample – the years between 10 and 24 – you might be alarmed at the statistics about poor self-image / worth and suicide.

“The Centers for Disease Control report that [suicide] is the third leading cause of death, behind accidents and homicide, of people aged 15-24. Even more disturbing is the fact that suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for children between the ages of 10 and 14.”[3]

            The reality is that kids face life situations that may exist for a long time but inevitably present themselves through a child’s poor self-image. Without the proper care and “feeding” of a child, low self-worth will be the dysfunction of that child that might possibly lead to destructive and/or self-destructive behavior. Some contributing factors include (but are not limited to): divorce of parents, violence at home, inability to succeed at school, realized feelings of low self-worth, rejection, substance abuse, death of a close relative or friend, or suicide of a friend or someone he or she “knows” online.

            Despite never having been a supporter of Hilary Clinton, to some small degree I am in agreement with her that “it takes a village to raise a child.” Having never read her book, I can only assume that her title suggests that we all have a responsibility to ensure the success of our younger and future generations. Having said that, I must say that it is ultimately the responsibility of individual –when that individual becomes capable – to take responsibility for their own actions, thoughts, etc. I think that we, as a nation, have failed our youth by teaching them how to shirk responsibility … how to evade accountability … how to blame others. We have successfully institutionalized entitlement without ethic.

            That’s what we have done! We’ve exchanged who and what we’re supposed to be for something else. We’re not who we really should be and it’s because we’ve allowed ourselves to buy into the “image.”

            The reality is that we have to go back to where it all began. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness …” (Gen. 1:26). “So God created man in his own image. In the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27). We are created in the image of God! That’s huge. The enormity of it all can be overwhelming … no doubt. Being made in the image of God is a huge concept to wrap one’s brain around. Think about it. I’m pretty bold right now in claiming this one:

            Some say the universe is the ‘observable universe.’ It’s only what you or I ‘in principle’ could see from earth. Calculated at 14 billion parsecs [whatever that means] which for you guys who don’t have physics degrees is about 45.7 billion light years which for a guy like me means absolutely nothing because it’s so abstract anyway that it seems like conjecture or speculation to begin with … let’s just agree that the universe is HUGE – absolutely huge. The God of the universe is absolutely huge as well. He took the time to make little bitty you and me in his image. I can’t fathom that one but here we are.[4]

            So how does a teenager, much less anyone else, wrap their minds around this one? What does the “image of God” really mean? From a Christian standpoint, I believe that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: three incorporated in one. Jesus tells his followers, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind” (Matt. 22:37; cf. Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). Humans are three parts as well: heart, soul, and mind.

            Our minds are where we think, process, gain knowledge, and build wisdom. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom …” (Job 28:28; cf. Psa. 111:10; Pro. 1:7; 9:10; 15:33). We begin building our wisdom when we begin to fear the Lord. Fearing the Lord is simply getting to know the Lord in a way where you recognize his absolute authority in your life as well as your absolute dependence upon him. “Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind?” (Job 38:36). From the very beginning God puts a desire in us to gain understanding and wisdom. “The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens” (Pro. 3:19).

            The second part of who we are is soul. The soul is the spirit of man. We’re not just bodies while we’re here. For example, think back to the last funeral you attended. You saw the body of the individual you once knew but the spirit of that person – the soul that person who he or she was – was no longer with the body. The Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh …” (Gen. 6:3). It’s interesting to me that we do all kinds of things with our vessels – to honor and dishonor – God still looks to our spirits. “All the ways of man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit” (Pro. 16:2).

            Finally, we address the heart. We can look at this in two ways: the physical and the attitude, the second being the spirit with which we approach life. In all cases, God looks at the attitude of our hearts. “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of the heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart” (Gen. 6:5-6).  Grieved God to his heart? Absolutely the Creator cares about his creation. There should be no question about that fact. In regards to self-image, we must protect our hearts from anything and everything that is false or tries to steer us in the wrong direction. Sin, imperfection, and indifference are not God’s will.

            I address the heart, soul, and mind rather vaguely but the point I’m trying to get you to understand is that because we are made in the image of God we must protect the most basic parts of who we are. If our foundation is correct then we can build something beautiful. If it is not correct then we need to renovate. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you …” (Jer. 1:5). God knows his images. He knows us! His will is to conform us into “the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Rom. 8:29).

Imagine that: God is conforming / developing us into the image of the one and only son that He gave as the ultimate and complete sacrifice to atone for our sins (John 3:16). Now think about this: “[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Col. 1:15). A + B = C, right? God, through conforming us into the image of Jesus, is thus conforming us into the image of himself! That’s awesome!!!! No, we are not gods but God is conforming us into his image through Jesus. Talk about having something to be self-assured about now!

Remember this: “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer” (1 Tim. 4:4-5).

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[1]               http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/image accessed September 22, 2011.

[2]               http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-image?show=0&t=1316697859 accessed September 22, 2011.

[3]               http://www.teensuicidestatistics.com accessed September 22, 2011.

[4]               http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observable_universe accessed September 22, 2011.