Tag Archive - life

Who are you anyway?

April 30, 2010 in The Blog with 0 Comments

Ok, I’ve seen two people post this link in their blogs this week, so I took the test.

This link is a free spiritual gifts assessment that some churches even use as part of a hiring evaluation. At the very least, it is interesting.

Here are my top five according to this test:

  1. Shepherd
  2. Knowledge
  3. Teaching
  4. Giving
  5. Leadership

Someone else suggested this test for a little different slant on giftings.  This one came out similar, as did others I have taken in the past.

  1. Teaching
  2. Administration
  3. Pastor/Shepherd
  4. Exhortation
  5. Evangelism
Something else that can be very interesting is to take a personality profile.  There are plenty of them out there. The one I took most recently was through a Facebook app.  On these, I usually come up as ENTJ.

If you take any of these, post your results below.
Then maybe we can figure out what to do with this information!

Did Jesus speak out of both sides of his mouth?

April 19, 2010 in The Blog with 7 Comments

I read a great post by Tony Morgan today, titled “Is it hard, or is it easy?“. He has been struggling trying to reconcile two passages.

First, the passages:

(1)  “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it’” (Matthew 16:24-25, NLT).

(2)  “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light’” (Matthew 11:28-30, NLT).

Tony has wrestled with these for good reason. In his words, “Does taking up my cross mean there’s sacrifice and pain involved? Or, when I take up his yoke, is the burden light?” Do these contradict each other? Is there a tension we should live in? Surely, there is benefit in thinking this over and wrestling with the meaning.

Tony goes on to say that he’s currently at a place where he holds both in tension. In other words, both are true, but they seem to oppose one another in a way. He would say it is important for us to recognize that we will experience pain (1st passage) but that we’ll also have peace and joy (2nd passage). I encourage you to read his post here.

I don’t disagree with his thoughts.  And I’ve enjoyed my own thinking and wrestling today.  I had a few initial thoughts though, and I’m curious what you think.  Here is what I came up with and posted as a reply:

Great thoughts Tony! I should be working, but you’ve made me think. I’m sure I’ll be chewing on this for while, but here are my initial thoughts:

The first (Mt 16) is speaking to the selfish. The second (Mt 11) is speaking to the weary. The first group need to be broken, the second need a break.

The first speaks of carrying a cross. This is really hard work! Crosses are not designed for ease of carrying – they are designed to destroy us. The second speaks of taking on a yoke. A yoke is a beam designed to connect two oxen together for hard work such as plowing. If we are “taking his yoke on”, who is on the other side? He is! The burden is easy because he is doing the heavy lifting!

I wonder if the cross in the first passage speaks of sacrificing our life and giving it to him, while the yoke in the second passage speaks of the process of us working on our life.

The literal cross in Roman times signified the end of life. The figurative cross signifies the end of our living for ourselves. (I wonder if the figurative yoke could equate to discipleship.)

Great topic! I’ll be watching for more developments.

So, what do you think?  Am I on the right track?  Wrong track?  Additional insights?

Health Care Reform Passes the House

March 22, 2010 in The Blog with 10 Comments

I’m sure we’ve all got our opinions about the health care bill, the vote last night, and the political dealings leading up to it. This post is not about that. I just wanted to repost some of my favorite status updates I’ve seen today on Facebook and Twitter.

  • “Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Government in charge? You? Or is it God? Allow Him to lead you today!”  -  Mark MacDonald
  • “I wish the Christian community got as excited about proclaiming Christ as they did about debating health care.”  -  Ed Stetzer
  • “All the cries of fear and woe really make me wonder about the faith of so many American Christians. Is your God not on the throne? Is your hope in God or in politics? Who has your allegiance – Christ alone or Christ plus a political ideology? Which is stronger in you – fear or faith?”  -  Michael Ray Kear
  • “If your passions are more provoked today by this health care plan than they were yesterday by your neighbors going to hell: wonder why?”  -  Russell Moore
  • “God is sovereign no matter how the healthcare vote comes down… ‘In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.’ (Ps 37:10-13)”
  • “I am glad no matter what happens today his treasure will be secure and unchanged tomorrow.”  -  Jared Wilson
  • “Want some cheese with that Whine? [Stop acting like a victim.]“  -  Mike Foster
  • “Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading.”  -  Oswald Chambers (via Lee Bezotte)
  • “God is Sovereign, Democracy is Beautiful, America is Amazing and Your Vote Matters! God is Good… All The Time!” – Scott Williams

Got any good ones you’ve found? Post them as a reply!

Busy-ness

March 11, 2010 in The Blog with 2 Comments

Here is a great quote from John Piper:

“One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time.”
And when I say quote, what I mean is tweet. Kind of ironic, eh? But a swift kick in the butt at the same time. Maybe Twitter or Facebook don’t consume that much of your time.  But everyone has something that sucks up their time.


“We’re too busy” is something I hear all the time lately.  I believe it less and less.

I think “busy” is a state of mind. This perspective has come slowly as I age. This is ironic in a way, because I have far more to do as I get older. Marriage means you have to do your stuff, plus her stuff, plus together stuff. Kids are very demanding of your time – and it gets worse before it gets better! You think feedings and nap times cramp your style? Wait until you have to take them to practices, school events, social activities, etc.! I really like to read – where do you slate that in?

We are involved in more activities at church, both participating and leading, than ever before. I’m now blogging and writing a lot lately. We have people over quite often. I’m self-employed, and that is feast or famine – but the demands of the work schedule can overrule many other best intentions.

But do I feel busy?  Sure, I have lots to do.  And I don’t have a lot of free (unallocated) time.  But I don’t see that as busy.  I see that as the result of my choices.  I make time for all the things above.  I make time for my wife and kids.  I make time to read and to study.  I make time for anything that is important to me.  That doesn’t mean I’m busy.  That means I’m engaged in life.

No one is busier than another person.  Everyone has the same number of minutes in a week.  It’s how we choose to spend them.  Are you choosing your minute-fillers, or do you let others impose them on you?  I think that might be what some people call “busy”.  Maybe they really mean that they feel powerless.  But you’re not! You have the same number of minutes as everyone else.  They are votes that you can cast in the grand scheme of life.  You vote with your time. Where you put your time shows what you value.  It’s that simple.

If you value community, or service, or family, or recreation, or prayer, or solitude, or whatever – you will find time for it.  What is your purpose?  Do you have one besides entertaining yourself?  If you think you do, look at your schedule.  That will tell you whether you are being honest when you say that you’re “busy”.

The Christian Coma

March 2, 2010 in The Blog with 7 Comments

Christians – at least American Christians – seem to mark two milestones in their spiritual lives: Birth & Death. We talk about being “born again”, then we look forward to “eternal life”. (Have I ever mentioned how much I love Christian jargon…)

We say things like “Oh, I remember back before I met Jesus. I was a terrible person.” And, “Just wait til glory, when we’re wearing our robes, have no more sickness, and we’re singing to Jesus forever!”

Who would want that? Seriously, who would hear us talking like this and think it sounds exciting? (Certainly not Jesus) What about this will get the world’s attention? Christianity is a retirement home, it seems.

I’m going to make a new version of the board game “Life” for Christians.  Square one is salvation.  We get to begin playing the game.  We move to the first square, we get our playing piece, and then….    we sit there.  Interminably.  Doing nothing.  Just drawing a card on each turn, and waiting for the one that says, “You’re dead.  Go directly to heaven.”  What a boring game!  Wake up!  Engage!

Don’t get me wrong.  I think heaven is great and all.  I even look forward to it in a way – although I think heaven is entirely different than how most of Christianity portrays it (big shock there, I know), but that is a different topic.

But in our spiritual journey, we go from birth, directly looking forward to death.  How twisted is this?  What if you had a family member that lived their physical life like this?  There is a diagnosis in some children called “failure to thrive”.  It means a baby is not eating, growing, playing, or engaging life like a normal baby.  It is something doctors take very seriously.  I would argue that somewhere between 90-98% of the church has the same condition.

Think of the church (universal – as in ‘body of Christ’) as a family.  Would we be content to have a family like our spiritual family?  We are born, then enter a deep coma until we die.  Whee!!  Nothing like the “abundant life”!  Where is the life?  Where is the growth?  Where is the reproduction?  What about family reunions and casual get-togethers? (read: church and other fellowship)

Christianity costs us something besides our soul.  At least it should!  What about our mind, body & spirit?  Do you ever think (mind) about your faith?  Do you ever physically pursue (body) what you say you believe?  Have you ever felt (spirit) anything?

For many that do bother to leave their beds on Sundays, Christianity is nothing more than consumerism.  “So church, what do you have for me today?”

How much of your time and money is spent on something that has significance beyond your own home?  If you aren’t involved in creating new Christians, or helping other Christians to grow – what exactly is your purpose?  Is it possible you don’t even have one?

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